I stand tall and proud in the midst of the sea. I am built of shells of all shapes and colors. My lowest floor is like a great bathroom where the water sloshes in and out. The second floor holds the apartments of a princess who has been imprisoned here by the fairies.

On the third floor, I contain a library, a large wardrobe filled with beautiful clothes and linens, a music room, a pantry full of the best wines, and a store-room with all kinds of preserves, bonbons, pastries, and cakes that are fresh and warm, just out of the oven.

My top floor is laid out like a garden, with beds of the loveliest flowers, shrubs, shady arbors, and fine fruit trees where birds light and sing.

I may be a prison, but who would not wish to be imprisoned in me?

The Enchanted Sea Tower in An Impossible Enchantment, Grey Fairy Book. Ilustration “The Lily” by Alphonse Mucha.