tanglewood tales-第30节

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ould　do　it　good。

〃Will　you　trust　the　child　entirely　to　me？〃　asked　Ceres。

〃Yes；　and　gladly；　too；〃　answered　the　queen；　〃if　you　will　devote　all　your　time　to　him。　For　I　can　see　that　you　have　been　a　mother。〃

〃You　are　right；〃　said　Ceres。　〃I　once　had　a　child　of　my　own。　Well；　I　will　be　the　nurse　of　this　poor；　sickly　boy。　But　beware；　I　warn　you；　that　you　do　not　interfere　with　any　kind　of　treatment　which　I　may　judge　proper　for　him。　If　you　do　so；　the　poor　infant　must　suffer　for　his　mother's　folly。〃

Then　she　kissed　the　child；　and　it　seemed　to　do　him　good；　for　he　smiled　and　nestled　closely　into　her　bosom。

So　Mother　Ceres　set　her　torch　in　a　corner　（where　it　kept　burning　all　the　while）；　and　took　up　her　abode　in　the　palace　of　King　Cereus；　as　nurse　to　the　little　Prince　Demophoon。　She　treated　him　as　if　he　were　her　own　child；　and　allowed　neither　the　king　nor　the　queen　to　say　whether　he　should　be　bathed　in　warm　or　cold　water；　or　what　he　should　eat；　or　how　often　he　should　take　the　air；　or　when　he　should　be　put　to　bed。　You　would　hardly　believe　me；　if　I　were　to　tell　how　quickly　the　baby　prince　got　rid　of　his　ailments；　and　grew　fat；　and　rosy；　and　strong；　and　how　he　had　two　rows　of　ivory　teeth　in　less　time　than　any　other　little　fellow；　before　or　since。　Instead　of　the　palest；　and　wretchedest；　and　puniest　imp　in　the　world　（as　his　own　mother　confessed　him　to　be；　when　Ceres　first　took　him　in　charge）；　he　was　now　a　strapping　baby；　crowing；　laughing；　kicking　up　his　heels；　and　rolling　from　one　end　of　the　room　to　the　other。　All　the　good　women　of　the　neighborhood　crowded　to　the　palace；　and　held　up　their　hands；　in　unutterable　amazement；　at　the　beauty　and　wholesomeness　of　this　darling　little　prince。　Their　wonder　was　the　greater；　because　he　was　never　seen　to　taste　any　food；　not　even　so　much　as　a　cup　of　milk。

〃Pray；　nurse；〃　the　queen　kept　saying；　〃how　is　it　that　you　make　the　child　thrive　so？〃

〃I　was　a　mother　once；〃　Ceres　always　replied；　〃and　having　nursed　my　own　child；　I　know　what　other　children　need。〃

But　Queen　Metanira；　as　was　very　natural；　had　a　great　curiosity　to　know　precisely　what　the　nurse　did　to　her　child。　One　night；　therefore；　she　hid　herself　in　the　chamber　where　Ceres　and　the　little　prince　were　accustomed　to　sleep。　There　was　a　fire　in　the　chimney；　and　it　had　now　crumbled　into　great　coals　and　embers；　which　lay　glowing　on　the　hearth；　with　a　blaze　flickering　up　now　and　then；　and　flinging　a　warm　and　ruddy　light　upon　the　walls。　Ceres　sat　before　the　hearth　with　the　child　in　her　lap；　and　the　firelight　making　her　shadow　dance　upon　the　ceiling　overhead。　She　undressed　the　little　prince；　and　bathed　him　all　over　with　some　fragrant　liquid　out　of　a　vase。　The　next　thing　she　did　was　to　rake　back　the　red　embers；　and　make　a　hollow　place　among　them；　just　where　the　backlog　had　been。　At　last；　while　the　baby　was　crowing；　and　clapping　its　fat　little　hands；　and　laughing　in　the　nurse's　face　（just　as　you　may　have　seen　your　little　brother　or　sister　do　before　going　into　its　warm　bath）；　Ceres　suddenly　laid　him；　all　naked　as　he　was；　in　the　hollow　among　the　red…hot　embers。　She　then　raked　the　ashes　over　him；　and　turned　quietly　away。

You　may　imagine；　if　you　can；　how　Queen　Metanira　shrieked；　thinking　nothing　less　than　that　her　dear　child　would　be　burned　to　a　cinder。　She　burst　forth　from　her　hiding…place；　and　running　to　the　hearth；　raked　open　the　fire；　and　snatched　up　poor　little　Prince　Demophoon　out　of　his　bed　of　live　coals；　one　of　which　he　was　gripping　in　each　of　his　fists。　He　immediately　set　up　a　grievous　cry；　as　babies　are　apt　to　do；　when　rudely　startled　out　of　a　sound　sleep。　To　the　queen's　astonishment　and　joy；　she　could　perceive　no　token　of　the　child's　being　injured　by　the　hot　fire　in　which　he　had　lain。　She　now　turned　to　Mother　Ceres；　and　asked　her　to　explain　the　mystery。

〃Foolish　woman；〃　answered　Ceres；　〃did　you　not　promise　to　intrust　this　poor　infant　entirely　to　me？　You　little　know　the　mischief　you　have　done　him。　Had　you　left　him　to　my　care；　he　would　have　grown　up　like　a　child　of　celestial　birth；　endowed　with　superhuman　strength　and　intelligence；　and　would　have　lived　forever。　Do　you　imagine　that　earthly　children　are　to　become　immortal　without　being　tempered　to　it　in　the　fiercest　heat　of　the　fire？　But　you　have　ruined　your　own　son。　For　though　he　will　be　a　strong　man　and　a　hero　in　his　day；　yet；　on　account　of　your　folly；　he　will　grow　old；　and　finally　die；　like　the　sons　of　other　women。　The　weak　tenderness　of　his　mother　has　cost　the　poor　boy　an　immortality。　Farewell。〃

Saying　these　words；　she　kissed　the　little　Prince　Demophoon；　and　sighed　to　think　what　he　had　lost；　and　took　her　departure　without　heeding　Queen　Metanira；　who　entreated　her　to　remain；　and　cover　up　the　child　among　the　hot　embers　as　often　as　she　pleased。　Poor　baby！　He　never　slept　so　warmly　again。

While　she　dwelt　in　the　king's　palace；　Mother　Ceres　had　been　so　continually　occupied　with　taking　care　of　the　young　prince；　that　her　heart　was　a　little　lightened　of　its　grief　for　Proserpina。　But　now；　having　nothing　else　to　busy　herself　about；　she　became　just　as　wretched　as　before。　At　length；　in　her　despair；　she　came　to　the　dreadful　resolution　that　not　a　stalk　of　grain；　nor　a　blade　of　grass；　not　a　potato；　nor　a　turnip；　nor　any　other　vegetable　that　was　good　for　man　or　beast　to　eat；　should　be　suffered　to　grow　until　her　daughter　were　restored。　She　even　forbade　the　flowers　to　bloom；　lest　somebody's　heart　should　be　cheered　by　their　beauty。

Now；　as　not　so　much　as　a　head　of　asparagus　ever　presumed　to　poke　itself　out　of　the　ground；　without　the　especial　permission　of　Ceres；　you　may　conceive　what　a　terrible　calamity　had　here　fallen　upon　the　earth。　The　husbandmen　plowed　and　planted　as　usual；　but　there　lay　the　rich　black　furrows；　all　as　barren　as　a　desert　of　sand。　The　pastures　looked　as　brown　in　the　sweet　month　of　June　as　ever　they　did　in　chill　November。　The　rich　man's　broad　acres　and　the　cottager's　small　garden　patch　were　equally　blighted。　Every　little　girl's　flower　bed　showed　nothing　but　dry　stalks。　The　old　people　shook　their　white　heads；　and　said　that　the　earth　had　grown　aged　like　themselves；　and　was　no　longer　capable　of　wearing　the　warm　smile　of　summer　on　its　face。　It　was　really　piteous　to　see　the　poor；　starving　cattle　and　sheep；　how　they　followed　behind　Ceres；　lowing　and　bleating；　as　if　their　instinct　taught　them　to　expect　help　from　her；　and　everybody　that　was　acquainted　with　her　power　besought　her　to　have　mercy　on　the　human　race；　and；　at　all　events；　to　let　the　grass　grow。　But　Mother　Ceres；　though　naturally　of　an　affectionate　disposition；　was　now　inexorable。

〃Never；〃　said　she。　〃If　the　earth　is　ever　again　to　see　any　verdure；　it　must　first　grow　along　the　path　which　my　daughter　will　tread　in　coming　back　to　me。〃

Finally；　as　there　seemed　to　be　no　other　remedy；　our　old　friend　Quicksilver　was　sent　post…haste　to　King　Pluto；　in　hopes　that　he　might　be　persuaded　to　undo　the　mischief　he　had　done；　and　to　set　everything　right　again；　by　giving　up　Proserpina。　Quicksilver　accordingly　made　the　best　of　his　way　to　the　great　gate；　took　a　flying　leap　right　over　the　three…headed　mastiff；　and　stood　at　the　door　of　the　palace　in　an　inconceivably　short　time。　The　servants　knew　him　both　by　his　face　and　garb；　for　his　short　cloak；　and　his　winged　cap　and　shoes；　and　his　snaky　staff　had　often　been　seen　thereabouts　in　times　gone　by。　He　requested　to　be　shown　immediately　into　the　king's　presence；　and　Pluto；　who　heard　his　voice　from　the　top　of　the　stairs；　and　who　loved　to　recreate　himself　with　Quicksilver's　merry　talk；　called　out　to　him　to　come　up。　And　while　they　settle　their　business　together；　we　must　inquire　what　Proserpina　had　been　doing　ever　since　we　saw　her　last。

The　child　had　declared；　as　you　may　remember；　that　she　would　not　taste　a　mouthful　of　food　as　long　as　she　should　be　compelled　to　remain　in　King　Pluto's　palace。　How　she　contrived　to　maintain　her　resolution；　and　at　the　same　time　to　keep　herself　tolerably　plump　and　rosy；　is　more　than　I　can　explain；　but　some　young　ladies；　I　am　given　to　understand；　possess　the　faculty　of　living　on　air；　and　Proserpina　seems　to　have　possessed　it　too。　At　any　rate；　it　was　now　six　months　since　she　left　the　outside　of　the　earth；　and　not　a　morsel；　so　far　as　the　attendants　were　able　to　testify；　had　yet　passed　between　her　teeth。　This　was　the　more　creditable　to　Proserpina；　inasmuch　as　King　Pluto　had　caused　her　to　be　tempted　day　by　day；　with　all　manner　of　sweetmeats；　and　richly…preserved　fruits；　and　delicacies　of　every　sort；　such　as　young　people　are　generally　most　fond　of。　But　her　good　mother　had　often　told　her　of　the　hurtfulness　of　these　things；　and　for　that　reason　alone；　if　there　had　been　no　other；　she　would　have　resolutely　refused　to　taste　them。

All　this　time；　being　of　a　cheerful　and　active　disposition；　the　little　damsel　was　not　quite　so　unhappy　as　you　may　have　supposed。　The　immense　palace　had　a　thousand　rooms；　and　was　full　of　beautiful　and　wonderful　objects。　There　was　a　never…ceasing　gloom；　it　is　true；　which　half　hid　itself　among　the　innumerable　pillars；　gliding　before　the　child　as　she　wandered　among　them；　and　treading　stealthily　behind　her　in　the　echo　of　her　footsteps。　Neither　was　all　the　dazzle　of　the　precious　stones；　which　flamed　with　their　own　light；　worth　one　gleam　of　natural　sunshine；　nor　could　the　most　b