the light princess-第6节

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



Here　the　poor　princess　looked　almost　sad。



〃I　shall　be　most　happy　to　fall　in　with　you　any　time　you　like；〃　said

the　prince；　devotedly。



〃Thank　you。　　I　don't　know。　　Perhaps　it　would　not　be　proper。　　But　I

don't　care。　　At　all　events；　as　we　have　fallen　in；　let　us　have　a　swim

together。〃



〃With　all　my　heart；〃　responded　the　prince。



And　away　they　went；　swimming；　and　diving；　and　floating；　until　at

last　they　heard　cries　along　the　shore；　and　saw　lights　glancing　in

all　directions。　　It　was　now　quite　late；　and　there　was　no　moon。



〃I　must　go　home；〃　said　the　princess。　　〃I　am　very　sorry；　for　this　is

delightful。〃



〃So　am　I；〃　returned　the　prince。　　〃But　I　am　glad　I　haven't　a　home　to

go　toat　least；　I　don't　exactly　know　where　it　is。〃



〃I　wish　I　hadn't　one　either；〃　rejoined　the　princess；　〃it　is　so

stupid！　　I　have　a　great　mind；〃　she　continued；　〃to　play　them　all　a

trick。　　Why　couldn't　they　leave　me　alone？　　They　won't　trust　me　in　the

lake　for　a　single　night！You　see　where　that　green　light　is

burning？　　That　is　the　window　of　my　room。　　Now　if　you　would　just　swim

there　with　me　very　quietly；　and　when　we　are　all　but　under　the

balcony；　give　me　such　a　pushup　you　call　it…as　you　did　a　little

while　ago；　I　should　be　able　to　catch　hold　of　the　balcony；　and　get

in　at　the　window；　and　then　they　may　look　for　me　till　to…morrow

morning！〃



〃With　more　obedience　than　pleasure；〃　said　the　prince；　gallantly；

and　away　they　swam；　very　gently。



〃Will　you　be　in　the　lake　to…morrow　night？〃　the　prince　ventured　to

ask。



〃To　be　sure　I　will。　　I　don't　think　so。　　Perhaps；〃　was　the　princess's

somewhat　strange　answer。



But　the　prince　was　intelligent　enough　not　to　press　her　further；　and

merely　whispered；　as　he　gave　her　the　parting　lift；　〃Don't　tell。〃



The　only　answer　the　princess　returned　was　a　roguish　look。　　She　was

already　a　yard　above　his　head。　　The　look　seemed　to　say；　〃Never　fear。

It　is　too　good　fun　to　spoil　that　way。〃



So　perfectly　like　other　people　had　she　been　in　the　water；　that　even

yet　the　prince　could　scarcely　believe　his　eyes　when　he　saw　her

ascend　slowly；　grasp　the　balcony；　and　disappear　through　the　window。

He　turned；　almost　expecting　to　see　her　still　by　his　side。　　But　he

was　alone　in　the　water。　　So　he　swam　away　quietly；　and　watched　the

lights　roving　about　the　shore　for　hours　after　the　princess　was　safe

in　her　chamber。　　As　soon　as　they　disappeared；　he　landed　in　search　of

his　tunic　and　sword；　and；　after　some　trouble；　found　them　again。

Then　he　made　the　best　of　his　way　round　the　lake　to　the　other　side。

There　the　wood　was　wilder；　and　the　shore　steeper…rising　more

immediately　towards　the　mountains　which　surrounded　the　lake　on　all

sides；　and　kept　sending　it　messages　of　silvery　streams　from　morning

to　night；　and　all　night　long。　　He　soon　found　a　spot　whence　he　could

see　the　green　light　in　the　princess's　room；　and　where；　even　in

the　broad　daylight；　he　would　be　in　no　danger　of　being　discovered

from　the　opposite　shore。　　It　was　a　sort　of　cave　in　the　rock；　where

he　provided　himself　a　bed　of　withered　leaves；　and　lay　down　too

tired　for　hunger　to　keep　him　awake。　　All　night　long　he　dreamed　that

he　was　swimming　with　the　princess。







10。　　Look　at　the　Moon。





Early　the　next　morning　the　prince　set　out　to　look　for　something　to

eat；　which　he　soon　found　at　a　forester's　hut；　where　for　many

following　days　he　was　supplied　with　all　that　a　brave　prince　could

consider　necessary。　　And　having　plenty　to　keep　him　alive　for　the

present；　he　would　not　think　of　wants　not　yet　in　existence。　　Whenever

Care　intruded；　this　prince　always　bowed　him　out　in　the　most

princely　manner。

When　he　returned　from　his　breakfast　to　his　watch…cave；　he　saw　the

princess　already　floating　about　in　the　lake；　attended　by　the　king

and　queen　whom　he　knew　by　their　crownsand　a　great　company　in

lovely　little　boats；　with　canopies　of　all　the　colours　of　the

rainbow；　and　flags　and　streamers　of　a　great　many　more。　　It　was　a

very　bright　day；　and　soon　the　prince；　burned　up　with　the　heat；

began　to　long　for　the　cold　water　and　the　cool　princess。　　But　he　had

to　endure　till　twilight；　for　the　boats　had　provisions　on　board；　and

it　was　not　till　the　sun　went　down　that　the　gay　party　began　to

vanish。　　Boat　after　boat　drew　away　to　the　shore；　following　that　of

the　king　and　queen；　till　only　one；　apparently　the　princess's　own

boat；　remained。　　But　she　did　not　want　to　go　home　even　yet；　and　the

prince　thought　he　saw　her　order　the　boat　to　the　shore　without　her。

At　all　events；　it　rowed　away；　and　now；　of　all　the　radiant　company；

only　one　white　speck　remained。　　Then　the　prince　began　to　sing。　　And

this　is　what　he　sung：





〃Lady　fair；

Swan…white；

Lift　thine　eyes；

Banish　night

By　the　might

Of　thine　eyes。



Snowy　arms；

Oars　of　snow；

Oar　her　hither；

Plashing　low。

Soft　and　slow；

Oar　her　hither。





Stream　behind　her

O'er　the　lake；

Radiant　whiteness！

In　her　wake

Following；　following　for　her　sake。

Radiant　whiteness！



Cling　about　her；

Waters　blue；

Part　not　from　her；

But　renew

Cold　and　true

Kisses　round　her。



Lap　me　round；

Waters　sad；

That　have　left　her。

Make　me　glad；

For　ye　had

Kissed　her　ere　ye　left　her。〃



Before　he　had　finished　his　song；　the　princess　was　just　under　the

place　where　he　sat；　and　looking　up　to　find　him。　　Her　ears　had　led

her　truly。



〃Would　you　like　a　fall；　princess？〃　said　the　prince；　looking　down。



〃Ah！　there　you　are！　　Yes；　if　you　please；　prince；〃　said　the　princess；

looking　up。



〃How　do　you　know　I　am　a　prince；　princess？〃　said　the　prince。



〃Because　you　are　a　very　nice　young　man；　prince；〃　said　the　princess。



〃Come　up　then；　princess。〃



〃Fetch　me；　prince。〃



The　prince　took　off　his　scarf；　then　his　sword…belt；　then　his　tunic；

and　tied　them　all　together；　and　let　them　down。　　But　the　line　was　far

too　short。　　He　unwound　his　turban；　and　added　it　to　the　rest；　when　it

was　all　but　long　enough；　and　his　purse　completed　it。　　The　princess

just　managed　to　lay　hold　of　the　knot　of　money；　and　was　beside　him

in　a　moment。　　This　rock　was　much　higher　than　the　other；　and　the

splash　and　the　dive　were　tremendous。　　The　princess　was　in　ecstasies

of　delight；　and　their　swim　was　delicious。



Night　after　night　they　met；　and　swam　about　in　the　dark　clear　lake；

where　such　was　the　prince's　gladness；　that　（whether　the　princess's

way　of　looking　at　things　infected　him；　or　he　was　actually　getting

light…headed）　he　often　fancied　that　he　was　swimming　in　the　sky

instead　of　the　lake。　　But　when　he　talked　about　being　in　heaven；　the

princess　laughed　at　him　dreadfully。



When　the　moon　came；　she　brought　them　fresh　pleasure。　　Everything

looked　strange　and　new　in　her　light；　with　an　old；　withered；　yet

unfading　newness。　　When　the　moon　was　nearly　full；　one　of　their　great

delights　was；　to　dive　deep　in　the　water；　and　then；　turning　round；

look　up　through　it　at　the　great　blot　of　light　close　above　them；

shimmering　and　trembling　and　wavering；　spreading　and　contracting；

seeming　to　melt　away；　and　again　grow　solid。　　Then　they　would　shoot

up　through　the　blot；　and　lo！　there　was　the　moon；　far　off；　clear　and

steady　and　cold；　and　very　lovely；　at　the　bottom　of　a　deeper　and

bluer　lake　than　theirs；　as　the　princess　said。



The　prince　soon　found　out　that　while　in　the　water　the　princess　was

very　like　other　people。　　And　besides　this；　she　was　not　so　forward　in

her　questions　or　pert　in　her　replies　at　sea　as　on　shore。　　Neither

did　she　laugh　so　much；　and　when　she　did　laugh；　it　was　more　gently。

She　seemed　altogether　more　modest　and　maidenly　in　the　water　than

out　of　it。



But　when　the　prince；　who　had　really　fallen　in　love　when　he　fell　in

the　lake；　began　to　talk　to　her　about　love；　she　always　turned　her

head　towards　him　and　laughed。　　After　a　while　she　began　to　look

puzzled；　as　if　she　were　trying　to　understand　what　he　meant；　but

could　notrevealing　a　notion　that　he　meant　something。　　But　as　soon

as　ever　she　left　the　lake；　she　was　so　altered；　that　the　prince　said

to　himself；　〃If　I　marry　her；　I　see　no　help　for　it：　we　must　turn

merman　and　mermaid；　and　go　out　to　sea　at　once。〃







11。　　Hiss！





The　princess's　pleasure　in　the　lake　had　grown　to　a　passion；　and　she

could　scarcely　bear　to　be　out　of　it　for　an　hour。　　Imagine　then　her

consternation；　when；　diving　with　the　prince　one　night；　a　sudden

suspicion　seized　her　that　the　lake　was　not　so　deep　as　it　used　to

be。　　The　prince　could　not　imagine　what　had　happened。　　She　shot　to　the

surface；　and；　without　a　word；　swam　at　full　speed　towards　the　higher

side　of　the　lake。　　He　followed；　begging　to　know　if　she　was　ill；　or

what　was　the　matter。　　She　never　turned　her　head；　or　took　the

smallest　notice　of　his　question。　　Arrived　at　the　shore；　she　coasted

the　rocks　with　minute　inspection。　　But　she　was　not　able　to　come　to

a　conclusion；　for　the　moon　was　very　small；　and　so　she　could　not　see