the little lame prince-第30章

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le　up　he　came　again　with　the　ball　in　his　mouth；　and　threw　it　on　the　grass。　The　king's　daughter　was　overjoyed　when　she　beheld　her　pretty　plaything　again；　picked　it　up；　and　ran　away　with　it。

〃Wait！　wait！〃　cried　the　frog；　〃take　me　with　you。　I　cannot　run　as　fast　as　you。〃

Alas！　of　what　use　was　it　that　he　croaked　after　her　as　loud　as　he　could。　She　would　not　listen　to　him；　but　hastened　home；　and　soon　forgot　the　poor　frog；　who　was　obliged　to　plunge　again　to　the　bottom　of　his　well。

The　next　day；　when　she　was　sitting　at　dinner　with　the　king　and　all　the　courtiers；　eating　from　her　little　gold　plate；　there　came　a　sound　of　something　creeping　up　the　marble　staircasesplish；　splash；　and　when　it　had　reached　the　top；　it　knocked　at　the　door　and　cried；　〃Youngest　king's　daughter；　open　to　me。〃

She　ran；　wishing　to　see　who　was　outside；　but　when　she　opened　the　door　and　there　sat　the　frog；　she　flung　it　hastily　to　again　and　sat　down　at　table；　feeling　very；　very　uncomfortable。　The　king　saw　that　her　heart　was　beating　violently；　and　said；　〃How；　my　child；　why　are　you　afraid？　Is　a　giant　standing　outside　the　door　to　carry　you　off？〃

〃Oh；　no！〃　answered　she；　〃it　is　no　giant；　but　a　nasty　frog；　who　yesterday；　when　I　was　playing　in　the　wood　near　the　well；　fetched　my　golden　ball　out　of　the　water。　For　this　I　promised　him　he　should　be　my　companion；　but　I　never　thought　he　could　come　out　of　his　well。　Now　he　is　at　the　door；　and　wants　to　come　in。〃

Again；　the　second　time　there　was　a　knock；　and　a　voice　cried：

　　　　　〃Youngest　king's　daughter；　　　　　　　　　　　Open　to　me；　　　　　　Know　you　what　yesterday　　　　　　　　　　　You　promised　me；　　　　　　By　the　cool　water？　　　　　　　　　　　Youngest　king's　daughter；　　　　　　　　　　　Open　to　me。〃


Then　said　the　king；　〃What　you　promised　you　must　perform。　Go　and　open　the　door。〃

She　went　and　opened　the　door；　the　frog　hopped　in；　always　following　and　following　her　till　he　came　up　to　her　chair。　There　he　sat　and　cried　out；　〃Lift　me　up　to　you　on　the　table。〃

She　refused；　till　the　king；　her　father；　commanded　her　to　do　it。　When　the　frog　was　on　the　table；　he　said；　〃Now　push　your　little　golden　plate　nearer　to　me；　that　we　may　eat　together。〃　She　did　as　he　desired；　but　one　could　easily　see　that　she　did　it　unwillingly。　The　frog　seemed　to　enjoy　his　dinner　very　much；　but　every　morsel　she　ate　stuck　in　the　throat　of　the　poor　little　princess。

Then　said　the　frog；　〃I　have　eaten　enough；　and　am　tired；　carry　me　to　your　little　room；　and　make　your　little　silken　bed　smooth；　and　we　will　lay　ourselves　down　to　sleep　together。〃

At　this　the　daughter　of　the　king　began　to　weep；　for　she　was　afraid　of　the　cold　frog；　who　wanted　to　sleep　in　her　pretty　clean　bed。

But　the　king　looked　angrily　at　her；　and　said　again：　〃What　you　have　promised　you　must　perform。　The　frog　is　your　companion。〃

It　was　no　use　to　complain；　whether　she　liked　it　or　not；　she　was　obliged　to　take　the　frog　with　her　up　to　her　little　bed。　So　she　picked　him　up　with　two　fingers；　hating　him　bitterly　the　while；　and　carried　him　upstairs：　but　when　she　got　into　bed；　instead　of　lifting　him　up　to　her；　she　threw　him　with　all　her　strength　against　the　wall；　saying；　〃Now　you　nasty　frog；　there　will　be　an　end　of　you。〃

But　what　fell　down　from　the　wall　was　not　a　dead　frog；　but　a　living　young　prince；　with　beautiful　and　loving　eyes；　who　at　once　became；　by　her　own　promise　and　her　father's　will；　her　dear　companion　and　husband。　He　told　her　how　he　had　been　cursed　by　a　wicked　sorceress；　and　that　no　one　but　the　king's　youngest　daughter　could　release　him　from　his　enchantment　and　take　him　out　of　the　well。

The　next　day　a　carriage　drove　up　to　the　palace　gates　with　eight　white　horses；　having　white　feathers　on　their　heads　and　golden　reins。　Behind　it　stood　the　servant　of　the　young　prince；　called　the　faithful　Henry。　This　faithful　Henry　had　been　so　grieved　when　his　master　was　changed　into　a　frog　that　he　had　been　compelled　to　have　three　iron　bands　fastened　round　his　heart；　lest　it　should　break。　Now　the　carriage　came　to　convey　the　prince　to　his　kingdom；　so　the　faithful　Henry　lifted　in　the　bride　and　bridegroom　and　mounted　behind；　full　of　joy　at　his　lord's　release。　But　when　they　had　gone　a　short　distance；　the　prince　heard　behind　him　a　noise　as　if　something　was　breaking。　He　cried　out；　〃Henry；　the　carriage　is　breaking！〃

But　Henry　replied：　〃No；　sir；　it　is　not　the　carriage　but　one　of　the　bands　from　my　heart；　with　which　I　was　forced　to　bind　it　up；　or　it　would　have　broken　with　grief　while　you　sat　as　a　frog　at　the　bottom　of　the　well。〃

Twice　again　this　happened；　and　the　prince　always　thought　the　carriage　was　breaking；　but　it　was　only　the　bands　breaking　off　from　the　heart　of　the　faithful　Henry；　out　of　joy　that　his　lord；　the　frog…prince；　was　a　frog　no　more。



CLEVER　ALICE

ONCE　upon　a　time　there　was　a　man　who　had　a　daughter　who　was　called　〃Clever　Alice；〃　and　when　she　was　grown　up；　her　father　said；　〃We　must　see　about　her　marrying。〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　her　mother；　〃whenever　a　young　man　shall　appear　who　is　worthy　of　her。〃

At　last　a　certain　youth；　by　name　Hans；　came　from　a　distance　to　make　a　proposal　of　marriage；　but　he　required　one　condition；　that　the　clever　Alice　should　be　very　prudent。

〃Oh；〃　said　her　father；　〃no　fear　of　that！　she　has　got　a　head　full　of　brains；〃　and　the　mother　added；　〃ah；　she　can　see　the　wind　blow　up　the　street；　and　hear　the　flies　cough！〃

〃Very　well；〃　replied　Hans；　〃but　remember；　if　she　is　not　very　prudent；　I　will　not　take　her。〃　Soon　afterward　they　sat　down　to　dinner；　and　her　mother　said；　〃Alice；　go　down　into　the　cellar　and　draw　some　beer。〃

So　Clever　Alice　took　the　jug　down　from　the　wall；　and　went　into　the　cellar；　jerking　the　lid　up　and　down　on　her　way；　to　pass　away　the　time。　As　soon　as　she　got　downstairs　she　drew　a　stool　and　placed　it　before　the　cask；　in　order　that　she　might　not　have　to　stoop；　for　she　thought　stooping　might　in　some　way　injure　her　back　and　give　it　an　undesirable　bend。　Then　she　placed　the　can　before　her　and　turned　the　tap；　and　while　the　beer　was　running；　as　she　did　not　wish　her　eyes　to　be　idle；　she　looked　about　upon　the　wall　above　and　below。　Presently　she　perceived；　after　much　peeping　into　this　corner　and　that　corner；　a　hatchet；　which　the　bricklayers　had　left　behind？　sticking　out　of　the　ceiling　right　above　her　head。　At　the　sight　of　this　Clever　Alice　began　to　cry；　saying；　〃Oh！　if　I　marry　Hans；　and　we　have　a　child；　and　he　grows　up；　and　we　send　him　into　the　cellar　to　draw　beer；　the　hatchet　will　fall　upon　his　head　and　kill　him；〃　and　so　she　sat　there　weeping　with　all　her　might　over　the　impending　misfortune。

Meanwhile　the　good　folks　upstairs　were　waiting　for　the　beer；　but　as　Clever　Alice　did　not　come；　her　mother　told　the　maid　to　go　and　see　what　she　was　stopping　for。　The　maid　went　down　into　the　cellar　and　found　Alice　sitting　before　the　cask　crying　heartily；　and　she　asked；　〃Alice；　what　are　you　weeping　about？〃

〃Ah；〃　she　replied；　〃have　I　not　cause？　If　I　marry　Hans；　and　we　have　a　child；　and　he　grows　up；　and　we　send　him　here　to　draw　beer；　that　hatchet　will　fall　upon　his　head　and　kill　him。〃

〃Oh；〃　said　the　maid；　〃what　a　clever　Alice　we　have！〃　And　sitting　down；　she　began　to　weep；　too；　for　the　misfortune　that　was　to　happen。

After　a　while；　when　the　servant　did　not　return；　the　good　folks　above　began　to　feel　very　thirsty；　so　the　husband　told　the　boy　to　go　down　into　the　cellar　and　see　what　had　become　of　Alice　and　the　maid。　The　boy　went　down；　and　there　sat　Clever　Alice　and　the　maid　both　crying；　so　he　asked　the　reason；　and　Alice　told　him　the　same　tale；　of　the　hatchet　that　was　to　fall　on　her　child；　if　she　married　Hans；　and　if　they　had　a　child。　When　she　had　finished；　the　boy　exclaimed；　〃What　a　clever　Alice　we　have！〃　and　fell　weeping　and　howling　with　the　others。

Upstairs　they　were　still　waiting；　and　the　husband　said；　when　the　boy　did　not　return；　〃Do　you　go　down；　wife；　into　the　cellar　and　see　why　Alice　stays　so　long。〃　So　she　went　down；　and　finding　all　three　sitting　there　crying；　asked　the　reason；　and　Alice　told　her　about　the　hatchet　which　must　inevitably　fall　upon　the　head　of　her　son。　Then　the　mother　likewise　exclaimed；　〃Oh；　what　a　clever　Alice　we　have！〃　and；　sitting　down；　began　to　weep　as　much　as　any　of　the　rest。

Meanwhile　the　husband　waited　for　his　wife's　return；　but　at　last　he　felt　so　very　thirsty　that　he　said