The Rose and the Ring

[Music] i have always been known as the fairy black stick with my fairy roses and fairy rings i always gave away gifts of good luck but the time came when i decided that a little misfortune might make a better gift of course this has made me very unpopular at parties and celebrations let me tell you what happened in the kingdoms of pathwagonia and crimtartery when princess angelica of paphlagonia was christened i decided to go uninvited as i neared the palace i could hear gruffenoff the doorkeeper quarreling with his wife what a bad tempered pair they were old gruffenov was very rude to me so rude in fact that i thought he should have a chance to think about his nasty way [Music] he made a very handsome brass door knocker although everyone supposed that he had run away from his nagging wife the king and queen felt sorry for mrs grafenoff so they made her governess to little princess angelica later i paid a secret visit to the royal garden and left a little beggar girl with the princess princess angelica was enchanted and wanted to keep her what a strange but delightful companion the little girl was very dirty she said she had come from the forest where she lived with the lions once again angelica got what she wanted mrs gruffenov wasn't at all pleased but she obeyed the royal orders [Music] a good wash up and new clothes were needed to make the beggar child fit company or a princess her old rags were kept to remind her of her humble beginning [Music] and they named her betsinda twenty years past slowly and peacefully in the kingdom of paphlegonia that cinder was now ladies maid to the haughty and conceited princess angelica [Music] one morning a letter announced a visit from prince bubo of krimtartery the neighbouring kingdom dreams of a royal wedding joining the kingdoms of paphlagonia and crimtartery filled king valorosa's head but just a minute the good prince giglio should really have been king of paphlagonia all along you see when giglio was just a baby uncle valarosa stole the kingdom out of his chubby little hands since valorosa enjoyed being king he was in no hurry to hand it back now giglio was a young prince and deeply in love with princess angelica poor giglio could his own true love really be in love with prince bilbo angelica doesn't know it but she's wearing one of my magic fairy rings it was a family treasure which prince giglio gave to her this ring with a secret makes anyone who wears it beautiful giglio could hardly believe his eyes was this his beautiful princess prince bulbo had arrived everyone must attend his reception meanwhile the ring had found a new owner giglio searched in vain for the ring [Music] why had he never noticed before what a charming woman mrs gruffenoff was what a welcome was given prince bilbo of the kingdom of krimtartery volvo's father king padella would have been delighted with the marriage between his son and the princess angelica the two kingdoms crim tartary and pathologonia would be united everywhere he went prince bulbau carried with him a family treasure a very special rose it was one of my magic roses as long as he had the magic rose everyone loved it giglio was overwhelmed by the beauty of the transformed mrs grafenoff she wasn't one to let such an opportunity pass by what seemed like an order for blankets and food for the poor of the kingdom was really a hastily written promise of marriage [Music] foolish giglio did not even read what he was signing [Music] meanwhile the engagement of prince bubo and princess angelica was announced amidst a grand ball later that night mrs grafenoff gloated over her prize soon very soon she would become a princess so pleased with herself was she that she impulsively gave betsinda the magic ring [Applause] the fairy ring worked its magic but prince giglio was moved by more than fairy magic he fell deeply and truly in love with betsinda of course she had been in love with him for years poor bet cinder this was more than she had bargained for [Music] even king valarosa was bewitched by the fairy ring frightened and bewildered bet cinder didn't know what to do [Applause] out with bet cinder went the old clothes she'd arrived in a piece of cloak and one little shoe even a prince could not hit a king the prince must die at eight the next morning captain heads off loved prince giglio but a soldier must always do his duty then he heard a sharp whisper he didn't say which prince execute prince bolbo instead the problem was so next morning prince giglio had no desire to face king valarosa's anger [Music] and principal got a rude shock princess angelica could not believe her eyes [Music] she must do something to save bulba [Music] answer princess angelica and prince bulba were married at one meanwhile betsinda had been walking all night [Music] how she wished she were riding in that coach she did not know that it was prince giglio and i in the coach he was surprised that i knew him but he listened seriously to my advice [Music] it was time that he left behind his easy life and learned to be a king [Music] i gave him a magic bag to supply his needs while he studied and prepared himself to become the king the rightful king of paphlagonia [Music] meanwhile help had arrived for bet cinder [Music] me while they were reviving her her rescuers discovered the piece of cloak and the little shoe she was without a doubt their own queen rosalba when she was very young king padella had killed her father and made himself the king of crimtartery the little princess rosalba had been lost in the forest and so everyone thought she had been eaten by the lion there were many people eager to help her win back her kingdom a year passed in the kingdoms of paphlagonia and crimtartery queen rosalba gathered an army to fight for her kingdom and at the university giglio studied diligently and won many prizes count hoginarmo was the most powerful noble in crimtartery [Music] rosalba hoped to win him over to her side however he had plans of his own marriage was what he had in mind how dare she refuse him he'd show her king padella would like to get his hands on her since king padella liked being king he was very grateful while rozaba languished in the dungeon the two villains discussed suitable [Music] arena [Music] [Applause] but these ferocious lions turned out to be the ones rosalba had lived with in the forest when she was a child unfortunately for him count hoganarmo thought these were tame circus lines [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] giglio back at the university heard the news that rosalba had been thrown to the lions he vowed revenge [Applause] in a rousing switch to king valarosa's army he proclaimed himself their rightful king king giglio the army was completely won over king valerosa was forced to hand over his crown long reign king giglio prince buber must pay the price for what his father king padella had done to rosalba [Music] alas poor bulba once again he waited for execution and once again he had done nothing to deserve it [Music] everyone was sad about prince booboo but orders must be obeyed [Applause] but here was rosalba alive bulba was saved the lovers were reunited [Music] their joy was short-lived king podello was attacking and brave king giglio must go into battle so [Music] the wicked usurpers padella and valarosa were banished to wander as monks over the lands they once ruled [Music] at last the happy lovers were to be married but who should be waiting at the palace door in all her finery everyone was astonished what did mrs gruffenoff want could it be that she thought she was to be fried and then the blow fell mrs grafenoff produced the marriage promise there was nothing king giglio could do he had signed it it was binding [Music] all his pleading fell on deaf ears a king must keep his word giglio resignedly stepped forward to do his duty now however it was time for me to step in i asked mrs grafenoff again if she would release giglio from his promise she refused saying loudly i want my husband my husband my husband and so she got him [Music] there was great rejoicing on all sides long live king giglio and queen rosalba [Music] [Applause] and so i flew away and fairy blackstick was never again seen in the kingdoms of paphleogonia and crim tartary [Applause] [Music] foreign