the little lame prince-第16节

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one。

However；　of　this　I　am　sure；　that　Prince　Dolor　made　an　excellent　king。　Nobody　ever　does　anything　less　well；　not　even　the　commonest　duty　of　common　daily　life；　for　having　such　a　godmother　as　the　little　old　woman　clothed　in　gray；　whose　name　iswell；　I　leave　you　to　guess。　Nor；　I　think；　is　anybody　less　good；　less　capable　of　both　work　and　enjoyment　in　after…life；　for　having　been　a　little　unhappy　in　his　youth；　as　the　prince　had　been。

I　cannot　take　upon　myself　to　say　that　he　was　always　happy　nowwho　is？or　that　he　had　no　cares；　just　show　me　the　person　who　is　quite　free　from　them！　But　whenever　people　worried　and　bothered　himas　they　did　sometimes；　with　state　etiquette；　state　squabbles；　and　the　like；　setting　up　themselves　and　pulling　down　their　neighbors　he　would　take　refuge　in　that　upper　room　which　looked　out　on　the　Beautiful　Mountains；　and；　laying　his　head　on　his　godmother's　shoulder；　become　calmed　and　at　rest。

Also；　she　helped　him　out　of　any　difficulty　which　now　and　then　occurredfor　there　never　was　such　a　wise　old　woman。　When　the　people　of　Nomansland　raised　the　alarmas　sometimes　they　didfor　what　people　can　exist　without　a　little　fault…finding？and　began　to　cry　out；　〃Un…　happy　is　the　nation　whose　king　is　a　child；〃　she　would　say　to　him　gently；　〃You　are　a　child。　Accept　the　fact。　Be　humblebe　teachable。　Lean　upon　the　wisdom　of　others　till　you　have　gained　your　own。〃

He　did　so。　He　learned　how　to　take　advice　before　attempting　to　give　it；　to　obey　before　he　could　righteously　command。　He　assembled　round　him　all　the　good　and　wise　of　his　kingdom　laid　all　its　affairs　before　them；　and　was　guided　by　their　opinions　until　he　had　maturely　formed　his　own。

This　he　did　sooner　than　anybody　would　have　imagined　who　did　not　know　of　his　godmother　and　his　traveling…cloaktwo　secret　blessings；　which；　though　many　guessed　at；　nobody　quite　understood。　Nor　did　they　understand　why　he　loved　so　the　little　upper　room；　except　that　it　had　been　his　mother's　room；　from　the　window　of　which；　as　people　remembered　now；　she　had　used　to　sit　for　hours　watching　the　Beautiful　Mountains。

Out　of　that　window　he　used　to　flynot　very　often；　as　he　grew　older；　the　labors　of　state　prevented　the　frequent　use　of　his　traveling…cloak；　still　he　did　use　it　sometimes。　Only　now　it　was　less　for　his　own　pleasure　and　amusement　than　to　see　something　or　investigate　something　for　the　good　of　the　country。　But　he　prized　his　godmother's　gift　as　dearly　as　ever。　It　was　a　comfort　to　him　in　all　his　vexations；　an　enhancement　of　all　his　joys。　It　made　him　almost　forget　his　lamenesswhich　was　never　cured。

However；　the　cruel　things　which　had　been　once　foreboded　of　him　did　not　happen。　His　misfortune　was　not　such　a　heavy　one；　after　all。　It　proved　to　be　of　much　less　inconvenience；　even　to　himself；　than　had　been　feared。　A　council　of　eminent　surgeons　and　mechanicians　invented　for　him　a　wonderful　pair　of　crutches；　with　the　help　of　which；　though　he　never　walked　easily　or　gracefully；　he　did　manage　to　walk　so　as　to　be　quite　independent。　And　such　was　the　love　his　people　bore　him　that　they　never　heard　the　sound　of　his　crutches　on　the　marble　palace　floors　without　a　leap　of　the　heart；　for　they　knew　that　good

was　coming　to　them　whenever　he　approached。

Thus；　though　he　never　walked　in　processions；　never　reviewed　his　troops　mounted　on　a　magnificent　charger；　nor　did　any　of　the　things　which　make　a　show　monarch　so　much　appreciated；　he　was　able　for　all　the　duties　and　a　great　many　of　the　pleasures　of　his　rank。　When　he　held　his　levees；　not　standing；　but　seated　on　a　throne　in…　geniously　contrived　to　hide　his　infirmity；　the　people　thronged　to　greet　him；　when　he　drove　out　through　the　city　streets；　shouts　followed　him　wherever　he　wentevery　countenance　brightened　as　he　passed；　and　his　own；　perhaps；　was　the　brightest　of　all。

First；　because；　accepting　his　affliction　as　inevitable；　he　took　it　patiently；　second；　because；　being　a　brave　man；　he　bore　it　bravely；　trying　to　forget　himself；　and　live　out　of　himself；　and　in　and　for　other　people。　Therefore　other　people　grew　to　love　him　so　well　that　I　think　hundreds　of　his　subjects　might　have　been　found　who　were　almost　ready　to　die　for　their　poor　lame　king。

He　never　gave　them　a　queen。　When　they　implored　him　to　choose　one；　he　replied　that　his　country　was　his　bride；　and　he　desired　no　other。　But　perhaps　the　real　reason　was　that　he　shrank　from　any　change；　and　that　no　wife　in　all　the　world　would　have　been　found　so　perfect；　so　lovable；　so　tender　to　him　in　all　his　weaknesses　as　his　beautiful　old　godmother。

His　twenty…four　other　godfathers　and　godmothers；　or　as　many　of　them　as　were　still　alive；　crowded　round　him　as　soon　as　he　ascended　the　throne。　He　was　very　civil　to　them　all；　but　adopted　none　of　the　names　they　had　given　him；　keeping　to　the　one　by　which　he　had　been　always　known；　though　it　had　now　almost　lost　its　meaning；　for　King　Dolor　was　one　of　the　happiest　and　cheerfulest　men　alive。

He　did　a　good　many　things；　however；　unlike　most　men　and　most　kings；　which　a　little　astonished　his　subjects。　First；　he　pardoned　the　condemned　woman　who　had　been　his　nurse；　and　ordained　that　from　henceforth　there　should　be　no　such　thing　as　the　punishment　of　death　in　Nomansland。　All　capital　criminals　were　to　be

sent　to　perpetual　imprisonment　in　Hopeless　Tower　and　the　plain　round　about　it；　where　they　could　do　no　harm　to　anybody；　and　might　in　time　do　a　little　good；　as　the　woman　had　done。

Another　surprise　he　shortly　afterward　gave　the　nation。　He　recalled　his　uncle's　family；　who　had　fled　away　in　terror　to　another　country；　and　restored　them　to　all　their　honors　in　their　own。　By　and　by　he　chose　the　eldest　son　of　his　eldest　cousin　（who　had　been　dead　a　year）；　and　had　him　educated　in　the　royal　palace；　as　the　heir　to　the　throne。　This　little　prince　was　a　quiet；　unobtrusive　boy；　so　that　everybody　wondered　at　the　King's　choosing　him　when　there　were　so　many　more；　but　as　he　grew　into　a　fine　young　fellow；　good　and　brave；　they　agreed　that　the　King　judged　more　wisely　than　they。

〃Not　a　lame　prince；　either；〃　his　Majesty　observed　one　day；　watching　him　affectionately；　for　he　was　the　best　runner；　the　highest　leaper；　the　keenest　and　most　active　sportsman　in　the　country。　〃One　cannot　make　one's　self；　but　one　can　sometimes　help　a　little　in　the　making　of　somebody　else。　It　is　well。〃

This　was　said；　not　to　any　of　his　great　lords　and　ladies；　but　to　a　good　old　womanhis　first　homely　nurse　whom　he　had　sought　for　far　and　wide；　and　at　last　found　in　her　cottage　among　the　Beautiful　Mountains。　He　sent　for　her　to　visit　him　once　a　year；　and　treated　her　with　great　honor　until　she　died。　He　was　equally　kind；　though　somewhat　less　tender；　to　his　other　nurse；　who；　after　receiving　her　pardon；　returned　to　her　native　town　and　grew　into　a　great　lady；　and　I　hope　a　good　one。　But　as　she　was　so　grand　a　personage　now；　any　little　faults　she　had　did　not　show。

Thus　King　Dolor's　reign　passed　year　after　year；　long　and　prosperous。　Whether　he　were　happy〃as　happy　as　a　king〃is　a　question　no　human　being　can　decide。　But　I　think　he　was；　because　he　had　the　power　of　making　everybody　about　him　happy；　and　did　it　too；　also　because　he　was　his　godmother's　godson；　and　could　shut　himself　up　with　her　whenever　he　liked；　in　that　quiet　little　room　in　view　of　the　Beautiful　Mountains；　which　nobody　else　ever　saw　or　cared　to　see。　They　were　too　far　off；　and　the　city　lay　so　low。　But　there　they　were；　all　the　time。　No　change　ever　came　to　them；　and　I　think；　at　any　day　throughout　his　long　reign；　the　King　would　sooner　have　lost　his　crown　than　have　lost　sight　of　the　Beautiful　Mountains。

In　course　of　time；　when　the　little　Prince；　his　cousin；　was　grown　into　a　tall　young　man；　capable　of　all　the　duties　of　a　man；　his　Majesty　did　one　of　the　most　extraordinary　acts　ever　known　in　a　sovereign　beloved　by　his　people　and　prosperous　in　his　reign。　He　announced　that　he　wished　to　invest　his　heir　with　the　royal　purpleat　any　rate；　for　a　timewhile　he　himself　went　away　on　a　distant　journey；　whither　he　had　long　desired　to　go。

Everybody　marveled；　but　nobody　opposed　him。　Who　could　oppose　the　good　King；　who　was　not　a　young　king　now？　And　besides；　the　nation　had　a　great　admiration　for　the　young　regentand　possibly　a　lurking　pleasure　in　change。

So　there　was　a　fixed　day　when　all　the　people　whom　it　would　hold　assembled　in　the　great　square　of　the　capital；　to　see　the　young　prince　installed　solemnly　in　his　new　duties；　and　undertaking　his　new　vows。　He　was　a　very　fine　young　fellow；　tall　and　straight　as　a　poplar　tree；　with　a　frank；　handsome　facea　great　deal　handsomer　than　the　king；　some　people　said；　but　others　thought　differently。　However；　as　his　Majesty　sat　on　his　throne；　with　his　gray　hair　falling　from　underneath　his　crown；　and　a　few　wrinkles　showing　in　spite　of　his　smile；　there　was　something　about　his　countenance　which　made　his　people；　even　while　they　shouted；　regard　him　with　a　tenderness　mixed　with　awe。

He　lifted　up　his　thin；　slender　hand；　and　there　came　a　silence　over　the　vast　crowd　immediately。　Then　he　spoke；　in　his　own　accustomed　way；　using　no　grand　words；　but　saying　what　he　had　to　say　in　the　simplest　fashion；　though　with　a　clearness　that　struck　their　ears　like　the　first　song　of　a　bird　in　the　dusk　of　the　morning。

〃My　people；　I　am　tired：　I　want　to　rest。　I　have　had　a　long　reign；　and　done　much　workat　least；　a