the light princess-第2节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



her。　　But　hearing　nothing；　she　grew　uneasy；　and　went　at　length　to

the　queen's　boudoir；　where　she　found　her　Majesty。



〃Please；　your　Majesty；　shall　I　take　the　baby？〃　said　she。



〃Where　is　she？〃　asked　the　queen。



〃Please　forgive　me。　　I　know　it　was　wrong。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　said　the　queen；　looking　grave。



〃Oh！　don't　frighten　me；　your　Majesty！〃　exclaimed　the　nurse；

clasping　her　hands。



The　queen　saw　that　something　was　amiss；　and　fell　down　in　a　faint。　　

The　nurse　rushed　about　the　palace；　screaming；　〃My　baby！　my　baby！〃



Every　one　ran　to　the　queen's　room。　　But　the　queen　could　give　no

orders。　　They　soon　found　out；　however；　that　the　princess　was

missing；　and　in　a　moment　the　palace　was　like　a　beehive　in　a　garden；

and　in　one　minute　more　the　queen　was　brought　to　herself　by　a　great

shout　and　a　clapping　of　hands。　　They　had　found　the　princess　fast

asleep　under　a　rose…bush；　to　which　the　elvish　little　wind…puff　had

carried　her；　finishing　its　mischief　by　shaking　a　shower　of　red

rose…leaves　all　over　the　little　white　sleeper。　　Startled　by　the

noise　the　servants　made；　she　woke；　and；　furious　with　glee；

scattered　the　rose…　leaves　in　all　directions；　like　a　shower　of

spray　in　the　sunset。



She　was　watched　more　carefully　after　this；　no　doubt；　yet　it　would

be　endless　to　relate　all　the　odd　incidents　resulting　from　this

peculiarity　of　the　young　princess。　　But　there　never　was　a　baby　in　a

house；　not　to　say　a　palace；　that　kept　the　household　in　such

constant　good　humour；　at　least　below…　stairs。　　If　it　was　not　easy

for　her　nurses　to　hold　her；　at　least　she　made　neither　their　arms

nor　their　hearts　ache。　　And　she　was　so　nice　to　play　at　ball　with！

There　was　positively　no　danger　of　letting　her　fall。　　They　might

throw　her　down；　or　knock　her　down；　or　push　her　down；　but　couldn't

let　her　down。　　It　is　true；　they　might　let　her　fly　into　the　fire　or

the　coal…hole；　or　through　the　window；　but　none　of　these　accidents

had　happened　as　yet。　　If　you　heard　peals　of　laughter　resounding　from

some　unknown　region；　you　might　be　sure　enough　of　the　cause。　　Going

down　into　the　kitchen；　or　the　room；　you　would　find　Jane　and　Thomas；

and　Robert　and　Susan；　all　and　sum；　playing　at　ball　with　the　little

princess。　　She　was　the　ball　herself；　and　did　not　enjoy　it　the　less

for　that。　　Away　she　went；　flying　from　one　to　another；　screeching

with　laughter。　　And　the　servants　loved　the　ball　itself　better　even

than　the　game。　　But　they　had　to　take　some　care　how　they　threw　her；

for　if　she　received　an　upward　direction；　she　would　never　come　down

again　without　being　fetched。







5。　　What　Is　to　Be　Done？





But　above…stairs　it　was　different。　　One　day；　for　instance；　after

breakfast；　the　king　went　into　his　counting…house；　and　counted　out

his　money。　　The　operation　gave　him　no　pleasure。



〃To　think；〃　said　he　to　himself；　〃that　every　one　of　these　gold

sovereigns　weighs　a　quarter　of　an　ounce；　and　my　real；　live；

flesh…and…blood　princess　weighs　nothing　at　all！〃



And　he　hated　his　gold　sovereigns；　as　they　lay　with　a　broad　smile　of

self…satisfaction　all　over　their　yellow　faces。



The　queen　was　in　the　parlour；　eating　bread　and　honey。　　But　at　the

second　mouthful　she　burst　out　crying；　and　could　not　swallow　it。



The　king　heard　her　sobbing。　　Glad　of　anybody；　but　especially　of　his

queen；　to　quarrel　with；　he　clashed　his　gold　sovereigns　into　his

money…box；　clapped　his　crown　on　his　head；　and　rushed　into　the

parlour。



〃What　is　all　this　about？〃　exclaimed　he。　　〃What　are　you　crying　for；

queen？〃



〃I　can't　eat　it；〃　said　the　queen；　looking　ruefully　at　the

honey…pot。



〃…No　wonder！〃　retorted　the　king。　　〃You've　just　eaten　your　breakfast

two　turkey　eggs；　and　three　anchovies。〃



〃Oh；　that's　not　it！〃　sobbed　her　Majesty。　　〃It's　my　child；　my　child！〃



〃Well；　what's　the　matter　with　your　child？　　She's　neither　up　the

chimney　nor　down　the　draw…well。　　Just　hear　her　laughing。〃



Yet　the　king　could　not　help　a　sigh；　which　he　tried　to　turn　into　a

cough；　saying



〃It　is　a　good　thing　to　be　light…hearted；　I　am　sure；　whether　she　be

ours　or　not。〃



〃It　is　a　bad　thing　to　be　light…headed；〃　answered　the　queen；　looking

with　prophetic　soul　far　into　the　future。



〃'Tis　a　good　thing　to　be　light…handed；〃　said　the　king。



〃'Tis　a　bad　thing　to　be　light…fingered；〃　answered　the　queen。



〃'Tis　a　good　thing　to　be　light…footed；〃　said　the

king。



〃'Tis　a　bad　thing〃　began　the　queen；　but　the　king　interrupted　her。



〃In　fact；〃　said　he；　with　the　tone　of　one　who　concludes　an　argument

in　which　he　has　had　only　imaginary　opponents；　and　in　which；

therefore；　he　has　come　off　triumphant〃in　fact；　it　is　a　good　thing

altogether　to　be　light…bodied。〃



〃But　it　is　a　bad　thing　altogether　to　be　light…　minded；〃　retorted

the　queen；　who　was　beginning　to　lose　her　temper。



This　last　answer　quite　discomfited　his　Majesty；　who　turned　on　his

heel；　and　betook　himself　to　his　counting…house　again。　　But　he　was

not　half…way　towards　it；　when　the　voice　of　his　queen　overtook　him。



〃And　it's　a　bad　thing　to　be　light…haired；〃　screamed　she；　determined

to　have　more　last　words；　now　that　her　spirit　was　roused。



The　queen's　hair　was　black　as　night；　and　the　king's　had　been；　and

his　daughter's　was；　golden　as　morning。　　But　it　was　not　this

reflection　on　his　hair　that　arrested　him；　it　was　the　double　use　of

the　word　light。　　For　the　king　hated　all　witticisms；　and　punning

especially。　　And　besides；　he　could　not　tell　whether　the　queen　meant

light…haired　or　light…heired；　for　why　might　she　not　aspirate　her

vowels　when　she　was　exasperated　herself？



He　turned　upon　his　other　heel；　and　rejoined　her。　　She　looked　angry

still；　because　she　knew　that　she　was　guilty；　or；　what　was　much　the

same；　knew　that　HE　thought　so。



〃My　dear　queen；〃　said　he；　〃duplicity　of　any　sort　is　exceedingly

objectionable　between　married　people　of　any　rank；　not　to　say　kings

and　queens；　and　the　most　objectionable　form　duplicity　can　assume　is

that　of　punning。〃



〃There！〃　said　the　queen；　〃I　never　made　a　jest；　but　I　broke　it　in

the　making。　　I　am　the　most　unfortunate　woman　in　the　world！〃



She　looked　so　rueful；　that　the　king　took　her　in　his　arms；　and　they

sat　down　to　consult。



〃Can　you　bear　this？〃　said　the　king。



〃No；　I　can't；〃　said　the　queen。



〃Well；　what's　to　be　done？〃　said　the　king。



〃I'm　sure　I　don't　know；〃　said　the　queen。　　〃But　might　you　not　try　an

apology？〃



〃To　my　old　sister；　I　suppose　you　mean？〃　said　the　king。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　queen。



〃Well；　I　don't　mind；〃　said　the　king。



So　he　went　the　next　morning　to　the　house　of　the　princess；　and；

making　a　very　humble　apology；　begged　her　to　undo　the　spell。　　But　the

princess　declared；　with　a　grave　face；　that　she　knew　nothing　at　all

about　it。　　Her　eyes；　however；　shone　pink；　which　was　a　sign　that　she

was　happy。　　She　advised　the　king　and　queen　to　have　patience；　and　to

mend　their　ways。　　The　king　returned　disconsolate。　　The　queen　tried　to

comfort　him。



〃We　will　wait　till　she　is　older。　　She　may　then　be　able　to　suggest

something　herself。　　She　will　know　at　least　how　she　feels；　and

explain　things　to　us。〃



〃But　what　if　she　should　marry？〃　exclaimed　the　king；　in　sudden

consternation　at　the　idea。



〃Well；　what　of　that？〃　rejoined　the　queen。

〃Just　think！　　If　she　were　to　have　children！　　In　the　course　of　a

hundred　years　the　air　might　be　as　full　of　floating　children　as　of

gossamers　in　autumn。〃



〃That　is　no　business　of　ours；〃　replied　the　queen。　　〃Besides；　by　that

time　they　will　have　learned　to　take　care　of　themselves。〃



A　sigh　was　the　king's　only　answer。



He　would　have　consulted　the　court　physicians；　but　he　was　afraid

they　would　try　experiments　upon　her。





6。　　She　Laughs　Too　Much。





Meantime；　notwithstanding　awkward　occurrences；　and　griefs　that　she

brought　upon　her　parents；　the　little　princess　laughed　and　grewnot

fat；　but　plump　and　tall。　　She　reached　the　age　of　seventeen；　without

having　fallen　into　any　worse　scrape　than　a　chimney；　by　rescuing　her

from　which；　a　little　bird…nesting　urchin　got　fame　and　a　black　face。

Nor；　thoughtless　as　she　was；　had　she　committed　anything　worse　than

laughter　at　everybody　and　everything　that　came　in　her　way。　　When　she

was　told；　for　the　sake　of　experiment；　that　General　Clanrunfort　was

cut　to　pieces　with　all　his　troops；　she　laughed；　when　she　heard　that

the　enemy　was　on　his　way　to　besiege　her　papa's　capital；　she　laughed

hugely；　but　when　she　was　told　that　the　city　would　certainly　be

abandoned　to　the　mercy　of　the　enemy's　soldierywhy；　then　she

laughed　immoderately。　　She　never　could　be　brought　to　see　the　serious

side　of　anything。　　When　her　mother　cried；　she　said；



〃What　queer　faces　mamma　makes！　　And　she　squeezes　water　out　of　her

cheeks？　　Funny　mamma！〃



And　when　her　papa　stormed　at　her；　she　laughed；　and　danced　round　and

round　him；　clapping　her　hands；　and　crying



〃Do　it　again；　papa。　　Do　it　again！　　It's　SUCH　fun！　　Dear；　funny　papa！〃