stories to tell to children-第30章

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in　a　horrid　mud　house　in　the　middle　of　a　dark

swamp。



Now　when　the　first　baby　was　born　to　the　king

and　queen；　her　father　and　mother　decided　to

name　her　〃Daylight；〃　because　she　was　so　bright

and　sweet。　　And　of　course　they　had　a　christening

party。　　And　of　COURSE　they　invited　the　fairies；

because　the　good　fairies　had　always　been　at

the　christening　party　when　a　princess　was　born

in　the　palace；　and　everybody　knew　that　they

brought　good　gifts。



But；　alas；　no　one　knew　about　the　swamp　fairy；

and　she　was　not　invited；which　really　pleased

her；　because　it　gave　her　an　excuse　for　doing

something　mean。



The　good　fairies　came　to　the　christening　party；

and；　one　after　another；　five　of　them　gave　little

Daylight　good　gifts。　　The　other　two　stood　among

the　guests；　so　that　no　one　noticed　them。　　The

swamp　fairy　thought　there　were　no　more　of　them；

so　she　stepped　forward；　just　as　the　archbishop

was　handing　the　baby　back　to　the　lady…in…waiting。



〃I　am　just　a　little　deaf；〃　she　said；　mumbling

a　laugh　with　her　toothless　gums。　　〃Will　your

reverence　tell　me　the　baby's　name　again？〃



〃Certainly；　my　good　woman；〃　said　the　bishop；

〃the　infant　is　little　Daylight。〃



〃And　little　Daylight　it　shall　be；　forsooth；〃

cried　the　bad　fairy。　　〃I　decree　that　she　shall

sleep　all　day。〃　　Then　she　laughed　a　horrid

shrieking　laugh；　〃He；　he；　hi；　hi！〃



Everyone　looked　at　everyone　else　in　despair；

but　out　stepped　the　sixth　good　fairy；　who　by

arrangement　with　her　sisters　had　remained　in

the　background　to　undo　what　she　could　of　any

evil　that　the　swamp　fairy　might　decree。



〃Then　at　least　she　shall　wake　all　night；〃　she

said；　sadly。



〃Ah！〃　screamed　the　swamp　fairy；　〃you　spoke

before　I　had　finished；　which　is　against　the　law；

and　gives　me　another　chance。〃　　All　the　fairies

started　at　once　to　say；　〃I　beg　your　pardon！〃

But　the　bad　fairy　said；　〃I　had　only　laughed　‘he；

he！'　and　‘hi；　hi！'　　I　had　still　‘ho；　ho！'　and　‘hu；

hu！'　to　laugh。〃



The　fairies　could　not　gainsay　this；　and　the

bad　fairy　had　her　other　chance。　　She　said；



〃Since　she　is　to　wake　all　night；　I　decree　that

she　shall　wax　and　wane　with　the　moon！　　Ho；

ho；　hu；　hu！〃



Out　stepped　the　seventh　good　fairy。　　〃Until

a　prince　shall　kiss　her　without　knowing　who

she　is；〃　she　said；　quickly。



The　swamp　fairy　had　been　prepared　for　the

trick　of　keeping　back　one　good　fairy；　but　she

had　not　suspected　it　of　two；　and　she　could　not

say　a　word；　for　she　had　laughed　〃ho；　ho！〃　and

〃hu；　hu！〃



The　poor　king　and　queen　looked　sad　enough。

〃We　don't　know　what　you　mean；〃　they　said　to

the　good　fairy　who　had　spoken　last。　　But　the

good　fairy　smiled。　　〃The　meaning　of　the　thing

will　come　with　the　thing；〃　she　said。



That　was　the　end　of　the　party；　but　it　was

only　the　beginning　of　the　trouble。　　Can　you

imagine　what　a　queer　household　it　would　be；

where　the　baby　laughed　and　crowed　all　night；

and　slept　all　day？　　Little　Daylight　was　as

merry　and　bright　all　night　as　any　baby　in　the

world；　but　with　the　first　sign　of　dawn　she　fell

asleep；　and　slept　like　a　little　dormouse　till　dark。

Nothing　could　waken　her　while　day　lasted。

Still；　the　royal　family　got　used　to　this；　but　the

rest　of　the　bad　fairy's　gift　was　a　great　deal

worse；that　about　waxing　and　waning　with

the　moon。　　You　know　how　the　moon　grows

bigger　and　brighter　each　night；　from　the　time

it　is　a　curly　silver　thread　low　in　the　sky　till　it

is　round　and　golden；　flooding　the　whole　sky

with　light？　　That　is　the　waxing　moon。　　Then；

you　know；　it　wanes；　it　grows　smaller　and

paler　again；　night　by　night；　till　at　last　it

disappears　for　a　while；　altogether。　　Well；　poor

little　Daylight　waxed　and　waned　with　it。　　She

was　the　rosiest；　plumpest；　merriest　baby　in　the

world　when　the　moon　was　at　the　full；　but　as

it　began　to　wane　her　little　cheeks　grew　paler；

her　tiny　hands　thinner；　with　every　night；　till

she　lay　in　her　cradle　like　a　shadow…baby；　without

sound　or　motion。　　At　first　they　thought

she　was　dead；　when　the　moon　disappeared；　but

after　some　months　they　got　used　to　this　too；

and　only　waited　eagerly　for　the　new　moon；　to

see　her　revive。　　When　it　shone　again；　faint　and

silver；　on　the　horizon；　the　baby　stirred　weakly；

and　then　they　fed　her　gently；　each　night　she

grew　a　little　better；　and　when　the　moon　was

near　the　full　again；　she　was　again　a　lively；　rosy；

lovely　child。



So　it　went　on　till　she　grew　up。　　She　grew

to　be　the　most　beautiful　maiden　the　moon　ever

shone　on；　and　everyone　loved　her　so　much；　for

her　sweet　ways　and　her　merry　heart；　that　someone

was　always　planning　to　stay　up　at　night；　to

be　near　her。　　But　she　did　not　like　to　be　watched；

especially　when　she　felt　the　bad　time　of　waning

coming　on；　so　her　ladies…in…waiting　had　to　be

very　careful。　　When　the　moon　waned　she　became

shrunken　and　pale　and　bent；　like　an　old；

old　woman；　worn　out　with　sorrow。　　Only　her

golden　hair　and　her　blue　eyes　remained

unchanged；　and　this　gave　her　a　terribly　strange

look。　　At　last；　as　the　moon　disappeared；　she

faded　away　to　a　little；　bowed；　old　creature；

asleep　and　helpless。



No　wonder　she　liked　best　to　be　alone！　　She

got　in　the　way　of　wandering　by　herself　in　the

beautiful　wood；　playing　in　the　moonlight　when

she　was　well；　stealing　away　in　the　shadows

when　she　was　fading　with　the　moon。　　Her

father　had　a　lovely　little　house　of　roses　and

vines　built　for　her；　there。　　It　stood　at　the　edge

of　a　most　beautiful　open　glade；　inside　the　wood；

where　the　moon　shone　best。　　There　the　princess

lived　with　her　ladies。　　And　there　she　danced

when　the　moon　was　full。　　But　when　the　moon

waned；　her　ladies　often　lost　her　altogether；　so

far　did　she　wander；　and　sometimes　they　found

her　sleeping　under　a　great　tree；　and　brought　her

home　in　their　arms。



When　the　princess　was　about　seventeen　years

old；　there　was　a　rebellion　in　a　kingdom　not　far

from　her　father's。　　Wicked　nobles　murdered

the　king　of　the　country　and　stole　his　throne；

and　would　have　murdered　the　young　prince；

too；　if　he　had　not　escaped；　dressed　in　peasant's

clothes。



Dressed　in　his　poor　rags；　the　prince　wandered

about　a　long　time；　till　one　day　he　got　into　a

great　wood；　and　lost　his　way。　　It　was　the　wood

where　the　Princess　Daylight　lived；　but　of　course

he　did　not　know　anything　about　that　nor　about

her。　　He　wandered　till　night；　and　then　he　came

to　a　queer　little　house。　　One　of　the　good　fairies

lived　there；　and　the　minute　she　saw　him　she

knew　all　about　everything；　but　to　him　she

looked　only　like　a　kind　old　woman。　　She　gave

him　a　good　supper　and　a　bed　for　the　night；　and

told　him　to　come　back　to　her　if　he　found　no

better　place　for　the　next　night。　　But　the　prince

said　he　must　get　out　of　the　wood　at　once；　so　in

the　morning　he　took　leave　of　the　fairy。



All　day　long　he　walked；　and　walked；　but　at

nightfall　he　had　not　found　his　way　out　of　the

wood；　so　he　lay　down　to　rest　till　the　moon

should　rise　and　light　his　path。



When　he　woke　the　moon　was　glorious；　it

was　three　days　from　the　full；　and　bright　as

silver。　　By　its　light　he　saw　what　he　thought

to　be　the　edge　of　the　wood；　and　he　hastened

toward　it。　　But　when　he　came　to　it；　it　was

only　an　open　space；　surrounded　with　trees。　　It

was　so　very　lovely；　in　the　white　moonlight；　that

the　prince　stood　a　minute　to　look。　　And　as　he

looked；　something　white　moved　out　of　the　trees

on　the　far　side　of　the　open　space。　　It　was

something　slim　and　white；　that　swayed　in　the　dim

light　like　a　young　birch。



〃It　must　be　a　moon　fairy；〃　thought　the

prince；　and　he　stepped　into　the　shadow。



The　moon　fairy　came　nearer　and　nearer；

dancing　and　swaying　in　the　moonlight。　　And

as　she　came；　she　began　to　sing　a　soft；　gay　little

song。



But　when　she　was　quite　close；　the　prince　saw

that　she　was　not　a　fairy　after　all；　but　a　real

human　maiden；the　loveliest　maiden　he　had

ever　seen。　　Her　hair　was　like　yellow　corn；　and

her　smile　made　all　the　place　merry。