the little lame prince-第10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！


rld　is　infinite　similarity　and　yet　infinite　variety。

Prince　Dolor　examined　his　leaves　with　the　greatest　curiosityand　also　a　little　caterpillar　that　he　found　walking　over　one　of　them。　He　coaxed　it　to　take　an　additional　walk　over　his　finger；　which　it　did　with　the　greatest　dignity　and　decorum；　as　if　it；　Mr。　Caterpillar；　were　the　most　important　individual　in　existence。　It　amused　him　for　a　long　time；　and　when　a　sudden　gust　of　wind　blew　it　overboard；　leaves　and　all；　he　felt　quite　disconsolate。

〃Still　there　must　be　many　live　creatures　in　the　world　besides　caterpillars。　I　should　like　to　see　a　few　of　them。〃

The　cloak　gave　a　little　dip　down；　as　if　to　say　〃All　right；　my　Prince；〃　and　bore　him　across　the　oak　forest　to　a　long　fertile　valleycalled　in　Scotland　a　strath　and　in　England　a　weald；　but　what　they　call　it　in　the　tongue　of　Nomansland　I　do　not　know。　It　was　made　up　of　cornfields；　pasturefields；　lanes；　hedges；　brooks；　and　ponds。　Also；　in　it　were　what　the　prince　desired　to　see　a　quantity　of　living　creatures；　wild　and　tame。　Cows　and　horses；　lambs　and　sheep；　fed　in　the　meadows；　pigs　and　fowls　walked　about　the　farm…yards；　and　in　lonelier　places　hares　scudded；　rabbits　burrowed；　and　pheasants　and　partridges；　with　many　other　smaller　birds；　inhabited　the　fields　and　woods。

Through　his　wonderful　spectacles　the　Prince　could　see　everything；　but；　as　I　said；　it　was　a　silent　picture；　he　was　too　high　up　to　catch　anything　except　a　faint　murmur；　which　only　aroused　his　anxiety　to　hear　more。

〃I　have　as　good　as　two　pairs　of　eyes；〃　he　thought。　〃I　wonder　if　my　godmother　would　give　me　a　second　pair　of　ears。〃

Scarcely　had　he　spoken　than　he　found　lying　on　his　lap　the　most　curious　little　parcel；　all　done　up　in　silvery　paper。　And　it　containedwhat　do　you　think？　Actually　a　pair　of　silver　ears；　which；　when　he　tried　them　on；　fitted　so　exactly　over　his　own　that　he　hardly　felt　them；　except　for　the　difference　they　made　in　his　hearing。

There　is　something　which　we　listen　to　daily　and　never　notice。　I　mean　the　sounds　of　the　visible　world；　animate　and　inanimate。　Winds　blowing；　waters　flowing；　trees　stirring；　insects　whirring　（dear　me！　I　am　quite　unconsciously　writing　rhyme）；　with　the　various　cries　of　birds　and　beasts；lowing　cattle；　bleating　sheep；　grunting　pigs；　and　cackling　hens；all　the　infinite　discords　that　somehow　or　other　make　a　beautiful　harmony。

We　hear　this；　and　are　so　accustomed　to　it　that　we　think　nothing　of　it；　but　Prince　Dolor；　who　had　lived　all　his　days　in　the　dead　silence　of　Hopeless　Tower；　heard　it　for　the　first　time。　And　oh！　if　you　had　seen　his　face。

He　listened；　listened；　as　if　he　could　never　have　done　listening。　And　he　looked　and　looked；　as　if　he　could　not　gaze　enough。　Above　all；　the　motion　of　the　animals　delighted　him：　cows　walking；　horses　galloping；　little　lambs　and　calves　running　races　across　the　meadows；　were　such　a　treat　for　him　to　watchhe　that　was　always　so　quiet。　But；　these　creatures　having　four　legs；　and　he　only　two；　the　difference　did　not　strike　him　painfully。

Still；　by　and　by；　after　the　fashion　of　children；　and　I　fear；　of　many　big　people　too；he　began　to　want　something　more　than　he　had；　something　fresh　and　new。

〃Godmother；〃　he　said；　having　now　begun　to　believe　that；　whether　he　saw　her　or　not；　he　could　always　speak　to　her　with　full　confidence　that　she　would　hear　him〃Godmother；　all　these　creatures　I　like　exceedingly；　but　I　should　like　better　to　see　a　creature　like　myself。　Couldn't　you　show　me　just　one　little　boy？〃

There　was　a　sigh　behind　him；it　might　have　been　only　the　wind；and　the　cloak　remained　so　long　balanced　motionless　in　air　that　he　was　half　afraid　his　godmother　had　forgotten　him；　or　was　offended　with　him　for　asking　too　much。　Suddenly　a　shrill　whistle　startled　him；　even　through　his　silver　ears；　and　looking　downward；　he　saw　start　up　from　behind　a　bush　on　a　common；　something

Neither　a　sheep　nor　a　horse　nor　a　cownothing　upon　four　legs。　This　creature　had　only　two；　but　they　were　long；　straight；　and　strong。　And　it　had　a　lithe；　active　body；　and　a　curly　head　of　black　hair　set　upon　its　shoulders。　It　was　a　boy；　a　shepherd…boy；　about　the　Prince's　own　agebut；　oh！　so　different。

Not　that　he　was　an　ugly　boythough　his　face　was　almost　as　red　as　his　hands；　and　his　shaggy　hair　matted　like　the　backs　of　his　own　sheep。　He　was　rather　a　nice…looking　lad；　and　seemed　so　bright　and　healthy　and　good…tempered　〃jolly〃　would　be　the　word；　only　I　am　not　sure　if　they　have　such　a　one　in　the　elegant　language　of　Nomanslandthat　the　little　Prince　watched　him　with　great　admiration。

〃Might　he　come　and　play　with　me？　I　would　drop　down　to　the　ground　to　him；　or　fetch　him　up　to　me　here。　Oh；　how　nice　it　would　be　if　I　only　had　a　little　boy　to　play　with　me。〃

But　the　cloak；　usually　so　obedient　to　his　wishes；　disobeyed　him　now。　There　were　evi…　dently　some　things　which　his　godmother　either　could　not　or　would　not　give。　The　cloak　hung　stationary；　high　in　air；　never　attempting　to　descend。　The　shepherd…lad　evidently　took　it　for　a　large　bird；　and；　shading　his　eyes；　looked　up　at　it；　making　the　Prince's　heart　beat　fast。

However；　nothing　ensued。　The　boy　turned　round；　with　a　long；　loud　whistleseemingly　his　usual　and　only　way　of　expressing　his　feelings。　He　could　not　make　the　thing　out　exactlyit　was　a　rather　mysterious　affair；　but　it　did　not　trouble　him　muchhe　was　not　an　〃examining〃　boy。

Then；　stretching　himself；　for　he　had　been　evidently　half　asleep；　he　began　flopping　his　shoulders　with　his　arms　to　wake　and　warm　himself；　while　his　dog；　a　rough　collie；　who　had　been　guarding　the　sheep　meanwhile；　began　to　jump　upon　him；　barking　with　delight。

〃Down；　Snap；　down：　Stop　that；　or　I'll　thrash　you；〃　the　Prince　heard　him　say；　though　with　such　a　rough；　hard　voice　and　queer　pronunciation　that　it　was　difficult　to　make　the　words　out。　〃Hollo！　Let's　warm　ourselves　by　a　race。〃

They　started　off　together；　boy　and　dogbarking　and　shouting；　till　it　was　doubtful　which　made　the　more　noise　or　ran　the　faster。　A　regular　steeplechase　it　was：　first　across　the　level　common；　greatly　disturbing　the　quiet　sheep；　and　then　tearing　away　across　country；　scrambling　through　hedges　and　leaping　ditches；　and　tumbling　up　and　down　over　plowed　fields。　They　did　not　seem　to　have　anything　to　run　forbut　as　if　they　did　it；　both　of　them；　for　the　mere　pleasure　of　motion。

And　what　a　pleasure　that　seemed！　To　the　dog　of　course；　but　scarcely　less　so　to　the　boy。　How　he　skimmed　along　over　the　groundhis　cheeks　glowing；　and　his　hair　flying；　and　his　legs　oh；　what　a　pair　of　legs　he　had！

Prince　Dolor　watched　him　with　great　intentness；　and　in　a　state　of　excitement　almost　equal　to　that　of　the　runner　himselffor　a　while。　Then　the　sweet；　pale　face　grew　a　trifle　paler；　the　lips　began　to　quiver；　and　the　eyes　to　fill。

〃How　nice　it　must　be　to　run　like　that！〃　he　said　softly；　thinking　that　neverno；　never　in　this　worldwould　he　be　able　to　do　the　same。

Now　he　understood　what　his　godmother　had　meant　when　she　gave　him　his　traveling…cloak；　and　why　he　had　heard　that　sighhe　was　sure　it　was　herswhen　he　had　asked　to　see　〃just　one　little　boy。〃

〃I　think　I　had　rather　not　look　at　him　again；〃　said　the　poor　little　Prince；　drawing　himself　back　into　the　center　of　his　cloak；　and　resuming　his　favorite　posture；　sitting　like　a　Turk；　with　his　arms　wrapped　round　his　feeble；　useless　legs。

〃You're　no　good　to　me；〃　he　said；　patting　them　mournfully。　〃You　never　will　be　any　good　to　me。　I　wonder　why　I　had　you　at　all。　I　wonder　why　I　was　born　at　all；　since　I　was　not　to　grow　up　like　other　boys。　Why　not？〃

A　question　so　strange；　so　sad；　yet　so　often　occurring　in　some　form　or　other　in　this　world　as　you　will　find；　my　children；　when　you　are　olderthat　even　if　he　had　put　it　to　his　mother　she　could　only　have　answered　it；　as　we　have　to　answer　many　as　difficult　things；　by　simply　saying；　〃I　don't　know。〃　There　is　much　that　we　do　not　know　and　cannot　understandwe　big　folks　no　more　than　you　little　ones。　We　have　to　accept　it　all　just　as　you　have　to　accept　anything　which　your　parents　may　tell　you；　even　though　you　don't　as　yet　see　the　reason　of　it。　You　may　sometime；　if　you　do　exactly　as　they　tell　you；　and　are　content　to　wait。

Prince　Dolor　sat　a　good　while　thus；　or　it　appeared　to　him　a　good　while；　so　many　thoughts　came　and　went　through　his　poor　young　mind　thoughts　of　great　bitterness；　which；　little　though　he　was；　seemed　to　make　him　grow　years　older　in　a　few　minutes。

Then　he　fancied　the　cloak　began　to　rock　gently　to　and　fro；　with　a　soothing　kind　of　motion；　as　if　he　were　in　somebody's　arms：　somebody　who　did　not　speak；　but　loved　him　and　comforted　him　without　need　of　words；　not　by　deceiving　him　with　false　encouragement　or　hope；　but　by　making　him　see　the　plain；　hard　truth　in　all　its　hardness；　and　thus　letting　him　quietly　face　it；　till　it　grew　softened　down；　and　did　not　seem　nearly　so　dreadful　after　all。

Through　the　dreary　silence　and　blankness；　for　he　had　placed　himself　so　that　he　could　see　nothing　but　the　sky；　and　had　taken　off　his　silver　ears　as　well　as　his　gold　spectacleswhat　was　the　use　of　either　when　he　had　no　legs　with　which　to　walk　or　run？up　from　below　there　rose　a　delicious　sound。

You　have　heard　it　hundreds　of　times；　my　children；　and　so　have　I。　When　I　was　a　child　I　thought　there　was　nothing　so　sweet；　and　I　think　so　still。　It　was　just　the　song　of　a　skyl