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小说: 14-graciosa and percinet 字数: 每页4000字

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room; where the crystal walls were covered with pictures; and the

Princess saw with great surprise that her own history was repre…

sented; even down to the moment when Percinet found her in the

forest。



‘Your painters must indeed be diligent;' she said; pointing out

the last picture to the Prince。



‘They are obliged to be; for I will not have anything forgotten

that happens to you;' he answered。



When the Princess grew sleepy; twenty…four charming maidens

put her to bed in the prettiest room she had ever seen; and then

sang to her so sweetly that Graciosa's dreams were all of mermaids;

and cool sea waves; and caverns; in which she wandered with

Percinet; but when she woke up again her first thought was that;

delightful as this fairy palace seemed to her; yet she could not stay

in it; but must go back to her father。 When she had been dressed

by the four…and…twenty maidens in a charming robe which the

Queen had sent for her; and in which she looked prettier than ever;

Prince Percinet came to see her; and was bitterly disappointed when

she told him what she had been thinking。 He begged her to

consider again how unhappy the wicked Queen would make her; and

how; if she would but marry him; all the fairy palace would be

hers; and his one thought would be to please her。 But; in spite of

everything he could say; the Princess was quite determined to go

back; though he at last persuaded her to stay eight days; which were

so full of pleasure and amusement that they passed like a few

hours。 On the last day; Graciosa; who had often felt anxious to

know what was going on in her father's palace; said to Percinet

that she was sure that he could find out for her; if he would; what

reason the Queen had given her father for her sudden disappearance。

Percinet at first offered to send his courier to find out; but

the Princess said:



‘Oh! isn't there a quicker way of knowing than that?'



‘Very well;' said Percinet; ‘you shall see for yourself。'



So up they went together to the top of a very high tower; which;

like the rest of the castle; was built entirely of rock…crystal。



There the Prince held Graciosa's hand in his; and made her put

the tip of her little finger into her mouth; and look towards the town;

and immediately she saw the wicked Queen go to the King; and

heard her say to him; ‘That miserable Princess is dead; and no

great loss either。 I have ordered that she shall be buried at once。'



And then the Princess saw how she dressed up a log of wood

and had it buried; and how the old King cried; and all the people

murmured that the Queen had killed Graciosa with her cruelties;

and that she ought to have her head cut off。 When the Princess

saw that the King was so sorry for her pretended death that he

could neither eat nor drink; she cried:



‘Ah; Percinet! take me back quickly if you love me。'



And so; though he did not want to at all; he was obliged to

promise that he would let her go。



‘You may not regret me; Princess;' he said sadly; ‘for I fear

that you do not love me well enough; but I foresee that you will

more than once regret that you left this fairy palace where we

have been so happy。'



But; in spite of all he could say; she bade farewell to the Queen;

his mother; and prepared to set out; so Percinet; very unwillingly;

brought the little sledge with the stags and she mounted beside him。

But they had hardly gone twenty yards when a tremendous noise

behind her made Graciosa look back; and she saw the palace of crystal

fly into a million splinters; like the spray of a fountain; and vanish。



‘Oh; Percinet!' she cried; ‘what has happened? The palace is

gone。'



‘Yes;' he answered; ‘my palace is a thing of the past; you will

see it again; but not until after you have been buried。'



‘Now you are angry with me;' said Graciosa in her most coaxing

voice; ‘though after all I am more to be pitied than you are。'



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;

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