the little lame prince-第8节

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But　how？　For　in　his　excitement　the　other　words　which　his　godmother　had　told　him　to　use　had　slipped　his　memory。　They　were　only　a　little　different　from　the　first；　but　in　that　slight　difference　all　the　importance　lay。　As　he　repeated　his　〃Abracadabra；〃　trying　ever　so　many　other　syllables　after　it；　the　cloak　only　went　faster　and　faster；　skimming　on　through　the　dusky；　empty　air。

The　poor　little　Prince　began　to　feel　frightened。　What　if　his　wonderful　traveling…cloak　should　keep　on　thus　traveling；　perhaps　to　the　world's　end；　carrying　with　it　a　poor；　tired；　hungry　boy；　who；　after　all；　was　beginning　to　think　there　was　something　very　pleasant　in　supper　and　bed！

〃Dear　godmother；〃　he　cried　pitifully；　〃do　help　me！　Tell　me　just　this　once　and　I'll　never　forget　again。〃

Instantly　the　words　came　rushing　into　his　head〃Abracadabra；　tum　tum　ti！〃　Was　that　it？　Ah！　yesfor　the　cloak　began　to　turn　slowly。　He　repeated　the　charm　again；　more　distinctly　and　firmly；　when　it　gave　a　gentle　dip；　like　a　nod　of　satisfaction；　and　immediately　started　back；　as　fast　as　ever；　in　the　direction　of　the　tower。

He　reached　the　skylight；　which　he　found　exactly　as　he　had　left　it；　and　slipped　in；　cloak　and　all；　as　easily　as　he　had　got　out。　He　had　scarcely　reached　the　floor；　and　was　still　sitting　in　the　middle　of　his　traveling…cloak；like　a　frog　on　a　water…lily　leaf；　as　his　godmother　had　expressed　it；when　he　heard　his　nurse's　voice　outside。

〃Bless　us！　what　has　become　of　your　Royal　Highness　all　this　time？　To　sit　stupidly　here　at　the　window　till　it　is　quite　dark；　and　leave　the　skylight　open；　too。　Prince！　what　can　you　be　thinking　of？　You　are　the　silliest　boy　I　ever　knew。〃

〃Am　I？〃　said　he　absently；　and　never　heeding　her　crossness；　for　his　only　anxiety　was　lest　she　might　find　out　anything。

She　would　have　been　a　very　clever　person　to　have　done　so。　The　instant　Prince　Dolor　got　off　it；　the　cloak　folded　itself　up　into　the　tiniest　possible　parcel；　tied　all　its　own　knots；　and　rolled　itself　of　its　own　accord　into　the　farthest　and　darkest　corner　of　the　room。　If　the　nurse　had　seen　it；　which　she　didn't；　she　would　have　taken　it　for　a　mere　bundle　of　rubbish　not　worth　noticing。

Shutting　the　skylight　with　an　angry　bang；　she　brought　in　the　supper　and　lit　the　candles　with　her　usual　unhappy　expression　of　countenance。　But　Prince　Dolor　hardly　saw　it；　he　only　saw；　hid　in　the　corner　where　nobody　else　would　see　it；　his　wonderful　traveling…cloak。　And　though　his　supper　was　not　particularly　nice；　he　ate　it　heartily；　scarcely　hearing　a　word　of　his　nurse's　grumbling；　which　to…night　seemed　to　have　taken　the　place　of　her　sullen　silence。

〃Poor　woman！〃　he　thought；　when　he　paused　a　minute　to　listen　and　look　at　her　with　those　quiet；　happy　eyes；　so　like　his　mother's。　〃Poor　woman！　she　hasn't　got　a　traveling…cloak！〃

And　when　he　was　left　alone　at　last；　and　crept　into　his　little　bed；　where　he　lay　awake　a　good　while；　watching　what　he　called　his　〃sky…　garden；〃　all　planted　with　stars；　like　flowers；　his　chief　thought　was〃I　must　be　up　very　early　to…morrow　morning；　and　get　my　lessons　done；　and　then　I'll　go　traveling　all　over　the　world　on　my　beautiful　cloak。〃

So　next　day　he　opened　his　eyes　with　the　sun；　and　went　with　a　good　heart　to　his　lessons。　They　had　hitherto　been　the　chief　amusement　of　his　dull　life；　now；　I　am　afraid；　he　found　them　also　a　little　dull。　But　he　tried　to　be　good；I　don't　say　Prince　Dolor　always　was　good；　but　he　generally　tried　to　be；and　when　his　mind　went　wandering　after　the　dark；　dusty　corner　where　lay　his　precious　treasure；　he　resolutely　called　it　back　again。

〃For；〃　he　said；　〃how　ashamed　my　godmother　would　be　of　me　if　I　grew　up　a　stupid　boy！〃

But　the　instant　lessons　were　done；　and　he　was　alone　in　the　empty　room；　he　crept　across　the　floor；　undid　the　shabby　little　bundle；　his　fingers　trembling　with　eagerness；　climbed　on　the　chair；　and　thence　to　the　table；　so　as　to　unbar　the　skylight；he　forgot　nothing　now；said　his　magic　charm；　and　was　away　out　of　the　window；　as　children　say；　〃in　a　few　minutes　less　than　no　time。〃

Nobody　missed　him。　He　was　accustomed　to　sit　so　quietly　always　that　his　nurse；　though　only　in　the　next　room；　perceived　no　difference。　And　besides；　she　might　have　gone　in　and　out　a　dozen　times；　and　it　would　have　been　just　the　same；　she　never　could　have　found　out　his　absence。

For　what　do　you　think　the　clever　godmother　did？　She　took　a　quantity　of　moonshine；　or　some　equally　convenient　material；　and　made　an　image；　which　she　set　on　the　window…sill　reading；　or　by　the　table　drawing；　where　it　looked　so　like　Prince　Dolor　that　any　common　observer　would　never　have　guessed　the　deception；　and　even　the　boy　would　have　been　puzzled　to　know　which　was　the　image　and　which　was　himself。

And　all　this　while　the　happy　little　fellow　was　away；　floating　in　the　air　on　his　magic　cloak；　and　seeing　all　sorts　of　wonderful　thingsor　they　seemed　wonderful　to　him；　who　had　hitherto　seen　nothing　at　all。

First；　there　were　the　flowers　that　grew　on　the　plain；　which；　whenever　the　cloak　came　near　enough；　he　strained　his　eyes　to　look　at；　they　were　very　tiny；　but　very　beautifulwhite　saxifrage；　and　yellow　lotus；　and　ground…thistles；　purple　and　bright；　with　many　others　the　names　of　which　I　do　not　know。　No　more　did　Prince　Dolor；　though　he　tried　to　find　them　out　by　recalling　any　pictures　he　had　seen　of　them。　But　he　was　too　far　off；　and　though　it　was　pleasant　enough　to　admire　them　as　brilliant　patches　of　color；　still　he　would　have　liked　to　examine　them　all。　He　was；　as　a　little　girl　I　know　once　said　of　a　playfellow；　〃a　very　examining　boy。〃

〃I　wonder；〃　he　thought；　〃whether　I　could　see　better　through　a　pair　of　glasses　like　those　my　nurse　reads　with；　and　takes　such　care　of。　How　I　would　take　care　of　them；　too；　if　I　only　had　a　pair！〃

Immediately　he　felt　something　queer　and　hard　fixing　itself　to　the　bridge　of　his　nose。　It　was　a　pair　of　the　prettiest　gold　spectacles　ever　seen；　and　looking　downward；　he　found　that；　though　ever　so　high　above　the　ground；　he　could　see　every　minute　blade　of　grass；　every　tiny　bud　and　flowernay；　even　the　insects　that　walked　over　them。

〃Thank　you；　thank　you！〃　he　cried；　in　a　gush　of　gratitudeto　anybody　or　everybody；　but　especially　to　his　dear　godmother；　who　he　felt　sure　had　given　him　this　new　present。　He　amused　himself　with　it　for　ever　so　long；　with　his　chin　pressed　on　the　rim　of　the　cloak；　gazing　down　upon　the　grass；　every　square　foot　of　which　was　a　mine　of　wonders。

Then；　just　to　rest　his　eyes；　he　turned　them　up　to　the　skythe　blue；　bright；　empty　sky；　which　he　had　looked　at　so　often　and　seen　nothing。

Now　surely　there　was　something。　A　long；　black；　wavy　line；　moving　on　in　the　distance；　not　by　chance；　as　the　clouds　move　apparently；　but　deliberately；　as　if　it　were　alive。　He　might　have　seen　it　beforehe　almost　thought　he　had；　but　then　he　could　not　tell　what　it　was。　Looking　at　it　through　his　spectacles；　he　discovered　that　it　really　was　alive；　being　a　long　string　of　birds；　flying　one　after　the　other；　their　wings　moving　steadily　and　their　heads　pointed　in　one　direction；　as　steadily　as　if　each　were　a　little　ship；　guided　invisibly　by　an　unerring　helm。

〃They　must　be　the　passage…birds　flying　seaward！〃　cried　the　boy；　who　had　read　a　little　about　them；　and　had　a　great　talent　for　putting　two　and　two　together　and　finding　out　all　he　could。　〃Oh；　how　I　should　like　to　see　them　quite　close；　and　to　know　where　they　come　from　and　whither　they　are　going！　How　I　wish　I　knew　everything　in　all　the　world！〃

A　silly　speech　for　even　an　〃examining〃　little　boy　to　make；　because；　as　we　grow　older；　the　more　we　know　the　more　we　find　out　there　is　to　know。　And　Prince　Dolor　blushed　when　he　had　said　it；　and　hoped　nobody　had　heard　him。

Apparently　somebody　had；　however；　for　the　cloak　gave　a　sudden　bound　forward；　and　presently　he　found　himself　high　in　the　air；　in　the　very　middle　of　that　band　of　aerial　travelers；　who　had　mo　magic　cloak　to　travel　onnothing　except　their　wings。　Yet　there　they　were；　making　their　fearless　way　through　the　sky。

Prince　Dolor　looked　at　them　as　one　after　the　other　they　glided　past　him；　and　they　looked　at　himthose　pretty　swallows；　with　their　changing　necks　and　bright　eyesas　if　wondering　to　meet　in　mid…air　such　an　extraordinary　sort　of　bird。

〃Oh；　I　wish　I　were　going　with　you；　you　lovely　creatures！　I'm　getting　so　tired　of　this　dull　plain；　and　the　dreary　and　lonely　tower。　I　do　so　want　to　see　the　world！　Pretty　swallows；　dear　swallows！　tell　me　what　it　looks　likethe　beautiful；　wonderful　world！〃

But　the　swallows　flew　past　himsteadily；　slowly　pursuing　their　course　as　if　inside　each　little　head　had　been　a　mariner's　compass；　to　guide　them　safe　over　land　and　sea；　direct　to　the　place　where　they　wished　to　go。

The　boy　looked　after　them　with　envy。　For　a　long　time　he　followed　with　his　eyes　the　faint；　wavy　black　line　as　it　floated　away；　sometimes　changing　its　curves　a　little；　but　never　deviating　from　its　settled　course；　till　it　vanished　entirely　out　of　sight。

Then　he　settled　himself　down　in　the　center　of　the　cloak；　feeling　quite　sad　and　lonely。

〃I　think　I'll　go　home；〃　said　he；　and　repeated　his　〃Abracadabra；　tum　tum　ti！〃　with　a　rather　heavy　heart。　The　more　he　had；　the　more　he　wanted；　and　it　is　not　always　one　can　have　everything　one　wantsat　least；　at　the　exact　minute　one　craves　for　it；　not　even　though　o