21-the wonderful sheep-第3章

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As　she　spoke　a　band　of　lovely　fairies　came　up　and

offered　her　amber　baskets　full　of　fruit；　but　when　she　held

out　her　hands　to　them　they　glided　away；　and　she　could

feel　nothing　when　she　tried　to　touch　them。



〃Oh！〃　she　cried；　〃what　can　they　be？　Whom　am　I

with？〃　and　she　began　to　cry。



At　this　instant　the　King　of　the　Sheep　came　back　to

her；　and　was　so　distracted　to　find　her　in　tears　that　he

could　have　torn　his　wool。



〃What　is　the　matter；　lovely　Princess？〃　he　cried。　〃Has

anyone　failed　to　treat　you　with　due　respect？〃



〃Oh！　no；〃　said　Miranda；　〃only　I　am　not　used　to　living

with　sprites　and　with　sheep　that　talk；　and　everything

here　frightens　me。　It　was　very　kind　of　you　to　bring

me　to　this　place；　but　I　shall　be　even　more　grateful　to　you

if　you　will　take　me　up　into　the　world　again。〃



〃Do　not　be　afraid；〃　said　the　Wonderful　Sheep；　〃I

entreat　you　to　have　patience；　and　listen　to　the　story　of

my　misfortunes。　I　was　once　a　king；　and　my　kingdom

was　the　most　splendid　in　the　world。　My　subjects　loved

me；　my　neighbors　envied　and　feared　me。　I　was　respected

by　everyone；　and　it　was　said　that　no　king　ever

deserved　it　more。



〃I　was　very　fond　of　hunting；　and　one　day；　while　chasing

a　stag；　I　left　my　attendants　far　behind；　suddenly　I

saw　the　animal　leap　into　a　pool　of　water；　and　I　rashly

urged　my　horse　to　follow　it；　but　before　we　had　gone　many

steps　I　felt　an　extraordinary　heat；　instead　of　the　coolness

of　the　water；　the　pond　dried　up；　a　great　gulf　opened

before　me；　out　of　which　flames　of　fire　shot　up；　and　I　fell

helplessly　to　the　bottom　of　a　precipice。



〃I　gave　myself　up　for　lost；　but　presently　a　voice　said：

‘Ungrateful　Prince；　even　this　fire　is　hardly　enough　to

warm　your　cold　heart！'



〃‘Who　complains　of　my　coldness　in　this　dismal　place？'

I　cried。



〃‘An　unhappy　being　who　loves　you　hopelessly；'

replied　the　voice；　and　at　the　same　moment　the　flames　began

to　flicker　and　cease　to　burn；　and　I　saw　a　fairy；　whom　I

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　considerat