rinkitink in oz-第4节

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hoo…hoo；　keek…eek！　Imagine　the　fuss　there　would　be　in

Gilgad　if　my　subjects　knew　where　I　am　this　very

minute！〃



〃I　would　like　to　see　that　parchment；〃　said　the

solemn…eyed　Prince　Inga；　〃for　if　it　indeed　teaches　one

to　be　good　it　must　be　worth　its　weight　in　pearls。〃



〃Oh；　it's　a　fine　essay；〃　said　Rinkitink；　〃and

beautifully　written　with　a　goosequill。　Listen　to　this：

You'll　enjoy　it　　tee；　hee；　hee！　　enjoy　it。〃



He　took　from　his　pocket　a　scroll　of　parchment　tied

with　a　black　ribbon；　and　having　carefully　unrolled　it；

he　proceeded　to　read　as　follows：



〃'A　Good　Man　is　One　who　is　Never　Bad。'　How's　that；

eh？　Fine　thought；　what？　'Therefore；　in　order　to　be

Good；　you　must　avoid　those　Things　which　are　Evil。'　Oh；

hoo…hoo…hoo！　　how　clever！　When　I　get　back　I　shall

make　the　man　who　wrote　that　a　royal　hippolorum；　for；

beyond　question；　he　is　the　wisest　man　in　my　kingdom　…as

he　has　often　told　me　himself。〃　With　this；　Rinkitink　lay

back　in　his　chair　and　chuckled　his　queer　chuckle　until

he　coughed；　and　coughed　until　he　choked　and　choked

until　he　sneezed。　And　he　wrinkled　his　face　in　such　a

jolly；　droll　way　that　few　could　keep　from　laughing　with

him；　and　even　the　good　Queen　was　forced　to　titter

behind　her　fan。



When　Rinkitink　had　recovered　from　his　fit　of　laughter

and　had　wiped　his　eyes　upon　a　fine　lace　handkerchief；

Prince　Inga　said　to　him：



〃The　parchment　speaks　truly。〃



〃Yes；　it　is　true　beyond　doubt；〃　answered　Rinkitink；

〃and　if　I　could　persuade　Bilbil　to　read　it　he　would　be

a　much　better　goat　than　he　is　now。　Here　is　another

selection：　'To　avoid　saying　Unpleasant　Things；　always

Speak　Agreeably。'　That　would　hit　Bilbil；　to　a　dot。　And

here　is　one　that　applies　to　you；　my　Prince：　'Good

Children　are　seldom　punished；　for　the　reason　that　they

deserve　no　punishment。'　Now；　I　think　that　is　neatly

put；　and　shows　the　author　to　be　a　deep　thinker。　But　the

advice　that　has　impressed　me　the　most　is　in　the

following　paragraph：　'You　may　not　find　it　as　Pleasant

to　be　Good　as　it　is　to　be　Bad；　but　Other　People　will

find　it　more　Pleasant。'　Haw…hoo…ho！　keek…eek！　'Other

people　will　find　it　more　pleasant！'　　hee；　hee；　heek；

keek！　　'more　pleasant。'　Dear　me　　dear　me！　Therein

lies　a　noble　incentive　to　be　good；　and　whenever　I　get

time　I'm　surely　going　to　try　it。〃



Then　he　wiped　his　eyes　again　with　the　lace

handkerchief　and；　suddenly　remembering　his　dinner；

seized　his　knife　and　fork　and　began　eating。











Chapter　Three



The　Warriors　from　the　North





King　Rinkitink　was　so　much　pleased　with　the　Island　of

Pingaree　that　he　continued　his　stay　day　after　day　and

week　after　week；　eating　good　dinners；　talking　with　King

Kitticut　and　sleeping。　Once　in　a　while　he　would　read

from　his　scroll。　〃For；〃　said　he；　〃whenever　I　return

home；　my　subjects　will　be　anxious　to　know　if　I　have

learned　'How　to　be　Good；'　and　I　must　not　disappoint

them。〃



The　twenty　rowers　lived　on　the　small　end　of　the

island；　with　the　pearl　fishers；　and　seemed　not　to　care

whether　they　ever　returned　to　the　Kingdom　of　Rinkitink

or　not。　Bilbil　the　goat　wandered　over　the　grassy

slopes；　or　among　the　trees；　and　passed　his　days　exactly

as　he　pleased。　His　master　seldom　cared　to　ride　him。

Bilbil　was　a　rare　curiosity　to　the　islanders；　but　since

there　was　little　pleasure　in　talking　with　the　goat　they

kept　away　from　him。　This　pleased　the　creature；　who

seemed　well　satisfied　to　be　left　to　his　own　devices。



Once　Prince　Inga；　wishing　to　be　courteous；　walked　up

to　the　goat　and　said：　〃Good　morning；　Bilbil。〃



〃It　isn't　a　good　morning；〃　answered　Bilbil　grumpily。

〃It　is　cloudy　and　damp；　and　looks　like　rain。〃



〃I　hope　you　are　contented　in　our　kingdom；〃　continued

the　boy；　politely　ignoring　the　other's　harsh　words。



〃I'm　not；〃　said　Bilbil。　〃I'm　never　contented；　so　it

doesn't　matter　to　me　whether　I'm　in　your　kingdom　or　in

some　other　kingdom。　Go　away　　will　you？〃



〃Certainly；〃　answered　the　Prince；　and　after　this

rebuff　he　did　not　again　try　to　make　friends　with

Bilbil。



Now　that　the　King；　his　father；　was　so　much　occupied

with　his　royal　guest；　Inga　was　often　left　to　amuse

himself；　for　a　boy　could　not　be　allowed　to　take　part　in

the　conversation　of　two　great　monarchs。　He　devoted

himself　to　his　studies；　therefore；　and　day　after　day　he

climbed　into　the　branches　of　his　favorite　tree　and　sat

for　hours　in　his　〃tree…top　rest；〃　reading　his　father's

precious　manuscripts　and　thinking　upon　what　he　read。



You　must　not　think　that　Inga　was　a　molly…coddle　or　a

prig；　because　he　was　so　solemn　and　studious。　Being　a

King's　son　and　heir　to　a　throne；　he　could　not　play　with

the　other　boys　of　Pingaree；　and　he　lived　so　much　in　the

society　of　the　King　and　Queen；　and　was　so　surrounded　by

the　pomp　and　dignity　of　a　court；　that　he　missed　all　the

jolly　times　that　boys　usually　have。　I　have　no　doubt

that　had　he　been　able　to　live　as　other　boys　do；　he

would　have　been　much　like　other　boys；　as　it　was；　he　was

subdued　by　his　surroundings；　and　more　grave　and

thoughtful　than　one　of　his　years　should　be。



Inga　was　in　his　tree　one　morning　when；　without

warning；　a　great　fog　enveloped　the　Island　of　Pingaree。

The　boy　could　scarcely　see　the　tree　next　to　that　in

which　he　sat；　but　the　leaves　above　him　prevented　the

dampness　from　wetting　him；　so　he　curled　himself　up　in

his　seat　and　fell　fast　asleep。



All　that　forenoon　the　fog　continued。　King　Kitticut；

who　sat　in　his　palace　talking　with　his　merry　visitor；

ordered　the　candles　lighted；　that　they　might　be　able　to

see　one　another。　The　good　Queen；　Inga's　mother；　found

it　was　too　dark　to　work　at　her　embroidery；　so　she

called　her　maidens　together　and　told　them　wonderful

stories　of　bygone　days；　in　order　to　pass　away　the

dreary　hours。



But　soon　after　noon　the　weather　changed。　The　dense

fog　rolled　away　like　a　heavy　cloud　and　suddenly　the　sun

shot　his　bright　rays　over　the　island。



〃Very　good！〃　exclaimed　King　Kitticut。　〃We　shall　have

a　pleasant　afternoon；　I　am　sure；〃　and　he　blew　out　the

candles。



Then　he　stood　a　moment　motionless；　as　if　turned　to

stone；　for　a　terrible　cry　from　without　the　palace

reached　his　ears　　a　cry　so　full　of　fear　and　horror

that　the　King's　heart　almost　stopped　beating。

Immediately　there　was　a　scurrying　of　feet　as　every　one

in　the　palace；　filled　with　dismay；　rushed　outside　to

see　what　had　happened。　even　fat　little　Rinkitink　sprang


from　his　chair　and　followed　his　host　and　the　others

through　the　arched　vestibule。



After　many　years　the　worst　fears　of　King　Kitticut

were　realized。



Landing　upon　the　beach；　which　was　but　a　few　steps

from　the　palace　itself；　were　hundreds　of　boats；　every

one　filled　with　a　throng　of　fierce　warriors。　They

sprang　upon　the　land　with　wild　shouts　of　defiance　and

rushed　to　the　King's　palace；　waving　aloft　their　swords

and　spears　and　battleaxes。



King　Kitticut；　so　completely　surprised　that　he　was

bewildered；　gazed　at　the　approaching　host　with　terror

and　grief。



〃They　are　the　men　of　Regos　and　Coregos！〃　he　groaned。

〃We　are；　indeed；　lost！〃



Then　he　bethought　himself；　for　the　first　time；　of　his

wonderful　pearls。　Turning　quickly；　he　ran　back　into　the

palace　and　hastened　to　the　hall　where　the　treasures

were　hidden。　But　the　leader　of　the　warriors　had　seen

the　King　enter　the　palace　and　bounded　after　him；

thinking　he　meant　to　escape。　Just　as　the　King　had

stooped　to　press　the　secret　spring　in　the　tiles；　the

warrior　seized　him　from　the　rear　and　threw　him　backward

upon　the　floor；　at　the　same　time　shouting　to　his　men　to

fetch　ropes　and　bind　the　prisoner。　This　they　did　very

quickly　and　King　Kitticut　soon　found　himself　helplessly

bound　and　in　the　power　of　his　enemies。　In　this　sad

condition　he　was　lifted　by　the　warriors　and　carried

outside；　when　the　good　King　looked　upon　a　sorry　sight。



The　Queen　and　her　maidens；　the　officers　and　servants

of　the　royal　household　and　all　who　had　inhabited　this

end　of　the　Island　of　Pingaree　had　been　seized　by　the

invaders　and　bound　with　ropes。　At　once　they　began

carrying　their　victims　to　the　boats；　tossing　them　in　as

unceremoniously　as　if　they　had　been　bales　of

merchandise。



The　King　looked　around　for　his　son　Inga；　but　failed

to　find　the　boy　among　the　prisoners。　Nor　was　the　fat

King；　Rinkitink；　to　be　seen　anywhere　about。



The　warriors　were　swarming　over　the　palace　like　bees

in　a　hive；　seeking　anyone　who　might　be　in　hiding；　and

after　the　search　had　been　prolonged　for　some　time　the

leader　asked　impatiently：　〃Do　you　find　anyone　else？〃



〃No；〃　his　men　told　him。　〃We　have　captured　them　all。〃



〃Then；〃　commanded　the　leader；　〃remove　everything　of

value　from　the　palace　and　tear　down　its　walls　and

towers；　so　that　not　one　stone　remains　upon　another！〃



While　the　warriors　were　busy　with　this　task　we　will

return　to　the　boy　Prince；　who；　when　the　fog　lifted　and

the　sun　came　out；　wakened　from　his　sleep　and　beg