28-prince darling-第2节

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〃You　are　very　kind　to　trouble　yourself　about　this　little

girl；　if　I　were　you　I　would　soon　make　her　obey　me。

Remember　that　you　are　a　king；　and　that　it　would　be　laughable

to　see　you　trying　to　please　a　shepherdess；　who　ought

to　be　only　too　glad　to　be　one　of　your　slaves。　Keep　her

in　prison；　and　feed　her　on　bread　and　water　for　a　little

while；　and　then；　if　she　still　says　she　will　not　marry　you；

have　her　head　cut　off；　to　teach　other　people　that　you

mean　to　be　obeyed。　Why；　if　you　cannot　make　a　girl

like　that　do　as　you　wish；　your　subjects　will　soon　forget

that　they　are　only　put　into　this　world　for　our　pleasure。〃



〃But；〃　said　Prince　Darling；　〃would　it　not　be　a　shame

if　I　had　an　innocent　girl　put　to　death？　For　Celia　has

done　nothing　to　deserve　punishment。〃



〃If　people　will　not　do　as　you　tell　them　they　ought　to

suffer　for　it；〃　answered　his　foster…brother；　〃but　even　if

it　were　unjust；　you　had　better　be　accused　of　that　by　your

subjects　than　that　they　should　find　out　that　they　may

insult　and　thwart　you　as　often　as　they　please。〃



In　saying　this　he　was　touching　a　weak　point　in　his

brother's　character；　for　the　Prince's　fear　of　losing　any

of　his　power　made　him　at　once　abandon　his　first　idea　of

trying　to　be　good；　and　resolve　to　try　and　frighten　the

shepherdess　into　consenting　to　marry　him。



His　foster…brother；　who　wanted　him　to　keep　this

resolution；　invited　three　young　courtiers；　as　wicked　as　himself

to　sup　with　the　Prince；　and　they　persuaded　him　to　drink

a　great　deal　of　wine；　and　continued　to　excite　his　anger

against　Celia　by　telling　him　that　she　had　laughed　at　his

love　for　her；　until　at　last；　in　quite　a　furious　rage；　he

rushed　off　to　find　her；　declaring　that　if　she　still　refused

to　marry　him　she　should　be　sold　as　a　slave　the　very　next

day。



But　when　he　reached　the　room　in　which　Celia　had

been　locked　up；　he　was　greatly　surprised　to　find　that　she

was　not　in　it；　though　he　had　the　key　in　his　own　pocket

all　the　time。　His　anger　was　terrible；　and　he　vowed

vengeance　against　whoever　had　helped　her　to　escape。　His

bad　friends；　when　they　heard　him；　resolved　to　turn　his

wrath　upon　an　old　nobleman　who　had　formerly　been　his

tutor；　and　who　still　dared　sometimes　to　tell　the　Prince

of　his　faults；　for　he　loved　him　as　if　he　had　been　his　own

son。　At　first　Prince　Darling　had　thanked　him；　but　after

a　time　he　grew　impatient　and　thought　it　must　be　just

mere　love　of　fault…finding　that　made　his　old　tutor　blame

him　when　everyone　else　was　praising　and　flattering　him。

So　he　ordered　him　to　retire　from　his　Court；　though　he　still；

from　time　to　time；　spoke　of　him　as　a　worthy　man　whom

he　respected；　even　if　he　no　longer　loved　him。　His

unworthy　friends　feared　that　he　might　some　day　take　it

into　his　head　to　recall　his　old　tutor；　so　they　thought　they

now　had　a　good　opportunity　of　getting　him　banished　for

ever。



They　reported　to　the　Prince　that　Suilman；　for　that

was　the　tutor's　name；　had　boasted　of　having　helped　Celia

to　escape；　and　they　bribed　three　men　to　say　that　Suilman

himself　had　told　them　about　it。　The　Prince；　in

great　anger；　sent　his　foster…brother　with　a　number　of

soldiers　to　bring　his　tutor　before　him；　in　chains；　like　a

criminal。　After　giving　this　order　he　went　to　his　own

room；　but　he　had　scarcely　got　into　it　when　there　was　a

clap　of　thunder　which　made　the　ground　shake；　and　the

Fairy　Truth　appeared　suddenly　before　him。



〃I　promised　your　father；〃　said　she　sternly；　〃to　give

you　good　advice；　and　to　punish　you　if　you　refused　to

follow　it。　You　have　despised　my　counsel；　and　have　gone

your　own　evil　way　until　you　are　only　outwardly　a　man；

really　you　are　a　monsterthe　horror　of　everyone　who

knows　you。　It　is　time　that　I　should　fulfil　my　promise；

and　begin　your　punishment。　I　condemn　you　to　resemble

the　animals　whose　ways　you　have　imitated。　You

have　made　yourself　like　the　lion　by　your　anger；　and　like

the　wolf　by　your　greediness。　Like　a　snake；　you　have

ungratefully　turned　upon　one　who　was　a　second　father　to

you；　your　churlishness　has　made　you　like　a　bull。　Therefore；

in　your　new　form；　take　the　appearance　of　all　these

animals。〃



The　Fairy　had　scarcely　finished　speaking　when　Prince

Darling　saw　to　his　horror　that　her　words　were　fulfilled。

He　had　a　lion's　head；　a　bull's　horns；　a　wolf's　feet；　and　a

snake's　body。　At　the　same　instant　he　found　himself　in

a　great　forest；　beside　a　clear　lake；　in　which　he　could　see

plainly　the　horrible　creature　he　had　become；　and　a　voice

said　to　him：



〃Look　carefully　at　the　state　to　which　your　wickedness

has　brought　you；　believe　me；　your　soul　is　a　thousand

times　more　hideous　than　your　body。〃



Prince　Darling　recognized　the　voice　of　the　Fairy　Truth

and　turned　in　a　fury　to　catch　her　and　eat　her　up　if　he

possibly　could；　but　he　saw　no　one；　and　the　same　voice

went　on：



〃I　laugh　at　your　powerlessness　and　anger；　and　I　intend

to　punish　your　pride　by　letting　you　fall　into　the

hands　of　your　own　subjects。〃



The　Prince　began　to　think　that　the　best　thing　he　could

do　would　be　to　get　as　far　away　from　the　lake　as　he　could；

then　at　least　he　would　not　be　continually　reminded　of　his

terrible　ugliness。　So　he　ran　toward　the　wood；　but　before

he　had　gone　many　yards　he　fell　into　a　deep　pit　which

had　been　made　to　trap　bears；　and　the　hunters；　who　were

hiding　in　a　tree；　leaped　down；　and　secured　him　with

several　chains；　and　led　him　into　the　chief　city　of　his　own

kingdom。



On　the　way；　instead　of　recognizing　that　his　own　faults

had　brought　this　punishment　upon　him；　he　accused　the

Fairy　of　being　the　cause　of　all　his　misfortunes；　and　bit

and　tore　at　his　chains　furiously。



As　they　approached　the　town　he　saw　that　some　great

rejoicing　was　being　held；　and　when　the　hunters　asked

what　had　happened　they　were　told　that　the　Prince；

whose　only　pleasure　it　was　to　torment　his　people；　had

been　found　in　his　room；　killed　by　a　thunder…bolt　（for

that　was　what　was　supposed　to　have　become　of　him）。

Four　of　his　courtiers；　those　who　had　encouraged　him　in

his　wicked　doings；　had　tried　to　seize　the　kingdom　and

divide　it　between　them；　but　the　people；　who　knew　it

was　their　bad　counsels　which　had　so　changed　the　Prince；

had　cut　off　their　heads；　and　had　offered　the　crown　to

Suilman；　whom　the　Prince　had　left　in　prison。　This

noble　lord　had　just　been　crowned；　and　the　deliverance

of　the　kingdom　was　the　cause　of　the　rejoicing　〃For；〃

they　said；　〃he　is　a　good　and　just　man；　and　we　shall　once

more　enjoy　peace　and　prosperity。〃



Prince　Darling　roared　with　anger　when　he　heard　this；

but　it　was　still　worse　for　him　when　he　reached　the　great

square　before　his　own　palace。　He　saw　Suilman　seated

upon　a　magnificent　throne；　and　all　the　people　crowded

round；　wishing　him　a　long　life　that　he　might　undo　all

the　mischief　done　by　his　predecessor。



Presently　Suilman　made　a　sign　with　his　hand　that　the

people　should　be　silent；　and　said：　〃I　have　accepted　the

crown　you　have　offered　me；　but　only　that　I　may　keep　it

for　Prince　Darling；　who　is　not　dead　as　you　suppose；　the

Fairy　has　assured　me　that　there　is　still　hope　that　you

may　some　day　see　him　again；　good　and　virtuous　as　he

was　when　he　first　came　to　the　throne。　Alas！〃　he

continued；　〃he　was　led　away　by　flatterers。　I　knew　his

heart；　and　am　certain　that　if　it　had　not　been　for　the　bad

influence　of　those　who　surrounded　him　he　would　have

been　a　good　king　and　a　father　to　his　people。　We　may

hate　his　faults；　but　let　us　pity　him　and　hope　for　his

restoration。　As　for　me；　I　would　die　gladly　if　that　could　bring

back　our　Prince　to　reign　justly　and　worthily　once　more。〃



These　words　went　to　Prince　Darling's　heart；　he　realized

the　true　affection　and　faithfulness　of　his　old　tutor；　and

for　the　first　time　reproached　himself　for　all　his　evil

deeds；　at　the　same　instant　he　felt　all　his　anger　melting

away；　and　he　began　quickly　to　think　over　his　past　life；

and　to　admit　that　his　punishment　was　not　more　than

he　had　deserved。　He　left　off　tearing　at　the　iron　bars　of

the　cage　in　which　he　was　shut　up；　and　became　as　gentle

as　a　lamb。



The　hunters　who　had　caught　him　took　him　to　a　great

menagerie；　where　he　was　chained　up　among　all　the　other

wild　beasts；　and　he　determined　to　show　his　sorrow　for

his　past　bad　behavior　by　being　gentle　and　obedient　to　the

man　who　had　to　take　care　of　him。　Unfortunately；　this

man　was　very　rough　and　unkind；　and　though　the　poor

monster　was　quite　quiet；　he　often　beat　him　without

rhyme　or　reason　when　he　happened　to　be　in　a　bad　temper。

One　day　when　this　keeper　was　asleep　a　tiger　broke　its

chain；　and　flew　at　him　to　eat　him　up。　Prince　Darling；

who　saw　what　was　going　on；　at　first　felt　quite　pleased　to

think　that　he　should　be　delivered　from　his　persecutor；

but　soon　thought　better　of　it　and　wished　that　he　were　free。



〃I　would　return　good　for　evil；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃and

save　the　unhappy　man's　life。〃　He　had　hardly　wished

this　when　his　iron　cage　flew　open；　and　he　rushed　to　the

side