14-graciosa and percinet-第3章

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her　will；　was　forced　into　it；　and　away　they　drove；　and　never　stopped

until　they　reached　a　great　forest；　a　hundred　leagues　from　the

palace。　This　forest　was　so　gloomy；　and　so　full　of　lions；　tigers；　bears

and　wolves；　that　nobody　dared　pass　through　it　even　by　daylight；

and　here　they　set　down　the　unhappy　Princess　in　the　middle　of　the

black　night；　and　left　her　in　spite　of　all　her　tears　and　entreaties。　The

Princess　stood　quite　still　at　first　from　sheer　bewilderment；　but　when

the　last　sound　of　the　retreating　carriages　died　away　in　the　distance

she　began　to　run　aimlessly　hither　and　thither；　sometimes　knocking

herself　against　a　tree；　sometimes　tripping　over　a　stone；　fearing

every　minute　that　she　would　be　eaten　up　by　the　lions。　Presently

she　was　too　tired　to　advance　another　step；　so　she　threw　herself

down　upon　the　ground　and　cried　miserably：



‘Oh；　Percinet！　where　are　you？　Have　you　forgotten　me　altogether？'



She　had　hardly　spoken　when　all　the　forest　was　lighted　up　with

a　sudden　glow。　Every　tree　seemed　to　be　sending　out　a　soft

radiance；　which　was　clearer　than　moonlight　and　softer　than

daylight；　and　at　the　end　of　a　long　avenue　of　trees　opposite　to　her　the

Princess　saw　a　palace　of　clear　crystal　which　blazed　like　the　sun。

At　that　moment　a　slight　sound　behind　her　made　her　start　round；

and　there　stood　Percinet　himself。



‘Did　I　frighten　you；　my　Princess？'　said　he。　‘I　come　to　bid　you

welcome　to　our　fairy　palace；　in　the　name　of　the　Queen；　my　mother；

who　is　prepared　to　love　you　as　much　as　I　do。'　The　Princess

joyfully　mounted　with　him　into　a　little　sledge；　drawn　by　two　stags；

which　bounded　off　and　drew　them　swiftly　to　the　wonderful　palace；

where　the　Queen　received　her　with　the　greatest　kindness；　and　a

splendid　banquet　was　served　at　once。　Graciosa　was　so　happy　to

have　found　Percinet；　and　to　have　escaped　from　the　gloomy　forest

and　all　its　terrors；　that　she　was　very　hungry　and　very　merry；　and

they　were　a　gay　party。　After　supper　they　went　into　another　lovely

room；　where　the　crystal　walls　were　covered　with　pictures；　and　the

Princess　saw　with　great　surprise　that　her　own　history　was　repre…

sented；　even　down　to　the　moment　when　Percinet　found　her　in　the

forest。



‘Your　painters　must　indeed　be　diligent；'　she　said；　pointing　out

the　last　picture　to　the　Prince。



‘They　are　obliged　to　be；　for　I　will　not　have　anything　forgotten

that　happens　to　you；'　he　answered。



When　the　Princess　grew　sleepy；　twenty…four　charming　maidens

put　her　to　bed　in　the　prettiest　room　she　had　ever　seen；　and　then

sang　to　her　so　sweetly　that　Graciosa's　dreams　were　all　of　mermaids；

and　cool　sea　waves；　and　caverns；　in　which　she　wandered　with

Percinet；　but　when　she　woke　up　again　her　first　thought　was　that；

delightful　as　this　fairy　palace　seemed　to　her；　yet　she　could　not　stay

in　it；　but　must　go　back　to　her　father。　When　she　had　been　dressed

by　the　four…and…twenty　maidens　in　a　charming　robe　which　the

Queen　had　sent　for　her；　and　in　which　she　looked　prettier　than　ever；

Prince　Percinet　came　to　see　her；　and　was　bitterly　disappointed　when

she　told　him　what　she　had　been　thinking。　He　begged　her　to

consider　again　how　unhappy　the　wicked　Queen　would　make　her；　and

how；　if　she　would　but　marry　him；　all　the　fairy　palace　would　be

hers；　and　his　one　thought　would　be　to　please　her。　But；　in　spite　of

everything　he　could　say；　the　Princess　was　quite　determined　to　go

back；　though　he　at　last　persuaded　her　to　stay　eight　days；　which　were

so　full　of　pleasure　and　amusement　that　they　passed　like　a　few

hours。　On　the　last　day；　Graciosa；　who　had　often　felt　anxious　to

know　what　was　going　on　in　her　father's　palace；　said　to　Percinet

that　she　was　sure　that　he　could　find　out　for　her；　if　he　would；　what

reason　the　Queen　had　given　her　father　for　her　sudden　disappearance。

Percinet　at　first　offered　to　send　his　courier　to　find　out；　but

the　Princess　said：



‘Oh！　isn't　there　a　quicker　way　of　knowing　than　that？'



‘Very　well；'　said　Percinet；　‘you　shall　see　for　yourself。'



So　up　they　went　together　to　the　top　of　a　very　high　tower；　which；

like　the　rest　of　the　castle；　was　built　entirely　of　rock…crystal。



There　the　Prince　held　Graciosa's　hand　in　his；　and　made　her　put

the　tip　of　her　little　finger　into　her　mouth；　and　look　towards　the　town；

and　immediately　she　saw　the　wicked　Queen　go　to　the　King；　and

heard　her　say　to　him；　‘That　miserable　Princess　is　dead；　and　no

great　loss　either。　I　have　ordered　that　she　shall　be　buried　at　once。'



And　then　the　Princess　saw　how　she　dressed　up　a　log　of　wood

and　had　it　buried；　and　how　the　old　King　cried；　and　all　the　people

murmured　that　the　Queen　had　killed　Graciosa　with　her　cruelties；

and　that　she　ought　to　have　her　head　cut　off。　When　the　Princess

saw　that　the　King　was　so　sorry　for　her　pretended　death　that　he

could　neither　eat　nor　drink；　she　cried：



‘Ah；　Percinet！　take　me　back　quickly　if　you　love　me。'



And　so；　though　he　did　not　want　to　at　all；　he　was　obliged　to

promise　that　he　would　let　her　go。



‘You　may　not　regret　me；　Princess；'　he　said　sadly；　‘for　I　fear

that　you　do　not　love　me　well　enough；　but　I　foresee　that　you　will

more　than　once　regret　that　you　left　this　fairy　palace　where　we

have　been　so　happy。'



But；　in　spite　of　all　he　could　say；　she　bade　farewell　to　the　Queen；

his　mother；　and　prepared　to　set　out；　so　Percinet；　very　unwillingly；

brought　the　little　sledge　with　the　stags　and　she　mounted　beside　him。

But　they　had　hardly　gone　twenty　yards　when　a　tremendous　noise

behind　her　made　Graciosa　look　back；　and　she　saw　the　palace　of　crystal

fly　into　a　million　splinters；　like　the　spray　of　a　fountain；　and　vanish。



‘Oh；　Percinet！'　she　cried；　‘what　has　happened？　The　palace　is

gone。'



‘Yes；'　he　answered；　‘my　palace　is　a　thing　of　the　past；　you　will

see　it　again；　but　not　until　after　you　have　been　buried。'



‘Now　you　are　angry　with　me；'　said　Graciosa　in　her　most　coaxing

voice；　‘though　after　all　I　am　more　to　be　pitied　than　you　are。'



When　they　got　near　the　palace　the　Prince　made　the　sledge　and

themselves　invisible；　so　the　Princess　got　in　unobserved；　and　ran　up

to　the　great　hall　where　the　King　was　sitting　all　by　himself。　At

first　he　was　very　much　startled　by　Graciosa's　sudden　appearance；

but　she　told　him　how　the　Queen　had　left　her　out　in　the　forest；　and

how　she　had　caused　a　log　of　wood　to　be　buried。　The　King；　who

did　not　know　what　to　think；　sent　quickly　and　had　it　dug　up；　and

sure　enough　it　was　as　the　Princess　had　said。　Then　he　caressed

Graciosa；　and　made　her　sit　down　to　supper　with　him；　and　they　were

as　happy　as　possible。　But　someone　had　by　this　time　told　the　wicked

Queen　that　Graciosa　had　come　back；　and　was　at　supper　with　the

King；　and　in　she　flew　in　a　terrible　fury。　The　poor　old　King　quite

trembled　before　her；　and　when　she　declared　that　Graciosa　was　not

the　Princess　at　all；　but　a　wicked　impostor；　and　that　if　the　King　did

not　give　her　up　at　once　she　would　go　back　to　her　own　castle　and

never　see　him　again；　he　had　not　a　word　to　say；　and　really　seemed

to　believe　that　it　was　not　Graciosa　after　all。　So　the　Queen　in　great

triumph　sent　for　her　waiting　women；　who　dragged　the　unhappy

Princess　away　and　shut　her　up　in　a　garret；　they　took　away　all　her

jewels　and　her　pretty　dress；　and　gave　her　a　rough　cotton　frock；　wooden

shoes；　and　a　little　cloth　cap。　There　was　some　straw　in　a　corner；

which　was　all　she　had　for　a　bed；　and　they　gave　her　a　very　little　bit

of　black　bread　to　eat。　In　this　miserable　plight　Graciosa　did　indeed

regret　the　fairy　palace；　and　she　would　have　called　Percinet　to　her

aid；　only　she　felt　sure　he　was　still　vexed　with　her　for　leaving　him；

and　thought　that　she　could　not　expect　him　to　come。



Meanwhile　the　Queen　had　sent　for　an　old　Fairy；　as　malicious　as

herself；　and　said　to　her：



‘You　must　find　me　some　task　for　this　fine　Princess　which　she

cannot　possibly　do；　for　I　mean　to　punish　her；　and　if　she　does　not　do

what　I　order；　she　will　not　be　able　to　say　that　I　am　unjust。'　So　the

old　Fairy　said　she　would　think　it　over