how to tell stories to children-第28章

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rned　and　kicked　the　little　creature。　At　the　instant；　he　felt　a　sharp　prick　in　his　little　finger；　like　a　pin　prick。

〃What　nonsense！〃　said　the　prince　to　himself。　　〃Am　I　not　king　of　the　whole　land？　　May　I　not　kick　my　own　dog；　if　I　choose？　　What　evil　is　there　in　that？〃

A　silver　voice　spoke　in　his　ear：　　〃The　king　of　the　land　has　a　right　to　do　good；　but　not　evil；　you　have　been　guilty　of　bad　temper　and　of　cruelty　to…day；　see　that　you　do　better　to…morrow。〃

The　prince　turned　sharply；　but　no　one　was　to　be　seen；　yet　he　recognized　the　voice　as　that　of　Fairy　Candide。

He　followed　her　advice　for　a　little；　but　presently　he　forgot；　and　the　ring　pricked　him　so　sharply　that　his　finger　had　a　drop　of　blood　on　it。　　This　happened　again　and　again；　for　the　prince　grew　more　self…willed　and　headstrong　every　day；　he　had　some　bad　friends；　too；　who　urged　him　on；　in　the　hope　that　he　would　ruin　himself　and　give　them　a　chance　to　seize　the　throne。　　He　treated　his　people　carelessly　and　his　servants　cruelly；　and　everything　he　wanted　he　felt　that　he　must　have。

The　ring　annoyed　him　terribly；　it　was　embarrassing　for　a　king　to　have　a　drop　of　blood　on　his　finger　all　the　time！　　At　last　he　took　the　ring　off　and　put　it　out　of　sight。　　Then　he　thought　he　should　be

perfectly　happy；　having　his　own　way；　but　instead；　he　grew　more　unhappy　as　he　grew　less　good。　　Whenever　he　was　crossed；　or　could　not　have　his　own　way　instantly；　he　flew　into　a　passion；

Finally；　he　wanted　something　that　he　really　could　not　have。　　This　time　it　was　a　　most　beautiful　young　girl；　named　Zelia；　the　prince　saw　her；　and　loved　her　so　much　that　he　wanted　at　once　to　make　her　his　queen。　　To　his　great　astonishment；　she　refused。

〃Am　I　not　pleasing　to　you？〃　asked　the　prince　in　surprise。

〃You　are　very　handsome；　very　charming；　Prince；〃　said　Zelia；　〃but　you　are　not　like　the　good　king；　your　father；　I　fear　you　would　make　me　very　miserable　if　I　were　your　queen。〃

In　a　great　rage；　Prince　Cherry　ordered　the　young　girl　put　in　prison；　and　the　key　of　her　dungeon　he　kept。　　He　told　one　of　his　friends；　a　wicked　man　who　flattered　him　for　his　own　purposes；　about　the　thing；　and　asked　his　advice。

〃Are　you　not　king？〃　said　the　bad　friend；　〃May　you　not　do　as　you　will？　　Keep　the　girl　in　a　dungeon　till　she　does　as　you　command；　and　if　she　will　not；　sell　her　as　a　slave。〃

〃But　would　it　not　be　a　disgrace　for　me　to　harm　an　innocent　creature？〃　said　the　prince。

〃It　would　be　a　disgrace　to　you　to　have　　it　said　that　one　of　your　subjects　dared　disobey　you！〃　said　the　courtier。

He　had　cleverly　touched　the　Prince's　worst　trait；　his　pride。　　Prince　Cherry　went　at　once　to　Zelia's　dungeon；　prepared　to　do　this　cruel　thing。

Zelia　was　gone。　　No　one　had　the　key　save　the　prince　himself；　yet　she　was　gone。　The　only　person　who　could　have　dared　to　help　her；　thought　the　prince；　was　his　old　tutor；　Suliman；　the　only　man　left　who　ever　rebuked　him　for　anything。　　In　fury；　he　ordered　Suliman　to　be　put　in　fetters　and　brought　before　him。

As　his　servants　left　him；　to　carry　out　the　wicked　order；　there　was　a　clash；　as　of　thunder；　in　the　room；　and　then　a　blinding　light。　　Fairy　Candide　stood　before　him。　Her　beautiful　face　was　stern；　and　her　silver　voice　rang　like　a　trumpet；　as　she　said；　〃Wicked　and　selfish　prince；　you　have　become　baser　than　the　beasts　you　hunt；　you　are　furious　as　a　lion；　revengeful　as　a　serpent；　greedy　as　a　wolf；　and　brutal　as　a　bull；　take；　therefore；　the　shape　of　those　beasts　whom　you　resemble！〃

With　horror；　the　prince　felt　himself　　being　transformed　into　a　monster。　　He　tried　to　rush　upon　the　fairy　and　kill　her；　but　she　had　vanished　with　her　words。　　As　he　stood；　her　voice　came　from　the　air；　saying；　sadly；　〃Learn　to　conquer　your　pride　by　being　in　submission　to　your　own　subjects。〃　At　the　same　moment；　Prince　Cherry　felt　himself　being　transported　to　a　distant　forest；　where　he　was　set　down　by　a　clear　stream。　　In　the　water　he　saw　his　own　terrible　image；　he　had　the　head　of　a　lion；　with　bull's　horns；　the　feet　of　a　wolf；　and　a　tail　like　a　serpent。　　And　as　he　gazed　in　horror；　the　fairy's　voice　whispered；　〃Your　soul　has　become　more　ugly　than　your　shape　is；　you　yourself　have　deformed　it。〃

The　poor　beast　rushed　away　from　the　sound　of　her　words；　but　in　a　moment　he　stumbled　into　a　trap；　set　by　bear…catchers。　When　the　trappers　found　him　they　were　delighted　to　have　caught　a　curiosity；　and　they　immediately　dragged　him　to　the　palace　courtyard。　　There　he　heard　the　whole　court　buzzing　with　gossip。　　Prince　Cherry　had　been　struck　by　lightning　and　killed；　was　the　news；　and　the　five　favorite　courtiers　had　struggled　to　make　themselves　　rulers；　but　the　people　had　refused　them；　and　offered　the　crown　to　Suliman；　the　good　old　tutor。

Even　as　he　heard　this；　the　prince　saw　Suliman　on　the　steps　of　the　palace；　speaking　to　the　people。　　〃I　will　take　the　crown　to　keep　in　trust；〃　he　said。　　〃Perhaps　the　prince　is　not　dead。〃

〃He　was　a　bad　king；　we　do　not　want　him　back；〃　said　the　people。

〃I　know　his　heart；〃　said　Suliman；　〃it　is　not　all　bad；　it　is　tainted；　but　not　corrupt；　perhaps　he　will　repent　and　come　back　to　us　a　good　king。〃

When　the　beast　heard　this；　it　touched　him　so　much　that　he　stopped　tearing　at　his　chains；　and　became　gentle。　　He　let　his　keepers　lead　him　away　to　the　royal　menagerie　without　hurting　them。

Life　was　very　terrible　to　the　prince；　now；　but　he　began　to　see　that　he　had　brought　all　his　sorrow　on　himself；　and　he　tried　to　bear　it　patiently。　　The　worst　to　bear　was　the　cruelty　of　the　keeper。　　At　last；　one　night；　this　keeper　was　in　great　danger；　a　tiger　got　loose；　and　attacked　him。　　〃Good　enough！　　Let　him　die！〃　thought　Prince　　Cherry。　　But　when　he　saw　how　helpless　the　keeper　was；　he　repented；　and　sprang　to　help。　　He　killed　the　tiger　and　saved　the　keeper's　life。

As　he　crouched　at　the　keeper's　feet；　a　voice　said；　〃Good　actions　never　go　unrewarded！〃　　And　the　terrible　monster　was　changed　into　a　pretty　little　white　dog。

The　keeper　carried　the　beautiful　little　dog　to　the　court　and　told　the　story；　and　from　then　on；　Cherry　was　carefully　treated；　and　had　the　best　of　everything。　　But　in　order　to　keep　the　little　dog　from　growing；　the　queen　ordered　that　he　should　be　fed　very　little；　and　that　was　pretty　hard　for　the　poor　prince。　　He　was　often　half　starved；　although　so　much　petted。

One　day　he　had　carried　his　crust　of　bread　to　a　retired　spot　in　the　palace　woods；　where　he　loved　to　be；　when　he　saw　a　poor　old　woman　hunting　for　roots；　and　seeming　almost　starved。

〃Poor　thing；〃　he　thought；　〃she　is　even　hungrier　than　I；〃　and　he　ran　up　and　dropped　the　crust　at　her　feet。

The　woman　ate　it；　and　seemed　greatly　refreshed。

Cherry　was　glad　of　that；　and　he　was　running　happily　back　to　his　kennel　when　he　heard　cries　of　distress；　and　suddenly　he　saw　some　rough　men　dragging　along　a　young　girl；　who　was　weeping　and　crying　for　help。　　What　was　his　horror　to　see　that　the　young　girl　was　Zelia！　　Oh；　how　he　wished　he　were　the　monster　once　more；　so　that　he　could　kill　the　men　and　rescue　her！　　But　he　could　do　nothing　except　bark；　and　bite　at　the　heels　of　the　wicked　men。　　That　could　not　stop　them；　they　drove　him　off；　with　blows；　and　carried　Zelia　into　a　palace　in　the　wood。

Poor　Cherry　crouched　by　the　steps；　and　watched。　　His　heart　was　full　of　pity　and　rage。　　But　suddenly　he　thought；　〃I　was　as　bad　as　these　men；　I　myself　put　Zelia　in　prison；　and　would　have　treated　her　worse　still；　if　I　had　not　been　prevented。〃　　The　thought　made　him　so　sorry　and　ashamed　that　he　repented　bitterly　the　evil　he　had　done。

Presently　a　window　opened；　and　Cherry　saw　Zelia　lean　out　and　throw　down　a　piece　of　meat。　　He　seized　it　and　was　just　going　to　devour　it；　when　the　old　woman　to　whom　　he　had　given　his　crust　snatched　it　away　and　took　him　in　her　arms。　　〃No；　you　shall　not　eat　it；　you　poor　little　thing；〃　she　said；　〃for　every　bit　of　food　in　that　house　is　poisoned。〃

At　the　same　moment；　a　voice　said；　〃Good　actions　never　go　unrewarded！〃　　And　instantly　Prince　Cherry　was　transformed　into　a　little　white　dove。

With　great　joy；　he　flew　to　the　open　palace　window　to　seek　out　his　Zelia；　to　try　to　help　her。　　But　though　he　hunted　in　every　room；　no　Zelia　was　to　be　found。　He　had　to　fly　away；　without　seeing　her。　He　wanted　more　than　anything　else　to　find　her；　and　stay　near　her；　so　he　flew　out　in