14-graciosa and percinet-第3章

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When　they　got　near　the　palace　the　Prince　made　the　sledge　and

themselves　invisible；　so　the　Princess　got　in　unobserved；　and　ran　up

to　the　great　hall　where　the　King　was　sitting　all　by　himself。　At

first　he　was　very　much　startled　by　Graciosa's　sudden　appearance；

but　she　told　him　how　the　Queen　had　left　her　out　in　the　forest；　and

how　she　had　caused　a　log　of　wood　to　be　buried。　The　King；　who

did　not　know　what　to　think；　sent　quickly　and　had　it　dug　up；　and

sure　enough　it　was　as　the　Princess　had　said。　Then　he　caressed

Graciosa；　and　made　her　sit　down　to　supper　with　him；　and　they　were

as　happy　as　possible。　But　someone　had　by　this　time　told　the　wicked

Queen　that　Graciosa　had　come　back；　and　was　at　supper　with　the

King；　and　in　she　flew　in　a　terrible　fury。　The　poor　old　King　quite

trembled　before　her；　and　when　she　declared　that　Graciosa　was　not

the　Princess　at　all；　but　a　wicked　impostor；　and　that　if　the　King　did

not　give　her　up　at　once　she　would　go　back　to　her　own　castle　and

never　see　him　again；　he　had　not　a　word　to　say；　and　really　seemed

to　believe　that　it　was　not　Graciosa　after　all。　So　the　Queen　in　great

triumph　sent　for　her　waiting　women；　who　dragged　the　unhappy

Princess　away　and　shut　her　up　in　a　garret；　they　took　away　all　her

jewels　and　her　pretty　dress；　and　gave　her　a　rough　cotton　frock；　wooden

shoes；　and　a　little　cloth　cap。　There　was　some　straw　in　a　corner；

which　was　all　she　had　for　a　bed；　and　they　gave　her　a　very　little　bit

of　black　bread　to　eat。　In　this　miserable　plight　Graciosa　did　indeed

regret　the　fairy　palace；　and　she　would　have　called　Percinet　to　her

aid；　only　she　felt　sure　he　was　still　vexed　with　her　for　leaving　him；

and　thought　that　she　could　not　expect　him　to　come。



Meanwhile　the　Queen　had　sent　for　an　old　Fairy；　as　malicious　as

herself；　and　said　to　her：



‘You　must　find　me　some　task　for　this　fine　Princess　which　she

cannot　possibly　do；　for　I　mean　to　punish　her；　and　if　she　does　not　do

what　I　order；　she　will　not　be　able　to　say　that　I　am　unjust。'　So　the

old　Fairy　said　she　would　think　it　over；　and　come　again　the　next

day。　When　she　returned　she　brought　with　her　a　skein　of　thread；

three　times　as　big　as　herself；　it　was　so　fine　that　a　breath　of　air　would

break　it；　and　so　tangled　that　it　was　impossible　to　see　the　beginning

or　the　end　of　it。



The　Queen　sent　for　Graciosa；　and　said　to　her：



‘Do　you　see　this　skein？　Set　your　clumsy　fingers　to　work　upon

it；　for　I　must　have　it　disentangled　by　sunset；　and　if　you　break　a

single　thread　it　will　be　the　worse　for　you。'　So　saying　she　left　her；

locking　the　door　behind　her　with　three　keys。



The　Princess　stood　dismayed　at　the　sight　of　the　terrible　skein。

If　she　did　but　turn　it　over　to　see　where　to　begin；　she　broke　a

thousand　threads；　and　not　one　could　she　disentangle。　At　last　she

threw　it　into　the　middle　of　the　floor；　crying：



‘Oh；　Percinet！　this　fatal　skein　will　be　the　death　of　me　if　you

will　not　forgive　me　and　help　me　once　more。'



And　immediately　in　came　Percinet　as　easily　as　if　he　had　all　the

keys　in　his　own　possession。



‘Here　I　am；　Princess；　as　much　as　ever　at　your　service；'　said　he；

‘though　really　you　are　not　very　kind　to　me。'



Then　he　just　stroked　the　skein　with　his　wand；　and　all　the　broken

threads　joined　themselves　together；　and　the　whole　skein　wound

itself　smoothly　off　in　the　most　surprising　manner；　and　the　Prince；

turning　to　Graciosa；　asked　if　there　was　nothing　else　that　she　wished

him　to　do　for　her；　and　if　the　time　would　never　come　when　she　would

wish　for　him　for　his　own　sake。



‘Don't　be　vexed　with　me；　Percinet；'　she　said。　‘I　am　unhappy

enough　without　that。'



‘But　why　should　you　be　unhappy；　my　Princess？'　cried　he。　‘Only

come　with　me　and　we　shall　be　as　happy　as　the　day　is　long　together。'



‘But　suppose　you　get　tired　of　me？'　said　Graciosa。



The　Prince　was　so　grieved　at　this　want　of　confidence　that　he　left

her　without　another　word。



The　wicked　Queen　was　in　such　a　hurry　to　punish　Graciosa　that

she　thought　the　sun　would　never　set；　and　indeed　it　was　before　the

appointed　time　that　she　came　with　her　four　Fairies；　and　as　she　fitted

the　three　keys　into　the　locks　she　said：



‘I'll　venture　to　say　that　the　idle　minx　has　not　done　anything　at

allshe　prefers　to　sit　with　her　hands　before　her　to　keep　them

white。'



But；　as　soon　as　she　entered；　Graciosa　presented　her　with　the

ball　of　thread　in　perfect　order；　so　that　she　had　no　fault　to　find；　and

could　only　pretend　to　discover　that　it　was　soiled；　for　which

imaginary　fault　she　gave　Graciosa　a　blow　on　each　cheek；　that　made

her　white　and　pink　skin　turn　green　and　yellow。　And　then　she

sent　her　back　to　be　locked　into　the　garret　once　more。



Then　the　Queen　sent　for　the　Fairy　again　and　scolded　her

furiously。　‘Don't　make　such　a　mistake　again；　find　me　something

that　it　will　be　quite　impossible　for　her　to　do；'　she　said。



So　the　next　day　the　Fairy　appeared　with　a　huge　barrel　full　of　the

feathers　of　all　sorts　of　birds。　There　were　nightingales；　canaries；

goldfinches；　linnets；　tomtits；　parrots；　owls；　sparrows；　doves；

ostriches；　bustards；　peacocks；　larks；　partridges；　and　everything　else

that　you　can　think　of。　These　feathers　were　all　mixed　up　in　such

confusion　that　the　birds　themselves　could　not　have　chosen　out　their

own。　‘Here；'　said　the　Fairy；　‘is　a　little　task　which　it　will　take　all

your　prisoner's　skill　and　patience　to　accomplish。　Tell　her　to　pick

out　and　lay　in　a　separate　heap　the　feathers　of　each　bird。　She

would　need　to　be　a　fairy　to　do　it。'



The　Queen　was　more　than　delighted　at　the　thought　of　the

despair　this　task　would　cause　the　Princess。　She　sent　for　her；　and

with　the　same　threats　as　before　locked　her　up　with　the　three　keys；

ordering　that　all　the　feathers　should　be　sorted　by　sunset。　Graciosa

set　to　work　at　once；　but　before　she　had　taken　out　a　dozen　feathers

she　found　that　it　was　perfectly　impossible　to　know　one　from　another。



‘Ah！　well；'　she　sighed；　‘the　Queen　wishes　to　kill　me；　and　if　I

must　die　I　must。　I　cannot　ask　Percinet　to　help　me　again；　for　if

he　really　loved　me　he　would　not　wait　till　I　called　him；　he　would

come　without　that。'



‘I　am　here；　my　Graciosa；'　cried　Percinet；　springing　out　of　the

barrel　where　he　had　been　hiding。　‘How　can　you　still　doubt　that　I

love　you　with　all　my　heart？'



Then　he　gave　three　strokes　of　his　wand　upon　the　barrel；　and　all

the　feathers　flew　out　in　a　cloud　and　settled　down　in　neat　little

separate　heaps　all　round　the　room。



‘What　should　I　do　without　you；　Percinet？'　said　Graciosa

gratefully。　But　still　she　could　not　quite　make　up　her　mind　to　go

with　him　and　leave　her　father's　kingdom　for　ever；　so　she　begged

him　to　give　her　more　time　to　think　of　it；　and　he　had　to　go　away

disappointed　once　more。



When　the　wicked　Queen　came　at　sunset　she　was　amazed　and

infuriated　to　find　the　task　done。　However；　she　complained　that

the　heaps　of　feathers　were　badly　arranged；　and　for　that　the

Princess　was　beaten　and　sent　back　to　her　garret。　Then　the

Queen　sent　for　the　Fairy　once　more；　and　scolded　her　until　she　was

fairly　terrified；　and　promised　to　go　home　and　think　of　another　task

for　Graciosa；　worse　than　either　of　the　others。



At　the　end　of　three　days　she　came　again；　bringing　with　her　a

box。



‘Tell　your　slave；'　said　he；　‘to　carry　this　wherever　you　please；

but　on　no　account　to　open　it。　She　will　not　be　able　to　help　doing

so；　and　then　you　will　be　quite　satisfied　with　the　result。'　So　the

Queen　came　to　Graciosa；　and　said：



‘Carry　this　box　to　my　castle；　and　place　it　upon　the　table　in　my

own　room。　But　I　forbid　you　on　pain　of　death　to　look　at　what　it

contains。'



Graciosa　set　out；　wearing　her　little　cap　and　wooden　shoes　and

the　old　cotton　frock；　but　even　in　this　disguise　she　was　so　beautiful

that　all　the　passers…by　wondered　who　she　could　be。　She　had　not

gone　far　before　the　heat　of　the　sun　and　the　weight　of　the　box

tired　her　so　much　that　she　sat　down　to　rest　in　the　shade　of　a　little

wood　which　lay　on　one　side　of　a　green　meadow。　She　was　carefully

holding　the　box　upon　her　lap　when　she　suddenly　felt　the　greatest

desire　to　open　it；



‘What　could　possibly　happen　if　I　did？'　she　said　to　herself。

‘I　should　not　take　anything　out。　I　should　only　just　see　what　was

there。'



And　without　farther　hesitation　she　lifted　the　cover。



Instantly　out　came　swarms　of　little　men　and　women；　no　taller

than　her　finger；　and　scattered　themselves　all　over　the　meadow；

singing　and　dancing；　and　playing　the　merriest　games；　so　that　at

first　Graciosa　was　delighted　and　watched　them　with　much　amusement。

But　presently；　when　she　was　rested　and　wished　to　go　on

her　way；　she　found　that；　do　what　she　would；　she　could　not　get　them

back　into　their　box。　If　she　chased　them　in　the　meadow　they　fled

into　the　wood；　and　if　she　pursued　them　into　the　wood　they　dodged

round　trees　and　behind　sprigs　of　moss；　and　with　peals　of　elfin

laughter　scampered　back　again　into　the　meadow。



At　last；　weary　and　terrified；　she　sat　down　and　cried。



‘It　is　my　own　fault；'　she　said　sadly。　‘Percinet；　if　you　can　still

care　for　such　an　imprudent　Princess；　do　come　and　help　me　once　more。'



Immediately　Percinet　stood　before　her。



‘Ah；　Princess！'　he　said；　‘but　for　the　wicked　Queen　I　fear　you

would　never　think　of　me　at　all。'



‘Indeed　I　should；'　said　Graciosa；　‘I　am　not　so　ungrateful　as

you　think。　Only　wait　a　little　and　I　believe　I　shall　love　you　quite

dearly。'



Percinet　was　pleased　at　this；　and　with　one　stroke　of　his　wand

compelled　all　the　wilful　little　people　to　come　back　to　their　places

in　the　box；　and　then　rendering　the　Princess　invisible　he　took　her

with　him　in　his　chariot　to　the　castle。



When　the　Princess　presented　herself　at　the　door；　and　said　that

the　Queen　had　ordered　her　to　place　the　box　in　her　own　room；　the

governor　laughed　heartily　at　the　idea。



‘No；　no；　my　little　shepherdess；'　said　he；　‘that　is　not　the　place

for　you。　No　wooden　shoes　have　ever　been　over　that　floor　yet。'



Then　Graciosa　begged　him　to　give　her　a　written　message　telling

the　Queen　that　he　had　refused　to　admit　her。　This　he　did；　and　she

went　back　to　Percinet；　who　was　waiting　for　her；　and　they　set　out

together　for　the　palace。　You　may　imagine　that　they　did　not　go

the　shortest　way；　but　the　Princess　did　not　find　it　too　long；　and

before　they　parted　she　had　promised　that　if　the　Queen　was　still

cruel　to　her；　and　tried　again　to　play　her　any　spiteful　trick；　she

would　leave　her　and　come　to　Percinet　for　ever。



When　the　Queen　saw　her　returning　she　fell　upon　the　Fairy；

whom　she　had　kept　with　her；　and　pulled　her　hair；　and　scratched

her　face；　and　would　really　have　killed　her　if　a　Fairy　could　be

killed。　And　when　the　Princess　presented　the　letter　and　the　box

she　threw　them　both　upon　the　fire　without　opening　them；　and

looked　very　much　as　if　she　would　like　to　throw　the　Princess　after

them。　However；　what　she　really　did　do　was　to　have　a　great　hole

as　deep　as　a　well　dug　in　her　gar