the works of edgar allan poe-5-第6章

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madness　is　no　comfortable　feeling。　But　the　king　loved　his　practical　jokes；
and　took　pleasure　in　forcing　Hop…Frog　to　drink　and　（as　the　king　called　it）
'to　be　merry。'

〃Come　here；　Hop…Frog；〃　said　he；　as　the　jester　and　his　friend　entered　the
room；　〃swallow　this　bumper　to　the　health　of　your　absent　friends；　＇here
Hop…Frog　sighed；＇　and　then　let　us　have　the　benefit　of　your　invention。　We
want　characters　　characters；　man　　something　novel　　out　of　the　way。
We　are　wearied　with　this　everlasting　sameness。　Come；　drink！　the　wine　will
brighten　your　wits。〃

Hop…Frog　endeavored；　as　usual；　to　get　up　a　jest　in　reply　to　these　advances
from　the　king；　but　the　effort　was　too　much。　It　happened　to　be　the　poor
dwarf's　birthday；　and　the　command　to　drink　to　his　'absent　friends'　forced
the　tears　to　his　eyes。　Many　large；　bitter　drops　fell　into　the　goblet　as　he
took　it；　humbly；　from　the　hand　of　the　tyrant。

〃Ah！　ha！　ha！〃　roared　the　latter；　as　the　dwarf　reluctantly　drained　the
beaker。　　〃See　what　a　glass　of　good　wine　can　do！　Why；　your　eyes　are
shining　already！〃

Poor　fellow！　his　large　eyes　gleamed；　rather　than　shone；　for　the　effect　of
wine　on　his　excitable　brain　was　not　more　powerful　than　instantaneous。　He
placed　the　goblet　nervously　on　the　table；　and　looked　round　upon　the
company　with　a　half　　insane　stare。　They　all　seemed　highly　amused　at　the
success　of　the　king's　'joke。'

〃And　now　to　business；〃　said　the　prime　minister；　a　very　fat　man。

〃Yes；〃　said　the　King；　〃Come　lend　us　your　assistance。　Characters；　my　fine
fellow；　we　stand　in　need　of　characters　　all　of　us　　ha！　ha！　ha！〃　and　as
this　was　seriously　meant　for　a　joke；　his　laugh　was　chorused　by　the　seven。

Hop…Frog　also　laughed　although　feebly　and　somewhat　vacantly。

〃Come；　come；〃　said　the　king；　impatiently；　〃have　you　nothing　to　suggest？〃

〃I　am　endeavoring　to　think　of　something　novel；〃　replied　the　dwarf；
abstractedly；　for　he　was　quite　bewildered　by　the　wine。

〃Endeavoring！〃　cried　the　tyrant；　fiercely；　〃what　do　you　mean　by　that？　Ah；
I　perceive。　You　are　Sulky；　and　want　more　wine。　Here；　drink　this！〃　and　he
poured　out　another　goblet　full　and　offered　it　to　the　cripple；　who　merely
gazed　at　it；　gasping　for　breath。

〃Drink；　I　say！〃　shouted　the　monster；　〃or　by　the　fiends…〃

The　dwarf　hesitated。　The　king　grew　purple　with　rage。　The　courtiers
smirked。　Trippetta；　pale　as　a　corpse；　advanced　to　the　monarch's　seat；　and；
falling　on　her　knees　before　him；　implored　him　to　spare　her　friend。

The　tyrant　regarded　her；　for　some　moments；　in　evident　wonder　at　her
audacity。　He　seemed　quite　at　a　loss　what　to　do　or　say　　how　most
becomingly　to　express　his　indignation。　At　last；　without　uttering　a
syllable；　he　pushed　her　violently　from　him；　and　threw　the　contents　of　the
brimming　goblet　in　her　face。

The　poor　girl　got　up　the　best　she　could；　and；　not　daring　even　to　sigh；
resumed　her　position　at　the　foot　of　the　table。

There　was　a　dead　silence　for　about　half　a　minute；　during　which　the　falling
of　a　leaf；　or　of　a　feather；　might　have　been　heard。　It　was　interrupted　by　a
low；　but　harsh　and　protracted　grating　sound　which　seemed　to　come　at　once
from　every　corner　of　the　room。

〃What　　what　　what　are　you　making　that　noise　for？〃　demanded　the　king；
turning　furiously　to　the　dwarf。

The　latter　seemed　to　have　recovered；　in　great　measure；　from　his
intoxication；　and　looking　fixedly　but　quietly　into　the　tyrant's　face；
merely　ejaculated：

〃I　　I？　How　could　it　have　been　me？〃

〃The　sound　appeared　to　come　from　without；〃　observed　one　of　the　courtiers。
〃I　fancy　it　was　the　parrot　at　the　window；　whetting　his　bill　upon　his
cage…wires。〃

〃True；〃　replied　the　monarch；　as　if　much　relieved　by　the　suggestion；　〃but；
on　the　honor　of　a　knight；　I　could　have　sworn　that　it　was　the　gritting　of
this　vagabond's　teeth。〃

Hereupon　the　dwarf　laughed　（the　king　was　too　confirmed　a　joker　to　object
to　any　one's　laughing）；　and　displayed　a　set　of　large；　powerful；　and　very
repulsive　teeth。　Moreover；　he　avowed　his　perfect　willingness　to　swallow　as
much　wine　as　desired。　The　monarch　was　pacified；　and　having　drained　another
bumper　with　no　very　perceptible　ill　effect；　Hop…Frog　entered　at　once；　and
with　spirit；　into　the　plans　for　the　masquerade。

〃I　cannot　tell　what　was　the　association　of　idea；〃　observed　he；　very
tranquilly；　and　as　if　he　had　never　tasted　wine　in　his　life；　〃but　just
after　your　majesty；　had　struck　the　girl　and　thrown　the　wine　in　her　face　
just　after　your　majesty　had　done　this；　and　while　the　parrot　was　making
that　odd　noise　outside　the　window；　there　came　into　my　mind　a　capital
diversion　　one　of　my　own　country　frolics　　often　enacted　among　us；　at
our　masquerades：　but　here　it　will　be　new　altogether。　Unfortunately；
however；　it　requires　a　company　of　eight　persons　and…〃

〃Here　we　are！〃　cried　the　king；　laughing　at　his　acute　discovery　of　the
coincidence；　〃eight　to　a　fraction　　I　and　my　seven　ministers。　Come！　what
is　the　diversion？〃

〃We　call　it；〃　replied　the　cripple；　〃the　Eight　Chained　Ourang…Outangs；　and
it　really　is　excellent　sport　if　well　enacted。〃

〃We　will　enact　it；〃　remarked　the　king；　drawing　himself　up；　and　lowering
his　eyelids。

〃The　beauty　of　the　game；〃　continued　Hop…Frog；　〃lies　in　the　fright　it
occasions　among　the　women。〃

〃Capital！〃　roared　in　chorus　the　monarch　and　his　ministry。

〃I　will　equip　you　as　ourang…outangs；〃　proceeded　the　dwarf；　〃leave　all　that
to　me。　The　resemblance　shall　be　so　striking；　that　the　company　of
masqueraders　will　take　you　for　real　beasts　　and　of　course；　they　will　be
as　much　terrified　as　astonished。〃

〃Oh；　this　is　exquisite！〃　exclaimed　the　king。　〃Hop…Frog！　I　will　make　a　man
of　you。〃

〃The　chains　are　for　the　purpose　of　increasing　the　confusion　by　their
jangling。　You　are　supposed　to　have　escaped；　en　masse；　from　your　keepers。
Your　majesty　cannot　conceive　the　effect　produced；　at　a　masquerade；　by
eight　chained　ourang…outangs；　imagined　to　be　real　ones　by　most　of　the
company；　and　rushing　in　with　savage　cries；　among　the　crowd　of　delicately
and　gorgeously　habited　men　and　women。　The　contrast　is　inimitable！〃

〃It　must　be；〃　said　the　king：　and　the　council　arose　hurriedly　（as　it　was
growing　late）；　to　put　in　execution　the　scheme　of　Hop…Frog。

His　mode　of　equipping　the　party　as　ourang…outangs　was　very　simple；　but
effective　enough　for　his　purposes。　The　animals　in　question　had；　at　the
epoch　of　my　story；　very　rarely　been　seen　in　any　part　of　the　civilized
world；　and　as　the　imitations　made　by　the　dwarf　were　sufficiently
beast…like　and　more　than　sufficiently　hideous；　their　truthfulness　to
nature　was　thus　thought　to　be　secured。

The　king　and　his　ministers　were　first　encased　in　tight…fitting　stockinet
shirts　and　drawers。　They　were　then　saturated　with　tar。　At　this　stage　of
the　process；　some　one　of　the　party　suggested　feathers；　but　the　suggestion
was　at　once　overruled　by　the　dwarf；　who　soon　convinced　the　eight；　by
ocular　demonstration；　that　the　hair　of　such　a　brute　as　the　ourang…outang
was　much　more　efficiently　represented　by　flu。　A　thick　coating　of　the
latter　was　accordingly　plastered　upon　the　coating　of　tar。　A　long　chain　was
now　procured。　First；　it　was　passed　about　the　waist　of　the　king；　and　tied；
then　about　another　of　the　party；　and　also　tied；　then　about　all
successively；　in　the　same　manner。　When　this　chaining　arrangement　was
complete；　and　the　party　stood　as　far　apart　from　each　other　as　possible；
they　formed　a　circle；　and　to　make　all　things　appear　natural；　Hop…Frog
passed　the　residue　of　the　chain　in　two　diameters；　at　right　angles；　across
the　circle；　after　the　fashion　adopted；　at　the　present　day；　by　those　who
capture　Chimpanzees；　or　other　large　apes；　in　Borneo。

The　grand　saloon　in　which　the　masquerade　was　to　take　place；　was　a　circular
room；　very　lofty；　and　receiving　the　light　of　the　sun　only　through　a　single
window　at　top。　At　night　（the　season　for　which　the　apartment　was　especially
designed）　it　was　illuminated　principally　by　a　large　chandelier；　depending
by　a　chain　from　the　centre　of　the　sky…light；　and　lowered；　or　elevated；　by
means　of　a　counter…balance　as　usual；　but　（in　order　not　to　look　unsightly）
this　latter　passed　outside　the　cupola　and　over　the　roof。

The　arrangements　of　the　room　had　been　left　to　Trippetta's　superintendence；
but；　in　so