06-the sleeping beauty-第1章

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THE　SLEEPING　BEAUTY　IN　THE　WOOD





THERE　were　formerly　a　king　and　a　queen；　who　were　so

sorry　that　they　had　no　children；　so　sorry　that　it　cannot

be　expressed。　They　went　to　all　the　waters　in　the　world；

vows；　pilgrimages；　all　ways　were　tried；　and　all　to　no

purpose。



At　last；　however；　the　Queen　had　a　daughter。　There　was

a　very　fine　christening；　and　the　Princess　had　for　her　god…

mothers　all　the　fairies　they　could　find　in　the　whole　kingdom

（they　found　seven）；　that　every　one　of　them　might

give　her　a　gift；　as　was　the　custom　of　fairies　in　those　days。

By　this　means　the　Princess　had　all　the　perfections　imaginable。



After　the　ceremonies　of　the　christening　were　over；　all

the　company　returned　to　the　King's　palace；　where　was

prepared　a　great　feast　for　the　fairies。　There　was　placed

before　every　one　of　them　a　magnificent　cover　with　a　case

of　massive　gold；　wherein　were　a　spoon；　knife；　and　fork；　all

of　pure　gold　set　with　diamonds　and　rubies。　But　as　they

were　all　sitting　down　at　table　they　saw　come　into　the　hall

a　very　old　fairy；　whom　they　had　not　invited；　because　it

was　above　fifty　years　since　she　had　been　out　of　a　certain

tower；　and　she　was　believed　to　be　either　dead　or　enchanted。



The　King　ordered　her　a　cover；　but　could　not　furnish　her

with　a　case　of　gold　as　the　others；　because　they　had　only

seven　made　for　the　seven　fairies。　The　old　Fairy　fancied

she　was　slighted；　and　muttered　some　threats　between　her

teeth。　One　of　the　young　fairies　who　sat　by　her　overheard

how　she　grumbled；　and；　judging　that　she　might　give　the

little　Princess　some　unlucky　gift；　went；　as　soon　as　they

rose　from　table；　and　hid　herself　behind　the　hangings；　that

she　might　speak　last；　and　repair；　as　much　as　she　could；　the

evil　which　the　old　Fairy　might　intend。



In　the　meanwhile　all　the　fairies　began　to　give　their　gifts

to　the　Princess。　The　youngest　gave　her　for　gift　that　she

should　be　the　most　beautiful　person　in　the　world；　the

next；　that　she　should　have　the　wit　of　an　angel；　the　third；

that　she　should　have　a　wonderful　grace　in　everything　she

did；　the　fourth；　that　she　should　dance　perfectly　well；　the

fifth；　that　she　should　sing　like　a　nightingale；　and　the

sixth；　that　she　should　play　all　kinds　of　music　to　the

utmost　perfection。



The　old　Fairy's　turn　coming　next；　with　a　head　shaking

more　with　spite　than　age；　she　said　that　the　Princess

should　have　her　hand　pierced　with　a　spindle　and　die　of

the　wound。　This　terrible　gift　made　the　whole　company

tremble；　and　everybody　fell　a…crying。



At　this　very　instant　the　young　Fairy　came　out　from

behind　the　hangings；　and　spake　these　words　aloud：



〃Assure　yourselves；　O　King　and　Queen；　that　your

daughter　shall　not　die　of　this　disaster。　It　is　true；　I　have

no　power　to　undo　entirely　what　my　elder　has　done。　The

Princess　shall　indeed　pierce　her　hand　with　a　spindle；　but；

instead　of　dying；　she　shall　only　fall　into　a　profound　sleep；

which　shall　last　a　hundred　years；　at　the　expiration　of

which　a　king's　son　shall　come　and　awake　her。〃



The　King；　to　avoid　the　misfortune　foretold　by　the　old

Fairy；　caused　immediately　proclamation　to　be　made；

whereby　everybody　was　forbidden；　on　pain　of　death；　to

spin　with　a　distaff　and　spindle；　or　to　have　so　much　as　any

spindle　in　their　houses。　About　fifteen　or　sixteen　years

after；　the　King　and　Queen　being　gone　to　one　of　their　houses

of　pleasure；　the　young　Princess　happened　one　day　to

divert　herself　in　running　up　and　down　the　palace；　when

going　up　from　one　apartment　to　another；　she　came　into

a　little　room　on　the　top　of　the　tower；　where　a　good　old

woman；　alone；　was　spinning　with　her　spindle。　This　good

woman　had　never　heard　of　the　King's　proclamation

against　spindles。



〃What　are　you　doing　there；　goody？〃　said　the　Princess。



〃I　am　spinning；　my　pretty　child；〃　said　the　old　woman；

who　did　not　know　who　she　was。



〃Ha！〃　said　the　Princess；　〃this　is　very　pretty；　how　do

you　do　it？　Give　it　to　me；　that　I　may　see　if　I　can　do　so。〃



She　had　no　sooner　taken　it　into　her　hand　than；　whether

being　very　hasty　at　it；　somewhat　unhandy；　or　that　the

decree　of　the　Fairy　had　so　ordained　it；　it　ran　into　her

hand；　and　she　fell　down　in　a　swoon。



The　good　old　woman；　not　knowing　very　well　what　to　do

in　this　affair；　cried　out　for　help。　People　came　in　from

every　quarter　in　great　numbers；　they　threw　water　upon

the　Princess's　face；　unlaced　her；　struck　her　on　the　palms

of　her　hands；　and　rubbed　her　temples　with　Hungary…

water；　but　nothing　would　bring　her　to　herself。



And　now　the　King；　who　came　up　at　the　noise；　bethought

himself　of　the　prediction　of　the　fairies；　and；　judging　very

well　that　this　must　necessarily　come　to　pass；　since　the

fairies　had　said　it；　caused　the　Princess　to　be　carried　into

the　finest　apartment　in　his　palace；　and　to　be　laid　upon　a

bed　all　embroidered　with　gold　and　silver。



One　would　have　taken　her　for　a　little　angel；　she　was　so

very　beautiful；　for　her　swooning　away　had　not　diminished

one　bit　of　her　complexion；　her　cheeks　were　carnation；　and

her　lips　were　coral；　indeed；　her　eyes　were　shut；　but　she

was　heard　to　breathe　softly；　which　satisfied　those　about

her　that　she　was　not　dead。　The　King　commanded　that

they　should　not　disturb　her；　but　let　her　sleep　quietly　till

her　hour　of　awaking　was　come。



The　good　Fairy　who　had　saved　her　life　by　condemning

her　to　sleep　a　hundred　years　was　in　the　kingdom　of

Matakin；　twelve　thousand　leagues　off；　when　this　accident

befell　the　Princess；　but　she　was　instantly　informed　of　it

by　a　little　dwarf；　who　had　boots　of　seven　leagues；　that　is；

boots　with　which　he　could　tread　over　seven　leagues　of

ground　in　one　stride。　The　Fairy　came　away　immediately；

and　she　arrived；　about　an　hour　after；　in　a　fiery　chariot

drawn　by　dragons。



The　King　handed　her　out　of　the　chariot；　and　she

approved　everything　he　had　done；　but　as　she　had　very　great

foresight；　she　thought　when　the　Princess　should　awake

she　might　not　know　what　to　do　with　herself；　being　all

alone　in　this　old　palace；　and　this　was　what　she　did：　she

touched　with　her　wand　everything　in　the　palace　（except

the　King　and　Queen）governesses；　maids　of　honor；　ladies

of　the　bedchamber；　gentlemen；　officers；　stewards；　cooks；

undercooks；　scullions；　guards；　with　their　beefeaters；

pages；　footmen；　she　likewise　touched　all　the　horses　which

were　in　the　stables；　pads　as　well　as　others；　the　great　dogs

in　the　outward　court　and　pretty　little　Mopsey　too；　the

Princess's　little　spaniel；　which　lay　by　her　on　the　bed。



Immediately　upon　her　touching　them　they　all　fell

asleep；　that　they　might　not　awake　before　their　mistress

and　that　they　might　be　ready　to　wait　upon　her　when　she

wanted　them。　The　very　spits　at　the　fire；　as　full　as　they

could　hold　of　partridges　and　pheasants；　did　fall　asleep

also。　All　this　was　done　in　a　moment。　Fairies　are　not　long

in　doing　their　business。



And　now　the　King　and　the　Queen；　having　kissed　their

dear　child　without　waking　her；　went　out　of　the　palace　and

put　forth　a　proclamation　that　nobody　should　dare　to

come　near　it。



This；　however；　was　not　necessary；　for　in　a　quarter　of　an

hour's　time　there　grew　up　all　round　about　the　park　such

a　vast　number　of　trees；　great　and　small；　bushes　and

brambles；　twining　one　within　another；　that　neither　man

nor　beast　could　pass　through；　so　that　nothing　could　be

seen　but　the　very　top　of　the　towers　of　the　palace；　and

that；　too；　not　unless　it　was　a　good　way　off。　Nobody；

doubted　but　the　Fairy　gave　herein　a　very　extraordinary

sample　of　her　art；　that　the　Princess；　while　she　continued

sleeping；　might　have　nothing　to　fear　from　any　curious

people。



When　a　hundred　years　were　gone　and　passed　the　son　of

the　King　then　reigning；　and　who　was　of　another　family

from　that　of　the　sleeping　Princess；　being　gone　a…hunting

on　that　side　of　the　country；　asked：



What　those　towers　were　which　he　saw　in　the　middle　of

a　great　thick　wood？



Everyone　answered　according　as　they　had　heard。　Some

sa