the light princess-第5节

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the　event　of　his　success。　　But　it　was　all　in　vain。　　She　listened　to

the　mendicant　artist's　story；　and　gazed　at　his　marvellous　make　up；

till　she　could　contain　herself　no　longer；　and　went　into　the　most

undignified　contortions　for　relief；　shrieking；　positively

screeching　with　laughter。



When　she　had　a　little　recovered　herself；　she　ordered　her　attendants

to　drive　him　away；　and　not　give　him　a　single　copper；　whereupon　his

look　of　mortified　discomfiture　wrought　her　punishment　and　his

revenge；　for　it　sent　her　into　violent　hysterics；　from　which　she　was

with　difficulty　recovered。



But　so　anxious　was　the　king　that　the　suggestion　should　have　a　fair

trial；　that　he　put　himself　in　a　rage　one　day；　and；　rushing　up　to

her　room；　gave　her　an　awful　whipping。　　Yet　not　a　tear　would　flow。

She　looked　grave；　and　her　laughing　sounded　uncommonly　like

screamingthat　was　all。　　The　good　old　tyrant；　though　he　put　on　his

best　gold　spectacles　to　look；　could　not　discover　the　smallest　cloud

in　the　serene　blue　of　her　eyes。







9。　　Put　Me　in　Again。





It　must　have　been　about　this　time　that　the　son　of　a　king；　who　lived

a　thousand　miles　from　Lagobel　set　out　to　look　for　the　daughter　of

a　queen。　　He　travelled　far　and　wide；　but　as　sure　as　he　found　a

princess；　he　found　some　fault　in　her。　　Of　course　he　could　not　marry

a　mere　woman；　however　beautiful；　and　there　was　no　princess　to　be

found　worthy　of　him。　　Whether　the　prince　was　so　near　perfection　that

he　had　a　right　to　demand　perfection　itself；　I　cannot　pretend　to

say。　　All　I　know　is；　that　he　was　a　fine；　handsome；　brave；　generous；

well…bred；　and　well…behaved　youth；　as　all　princes　are。



In　his　wanderings　he　had　come　across　some　reports　about　our


princess；　but　as　everybody　said　she　was　bewitched；　he　never　dreamed

that　she　could　bewitch　him。　　For　what　indeed　could　a　prince　do　with

a　princess　that　had　lost　her　gravity？　　Who　could　tell　what　she　might

not　lose　next？　　She　might　lose　her　visibility；　or　her　tangibility；

or；　in　short；　the　power　of　making　impressions　upon　the　radical

sensorium；　so　that　he　should　never　be　able　to　tell　whether　she　was

dead　or　alive。　　Of　course　he　made　no　further　inquiries　about　her。

One　day　he　lost　sight　of　his　retinue　in　a　great　forest。　　These

forests　are　very　useful　in　delivering　princes　from　their　courtiers；

like　a　sieve　that　keeps　back　the　bran。　　Then　the　princes　get　away　to

follow　their　fortunes。　　In　this　way　they　have　the　advantage　of　the

princesses；　who　are　forced　to　marry　before　they　have　had　a　bit　of

fun。　　I　wish　our　princesses　got　lost　in　a　forest　sometimes。



One　lovely　evening；　after　wandering　about　for　many　days；　he　found

that　he　was　approaching　the　outskirts　of　this　forest；　for　the　trees

had　got　so　thin　that　he　could　see　the　sunset　through　them；　and　he

soon　came　upon　a　kind　of　heath。　　Next　he　came　upon　signs　of　human

neighbourhood；　but　by　this　time　it　was　getting　late；　and　there　was

nobody　in　the　fields　to　direct　him。



After　travelling　for　another　hour；　his　horse；　quite　worn　out　with

long　labour　and　lack　of　food；　fell；　and　was　unable　to　rise　again。

So　he　continued　his　journey　on　foot。　　At　length　he　entered　another

woodnot　a　wild　forest；　but　a　civilized　wood；　through　which　a

footpath　led　him　to　the　side　of　a　lake。　　Along　this　path　the　prince

pursued　his　way　through　the　gathering　darkness。　　Suddenly　he　paused；

and　listened。　　Strange　sounds　came　across　the　water。　　It　was；　in

fact；　the　princess　laughing。　　Now　there　was　something　odd　in　her

laugh；　as　I　have　already　hinted；　for　the　hatching　of　a　real　hearty

laugh　requires　the　incubation　of　gravity；　and　perhaps　this　was　how

the　prince　mistook　the　laughter　for　screaming。　　Looking　over　the

lake；　he　saw　something　white　in　the　water；　and；　in　an　instant；　he

had　torn　off　his　tunic；　kicked　off　his　sandals；　and　plunged　in。　　He

soon　reached　the　white　object；　and　found　that　it　was　a　woman。　　There

was　not　light　enough　to　show　that　she　was　a　princess；　but　quite

enough　to　show　that　she　was　a　lady；　for　it　does　not　want　much　light

to　see　that。



Now　I　cannot　tell　how　it　came　about；whether　she　pretended　to　be

drowning；　or　whether　he　frightened　her；　or　caught　her　so　as　to

embarrass　her；but　certainly　he　brought　her　to　shore　in　a　fashion

ignominious　to　a　swimmer；　and　more　nearly　drowned　than　she　had　ever

expected　to　be；　for　the　water　had　got　into　her　throat　as　often　as

she　had　tried　to　speak。



At　the　place　to　which　he　bore　her；　the　bank　was　only　a　foot　or　two

above　the　water；　so　he　gave　her　a　strong　lift　out　of　the　water；　to

lay　her　on　the　bank。　　But；　her　gravitation　ceasing　the　moment　she

left　the　water；　away　she　went　up　into　the　air；　scolding　and

screaming。



〃You　naughty；　naughty；　NAUGHTY；　NAUGHTY　man！〃　she　cried。



No　one　had　ever　succeeded　in　putting　her　into　a　passion　before。…

before。When　the　prince　saw　her　ascend；　he　thought　he　must　have

been　bewitched；　and　have　mistaken　a　great　swan　for　a　lady。　　But　the

princess　caught　hold　of　the　topmost　cone　upon　a　lofty　fir。　　This

came　off；　but　she　caught　at　another；　and；　in　fact；　stopped　herself

by　gathering　cones；　dropping　them　as　the　stalks　gave　way。　　The

prince；　meantime；　stood　in　the　water；　staring；　and　forgetting　to

get　out。　　But　the　princess　disappearing；　he　scrambled　on　shore；　and

went　in　the　direction　of　the　tree。　　There　he　found　her　climbing　down

one　of　the　branches　towards　the　stem。　　But　in　the　darkness　of　the

wood；　the　prince　continued　in　some　bewilderment　as　to　what　the

phenomenon　could　be；　until；　reaching　the　ground；　and　seeing　him

standing　there；　she　caught　hold　of　him；　and　said；



〃I'll　tell　papa。〃



〃Oh　no；　you　won't！〃　returned　the　prince。



〃Yes；　I　will；〃　she　persisted。　　〃What　business　had　you　to　pull　me

down　out　of　the　water；　and　throw　me　to　the　bottom　of　the　air？　　I

never　did　you　any　harm。〃



〃Pardon　me。　　I　did　not　mean　to　hurt　you。〃



〃I　don't　believe　you　have　any　brains；　and　that　is　a　worse　loss　than

your　wretched　gravity。　　I　pity　you。'



The　prince　now　saw　that　he　had　come　upon　the　bewitched　princess；

and　had　already　offended　her。　　But　before　he　could　think　what　to　say

next；　she　burst　out　angrily；　giving　a　stamp　with　her　foot　that

would　have　sent　her　aloft　again　but　for　the　hold　she　had　of　his

arm；



〃Put　me　up　directly。〃



〃Put　you　up　where；　you　beauty？〃　asked　the　prince。



He　had　fallen　in　love　with　her　almost；　already；　for　her　anger　made

her　more　charming　than　any　one　else　had　ever　beheld　her；　and；　as

far　as　he　could　see；　which　certainly　was　not　far；　she　had　not　a

single　fault　about　her；　except；　of　course；　that　she　had　not　any

gravity。　　No　prince；　however；　would　judge　of　a　princess　by　weight。

The　loveliness　of　her　foot　he　would　hardly　estimate　by　the　depth　of

the　impression　it　could　make　in　mud。



〃Put　you　up　where；　you　beauty？〃　asked　the　prince。



〃In　the　water；　you　stupid！〃　answered　the　princess。



〃Come；　then；〃　said　the　prince。



The　condition　of　her　dress；　increasing　her　usual　difficulty　in

walking；　compelled　her　to　cling　to　him；　and　he　could　hardly

persuade　himself　that　he　was　not　in　a　delightful　dream；

notwithstanding　the　torrent　of　musical　abuse　with　which　she

overwhelmed　him。　　The　prince　being　therefore　in　no　hurry；　they　came

upon　the　lake　at　quite　another　part；　where　the　bank　was　twenty…five

feet　high　at　least；　and　when　they　had　reached　the　edge；　he　turned

towards　the　princess；　and　said；



〃How　am　I　to　put　you　in？〃

〃That　is　your　business；〃　she　answered；　quite　snappishly。　　〃You　took

me　output　me　in　again。〃



〃Very　well；〃　said　the　prince；　and；　catching　her　up　in　his　arms；　he

sprang　with　her　from　the　rock。　　The　princess　had　just　time　to　give

one　delighted　shriek　of　laughter　before　the　water　closed　over　them。

When　they　came　to　the　surface；　she　found　that；　for　a　moment　or　two；

she　could　not　even　laugh；　for　she　had　gone　down　with　such　a　rush；

that　it　was　with　difficulty　she　recovered　her　breath。　　The　instant

they　reached　the　surface



〃How　do　you　like　falling　in？〃　said　the　prince。



After　some　effort　the　princess　panted　out；



〃Is　that　what　you　call　FALLING　IN？〃



〃Yes；〃　answered　the　prince；　〃I　should　think　it　a　very　tolerable

specimen。〃



〃It　seemed　to　me　like　going　up；〃　rejoined　she。



〃My　feeling　was　certainly　one　of　elevation　too；〃　the　prince

conceded。



The　princess　did　not　appear　to　understand　him；　for　she　retorted　his

question：



〃How　do　YOU　like　falling　in？〃　said　the　princess。



〃Beyond　everything；〃　answered　he；　〃for　I　have　fallen　in　with　the

only　perfect　creature　I　ever　saw。〃



〃No　more　of　that：　I　am　tired　of　it；〃　said　the　princess。



Perhaps　she　shared　her　father's　aversion　to　punning。



〃Don't　you　like　falling　in　then？〃　said　the　prince。



〃It　is　the　most　delightful　fun　I　ever　had　in　my　life；〃　answered

she。　　〃I　never　fell　before。　　I　wish　I　could　learn。　　To　think　I　am　the

only　person　in　my　father's　kingdom　that　can't　fall！〃



Here　the　poor　princess　looked