the light princess-第4部分

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As　for　her　own　feelings　on　the　subject；　she　did　not　even　know　that

there　was　such　a　beehive　of　honey　and　stings　to　be　fallen　into。　　But

now　I　come　to　mention　another　curious　fact　about　her。



The　palace　was　built　on　the　shores　of　the　loveliest　lake　in　the

world；　and　the　princess　loved　this　lake　more　than　father　or　mother。

The　root　of　this　preference　no　doubt；　although　the　princess　did　not

recognise　it　as　such；　was；　that　the　moment　she　got　into　it；　she

recovered　the　natural　right　of　which　she　had　been　so　wickedly

deprivednamely；　gravity。　　Whether　this　was　owing　to　the　fact　that

water　had　been　employed　as　the　means　of　conveying　the　injury；　I　do

not　know。　　But　it　is　certain　that　she　could　swim　and　dive　like　the

duck　that　her　old　nurse　said　she　was。　　The　manner　in　which　this

alleviation　of　her　misfortune　was　discovered　was　as　follows。



One　summer　evening；　during　the　carnival　of　the　country；　she　had

been　taken　upon　the　lake　by　the　king　and　queen；　in　the　royal　barge。

They　were　accompanied　by　many　of　the　courtiers　in　a　fleet　of　little

boats。　　In　the　middle　of　the　lake　she　wanted　to　get　into　the　lord

chancellor's　barge；　for　his　daughter；　who　was　a　great　favourite

with　her；　was　in　it　with　her　father。　　Now　though　the　old　king　rarely

condescended　to　make　light　of　his　misfortune；　yet；　Happening　on

this　occasion　to　be　in　a　particularly　good　humour；　as　the　barges

approached　each　other；　he　caught　up　the　princess　to　throw　her　into

the　chancellor's　barge。　　He　lost　his　balance；　however；　and；　dropping

into　the　bottom　of　the　barge；　lost　his　hold　of　his　daughter；　not；

however；　before　imparting　to　her　the　downward　tendency　of　his　own

person；　though　in　a　somewhat　different　direction；　for；　as　the　king

fell　into　the　boat；　she　fell　into　the　water。　　With　a　burst　of

delighted　laughter　she　disappeared　in　the　lake。　　A　cry　of　horror

ascended　from　the　boats。　　They　had　never　seen　the　princess　go　down

before。　　Half　the　men　were　under　water　in　a　moment；　but　they　had

all；　one　after　another；　come　up　to　the　surface　again　for　breath；

whentinkle；　tinkle；　babble；　and　gush！　came　the　princess's　laugh

over　the　water　from　far　away。　　There　she　was；　swimming　like　a　swan。

Nor　would　she　come　out　for　king　or　queen；　chancellor　or　daughter。

She　was　perfectly　obstinate。



But　at　the　same　time　she　seemed　more　sedate　than　usual。　　Perhaps

that　was　because　a　great　pleasure　spoils　laughing。　　At　all　events；

after　this；　the　passion　of　her　life　was　to　get　into　the　water；　and

she　was　always　the　better　behaved　and　the　more　beautiful　the　more

she　had　of　it。　　Summer　and　winter　it　was　quite　the　same；　only　she

could　not　stay　so　long　in　the　water　when　they　had　to　break　the　ice

to　let　her　in。　　Any　day；　from　morning　till　evening　in　summer；　she

might　be　descrieda　streak　of　white　in　the　blue　waterlying　as

still　as　the　shadow　of　a　cloud；　or　shooting　along　like　a　dolphin；

disappearing；　and　coming　up　again　far　off；　just　where　one　did　not

expect　her。　　She　would　have　been　in　the　lake　of　a　night；　too；　if　she

could　have　had　her　way；　for　the　balcony　of　her　window　overhung　a

deep　pool　in　it；　and　through　a　shallow　reedy　passage　she　could　have

swum　out　into　the　wide　wet　water；　and　no　one　would　have　been　any

the　wiser。　　Indeed；　when　she　happened　to　wake　in　the　moonlight　she

could　hardly　resist　the　temptation。　　But　there　was　the　sad

difficulty　of　getting　into　it。　　She　had　as　great　a　dread　of　the　air

as　some　children　have　of　the　water。　　For　the　slightest　gust　of　wind

would　blow　her　away；　and　a　gust　might　arise　in　the　stillest　moment。

And　if　she　gave　herself　a　push　towards　the　water　and　just　failed　of

reaching　it；　her　situation　would　be　dreadfully　awkward；

irrespective　of　the　wind；　for　at　best　there　she　would　have　to

remain；　suspended　in　her　nightgown；　till　she　was　seen　and　angled

for　by　someone　from　the　window。



〃Oh！　if　I　had　my　gravity；〃　thought　she；　contemplating　the　water；　〃I

would　flash　off　this　balcony　like　a　long　white　sea…bird；　headlong

into　the　darling　wetness。　　Heigh…ho！〃



This　was　the　only　consideration　that　made　her　wish　to　be　like　other

people。



Another　reason　for　her　being　fond　of　the　water　was　that　in　it　alone

she　enjoyed　any　freedom。　　For　she　could　not　walk　out　without　a

cortege；　consisting　in　part　of　a　troop　of　light　horse；　for　fear　of

the　liberties　which　the　wind　might　take　with　her。　　And　the　king　grew

more　apprehensive　with　increasing　years；　till　at　last　he　would　not

allow　her　to　walk　abroad　at　all　without　some　twenty　silken　cords

fastened　to　as　many　parts　of　her　dress；　and　held　by　twenty

noblemen。　　Of　course　horseback　was　out　of　the　question。　　But　she　bade

good…by　to　all　this　ceremony　when　she　got　into　the　water。



And　so　remarkable　were　its　effects　upon　her；　especially　in

restoring　her　for　the　time　to　the　ordinary　human　gravity；　that

Hum…Drum　and　Kopy…Keck　agreed　in　recommending　the　king　to　bury　her

alive　for　three　years；　in　the　hope　that；　as　the　water　did　her　so

much　good；　the　earth　would　do　her　yet　more。　　But　the　king　had　some

vulgar　prejudices　against　the　experiment；　and　would　not　give　his

consent。　　Foiled　in　this；　they　yet　agreed　in　another　recommendation；

which；　seeing　that　one　imported　his　opinions　from　China　and　the

other　from　Thibet；　was　very　remarkable　indeed。　　They　argued　that；　if

water　of　external　origin　and　application　could　be　so　efficacious；

water　from　a　deeper　source　might　work　a　perfect　cure；　in　short；

that　if　the　poor　afflicted　princess　could　by　any　means　be　made　to

cry；　she　might　recover　her　lost　gravity。



But　how　was　this　to　be　brought　about？　　Therein　lay　all　the

difficultyto　meet　which　the　philosophers　were　not　wise　enough。　　To

make　the　princess　cry　was　as　impossible　as　to　make　her　weigh。　　They

sent　for　a　professional　beggar；　commanded　him　to　prepare　his　most

touching　oracle　of　woe；　helped　him　out　of　the　court　charade　box；　to

whatever　he　wanted　for　dressing　up；　and　promised　great　rewards　in

the　event　of　his　success。　　But　it　was　all　in　vain。　　She　listened　to

the　mendicant　artist's　story；　and　gazed　at　his　marvellous　make　up；

till　she　could　contain　herself　no　longer；　and　went　into　the　most

undignified　contortions　for　relief；　shrieking；　positively

screeching　with　laughter。



When　she　had　a　little　recovered　herself；　she　ordered　her　attendants

to　drive　him　away；　and　not　give　him　a　single　copper；　whereupon　his

look　of　mortified　discomfiture　wrought　her　punishment　and　his

revenge；　for　it　sent　her　into　violent　hysterics；　from　which　she　was

with　difficulty　recovered。



But　so　anxious　was　the　king　that　the　suggestion　should　have　a　fair

trial；　that　he　put　himself　in　a　rage　one　day；　and；　rushing　up　to

her　room；　gave　her　an　awful　whipping。　　Yet　not　a　tear　would　flow。

She　looked　grave；　and　her　laughing　sounded　uncommonly　like

screamingthat　was　all。　　The　good　old　tyrant；　though　he　put　on　his

best　gold　spectacles　to　look；　could　not　discover　the　smallest　cloud

in　the　serene　blue　of　her　eyes。







9。　　Put　Me　in　Again。





It　must　have　been　about　this　time　that　the　son　of　a　king；　who　lived

a　thousand　miles　from　Lagobel　set　out　to　look　for　the　daughter　of

a　queen。　　He　travelled　far　and　wide；　but　as　sure　as　he　found　a

princess；　he　found　some　fault　in　her。　　Of　course　he　could　not　marry

a　mere　woman；　however　beautiful；　and　there　was　no　princess　to　be

found　worthy　of　him。　　Whether　the　prince　was　so　near　perfection　that

he　had　a　right　to　demand　perfection　itself；　I　cannot　pretend　to

say。　　All　I　know　is；　that　he　was　a　fine；　handsome；　brave；　generous；

well…bred；　and　well…behaved　youth；　as　all　princes　are。



In　his　wanderings　he　had　come　across　some　reports　about　our


princess；　but　as　everybody　said　she　was　bewitched；　he　never　dreamed

that　she　could　bewitch　him。　　For　what　indeed　could　a　prince　do　with

a　princess　that　had　lost　her　gravity？　　Who　could　tell　what　she　might

not　lose　next？　　She　might　lose　her　visibility；　or　her　tangibility；

or；　in　short；　the　power　of　making　impressions　upon　the　radical

sensorium；　so　that　he　should　never　be　able　to　tell　whether　she　was

dead　or　alive。　　Of　course　he　made　no　further　inquiries　about　her。

One　day　he　lost　sight　of　his　retinue　in　a　great　forest。　　These

forests　are　very　useful　in　delivering　princes　from　their　courtiers；

like　a　sieve　that　keeps　back　the　bran。　　Then　the　princes　get　away　to

follow　their　fortunes。　　In　this　way　they　have　the　advantage　of　the

princesses；　who　are　forced　to　marry　before　they　have　had　a　bit　of

fun。　　I　wish　our　princesses　got　lost　in　a　forest　sometimes。



One　lovely　evening；　after　wandering　about　for　many　days；　he　found

that　he　was　approaching　the　outskirts　of　this　forest；　for　the　trees

had　got　so　thin　that　he　could　see　the　sunset　through　them；　and　he

soon　came　upon　a　kind　of　heath。　　Next　he　came　upon　signs　of　human

neighbourhood；　but　by　this　time　it　was　getting　late；　and　there　was

nobody　in　the　fields　to　direct　him。



After　travelling　for　another　hour；　his　horse；　quite　worn　out　with

long　labour　and　lack　of　food；　fell；　and　was　unable　to　rise　again。

So　he　continued　his　journey　on　foot。　　At　length　he　entered　another

woodnot　a　wild　forest；　but　a　civilized　wood；　through　which　a

footpath　led　him　to　the　side　of　a　lake。　　Along　this　path　the　prince

pursued　his　way　through　the　gathering　darkness。　　Suddenly　he　paused；

and　listened。　　Strange　sounds　came　across　the　water。　　It　was；　in

fact；　the　princess　laughing。　　Now　there　was　something　odd　in　her

laugh；　as　I　have　already　hinted；　for　the　hatching　of　a　real　hearty

laugh　requires　the　incubation　of　gravity；　and　perhaps　this　was　how

the　prince　mistook　the　laughter　for　screaming。　　Looking　over　the

lake；　he　saw　something　white　in　the　water；　and；　in　an　instant；　he

had　torn　off　his　tunic；　kicked　off　his　sandals；　and　plunged　in。　　He

soon　reached　the　white　object；　and　found　that　it　was　a　woman。　　There

was　not　light　enough　to　show　that　she　was　a　princess；　but　quite

enough　to　show　that　she　was　a　lady；　for　it　does　not　want　much　li