22-the golden branch-第1章

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THE　GOLDEN　BRANCH



ONCE　upon　a　time　there　was　a　King　who　was　so　morose　and

disagreeable　that　he　was　feared　by　all　his　subjects；　and　with

good　reason；　as　for　the　most　trifling　offences　he　would　have　their

heads　cut　off。　This　King　Grumpy；　as　he　was　called；　had　one

son；　who　was　as　different　from　his　father　as　he　could　possibly　be。

No　prince　equalled　him　in　cleverness　and　kindness　of　heart；　but

unfortunately　he　was　most　terribly　ugly。　He　had　crooked　legs　and

squinting　eyes；　a　large　mouth　all　on　one　side；　and　a　hunchback。

Never　was　there　a　beautiful　soul　in　such　a　frightful　little　body；　but

in　spite　of　his　appearance　everybody　loved　him。　The　Queen；　his

mother；　called　him　Curlicue；　because　it　was　a　name　she　rather

liked；　and　it　seemed　to　suit　him。



King　Grumpy；　who　cared　a　great　deal　more　for　his　own　grandeur

than　for　his　son's　happiness；　wished　to　betroth　the　Prince　to　the

daughter　of　a　neighbouring　King；　whose　great　estates　joined　his

own；　for　he　thought　that　this　alliance　would　make　him　more　powerful

than　ever；　and　as　for　the　Princess　she　would　do　very　well　for

Prince　Curlicue；　for　she　was　as　ugly　as　himself。　Indeed；　though　she

was　the　most　amiable　creature　in　the　world；　there　was　no　concealing

the　fact　that　she　was　frightful；　and　so　lame　that　she　always　went

about　with　a　crutch；　and　people　called　her　Princess　Cabbage…Stalk。



The　King；　having　asked　for　and　received　a　portrait　of　this

Princess；　had　it　placed　in　his　great　hall　under　a　canopy；　and　sent

for　Prince　Curlicue；　to　whom　he　said　that　as　this　was　the　portrait

of　his　future　bride；　he　hoped　the　Prince　found　it　charming。



The　Prince　after　one　glance　at　it　turned　away　with　a　disdainful

air；　which　greatly　offended　his　father。



‘Am　I　to　understand　that　you　are　not　pleased？'　he　said　very

sharply。



‘No；　sire；'　replied　the　Prince。　‘How　could　I　be　pleased　to

marry　an　ugly；　lame　Princess？'



‘Certainly　it　is　becoming　in　YOU　to　object　to　that；'　said　King

Grumpy；　‘since　you　are　ugly　enough　to　frighten　anyone　yourself。'



‘That　is　the　very　reason；'　said　the　Prince；　‘that　I　wish　to

marry　someone　who　is　not　ugly。　I　am　quite　tired　enough　of

seeing　myself。'



‘I　tell　you　that　you　shall　marry　her；'　cried　King　Grumpy

angrily。



And　the　Prince；　seeing　that　it　was　of　no　use　to　remonstrate；

bowed　and　retired。



As　King　Grumpy　was　not　used　to　being　contradicted　in　anything；

he　was　very　much　displeased　with　his　son；　and　ordered　that　he

should　be　imprisoned　in　the　tower　that　was　kept　on　purpose　for

rebellious　Princes；　but　had　not　been　used　for　about　two　hundred

years；　because　there　had　not　been　any。　The　Prince　thought　all　the

rooms　looked　strangely　old…fashioned；　with　their　antique　furniture；

but　as　there　was　a　good　library　he　was　pleased；　for　he　was　very　fond

of　reading；　and　he　soon　got　permission　to　have　as　many　books　as

he　liked。　But　when　he　looked　at　them　he　found　that　they　were

written　in　a　forgotten　language；　and　he　could　not　understand　a　single

word；　though　he　amused　himself　with　trying。



King　Grumpy　was　so　convinced　that　Prince　Curlicue　would　soon

get　tired　of　being　in　prison；　and　so　consent　to　marry　the　Princess

Cabbage…Stalk；　that　he　sent　ambassadors　to　her　father　proposing

that　she　should　come　and　be　married　to　his　son；　who　would　make

her　perfectly　happy。



The　King　was　delighted　to　receive　so　good　an　offer　for　his

unlucky　daughter；　though；　to　tell　the　truth；　he　found　it　impossible　to

admire　the　Prince's　portrait　which　had　been　sent　to　him。　However；

he　had　it　placed　in　as　favourable　a　light　as　possible；　and　sent

for　the　Princess；　but　the　moment　she　caught　sight　of　it　she　looked

the　other　way　and　began　to　cry。　The　King；　who　was　very　much

annoyed　to　see　how　greatly　she　disliked　it；　took　a　mirror；　and　holding

it　up　before　the　unhappy　Princess；　said：



‘I　see　you　do　not　think　the　Prince　handsome；　but　look　at　yourself；

and　see　if　you　have　any　right　to　complain　about　that。'



‘Sire；'　she　answered；　‘I　do　not　wish　to　complain；　only　I　beg　of　you

do　not　make　me　marry　at　all。　I　had　rather　be　the　unhappy　Princess

Cabbage…Stalk　all　my　life　than　inflict　the　sight　of　my　ugliness　on

anyone　else。'



But　the　King　would　not　listen　to　her；　and　sent　her　away　with

the　ambassadors。



In　the　meantime　the　Prince　was　kept　safely　locked　up　in　his

tower；　and；　that　he　might　be　as　dull　as　possible；　King　Grumpy

ordered　that　no　one　should　speak　to　him；　and　that　they　should　give

him　next　to　nothing　to　eat。　But　all　the　Princess　guards　were　so

fond　of　him　that　they　did　everything　they　dared；　in　spite　of　the

King；　to　make　the　time　pass　pleasantly。



One　day；　as　the　Prince　was　walking　up　and　down　the　great

gallery；　thinking　how　miserable　it　was　to　be　so　ugly；　and　to　be

forced　to　marry　an　equally　frightful　Princess；　he　looked　up　suddenly

and　noticed　that　the　painted　windows　were　particularly　bright　and

beautiful；　and　for　the　sake　of　doing　something　that　would　change

his　sad　thoughts　he　began　to　examine　them　attentively。　He　found

that　the　pictures　seemed　to　be　scenes　from　the　life　of　a　man　who

appeared　in　every　window；　and　the　Prince；　fancying　that　he　saw　in

this　man　some　resemblance　to　himself；　began　to　be　deeply　interested。

In　the　first　window　there　was　a　picture　of　him　in　one　of　the　turrets

of　the　tower；　farther　on　he　was　seeking　something　in　a　chink　in　the

wall；　in　the　next　picture　he　was　opening　an　old　cabinet　with　a

golden　key；　and　so　it　went　on　through　numbers　of　scenes；　and

presently　the　Prince　noticed　that　another　figure　occupied　the　most

important　place　in　each　scene；　and　this　time　it　was　a　tall　handsome

young　man：　poor　Prince　Curlicue　found　it　a　pleasure　to　look　at　him；

he　was　so　straight　and　strong。　By　this　time　it　had　grown　dark；

and　the　Prince　had　to　go　back　to　his　own　room；　and　to　amuse　himself

he　took　up　a　quaint　old　book　and　began　to　look　at　the　pictures。

But　his　surprise　was　great　to　find　that　they　represented　the　same

scenes　as　the　windows　of　the　gallery；　and　what　was　more；　that　they

seemed　to　be　alive。　In　looking　at　pictures　of　musicians　he　saw　their

hands　move　and　heard　sweet　sounds；　there　was　a　picture　of　a　ball；

and　the　Prince　could　watch　the　little　dancing　people　come　and　go。

He　turned　a　page；　and　there　was　an　excellent　smell　of　a　savoury

dinner；　and　one　of　the　figures　who　sat　at　the　feast　looked　at　him

and　said：



‘We　drink　your　health；　Curlicue。　Try　to　give　us　our　Queen

again；　for　if　you　do　you　will　be　rewarded；　if　not；　it　will　be　the　worse

for　you。'



At　these　words　the　Prince；　who　had　been　growing　more　and　more

astonished；　was　fairly　terrified；　and　dropping　the　book　with　a　crash

he　sank　back　insensible。　The　noise　he　made　brought　his　guards　to

his　aid；　and　as　soon　as　he　revived　they　asked　him　what　was　the

matter。　He　answered　that　he　was　so　faint　and　giddy　with　hunger

that　he　had　imagined　he　saw　and　heard　all　sorts　of　strange　things。

Thereupon；　in　spite　of　the　King's　orders；　the　guards　gave　him　an

excellent　supper；　and　when　he　had　eaten　it　he　again　opened　his

book；　but　could　see　none　of　the　wonderful　pictures；　which　convinced

him　that　he　must　have　been　dreaming　before。



However；　when　he　went　into　he　gallery　next　day　and　looked　at

the　painted　windows　again；　he　found　that　they　moved；　and　the　figures

came　and　went　as　if　they　had　been　alive；　and　after　watching　the　one

who　was　like　himself　find　the　key　in　the　crack　of　the　turret　wall

and　open　the　old　cabinet；　he　determined　to　go　and　examine　the

place　himself；　and　try　to　find　out　what　the　mystery　was。　So　he

went　up　into　the　turret　and　began　to　search　about　and　tap　upon

the　walls；　and　all　at　once　he　came　upon　a　place　that　sounded　hollow。

Taking　a　hammer　he　broke　away　a　bit　of　the　stone；　and　found　behind

it　a　little　golden　key。　The　next　thing　to　do　was　to　find　the　cabinet；

and　the　Prince　soon　came　to　it；　hidden　away　in　a　dark　corner；

though　indeed　it　was　so　old　and　battered…looking　that　he　would

never　have　noticed　it　of　his