04-the yellow dwarf-第3节

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waved　nearly　to　her　feet；　and　her　stately　figure　could

easily　be　distinguished　among　all　the　ladies　who　attended

her。



The　King　of　the　Gold　Mines　was　not　less　noble　and

splendid；　it　was　easy　to　see　by　his　face　how　happy　he　was；

and　everyone　who　went　near　him　returned　loaded　with

presents；　for　all　round　the　great　banqueting　hall　had　been

arranged　a　thousand　barrels　full　of　gold；　and　numberless

bags　made　of　velvet　embroidered　with　pearls　and　filled

with　money；　each　one　containing　at　least　a　hundred

thousand　gold　pieces；　which　were　given　away　to　everyone

who　liked　to　hold　out　his　hand；　which　numbers　of　people

hastened　to　do；　you　may　be　sureindeed；　some　found

this　by　far　the　most　amusing　part　of　the　wedding　festivities。



The　Queen　and　the　Princess　were　just　ready　to　set　out

with　the　King　when　they　saw；　advancing　toward　them

from　the　end　of　the　long　gallery；　two　great　basilisks；

dragging　after　them　a　very　badly　made　box；　behind　them

came　a　tall　old　woman；　whose　ugliness　was　even　more

surprising　than　her　extreme　old　age。　She　wore　a　ruff　of

black　taffeta；　a　red　velvet　hood；　and　a　farthingale　all　in

rags；　and　she　leaned　heavily　upon　a　crutch。　This　strange

old　woman；　without　saying　a　single　word；　hobbled　three

times　round　the　gallery；　followed　by　the　basilisks；　then

stopping　in　the　middle；　and　brandishing　her　crutch

threateningly；　she　cried：



〃Ho；　ho；　Queen！　Ho；　ho；　Princess！　Do　you　think　you

are　going　to　break　with　impunity　the　promise　that　you

made　to　my　friend　the　Yellow　Dwarf？　I　am　the　Fairy　of

the　Desert；　without　the　Yellow　Dwarf　and　his　orange　tree

my　great　lions　would　soon　have　eaten　you　up；　I　can　tell

you；　and　in　Fairyland　we　do　not　suffer　ourselves　to　be

insulted　like　this。　Make　up　your　minds　at　once　what　you

will　do；　for　I　vow　that　you　shall　marry　the　Yellow　Dwarf。

If　you　don't；　may　I　burn　my　crutch！〃



〃Ah！　Princess；〃　said　the　Queen；　weeping；　〃what　is　this

that　I　hear？　What　have　you　promised？〃



〃Ah！　my　mother；〃　replied　Bellissima　sadly；　〃what　did

YOU　promise；　yourself？〃



The　King　of　the　Gold　Mines；　indignant　at　being　kept

from　his　happiness　by　this　wicked　old　woman；　went　up　to

her；　and　threatening　her　with　his　sword；　said：



〃Get　away　out　of　my　country　at　once；　and　for　ever；

miserable　creature；　lest　I　take　your　life；　and　so　rid　myself

of　your　malice。〃



He　had　hardly　spoken　these　words　when　the　lid　of　the

box　fell　back　on　the　floor　with　a　terrible　noise；　and　to　their

horror　out　sprang　the　Yellow　Dwarf；　mounted　upon　a

great　Spanish　cat。　〃Rash　youth！〃　he　cried；　rushing　between

the　Fairy　of　the　Desert　and　the　King。　〃Dare　to

lay　a　finger　upon　this　illustrious　Fairy！　Your　quarrel　is

with　me　only。　I　am　your　enemy　and　your　rival。　That

faithless　Princess　who　would　have　married　you　is　promised

to　me。　See　if　she　has　not　upon　her　finger　a　ring　made　of

one　of　my　hairs。　Just　try　to　take　it　off；　and　you　will　soon

find　out　that　I　am　more　powerful　than　you　are！〃



〃Wretched　little　monster！〃　said　the　King；　〃do　you　dare

to　call　yourself　the　Princess's　lover；　and　to　lay　claim　to

such　a　treasure？　Do　you　know　that　you　are　a　dwarf

that　you　are　so　ugly　that　one　cannot　bear　to　look　at　you

and　that　I　should　have　killed　you　myself　long　before

this　if　you　had　been　worthy　of　such　a　glorious　death？〃



The　Yellow　Dwarf；　deeply　enraged　at　these　words；　set

spurs　to　his　cat；　which　yelled　horribly；　and　leaped　hither

and　thitherterrifying　everybody　except　the　brave　King；

who　pursued　the　Dwarf　closely；　till　he；　drawing　a　great

knife　with　which　he　was　armed；　challenged　the　King　to

meet　him　in　single　combat；　and　rushed　down　into　the

courtyard　of　the　palace　with　a　terrible　clatter。　The　King；

quite　provoked；　followed　him　hastily；　but　they　had　hardly

taken　their　places　facing　one　another；　and　the　whole

Court　had　only　just　had　time　to　rush　out　upon　the

balconies　to　watch　what　was　going　on；　when　suddenly　the

sun　became　as　red　as　blood；　and　it　was　so　dark　that　they

could　scarcely　see　at　all。　The　thunder　crashed；　and　the

lightning　seemed　as　if　it　must　burn　up　everything；　the　two

basilisks　appeared；　one　on　each　side　of　the　bad　Dwarf；　like

giants；　mountains　high；　and　fire　flew　from　their　mouths

and　ears；　until　they　looked　like　flaming　furnaces。　None

of　these　things　could　terrify　the　noble　young　King；　and

the　boldness　of　his　looks　and　actions　reassured　those　who

were　looking　on；　and　perhaps　even　embarrassed　the　Yellow

Dwarf　himself；　but　even　HIS　courage　gave　way　when　he

saw　what　was　happening　to　his　beloved　Princess。　For　the

Fairy　of　the　Desert；　looking　more　terrible　than　before；

mounted　upon　a　winged　griffin；　and　with　long　snakes

coiled　round　her　neck；　had　given　her　such　a　blow　with　the

lance　she　carried　that　Bellissima　fell　into　the　Queen's

arms　bleeding　and　senseless。　Her　fond　mother；　feeling　as

much　hurt　by　the　blow　as　the　Princess　herself；　uttered

such　piercing　cries　and　lamentations　that　the　King；　hearing

them；　entirely　lost　his　courage　and　presence　of　mind。

Giving　up　the　combat；　he　flew　toward　the　Princess；　to

rescue　or　to　die　with　her；　but　the　Yellow　Dwarf　was　too

quick　for　him。　Leaping　with　his　Spanish　cat　upon　the

balcony；　he　snatched　Bellissima　from　the　Queen's　arms；

and　before　any　of　the　ladies　of　the　Court　could　stop　him

he　had　sprung　upon　the　roof　of　the　palace　and　disappeared

with　his　prize。



The　King；　motionless　with　horror；　looked　on　despairingly

at　this　dreadful　occurrence；　which　he　was　quite

powerless　to　prevent；　and　to　make　matters　worse　his

sight　failed　him；　everything　became　dark；　and　he　felt　himself

carried　along　through　the　air　by　a　strong　hand。



This　new　misfortune　was　the　work　of　the　wicked　Fairy

of　the　Desert；　who　had　come　with　the　Yellow　Dwarf　to

help　him　carry　off　the　Princess；　and　had　fallen　in　love

with　the　handsome　young　King　of　the　Gold　Mines　directly

she　saw　him。　She　thought　that　if　she　carried　him　off　to

some　frightful　cavern　and　chained　him　to　a　rock；　then　the

fear　of　death　would　make　him　forget　Bellissima　and　become

her　slave。　So；　as　soon　as　they　reached　the　place；　she

gave　him　back　his　sight；　but　without　releasing　him　from

his　chains；　and　by　her　magic　power　she　appeared　before

him　as　a　young　and　beautiful　fairy；　and　pretended　to　have

come　there　quite　by　chance。



〃What　do　I　see？　she　cried。　〃Is　it　YOU；　dear　Prince？

What　misfortune　has　brought　you　to　this　dismal　place？〃



The　King；　who　was　quite　deceived　by　her　altered

appearance；　replied：



〃Alas！　beautiful　Fairy；　the　fairy　who　brought　me　here

first　took　away　my　sight；　but　by　her　voice　I　recognized

her　as　the　Fairy　of　the　Desert；　though　what　she　should

have　carried　me　off　for　I　cannot　tell　you。〃



〃Ah！〃　cried　the　pretended　Fairy；　〃if　you　have　fallen

into　HER　hands；　you　won't　get　away　until　you　have　married

her。　She　has　carried　off　more　than　one　Prince　like　this；

and　she　will　certainly　have　anything　she　takes　a　fancy　to。〃

While　she　was　thus　pretending　to　be　sorry　for　the　King；

he　suddenly　noticed　her　feet；　which　were　like　those　of　a

griffin；　and　knew　in　a　moment　that　this　must　be　the　Fairy

of　the　Desert；　for　her　feet　were　the　one　thing　she　could

not　change；　however　pretty　she　might　make　her　face。



Without　seeming　to　have　noticed　anything；　he　said；　in

a　confidential　way：



〃Not　that　I　have　any　dislike　to　the　Fairy　of　the　Desert；

but　I　really　cannot　endure　the　way　in　which　she　protects

the　Yellow　Dwarf　and　keeps　me　chained　here　like　a

criminal。　It　is　true　that　I　love　a　charming　princess；　but

if　the　Fairy　should　set　me　free　my　gratitude　would　oblige

me　to　love　her　only。〃



〃Do　you　really　mean　what　you　say；　Prince？〃　said　the

Fairy；　quite　deceived。



〃Surely；〃　replied　the　Prince；　〃how　could　I　deceive　you？

You　see　it　is　so　much　more　flattering　to　my　vanity　to　be

loved　by　a　fairy　than　by　a　simple　princess。　But；　even　if

I　am　dying　of　love　for　her；　I　shall　pretend　to　hate　her　until

I　am　set　free。〃



The　Fairy　of　the　Desert；　quite　taken　in　by　these　words；

resolved　at　once　to　transport　the　Prince　to　a　pleasanter

place。　So；　making　him　mount　her　chariot；　to　which　she

had　harnessed　swans　instead　of　the　bats　which　generally

drew　it；　away　she　flew　with　him。　But　imagine　the　distress

of　the　Prince　when；　from　the　giddy　height　at　which　they

were　rushing　through　the　air；　he　saw　his　beloved　Princess

in　a　castle　built　of　polished　steel；　the　walls　of　which

reflected　the　sun's　rays　so　hotly　that　no　one　could　approach

it　without　being　burnt　to　a　cinder！　Bellissima　was　sitting

in　a　little　thicket　by　a　brook；　leaning　her　head　upon　her

hand　and　weeping　bitterly；　but　just　as　they　passed　she

looked　up　and　saw　the　King　and　the　Fairy　of　the　Desert。

Now；　the　Fairy　was　so　clever　that　she　could　not　only　seem

beautiful　to　the　King；　but　even　the　poor　Princess　thought

her　the　most　lovely　being　she　had　ever　seen。



〃What！〃　she　cried；　〃was　I　not　unhappy　enough　in　this

lonely　castle　to　which　that　frig