CONTENTS
THELITTLELAMEPRINCE
THEINVISIBLEPRINCE
PRINCECHERRY
THEPRINCEWITHTHENOSE
THEFROG-PRINCE
CLEVERALICE
THE
LITTLELAMEPRINCE
CHAPTERI
Yes,hewasthemostbeautifulPrincethateverwasborn。
Ofcourse,beingaprince,peoplesaidthis;butitwastruebesides。
Whenhelookedatthecandle,hiseyeshadanexpressionofearnestinquiryquitestartlinginanewbornbaby。Hisnose——therewasnotmuchofitcertainly,butwhattherewasseemedanaquilineshape;hiscomplexionwasacharming,healthypurple;hewasroundandfat,straight-
limbedandlong——infact,asplendidbaby,andeverybodywasexceedinglyproudofhim,especiallyhisfatherandmother,theKingandQueenofNomansland,whohadwaitedforhimduringtheirhappyreignoftenyears——nowmadehappierthanever,tothemselvesandtheirsubjects,bytheappearanceofasonandheir。
TheonlypersonwhowasnotquitehappywastheKing’sbrother,theheirpresumptive,whowouldhavebeenkingonedayhadthebabynotbeenborn。Butashismajestywasverykindtohim,andevenrathersorryforhim——insomuchthatattheQueen’srequesthegavehimadukedomalmostasbigasacounty——theCrown-
Prince,ashewascalled,triedtoseempleasedalso;andletushopehesucceeded。
ThePrince’schristeningwastobeagrandaffair。Accordingtothecustomofthecountry,therewerechosenforhimfour-and-twentygod-
fathersandgodmothers,whoeachhadtogivehimaname,andpromisetodotheirutmostforhim。Whenhecameofage,hehimselfhadtochoosethename——andthegodfatherorgod-
mother——thathelikedthebest,fortherestofhisdays。
Meantimeallwasrejoicing。Subscriptionsweremadeamongtherichtogivepleasuretothepoor;dinnersintown-hallsfortheworkingmen;
tea-partiesinthestreetsfortheirwives;andmilk-and-bunfeastsforthechildrenintheschoolrooms。ForNomansland,thoughIcannotpointitoutinanymap,orreadofitinanyhistory,was,Ibelieve,muchlikeourownormanyanothercountry。
Asforthepalace——whichwasnodifferentfromotherpalaces——itwasclean\"turnedoutofthewindows,\"aspeoplesay,withthepreparationsgoingon。Theonlyquietplaceinitwastheroomwhich,thoughthePrincewassixweeksold,hismothertheQueenhadneverquitted。
Nobodysaidshewasill,however——itwouldhavebeensoinconvenient;andasshesaidnothingaboutitherself,butlaypaleandplacid,givingnotroubletoanybody,nobodythoughtmuchabouther。Alltheworldwasabsorbedinadmiringthebaby。
Thechristening-daycameatlast,anditwasaslovelyasthePrincehimself。Allthepeopleinthepalacewerelovelytoo——orthoughtthemselvesso——intheelegantnewclotheswhichtheQueen,whothoughtofeverybody,hadtakencaretogivethem,fromtheladies-in-waitingdowntothepoorlittlekitchen-maid,wholookedatherselfinherpinkcottongown,andthought,doubtless,thatthereneverwassuchaprettygirlasshe。
Bysixinthemorningalltheroyalhouseholdhaddresseditselfinitsverybest;andthenthelittlePrincewasdressedinhisbest——hismagnificentchristeningrobe;whichproceedinghisRoyalHighnessdidnotlikeatall,butkickedandscreamedlikeanycommonbaby。Whenhehadalittlecalmeddown,theycarriedhimtobelookedatbytheQueenhismother,who,thoughherroyalrobeshadbeenbroughtandlaiduponthebed,was,aseverybodywellknew,quiteunabletoriseandputthemon。
Sheadmiredherbabyverymuch;kissedandblessedhim,andlaylookingathim,asshedidforhourssometimes,whenhewasplacedbesideherfastasleep;thenshegavehimupwithagentlesmile,and,sayingshehopedhewouldbeverygood,thatitwouldbeaverynicechristening,andalltheguestswouldenjoythemselves,turnedpeacefullyoveronherbed,sayingnothingmoretoanybody。Shewasaveryuncomplainingperson,theQueen——andhernamewasDolorez。
Everythingwentonexactlyasifshehadbeenpresent。All,eventhekinghimself,hadgrownusedtoherabsence;forshewasnotstrong,andforyearshadnotjoinedinanygayeties。Shealwaysdidherroyalduties,butastopleasures,theycouldgoonquitewellwithouther,oritseemedso。Thecompanyarrived:greatandnotablepersonsinthisandneighboringcountries;
alsothefour-and-twentygodfathersandgodmothers,whohadbeenchosenwithcare,asthepeoplewhowouldbemostusefultohisroyalhighnessshouldheeverwantfriends,whichdidnotseemlikely。WhatsuchwantcouldpossiblyhappentotheheirofthepowerfulmonarchofNomansland?
Theycame,walkingtwoandtwo,withtheircoronetsontheirheads——beingdukesandduchesses,princesandprincesses,orthelike;theyallkissedthechildandpronouncedthenameeachhadgivenhim。Thenthefour-and-twentynameswereshoutedoutwithgreatenergybysixheralds,oneaftertheother,andafterwardwrittendown,tobepreservedinthestaterecords,inreadinessforthenexttimetheywerewanted,whichwouldbeeitheronhisRoyalHighness’
coronationorhisfuneral。
Soontheceremonywasover,andeverybodysatisfied;except,perhaps,thelittlePrincehimself,whomoanedfaintlyunderhischristeningrobes,whichnearlysmotheredhim。
Intruth,thoughveryfewknew,thePrinceincomingtothechapelhadmetwithaslightdisaster。Hisnurse,——nothisordinaryone,butthestatenurse-maid,——anelegantandfashionableyoungladyofrank,whosedutyitwastocarryhimtoandfromthechapel,hadbeensooccupiedinarranginghertrainwithonehand,whilesheheldthebabywiththeother,thatshestumbledandlethimfall,justatthefootofthemarblestaircase。
Tobesure,shecontrivedtopickhimupagainthenextminute;andtheaccidentwassoslightitseemedhardlyworthspeakingof。Consequentlynobodydidspeakofit。Thebabyhadturneddeadlypale,butdidnotcry,sonopersonasteportwobehindcoulddiscoveranythingwrong;afterward,evenifhehadmoaned,thesilvertrumpetswereloudenoughtodrownhisvoice。Itwouldhavebeenapitytoletanythingtroublesuchadayoffelicity。
So,afteraminute’spause,theprocessionhadmovedon。SuchaprocessiontHeraldsinblueandsilver;pagesincrimsonandgold;andatroopoflittlegirlsindazzlingwhite,carryingbasketsofflowers,whichtheystrewedallthewaybeforethenurseandchild——finallythefour-
and-twentygodfathersandgodmothers,asproudaspossible,andsosplendidtolookatthattheywouldhavequiteextinguishedtheirsmallgodson——merelyaheapoflaceandmuslinwithababyfaceinside——haditnotbeenforacanopyofwhitesatinandostrichfeatherswhichwasheldoverhimwhereverhewascarried。
Thus,withthesunshiningonthemthroughthepaintedwindows,theystood;thekingandhistrainononeside,thePrinceandhisattendantsontheother,asprettyasightaseverwasseenoutoffairyland。
\"It’sjustlikefairyland,\"whisperedtheeldestlittlegirltothenexteldest,assheshookthelastroseoutofherbasket;\"andIthinktheonlythingthePrincewantsnowisafairygod-
mother。\"
\"Doeshe?\"saidashrillbutsoftandnotunpleasantvoicebehind;andtherewasseenamongthegroupofchildrensomebody,——notachild,yetnobiggerthanachild,——somebodywhomnobodyhadseenbefore,andwhocertainlyhadnotbeeninvited,forshehadnochristeningclotheson。
Shewasalittleoldwomandressedallingray:
graygown;grayhoodedcloak,ofamaterialexcessivelyfine,andatintthatseemedperpetuallychanging,likethegrayofaneveningsky。Herhairwasgray,andhereyesalso——evenhercomplexionhadasoftgrayshadowoverit。Buttherewasnothingunpleasantlyoldabouther,andhersmilewasassweetandchildlikeasthePrince’sown,whichstoleoverhispalelittlefacetheinstantshecamenearenoughtotouchhim。
\"Takecare!Don’tletthebabyfallagain。\"
Thegrandyoungladynursestarted,flushingangrily。
\"Whospoketome?Howdidanybodyknow?
——Imean,whatbusinesshasanybody————\"
Thenfrightened,butstillspeakinginamuchsharpertonethanIhopeyoungladiesofrankareinthehabitofspeaking——\"Oldwoman,youwillbekindenoughnottosay`thebaby,’but`thePrince。’Keepaway;hisRoyalHighnessisjustgoingtosleep。\"
\"NeverthelessImustkisshim。Iamhisgod-
mother。\"
\"You!\"criedtheelegantladynurse。
\"You!\"repeatedallthegentlemenandladies-in-waiting。
\"You!\"echoedtheheraldsandpages——andtheybegantoblowthesilvertrumpetsinordertostopallfurtherconversation。
ThePrince’sprocessionformeditselfforreturning,——theKingandhistrainhavingalreadymovedofftowardthepalace,——butonthetop-
moststepofthemarblestairsstood,rightinfrontofall,thelittleoldwomanclothedingray。
Shestretchedherselfontiptoebythehelpofherstick,andgavethelittlePrincethreekisses。
\"Thisisintolerable!\"criedtheyoungladynurse,wipingthekissesoffrapidlywithherlacehandkerchief。\"SuchaninsulttohisRoyalHighness!Takeyourselfoutoftheway,oldwoman,ortheKingshallbeinformedimmediately。\"
\"TheKingknowsnothingofme,more’sthepity,\"repliedtheoldwoman,withanindifferentair,asifshethoughtthelosswasmoreonhisMajesty’ssidethanhers。\"MyfriendinthepalaceistheKing’swife。\"
\"King’shavenotwives,butqueens,\"saidtheladynurse,withacontemptuousair。
\"Youareright,\"repliedtheoldwoman。
\"NeverthelessIknowherMajestywell,andI
loveherandherchild。And——sinceyoudroppedhimonthemarblestairs(thisshesaidinamysteriouswhisper,whichmadetheyoungladytrembleinspiteofheranger)——Ichoosetotakehimformyown,andbehisgodmother,readytohelphimwheneverhewantsme。\"
\"Youhelphim!\"criedallthegroupbreakingintoshoutsoflaughter,towhichthelittleoldwomanpaidnottheslightestattention。HersoftgrayeyeswerefixedonthePrince,whoseemedtoanswertothelook,smilingagainandagaininthecauseless,aimlessfashionthatbabiesdosmile。
\"HisMajestymusthearofthis,\"saidagentleman-in-waiting。
\"HisMajestywillhearquiteenoughnewsinaminuteortwo,\"saidtheoldwomansadly。
AndagainstretchinguptothelittlePrince,shekissedhimontheforeheadsolemnly。
\"Becalledbyanewnamewhichnobodyhaseverthoughtof。BePrinceDolor,inmemoryofyourmotherDolorez。\"
\"Inmemoryof!\"Everybodystartedattheominousphrase,andalsoatamostterriblebreachofetiquettewhichtheoldwomanhadcommitted。InNomansland,neitherthekingnorthequeenwassupposedtohaveanyChristiannameatall。Theydroppeditontheircoronationday,anditneverwasmentionedagaintillitwasengravedontheircoffinswhentheydied。
\"Oldwoman,youareexceedinglyill-bred,\"
criedtheeldestlady-in-waiting,muchhorrified。
\"Howyoucouldknowthefactpassesmycomprehension。Butevenifyoudidknowit,howdaredyoupresumetohintthathermostgraciousMajestyiscalledDolorez?\"
\"WAScalledDolorez,\"saidtheoldwoman,withatendersolemnity。
Thefirstgentleman,calledtheGold-stick-in-
waiting,raisedittostrikeher,andallthereststretchedouttheirhandstoseizeher;butthegraymantlemeltedfrombetweentheirfingerslikeair;and,beforeanybodyhadtimetodoanythingmore,therecameaheavy,muffled,startlingsound。
Thegreatbellofthepalacethebellwhichwasonlyheardonthedeathofsomeoneoftheroyalfamily,andforasmanytimesasheorshewasyearsold——begantotoll。Theylistened,muteandhorror-stricken。Someonecounted:
one——two——three——four——uptonine-and-twenty——justtheQueen’sage。
Itwas,indeed,theQueen。HerMajestywasdead!Inthemidstofthefestivitiesshehadslippedawayoutofhernewhappinessandheroldsufferings,notfewnorsmall。Sendingawayallherwomentoseethegrandsight,——atleasttheysaidafterward,inexcuse,thatshehaddoneso,anditwasverylikehertodoit,——shehadturnedwithherfacetothewindow,whenceonecouldjustseethetopsofthedistantmountains——theBeautifulMountains,astheywerecalled——whereshewasborn。Sogazing,shehadquietlydied。
WhenthelittlePrincewascarriedbacktohismother’sroom,therewasnomothertokisshim。And,thoughhedidnotknowit,therewouldbeforhimnomother’skissanymore。
Asforhisgodmother,——thelittleoldwomaningraywhocalledherselfso,——whethershemeltedintoair,likehergownwhentheytouchedit,orwhethersheflewoutofthechapelwindow,orslippedthroughthedoorwayamongthebewilderedcrowd,nobodyknew——nobodyeverthoughtabouther。
Onlythenurse,theordinaryhomelyone,comingoutofthePrince’snurseryinthemiddleofthenightinsearchofacordialtoquiethiscontinualmoans,saw,sittinginthedoorway,somethingwhichshewouldhavethoughtamereshadow,hadshenotseenshiningoutofittwoeyes,grayandsoftandsweet。Sheputherhandbeforeherown,screamingloudly。Whenshetookthemawaytheoldwomanwasgone。
CHAPTERII
Everybodywasverykindtothepoorlittleprince。Ithinkpeoplegenerallyarekindtomotherlesschildren,whetherprincesorpeasants。Hehadamagnificentnurseryandaregularsuiteofattendants,andwastreatedwiththegreatestrespectandstate。Nobodywasallowedtotalktohiminsillybabylanguage,ordandlehim,or,abovealltokisshim,thoughperhapssomepeoplediditsurreptitiously,forhewassuchasweetbabythatitwasdifficulttohelpit。
ItcouldnotbesaidthatthePrincemissedhismother——childrenofhisagecannotdothat;
butsomehowaftershediedeverythingseemedtogowrongwithhim。Fromabeautifulbabyhebecamesicklyandpale,seemingtohavealmostceasedgrowing,especiallyinhislegs,whichhadbeensofatandstrong。
Butafterthedayofhischristeningtheywitheredandshrank;henolongerkickedthemouteitherinpassionorplay,andwhen,ashegottobenearlyayearold,hisnursetriedtomakehimstanduponthem,heonlytumbleddown。
Thishappenedsomanytimesthatatlastpeoplebegantotalkaboutit。Aprince,andnotabletostandonhisownlegs!Whatadreadfulthing!Whatamisfortuneforthecountry!
Ratheramisfortunetohimalso,poorlittleboy!butnobodyseemedtothinkofthat。Andwhen,afterawhile,hishealthrevived,andtheoldbrightlookcamebacktohissweetlittleface,andhisbodygrewlargerandstronger,thoughstillhislegsremainedthesame,peoplecontinuedtospeakofhiminwhispers,andwithgraveshakesofthehead。Everybodyknew,thoughnobodysaidit,thatsomething,itwasimpossibletoguesswhat,wasnotquiterightwiththepoorlittlePrince。
Ofcourse,nobodyhintedthistotheKinghisfather:itdoesnotdototellgreatpeopleanythingunpleasant。Andbesides,hisMajestytookverylittlenoticeofhisson,orofhisotheraffairs,beyondthenecessarydutiesofhiskingdom。
PeoplehadsaidhewouldnotmisstheQueenatall,shehavingbeensolonganinvalid,buthedid。Afterherdeathheneverwasquitethesame。Heestablishedhimselfinheremptyrooms,theonlyroomsinthepalacewhenceonecouldseetheBeautifulMountains,andwasoftenobservedlookingatthemasifhethoughtshehadflownawaythither,andthathislongingcouldbringherbackagain。Andbyacuriouscoincidence,whichnobodydaredinquireinto,hedesiredthatthePrincemightbecalled,notbyanyofthefour-and-twentygrandnamesgivenhimbyhisgodfathersandgodmothers,butbytheidenticalnamementionedbythelittleoldwomaningray——Dolor,afterhismotherDolorez。
Onceaweek,accordingtoestablishedstatecustom,thePrince,dressedinhisverybest,wasbroughttotheKinghisfatherforhalfanhour,buthisMajestywasgenerallytooillandtoomelancholytopaymuchheedtothechild。
Onlyonce,whenheandtheCrown-Prince,whowasexceedinglyattentivetohisroyalbrother,weresittingtogether,withPrinceDolorplayinginacorneroftheroom,dragginghimselfaboutwithhisarmsratherthanhislegs,andsometimestryingfeeblytocrawlfromonechairtoanother,itseemedtostrikethefatherthatallwasnotrightwithhisson。
\"HowoldishisRoyalHighness?\"saidhesuddenlytothenurse。
\"Twoyears,threemonths,andfivedays,pleaseyourMajesty。\"
\"Itdoesnotpleaseme,\"saidtheKing,withasigh。\"Heoughttobefarmoreforwardthanheisnowoughthenot,brother?You,whohavesomanychildren,mustknow。Istherenotsomethingwrongabouthim?\"
\"Oh,no,\"saidtheCrown-Prince,exchangingmeaninglookswiththenurse,whodidnotunderstandatall,butstoodfrightenedandtremblingwiththetearsinhereyes。\"NothingtomakeyourMajestyatalluneasy。NodoubthisRoyalHighnesswilloutgrowitintime。\"
\"Outgrow——what?\"
\"Aslightdelicacy——ahem!——inthespine;
somethinginherited,perhaps,fromhisdearmother。\"
\"Ah,shewasalwaysdelicate;butshewasthesweetestwomanthateverlived。Comehere,mylittleson。\"
AndasthePrinceturnedrounduponhisfatherasmall,sweet,graveface,——solikehismother’s,——hisMajestytheKingsmiledandheldouthisarms。Butwhentheboycametohim,notrunninglikeaboy,butwrigglingawkwardlyalongthefloor,theroyalcountenancecloudedover。
\"Ioughttohavebeentoldofthis。Itisterrible——terrible!Andforaprincetoo。Sendforallthedoctorsinmykingdomimmediately。\"
Theycame,andeachgaveadifferentopinionandorderedadifferentmodeoftreatment。Theonlythingtheyagreedinwaswhathadbeenprettywellknownbefore,thatthePrincemusthavebeenhurtwhenhewasaninfant——letfall,perhaps,soastoinjurehisspineandlowerlimbs。Didnobodyremember?
No,nobody。Indignantly,allthenursesdeniedthatanysuchaccidenthadhappened,waspossibletohavehappened,untilthefaithfulcountrynurserecollectedthatitreallyhadhappenedonthedayofthechristening。Forwhichunluckilygoodmemoryalltheothersscoldedhersoseverelythatshehadnopeaceofherlife,andsoonafter,bytheinfluenceoftheyoungladynursewhohadcarriedthebabythatfatalday,andwhowasasortofconnectionoftheCrown-
Prince——beinghiswife’ssecondcousinonceremoved——thepoorwomanwaspensionedoffandsenttotheBeautifulMountainsfromwhenceshecame,withorderstoremaintherefortherestofherdays。
ButofallthistheKingknewnothing,for,indeed,afterthefirstshockoffindingoutthathissoncouldnotwalk,andseemedneverlikelytoheinterferedverylittleconcerninghim。
Thewholethingwastoopainful,andhisMajestyneverlikedpainfulthings。SometimesheinquiredafterPrinceDolor,andtheytoldhimhisRoyalHighnesswasgoingonaswellascouldbeexpected,whichreallywasthecase。For,afterworryingthepoorchildandperplexingthemselveswithoneremedyafteranother,theCrown-
Prince,notwishingtooffendanyofthedifferingdoctors,hadproposedleavinghimtoNature;andNature,thesafestdoctorofall,hadcometohishelpanddoneherbest。
Hecouldnotwalk,itistrue;hislimbsweremereuselessappendagestohisbody;butthebodyitselfwasstrongandsound。Andhisfacewasthesameasever——justhismother’sface,oneofthesweetestintheworld。
EventheKing,indifferentashewas,sometimeslookedatthelittlefellowwithsadtenderness,noticinghowcleverlyhelearnedtocrawlandswinghimselfaboutbyhisarms,sothatinhisownawkwardwayhewasasactiveinmotionasmostchildrenofhisage。
\"Poorlittleman!hedoeshisbest,andheisnotunhappy——nothalfsounhappyasI,brother,\"addressingtheCrown-Prince,whowasmoreconstantthaneverinhisattendanceuponthesickmonarch。\"Ifanythingshouldbefallme,IhaveappointedyouRegent。Incaseofmydeath,youwilltakecareofmypoorlittleboy?\"
\"Certainly,certainly;butdonotletusimagineanysuchmisfortune。IassureyourMajesty——everybodywillassureyou——thatitisnotintheleastlikely。\"
Heknew,however,andeverybodyknew,thatitwaslikely,andsoonafteritactuallydidhappen。TheKingdiedassuddenlyandquietlyastheQueenhaddone——indeed,inherveryroomandbed;andPrinceDolorwasleftwithouteitherfatherormother——assadathingascouldhappen,eventoaprince。
Hewasmorethanthatnow,though。Hewasaking。InNomansland,asinothercountries,thepeoplewerestruckwithgriefonedayandrevivedthenext。\"Thekingisdead——longlivetheking!\"wasthecrythatrangthroughthenation,andalmostbeforehislateMajestyhadbeenlaidbesidetheQueenintheirsplendidmausoleum,crowdscamethrongingfromallpartstotheroyalpalace,eagertoseethenewmonarch。
Theydidseehim,——thePrinceRegenttookcaretheyshould,——sittingonthefloorofthecouncilchamber,suckinghisthumb!Andwhenoneofthegentlemen-in-waitingliftedhimupandcarriedhim——fancycarryingaking!——tothechairofstate,andputthecrownonhishead,heshookitoffagain,itwassoheavyanduncomfortable。Slidingdowntothefootofthethronehebeganplayingwiththegoldenlionsthatsupportedit,strokingtheirpawsandputtinghistinyfingersintotheireyes,andlaughing——
laughingasifhehadatlastfoundsomethingtoamusehim。
\"There’safinekingforyou!\"saidthefirstlord-in-waiting,afriendofthePrinceRegent’s(theCrown-Princethatusedtobe,who,inthedeepestmourning,stoodsilentlybesidethethroneofhisyoungnephew。Hewasahandsomeman,verygrandandclever-looking)。
\"Whataking!whocanneverstandtoreceivehissubjects,neverwalkinprocessions,whotothelastdayofhislifewillhavetobecarriedaboutlikeababy。Veryunfortunate!\"
\"Exceedinglyunfortunate,\"repeatedthesecondlord。\"Itisalwaysbadforanationwhenitskingisachild;butsuchachild——apermanentcripple,ifnotworse。\"
\"Letushopenotworse,\"saidthefirstlordinaveryhopelesstone,andlookingtowardtheRegent,whostooderectandpretendedtohearnothing。\"Ihaveheardthatthesesortofchildrenwithverylargeheads,andgreatbroadfore-
headsandstaringeyes,are——well,well,letushopeforthebestandbepreparedfortheworst。
Inthemeantime————\"
\"Iswear,\"saidtheCrown-Prince,comingforwardandkissingthehiltofhissword——\"I
sweartoperformmydutiesasRegent,totakeallcareofhisRoyalHighness——hisMajesty,I
mean,\"withagrandbowtothelittlechild,wholaughedinnocentlybackagain。\"AndIwilldomyhumblebesttogovernthecountry。Still,ifthecountryhastheslightestobjection————\"
ButtheCrown-Princebeinggeneralissimo,havingthewholearmyathisbeckandcall,sothathecouldhavebegunacivilwarinnotime,thecountryhad,ofcourse,nottheslightestobjection。
SotheKingandQueenslepttogetherinpeace,andPrinceDolorreignedovertheland——thatis,hisuncledid;andeverybodysaidwhatafortunatethingitwasforthepoorlittlePrincetohavesuchacleveruncletotakecareofhim。
Allthingswentonasusual;indeed,aftertheRegenthadbroughthiswifeandhersevensons,andestablishedtheminthepalace,ratherbetterthanusual。Fortheygavesuchsplendidentertainmentsandmadethecapitalsolivelythattraderevived,andthecountrywassaidtobemoreflourishingthanithadbeenforacentury。
WhenevertheRegentandhissonsappeared,theywerereceivedwithshouts:\"LonglivetheCrown-Prince!\"\"Longlivetheroyalfamily!\"
And,intruth,theywereveryfinechildren,thewholesevenofthem,andmadeagreatshowwhentheyrodeouttogetheronsevenbeautifulhorses,oneheightaboveanother,downtotheyoungest,onhistinyblackpony,nobiggerthanalargedog。
Asfortheotherchild,hisRoyalHighnessPrinceDolor,——forsomehowpeoplesoonceasedtocallhimhisMajesty,whichseemedsucharidiculoustitleforapoorlittlefellow,ahelplesscripple,——withonlyheadandtrunk,andnolegstospeakof,——hewasseenveryseldombyanybody。
Sometimespeopledaringenoughtopeeroverthehighwallofthepalacegardennoticedthere,carriedinafootman’sarms,ordrawninachair,orlefttoplayonthegrass,oftenwithnobodytomindhim,aprettylittleboy,withabright,intelligentfaceandlarge,melancholyeyes——no,notexactlymelancholy,fortheywerehismother’s,andshewasbynomeanssad-minded,butthoughtfulanddreamy。Theyratherperplexedpeople,thosechildisheyes;theyweresoexceedinglyinnocentandyetsopenetrating。
Ifanybodydidawrongthing——toldalie,forinstancetheywouldturnroundwithsuchagrave,silentsurprisethechildnevertalkedmuch——thateverynaughtypersoninthepalacewasratherafraidofPrinceDolor。
Hecouldnothelpit,andperhapshedidnotevenknowit,beingnobetterachildthanmanyotherchildren,buttherewassomethingabouthimwhichmadebadpeoplesorry,andgrumblingpeopleashamedofthemselves,andill-
naturedpeoplegentleandkind。
Isupposebecausetheyweretouchedtoseeapoorlittlefellowwhodidnotintheleastknowwhathadbefallenhimorwhatlaybeforehim,livinghisbabylifeashappyasthedayislong。
Thus,whetherornothewasgoodhimself,thesightofhimandhisafflictionmadeotherpeoplegood,and,aboveall,madeeverybodylovehim——somuchso,thathisuncletheRegentbegantofeelalittleuncomfortable。
Now,Ihavenothingtosayagainstunclesingeneral。Theyareusuallyveryexcellentpeople,andveryconvenienttolittleboysandgirls。Eventhe\"crueluncle\"ofthe\"BabesintheWood\"Ibelievetobequiteanexceptionalcharacter。Andthis\"crueluncle\"ofwhomI
amtellingwas,Ihope,anexception,too。
Hedidnotmeantobecruel。Ifanybodyhadcalledhimso,hewouldhaveresenteditextremely:hewouldhavesaidthatwhathedidwasdoneentirelyforthegoodofthecountry。
Buthewasamanwhohadalwaysbeenaccustomedtoconsiderhimselffirstandforemost,believingthatwhateverhewantedwassuretoberight,andthereforeheoughttohaveit。Sohetriedtogetit,andgotittoo,aspeoplelikehimveryoftendo。Whethertheyenjoyitwhentheyhaveitisanotherquestion。
Thereforehewentonedaytothecouncilchamber,determinedonmakingaspeech,andinformingtheministersandthecountryatlargethattheyoungKingwasinfailinghealth,andthatitwouldbeadvisabletosendhimforatimetotheBeautifulMountains。Whetherhereallymeanttodothis,orwhetheritoccurredtohimafterwardthattherewouldbeaneasierwayofattaininghisgreatdesire,thecrownofNomansland,isapointwhichIcannotdecide。
Butsoonafter,whenhehadobtainedanorderincounciltosendtheKingaway,whichwasdoneingreatstate,withaguardofhonorcomposedoftwowholeregimentsofsoldiers,——
thenationlearned,withoutmuchsurprise,thatthepoorlittlePrince——nobodyevercalledhimkingnow——hadgoneamuchlongerjourneythantotheBeautifulMountains。
Hehadfallenillontheroadanddiedwithinafewhours;atleastsodeclaredthephysicianinattendanceandthenursewhohadbeensenttotakecareofhim。Theybroughthiscoffinbackingreatstate,andburieditinthemausoleumwithhisparents。
SoPrinceDolorwasseennomore。Thecountrywentintodeepmourningforhim,andthenforgothim,andhisunclereignedinhisstead。Thatillustriouspersonageacceptedhiscrownwithgreatdecorum,andworeitwithgreatdignitytothelast。Butwhetherheenjoyeditornotthereisnoevidencetoshow。
CHAPTERIII
AndwhatofthelittlelamePrince,whomeverybodyseemedsoeasilytohaveforgotten?
Noteverybody。Therewereafewkindsouls,mothersoffamilies,whohadheardhissadstory,andsomeservantsaboutthepalace,whohadbeenfamiliarwithhissweetways——
thesemanyatimesighedandsaid,\"PoorPrinceDolor!\"Or,lookingattheBeautifulMountains,whichwerevisiblealloverNomansland,thoughfewpeopleevervisitedthem,\"Well,perhapshisRoyalHighnessisbetterwhereheisthaneventhere。\"
Theydidnotknow——indeed,hardlyanybodydidknow——thatbeyondthemountains,betweenthemandthesea,layatractofcountry,barren,level,bare,exceptforshort,stuntedgrass,andhereandthereapatchoftinyflowers。Notabush——notatreenotarestingplaceforbirdorbeastwasinthatdrearyplain。Insummerthesunshinefelluponithourafterhourwithablindingglare;inwinterthewindsandrainssweptoveritunhindered,andthesnowcamedownsteadily,noiselessly,coveringitfromendtoendinonegreatwhitesheet,whichlayfordaysandweeksunmarkedbyasinglefootprint。
Notapleasantplacetolivein——andnobodydidlivethere,apparently。Theonlysignthathumancreatureshadeverbeennearthespotwasonelargeroundtowerwhichroseupinthecenteroftheplain,andmightbeseenalloverit——iftherehadbeenanybodytosee,whichthereneverwas。Roserightupoutoftheground,asifithadgrownofitself,likeamushroom。Butitwasnotatallmushroom-like;onthecontrary,itwasverysolidlybuilt。InformitresembledtheIrishroundtowers,whichhavepuzzledpeopleforsolong,nobodybeingabletofindoutwhen,orbywhom,orforwhatpurposetheyweremade;seeminglyfornouseatall,likethistower。Itwascircular,ofveryfirmbrickwork,withneitherdoorsnorwindows,untilnearthetop,whenyoucouldperceivesomeslitsinthewallthroughwhichonemightpossiblycreepinorlookout。Itsheightwasnearlyahundredfeet,andithadabattlementedparapetshowingsharpagainstthesky。
Astheplainwasquitedesolate——almostlikeadesert,onlywithoutsand,andledtonowhereexceptthestillmoredesolateseacoast——nobodyevercrossedit。Whatevermysterytherewasaboutthetower,itandtheskyandtheplainkepttheirsecrettothemselves。
Itwasaverygreatsecretindeed,——astatesecret,——whichnonebutsocleveramanasthepresentKingofNomanslandwouldeverhavethoughtof。Howhecarrieditout,undiscovered,Icannottell。Peoplesaid,longafterward,thatitwasbymeansofagangofcondemnedcriminals,whoweresettowork,andexecutedimmediatelyaftertheyhaddone,sothatnobodyknewanything,orintheleastsuspectedtherealfact。
Andwhatwasthefact?Why,thatthistower,whichseemedameremassofmasonry,utterlyforsakenanduninhabited,wasnotsoatall。Withintwentyfeetofthetopsomeingeniousarchitecthadplannedaperfectlittlehouse,dividedintofourrooms——asbydrawingacrosswithinacircleyouwillseemighteasilybedone。Bymakingskylights,andafewslitsinthewallsforwindows,andraisingapeakedroofwhichwashiddenbytheparapet,herewasadwellingcomplete,eightyfeetfromtheground,andasinaccessibleasarook’snestonthetopofatree。
Acharmingplacetolivein!ifyouoncegotupthere,——andneverwantedtocomedownagain。
Inside——thoughnobodycouldhavelookedinsideexceptabird,andhardlyevenabirdflewpastthatlonelytower——insideitwasfurnishedwithallthecomfortandeleganceimaginable;
withlotsofbooksandtoys,andeverythingthattheheartofachildcoulddesire。Foritsonlyinhabitant,exceptanurseofcourse,wasapoorsolitarychild。
Onewinternight,whenalltheplainwaswhitewithmoonlight,therewasseencrossingitagreattallblackhorse,riddenbyamanalsobigandequallyblack,carryingbeforehimonthesaddleawomanandachild。Thewoman——
shehadasad,fiercelook,andnowonder,forshewasacriminalundersentenceofdeath,buthersentencehadbeenchangedtoalmostassevereapunishment。Shewastoinhabitthelonelytowerwiththechild,andwasallowedtoliveaslongasthechildlived——nolonger。Thisinorderthatshemighttaketheutmostcareofhim;forthosewhoputhimtherewereequallyafraidofhisdyingandofhisliving。
Yethewasonlyalittlegentleboy,withasweet,sleepysmile——hehadbeenverytiredwithhislongjourney——andclingingarms,whichheldtighttotheman’sneck,forhewasratherfrightened,andtheface,blackasitwas,lookedkindlyathim。Andhewasveryhelpless,withhispoor,smallshriveledlegs,whichcouldneitherstandnorrunaway——forthelittleforlornboywasPrinceDolor。
Hehadnotbeendeadatall——orburiedeither。
Hisgrandfuneralhadbeenamerepretense:awaxfigurehavingbeenputinhisplace,whilehehimselfwasspiritedawayunderchargeofthesetwo,thecondemnedwomanandtheblackman。Thelatterwasdeafanddumb,socouldneithertellnorrepeatanything。
Whentheyreachedthefootofthetower,therewaslightenoughtoseeahugechaindanglingfromtheparapet,butdanglingonlyhalfway。Thedeaf-mutetookfromhissaddle-
walletasortofladder,arrangedinpieceslikeapuzzle,fittedittogether,andliftedituptomeetthechain。Thenhemountedtothetopofthetower,andslungfromitasortofchair,inwhichthewomanandthechildplacedthemselvesandweredrawnup,nevertocomedownagainaslongastheylived。Leavingthemthere,themandescendedtheladder,tookittopiecesagainandpackeditinhispack,mountedthehorseanddisappearedacrosstheplain。
Everymonththeyusedtowatchforhim,appearinglikeaspeckinthedistance。Hefastenedhishorsetothefootofthetower,andclimbedit,asbefore,ladenwithprovisionsandmanyotherthings。HealwayssawthePrince,soastomakesurethatthechildwasaliveandwell,andthenwentawayuntilthefollowingmonth。
WhilehisfirstchildhoodlastedPrinceDolorwashappyenough。Hehadeveryluxurythatevenaprincecouldneed,andtheonethingwanting,——love,——neverhavingknown,hedidnotmiss。Hisnursewasverykindtohimthoughshewasawickedwoman。Buteithershehadnotbeenquitesowickedaspeoplesaid,orshegrewbetterthroughbeingshutupcontinuallywithalittleinnocentchildwhowasdependentuponherforeverycomfortandpleasureofhislife。
Itwasnotanunhappylife。Therewasnobodytoteaseorill-usehim,andhewasneverill。
Heplayedaboutfromroomtoroom——therewerefourrooms,parlor,kitchen,hisnurse’sbedroom,andhisown;learnedtocrawllikeafly,andtojumplikeafrog,andtorunaboutonall-foursalmostasfastasapuppy。Infact,hewasverymuchlikeapuppyorakitten,asthoughtlessandasmerry——scarcelyevercross,thoughsometimesalittleweary。
Ashegrewolder,heoccasionallylikedtobequietforawhile,andthenhewouldsitattheslitsofwindows——whichwere,however,muchbiggerthantheylookedfromthebottomofthetower——andwatchtheskyaboveandthegroundbelow,withthestormssweepingoverandthesunshinecomingandgoing,andtheshadowsofthecloudsrunningracesacrosstheblankplain。
Byandbyhebegantolearnlessons——notthathisnursehadbeenorderedtoteachhim,butshediditpartlytoamuseherself。Shewasnotastupidwoman,andPrinceDolorwasbynomeansastupidboy;sotheygotonverywell,andhiscontinualentreaty,\"WhatcanIdo?
whatcanyoufindmetodo?\"wasstopped,atleastforanhourortwointheday。
Itwasadulllife,buthehadneverknownanyother;anyhow,herememberednoother,andhedidnotpityhimselfatall。Notforalongtime,tillhegrewquiteabiglittleboy,andcouldreadquiteeasily。Thenhesuddenlytooktobooks,whichthedeaf-mutebroughthimfromtimetotime——bookswhich,notbeingacquaintedwiththeliteratureofNomansland,Icannotdescribe,butnodoubttheywereveryinteresting;andtheyinformedhimofeverythingintheoutsideworld,andfilledhimwithanintenselongingtoseeit。
Fromthistimeachangecameovertheboy。
Hebegantolooksadandthin,andtoshuthimselfupforhourswithoutspeaking。Forhisnursehardlyspoke,andwhateverquestionsheaskedbeyondtheirordinarydailylifesheneveranswered。Shehad,indeed,beenforbidden,onpainofdeath,totellhimanythingabouthimself,whohewas,orwhathemighthavebeen。
HeknewhewasPrinceDolor,becauseshealwaysaddressedhimas\"MyPrince\"and\"YourRoyalHighness,\"butwhataprincewashehadnottheleastidea。Hehadnoideaofanythingintheworld,exceptwhathefoundinhisbooks。
Hesatonedaysurroundedbythem,havingbuiltthemuproundhimlikealittlecastlewall。
Hehadbeenreadingthemhalftheday,butfeelingallthewhilethattoreadaboutthingswhichyounevercanseeislikehearingaboutabeautifuldinnerwhileyouarestarving。Foralmostthefirsttimeinhislifehegrewmelancholy;hishandsfellonhislap;hesatgazingoutofthewindow-slitupontheviewoutside——
theviewhehadlookedateverydayofhislife,andmightlookatforendlessdaysmore。
Notaverycheerfulview,——justtheplainandthesky,——buthelikedit。Heusedtothink,ifhecouldonlyflyoutofthatwindow,uptotheskyordowntotheplain,howniceitwouldbe!
Perhapswhenhedied——hisnursehadtoldhimonceinangerthathewouldneverleavethetowertillhedied——hemightbeabletodothis。
Notthatheunderstoodmuchwhatdyingmeant,butitmustbeachange,andanychangeseemedtohimablessing。
\"AndIwishIhadsomebodytotellmeallaboutit——aboutthatandmanyotherthings;
somebodythatwouldbefondofme,likemypoorwhitekitten。\"
Herethetearscameintohiseyes,fortheboy’sonefriend,theoneinterestofhislife,hadbeenalittlewhitekitten,whichthedeaf-mute,kindlysmiling,oncetookoutofhispocketandgavehim——theonlylivingcreaturePrinceDolorhadeverseen。
Forfourweeksitwashisconstantplaythingandcompanion,tillonemoonlightnightittookafancyforwandering,climbedontotheparapetofthetower,droppedoveranddisap-
peared。Itwasnotkilled,hehoped,forcatshaveninelives;indeed,healmostfanciedhesawitpickitselfupandscamperaway;buthenevercaughtsightofitmore。
\"Yes,IwishIhadsomethingbetterthanakitten——aperson,arealliveperson,whowouldbefondofmeandkindtome。Oh,Iwantsomebody——
dreadfully,dreadfully!\"
Ashespoke,theresoundedbehindhimaslighttap-tap-tap,asofastickoracane,andtwistinghimselfround,hesaw——whatdoyouthinkhesaw?
Nothingeitherfrighteningorugly,butstillexceedinglycurious。Alittlewoman,nobiggerthanhemighthimselfhavebeenhadhislegsgrownlikethoseofotherchildren;butshewasnotachild——shewasanoldwoman。Herhairwasgray,andherdresswasgray,andtherewasagrayshadowoverherwherevershemoved。Butshehadthesweetestsmile,theprettiesthands,andwhenshespokeitwasinthesoftestvoiceimaginable。
\"Mydearlittleboy,\"——anddroppinghercane,theonlybrightandrichthingabouther,shelaidthosetwotinyhandsonhisshoulders,——\"myownlittleboy,Icouldnotcometoyouuntilyouhadsaidyouwantedme;butnowyoudowantme,hereIam。\"
\"Andyouareverywelcome,madam,\"repliedthePrince,tryingtospeakpolitely,asprincesalwaysdidinbooks;\"andIamexceedinglyobligedtoyou。MayIaskwhoyouare?Perhapsmymother?\"Forheknewthatlittleboysusuallyhadamother,andhadoccasionallywonderedwhathadbecomeofhisown。
\"No,\"saidthevisitor,withatender,half-
sadsmile,puttingbackthehairfromhisforehead,andlookingrightintohiseyes——\"no,Iamnotyourmother,thoughshewasadearfriendofmine;andyouareaslikeheraseveryoucanbe。\"
\"Willyoutellhertocomeandseeme,then?\"
\"Shecannot;butIdaresaysheknowsallaboutyou。Andshelovesyouverymuch——andsodoI;andIwanttohelpyouallIcan,mypoorlittleboy。\"
\"Whydoyoucallmepoor?\"askedPrinceDolor,insurprise。
Thelittleoldwomanglanceddownonhislegsandfeet,whichhedidnotknowweredifferentfromthoseofotherchildren,andthenathissweet,brightface,which,thoughheknewnotthateither,wasexceedinglydifferentfrommanychildren’sfaces,whichareoftensofretful,cross,sullen。Lookingathim,insteadofsighing,shesmiled。\"Ibegyourpardon,myPrince,\"saidshe。
\"Yes,Iamaprince,andmynameisDolor;
willyoutellmeyours,madam?\"
Thelittleoldwomanlaughedlikeachimeofsilverbells。
\"Ihavenotgotaname——or,rather,IhavesomanynamesthatIdon’tknowwhichtochoose。
However,itwasIwhogaveyouyours,andyouwillbelongtomeallyourdays。Iamyourgodmother。\"
\"Hurrah!\"criedthelittlePrince;\"IamgladIbelongtoyou,forIlikeyouverymuch。
Willyoucomeandplaywithme?\"
Sotheysatdowntogetherandplayed。Byandbytheybegantotalk。
\"Areyouverydullhere?\"askedthelittleoldwoman。
\"Notparticularly,thankyou,godmother。I
haveplentytoeatanddrink,andmylessonstodo,andmybookstoread——lotsofbooks。\"
\"Andyouwantnothing?\"
\"Nothing。Yes——perhaps————Ifyouplease,godmother,couldyoubringmejustonemorething?\"
\"Whatsortofthing!\"
\"Alittleboytoplaywith。\"
Theoldwomanlookedverysad。\"Justthething,alasIwhichIcannotgiveyou。Mychild,Icannotalteryourlotinanyway,butIcanhelpyoutobearit。\"
\"Thankyou。Butwhydoyoutalkofbearingit?Ihavenothingtobear。\"
\"Mypoorlittleman!\"saidtheoldwomanintheverytenderesttoneofhertendervoice。
\"Kissme!\"
\"Whatiskissing?\"askedthewonderingchild。
Hisgodmothertookhiminherarmsandembracedhimmanytimes。Byandbyhekissedherbackagain——atfirstawkwardlyandshyly,thenwithallthestrengthofhiswarmlittleheart。
\"Youarebettertocuddlethanevenmywhitekitten,Ithink。Promisemethatyouwillnevergoaway,\"
\"Imust;butIwillleaveapresentbehindme,——somethingasgoodasmyselftoamuseyou,——somethingthatwilltakeyouwhereveryouwanttogo,andshowyouallthatyouwishtosee。\"
\"Whatisit?\"
\"Atraveling-cloak。\"
ThePrince’scountenancefell。\"Idon’twantacloak,forInevergoout。Sometimesnursehoistsmeontotheroof,andcarriesmeroundbytheparapet;butthatisall。Ican’twalk,youknow,asshedoes。\"
\"Themorereasonwhyyoushouldride;andbesides,thistraveling-cloak————\"
\"Hush!——she’scoming。\"
Theresoundedoutsidetheroomdooraheavystepandagrumpyvoice,andarattleofplatesanddishes。
\"It’smynurse,andsheisbringingmydinner;butIdon’twantdinneratall——Ionlywantyou。Willhercomingdriveyouaway,godmother?\"
\"Perhaps;butonlyforalittlewhile。Nevermind;alltheboltsandbarsintheworldcouldn’tkeepmeout。I’dflyinatthewindow,ordownthroughthechimney。Onlywishforme,andI
come。\"
\"Thankyou,\"saidPrinceDolor,butalmostinawhisper,forhewasveryuneasyatwhatmighthappennext。Hisnurseandhisgodmother——
whatwouldtheysaytooneanother?
howwouldtheylookatoneanother?——twosuchdifferentfaces:oneharsh-lined,sullen,cross,andsad;theothersweetandbrightandcalmasasummereveningbeforethedarkbegins。
Whenthedoorwasflungopen,PrinceDolorshuthiseyes,tremblingallover;openingthemagain,hesawheneedfearnothing——hislovelyoldgodmotherhadmeltedawayjustliketherainbowoutofthesky,ashehadwatcheditmanyatime。Nobodybuthisnursewasintheroom。
\"WhatamuddleyourRoyalHighnessissittingin,\"saidshesharply。\"Suchaheapofuntidybooks;andwhat’sthisrubbish?\"knockingalittlebundlethatlaybesidethem。
\"Oh,nothing,nothing——giveitme!\"criedthePrince,and,dartingafterit,hehiditunderhispinafore,andthenpusheditquicklyintohispocket。Rubbishasitwas,itwasleftintheplacewhereshesat,andmightbesomethingbelongingtoher——hisdear,kindgodmother,whomalreadyhelovedwithallhislonely,tender,passionateheart。
Itwas,thoughhedidnotknowthis,hiswonderfultraveling-cloak。
CHAPTERIV
Andwhatofthetraveling-cloak?
Whatsortofcloakwasit,andwhatAgooddiditdothePrince?
Stay,andI’lltellyouallaboutit。
Outsideitwasthecommonest-lookingbundleimaginable——shabbyandsmall;andtheinstantPrinceDolortouchedit,itgrewsmallerstill,dwindlingdowntillhecouldputitinhistrouserspocket,likeahandkerchiefrolledupintoaball。Hedidthisatonce,forfearhisnurseshouldseeit,andkeptitthereallday——allnight,too。Tillafterhisnextmorning’slessonshehadnoopportunityofexamininghistreasure。
Whenhedid,itseemednotreasureatall;butamerepieceofcloth——circularinform,darkgreenincolor——thatis,ifithadanycoloratall,beingsowornandshabby,thoughnotdirty。Ithadasplitcuttothecenter,formingaroundholefortheneck——andthatwasallitsshape;theshape,infact,ofthosecloakswhichinSouthAmericaarecalledponchos——verysimple,butmostgracefulandconvenient。
PrinceDolorhadneverseenanythinglikeit。
Inspiteofhisdisappointment,heexamineditcuriously;spreaditoutonthedoor,thenarrangeditonhisshoulders。Itfeltverywarmandcomfortable;butitwassoexceedinglyshabby——theonlyshabbythingthatthePrincehadeverseeninhislife。
\"Andwhatusewillitbetome?\"saidhesadly。\"Ihavenoneedofoutdoorclothes,asI
nevergoout。Whywasthisgivenme,Iwonder?
andwhatintheworldamItodowithit?Shemustbearatherfunnyperson,thisdeargodmotherofmine。\"
Nevertheless,becauseshewashisgodmother,andhadgivenhimthecloak,hefoldeditcarefullyandputitaway,poorandshabbyasitwas,hidingitinasafecornerofhistopcupboard,whichhisnursenevermeddledwith。Hedidnotwanthertofindit,ortolaughatitorathisgodmother——ashefeltsureshewould,ifsheknewall。
Thereitlay,andbyandbyheforgotallaboutit;nay,Iamsorrytosaythat,beingbutachild,andnotseeingheragain,healmostforgothissweetoldgodmother,orthoughtofheronlyashedidoftheangelsorfairiesthathereadofinhisbooks,andofhervisitasifithadbeenameredreamofthenight。
Thereweretimes,certainly,whenherecalledher:ofearlymornings,likethatmorningwhensheappearedbesidehim,andlateevenings,whenthegraytwilightremindedhimofthecolorofherhairandherprettysoftgarments;
aboveall,when,wakinginthemiddleofthenight,withthestarspeeringinathiswindow,orthemoonlightshiningacrosshislittlebed,hewouldnothavebeensurprisedtoseeherstandingbesideit,lookingathimwiththosebeautifultendereyes,whichseemedtohaveapleasantnessandcomfortinthemdifferentfromanythinghehadeverknown。
Butshenevercame,andgraduallysheslippedoutofhismemory——onlyaboy’smemory,afterall;untilsomethinghappenedwhichmadehimrememberher,andwantherashehadneverwantedanythingbefore。
PrinceDolorfellill。Hecaught——hisnursecouldnottellhow——acomplaintcommontothepeopleofNomansland,calledthedoldrums,asunpleasantasmeaslesoranyotherofourcomplaints;anditmadehimrestless,cross,anddisagreeable。Evenwhenalittlebetter,hewastooweaktoenjoyanything,butlayalldaylongonhissofa,fidgetinghisnurseextremely——
while,inherintenseterrorlesthemightdie,shefidgetedhimstillmore。Atlast,seeinghereallywasgettingwell,shelefthimtohimself——whichhewasmostgladof,inspiteofhisdullnessanddreariness。Therehelay,alone,quitealone。
Nowandthenanirritablefitcameoverhim,inwhichhelongedtogetupanddosomething,ortogosomewhere——wouldhavelikedtoimitatehiswhitekitten——jumpdownfromthetowerandrunaway,takingthechanceofwhatevermighthappen。
Onlyonething,alas!waslikelytohappen;
forthekitten,heremembered,hadfouractivelegs,whilehe————
\"Iwonderwhatmygodmothermeantwhenshelookedatmylegsandsighedsobitterly?I
wonderwhyIcan’twalkstraightandsteadylikemynurseonlyIwouldn’tliketohavehergreat,noisy,clumpingshoes。Stillitwouldbeverynicetomoveaboutquickly——perhapstofly,likeabird,likethatstringofbirdsIsawtheotherdayskimmingacrossthesky,oneaftertheother。\"
Thesewerethepassage-birds——theonlylivingcreaturesthatevercrossedthelonelyplain;andhehadbeenmuchinterestedinthem,wonder-
ingwhencetheycameandwhithertheyweregoing。
\"Howniceitmustbetobeabird!Iflegsarenogood,whycannotonehavewings?Peoplehavewingswhentheydie——perhaps;IwishI
weredead,thatIdo。Iamsotired,sotired;
andnobodycaresforme。Nobodyeverdidcareforme,exceptperhapsmygodmother。Godmother,dear,haveyouquiteforsakenme?\"
Hestretchedhimselfwearily,gatheredhimselfup,anddroppedhisheaduponhishands;
ashedidso,hefeltsomebodykisshimatthebackofhisneck,and,turning,foundthathewasresting,notonthesofapillows,butonawarmshoulder——thatofthelittleoldwomanclothedingray。
Howgladhewastoseeher!Howhelookedintoherkindeyesandfeltherhands,toseeifshewereallrealandalive!thenputbothhisarmsroundherneck,andkissedherasifhewouldneverhavedonekissing。
\"Stop,stop!\"criedshe,pretendingtobesmothered。\"Iseeyouhavenotforgottenmyteachings。Kissingisagoodthing——inmoderation。
Onlyjustletmehavebreathtospeakoneword。\"
\"Adozen!\"hesaid。
\"Well,then,tellmeallthathashappenedtoyousinceIsawyou——or,rather,sinceyousawme,whichisquiteadifferentthing。\"
\"Nothinghashappened——nothingeverdoeshappentome,\"answeredthePrincedolefully。
\"Andareyouverydull,myboy?\"
\"SodullthatIwasjustthinkingwhetherI
couldnotjumpdowntothebottomofthetower,likemywhitekitten。\"
\"Don’tdothat,notbeingawhitekitten。\"
\"IwishIwere——IwishIwereanythingbutwhatIam。\"
\"Andyoucan’tmakeyourselfanydifferent,norcanIdoiteither。Youmustbecontenttostayjustwhatyouare。\"
Thelittleoldwomansaidthis——veryfirmly,butgently,too——withherarmsroundhisneckandherlipsonhisforehead。Itwasthefirsttimetheboyhadeverheardanyonetalklikethis,andhelookedupinsurprise——butnotinpain,forhersweetmannersoftenedthehardnessofherwords。
\"Now,myPrince,——foryouareaprince,andmustbehaveassuch,——letusseewhatwecando;howmuchIcandoforyou,orshowyouhowtodoforyourself。Whereisyourtraveling-cloak?\"
PrinceDolorblushedextremely。\"I——Iputitawayinthecupboard;Isupposeitistherestill。\"
\"Youhaveneverusedit;youdislikeit?\"
Hehesitated,no;wishingtobeimpolite。
\"Don’tyouthinkit’s——justalittleoldandshabbyforaprince?\"
Theoldwomanlaughed——longandloud,thoughverysweetly。
\"Prince,indeed!Why,ifalltheprincesintheworldcravedforit,theycouldn’tgetit,unlessIgaveitthem。Oldandshabby!It’sthemostvaluablethingimaginable!Veryfeweverhaveit;butIthoughtIwouldgiveittoyou,because——becauseyouaredifferentfromotherpeople。\"
\"AmI?\"saidthePrince,andlookedfirstwithcuriosity,thenwithasortofanxiety,intohisgodmother’sface,whichwassadandgrave,withslowtearsbeginningtostealdown。
Shetouchedhispoorlittlelegs。\"Thesearenotlikethoseofotherlittleboys。\"
\"Indeed!——mynursenevertoldmethat。\"
\"Verylikelynot。Butitistimeyouweretold;andItellyou,becauseIloveyou。\"
\"Tellmewhat,deargodmother?\"
\"Thatyouwillneverbeabletowalkorrunorjumporplay——thatyourlifewillbequitedifferentfrommostpeople’slives;butitmaybeaveryhappylifeforallthat。Donotbeafraid。\"
\"Iamnotafraid,\"saidtheboy;butheturnedverypale,andhislipsbegantoquiver,thoughhedidnotactuallycry——hewastoooldforthat,and,perhaps,tooproud。
Thoughnotwhollycomprehending,hebegandimlytoguesswhathisgodmothermeant。Hehadneverseenanyrealliveboys,buthehadseenpicturesofthemrunningandjumping;
whichhehadadmiredandtriedhardtoimitatebutalwaysfailed。Nowhebegantounderstandwhyhefailed,andthathealwaysshouldfail——
that,infact,hewasnotlikeotherlittleboys;
anditwasofnousehiswishingtodoastheydid,andplayastheyplayed,evenifhehadhadthemtoplaywith。Hiswasaseparatelife,inwhichhemustfindoutnewworkandnewpleasuresforhimself。
ThesenseofTHEINEVITABLE,asgrown-uppeoplecallit——thatwecannothavethingsaswewantthemtobe,butastheyare,andthatwemustlearntobearthemandmakethebestofthem——thislesson,whicheverybodyhastolearnsoonorlate——came,alas!sadlysoon,tothepoorboy。Hefoughtagainstitforawhile,andthen,quiteovercome,turnedandsobbedbitterlyinhisgodmother’sarms。
Shecomfortedhim——Idonotknowhow,exceptthatlovealwayscomforts;andthenshewhisperedtohim,inhersweet,strong,cheerfulvoice:\"Nevermind!\"
\"No,Idon’tthinkIdomind——thatis,IWON’T
mind,\"repliedhe,catchingthecourageofhertoneandspeakinglikeaman,thoughhewasstillsuchamereboy。
\"Thatisright,myPrince!——thatisbeinglikeaprince。Nowweknowexactlywhereweare;
letusputourshoulderstothewheeland————\"
\"WeareinHopelessTower\"(thiswasitsname,ifithadaname),\"andthereisnowheeltoputourshouldersto,\"saidthechildsadly。
\"Youlittlematter-of-factgoose!Wellforyouthatyouhaveagodmothercalled————\"
\"What?\"heeagerlyasked。
\"Stuff-and-nonsense。\"
\"Stuff-and-nonsense!Whatafunnyname!\"
\"Somepeoplegiveitme,buttheyarenotmymostintimatefriends。Thesecallme——nevermindwhat,\"addedtheoldwoman,withasofttwinkleinhereyes。\"Soasyouknowme,andknowmewell,youmaygivemeanynameyouplease;itdoesn’tmatter。ButIamyourgodmother,child。Ihavefewgodchildren;thoseI
havelovemedearly,andfindmethegreatestblessinginalltheworld。\"
\"Icanwellbelieveit,\"criedthelittlelamePrince,andforgothistroublesinlookingather——asherfiguredilated,hereyesgrewlustrousasstars,herveryraimentbrightened,andthewholeroomseemedfilledwithherbeautifulandbeneficentpresencelikelight。
Hecouldhavelookedatherforever——halfinlove,halfinawe;butshesuddenlydwindleddownintothelittleoldwomanallingray,and,withamalicioustwinkleinhereyes,askedforthetraveling-cloak。
\"Bringitoutoftherubbishcupboard,andshakethedustoffit,quick!\"saidshetoPrinceDolor,whohunghishead,ratherashamed。
\"Spreaditoutonthefloor,andwaittillthesplitclosesandtheedgesturnuplikearimallround。Thengoandopentheskylight,——mind,IsayOPENTHESKYLIGHT,——setyourselfdowninthemiddleofit,likeafrogonawater-lilyleaf;
say`Abracadabra,dumdumdum,’and——seewhatwillhappen!\"
ThePrinceburstintoafitoflaughing。Itallseemedsoexceedinglysilly;hewonderedthatawiseoldwomanlikehisgodmothershouldtalksuchnonsense。
\"Stuff-and-nonsense,youmean,\"saidshe,answering,tohisgreatalarm,hisunspokenthoughts。\"DidInottellyousomepeoplecalledmebythatname?Nevermind;itdoesn’tharmme。\"
Andshelaughed——hermerrylaugh——aschild-
likeasifshewerethePrince’sageinsteadofherown,whateverthatmightbe。Shecertainlywasamostextraordinaryoldwoman。
\"Believemeornot,itdoesn’tmatter,\"saidshe。\"Hereisthecloak:whenyouwanttogotravelingonit,say`Abracadabra,dum,dum,dum’;whenyouwanttocomebackagain,say`Abracadabra,tumtumti。’That’sall;good-by。\"
Apuffofmostpleasantairpassingbyhim。
andmakinghimfeelforthemomentquitestrongandwell,wasallthePrincewasconsciousof。Hismostextraordinarygodmotherwasgone。
\"Reallynow,howrosyyourRoyalHighness’
cheekshavegrown!Youseemtohavegotwellalready,\"saidthenurse,enteringtheroom。
\"IthinkIhave,\"repliedthePrinceverygently——hefeltgentlyandkindlyeventohisgrimnurse。\"Andnowletmehavemydinner,andgoyoutoyoursewingasusual。\"
Theinstantshewasgone,however,takingwithhertheplatesanddishes,whichforthefirsttimesincehisillnesshehadsatisfactorilycleared,PrinceDolorsprangdownfromhissofa,andwithoneortwoofhisfrog-likejumpsreachedthecupboardwherehekepthistoys,andlookedeverywhereforhistraveling-cloak。
Alas!itwasnotthere。
Whilehewasillofthedoldrums,hisnurse,thinkingitagoodopportunityforputtingthingstorights,hadmadeagrandclearanceofallhis\"rubbish\"——assheconsideredit:hisbelovedheadlesshorses,brokencarts,sheepwithoutfeet,andbirdswithoutwings——allthetreasuresofhisbabydays,whichhecouldnotbeartopartwith。Thoughheseldomplayedwiththemnow,helikedjusttofeeltheywerethere。
Theywereallgoneandwiththemthetraveling-cloak。Hesatdownonthefloor,lookingattheemptyshelves,sobeautifullycleanandtidy,thenburstoutsobbingasifhisheartwouldbreak。
Butquietly——alwaysquietly。Heneverlethisnursehearhimcry。Sheonlylaughedathim,ashefeltshewouldlaughnow。
\"Anditisallmyownfault!\"hecried。\"I
oughttohavetakenbettercareofmygodmother’sgift。Oh,godmother,forgiveme!I’llneverbesocarelessagain。Idon’tknowwhatthecloakisexactly,butIamsureitissomethingprecious。Helpmetofinditagain。Oh,don’tletitbestolenfromme——don’t,please!\"
\"Ha,ha,ha!\"laughedasilveryvoice。\"Why,thattraveling-cloakistheonethingintheworldwhichnobodycansteal。Itisofnousetoanybodyexcepttheowner。Openyoureyes,myPrince,andseewhatyoushallsee。\"
Hisdearoldgodmother,hethought,andturnedeagerlyround。Butno;heonlybeheld,lyinginacorneroftheroom,alldustandcobwebs,hisprecioustraveling-cloak。
PrinceDolordartedtowardit,tumblingseveraltimesontheway,asheoftendidtumble,poorboy!andpickhimselfupagain,nevercomplaining。Snatchingittohisbreast,hehuggedandkissedit,cobwebsandall,asifithadbeensomethingalive。Thenhebeganunrollingit,wonderingeachminutewhatwouldhappen。WhatdidhappenwassocuriousthatImustleaveitforanotherchapter。
CHAPTERV
Ifanyreader,bigorlittle,shouldwonderwhetherthereisameaninginthisstorydeeperthanthatofanordinaryfairytale,Iwillownthatthereis。ButIhavehiddenitsocarefullythatthesmallerpeople,andmanylargerfolk,willneverfinditout,andmeantimethebookmaybereadstraighton,like\"Cinderella,\"or\"Blue-Beard,\"or\"Hop-o’-
my-Thumb,\"forwhatinterestithas,orwhatamusementitmaybring。
Havingsaidthis,IreturntoPrinceDolor,thatlittlelameboywhommanymaythinksoexceedinglytobepitied。Butifyouhadseenhimashesatpatientlyuntyinghiswonderfulcloak,whichwasdoneupinaverytightandperplexingparcel,usingskillfullyhisdeftlittlehands,andknittinghisbrowswithfirmdetermination,whilehiseyesglistenedwithpleasureandenergyandeageranticipation——ifyouhadbeheldhimthus,youmighthavechangedyouropinion。
Whenweseepeoplesufferingorunfortunate,wefeelverysorryforthem;butwhenweseethembravelybearingtheirsufferingsandmakingthebestoftheirmisfortunes,itisquiteadifferentfeeling。Werespect,weadmirethem。
Onecanrespectandadmireevenalittlechild。