the little lame prince-第14节

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Two　little　men　　　　　　Who　lay　in　their　bed　till　the　clock　struck　ten。〃

It　was　striking　ten　now；　and　still　no　nurse　was　to　be　seen。　He　was　rather　relieved　at　first；　for　he　felt　so　tired；　and　besides；　when　he　stretched　out　his　arm；　he　found　to　his　dismay　that　he　had　gone　to　bed　in　his　clothes。

Very　uncomfortable　he　felt；　of　course；　and　just　a　little　frightened。　Especially　when　he　began　to　call　and　call　again；　but　nobody　answered。　Often　he　used　to　think　how　nice　it　would　be　to　get　rid　of　his　nurse　and　live　in　this　tower　all　by　himselflike　a　sort　of　monarch　able　to　do　everything　he　liked；　and　leave　undone　all　that　he　did　not　want　to　do；　but　now　that　this　seemed　really　to　have　happened；　he　did　not　like　it　at　all。

〃Nurse；dear　nurse；please　come　back！〃　he　called　out。　〃Come　back；　and　I　will　be　the　best　boy　in　all　the　land。〃

And　when　she　did　not　come　back；　and　nothing　but　silence　answered　his　lamentable　call；　he　very　nearly　began　to　cry。

〃This　won't　do；〃　he　said　at　last；　dashing　the　tears　from　his　eyes。　〃It's　just　like　a　baby；　and　I'm　a　big　boyshall　be　a　man　some　day。　What　has　happened；　I　wonder？　I'll　go　and　see。〃

He　sprang　out　of　bed；not　to　his　feet；　alas！　but　to　his　poor　little　weak　knees；　and　crawled　on　them　from　room　to　room。　All　the　four　chambers　were　desertednot　forlorn　or　untidy；　for　everything　seemed　to　have　been　done　for　his　comfort　the　breakfast　and　dinner　things　were　laid；　the　food　spread　in　order。　He　might　live　〃like　a　prince；〃　as　the　proverb　is；　for　several　days。　But　the　place　was　entirely　forsakenthere　was　evidently　not　a　creature　but　himself　in　the　solitary　tower。

A　great　fear　came　upon　the　poor　boy。　Lonely　as　his　life　had　been；　he　had　never　known　what　it　was　to　be　absolutely　alone。　A　kind　of　despair　seized　himno　violent　anger　or　terror；　but　a　sort　of　patient　desolation。

〃What　in　the　world　am　I　to　do？〃　thought　he；　and　sat　down　in　the　middle　of　the　floor；　half　inclined　to　believe　that　it　would　be　better　to　give　up　entirely；　lay　himself　down；　and　die。

This　feeling；　however；　did　not　last　long；　for　he　was　young　and　strong；　and；　I　said　before；　by　nature　a　very　courageous　boy。　There　came　into　his　head；　somehow　or　other；　a　proverb　that　his　nurse　had　taught　himthe　people　of　Nomansland　were　very　fond　of　proverbs：

　　　　　〃For　every　evil　under　the　sun　　　　　　There　is　a　remedy；　or　there's　none；　　　　　　If　there　is　one；　try　to　find　it　　　　　　If　there　isn't；　never　mind　it。〃


〃I　wonder　is　there　a　remedy　now；　and　could　I　find　it？〃　cried　the　Prince；　jumping　up　and　looking　out　of　the　window。

No　help　there。　He　only　saw　the　broad；　bleak；　sunshiny　plainthat　is；　at　first。　But　by　and　by；　in　the　circle　of　mud　that　surrounded　the　base　of　the　tower；　he　perceived　distinctly　the　marks　of　a　horse's　feet；　and　just　in　the　spot　where　the　deaf…mute　was　accustomed　to　tie　up　his　great　black　charger；　while　he　himself　ascended；　there　lay　the　remains　of　a　bundle　of　hay　and　a　feed　of　corn。

〃Yes；　that's　it。　He　has　come　and　gone；　taking　nurse　away　with　him。　Poor　nurse！　how　glad　she　would　be　to　go！〃

That　was　Prince　Dolor's　first　thought。　His　secondwasn't　it　natural？was　a　passionate　indignation　at　her　crueltyat　the　cruelty　of　all　the　world　toward　him；　a　poor　little　helpless　boy。　Then　he　determined；　forsaken　as　he　was；　to　try　and　hold　on　to　the　last；　and　not　to　die　as　long　as　he　could　possibly　help　it。

Anyhow；　it　would　be　easier　to　die　here　than　out　in　the　world；　among　the　terrible　doings　which　he　had　just　beheldfrom　the　midst　of　which；　it　suddenly　struck　him；　the　deaf…mute　had　come；　contriving　somehow　to　make　the　nurse　understand　that　the　king　was　dead；　and　she　need　have　no　fear　in　going　back　to　the　capital；　where　there　was　a　grand　revolution；　and　everything　turned　upside　down。　So；　of　course；　she　had　gone。　〃I　hope　she'll　enjoy　it；　miserable　womanif　they　don't　cut　off　her　head　too。〃

And　then　a　kind　of　remorse　smote　him　for　feeling　so　bitterly　toward　her；　after　all　the　years　she　had　taken　care　of　himgrudgingly；　perhaps；　and　coldly；　still　she　had　taken　care　of　him；　and　that　even　to　the　last：　for；　as　I　have　said；　all　his　four　rooms　were　as　tidy　as　possible；　and　his　meals　laid　out；　that　he　might　have　no　more　trouble　than　could　be　helped。

〃Possibly　she　did　not　mean　to　be　cruel。　I　won't　judge　her；〃　said　he。　And　afterward　he　was　very　glad　that　he　had　so　determined。

For　the　second　time　he　tried　to　dress　himself；　and　then　to　do　everything　he　could　for　himself　even　to　sweeping　up　the　hearth　and　putting　on　more　coals。　〃It's　a　funny　thing　for　a　prince　to　have　to　do；〃　said　he；　laughing。　〃But　my　godmother　once　said　princes　need　never　mind　doing　anything。〃

And　then　he　thought　a　little　of　his　godmother。　Not　of　summoning　her；　or　asking　her　to　help　him；she　had　evidently　left　him　to　help　himself；　and　he　was　determined　to　try　his　best　to　do　it；　being　a　very　proud　and　independent　boy；　but　he　remembered　her　tenderly　and　regret…　fully；　as　if　even　she　had　been　a　little　hard　upon　himpoor；　forlorn　boy　that　he　was。　But　he　seemed　to　have　seen　and　learned　so　much　within　the　last　few　days　that　he　scarcely　felt　like　a　boy；　but　a　manuntil　he　went　to　bed　at　night。

When　I　was　a　child；　I　used　often　to　think　how　nice　it　would　be　to　live　in　a　little　house　all　by　my　own　selfa　house　built　high　up　in　a　tree；　or　far　away　in　a　forest；　or　halfway　up　a　hillside　so　deliciously　alone　and　independent。　Not　a　lesson　to　learnbut　no！　I　always　liked　learning　my　lessons。　Anyhow；　to　choose　the　lessons　I　liked　best；　to　have　as　many　books　to　read　and　dolls　to　play　with　as　ever　I　wanted：　above　all；　to　be　free　and　at　rest；　with　nobody　to　tease　or　trouble　or　scold　me；　would　be　charming。　For　I　was　a　lonely　little　thing；　who　liked　quietnessas　many　children　do；　which　other　children；　and　sometimes　grown…up　people　even；　cannot　understand。　And　so　I　can　understand　Prince　Dolor。

After　his　first　despair；　he　was　not　merely　comfortable；　but　actually　happy　in　his　solitude；　doing　everything　for　himself；　and　enjoying　everything　by　himselfuntil　bedtime。　Then　he　did　not　like　it　at　all。　No　more；　I　suppose；　than　other　children　would　have　liked　my　im…　aginary　house　in　a　tree　when　they　had　had　sufficient　of　their　own　company。

But　the　Prince　had　to　bear　itand　he　did　bear　it；　like　a　princefor　fully　five　days。　All　that　time　he　got　up　in　the　morning　and　went　to　bed　at　night　without　having　spoken　to　a　creature；　or；　indeed；　heard　a　single　sound。　For　even　his　little　lark　was　silent；　and　as　for　his　traveling…cloak；　either　he　never　thought　about　it；　or　else　it　had　been　spirited　away　for　he　made　no　use　of　it；　nor　attempted　to　do　so。

A　very　strange　existence　it　was；　those　five　lonely　days。　He　never　entirely　forgot　it。　It　threw　him　back　upon　himself；　and　into　himself　in　a　way　that　all　of　us　have　to　learn　when　we　grow　up；　and　are　the　better　for　it；　but　it　is　somewhat　hard　learning。

On　the　sixth　day　Prince　Dolor　had　a　strange　composure　in　his　look；　but　he　was　very　grave　and　thin　and　white。　He　had　nearly　come　to　the　end　of　his　provisionsand　what　was　to　happen　next？　Get　out　of　the　tower　he　could　not：　the　ladder　the　deaf…mute　used　was　always　carried　away　again；　and　if　it　had　not　been；　how　could　the　poor　boy　have　used　it？　And　even　if　he　slung　or　flung　himself　down；　and　by　miraculous　chance　came　alive　to　the　foot　of　the　tower；　how　could　he　run　away？

Fate　had　been　very　hard　to　him；　or　so　it　seemed。

He　made　up　his　mind　to　die。　Not　that　he　wished　to　die；　on　the　contrary；　there　was　a　great　deal　that　he　wished　to　live　to　do；　but　if　he　must　die；　he　must。　Dying　did　not　seem　so　very　dreadful；　not　even　to　lie　quiet　like　his　uncle；　whom　he　had　entirely　forgiven　now；　and　neither　be　miserable　nor　naughty　any　more；　and　escape　all　those　horrible　things　that　he　had　seen　going　on　outside　the　palace；　in　that　awful　place　which　was　called　〃the　world。〃

〃It's　a　great　deal　nicer　here；〃　said　the　poor　little　Prince；　and　collected　all　his　pretty　things　round　him：　his　favorite　pictures；　which　he　thought　he　should　like　to　have　near　him　when　he　died；　his　books　and　toysno；　he　had　ceased　to　care　for　toys　now；　he　only　liked　them　because　he　had　done　so　as　a　child。　And　there　he　sat　very　calm　and　patient；　like　a　king　in　his　castle；　waiting　for　the　end。

〃Still；　I　wish　I　had　done　something　first　something　worth　doing；　that　somebody　might　remember　me　by；〃　thought　he。　〃Suppose　I　had　grown　a　man；　and　had　had　work　to　do；　and　people　to　care　for；　and　was　so　useful　and　busy　that　they　liked　me；　and　perhaps　even　forgot　I　was　lame？　Then　it　would　have　been　nice　to　live；　I　think。〃

A　tear　came　into　the　little　fellow's　eyes；　and　he　listened　intently　through　the　dead　silence　for　some　hopeful　sound。

Was　there　one？was　it　his　little　lark；　whom　he　had　almost　forgotten？　No；　nothing　half　so　sweet。　But　it　really　was　somethingsomething　which　came　nearer　and　nearer；　so　that　there　was　no　mistaking　it。　It　was　the　sound　of　a　trumpet；　one　of　the　great　silver　trumpets　so　admired　in　Nomansland。　Not　pleasant　music；　but　very　bold；　grand；　and　inspiring。

As　he　listened　to　it　the　boy　seemed　to　recall　many　things　which　had　slipped　his　memory　for　years；　and　to　nerve　himself　for　whatever　might　be　going　to　happen。

What　had　happened　was　this。

The　poor　condemned　woman　had　not　been　such　a　wicked　woman　after　all。　Perhaps　her　courage　was　not