21-the wonderful sheep-第3节

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！



had　known　as　long　as　I　could　remember；　and　whose　ugliness

had　always　horrified　me。　She　was　leaning　upon　the

arm　of　a　most　beautiful　young　girl；　who　wore　chains　of

gold　on　her　wrists　and　was　evidently　her　slave。



〃‘Why；　Ragotte；'　I　said；　for　that　was　the　fairy's　name；

‘what　is　the　meaning　of　all　this？　Is　it　by　your　orders

that　I　am　here？'



〃‘And　whose　fault　is　it；'　she　answered；　‘that　you　have

never　understood　me　until　now？　Must　a　powerful　fairy

like　myself　condescend　to　explain　her　doings　to　you　who

are　no　better　than　an　ant　by　comparison；　though　you

think　yourself　a　great　king？'



〃‘Call　me　what　you　like；'　I　said　impatiently；　‘but

what　is　it　that　you　wantmy　crown；　or　my　cities；　or　my

treasures？'



〃‘Treasures！'　said　the　fairy；　disdainfully。　‘If　I　chose

I　could　make　any　one　of　my　scullions　richer　and　more

powerful　than　you。　I　do　not　want　your　treasures；　but；'

she　added　softly；　‘if　you　will　give　me　your　heartif　you

will　marry　meI　will　add　twenty　kingdoms　to　the　one

you　have　already；　you　shall　have　a　hundred　castles　full　of

gold　and　five　hundred　full　of　silver；　and；　in　short；

anything　you　like　to　ask　me　for。'



〃‘Madam　Ragotte；'　said　I；　‘when　one　is　at　the　bottom

of　a　pit　where　one　has　fully　expected　to　be　roasted　alive；

it　is　impossible　to　think　of　asking　such　a　charming　per…

son　as　you　are　to　marry　one！　I　beg　that　you　will　set　me

at　liberty；　and　then　I　shall　hope　to　answer　you　fittingly。'



〃‘Ah！'　said　she；　‘if　you　really　loved　me　you　would　not

care　where　you　werea　cave；　a　wood；　a　fox…hole；　a

desert；　would　please　you　equally　well。　Do　not　think

that　you　can　deceive　me；　you　fancy　you　are　going　to

escape；　but　I　assure　you　that　you　are　going　to　stay　here

and　the　first　thing　I　shall　give　you　to　do　will　be　to　keep　my

sheepthey　are　very　good　company　and　speak　quite　as

well　as　you　do。



〃As　she　spoke　she　advanced；　and　led　me　to　this　plain

where　we　now　stand；　and　showed　me　her　flock；　but　I　paid

little　attention　to　it　or　to　her。



〃To　tell　the　truth；　I　was　so　lost　in　admiration　of　her

beautiful　slave　that　I　forgot　everything　else；　and　the

cruel　Ragotte；　perceiving　this；　turned　upon　her　so　furious

and　terrible　a　look　that　she　fell　lifeless　to　the　ground。



〃At　this　dreadful　sight　I　drew　my　sword　and　rushed　at

Ragotte；　and　should　certainly　have　cut　off　her　head　had

she　not　by　her　magic　arts　chained　me　to　the　spot　on

which　I　stood；　all　my　efforts　to　move　were　useless；　and

at　last；　when　I　threw　myself　down　on　the　ground　in

despair；　she　said　to　me；　with　a　scornful　smile：



〃‘I　intend　to　make　you　feel　my　power。　It　seems　that

you　are　a　lion　at　present；　I　mean　you　to　be　a　sheep。'



〃So　saying；　she　touched　me　with　her　wand；　and　I

became　what　you　see。　I　did　not　lose　the　power　of　speech；

or　of　feeling　the　misery　of　my　present　state。



〃‘For　five　years；'　she　said；　‘you　shall　be　a　sheep；　and

lord　of　this　pleasant　land；　while　I；　no　longer　able　to　see

your　face；　which　I　loved　so　much；　shall　be　better　able　to

hate　you　as　you　deserve　to　be　hated。'



〃She　disappeared　as　she　finished　speaking；　and　if　I　had

not　been　too　unhappy　to　care　about　anything　I　should

have　been　glad　that　she　was　gone。



〃The　talking　sheep　received　me　as　their　king；　and　told

me　that　they；　too；　were　unfortunate　princes　who　had；　in

different　ways；　offended　the　revengeful　fairy；　and　had

been　added　to　her　flock　for　a　certain　number　of　years；

some　more；　some　less。　From　time　to　time；　indeed；　one

regains　his　own　proper　form　and　goes　back　again　to　his

place　in　the　upper　world；　but　the　other　beings　whom　you

saw　are　the　rivals　or　the　enemies　of　Ragotte；　whom　she　has

imprisoned　for　a　hundred　years　or　so；　though　even　they

will　go　back　at　last。　The　young　slave　of　whom　I　told

you　about　is　one　of　these；　I　have　seen　her　often；　and　it

has　been　a　great　pleasure　to　me。　She　never　speaks　to

me；　and　if　I　were　nearer　to　her　I　know　I　should　find　her

only　a　shadow；　which　would　be　very　annoying。　However；

I　noticed　that　one　of　my　companions　in　misfortune

was　also　very　attentive　to　this　little　sprite；　and　I　found　out

that　he　had　been　her　lover；　whom　the　cruel　Ragotte　had

taken　away　from　her　long　before；　since　then　I　have　cared

for；　and　thought　of；　nothing　but　how　I　might　regain　my

freedom。　I　have　often　been　in　the　forest；　that　is　where

I　have　seen　you；　lovely　Princess；　sometimes　driving　your

chariot；　which　you　did　with　all　the　grace　and　skill　in　the

world；　sometimes　riding　to　the　chase　on　so　spirited　a

horse　that　it　seemed　as　if　no　one　but　yourself　could　have

managed　it；　and　sometimes　running　races　on　the　plain

with　the　Princesses　of　your　Courtrunning　so　lightly

that　it　was　you　always　who　won　the　prize。　Oh！　Princess；

I　have　loved　you　so　long；　and　yet　how　dare　I　tell　you　of

my　love！　what　hope　can　there　be　for　an　unhappy　sheep

like　myself？〃



Miranda　was　so　surprised　and　confused　by　all　that　she

had　heard　that　she　hardly　knew　what　answer　to　give　to

the　King　of　the　Sheep；　but　she　managed　to　make　some

kind　of　little　speech；　which　certainly　did　not　forbid　him

to　hope；　and　said　that　she　should　not　be　afraid　of　the

shadows　now　she　knew　that　they　would　some　day　come

to　life　again。　〃Alas！〃　she　continued；　〃if　my　poor

Patypata；　my　dear　Grabugeon；　and　pretty　little　Tintin；　who

all　died　for　my　sake；　were　equally　well　off；　I　should　have

nothing　left　to　wish　for　here！〃



Prisoner　though　he　was；　the　King　of　the　Sheep　had

still　some　powers　and　privileges。



〃Go；〃　said　he　to　his　Master　of　the　Horse；　〃go　and

seek　the　shadows　of　the　little　black　girl；　the　monkey；　and

the　dog：　they　will　amuse　our　Princess。〃



And　an　instant　afterward　Miranda　saw　them　coming

toward　her；　and　their　presence　gave　her　the　greatest

pleasure；　though　they　did　not　come　near　enough　for　her

to　touch　them。



The　King　of　the　Sheep　was　so　kind　and　amusing；　and

loved　Miranda　so　dearly；　that　at　last　she　began　to　love

him　too。　Such　a　handsome　sheep；　who　was　so　polite

and　considerate；　could　hardly　fail　to　please；　especially

if　one　knew　that　he　was　really　a　king；　and　that　his　strange

imprisonment　would　soon　come　to　an　end。　So　the　Princess's

days　passed　very　gaily　while　she　waited　for　the

happy　time　to　come。　The　King　of　the　Sheep；　with　the

help　of　all　the　flock；　got　up　balls；　concerts；　and　hunting

parties；　and　even　the　shadows　joined　in　all　the　fun；　and

came；　making　believe　to　be　their　own　real　selves。



One　evening；　when　the　couriers　arrived　（for　the　King

sent　most　carefully　for　newsand　they　always　brought

the　very　best　kinds）；　it　was　announced　that　the　sister　of

the　Princess　Miranda　was　going　to　be　married　to　a　great

Prince；　and　that　nothing　could　be　more　splendid　than　all

the　preparations　for　the　wedding。



〃Ah！〃　cried　the　young　Princess；　〃how　unlucky　I　am

to　miss　the　sight　of　so　many　pretty　things！　Here　am　I

imprisoned　under　the　earth；　with　no　company　but　sheep

and　shadows；　while　my　sister　is　to　be　adorned　like　a

queen　and　surrounded　by　all　who　love　and　admire　her；

and　everyone　but　myself　can　go　to　wish　her　joy！〃



〃Why　do　you　complain；　Princess？〃　said　the　King　of

the　Sheep。　〃Did　I　say　that　you　were　not　to　go　to　the

wedding？　Set　out　as　soon　as　you　please；　only　promise

me　that　you　will　come　back；　for　I　love　you　too　much　to

be　able　to　live　without　you。〃



Miranda　was　very　grateful　to　him；　and　promised

faithfully　that　nothing　in　the　world　should　keep　her　from

coming　back。　The　King　caused　an　escort　suitable　to　her

rank　to　be　got　ready　for　her；　and　she　dressed　herself

splendidly；　not　forgetting　anything　that　could　make　her

more　beautiful。　Her　chariot　was　of　mother…of…pearl；

drawn　by　six　dun…colored　griffins　just　brought　from　the

other　side　of　the　world；　and　she　was　attended　by　a

number　of　guards　in　splendid　uniforms；　who　were　all　at　least

eight　feet　high　and　had　come　from　far　and　near　to　ride

in　the　Princess's　train。



Miranda　reached　her　father's　palace　just　as　the

wedding　ceremony　began；　and　everyone；　as　soon　as　she　came

in；　was　struck　with　surprise　at　her　beauty　and　the

splendor　of　her　jewels。　She　heard　exclamations　of

admiration　on　all　sides；　and　the　King　her　father　looked　at

her　so　attentively　that　she　was　afraid　he　must　recognize

her；　but　he　was　so　sure　that　she　was　dead　that　the　idea

never　occurred　to　him。



However；　the　fear　of　not　getting　away　made　her　leave

before　the　marriage　was　over。　She　went　out　hastily；

leaving　behind　her　a　little　coral　casket　set　with　emeralds。

On　it　was　written　in　diamond　letters：　〃Jewels　for　the

Bride；〃　and　when　they　opened　it；　which　they　did　as　soon

as　it　was　found；　there　seemed　to　be　no　end　to　the　pretty

things　it　contained。　The　King；　who　had　hoped　to　join

the　unknown　Princess　and　find　out　who　she　was；　was

dreadfully　disappointed　when　she　disappeared　so

suddenly；　and　gave　orders　that　if　she　ever　came　again　the

doors　were　to　be　shut　that　she　might　not　get　away　so

easily。　Short　as　Miranda's　absence