13-the little good mouse-第3章

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‘You　have　goodness　and　beauty；　which　are　of　more　value　than

ten　kingdoms；'　said　the　wise　Fairy。　‘But　tell　me；　child；　how　came

you　here；　and　how　is　it　you　have　neither　father；　nor　mother；　nor

friend？'



‘A　Fairy　called　Cancaline　is　the　cause　of　my　being　here；'　answered

she；　‘for　while　I　lived　with　her　I　got　nothing　but　blows　and　harsh

words；　until　at　last　I　could　bear　it　no　longer；　and　ran　away　from

her　without　knowing　where　I　was　going；　and　as　I　came　through　a

wood　the　wicked　Prince　met　me；　and　offered　to　give　me　charge　of

the　poultry…yard。　I　accepted　gladly；　not　knowing　that　I　should

have　to　see　him　day　by　day。　And　now　he　wants　to　marry　me；　but

that　I　will　never　consent　to。'



Upon　hearing　this　the　Fairy　became　convinced　that　the　little

Turkey…maiden　was　none　other　than　the　Princess　Delicia。



‘What　is　your　name；　my　little　one？'　said　she。



‘I　am　called　Delicia；　if　it　please　you；'　she　answered。



Then　the　Fairy　threw　her　arms　round　the　Princess's　neck；　and

nearly　smothered　her　with　kisses；　saying：



‘Ah；　Delicia！　I　am　a　very　old　friend　of　yours；　and　I　am　truly

glad　to　find　you　at　last；　but　you　might　look　nicer　than　you　do　in

that　old　gown；　which　is　only　fit　for　a　kitchen…maid。　Take　this　pretty

dress　and　let　us　see　the　difference　it　will　make。'



So　Delicia　took　off　the　ugly　cap；　and　shook　out　all　her　fair　shining

hair；　and　bathed　her　hands　and　face　in　clear　water　from　the　nearest

spring　till　her　cheeks　were　like　roses；　and　when　she　was　adorned

with　the　diamonds　and　the　splendid　robe　the　Fairy　had　given　her；

she　looked　the　most　beautiful　Princess　in　the　world；　and　the　Fairy

with　great　delight　cried：



‘Now　you　look　as　you　ought　to　look；　Delicia：　what　do　you

think　about　it　yourself？'



And　Delicia　answered：



‘I　feel　as　if　I　were　the　daughter　of　some　great　king。'



‘And　would　you　be　glad　if　you　were？'　said　the　Fairy。



‘Indeed　I　should；'　answered　she。



‘Ah；　well；'　said　the　Fairy；　‘to…morrow　I　may　have　some　pleasant

news　for　you。'



So　she　hurried　back　to　her　castle；　where　the　Queen　sat　busy　with

her　embroidery；　and　cried：



‘Well；　madam！　will　you　wager　your　thimble　and　your　golden

needle　that　I　am　bringing　you　the　best　news　you　could　possibly　hear？'



‘Alas！'　sighed　the　Queen；　‘since　the　death　of　the　Jolly　King

and　the　loss　of　my　Delicia；　all　the　news　in　the　world　is　not　worth　a

pin　to　me。



‘There；　there；　don't　be　melancholy；'　said　the　Fairy。　‘I　assure

you　the　Princess　is　quite　well；　and　I　have　never　seen　her　equal　for

beauty。　She　might　be　a　Queen　to…morrow　if　she　chose；　‘and　then

she　told　all　that　had　happened；　and　the　Queen　first　rejoiced　over　the

thought　of　Delicia's　beauty；　and　then　wept　at　the　idea　of　her　being

a　Turkey…maiden。



‘I　will　not　hear　of　her　being　made　to　marry　the　wicked　King's

son；'　she　said。　‘Let　us　go　at　once　and　bring　her　here。'



In　the　meantime　the　wicked　Prince；　who　was　very　angry　with

Delicia；　had　sat　himself　down　under　a　tree；　and　cried　and　howled

with　rage　and　spite　until　the　King　heard　him；　and　cried　out　from

the　window：



‘What　is　the　matter　with　you；　that　you　are　making　all　this

disturbance？'



The　Prince　replied：



‘It　is　all　because　our　Turkey…maiden　will　not　love　me！'



‘Won't　love　you？　eh！'　said　the　King。　‘We'll　very　soon　see

about　that！'　So　he　called　his　guards　and　told　them　to　go　and

fetch　Delicia。　‘See　if　I　don't　make　her　change　her　mind　pretty

soon！'　said　the　wicked　King　with　a　chuckle。



Then　the　guards　began　to　search　the　poultry…yard；　and　could

find　nobody　there　but　Delicia；　who；　with　her　splendid　dress　and

her　crown　of　diamonds；　looked　such　a　lovely　Princess　that　they

hardly　dared　to　speak　to　her。　But　she　said　to　them　very　politely：



‘Pray　tell　me　what　you　are　looking　for　here？'



‘Madam；'　they　answered；　‘we　are　sent　for　an　insignificant　little

person　called　Delicia。'



‘Alas！'　said　she；　‘that　is　my　name。　What　can　you　want　with　me？'



So　the　guards　tied　her　hands　and　feet　with　thick　ropes；　for　fear

she　might　run　away；　and　brought　her　to　the　King；　who　was　waiting

with　his　son。



When　he　saw　her　he　was　very　much　astonished　at　her　beauty；

which　would　have　made　anyone　less　hard…hearted　sorry　for　her。

But　the　wicked　King　only　laughed　and　mocked　at　her；　and

cried：　‘Well；　little　fright；　little　toad！　why　don't　you　love　my

son；　who　is　far　too　handsome　and　too　good　for　you？　Make　haste

and　begin　to　love　him　this　instant；　or　you　shall　be　tarred　and

feathered。'



Then　the　poor　little　Princess；　shaking　with　terror；　went　down

on　her　knees；　crying：



‘Oh；　don't　tar　and　feather　me；　please！　It　would　be　so

uncomfortable。　Let　me　have　two　or　three　days　to　make　up　my　mind；

and　then　you　shall　do　as　you　like　with　me。'



The　wicked　Prince　would　have　liked　very　much　to　see　her

tarred　and　feathered；　but　the　King　ordered　that　she　should　be　shut

up　in　a　dark　dungeon。　It　was　just　at　this　moment　that　the　Queen

and　the　Fairy　arrived　in　the　flying　chariot；　and　the　Queen　was

dreadfully　distressed　at　the　turn　affairs　had　taken；　and　said

miserably　that　she　was　destined　to　be　unfortunate　all　her　days。

But　the　Fairy　bade　her　take　courage。



‘I'll　pay　them　out　yet；'　said　she；　nodding　her　head　with　an　air

of　great　determination。



That　very　same　night；　as　soon　as　the　wicked　King　had　gone　to

bed；　the　Fairy　changed　herself　into　the　little　mouse；　and　creeping

up　on　to　his　pillow　nibbled　his　ear；　so　that　he　squealed　out　quite

loudly　and　turned　over　on　his　other　side；　but　that　was　no　good；　for

the　little　mouse　only　set　to　work　and　gnawed　away　at　the　second

ear　until　it　hurt　more　than　the　first　one。



Then　the　King　cried　‘Murder！'　and　‘Thieves！'　and　all　his

guards　ran　to　see　what　was　the　matter；　but　they　could　find　nothing

and　nobody；　for　the　little　mouse　had　run　off　to　the　Prince's　room

and　was　serving　him　in　exactly　the　same　way。　All　night　long　she

ran　from　one　to　the　other；　until　at　last；　driven　quite　frantic　by

terror　and　want　of　sleep；　the　King　rushed　out　of　the　palace　crying：



‘Help！　help！　I　am　pursued　by　rats。'



The　Prince　when　he　heard　this　got　up　also；　and　ran　after　the

King；　and　they　had　not　gone　far　when　they　both　fell　into　the　river

and　were　never　heard　of　again。



Then　the　good　Fairy　ran　to　tell　the　Queen；　and　they　went

together　to　the　black　dungeon　where　Delicia　was　imprisoned。　The

Fairy　touched　each　door　with　her　wand；　and　it　sprang　open

instantly；　but　they　had　to　go　through　forty　before　they　came　to　the

Princess；　who　was　sitting　on　the　floor　looking　very　dejected。　But

when　the　Queen　rushed　in；　and　kissed　her　twenty　times　in　a

minute；　and　laughed；　and　cried；　and　told　Delicia　all　her　history；

the　Princess　was　wild　with　delight。　Then　the　Fairy　showed　her　all

the　wonderful　dresses　and　jewels　she　had　brought　for　her；　and　said：



‘Don't　let　us　waste　time；　we　must　go　and　harangue　the　people。'



So　she　walked　first；　looking　very　serious　and　dignified；　and

wearing　a　dress　the　train　of　which　was　at　least　ten　ells　long。

Behind　her　came　the　Queen　wearing　a　blue　velvet　robe　embroidered

with　gold；　and　a　diamond　crown　that　was　brighter　than　the　sun

itself。　Last　of　all　walked　Delicia；　who　was　so　beautiful　that　it　was

nothing　short　of　marvellous。



They　proceeded　through　the　streets；　returning　the　salutations　of

all　they　met；　great　or　small；　and　all　the　people　turned　and　followed

them；　wondering　who　these　noble　ladies　could　be。



When　the　audience　hall　was　quite　full；　the　Fairy　said　to　the

subjects　of　the　Wicked　King　that　if　they　would　accept　Delicia；　who

was　the　daughter　of　the　Jolly　King；　as　their　Queen；　she　would

undertake　to　find　a　suitable　husband　for　her；　and　would　promise

that　during　their　reign　there　should　be　nothing　but　rejoicing　and

merry…making；　and　all　dismal　things　should　be　entirely　banished。

Upon　this　the　people　cried　with　one　accord；　‘We　will；　we　will！　we

have　been　gloomy　and　miserable　too　long　already。'　And　they　all

took　h