the little lame prince-第1节

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The　Little　Lame　Prince

by　Miss　Mulock　＇Pseudonym　of　Maria　Dinah　Craik＇




CONTENTS

THE　LITTLE　LAME　PRINCE　THE　INVISIBLE　PRINCE　PRINCE　CHERRY　THE　PRINCE　WITH　THE　NOSE　THE　FROG…PRINCE　CLEVER　ALICE



THE　LITTLE　LAME　PRINCE

CHAPTER　I

Yes；　he　was　the　most　beautiful　Prince　that　ever　was　born。

Of　course；　being　a　prince；　people　said　this；　but　it　was　true　besides。　When　he　looked　at　the　candle；　his　eyes　had　an　expression　of　earnest　inquiry　quite　startling　in　a　new　born　baby。　His　nosethere　was　not　much　of　it　certainly；　but　what　there　was　seemed　an　aquiline　shape；　his　complexion　was　a　charming；　healthy　purple；　he　was　round　and　fat；　straight…　limbed　and　longin　fact；　a　splendid　baby；　and　everybody　was　exceedingly　proud　of　him；　especially　his　father　and　mother；　the　King　and　Queen　of　Nomansland；　who　had　waited　for　him　during　their　happy　reign　of　ten　yearsnow　made　happier　than　ever；　to　themselves　and　their　subjects；　by　the　appearance　of　a　son　and　heir。

The　only　person　who　was　not　quite　happy　was　the　King's　brother；　the　heir　presumptive；　who　would　have　been　king　one　day　had　the　baby　not　been　born。　But　as　his　majesty　was　very　kind　to　him；　and　even　rather　sorry　for　himinsomuch　that　at　the　Queen's　request　he　gave　him　a　dukedom　almost　as　big　as　a　countythe　Crown…　Prince；　as　he　was　called；　tried　to　seem　pleased　also；　and　let　us　hope　he　succeeded。

The　Prince's　christening　was　to　be　a　grand　affair。　According　to　the　custom　of　the　country；　there　were　chosen　for　him　four…and…twenty　god…　fathers　and　godmothers；　who　each　had　to　give　him　a　name；　and　promise　to　do　their　utmost　for　him。　When　he　came　of　age；　he　himself　had　to　choose　the　nameand　the　godfather　or　god…　motherthat　he　liked　the　best；　for　the　rest　of　his　days。

Meantime　all　was　rejoicing。　Subscriptions　were　made　among　the　rich　to　give　pleasure　to　the　poor；　dinners　in　town…halls　for　the　workingmen；　tea…parties　in　the　streets　for　their　wives；　and　milk…and…bun　feasts　for　the　children　in　the　schoolrooms。　For　Nomansland；　though　I　cannot　point　it　out　in　any　map；　or　read　of　it　in　any　history；　was；　I　believe；　much　like　our　own　or　many　another　country。

As　for　the　palacewhich　was　no　different　from　other　palacesit　was　clean　〃turned　out　of　the　windows；〃　as　people　say；　with　the　preparations　going　on。　The　only　quiet　place　in　it　was　the　room　which；　though　the　Prince　was　six　weeks　old；　his　mother　the　Queen　had　never　quitted。　Nobody　said　she　was　ill；　howeverit　would　have　been　so　inconvenient；　and　as　she　said　nothing　about　it　herself；　but　lay　pale　and　placid；　giving　no　trouble　to　anybody；　nobody　thought　much　about　her。　All　the　world　was　absorbed　in　admiring　the　baby。

The　christening…day　came　at　last；　and　it　was　as　lovely　as　the　Prince　himself。　All　the　people　in　the　palace　were　lovely　tooor　thought　themselves　soin　the　elegant　new　clothes　which　the　Queen；　who　thought　of　everybody；　had　taken　care　to　give　them；　from　the　ladies…in…waiting　down　to　the　poor　little　kitchen…maid；　who　looked　at　herself　in　her　pink　cotton　gown；　and　thought；　doubtless；　that　there　never　was　such　a　pretty　girl　as　she。

By　six　in　the　morning　all　the　royal　household　had　dressed　itself　in　its　very　best；　and　then　the　little　Prince　was　dressed　in　his　besthis　magnificent　christening　robe；　which　proceeding　his　Royal　Highness　did　not　like　at　all；　but　kicked　and　screamed　like　any　common　baby。　When　he　had　a　little　calmed　down；　they　carried　him　to　be　looked　at　by　the　Queen　his　mother；　who；　though　her　royal　robes　had　been　brought　and　laid　upon　the　bed；　was；　as　everybody　well　knew；　quite　unable　to　rise　and　put　them　on。

She　admired　her　baby　very　much；　kissed　and　blessed　him；　and　lay　looking　at　him；　as　she　did　for　hours　sometimes；　when　he　was　placed　beside　her　fast　asleep；　then　she　gave　him　up　with　a　gentle　smile；　and；　saying　she　hoped　he　would　be　very　good；　that　it　would　be　a　very　nice　christening；　and　all　the　guests　would　enjoy　themselves；　turned　peacefully　over　on　her　bed；　saying　nothing　more　to　anybody。　She　was　a　very　uncomplaining　person；　the　Queenand　her　name　was　Dolorez。

Everything　went　on　exactly　as　if　she　had　been　present。　All；　even　the　king　himself；　had　grown　used　to　her　absence；　for　she　was　not　strong；　and　for　years　had　not　joined　in　any　gayeties。　She　always　did　her　royal　duties；　but　as　to　pleasures；　they　could　go　on　quite　well　without　her；　or　it　seemed　so。　The　company　arrived：　great　and　notable　persons　in　this　and　neighboring　countries；　also　the　four…and…twenty　godfathers　and　godmothers；　who　had　been　chosen　with　care；　as　the　people　who　would　be　most　useful　to　his　royal　highness　should　he　ever　want　friends；　which　did　not　seem　likely。　What　such　want　could　possibly　happen　to　the　heir　of　the　powerful　monarch　of　Nomansland？

They　came；　walking　two　and　two；　with　their　coronets　on　their　headsbeing　dukes　and　duchesses；　princes　and　princesses；　or　the　like；　they　all　kissed　the　child　and　pronounced　the　name　each　had　given　him。　Then　the　four…and…twenty　names　were　shouted　out　with　great　energy　by　six　heralds；　one　after　the　other；　and　afterward　written　down；　to　be　preserved　in　the　state　records；　in　readiness　for　the　next　time　they　were　wanted；　which　would　be　either　on　his　Royal　Highness'　coronation　or　his　funeral。

Soon　the　ceremony　was　over；　and　everybody　satisfied；　except；　perhaps；　the　little　Prince　himself；　who　moaned　faintly　under　his　christening　robes；　which　nearly　smothered　him。

In　truth；　though　very　few　knew；　the　Prince　in　coming　to　the　chapel　had　met　with　a　slight　disaster。　His　nurse；not　his　ordinary　one；　but　the　state　nurse…maid；an　elegant　and　fashionable　young　lady　of　rank；　whose　duty　it　was　to　carry　him　to　and　from　the　chapel；　had　been　so　occupied　in　arranging　her　train　with　one　hand；　while　she　held　the　baby　with　the　other；　that　she　stumbled　and　let　him　fall；　just　at　the　foot　of　the　marble　staircase。

To　be　sure；　she　contrived　to　pick　him　up　again　the　next　minute；　and　the　accident　was　so　slight　it　seemed　hardly　worth　speaking　of。　Consequently　nobody　did　speak　of　it。　The　baby　had　turned　deadly　pale；　but　did　not　cry；　so　no　person　a　step　or　two　behind　could　discover　anything　wrong；　afterward；　even　if　he　had　moaned；　the　silver　trumpets　were　loud　enough　to　drown　his　voice。　It　would　have　been　a　pity　to　let　anything　trouble　such　a　day　of　felicity。

So；　after　a　minute's　pause；　the　procession　had　moved　on。　Such　a　procession　t　Heralds　in　blue　and　silver；　pages　in　crimson　and　gold；　and　a　troop　of　little　girls　in　dazzling　white；　carrying　baskets　of　flowers；　which　they　strewed　all　the　way　before　the　nurse　and　childfinally　the　four…　and…twenty　godfathers　and　godmothers；　as　proud　as　possible；　and　so　splendid　to　look　at　that　they　would　have　quite　extinguished　their　small　godsonmerely　a　heap　of　lace　and　muslin　with　a　baby　face　insidehad　it　not　been　for　a　canopy　of　white　satin　and　ostrich　feathers　which　was　held　over　him　wherever　he　was　carried。

Thus；　with　the　sun　shining　on　them　through　the　painted　windows；　they　stood；　the　king　and　his　train　on　one　side；　the　Prince　and　his　attendants　on　the　other；　as　pretty　a　sight　as　ever　was　seen　out　of　fairyland。

〃It's　just　like　fairyland；〃　whispered　the　eldest　little　girl　to　the　next　eldest；　as　she　shook　the　last　rose　out　of　her　basket；　〃and　I　think　the　only　thing　the　Prince　wants　now　is　a　fairy　god…　mother。〃

〃Does　he？〃　said　a　shrill　but　soft　and　not　unpleasant　voice　behind；　and　there　was　seen　among　the　group　of　children　somebody；not　a　child；　yet　no　bigger　than　a　child；somebody　whom　nobody　had　seen　before；　and　who　certainly　had　not　been　invited；　for　she　had　no　christening　clothes　on。

She　was　a　little　old　woman　dressed　all　in　gray：　gray　gown；　gray　hooded　cloak；　of　a　material　excessively　fine；　and　a　tint　that　seemed　perpetually　changing；　like　the　gray　of　an　evening　sky。　Her　hair　was　gray；　and　her　eyes　alsoeven　her　complexion　had　a　soft　gray　shadow　over　it。　But　there　was　nothing　unpleasantly　old　about　her；　and　her　smile　was　as　sweet　and　childlike　as　the　Prince's　own；　which　stole　over　his　pale　little　face　the　instant　she　came　near　enough　to　touch　him。

〃Take　care！　Don't　let　the　baby　fall　again。〃

The　grand　young　lady　nurse　started；　flushing　angrily。

〃Who　spoke　to　me？　How　did　anybody　know？　I　mean；　what　business　has　anybody〃　Then　frightened；　but　still　speaking　in　a　much　sharper　tone　than　I　hope　young　ladies　of　rank　are　in　the　habit　of　speaking〃Old　woman；　you　will　be　kind　enough　not　to　say　‘the　baby；'　but　‘the　Prince。'　Keep　away；　his　Royal　Highness　is　just　going　to　sleep。〃

〃Nevertheless　I　must　kiss　him。　I　am　his　god…　mother。〃

〃You！〃　cried　the　elegant　lady　nurse。

〃You！〃　repeated　all　the　gentlemen　and　ladies…in…waiting。

〃You！〃　echoed　the　heralds　and　pagesand　they　began　to　blow　the　silver　trumpets　in　order　to　stop　all　further　conversation。

The　Prince's　procession　formed　itself　for　returning；the　King　and　his　train　having　already　moved　off　toward　the　palace；but　on　the　top…　most　step　of　the　marble　stairs　stood；　right　in　front　of　all；　the　little　old　woman　clothed　in　gray。

She　stretched　herself　on　tiptoe　by　the　help　of　her　stick；　and　gave　the　little　Prince　three　kisses。

〃This　is　intolerable！〃　cried　the　young　lady　nurse；　wiping　the　kisses　off　rapidly　with　her　lace　handkerchief。　〃Such　an　insult　to　his　Royal　Highness！　Take　yourself　out　of　the　way；　old　woman；　or