the little lame prince-第26章

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nted。〃

〃Madam；〃　replied　the　king；　〃if　you　are　a　fairy；　you　must　know；　without　my　telling　you；　the　wish　of　my　heart。　I　have　one　well…beloved　son；　Prince　Cherry：　whatever　kindly　feeling　you　have　toward　me；　extend　it　to　him。〃

〃Willingly；〃　said　Candide。　〃I　will　make　him　the　handsomest；　richest；　or　most　powerful　prince　in　the　world：　choose　whichever　you　desire　for　him。〃

〃None　of　the　three；〃　returned　the　father。　〃I　only　wish　him　to　be　goodthe　best　prince　in　the　whole　world。　Of　what　use　would　riches；　power；　or　beauty　be　to　him　if　he　were　a　bad　man？〃

〃You　are　right；〃　said　the　fairy；　〃but　I　can　not　make　him　good：　he　must　do　that　himself。　I　can　only　change　his　external　fortunes；　for　his　personal　character；　the　utmost　I　can　promise　is　to　give　him　good　counsel；　reprove　him　for　his　faults；　and　even　punish　him；　if　he　will　not　punish　himself。　You　mortals　can　do　the　same　with　your　children。〃

〃Ah；　yes！〃　said　the　king；　sighing。　Still；　he　felt　that　the　kindness　of　a　fairy　was　something　gained　for　his　son；　and　died　not　long　after；　content　and　at　peace。

Prince　Cherry　mourned　deeply；　for　he　dearly　loved　his　father；　and　would　have　gladly　given　all　his　kingdoms　and　treasures　to　keep　him　in　life　a　little　longer。　Two　days　after　the　Good　King　was　no　more；　Prince　Cherry　was　sleeping　in　his　chamber；　when　he　saw　the　same　dazzling　vision　of　the　fairy　Candide。

〃I　promised　your　father；〃　said　she；　〃to　be　your　best　friend；　and　in　pledge　of　this　take　what　I　now　give　you；〃　and　she　placed　a　small　gold　ring　upon　his　finger。　〃Poor　as　it　looks；　it　is　more　precious　than　diamonds；　for　whenever　you　do　ill　it　will　prick　your　finger。　If；　after　that　warning；　you　still　continue　in　evil；　you　will　lose　my　friendship；　and　I　shall　become　your　direst　enemy。〃'

So　saying；　she　disappeared；　leaving　Cherry　in　such　amazement　that　he　would　have　believed　it　all　a　dream；　save　for　the　ring　on　his　finger。

He　was　for　a　long　time　so　good　that　the　ring　never　pricked　him　at　all；　and　this　made　him　so　cheerful　and　pleasant　in　his　humor　that　everybody　called　him　〃Happy　Prince　Cherry。〃　But　one　unlucky　day　he　was　out　hunting　and　found　no　sport；　which　vexed　him　so　much　that　he　showed　his　ill　temper　by　his　looks　and　ways。　He　fancied　his　ring　felt　very　tight　and　uncomfortable；　but　as　it　did　not　prick　him　he　took　no　heed　of　this：　until；　re…entering　his　palace；　his　little　pet　dog；　Bibi；　jumped　up　upon　him　and　was　sharply　told　to　get　away。　The　creature；　accustomed　to　nothing　but　caresses；　tried　to　attract　his　attention　by　pulling　at　his　garments；　when　Prince　Cherry　turned　and　gave　it　a　severe　kick。　At　this　moment　he　felt　in　his　finger　a　prick　like　a　pin。

〃What　nonsense！〃　said　he　to　himself。　〃The　fairy　must　be　making　game　of　me。　Why；　what　great　evil　have　I　done！　I；　the　master　of　a　great　empire；　cannot　I　kick　my　own　dog？〃

A　voice　replied；　or　else　Prince　Cherry　imagined　it；　〃No；　sire；　the　master　of　a　great　empire　has　a　right　to　do　good；　but　not　evil。　Ia　fairyam　as　much　above　you　as　you　are　above　your　dog。　I　might　punish　you；　kill　you；　if　I　chose；　but　I　prefer　leaving　you　to　amend　your　ways。　You　have　been　guilty　of　three　faults　todaybad　temper；　passion；　cruelty：　do　better　to…morrow。〃

The　prince　promised；　and　kept　his　word　a　while；　but　he　had　been　brought　up　by　a　foolish　nurse；　who　indulged　him　in　every　way　and　was　always　telling　him　that　he　would　be　a　king　one　day；　when　he　might　do　as　he　liked　in　all　things。　He　found　out　now　that　even　a　king　cannot　always　do　that；　it　vexed　him　and　made　him　angry。　His　ring　began　to　prick　him　so　often　that　his　little　finger　was　continually　bleeding。　He　disliked　this；　as　was　natural；　and　soon　began　to　consider　whether　it　would　not　be　easier　to　throw　the　ring　away　altogether　than　to　be　constantly　annoyed　by　it。　It　was　such　a　queer　thing　for　a　king　to　have　a　spot　of　blood　on　his　finger！　At　last；　unable　to　put　up　with　it　any　more；　he　took　his　ring　off　and　hid　it　where　he　would　never　see　it；　and　believed　himself　the　happiest　of　men；　for　he　could　now　do　exactly　what　he　liked。　He　did　it；　and　became　every　day　more　and　more　miserable。

One　day　he　saw　a　young　girl；　so　beautiful　that；　being　always　accustomed　to　have　his　own　way；　he　immediately　determined　to　espouse　her。　He　never　doubted　that　she　would　be　only　too　glad　to　be　made　a　queen；　for　she　was　very　poor。　But　Zeliathat　was　her　nameanswered；　to　his　great　astonishment；　that　she　would　rather　not　marry　him。

〃Do　I　displease　you？〃　asked　the　prince；　into　whose　mind　it　had　never　entered　that　he　could　displease　anybody。

〃Not　at　all；　my　prince；〃　said　the　honest　peasant　maiden。　〃You　are　very　handsome；　very　charming；　but　you　are　not　like　your　father　the　Good　King。　I　will　not　be　your　queen；　for　you　would　make　me　miserable。〃

At　these　words　the　prince's　love　seemed　all　to　turn　to　hatred：　he　gave　orders　to　his　guards　to　convey　Zelia　to　a　prison　near　the　palace；　and　then　took　counsel　with　his　foster　brother；　the　one　of　all　his　ill　companions　who　most　incited　him　to　do　wrong。

〃Sir；〃　said　this　man；　〃if　I　were　in　your　majesty's　place；　I　would　never　vex　myself　about　a　poor　silly　girl。　Feed　her　on　bread　and　water　till　she　comes　to　her　senses；　and　if　she　still　refuses　you；　let　her　die　in　torment；　as　a　warning　to　your　other　subjects　should　they　venture　to　dispute　your　will。　You　will　be　disgraced　should　you　suffer　yourself　to　be　conquered　by　a　simple　girl。〃

〃But；〃　said　Prince　Cherry；　〃shall　I　not　be　disgraced　if　I　harm　a　creature　so　perfectly　innocent？〃

〃No　one　is　innocent　who　disputes　your　majesty's　authority；〃　said　the　courtier；　bowing；　〃and　it　is　better　to　commit　an　injustice　than　allow　it　to　be　supposed　you　can　ever　be　contradicted　with　impunity。〃

This　touched　Cherry　on　his　weak　pointhis　good　impulses　faded；　he　resolved　once　more　to　ask　Zelia　if　she　would　marry　him；　and　if　she　again　refused；　to　sell　her　as　a　slave。　Arrived　at　the　cell　in　which　she　was　confined；　what　was　his　astonishment　to　find　her　gone！　He　knew　not　whom　to　accuse；　for　he　had　kept　the　key　in　his　pocket　the　whole　time。　At　last；　the　foster…　brother　suggested　that　the　escape　of　Zelia　might　have　been　contrived　by　an　old　man；　Suliman　by　name；　the　prince's　former　tutor；　who　was　the　only　one　who　now　ventured　to　blame　him　for　anything　that　he　did。　Cherry　sent　immediately；　and　ordered　his　old　friend　to　be　brought　to　him；　loaded　heavily　with　irons。　Then；　full　of　fury；　he　went　and　shut　himself　up　in　his　own　chamber；　where　he　went　raging　to　and　fro；　till　startled　by　a　noise　like　a　clap　of　thunder。　The　fairy　Candide　stood　before　him。

〃Prince；〃　said　she；　in　a　severe　voice；　〃I　promised　your　father　to　give　you　good　counsels　and　to　punish　you　if　you　refused　to　follow　them。　My　counsels　were　forgotten；　my　punishment　despised。　Under　the　figure　of　a　man；　you　have　been　no　better　than　the　beasts　you　chase：　like　a　lion　in　fury；　a　wolf　in　gluttony；　a　serpent　in　revenge；　and　a　bull　in　brutality。　Take；　therefore；　in　your　new　form　the　likeness　of　all　these　animals。〃

Scarcely　had　Prince　Cherry　heard　these　words　than　to　his　horror　he　found　himself　transformed　into　what　the　Fairy　had　named。　He　was　a　creature　with　the　head　of　a　lion；　the　horns　of　a　bull；　the　feet　of　a　wolf；　and　the　tail　of　a　serpent。　At　the　same　time　he　felt　himself　transported　to　a　distant　forest；　where；　standing　on　the　bank　of　a　stream；　he　saw　reflected　in　the　water　his　own　frightful　shape；　and　heard　a　voice　saying：

〃Look　at　thyself；　and　know　thy　soul　has　become　a　thousand　times　uglier　even　than　thy　body。〃

Cherry　recognized　the　voice　of　Candide；　and　in　his　rage　would　have　sprung　upon　her　and　devoured　her；　but　he　saw　nothing　and　the　same　voice　said　behind　him：

〃Cease　thy　feeble　fury；　and　learn　to　conquer　thy　pride　by　being　in　submission　to　thine　own　subjects。〃

Hearing　no　more；　he　soon　quitted　the　stream；　hoping　at　least　to　get　rid　of　the　sight　of　himself；　but　he　had　scarcely　gone　twenty　paces　when　he　tumbled　into　a　pitfall　that　was　laid　to　catch　bears；　the　bear…hunters；　descending　from　some　trees　hard　by；　caught　him；　chained　him；　and　only　too　delighted　to　get　hold　of　such　a　curious…　looking　animal；　led　him　along　with　them　to　the　capital　of　his　own　kingdom。

There　great　rejoicings　were　taking　place；　and　the　bear…hunters；　asking　what　it　was　all　about；　were　told　that　it　was　because　P