14-graciosa and percinet-第4节

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feathers　of　all　sorts　of　birds。　There　were　nightingales；　canaries；

goldfinches；　linnets；　tomtits；　parrots；　owls；　sparrows；　doves；

ostriches；　bustards；　peacocks；　larks；　partridges；　and　everything　else

that　you　can　think　of。　These　feathers　were　all　mixed　up　in　such

confusion　that　the　birds　themselves　could　not　have　chosen　out　their

own。　‘Here；'　said　the　Fairy；　‘is　a　little　task　which　it　will　take　all

your　prisoner's　skill　and　patience　to　accomplish。　Tell　her　to　pick

out　and　lay　in　a　separate　heap　the　feathers　of　each　bird。　She

would　need　to　be　a　fairy　to　do　it。'



The　Queen　was　more　than　delighted　at　the　thought　of　the

despair　this　task　would　cause　the　Princess。　She　sent　for　her；　and

with　the　same　threats　as　before　locked　her　up　with　the　three　keys；

ordering　that　all　the　feathers　should　be　sorted　by　sunset。　Graciosa

set　to　work　at　once；　but　before　she　had　taken　out　a　dozen　feathers

she　found　that　it　was　perfectly　impossible　to　know　one　from　another。



‘Ah！　well；'　she　sighed；　‘the　Queen　wishes　to　kill　me；　and　if　I

must　die　I　must。　I　cannot　ask　Percinet　to　help　me　again；　for　if

he　really　loved　me　he　would　not　wait　till　I　called　him；　he　would

come　without　that。'



‘I　am　here；　my　Graciosa；'　cried　Percinet；　springing　out　of　the

barrel　where　he　had　been　hiding。　‘How　can　you　still　doubt　that　I

love　you　with　all　my　heart？'



Then　he　gave　three　strokes　of　his　wand　upon　the　barrel；　and　all

the　feathers　flew　out　in　a　cloud　and　settled　down　in　neat　little

separate　heaps　all　round　the　room。



‘What　should　I　do　without　you；　Percinet？'　said　Graciosa

gratefully。　But　still　she　could　not　quite　make　up　her　mind　to　go

with　him　and　leave　her　father's　kingdom　for　ever；　so　she　begged

him　to　give　her　more　time　to　think　of　it；　and　he　had　to　go　away

disappointed　once　more。



When　the　wicked　Queen　came　at　sunset　she　was　amazed　and

infuriated　to　find　the　task　done。　However；　she　complained　that

the　heaps　of　feathers　were　badly　arranged；　and　for　that　the

Princess　was　beaten　and　sent　back　to　her　garret。　Then　the

Queen　sent　for　the　Fairy　once　more；　and　scolded　her　until　she　was

fairly　terrified；　and　promised　to　go　home　and　think　of　another　task

for　Graciosa；　worse　than　either　of　the　others。



At　the　end　of　three　days　she　came　again；　bringing　with　her　a

box。



‘Tell　your　slave；'　said　he；　‘to　carry　this　wherever　you　please；

but　on　no　account　to　open　it。　She　will　not　be　able　to　help　doing

so；　and　then　you　will　be　quite　satisfied　with　the　result。'　So　the

Queen　came　to　Graciosa；　and　said：



‘Carry　this　box　to　my　castle；　and　place　it　upon　the　table　in　my

own　room。　But　I　forbid　you　on　pain　of　death　to　look　at　what　it

contains。'



Graciosa　set　out；　wearing　her　little　cap　and　wooden　shoes　and

the　old　cotton　frock；　but　even　in　this　disguise　she　was　so　beautiful

that　all　the　passers…by　wondered　who　she　could　be。　She　had　not

gone　far　before　the　heat　of　the　sun　and　the　weight　of　the　box

tired　her　so　much　that　she　sat　down　to　rest　in　the　shade　of　a　little

wood　which　lay　on　one　side　of　a　green　meadow。　She　was　carefully

holding　the　box　upon　her　lap　when　she　suddenly　felt　the　greatest

desire　to　open　it；



‘What　could　possibly　happen　if　I　did？'　she　said　to　herself。

‘I　should　not　take　anything　out。　I　should　only　just　see　what　was

there。'



And　without　farther　hesitation　she　lifted　the　cover。



Instantly　out　came　swarms　of　little　men　and　women；　no　taller

than　her　finger；　and　scattered　themselves　all　over　the　meadow；

singing　and　dancing；　and　playing　the　merriest　games；　so　that　at

first　Graciosa　was　delighted　and　watched　them　with　much　amusement。

But　presently；　when　she　was　rested　and　wished　to　go　on

her　way；　she　found　that；　do　what　she　would；　she　could　not　get　them

back　into　their　box。　If　she　chased　them　in　the　meadow　they　fled

into　the　wood；　and　if　she　pursued　them　into　the　wood　they　dodged

round　trees　and　behind　sprigs　of　moss；　and　with　peals　of　elfin

laughter　scampered　back　again　into　the　meadow。



At　last；　weary　and　terrified；　she　sat　down　and　cried。



‘It　is　my　own　fault；'　she　said　sadly。　‘Percinet；　if　you　can　still

care　for　such　an　imprudent　Princess；　do　come　and　help　me　once　more。'



Immediately　Percinet　stood　before　her。



‘Ah；　Princess！'　he　said；　‘but　for　the　wicked　Queen　I　fear　you

would　never　think　of　me　at　all。'



‘Indeed　I　should；'　said　Graciosa；　‘I　am　not　so　ungrateful　as

you　think。　Only　wait　a　little　and　I　believe　I　shall　love　you　quite

dearly。'



Percinet　was　pleased　at　this；　and　with　one　stroke　of　his　wand

compelled　all　the　wilful　little　people　to　come　back　to　their　places

in　the　box；　and　then　rendering　the　Princess　invisible　he　took　her

with　him　in　his　chariot　to　the　castle。



When　the　Princess　presented　herself　at　the　door；　and　said　that

the　Queen　had　ordered　her　to　place　the　box　in　her　own　room；　the

governor　laughed　heartily　at　the　idea。



‘No；　no；　my　little　shepherdess；'　said　he；　‘that　is　not　the　place

for　you。　No　wooden　shoes　have　ever　been　over　that　floor　yet。'



Then　Graciosa　begged　him　to　give　her　a　written　message　telling

the　Queen　that　he　had　refused　to　admit　her。　This　he　did；　and　she

went　back　to　Percinet；　who　was　waiting　for　her；　and　they　set　out

together　for　the　palace。　You　may　imagine　that　they　did　not　go

the　shortest　way；　but　the　Princess　did　not　find　it　too　long；　and

before　they　parted　she　had　promised　that　if　the　Queen　was　still

cruel　to　her；　and　tried　again　to　play　her　any　spiteful　trick；　she

would　leave　her　and　come　to　Percinet　for　ever。



When　the　Queen　saw　her　returning　she　fell　upon　the　Fairy；

whom　she　had　kept　with　her；　and　pulled　her　hair；　and　scratched

her　face；　and　would　really　have　killed　her　if　a　Fairy　could　be

killed。　And　when　the　Princess　presented　the　letter　and　the　box

she　threw　them　both　upon　the　fire　without　opening　them；　and

looked　very　much　as　if　she　would　like　to　throw　the　Princess　after

them。　However；　what　she　really　did　do　was　to　have　a　great　hole

as　deep　as　a　well　dug　in　her　garden；　and　the　top　of　it　covered　with

a　flat　stone。　Then　she　went　and　walked　near　it；　and　said　to

Graciosa　and　all　her　ladies　who　were　with　her：



‘I　am　told　that　a　great　treasure　lies　under　that　stone；　let　us　see

if　we　can　lift　it。'



So　they　all　began　to　push　and　pull　at　it；　and　Graciosa　among

the　others；　which　was　just　what　the　Queen　wanted；　for　as　soon　as

the　stone　was　lifted　high　enough；　she　gave　the　Princess　a　push

which　sent　her　down　to　the　bottom　of　the　well；　and　then　the　stone

was　let　fall　again；　and　there　she　was　a　prisoner。　Graciosa　felt

that　now　indeed　she　was　hopelessly　lost；　surely　not　even　Percinet

could　find　her　in　the　heart　of　the　earth。



‘This　is　like　being　buried　alive；'　she　said　with　a　shudder。　‘Oh；

Percinet！　if　you　only　knew　how　I　am　suffering　for　my　want　of

trust　in　you！　But　how　could　I　be　sure　that　you　would　not　be　like

other　men　and　tire　of　me　from　the　moment　you　were　sure　I　loved

you？'



As　she　spoke　she　suddenly　saw　a　little　door　open；　and　the

sunshine　blazed　into　the　dismal　well。　Graciosa　did　not　hesitate　an

instant；　but　passed　through　into　a　charming　garden。　Flowers　and

fruit　grew　on　every　side；　fountains　plashed；　and　birds　sang　in　the

branches　overhead；　and　when　she　reached　a　great　avenue　of　trees

and　looked　up　to　see　where　it　would　lead　her；　she　found　herself

close　to　the　palace　of　crystal。　Yes！　there　was　no　mistaking　it；

and　the　Queen　and　Percinet　were　coming　to　meet　her。



‘Ah；　Princess！'　said　the　Queen；　‘don't　keep　this　poor　Percinet

in　suspense　any　longer。　You　little　guess　the　anxiety　he　has

suffered　while　you　were　in　the　power　of　that　miserable　Queen。'



The　Princess　kissed　her　gratefully；　and　promised　to　do　as　she

wished　in　everything；　and　holding　out　her　hand　to　Percinet；　with　a

smile；　she　said：



‘Do　you　remember　telling　me　that　I　should　not　see　your　palace

again　until　I　had　been　buried？　I　wonder　if　you　guessed　then

that；　when　that　happened；　I　should　tell　you　that　I　love　you　with　all

my　heart；　and　will　marry　you　whenever　you　like？'



Prince　Percinet　joyfully　took　the　hand　that　was　given　him；　and；

for　fear　the　Princess　should　change　her　mind；　the　wedding　was

held　at　once　with　the　greatest　splendour；　and　Graciosa　and　Percinet

lived　happily　ever　after。＇11＇



＇11＇　Gracieuse　et　Percinet。　Mdme。　d'Aulnoy。