25-the enchanted canary-第1章

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THE　ENCHANTED　CANARY



I



ONCE　upon　a　time；　in　the　reign　of　King　Cambrinus；　there　lived　at

Avesnes　one　of　his　lords；　who　was　the　finest　manby　which　I

mean　the　fattestin　the　whole　country　of　Flanders。　He　ate　four

meals　a　day；　slept　twelve　hours　out　of　the　twenty…four；　and　the　only

thing　he　ever　did　was　to　shoot　at　small　birds　with　his　bow　and

arrow。



Still；　with　all　his　practice　he　shot　very　badly；　he　was　so　fat　and

heavy；　and　as　he　grew　daily　fatter；　he　was　at　last　obliged　to　give　up

walking；　and　be　dragged　about　in　a　wheel…chair；　and　the　people

made　fun　of　him；　and　gave　him　the　name　of　my　Lord　Tubby。



Now；　the　only　trouble　that　Lord　Tubby　had　was　about　his　son；

whom　he　loved　very　much；　although　they　were　not　in　the　least

alike；　for　the　young　Prince　was　as　thin　as　a　cuckoo。　And　what

vexed　him　more　than　all　was；　that　though　the　young　ladies　throughout

all　his　lands　did　their　best　to　make　the　Prince　fall　in　love　with

them；　he　would　have　nothing　to　say　to　any　of　them；　and　told　his

father　he　did　not　wish　to　marry。



Instead　of　chatting　with　them　in　the　dusk；　he　wandered　about

the　woods；　whispering　to　the　moon。　No　wonder　the　young　ladies

thought　him　very　odd；　but　they　liked　him　all　the　better　for　that；

and　as　he　had　received　at　his　birth　the　name　of　Desire；　they　all

called　him　d'Amour　Desire。



‘What　is　the　matter　with　you？'　his　father　often　said　to　him。

‘You　have　everything　you　can　possibly　wish　for：　a　good　bed；　good

food；　and　tuns　full　of　beer。　The　only　thing　you　want；　in　order　to

become　as　fat　as　a　pig；　is　a　wife　that　can　bring　you　broad；　rich

lands。　So　marry；　and　you　will　be　perfectly　happy。'



‘I　ask　nothing　better　than　to　marry；'　replied　Desire；　‘but　I　have

never　seen　a　woman　that　pleases　me。　All　the　girls　here　are　pink

and　white；　and　I　am　tired　to　death　of　their　eternal　lilie　and　roses。



‘My　faith！'　cried　Tubby；　‘do　you　want　to　marry　a　negress；

and　give　me　grandchildren　as　ugly　as　monkeys　and　as　stupid　as

owls？'



‘No；　father；　nothing　of　the　sort。　But　there　must　be　women

somewhere　in　the　world　who　are　neither　pink　nor　white；　and　I　tell

you；　once　for　all；　that　I　will　never　marry　until　I　have　found　one

exactly　to　my　taste。'





II





Some　time　afterwards；　it　happened　that　the　Prior　of　the　Abbey

of　Saint　Amand　sent　to　the　Lord　of　Avesnes　a　basket　of　oranges；　with

a　beautifully…written　letter　saying　that　these　golden　fruit；　then

unknown　in　Flanders；　came　straight　from　a　land　where　the　sun　always

shone。



That　evening　Tubby　and　his　son　ate　the　golden　apples　at　supper；

and　thought　them　delicious。



Next　morning　as　the　day　dawned；　Desire　went　down　to　the

stable　and　saddled　his　pretty　white　horse。　Then　he　went；　all　dressed

for　a　journey；　to　the　bedside　of　Tubby；　and　found　him　smoking　his

first　pipe。



‘Father；'　he　said　gravely；　‘I　have　come　to　bid　you　farewell。

Last　night　I　dreamed　that　I　was　walking　in　a　wood；　where　the

trees　were　covered　with　golden　apples。　I　gathered　one　of　them；

and　when　I　opened　it　there　came　out　a　lovely　princess　with　a

golden　skin。　That　is　the　wife　I　want；　and　I　am　going　to　look　for

her。'



The　Lord　of　Avesnes　was　so　much　astonished　that　he　let　his　pipe

fall　to　the　ground；　then　he　became　so　diverted　at　the　notion　of　his

son　marrying　a　yellow　woman；　and　a　woman　shut　up　inside　an

orange；　that　he　burst　into　fits　of　laughter。



Desire　waited　to　bid　him　good…bye　until　he　was　quiet　again；

but　as　his　father　went　on　laughing　and　showed　no　signs　of　stopping；

the　young　man　took　his　hand；　kissed　it　tenderly；　opened　the　door；

and　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye　was　as　at　the　bottom　of　the　staircase。

He　jumped　lightly　on　his　horse；　and　was　a　mile　from　home　before

Tubby　had　ceased　laughing。



‘A　yellow　wife！　He　must　be　mad！　fit　for　a　strait　waistcoat！'

cried　the　good　man；　when　he　was　able　to　speak。　‘Here！　quick！

bring　him　back　to　me。'



The　servants　mounted　their　horses　and　rode　after　the　Prince；

but　as　they　did　not　know　which　road　he　had　taken；　they　went　all

ways　except　the　right　one；　and　instead　of　bringing　him　back　they

returned　themselves　when　it　grew　dark；　with　their　horses　worn　out

and　covered　with　dust。





III





When　Desire　thought　they　could　no　longer　catch　him；　he　pulled

his　horse　into　a　walk；　like　a　prudent　man　who　knows　he　has　far　to

go。　He　travelled　in　this　way　for　many　weeks；　passing　by　villages；

towns；　mountains；　valleys；　and　plains；　but　always　pushing　south；

where　every　day　the　sun　seemed　hotter　and　more　brilliant。



At　last　one　day　at　sunset　Desire　felt　the　sun　so　warm；　that　he

thought　he　must　now　be　near　the　place　of　his　dream。　He　was　at

that　moment　close　to　the　corner　of　a　wood　where　stood　a　little　hut；

before　the　door　of　which　his　horse　stopped　of　his　own　accord。　An

old　man　with　a　white　beard　was　sitting　on　the　doorstep　enjoying

the　fresh　air。　The　Prince　got　down　from　his　horse　and　asked　leave

to　rest。



‘Come　in；　my　young　friend；'　said　the　old　man；　‘my　house　is　not

large；　but　it　is　big　enough　to　hold　a　stranger。'



The　traveller　entered；　and　his　host　put　before　him　a　simple　meal。

When　his　hunger　was　satisfied　the　old　man　said　to　him：



‘If　I　do　not　mistake；　you　come　from　far。　May　I　ask　where　you

are　going？'



‘I　will　tell　you；'　answered　Desire；　‘though　most　likely　you　will

laugh　at　me。　I　dreamed　that　in　the　land　of　the　sun　there　was　a

wood　full　of　orange　trees；　and　that　in　one　of　the　oranges　I　should

find　a　beautiful　princess　who　is　to　be　my　wife。　It　is　she　I　am

seeking。'



‘Why　should　I　laugh？'　asked　the　old　man。　‘Madness　in　youth

is　true　wisdom。　Go；　young　man；　follow　your　dream；　and　if　you　do

not　find　the　happiness　that　you　seek；　at　any　rate　you　will　have　had

the　happiness　of　seeking　it。'





IV





The　next　day　the　Prince　arose　early　and　took　leave　of　his　host。



‘The　wood　that　you　saw　in　your　dream　is　not　far　from　here；'

said　the　old　man。　‘It　is　in　the　depth　of　the　forest；　and　this　road

will　lead　you　there。　You　will　come　to　a　vast　park　surrounded　by

high　walls。　In　the　middle　of　the　park　is　a　castle；　where　dwells　a

horrible　witch　who　allows　no　living　being　to　enter　the　doors。

Behind　the　castle　is　the　orange　grove。　Follow　the　wall　till　you　come

to　a　heavy　iron　gate。　Don't　try　to　press　it　open；　but　oil　the　hinges

with　this；'　and　the　old　man　gave　him　a　small　bottle。



‘The　gate　will　open　of　itself；'　he　continued；　‘and　a　huge　dog

which　guards　the　castle　will　come　to　you　with　his　mouth　wide　open；

but　just　throw　him　this　oat　cake。　Next；　you　will　see　a　baking

woman　leaning　over　her　heated　oven。　Give　her　this　brush。

Lastly；　you　will　find　a　well　on　your　left；　do　not　forget　to　take　the

cord　of　the　bucket　and　spread　it　in　the　sun。　When　you　have　done　this；

do　not　enter　the　castle；　but　go　round　it　and　enter　the　orange　grove。

Then　gather　three　oranges；　and　get　back　to　the　gate　as　fast　as　you　can。

Once　out　of　the　gate；　leave　the　forest　by　the　opposite　side。



‘Now；　attend　to　this：　whatever　happens；　do　not　open　your　oranges

till　you　reach　the　bank　of　a　river；　or　a　fountain。　Out　of　each　orange

will　come　a　princess；　and　you　can　choose　which　you　like　for　your

wife。　Your　choice　once　made；　be　very　careful　never　to　leave　your

bride　for　an　instant；　and　remember　that　the　danger　which　is　most

to　be　feared　is　never　the　danger　we　are　most　afraid　of。'





V





Desire　thanked　his　host　warmly；　and　took　the　road　he　pointed

out。　In　less　than　an　hour　he　arrived　at　the　wall；　which　was　very

high　indeed。　He　sprang　to　the　ground；　fastened　his　horse　to　a　tree；

and　soon　found　the　iron　gate。　Then　he　took　out　his　bottle　and　oiled

the　hinges；　when　the　gate　opened　of　itself；　and　he　saw　an　old　castle

standing　inside。　The　Prince　entered　boldly　into　the　courtyard。



Suddenly　he　heard　fierce　howls；　and　a　dog　as　tall　as　a　donkey；

with　eyes　like　billiard　balls；　came　towards　him；　showing　his　teeth；

which　were　like　the　prongs　of　a　fork。　Desire　flung　him　the　oat