25-the enchanted canary-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！





‘Rope；　O　rope！'　cried　the　voice　again；　‘twine　yourself　round

his　neck　and　strangle　him。'



‘No；'　replied　the　rope；　‘you　have　left　me　for　many　years　past

to　fall　to　pieces　with　the　damp。　He　has　stretched　me　out　in　the

sun。　Let　him　go　in　peace。'



‘Dog；　my　good　dog；'　cried　the　voice；　more　and　more　angry；

‘jump　at　his　throat　and　eat　him　up。'



‘No；'　replied　the　dog；　‘though　I　have　served　you　long；　you　never



gave　me　any　bread。　He　has　given　me　as　much　as　I　want。　Let

him　go　in　peace。'



‘Iron　gate；　iron　gate；'　cried　the　voice；　growling　like　thunder；

‘fall　on　him　and　grind　him　to　powder。'



‘No；'　replied　the　gate；　‘it　is　a　hundred　years　since　you　left　me

to　rust；　and　he　has　oiled　me。　Let　him　go　in　peace。'





VI





Once　outside；　the　young　adventurer　put　his　oranges　into　a　bag

that　hung　from　his　saddle；　mounted　his　horse；　and　rode　quickly　out

of　the　forest。



Now；　as　he　was　longing　to　see　the　princesses；　he　was　very　anxious

to　come　to　a　river　or　a　fountain；　but；　though　he　rode　for　hours；　a

river　or　fountain　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　Still　his　heart　was　light；

for　he　felt　that　he　had　got　through　the　most　difficult　part　of　his　task；

and　the　rest　was　easy。



About　mid…day　he　reached　a　sandy　plain；　scorching　in　the　sun。

Here　he　was　seized　with　dreadful　thirst；　he　took　his　gourd　and

raised　it　to　his　lips。



But　the　gourd　was　empty；　in　the　excitement　of　his　joy　he　had

forgotten　to　fill　it。　He　rode　on；　struggling　with　his　sufferings；　but

at　last　he　could　bear　it　no　longer。



He　let　himself　slide　to　the　earth；　and　lay　down　beside　his　horse；

his　throat　burning；　his　chest　heaving；　and　his　head　going　round。

Already　he　felt　that　death　was　near　him；　when　his　eyes　fell　on　the

bag　where　the　oranges　peeped　out。



Poor　Desire；　who　had　braved　so　many　dangers　to　win　the　lady

of　his　dreams；　would　have　given　at　this　moment　all　the　princesses

in　the　world；　were　they　pink　or　golden；　for　a　single　drop　of　water。



‘Ah！'　he　said　to　himself。　‘If　only　these　oranges　were　real　fruit

fruit　as　refreshing　as　what　I　ate　in　Flanders！　And；　after　all；　who

knows？'



This　idea　put　some　life　into　him。　He　had　the　strength　to　lift

himself　up　and　put　his　hand　into　his　bag。　He　drew　out　an　orange

and　opened　it　with　his　knife。



Out　of　it　flew　the　prettiest　little　female　canary　that　ever　was

seen。



‘Give　me　something　to　drink；　I　am　dying　of　thirst；'　said　the

golden　bird。



‘Wait　a　minute；'　replied　Desire；　so　much　astonished　that　he

forgot　his　own　sufferings；　and　to　satisfy　the　bird　he　took　a　second

orange；　and　opened　it　without　thinking　what　he　was　doing。　Out

of　it　flew　another　canary；　and　she　too　began　to　cry：



‘I　am　dying　of　thirst；　give　me　something　to　drink。'



Then　Tubby's　son　saw　his　folly；　and　while　the　two　canaries

flew　away　he　sank　on　the　ground；　where；　exhausted　by　his　last

effort；　he　lay　unconscious。





VII





When　he　came　to　himself；　he　had　a　pleasant　feeling　of　freshness

all　about　him。　It　was　night；　the　sky　was　sparkling　with　stars；　and

the　earth　was　covered　with　a　heavy　dew。



The　traveller　having　recovered；　mounted　his　horse；　and　at　the

first　streak　of　dawn　he　saw　a　stream　dancing　in　front　of　him；　and

stooped　down　and　drank　his　fill。



He　hardly　had　courage　to　open　his　last　orange。　Then　he

remembered　that　the　night　before　he　had　disobeyed　the　orders　of　the

old　man。　Perhaps　his　terrible　thirst　was　a　trick　of　the　cunning

witch；　and　suppose；　even　though　he　opened　the　orange　on　the

banks　of　the　stream；　that　he　did　not　find　in　it　the　princess　that　he

sought？



He　took　his　knife　and　cut　it　open。　Alas！　out　of　it　flew　a　little

canary；　just　like　the　others；　who　cried：



‘I　am　thirsty；　give　me　something　to　drink。'



Great　was　the　disappointment　of　Desire。　However；　he　was

determined　not　to　let　this　bird　fly　away；　so　he　took　up　some　water

in　the　palm　of　his　hand　and　held　it　to　its　beak。



Scarcely　had　the　canary　drunk　when　she　became　a　beautiful

girl；　tall　and　straight　as　a　poplar　tree；　with　black　eyes　and　a　golden

skin。　Desire　had　never　seen　anyone　half　so　lovely；　and　he　stood

gazing　at　her　in　delight。



On　her　side　she　seemed　quite　bewildered；　but　she　looked　about

her　with　happy　eyes；　and　was　not　at　all　afraid　of　her　deliverer。



He　asked　her　name。　She　answered　that　she　was　called　the

Princess　Zizi；　she　was　about　sixteen　years　old；　and　for　ten　years　of

that　time　the　witch　had　kept　her　shut　up　in　an　orange；　in　the

shape　of　a　canary。



‘Well；　then；　my　charming　Zizi；'　said　the　young　Prince；　who

was　longing　to　marry　her；　‘let　us　ride　away　quickly　so　as　to

escape　from　the　wicked　witch。'



But　Zizi　wished　to　know　where　he　meant　to　take　her。



‘To　my　father's　castle；'　he　said。



He　mounted　his　horse　and　took　her　in　front　of　him；　and；　holding

her　carefully　in　his　arms；　they　began　their　journey。





VIII





Everything　the　Princess　saw　was　new　to　her；　and　in　passing

through　mountains；　valleys；　and　towns；　she　asked　a　thousand

questions。　Desire　was　charmed　to　answer　them。　It　is　so　delightful

to　teach　those　one　loves！



Once　she　inquired　what　the　girls　in　his　country　were　like。



‘They　are　pink　and　white；'　he　replied；　‘and　their　eyes　are　blue。'



‘Do　you　like　blue　eyes？'　said　the　Princess；　but　Desire　thought

it　was　a　good　opportunity　to　find　out　what　was　in　her　heart；　so　he

did　not　answer。



‘And　no　doubt；'　went　on　the　Princess；　‘one　of　them　is　your

intended　bride？'



Still　he　was　silent；　and　Zizi　drew　herself　up　proudly。



‘No；'　he　said　at　last。　‘None　of　the　girls　of　my　own　country

are　beautiful　in　my　eyes；　and　that　is　why　I　came　to　look　for　a　wife

in　the　land　of　the　sun。　Was　I　wrong；　my　lovely　Zizi？'



This　time　it　was　Zizi's　turn　to　be　silent。





IX





Talking　in　this　way　they　drew　near　to　the　castle。　When　they

were　about　four　stone…throws　from　the　gates　they　dismounted　in

the　forest；　by　the　edge　of　a　fountain。



‘My　dear　Zizi；'　said　Tubby's　son；　‘we　cannot　present　ourselves

before　my　father　like　two　common　people　who　have　come　back

from　a　walk。　We　must　enter　the　castle　with　more　ceremony。

Wait　for　me　here；　and　in　an　hour　I　will　return　with　carriages　and

horses　fit　for　a　princess。'



‘Don't　be　long；'　replied　Zizi；　and　she　watched　him　go　with

wistful　eyes。



When　she　was　left　by　herself　the　poor　girl　began　to　feel　afraid。

She　was　alone　for　the　first　time　in　her　life；　and　in　the　middle　of　a

thick　forest。



Suddenly　she　heard　a　noise　among　the　trees。　Fearing　lest　it

should　be　a　wolf；　she　hid　herself　in　the　hollow　trunk　of　a　willow

tree　which　hung　over　the　fountain。　It　was　big　enough　to　hold

her　altogether；　but　she　peeped　out；　and　her　pretty　head　was

reflected　in　the　clear　water。



Then　there　appeared；　not　a　wolf；　but　a　creature　quite　as　wicked

and　quite　as　ugly。　Let　us　see　who　this　creature　was。





X





Not　far　from　the　fountain　there　lived　a　family　of　bricklayers。

Now；　fifteen　years　before　this　time；　the　father　in　walking　through

the　forest　found　a　little　girl；　who　had　been　deserted　by　the　gypsies。

He　carried　her　home　to　his　wife；　and　the　good　woman　was　sorry

for　her；　and　brought　her　up　with　her　own　sons。　As　she　grew

older；　the　little　gypsy　became　much　more　remarkable　for　strength

and　cunning　than　for　sense　or　beauty。　She　had　a　low　forehead；

a　flat　nose；　thick　lips；　coarse　hair；　and　a　skin　not　golden　like　that

of　Zizi；　but　the　colour　of　clay。



As　she　was　always　being　teased　about　her　complexion；　she　got

as　noisy　and　cross　as　a　titmouse。　So　they　used　to　call　her　Titty。



Titty　was　often　sent　by　the　bricklayer　to　fetch　water　from　the

fountain；　and　as　she　was　very　proud　and　lazy　the　gypsy　disliked

this　very　much。



It　was　she　who　had　frightened　Zizi　by　appearing　with　her

pitcher　on　her　shoulder。　Just　as　she　was　stooping　to　fill　it；　she

saw　reflected　in　the　water　the　lovely　image　of　the　Princess。



‘What　a　pretty　face！'　she　exclaimed；　‘Why；　it　must　be

mine！　How　in　the　world　can　they　call　me　ugly？　I　am　certainly

much　too　pretty　to　be　their　water　carrier！'



So　saying；　she　broke　her　pitcher　and　went　home。



‘Where　is　your　pitcher？'　asked　the　bricklayer。



‘Well；　what　do　you　expect？　The　pitcher　may　go　many　times

to　the　well。　。　。　。'



‘But　at　last　it　is　broken。　Well；　here　is　a　bucket　that　will　not

break。'



The　gypsy　returned　to　the　fountain；　and　addressing　once　more

the　image　of　Zizi；　she　said：



‘No；　I　don't　mean　to　be　a　beast　of　burden　any　longer。'　And

she　flung　the　bucket　so　high　in　the　air　that　it　stuck　in　the　branches

of　an　oak。



‘I　met　a　wolf；'　she　told　the　bricklayer；　‘and　I　broke　the　bucket

across　his　nose。'



The　bricklayer　asked　her　no　more　questions；　but　took　down　a

broom　and　gave　her　such　a　beating　that　her　pride　was　humbled

a　little。



Then　he　handed　to　her　an　old　copper　milk…can；　and　said：



‘If　you　don't　bring　it　back　full；　your　bones