the little lame prince-第7章

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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　one　is　a　prince；　and　has　a　powerful　and　beneficent　godmother。

He　did　not　like　to　vex　her　by　calling　for　her　and　telling　her　how　unhappy　he　was；　in　spite　of　all　her　goodness；　so　he　just　kept　his　trouble　to　himself；　went　back　to　his　lonely　tower；　and　spent　three　days　in　silent　melancholy；　without　even　attempting　another　journey　on　his　traveling…cloak。



CHAPTER　VI

The　fourth　day　it　happened　that　the　deaf…mute　paid　his　accustomed　visit；　after　which　Prince　Dolor's　spirits　rose。　They　always　did　when　he　got　the　new　books　which；　just　to　relieve　his　conscience；　the　King　of　Nomansland　regularly　sent　to　his　nephew；　with　many　new　toys　also；　though　the　latter　were　disregarded　now。

〃Toys；　indeed！　when　I'm　a　big　boy；〃　said　the　Prince；　with　disdain；　and　would　scarcely　condescend　to　mount　a　rocking…horse　which　had　come；　somehow　or　other；I　can't　be　expected　to　explain　things　very　exactly；packed　on　the　back　of　the　other；　the　great　black　horse；　which　stood　and　fed　contentedly　at　the　bottom　of　the　tower。

Prince　Dolor　leaned　over　and　looked　at　it；　and　thought　how　grand　it　must　be　to　get　upon　its　backthis　grand　live　steedand　ride　away；　like　the　pictures　of　knights。

〃Suppose　I　was　a　knight；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃then　I　should　be　obliged　to　ride　out　and　see　the　world。〃

But　he　kept　all　these　thoughts　to　himself；　and　just　sat　still；　devouring　his　new　books　till　he　had　come　to　the　end　of　them　all。　It　was　a　repast　not　unlike　the　Barmecide's　feast　which　you　read　of　in　the　〃Arabian　Nights；〃　which　consisted　of　very　elegant　but　empty　dishes；　or　that　supper　of　Sancho　Panza　in　〃Don　Quixote；〃　where；　the　minute　the　smoking　dishes　came　on　the　table；　the　physician　waved　his　hand　and　they　were　all　taken　away。

Thus　almost　all　the　ordinary　delights　of　boy…　life　had　been　taken　away　from；　or　rather　never　given　to　this　poor　little　prince。

〃I　wonder；〃　he　would　sometimes　think〃I　wonder　what　it　feels　like　to　be　on　the　back　of　a　horse；　galloping　away；　or　holding　the　reins　in　a　carriage；　and　tearing　across　the　country；　or　jumping　a　ditch；　or　running　a　race；　such　as　I　read　of　or　see　in　pictures。　What　a　lot　of　things　there　are　that　I　should　like　to　do！　But　first　I　should　like　to　go　and　see　the　world。　I'll　try。〃

Apparently　it　was　his　godmother's　plan　always　to　let　him　try；　and　try　hard；　before　he　gained　anything。　This　day　the　knots　that　tied　up　his　traveling…cloak　were　more　than　usually　troublesome；　and　he　was　a　full　half…hour　before　he　got　out　into　the　open　air；　and　found　himself　floating　merrily　over　the　top　of　the　tower。

Hitherto；　in　all　his　journeys；　he　had　never　let　himself　go　out　of　sight　of　home；　for　the　dreary　building；　after　all；　was　homehe　remembered　no　other；　but　now　he　felt　sick　of　the　very　look　of　his　tower；　with　its　round　smooth　walls　and　level　battlements。

〃Off　we　go！〃　cried　he；　when　the　cloak　stirred　itself　with　a　slight；　slow　motion；　as　if　waiting　his　orders。　〃Anywhere　anywhere；　so　that　I　am　away　from　here；　and　out　into　the　world。〃

As　he　spoke；　the　cloak；　as　if　seized　suddenly　with　a　new　idea；　bounded　forward　and　went　skimming　through　the　air；　faster　than　the　very　fastest　railway　train。

〃Gee…up！　gee…up！〃　cried　Prince　Dolor　in　great　excitement。　〃This　is　as　good　as　riding　a　race。〃

And　he　patted　the　cloak　as　if　it　had　been　a　horsethat　is；　in　the　way　he　supposed　horses　ought　to　be　pattedand　tossed　his　head　back　to　meet　the　fresh　breeze；　and　pulled　his　coat　collar　up　and　his　hat　down　as　he　felt　the　wind　grow　keener　and　coldercolder　than　anything　he　had　ever　known。

〃What　does　it　matter；　though？〃　said　he。　〃I'm　a　boy；　and　boys　ought　not　to　mind　anything。〃

Still；　for　all　his　good…will；　by　and　by；　he　began　to　shiver　exceedingly；　also；　he　had　come　away　without　his　dinner；　and　he　grew　frightfully　hungry。　And　to　add　to　everything；　the　sunshiny　day　changed　into　rain；　and　being　high　up；　in　the　very　midst　of　the　clouds；　he　got　soaked　through　and　through　in　a　very　few　minutes。

〃Shall　I　turn　back？〃　meditated　he。　〃Suppose　I　say　‘Abracadabra？'　〃

Here　he　stopped；　for　already　the　cloak　gave　an　obedient　lurch；　as　if　it　were　expecting　to　be　sent　home　immediately。

〃NoI　can'tI　can't　go　back！　I　must　go　forward　and　see　the　world。　But　oh！　if　I　had　but　the　shabbiest　old　rug　to　shelter　me　from　the　rain；　or　the　driest　morsel　of　bread　and　cheese；　just　to　keep　me　from　starving！　Still；　I　don't　much　mind；　I'm　a　prince；　and　ought　to　be　able　to　stand　anything。　Hold　on；　cloak；　we'll　make　the　best　of　it。〃

It　was　a　most　curious　circumstance；　but　no　sooner　had　he　said　this　than　he　felt　stealing　over　his　knees　something　warm　and　soft；　in　fact；　a　most　beautiful　bearskin；　which　folded　itself　round　him　quite　naturally；　and　cuddled　him　up　as　closely　as　if　he　had　been　the　cub　of　the　kind　old　mother…bear　that　once　owned　it。　Then　feeling　in　his　pocket；　which　suddenly　stuck　out　in　a　marvelous　way；　he　found；　not　exactly　bread　and　cheese；　nor　even　sandwiches；　but　a　packet　of　the　most　delicious　food　he　had　ever　tasted。　It　was　not　meat；　nor　pudding；　but　a　combination　of　both；　and　it　served　him　excellently　for　both。　He　ate　his　dinner　with　the　greatest　gusto　imaginable；　till　he　grew　so　thirsty　he　did　not　know　what　to　do。

〃