the little lame prince-第9章

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〃I　think　I　had　rather　not　look　at　him　again；〃　said　the　poor　little　Prince；　drawing　himself　back　into　the　center　of　his　cloak；　and　resuming　his　favorite　posture；　sitting　like　a　Turk；　with　his　arms　wrapped　round　his　feeble；　useless　legs。

〃You're　no　good　to　me；〃　he　said；　patting　them　mournfully。　〃You　never　will　be　any　good　to　me。　I　wonder　why　I　had　you　at　all。　I　wonder　why　I　was　born　at　all；　since　I　was　not　to　grow　up　like　other　boys。　Why　not？〃

A　question　so　strange；　so　sad；　yet　so　often　occurring　in　some　form　or　other　in　this　world　as　you　will　find；　my　children；　when　you　are　olderthat　even　if　he　had　put　it　to　his　mother　she　could　only　have　answered　it；　as　we　have　to　answer　many　as　difficult　things；　by　simply　saying；　〃I　don't　know。〃　There　is　much　that　we　do　not　know　and　cannot　understandwe　big　folks　no　more　than　you　little　ones。　We　have　to　accept　it　all　just　as　you　have　to　accept　anything　which　your　parents　may　tell　you；　even　though　you　don't　as　yet　see　the　reason　of　it。　You　may　sometime；　if　you　do　exactly　as　they　tell　you；　and　are　content　to　wait。

Prince　Dolor　sat　a　good　while　thus；　or　it　appeared　to　him　a　good　while；　so　many　thoughts　came　and　went　through　his　poor　young　mind　thoughts　of　great　bitterness；　which；　little　though　he　was；　seemed　to　make　him　grow　years　older　in　a　few　minutes。

Then　he　fancied　the　cloak　began　to　rock　gently　to　and　fro；　with　a　soothing　kind　of　motion；　as　if　he　were　in　somebody's　arms：　somebody　who　did　not　speak；　but　loved　him　and　comforted　him　without　need　of　words；　not　by　deceiving　him　with　false　encouragement　or　hope；　but　by　making　him　see　the　plain；　hard　truth　in　all　its　hardness；　and　thus　letting　him　quietly　face　it；　till　it　grew　softened　down；　and　did　not　seem　nearly　so　dreadful　after　all。

Through　the　dreary　silence　and　blankness；　for　he　had　placed　himself　so　that　he　could　see　nothing　but　the　sky；　and　had　taken　off　his　silver　ears　as　well　as　his　gold　spectacleswhat　was　the　use　of　either　when　he　had　no　legs　with　which　to　walk　or　run？up　from　below　there　rose　a　delicious　sound。

You　have　heard　it　hundreds　of　times；　my　children；　and　so　have　I。　When　I　was　a　child　I　thought　there　was　nothing　so　sweet；　and　I　think　so　still。　It　was　just　the　song　of　a　skylark；　mounting　higher　and　higher　from　the　ground；　till　it　came　so　close　that　Prince　Dolor　could　distinguish　his　quivering　wings　and　tiny　body；　almost　too　tiny　to　contain　such　a　gush　of　music。

〃Oh；　you　beautiful；　beautiful　bird！〃　cried　he；　〃I　should　dearly　like　to　take　you　in　and　cuddle　you。　That　is；　if　I　couldif　I　dared。〃

But　he　hesitated。　The　little　brown　creature　with　its　loud　heavenly　voice　almost　made　him　afraid。　Nevertheless；　it　also　made　him　happy；　and　he　watched　and　listenedso　absorbed　that　he　forgot　all　regret　and　pain；　forgot　everything　in　the　world　except　the　little　lark。

It　soared　and　soared；　and　he　was　just　wondering　if　it　would　soar　out　of　sight；　and　what　in　the　world　he　should　do　when　it　was　gone；　when　it　suddenly　closed　its　wings；　as　larks　do　when　they　mean　to　drop　to　the　ground。　But；　instead　of　dropping　to　the　ground；　it　dropped　right　into　the　little　boy's　breast。

What　felicity！　If　it　would　only　stay！　A　tiny；　soft　thing　to　fondle　and　kiss；　to　sing　to　him　all　day　long；　and　be　his　playfellow　and　companion；　tame　and　tender；　while　to　the　rest　of　the　world　it　was　a　wild　bird　of　the　air。　What　a　pride；　what　a　delight！　To　have　something　that　nobody　else　hadsomething　all　his　own。　As　the　traveling…cloak　traveled　on；　he　little　heeded　where；　and　the　lark　still　stayed；　nestled　down　in　his　bosom；　hopped　from　his　hand　to　his　shoulder；　and　kissed　him　with　its　dainty　beak；　as　if　it　loved　him；　Prince　Dolor　forgot　all　his　grief；　and　was　entirely　happy。

But　when　he　got　in　sight　of　Hopeless　Tower　a　painful　thought　struck　him。

〃My　pretty　bird；　what　am　I　to　do　with　you？　If　I　take　you　into　my　room　and　shut　you　up　there；　you；　a　wild　skylark　of　the　air；　what　will　become　of　you？　I　am　used　to　this；　but　you　are　not。　You　will　be　so　miserable；　and　suppose　my　nurse　should　find　youshe　who　can't　bear　the　sound　of　singing？　Besides；　I　remember　her　once　telling　me　that　the　nicest　thing　she　ever　ate　in　her　life　was　lark　pie！〃

The　little　boy　shivered　all　over　at　the　thought。　And；　though　the　merry　lark　immediately　broke　into　the　loudest　carol；　as　if　saying　derisively　that　he　defied　anybody　to　eat　him；　still；　Prince　Dolor　was　very　uneasy。　In　another　minute　he　had　made　up　his　mind。

〃No；　my　bird；　nothing　so　dreadful　shall　happen　to　you　if　I　can　help　it；　I　would　rather　do　without　you　altogether。　Yes；　I'll　try。　Fly　away；　my　darling；　my　beautiful！　Good…by；　my　merry；　merry　bird。〃

Opening　his　two　caressing　hands；　in　which；　as　if　for　protection；　he　had　folded　it；　he　let　the　lark　go。　It　lingered　a　minute；　perching　on　the　rim　of　the　cloak；　and　looking　at　him　with　eyes　of　almost　human　tenderness；　then　away　it　flew；　far　up　into　the　blue　sky。　It　was　only　a　bird。

But　some　time　after；　when　Prince　Dolor　had　eaten　his　suppersomewhat　drearily；　except　for　the　thought　that　he　could　not　possibly　sup　off　lark　pie　nowand　gone　quietly　to　bed；　the　old　familiar　little　bed；　where　he　was　accustomed　to　sleep；　or　lie　awake　contentedly　thinking　suddenly　he　heard　outside　the　window　a　little　faint　carolfaint　but　cheerfulcheerful　even　though　it　was　the　middle　of　the　night。

The　dear　little　lark！　it　had　not　flown　away；　after　all。　And　it　was　truly　the　most　extraordinary　bird；　for；　unlike　ordinary　larks；　it　kept　hovering　about　the　tower　in　the　silence　and　darkness　of　the　night；　outside　the　window　or　over　the　roof。　Whenever　he　listened　for　a　moment；　he　heard　it　singing　still。

He　went　to　sleep　as　happy　as　a　king。



CHAPTER　VII

Happy　as　a　king。〃　How　far　kings　are　happy　I　cannot　say；　no　more　than　could　Prince　Dolor；　though　he　had　once　been　a　king　himself。　But　he　remembered　nothing　about　it；　and　there　was　nobody　to　tell　him；　except　his　nurse；　who　had　been　forbidden　upon　pain　of　death　to　let　him　know　anything　about　his　dead　parents；　or　the　king　his　uncle；　or　indeed　any　part　of　his　own　history。

Sometimes　he　speculated　about　himself；　whether　he　had　had　a　father　and　mother　as　other　little　boys　had　what　they　had　been　like；　and　why　he　had　never　seen　them。　But；　knowing　nothing　about　them；　he　did　not　miss　themonly　once　or　twice；　reading　pretty　stories　about　little　children　and　their　mothers；　who　helped　them　when　they　were　in　difficulty　and　comforted　them　when　they　were　sick；　he　feeling　ill　and　dull　and　lonely；　wondered　what　had　become　of　his　mother　and　why　she　never　came　to　see　him。

Then；　in　his　history　lessons；　of　course　he　read　about　kings　and　princes；　and　the　governments　of　different　countries；　and　the　events　that　happened　there。　And　though　he　but　faintly　took　in　all　this；　still　he　did　take　it　in　a　little；　and　worried　his　young　brain　about　it；　and　perplexed　his　nurse　with　questions；　to　which　she　returned　sharp　and　mysterious　answers；　which　only　set　him　thinking　the　more。

He　had　plenty　of　time　for　thinking。　After　his　last　journey　in　the　traveling…cloak；　the　journey　which　had　given　him　so　much　pain；　his　desire　to　see　the　world　somehow　faded　away。　He　contented　himself　with　reading　his　books；　and　looking　out　of　the　tower　windows；　and　listening　to　his　beloved　little　lark；　which　had　come　home　with　him　that　day；　and　never　left　him　again。

True；　it　kept　out　of　the　way；　and　though　his　nurse　sometimes　dimly　heard　it；　and　said　〃What　is　that　horrid　noise　outside？〃　she　never　got　the　faintest　chance　of　making　it　into　a　lark　pie。　Prince　Dolor　had　his　pet　all　to　himself；　and　though　he　seldom　saw　it；　he　knew　it　was　near　him；　and　he　caught　continually；　at　odd　hours　of　the　day；　and　even　in　the　night；　fragments　of　its　delicious　song。

All　during　the　winterso　far　as　there　ever　was　any　difference　between　summer　and　winter　in　Hopeless　Towerthe　little　bird　cheered　and　amused　him。　He　scarcely　needed　anything　morenot　even　his　traveling…cloak；　which　lay　bundled　up　unnoticed　in　a　corner；　tied　up　in　its　innumerable　knots。

Nor　did　his　godmother　come　near　him。　It　seemed　as　if　she　had　given　these　treasures　and　left　him　aloneto　use　them　or　lose　them；　apply　them　or　misapply　them；　according　to　his　own　choice。　That　is　all　we　can　do　with　children　when　they　grow　into　big　children　old　enough　to　distinguish　between　right　and　wrong；　and　too　old　to　be　forced　to　do　either。

Prince　Dolor　was　now　quite　a　big　boy。　Not　tallalas！　he　never　could　be　that；　with　his　poor　little　shrunken　legs；　which　were　of　no　use；　only　an　encumbrance。　But　he　was　stout　and　strong；　with　great　sturdy　shoulders；　and　muscular　arms；　upon　which　he　could　swing　himself　about　almost　like　a　monkey。　As　if　in　compensation　for　his　useless　lower　limbs；　Nature　had　given　to　these　extra　strength　and　activity。　His　face；　too；　was　very　handsome；　thinner；　firmer；　more　manly；　but　still　the　sweet　face　of　his　childhood　his　mother's　own　face。

How　his　mother　would　have　liked　to　look　at　him！　Perhaps　she　didwho　knows？

The　boy　was　not　a　stupid　boy　either。　He　could　learn　almost　anything　he　choseand　he　did　choose；　which　was　more　than　half　the　battle。　He　never　gave　up　his　lessons　till　he　had　learned　them　allnever　thought　it　a　punishment　that　he　had　to　work　at　them；　and　that　they　cost　him　a　deal　of　trouble　sometimes。

〃But；〃　thought　he；　〃men　work；　and　it　must　be　so　grand　to　be　a　mana　prince　too；　and　I　fancy　princes　work　harder　than　anybody　except　kings。　The　princes　I　read　about　generally　turn　into　kings。　I　wonder〃the　boy　was　always　wondering〃Nurse；〃and　one　day　he　startled　her　with　a　sudden　question；〃tell　me　shall　I　ever　be　a　king？〃

The　woman　stood；　perplexed　beyond　expression。　So　long　a　time　had　passed　by　since　her　crimeif　it　were　a　crimeand　her　sentence；　that　she　now　seldom　thought　of　either。　Even　her　punishmentto　be　shut　up　for　life　in　Hopeless　Towershe　had　gradually　got　used　to。　Used　also　to　the　little　lame　Prince；　her　charge　whom　at　first　she　had　hated；　though　she　carefully　did　everything　to　keep　him　alive；　since　upon　him　her　own　life　hung。

But　latterly　she　had　ceased　to　hate　him；　and；　in　a　sort　of　way；　almost　loved　himat　least；　enough　to　be　sorry　for　himan　innocent　child；　imprisoned　here　till　he　grew　into　an　old　man；　and　became　a　dull；　worn…out　creature　like　herself。　Sometimes；　watching　him；　she　felt　more　sorry　for　him　than　even　for　herself；　and　then；　seeing　she　looked　a　less　miserable　and　ugly　woman；　he　did　not　shrink　from　her　as　usual。

He　did　not　now。　〃Nursedear　nurse；〃　said　he；　〃I　don't　mean　to　vex　you；　but　tell　me　what　is　a　king？　shall　I　ever　be　one？〃

When　she　began　to　think　less　of　herself　and　more　of　the　child；　the　woman's　courage　increased。　The　idea　came　to　herwhat　harm　would　it　be；　even　if　he　did　know　his　own　history？　Perhaps　he　ought　to　know　itfor　there　had　been　various　ups　and　downs；　usurpations；　revolutions；　and　restorations　in　Nomansland；　as　in　most　other　countries。　Something　might　happen　who　could　tell？　Changes　might　occur。　Possibly　a　crown　would　even　yet　be　set　upon　those　pretty；　fair　curlswhich　she　began　to　think　prettier　than　ever　when　she　saw　the　imaginary　coronet　upon　them。

She　sat　down；　considering　whether　her　oath；　never　to　〃say　a　word〃　to　Prince　Dolor　about　himself；　would　be　broken　if　she　were　to　take　a　pencil　and　write　what　was　to　be　told。　A　mere　quibblea　mean；　miserable　quibble。　But　then　she　was　a　miserable　woman；　more　t