28-prince darling-第3章

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people　should　be　silent；　and　said：　〃I　have　accepted　the

crown　you　have　offered　me；　but　only　that　I　may　keep　it

for　Prince　Darling；　who　is　not　dead　as　you　suppose；　the

Fairy　has　assured　me　that　there　is　still　hope　that　you

may　some　day　see　him　again；　good　and　virtuous　as　he

was　when　he　first　came　to　the　throne。　Alas！〃　he

continued；　〃he　was　led　away　by　flatterers。　I　knew　his

heart；　and　am　certain　that　if　it　had　not　been　for　the　bad

influence　of　those　who　surrounded　him　he　would　have

been　a　good　king　and　a　father　to　his　people。　We　may

hate　his　faults；　but　let　us　pity　him　and　hope　for　his

restoration。　As　for　me；　I　would　die　gladly　if　that　could　bring

back　our　Prince　to　reign　justly　and　worthily　once　more。〃



These　words　went　to　Prince　Darling's　heart；　he　realized

the　true　affection　and　faithfulness　of　his　old　tutor；　and

for　the　first　time　reproached　himself　for　all　his　evil

deeds；　at　the　same　instant　he　felt　all　his　anger　melting

away；　and　he　began　quickly　to　think　over　his　past　life；

and　to　admit　that　his　punishment　was　not　more　than

he　had　deserved。　He　left　off　tearing　at　the　iron　bars　of

the　cage　in　which　he　was　shut　up；　and　became　as　gentle

as　a　lamb。



The　hunters　who　had　caught　him　took　him　to　a　great

menagerie；　where　he　was　chained　up　among　all　the　other

wild　beasts；　and　he　determined　to　show　his　sorrow　for

his　past　bad　behavior　by　being　gentle　and　obedient　to　the

man　who　had　to　take　care　of　him。　Unfortunately；　this

man　was　very　rough　and　unkind；　and　though　the　poor

monster　was　quite　quiet；　he　often　beat　him　without

rhyme　or　reason　when　he　happened　to　be　in　a　bad　temper。

One　day　when　this　keeper　was　asleep　a　tiger　broke　its

chain；　and　flew　at　him　to　eat　him　up。　Prince　Darling；

who　saw　what　was　going　on；　at　first　felt　quite　pleased　to

think　that　he　should　be　delivered　from　his　persecutor；

but　soon　thought　better　of　it　and　wished　that　he　were　free。



〃I　would　return　good　for　evil；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃and

save　the　unhappy　man's　life。〃　He　had　hardly　wished

this　when　his　iron　cage　flew　open；　and　he　rushed　to　the

side　of　the　keeper；　who　was　awake　and　was　defending

himself　against　the　tiger。　When　he　saw　the　monster　had

got　out　he　gave　himself　up　for　lost；　but　his　fear　was　soon

changed　into　joy；　for　the　kind　monster　threw　itself　upon

the　tiger　and　very　soon　killed　it；　and　then　came　and

crouched　at　the　feet　of　the　man　it　had　saved。



Overcome　with　gratitude；　the　keeper　stooped　to　caress

the　strange　creature　which　had　done　him　such　a　great

service；　but　suddenly　a　voice　said　in　his　ear：



〃A　good　action　should　never　go　unrewarded；〃　and　at

the　same　instant　the　monster　disappeared；　and　he　saw

at　his　feet　only　a　pretty　little　dog！



Prince　Darling；　delighted　by　the　change；　frisked　about

the　keeper；　showing　his　joy　in　every　way　he　could；　and

the　man；　taking　him　up　in　his　arms；　carried　him　to　the

King；　to　whom　he　told　the　whole　story。



The　Queen　said　she　would　like　to　have　this　wonderful

little　dog；　and　the　Prince　would　have　been　very　happy

in　his　new　home　if　he　could　have　forgotten　that　he　was　a

man　and　a　king。　The　Queen　petted　and　took　care　of

him；　but　she　was　so　afraid　that　he　would　get　too　fat　that

she　consulted　the　court　physician；　who　said　that　he　was

to　be　fed　only　upon　bread；　and　was　not　to　have　much

even　of　that。　So　poor　Prince　Darling　was　terribly

hungry　all　day　long；　but　he　was　very　patient　about　it。



One　day；　when　they　gave　him　his　little　loaf　for　breakfast；

he　thought　he　would　like　to　eat　it　out　in　the　garden；

so　he　took　it　up　in　his　mouth　and　trotted　away　toward　a

brook　that　he　knew　of　a　long　way　from　the　palace。　But

he　was　surprised　to　find　that　the　brook　was　gone；　and

where　it　had　been　stood　a　great　house　that　seemed　to　be

built　of　gold　and　precious　stones。　Numbers　of　people

splendidly　dressed　were　going　into　it；　and　sounds　of

music　and　dancing　and　feasting　could　be　heard　from　the

windows。



But　what　seemed　very　strange　was　that　those　people

who　came　out　of　the　house　were　pale　and　thin；　and　their

clothes　were　torn；　and　hanging　in　rags　about　them。

Some　fell　down　dead　as　they　came　out　before　they　had

time　to　get　away；　others　crawled　farther　with　great

difficulty；　while　others　again　lay　on　the　ground；　fainting

with　hunger；　and　begged　a　morsel　of　bread　from　those

who　were　going　into　the　house；　but　they　would　not　so

much　as　look　at　the　poor　creatures。



Prince　Darling　went　up　to　a　young　girl　who　was　trying

to　eat　a　few　blades　of　grass；　she　was　so　hungry。　Touched

with　compassion；　he　said　to　himself：



〃I　am　very　hungry；　but　I　shall　not　die　of　starvation

before　I　get　my　dinner；　if　I　give　my　breakfast　to　this

poor　creature　perhaps　I　may　save　her　life。〃



So　he　laid　his　piece　of　bread　in　the　girl's　hand；　and　saw

her　eat　it　up　eagerly。



She　soon　seemed　to　be　quite　well　again；　and　the　Prince；

delighted　to　have　been　able　to　help　her；　was　thinking　of

going　home　to　the　palace；　when　he　heard　a　great　outcry；

and；　turning　round；　saw　Celia；　who　was　being　carried

against　her　will　into　the　great　house。



For　the　first　time　the　Prince　regretted　that　he　was　no

longer　the　monster；　then　he　would　have　been　able　to

rescue　Celia；　now　he　could　only　bark　feebly　at　the　people

who　were　carrying　her　off；　and　try　to　follow　them；　but

they　chased　and　kicked　him　away。



He　determined　not　to　quit　the　place　till　he　knew　what

had　become　of　Celia；　and　blamed　himself　for　what　had

befallen　her。



〃Alas！〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃I　am　furious　with　the

people　who　are　carrying　Celia　off；　but　isn't　that　exactly

what　I　did　myself；　and　if　I　had　not　been　prevented　did　I

not　intend　to　be　still　more　cruel　to　her？〃



Here　he　was　interrupted　by　a　noise　above　his　head

someone　was　opening　a　window；　and　he　saw　with　delight

that　it　was　Celia　herself；　who　came　forward　and　threw

out　a　plate　of　most　delicious…looking　food；　then　the

window　was　shut　again；　and　Prince　Darling；　who　had　not

had　anything　to　eat　all　day；　thought　he　might　as　well

take　the　opportunity　of　getting　something。　He　ran

forward　to　begin；　but　the　young　girl　to　whom　he　had

given　his　bread　gave　a　cry　of　terror　and　took　him　up　in

her　arms；　saying：



〃Don't　touch　it；　my　poor　little　dogthat　house　is　the

palace　of　pleasure；　and　everything　that　comes　out　of　it

is　poisoned！〃



At　the　same　moment　a　voice　said：



〃You　see　a　good　action　always　brings　its　reward；〃　and

the　Prince　found　himself　changed　into　a　beautiful　white

dove。　He　remembered　that　white　was　the　favorite

color　of　the　Fairy　Truth；　and　began　to　hope　that　he

might　at　last　win　back　her　favor。　But　just　now　his

first　care　was　for　Celia；　and　rising　into　the　air　he　flew

round　and　round　the　house；　until　he　saw　an　open　window；

but　he　searched　through　every　room　in　vain。　No　trace

of　Celia　was　to　be　seen；　and　the　Prince；　in　despair；

determined　to　search　through　the　world　till　he　found　her。

He　flew　on　and　on　for　several　days；　till　he　came　to　a

great　desert；　where　he　saw　a　cavern；　and；　to　his　delight；

there　sat　Celia；　sharing　the　simple　breakfast　of　an　old

hermit。



Overjoyed　to　have　found　her；　Prince　Darling　perched

upon　her　shoulder；　trying　to　express　by　his　caresses　how

glad　he　was　to　see　her　again；　and　Celia；　surprised　and

delighted　by　the　tameness　of　this　pretty　white　dove；

stroked　it　softly；　and　said；　though　she　never　thought　of

its　understanding　her：



〃I　accept　the　gift　that　you　make　me　of　yourself；　and

I　will　love　you　always。〃



〃Take　care　what　you　are　saying；　Celia；〃　said　the　old

hermit；　〃are　you　prepared　to　keep　that　promise？〃



〃Indeed；　I　hope　so；　my　sweet　shepherdess；〃　cried　the

Prince；　who　was　at　that　moment　restored　to　his　natural

shape。　〃You　promised　to　love　me　always；　tell　me　that

you　really　mean　what　you　said；　or　I　shall　have　to　ask

the　Fairy　to　give　me　back　the　form　of　the　dove　which

pleased　you　so　much。〃



〃You　need　not　be　afraid　that　she　will　change　her

mind；〃　sai