22-the golden branch-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



was　unquiet；　and　when　he　softly　advanced；　fearing　to　wake　her；　he

could　hear　her　sigh；　and　murmur　to　herself：



‘Ah！　how　dared　you　think　to　win　my　love　by　separating　me

from　my　beloved　Florimond；　and　in　my　presence　cutting　off　that

dear　hand　that　even　you　should　have　feared　and　honoured？'



And　then　the　tears　rolled　slowly　down　the　lovely　lady's　cheeks；

and　Prince　Curlicue　began　to　comprehend　that　she　was　under　an

enchantment；　and　that　it　was　the　hand　of　her　lover　that　he　had

found。



At　this　moment　a　huge　Eagle　flew　into　the　room；　holding　in　its

talons　a　Golden　Branch；　upon　which　were　growing　what　looked　like

clusters　of　cherries；　only　every　cherry　was　a　single　glowing　ruby。



This　he　presented　to　the　Prince；　who　guessed　by　this　time　that

he　was　in　some　way　to　break　the　enchantment　that　surrounded　the

sleeping　lady。　Taking　the　branch　he　touched　her　lightly　with　it；

saying：



‘Fair　one；　I　know　not　by　what　enchantment　thou　art　bound；　but

in　the　name　of　thy　beloved　Florimond　I　conjure　thee　to　come　back

to　the　life　which　thou　hast　lost；　but　not　forgotten。'



Instantly　the　lady　opened　her　lustrous　eyes；　and　saw　the　Eagle

hovering　near。



‘Ah！　stay；　dear　love；　stay；'　she　cried。　But　the　Eagle；　uttering　a

dolorous　cry；　fluttered　his　broad　wings　and　disappeared。　Then　the

lady　turned　to　Prince　Curlicue；　and　said：



‘I　know　that　it　is　to　you　I　owe　my　deliverance　from　an　enchantment

which　has　held　me　for　two　hundred　years。　If　there　is　anything

that　I　can　do　for　you　in　return；　you　have　only　to　tell　me；　and

all　my　fairy　power　shall　be　used　to　make　you　happy。'



‘Madam；'　said　Prince　Curlicue；　‘I　wish　to　be　allowed　to　restore

your　beloved　Florimond　to　his　natural　form；　since　I　cannot　forget

the　tears　you　shed　for　him。'



‘That　is　very　amiable　of　you；　dear　Prince；'　said　the　Fairy；　‘but

it　is　reserved　for　another　person　to　do　that。　I　cannot　explain　more

at　present。　But　is　there　nothing　you　wish　for　yourself？'



‘Madam；'　cried　the　Prince；　flinging　himself　down　at　her　feet；

‘only　look　at　my　ugliness。　I　am　called　Curlicue；　and　am　an

object　of　derision；　I　entreat　you　to　make　me　less　ridiculous。'



‘Rise；　Prince；'　said　the　Fairy；　touching　him　with　the　Golden

Branch。　‘Be　as　accomplished　as　you　are　handsome；　and　take　the

name　of　Prince　Peerless；　since　that　is　the　only　title　which　will

suit　you　now。'



Silent　from　joy；　the　Prince　kissed　her　hand　to　express　his　thanks；

and　when　he　rose　and　saw　his　new　reflection　in　the　mirrors　which

surrounded　him；　he　understood　that　Curlicue　was　indeed　gone　for

ever。



‘How　I　wish；'　said　the　Fairy；　‘that　I　dared　to　tell　you　what　is

in　store　for　you；　and　warn　you　of　the　traps　which　lie　in　your　path；

but　I　must　not。　Fly　from　the　tower；　Prince；　and　remember　that

the　Fairy　Douceline　will　be　your　friend　always。'



When　she　had　finished　speaking；　the　Prince；　to　his　great

astonishment；　found　himself　no　longer　in　the　tower；　but　set　down　in　a

thick　forest　at　least　a　hundred　leagues　away　from　it。　And　there

we　must　leave　him　for　the　present；　and　see　what　was　happening

elsewhere。



When　the　guards　found　that　the　Prince　did　not　ask　for　his　supper

as　usual；　they　went　into　his　room；　and　not　finding　him　there；　were

very　much　alarmed；　and　searched　the　tower　from　turret　to　dungeon；

but　without　success。　Knowing　that　the　King　would　certainly　have

their　heads　cut　off　for　allowing　the　Prince　to　escape；　they　then

agreed　to　say　that　he　was　ill；　and　after　making　the　smallest　among

them　look　as　much　like　Prince　Curlicue　as　possible；　they　put　him

into　his　bed　and　sent　to　inform　the　King。



King　Grumpy　was　quite　delighted　to　hear　that　his　son　was　ill；

for　he　thought　that　he　would　all　the　sooner　be　brought　to　do　as　he

wished；　and　marry　the　Princess。　So　he　sent　back　to　the　guards　to

say　that　the　Prince　was　to　be　treated　as　severely　as　before；　which

was　just　what　they　had　hoped　he　would　say。　In　the　meantime　the

Princess　Cabbage…Stalk　had　reached　the　palace；　travelling　in　a　litter。



King　Grumpy　went　out　to　meet　her；　but　when　he　saw　her；　with

a　skin　like　a　tortoise's；　her　thick　eyebrows　meeting　above　her　large

nose；　and　her　mouth　from　ear　to　ear；　he　could　not　help　crying　out：



‘Well；　I　must　say　Curlicue　is　ugly　enough；　but　I　don't　think

YOU　need　have　thought　twice　before　consenting　to　marry　him。'



‘Sire；'　she　replied；　‘I　know　too　well　what　I　am　like　to　be　hurt

by　what　you　say；　but　I　assure　you　that　I　have　no　wish　to　marry

your　son　I　had　rather　be　called　Princess　Cabbage…Stalk　than　Queen

Curlicue。'



This　made　King　Grumpy　very　angry。



‘Your　father　has　sent　you　here　to　marry　my　son；'　he　said；　‘and

you　may　be　sure　that　I　am　not　going　to　offend　him　by　altering　his

arrangements。'　So　the　poor　Princess　was　sent　away　in　disgrace　to

her　own　apartments；　and　the　ladies　who　attended　upon　her　were

charged　to　bring　her　to　a　better　mind。



At　this　juncture　the　guards；　who　were　in　great　fear　that　they

would　be　found　out；　sent　to　tell　the　King　that　his　son　was　dead；

which　annoyed　him　very　much。　He　at　once　made　up　his　mind

that　it　was　entirely　the　Princess's　fault；　and　gave　orders　that　she

should　be　imprisoned　in　the　tower　in　Prince　Curlicue's　place。　The

Princess　Cabbage…Stalk　was　immensely　astonished　at　this　unjust

proceeding；　and　sent　many　messages　of　remonstrance　to　King

Grumpy；　but　he　was　in　such　a　temper　that　no　one　dared　to　deliver

them；　or　to　send　the　letters　which　the　Princess　wrote　to　her　father。

However；　as　she　did　not　know　this；　she　lived　in　hope　of　soon　going

back　to　her　own　country；　and　tried　to　amuse　herself　as　well　as

she　could　until　the　time　should　come。　Every　day　she　walked　up

and　down　the　long　gallery；　until　she　too　was　attracted　and　fascinated

by　the　ever…changing　pictures　in　the　windows；　and　recognised　herself

in　one　of　the　figures。　‘They　seem　to　have　taken　a　great　delight　in

painting　me　since　I　came　to　this　country；'　she　said　to　herself。　‘One

would　think　that　I　and　my　crutch　were　put　in　on　purpose　to　make

that　slim；　charming　young　shepherdess　in　the　next　picture　look

prettier　by　contrast。　Ah！　how　nice　it　would　be　to　be　as　pretty　as

that。'　And　then　she　looked　at　herself　in　a　mirror；　and　turned　away

quickly　with　tears　in　her　eyes　from　the　doleful　sight。　All　at　once

she　became　aware　that　she　was　not　alone；　for　behind　her　stood　a

tiny　old　woman　in　a　cap；　who　was　as　ugly　again　as　herself　and

quite　as　lame。



‘Princess；'　she　said；　‘your　regrets　are　so　piteous　that　I　have

come　to　offer　you　the　choice　of　goodness　or　beauty。　If　you　wish　to

be　pretty　you　shall　have　your　way；　but　you　will　also　be　vain；

capricious；　and　frivolous。　If　you　remain　as　you　are　now；　you　shall

be　wise　and　amiable　and　modest。'



‘Alas　I　madam；'　cried　the　Princess；　‘is　it　impossible　to　be　at　once

wise　and　beautiful？'



‘No；　child；'　answered　the　old　woman；　‘only　to　you　it　is　decreed

that　you　must　choose　between　the　two。　See；　I　have　brought　with

me　my　white　and　yellow　muff。　Breathe　upon　the　yellow　side　and

you　will　become　like　the　pretty　shepherdess　you　so　much　admire；　and

you　will　have　won　the　love　of　the　handsome　shepherd　whose　picture

I　have　already　seen　you　studying　with　interest。　Breathe　upon　the

white　side　and　your　looks　will　not　alter；　but　you　will　grow　better

and　happier　day　by　day。　Now　you　may　choose。'



‘Ah　well；'　said　the　Princess；　‘I　suppose　one　can't　have

everything；　and　it's　certainly　better　to　be　good　than　pretty。'



And　so　she　breathed　upon　the　white　side　of　the　muff　and　thanked

the　old　fairy；　who　immediately　disappeared。　The　Princess　Cabbage…

Stalk　felt　very　forlorn　when　she　was　gone；　and　began　to　think　that

it　was　quite　time　her　father　sent　an　army　to　rescue　her。



‘If　I　could　but　get　up　into　the　turret；'　she　thought；　‘to　see　if　any

one　is　coming。'　But　to　climb　up　there　seemed　impossible。　Nevertheless

she　presently　hit　upon　a　plan。　The　great　clock　was　in　the

turret；　as　she　knew；　though　the　weights　hung　down　into　the　gallery。

Taking　one　of　them　off　the　rope；　she　tied　herself　on　in　its　place；　and

when　the　clock　was　wound；　up　she　went　triumphantly　into　the

turret。　She　looked　out　over　the　country　the　first　thing；　but　seeing

nothing　she　sat　down　to　rest　a　little；　and　accidentally　leant　back

against　the　wall　which　Curlicue；　or　rather　Prince　Peerless；　had　so

hastily　mended。　Out　fell　the　broken　stone；　and　with　it　the　golden

key。　The　clatter　it　made　upon　the　floor　attracted　the　Princess

Cabbage…Stalk's　attention。



She　picked　it　up；　and　after　a　moment's　consideration　decided

that　it　must　belong　to　the　curious　old　cabinet　in　the　corner；　which

had　no　visible　keyhole。　And　then　it　was　not　long　before　she　had　it

open；　and　was　admiring　the　treasures　it　contained　as　much　as　Prince

Peerless　had　done　before　her；　and　at　last　she　came　to　the　carbuncle

box。　No　sooner　had　she　opened　it　than　with　a　shudder　of　horror

she　tried　to　throw　it　down；　but　found　that　some　mysterious　power

compelled　her　to　hold　it　against　her　will。　And　at　this　moment　a

voice　in　her　ear　said　softly：



‘Take　courage；　Princess；　upon　this　adventure　your　future　happiness

depends。'



‘What　am　I　to　do？'　said　the　Princess　trembling。



‘Take　the　box；'　replied　the　voice；　‘and　hide　it　under　your　pillow；

and　when　you　see　an　Eagle；　give　it　to　him　without　losing　a　moment。'



Terrified　as　the　Princess　was；　she　did　not　hesitate　to　obey；　and

hastened　to　put　back　all　the　other　precious　things　precisely　as　she

had　found　them。　By　this　time　her　guards　were　seeking　her　everywhere；

and　they　were　amazed　to　find　her　up　in　the　turret；　for　they

said　she　could　only　have　got　there　by　magic。　For　three　days　nothing

happened；　but　at　last　in　the　night　the　Princess　heard　something

flutter　against　her　window；　and　drawing　back　her　curtains　she　saw

in　the　moonlight　that　it　was　an　Eagle。



Limping　across　at　her　utmost　speed　she　threw　the　window　open；

and　the　great　Eagle　sailed　in　beating　with　his　wings　for　joy。　The

Princess　lost　no　time　in　offering　it　the　carbuncle　box；　which　it

grasped　in　its　talons；　and　instantly　disappeared；　leaving　in　its　place

the　most　beautiful　Prince　she　had　ever　seen；　who　was　splendidly

dressed；　and　wore　a　diamond　crown。



‘Princess；'　said　he；　‘for　two　hundred　years　has　a　wicked

enchanter　kept　me　here。　We　both　loved　the　same　Fairy；　but　she　pre…

ferred　me。　However；　he　was　more　powerful　than　I；　and　succeeded；

when　for　a　moment　I　was　off　my　guard；　in　changing　me　into　an

Eagle；　while　my　Queen　was　left　in　an　enchanted　sleep。　I　knew

that　after　two　hundred　years　a　Prince　would　recall　her　to　the　light

of　day；　and　a　Princess；　in　restoring　to　me　the　hand　which　my　enemy

had　cut　off；　would　give　me　back　my　natural　form。　The　Fairy　who

watches　over　your　destiny　told　me　this；　and　it　was　she　who　guided

you　to　the　cabinet　in　the　turret；　where　she　had　placed　my　hand。　It

is　she　also　who　permits　me　to　show　my　gratitude　to　you　by　granting

whatever　favour　you　may　ask　of