at the back of the north wind-第42章

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as　each　counted　best；　and　the　fifth　had　just　stepped　back　to　her

place　in　the　surrounding　splendour　of　ladies　and　gentlemen；　when；

mumbling　a　laugh　between　her　toothless　gums；　the　wicked　fairy

hobbled　out　into　the　middle　of　the　circle；　and　at　the　moment

when　the　archbishop　was　handing　the　baby　to　the　lady　at　the　head

of　the　nursery　department　of　state　affairs；　addressed　him　thus；

giving　a　bite　or　two　to　every　word　before　she　could　part　with　it：



〃Please　your　Grace；　I'm　very　deaf：　　would　your　Grace　mind　repeating

the　princess's　name？〃



〃With　pleasure；　my　good　woman；〃　said　the　archbishop；　stooping　to

shout　in　her　ear：　　〃the　infant's　name　is　little　Daylight。〃



〃And　little　daylight　it　shall　be；〃　cried　the　fairy；　in　the　tone

of　a　dry　axle；　〃and　little　good　shall　any　of　her　gifts　do　her。　

For　I　bestow　upon　her　the　gift　of　sleeping　all　day　long；　whether　she

will　or　not。　　Ha；　ha！　　He；　he！　　Hi；　hi！〃



Then　out　started　the　sixth　fairy；　who；　of　course；　the　others

had　arranged　should　come　after　the　wicked　one；　in　order　to　undo

as　much　as　she　might。



〃If　she　sleep　all　day；〃　she　said；　mournfully；　〃she　shall；　at　least；

wake　all　night。〃



〃A　nice　prospect　for　her　mother　and　me！〃　thought　the　poor　king；

for　they　loved　her　far　too　much　to　give　her　up　to　nurses；

especially　at　night；　as　most　kings　and　queens　doand　are　sorry

for　it　afterwards。



〃You　spoke　before　I　had　done；〃　said　the　wicked　fairy。　　〃That's　against

the　law。　　It　gives　me　another　chance。〃



〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　said　the　other　fairies；　all　together。



〃She　did。　　I　hadn't　done　laughing；〃　said　the　crone。　　〃I　had　only　got

to　Hi；　hi！　and　I　had　to　go　through　Ho；　ho！　and　Hu；　hu！　　So　I　decree

that　if　she　wakes　all　night　she　shall　wax　and　wane　with　its　mistress；

the　moon。　　And　what　that　may　mean　I　hope　her　royal　parents　will

live　to　see。　　Ho；　ho！　　Hu；　hu！〃



But　out　stepped　another　fairy；　for　they　had　been　wise　enough　to　keep

two　in　reserve；　because　every　fairy　knew　the　trick　of　one。



〃Until；〃　said　the　seventh　fairy；　〃a　prince　comes　who　shall　kiss

her　without　knowing　it。〃



The　wicked　fairy　made　a　horrid　noise　like　an　angry　cat；　and　hobbled　away。　

She　could　not　pretend　that　she　had　not　finished　her　speech　this　time；

for　she　had　laughed　Ho；　ho！　and　Hu；　hu！



〃I　don't　know　what　that　means；〃　said　the　poor　king　to　the　seventh　fairy。



〃Don't　be　afraid。　　The　meaning　will　come　with　the　thing　itself；〃

said　she。



The　assembly　broke　up；　miserable　enoughthe　queen；　at　least；

prepared　for　a　good　many　sleepless　nights；　and　the　lady　at　the　head

of　the　nursery　department　anything　but　comfortable　in　the　prospect

before　her；　for　of　course　the　queen　could　not　do　it　all。　　As　for

the　king；　he　made　up　his　mind；　with　what　courage　he　could　summon；

to　meet　the　demands　of　the　case；　but　wondered　whether　he　could

with　any　propriety　require　the　First　Lord　of　the　Treasury　to　take

a　share　in　the　burden　laid　upon　him。



I　will　not　attempt　to　describe　what　they　had　to　go　through　for　some　time。　

But　at　last　the　household　settled　into　a　regular　systema　very　irregular

one　in　some　respects。　　For　at　certain　seasons　the　palace　rang　all　night

with　bursts　of　laughter　from　little　Daylight；　whose　heart　the　old

fairy's　curse　could　not　reach；　she　was　Daylight　still；　only　a　little

in　the　wrong　place；　for　she　always　dropped　asleep　at　the　first　hint

of　dawn　in　the　east。　　But　her　merriment　was　of　short　duration。　

When　the　moon　was　at　the　full；　she　was　in　glorious　spirits；

and　as　beautiful　as　it　was　possible　for　a　child　of　her　age　to　be。　

But　as　the　moon　waned；　she　faded；　until　at　last　she　was　wan　and

withered　like　the　poorest；　sickliest　child　you　might　come　upon

in　the　streets　of　a　great　city　in　the　arms　of　a　homeless　mother。　

Then　the　night　was　quiet　as　the　day；　for　the　little　creature

lay　in　her　gorgeous　cradle　night　and　day　with　hardly　a　motion；

and　indeed　at　last　without　even　a　moan；　like　one　dead。　　At　first

they　often　thought　she　was　dead；　but　at　last　they　got　used　to　it；

and　only　consulted　the　almanac　to　find　the　moment　when　she　would　begin

to　revive；　which；　of　course；　was　with　the　first　appearance　of　the

silver　thread　of　the　crescent　moon。　　Then　she　would　move　her　lips；

and　they　would　give　her　a　little　nourishment；　and　she　would　grow　better

and　better　and　better；　until　for　a　few　days　she　was　splendidly　well。　

When　well；　she　was　always　merriest　out　in　the　moonlight；　but　even

when　near　her　worst；　she　seemed　better　when；　in　warm　summer　nights；

they　carried　her　cradle　out　into　the　light　of　the　waning　moon。　

Then　in　her　sleep　she　would　smile　the　faintest；　most　pitiful　smile。



For　a　long　time　very　few　people　ever　saw　her　awake。　　As　she　grew

older　she　became　such　a　favourite；　however；　that　about　the　palace

there　were　always　some　who　would　contrive　to　keep　awake　at　night；

in　order　to　be　near　her。　　But　she　soon　began　to　take　every　chance

of　getting　away　from　her　nurses　and　enjoying　her　moonlight　alone。　

And　thus　things　went　on　until　she　was　nearly　seventeen　years　of　age。　

Her　father　and　mother　had　by　that　time　got　so　used　to　the　odd

state　of　things　that　they　had　ceased　to　wonder　at　them。　　All　their

arrangements　had　reference　to　the　state　of　the　Princess　Daylight；

and　it　is　amazing　how　things　contrive　to　accommodate　themselves。　

But　how　any　prince　was　ever　to　find　and　deliver　her；

appeared　inconceivable。



As　she　grew　older　she　had　grown　more　and　more　beautiful；　with　the

sunniest　hair　and　the　loveliest　eyes　of　heavenly　blue；　brilliant　and

profound　as　the　sky　of　a　June　day。　　But　so　much　more　painful　and　sad

was　the　change　as　her　bad　time　came　on。　　The　more　beautiful　she

was　in　the　full　moon；　the　more　withered　and　worn　did　she　become

as　the　moon　waned。　　At　the　time　at　which　my　story　has　now　arrived；

she　looked；　when　the　moon　was　small　or　gone；　like　an　old　woman

exhausted　with　suffering。　　This　was　the　more　painful　that　her

appearance　was　unnatural；　for　her　hair　and　eyes　did　not　change。　

Her　wan　face　was　both　drawn　and　wrinkled；　and　had　an　eager　hungry　look。　

Her　skinny　hands　moved　as　if　wishing；　but　unable；　to　lay　hold

of　something。　　Her　shoulders　were　bent　forward；　her　chest　went　in；

and　she　stooped　as　if　she　were　eighty　years　old。　　At　last　she　had

to　be　put　to　bed；　and　there　await　the　flow　of　the　tide　of　life。　

But　she　grew　to　dislike　being　seen；　still　more　being　touched

by　any　hands；　during　this　season。　　One　lovely　summer　evening；

when　the　moon　lay　all　but　gone　upon　the　verge　of　the　horizon；

she　vanished　from　her　attendants；　and　it　was　only　after　searching

for　her　a　long　time　in　great　terror；　that　they　found　her　fast

asleep　in　the　forest；　at　the　foot　of　a　silver　birch；　and　carried

her　home。



A　little　way　from　the　palace　there　was　a　great　open　glade；　covered　with

the　greenest　and　softest　grass。　　This　was　her　favourite　haunt；

for　here　the　full　moon　shone　free　and　glorious；　while　through　a　vista

in　the　trees　she　could　generally　see　more　or　less　of　the　dying　moon

as　it　crossed　the　opening。　　Here　she　had　a　little　rustic　house

built　for　her；　and　here　she　mostly　resided。　　None　of　the　court

might　go　there　without　leave；　and　her　own　attendants　had　learned

by　this　time　not　to　be　officious　in　waiting　upon　her；　so　that　she

was　very　much　at　liberty。　　Whether　the　good　fairies　had　anything

to　do　with　it　or　not　I　cannot　tell；　but　at　last　she　got　into　the　way

of　retreating　further　into　the　wood　every　night　as　the　moon　waned；

so　that　sometimes　they　had　great　trouble　in　finding　her；　but　as　she

was　always　very　angry　if　she　discovered　they　were　watching　her；

they　scarcely　dared　to　do　so。　　At　length　one　night　they　thought　they

had　lost　her　altogether。　　It　was　morning　before　they　found　her。　

Feeble　as　she　was；　she　had　wandered　into　a　thicket　a　long　way　from

the　glade；　and　there　she　layfast　asleep；　of　course。



Although　the　fame　of　her　beauty　and　sweetness　had　gone　abroad；

yet　as　everybody　knew　she　was　under　a　bad　spell；　no　king　in　the

neighbourhood　h