the light princess-第7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！



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

well。　　She　turned　therefore　and　swam　home；　without　saying　a　word　to

explain　her　conduct　to　the　prince；　of　whose　presence　she　seemed　no

longer　conscious。　　He　withdrew　to　his　cave；　in　great　perplexity　and

distress。



Next　day　she　made　many　observations；　which；　alas！　strengthened　her

fears。　　She　saw　that　the　banks　were　too　dry；　and　that　the　grass　on

the　shore；　and　the　trailing　plants　on　the　rocks；　were　withering

away。　　She　caused　marks　to　be　made　along　the　borders；　and　examined

them；　day　after　day；　in　all　directions　of　the　wind；　till　at　last

the　horrible　idea　became　a　certain　factthat　the　surface　of　the

lake　was　slowly　sinking。



The　poor　princess　nearly　went　out　of　the　little　mind　she　had。　　It

was　awful　to　her　to　see　the　lake；　which　she　loved　more　than　any

living　thing；　lie　dying　before　her　eyes。　　It　sank　away；　slowly

vanishing。　　The　tops　of　rocks　that　had　never　been　seen　till　now；

began　to　appear　far　down　in　the　clear　water。　　Before　long　they　were

dry　in　the　sun。　　It　was　fearful　to　think　of　the　mud　that　would　soon

lie　there　baking　and　festering；　full　of　lovely　creatures　dying；　and

ugly　creatures　coming　to　life；　like　the　unmaking　of　a　world。　　And

how　hot　the　sun　would　be　without　any　lake！　　She　could　not　bear　to

swim　in　it　any　more；　and　began　to　pine　away。　　Her　life　seemed　bound

up　with　it；　and　ever　as　the　lake　sank；　she　pined。　　People　said　she

would　not　live　an　hour　after　the　lake　was　gone。



But　she　never　cried。



A　Proclamation　was　made　to　all　the　kingdom；　that　whosoever　should

discover　the　cause　of　the　lake's　decrease；　would　be　rewarded　after

a　princely　fashion。　　Hum…Drum　and　Kopy…Keck　applied　themselves　to

their　physics　and　metaphysics；　but　in　vain。　　Not　even　they　could

suggest　a　cause。



Now　the　fact　was　that　the　old　princess　was　at　the　root　of　the

mischief。　　When　she　heard　that　her　niece　found　more　pleasure　in　the

water　than　any　one　else　out　of　it；　she　went　into　a　rage；　and　cursed

herself　for　her　want　of　foresight。



〃But；〃　said　she；　〃I　will　soon　set　all　right。　　The　king　and　the

people　shall　die　of　thirst；　their　brains　shall　boil　and　frizzle　in

their　skulls　before　I　will　lose　my　revenge。〃



And　she　laughed　a　ferocious　laugh；　that　made　the　hairs　on　the　back

of　her　black　cat　stand　erect　with　terror。



Then　she　went　to　an　old　chest　in　the　room；　and　opening　it；　took　out

what　looked　like　a　piece　of　dried　seaweed。　　This　she　threw　into　a

tub　of　water。　　Then　she　threw　some　powder　into　the　water；　and

stirred　it　with　her　bare　arm；　muttering　over　it　words　of　hideous

sound；　and　yet　more　hideous　import。　　Then　she　set　the　tub　aside；　and

took　from　the　chest　a　huge　bunch　of　a　hundred　rusty　keys；　that

clattered　in　her　shaking　hands。　　Then　she　sat　down　and　proceeded　to

oil　them　all。　　Before　she　had　finished；　out　from　the　tub；　the　water

of　which　had　kept　on　a　slow　motion　ever　since　she　had　ceased

stirring　it；　came　the　head　and　half　the　body　of　a　huge　gray　snake。

But　the　witch　did　not　look　round。　　It　grew　out　of　the　tub；　waving

itself　backwards　and　forwards　with　a　slow　horizontal　motion；　till

it　reached　the　princess；　when　it　laid　its　head　upon　her　shoulder；

and　gave　a　low　hiss　in　her　ear。　　She　startedbut　with　joy；　and

seeing　the　head　resting　on　her　shoulder；　drew　it　towards　her　and

kissed　it。　　Then　she　drew　it　all　out　of　the　tub；　and　wound　it　round

her　body。　　It　was　one　of　those　dreadful　creatures　which　few　have

ever　beheldthe　White　Snakes　of　Darkness。



Then　she　took　the　keys　and　went　down　to　her　cellar；　and　as　she

unlocked　the　door　she　said　to　herself；



〃This　is　worth　living　for！〃

Locking　the　door　behind　her；　she　descended　a　few　steps　into　the

cellar；　and　crossing　it；　unlocked　another　door　into　a　dark；　narrow

passage。　　She　locked　this　also　behind　her；　and　descended　a　few　more

steps。　　If　any　one　had　followed　the　witch…princess；　he　would　have

heard　her　unlock　exactly　one　hundred　doors；　and　descend　a　few　steps

after　unlocking　each。　　When　she　had　unlocked　the　last；　she　entered

a　vast　cave；　the　roof　of　which　was　supported　by　huge　natural

pillars　of　rock。　　Now　this　roof　was　the　under　side　of　the　bottom　of

the　lake。



She　then　untwined　the　snake　from　her　body；　and　held　it　by　the　tail

high　above　her。　　The　hideous　creature　stretched　up　its　head　towards

the　roof　of　the　cavern；　which　it　was　just　able　to　reach。　　It　then

began　to　move　its　head　backwards　and　forwards；　with　a　slow

oscillating　motion；　as　if　looking　for　something。　　At　the　same　moment

the　witch　began　to　walk　round　and　round　the　cavern；　coming　nearer

to　the　centre　every　circuit；　while　the　head　of　the　snake　described

the　same　path　over　the　roof　that　she　did　over　the　floor；　for　she

kept　holding　it　up。　　And　still　it　kept　slowly　oscillating。　　Round　and

round　the　cavern　they　went；　ever　lessening　the　circuit；　till　at

last　the　snake　made　a　sudden　dart；　and　clung　to　the　roof　with　its

mouth。



〃That's　right；　my　beauty！〃　cried　the　princess；　〃drain　it　dry。〃



She　let　it　go；　left　it　hanging；　and　sat　down　on　a　great　stone；　with

her　black　cat；　which　had　followed　her　all　round　the　cave；　by　her

side。　　Then　she　began　to　knit　and　mutter　awful　words。　　The　snake　hung

like　a　huge　leech；　sucking　at　the　stone；　the　cat　stood　with　his

back　arched；　and　his　tail　like　a　piece　of　cable；　looking　up　at　the

snake；　and　the　old　woman　sat　and　knitted　and　muttered。　　Seven　days

and　seven　nights　they　remained　thus；　when　suddenly　the　serpent

dropped　from　the　roof　as　if　exhausted；　and　shrivelled　up　till　it

was　again　like　a　piece　of　dried　seaweed。　　The　witch　started　to　her

feet；　picked　it　up；　put　it　in　her　pocket；　and　looked　up　at　the

roof。　　One　drop　of　water　was　trembling　on　the　spot　where　the　snake

had　been　sucking。　　As　soon　as　she　saw　that；　she　turned　and　fled；

followed　by　her　cat。　　Shutting　the　door　in　a　terrible　hurry；　she

locked　it；　and　having　muttered　some　frightful　words；　sped　to　the

next；　which　also　she　locked　and　muttered　over；　and　so　with　all　the

hundred　doors；　till　she　arrived　in　her　own　cellar。　　Then　she　sat

down　on　the　floor　ready　to　faint；　but　listening　with　malicious

delight　to　the　rushing　of　the　water；　which　she　could　hear

distinctly　through　all　the　hundred　doors。



But　this　was　not　enough。　　Now　that　she　had　tasted　revenge；　she　lost

her　patience。　　Without　further　measures；　the　lake　would　be　too　long

in　disappearing。　　So　the　next　night；　with　the　last　shred　of　the

dying　old　moon　rising；　she　took　some　of　the　water　in　which　she　had

revived　the　snake；　put　it　in　a　bottle；　and　set　out；　accompanied　by

her　cat。　　Before　morning　she　had　made　the　entire　circuit　of　the

lake；　muttering　fearful　words　as　she　crossed　every　stream；　and

casting　into　it　some　of　the　water　out　of　her　bottle。　　When　she　had

finished　the　circuit　she　muttered　yet　again；　and　flung　a　handful　of

water　towards　the　moon。　　Thereupon　every　spring　in　the　country

ceased　to　throb　and　bubble；　dying　away　like　the　pulse　of　a　dying

man。　　The　next　day　there　was　no　sound　of　falling　water　to　be　heard

along　the　borders　of　the　lake。　　The　very　courses　were　dry；　and　the

mountains　showed　no　silvery　streaks　down　their　dark　sides。　　And　not

alone　had　the　fountains　of　mother　Earth　ceased　to　flow；　for　all　the

babies　throughout　the　country　were　crying　dreadfullyonly　without

tears。







12。　　Where　Is　the　Prince？





Never　since　the　night　when　the　princess　left　him　so　abruptly　had

the　prince　had　a　single　interview　with　her。　　He　had　seen　her　once　or

twice　in　the　lake；　but　as　far　as　he　could　discover；　she　had　not

been　in　it　any　more　at　night。　　He　had　sat　and　sung；　and　looked　in

vain　for　his　Nereid；　while　she；　like　a　true　Nereid；　was　wasting

away　with　her　lake；　sinking　as　it　sank；　withering　as　it　dried。　　When

at　length　he　discovered　the　change　that　was　taking　place　in　the

level　of　the　water；　he　was　in　great　alarm　and　perplexity。　　He　could

not　tell　whether　the　lake　was　dying　because　the　lady　had　forsaken

it；　or　whether　the　lady　would　not　come　because　the　lake　had　begun

to　sink。　　But　he　resolved　to　know　so　much　at　least。



He　disguised　himself；　and；　going　to　the　palace；　requested　to　see

the　lord　chamberlain。　　His　appearance　at　once　gained　his　request；

and　the　lord　chamberlain；　being　a　man　of　some　insight；　perceived

that　there　was　more　in　the　prince's　solicitation　than　met　the　ear。

He　felt　likewise　that　no　one　could　tell　whence　a　solution　of　the

present　difficulties　might　arise。　　So　he　granted　the　prince's　prayer

to　be　made　shoeblack　to　the　princess。　　It　was　rather　cunning　in　the

prince　to　request　such　an　easy　post；　for　the　princess　could　not

possibly　soil　as　many　shoes　as　other　princesses。



He　soon　learned　all　that　could　be　told　about　the　princess。　　He　went

nearly　distracted；　but　after　roaming　about　the　lake　for　days；　and

diving　in　every　depth　that　remained；　all　that　he　could　do　was　to

put　an　extra　polish