WhenPrinceDolorhadpatientlyuntiedalltheknots,aremarkablethinghappened。Thecloakbegantoundoitself。Slowlyunfolding,itlaiditselfdownonthecarpet,asflatasifithadbeenironed;thesplitjoinedwithalittlesharpcrick-crack,andtherimturnedupallroundtillitwasbreast-high;formeantimethecloakhadgrownandgrown,andbecomequitelargeenoughforonepersontositinitascomfortableasifinaboat。
ThePrincewatcheditratheranxiously;itwassuchanextraordinary,nottosayafrightening,thing。However,hewasnocoward,butathoroughboy,who,ifhehadbeenlikeotherboys,woulddoubtlesshavegrownupdaringandadventurous——asoldier,asailor,orthelike。Asitwas,hecouldonlyshowhiscouragemorally,notphysically,bybeingafraidofnothing,andbydoingboldlyallthatitwasinhisnarrowpowerstodo。AndIamnotsurebutthatinthiswayheshowedmorerealvalorthanifhehadhadsixpairsofproperlegs。
Hesaidtohimself:\"WhatagooseIam!Asifmydeargodmotherwouldeverhavegivenmeanythingtohurtme。Heregoes!\"
So,withoneofhisactiveleaps,hesprangrightintothemiddleofthecloak,wherehesquatteddown,wrappinghisarmstightroundhisknees,fortheyshookalittleandhisheartbeatfast。Buttherehesat,steadyandsilent,waitingforwhatmighthappennext。
Nothingdidhappen,andhebegantothinknothingwould,andtofeelratherdisappointed,whenherecollectedthewordshehadbeentoldtorepeat——\"Abracadabra,dumdumdum!\"
Herepeatedthem,laughingallthewhile,theyseemedsuchnonsense。Andthen——andthen————
NowIdon’texpectanybodytobelievewhatIamgoingtorelate,thoughagoodmanywisepeoplehavebelievedagoodmanysillierthings。
Andasseeing’sbelieving,andIneversawit,I
cannotbeexpectedimplicitlytobelieveitmyself,exceptinasortofaway;andyetthereistruthinit——forsomepeople。
Thecloakrose,slowlyandsteadily,atfirstonlyafewinches,thengraduallyhigherandhigher,tillitnearlytouchedtheskylight。
PrinceDolor’sheadactuallybumpedagainsttheglass,orwouldhavedonesohadhenotcroucheddown,crying\"Oh,pleasedon’thurtme!\"inamostmelancholyvoice。
Thenhesuddenlyrememberedhisgodmother’sexpresscommand——\"Opentheskylight!\"
Regaininghiscourageatonce,withoutamoment’sdelayhelifteduphisheadandbegansearchingforthebolt——thecloakmeanwhileremainingperfectlystill,balancedintheair。
Buttheminutethewindowwasopened,outitsailed——rightoutintotheclear,freshair,withnothingbetweenitandthecloudlessblue。
PrinceDolorhadneverfeltanysuchdelicioussensationbefore。Icanunderstandit。
Cannotyou?Didyouneverthink,inwatchingtherooksgoinghomesinglyorinpairs,soaringtheirwayacrossthecalmeveningskytilltheyvanishlikeblackdotsinthemistygray,howpleasantitmustfeeltobeupthere,quiteoutofthenoiseanddinoftheworld,abletohearandseeeverythingdownbelow,yettroubledbynothingandteasedbynoone——allalone,butperfectlycontent?
SomethinglikethiswasthehappinessofthelittlelamePrincewhenhegotoutofHopelessTower,andfoundhimselfforthefirsttimeinthepureopenair,withtheskyabovehimandtheearthbelow。
True,therewasnothingbutearthandsky;nohouses,notrees,norivers,mountains,seas——
notabeastontheground,orabirdintheair。
Buttohimeventhelevelplainlookedbeautiful;
andthentherewasthegloriousarchofthesky,withalittleyoungmoonsittinginthewestlikeababyqueen。Andtheeveningbreezewassosweetandfresh——itkissedhimlikehisgodmother’skisses;andbyandbyafewstarscameout——firsttwoorthree,andthenquantities——
quantities!sothatwhenhebegantocountthemhewasutterlybewildered。
Bythistime,however,thecoolbreezehadbecomecold;themistgathered;andashehad,ashesaid,nooutdoorclothes,poorPrinceDolorwasnotverycomfortable。Thedewsfelldamponhiscurls——hebegantoshiver。
\"PerhapsIhadbettergohome,\"thoughthe。
Buthow?Forinhisexcitementtheotherwordswhichhisgodmotherhadtoldhimtousehadslippedhismemory。Theywereonlyalittledifferentfromthefirst,butinthatslightdifferencealltheimportancelay。Asherepeatedhis\"Abracadabra,\"tryingeversomanyothersyllablesafterit,thecloakonlywentfasterandfaster,skimmingonthroughthedusky,emptyair。
ThepoorlittlePrincebegantofeelfrightened。Whatifhiswonderfultraveling-cloakshouldkeeponthustraveling,perhapstotheworld’send,carryingwithitapoor,tired,hungryboy,who,afterall,wasbeginningtothinktherewassomethingverypleasantinsupperandbed!
\"Deargodmother,\"hecriedpitifully,\"dohelpme!TellmejustthisonceandI’llneverforgetagain。\"
Instantlythewordscamerushingintohishead——\"Abracadabra,tumtumti!\"Wasthatit?Ah!yes——forthecloakbegantoturnslowly。
Herepeatedthecharmagain,moredistinctlyandfirmly,whenitgaveagentledip,likeanodofsatisfaction,andimmediatelystartedback,asfastasever,inthedirectionofthetower。
Hereachedtheskylight,whichhefoundexactlyashehadleftit,andslippedin,cloakandall,aseasilyashehadgotout。Hehadscarcelyreachedthefloor,andwasstillsittinginthemiddleofhistraveling-cloak,——likeafrogonawater-lilyleaf,ashisgodmotherhadexpressedit,——whenheheardhisnurse’svoiceoutside。
\"Blessus!whathasbecomeofyourRoyalHighnessallthistime?Tositstupidlyhereatthewindowtillitisquitedark,andleavetheskylightopen,too。Prince!whatcanyoubethinkingof?YouarethesilliestboyIeverknew。\"
\"AmI?\"saidheabsently,andneverheedinghercrossness;forhisonlyanxietywaslestshemightfindoutanything。
Shewouldhavebeenaverycleverpersontohavedoneso。TheinstantPrinceDolorgotoffit,thecloakfoldeditselfupintothetiniestpossibleparcel,tiedallitsownknots,androlleditselfofitsownaccordintothefarthestanddarkestcorneroftheroom。Ifthenursehadseenit,whichshedidn’t,shewouldhavetakenitforamerebundleofrubbishnotworthnoticing。
Shuttingtheskylightwithanangrybang,shebroughtinthesupperandlitthecandleswithherusualunhappyexpressionofcountenance。
ButPrinceDolorhardlysawit;heonlysaw,hidinthecornerwherenobodyelsewouldseeit,hiswonderfultraveling-cloak。Andthoughhissupperwasnotparticularlynice,heateitheartily,scarcelyhearingawordofhisnurse’sgrumbling,whichto-nightseemedtohavetakentheplaceofhersullensilence。
\"Poorwoman!\"hethought,whenhepausedaminutetolistenandlookatherwiththosequiet,happyeyes,solikehismother’s。\"Poorwoman!shehasn’tgotatraveling-cloak!\"
Andwhenhewasleftaloneatlast,andcreptintohislittlebed,wherehelayawakeagoodwhile,watchingwhathecalledhis\"sky-
garden,\"allplantedwithstars,likeflowers,hischiefthoughtwas——\"Imustbeupveryearlyto-morrowmorning,andgetmylessonsdone,andthenI’llgotravelingallovertheworldonmybeautifulcloak。\"
Sonextdayheopenedhiseyeswiththesun,andwentwithagoodhearttohislessons。Theyhadhithertobeenthechiefamusementofhisdulllife;now,Iamafraid,hefoundthemalsoalittledull。Buthetriedtobegood,——Idon’tsayPrinceDoloralwayswasgood,buthegenerallytriedtobe,——andwhenhismindwentwanderingafterthedark,dustycornerwherelayhisprecioustreasure,heresolutelycalleditbackagain。
\"For,\"hesaid,\"howashamedmygodmotherwouldbeofmeifIgrewupastupidboy!\"
Buttheinstantlessonsweredone,andhewasaloneintheemptyroom,hecreptacrossthefloor,undidtheshabbylittlebundle,hisfingerstremblingwitheagerness,climbedonthechair,andthencetothetable,soastounbartheskylight,——heforgotnothingnow,——saidhismagiccharm,andwasawayoutofthewindow,aschildrensay,\"inafewminuteslessthannotime。\"
Nobodymissedhim。Hewasaccustomedtositsoquietlyalwaysthathisnurse,thoughonlyinthenextroom,perceivednodifference。Andbesides,shemighthavegoneinandoutadozentimes,anditwouldhavebeenjustthesame;
shenevercouldhavefoundouthisabsence。
Forwhatdoyouthinktheclevergodmotherdid?Shetookaquantityofmoonshine,orsomeequallyconvenientmaterial,andmadeanimage,whichshesetonthewindow-sillreading,orbythetabledrawing,whereitlookedsolikePrinceDolorthatanycommonobserverwouldneverhaveguessedthedeception;andeventheboywouldhavebeenpuzzledtoknowwhichwastheimageandwhichwashimself。
Andallthiswhilethehappylittlefellowwasaway,floatingintheaironhismagiccloak,andseeingallsortsofwonderfulthings——ortheyseemedwonderfultohim,whohadhithertoseennothingatall。
First,thereweretheflowersthatgrewontheplain,which,wheneverthecloakcamenearenough,hestrainedhiseyestolookat;theywereverytiny,butverybeautiful——whitesaxifrage,andyellowlotus,andground-thistles,purpleandbright,withmanyothersthenamesofwhichIdonotknow。NomoredidPrinceDolor,thoughhetriedtofindthemoutbyrecallinganypictureshehadseenofthem。Buthewastoofaroff;andthoughitwaspleasantenoughtoadmirethemasbrilliantpatchesofcolor,stillhewouldhavelikedtoexaminethemall。Hewas,asalittlegirlIknowoncesaidofaplayfellow,\"averyexaminingboy。\"
\"Iwonder,\"hethought,\"whetherIcouldseebetterthroughapairofglasseslikethosemynursereadswith,andtakessuchcareof。HowIwouldtakecareofthem,too,ifIonlyhadapair!\"
Immediatelyhefeltsomethingqueerandhardfixingitselftothebridgeofhisnose。Itwasapairoftheprettiestgoldspectacleseverseen;andlookingdownward,hefoundthat,thougheversohighabovetheground,hecouldseeeveryminutebladeofgrass,everytinybudandflower——nay,eventheinsectsthatwalkedoverthem。
\"Thankyou,thankyou!\"hecried,inagushofgratitude——toanybodyoreverybody,butespeciallytohisdeargodmother,whohefeltsurehadgivenhimthisnewpresent。Heamusedhimselfwithitforeversolong,withhischinpressedontherimofthecloak,gazingdownuponthegrass,everysquarefootofwhichwasamineofwonders。
Then,justtoresthiseyes,heturnedthemuptothesky——theblue,bright,emptysky,whichhehadlookedatsooftenandseennothing。
Nowsurelytherewassomething。Along,black,wavyline,movingoninthedistance,notbychance,asthecloudsmoveapparently,butdeliberately,asifitwerealive。Hemighthaveseenitbefore——healmostthoughthehad;butthenhecouldnottellwhatitwas。Lookingatitthroughhisspectacles,hediscoveredthatitreallywasalive;beingalongstringofbirds,flyingoneaftertheother,theirwingsmovingsteadilyandtheirheadspointedinonedirection,assteadilyasifeachwerealittleship,guidedinvisiblybyanunerringhelm。
\"Theymustbethepassage-birdsflyingseaward!\"criedtheboy,whohadreadalittleaboutthem,andhadagreattalentforputtingtwoandtwotogetherandfindingoutallhecould。\"Oh,howIshouldliketoseethemquiteclose,andtoknowwheretheycomefromandwhithertheyaregoing!HowIwishIkneweverythinginalltheworld!\"
Asillyspeechforevenan\"examining\"littleboytomake;because,aswegrowolder,themoreweknowthemorewefindoutthereistoknow。AndPrinceDolorblushedwhenhehadsaidit,andhopednobodyhadheardhim。
Apparentlysomebodyhad,however;forthecloakgaveasuddenboundforward,andpresentlyhefoundhimselfhighintheair,intheverymiddleofthatbandofaerialtravelers,whohadmomagiccloaktotravelon——nothingexcepttheirwings。Yettheretheywere,makingtheirfearlesswaythroughthesky。
PrinceDolorlookedatthemasoneaftertheothertheyglidedpasthim;andtheylookedathim——thoseprettyswallows,withtheirchangingnecksandbrighteyes——asifwonderingtomeetinmid-airsuchanextraordinarysortofbird。
\"Oh,IwishIweregoingwithyou,youlovelycreatures!I’mgettingsotiredofthisdullplain,andthedrearyandlonelytower。Idosowanttoseetheworld!Prettyswallows,dearswallows!tellmewhatitlookslike——thebeautiful,wonderfulworld!\"
Buttheswallowsflewpasthim——steadily,slowlypursuingtheircourseasifinsideeachlittleheadhadbeenamariner’scompass,toguidethemsafeoverlandandsea,directtotheplacewheretheywishedtogo。
Theboylookedafterthemwithenvy。Foralongtimehefollowedwithhiseyesthefaint,wavyblacklineasitfloatedaway,sometimeschangingitscurvesalittle,butneverdeviatingfromitssettledcourse,tillitvanishedentirelyoutofsight。
Thenhesettledhimselfdowninthecenterofthecloak,feelingquitesadandlonely。
\"IthinkI’llgohome,\"saidhe,andrepeatedhis\"Abracadabra,tumtumti!\"witharatherheavyheart。Themorehehad,themorehewanted;anditisnotalwaysonecanhaveeverythingonewants——atleast,attheexactminuteonecravesforit;noteventhoughoneisaprince,andhasapowerfulandbeneficentgodmother。
Hedidnotliketovexherbycallingforherandtellingherhowunhappyhewas,inspiteofallhergoodness;sohejustkepthistroubletohimself,wentbacktohislonelytower,andspentthreedaysinsilentmelancholy,withoutevenattemptinganotherjourneyonhistraveling-cloak。
CHAPTERVI
Thefourthdayithappenedthatthedeaf-mutepaidhisaccustomedvisit,afterwhichPrinceDolor’sspiritsrose。Theyalwaysdidwhenhegotthenewbookswhich,justtorelievehisconscience,theKingofNomanslandregularlysenttohisnephew;withmanynewtoysalso,thoughthelatterweredisregardednow。
\"Toys,indeed!whenI’mabigboy,\"saidthePrince,withdisdain,andwouldscarcelycondescendtomountarocking-horsewhichhadcome,somehoworother,——Ican’tbeexpectedtoexplainthingsveryexactly,——packedonthebackoftheother,thegreatblackhorse,whichstoodandfedcontentedlyatthebottomofthetower。
PrinceDolorleanedoverandlookedatit,andthoughthowgranditmustbetogetuponitsback——thisgrandlivesteed——andrideaway,likethepicturesofknights。
\"SupposeIwasaknight,\"hesaidtohimself;
\"thenIshouldbeobligedtorideoutandseetheworld。\"
Buthekeptallthesethoughtstohimself,andjustsatstill,devouringhisnewbookstillhehadcometotheendofthemall。ItwasarepastnotunliketheBarmecide’sfeastwhichyoureadofinthe\"ArabianNights,\"whichconsistedofveryelegantbutemptydishes,orthatsupperofSanchoPanzain\"DonQuixote,\"
where,theminutethesmokingdishescameonthetable,thephysicianwavedhishandandtheywerealltakenaway。
Thusalmostalltheordinarydelightsofboy-
lifehadbeentakenawayfrom,orrathernevergiventothispoorlittleprince。
\"Iwonder,\"hewouldsometimesthink——\"I
wonderwhatitfeelsliketobeonthebackofahorse,gallopingaway,orholdingthereinsinacarriage,andtearingacrossthecountry,orjumpingaditch,orrunningarace,suchasI
readoforseeinpictures。WhatalotofthingstherearethatIshouldliketodo!ButfirstI
shouldliketogoandseetheworld。I’lltry。\"
Apparentlyitwashisgodmother’splanalwaystolethimtry,andtryhard,beforehegainedanything。Thisdaytheknotsthattieduphistraveling-cloakweremorethanusuallytroublesome,andhewasafullhalf-hourbeforehegotoutintotheopenair,andfoundhimselffloatingmerrilyoverthetopofthetower。
Hitherto,inallhisjourneys,hehadneverlethimselfgooutofsightofhome,forthedrearybuilding,afterall,washome——herememberednoother;butnowhefeltsickoftheverylookofhistower,withitsroundsmoothwallsandlevelbattlements。
\"Offwego!\"criedhe,whenthecloakstirreditselfwithaslight,slowmotion,asifwaitinghisorders。\"Anywhereanywhere,sothatIamawayfromhere,andoutintotheworld。\"
Ashespoke,thecloak,asifseizedsuddenlywithanewidea,boundedforwardandwentskimmingthroughtheair,fasterthantheveryfastestrailwaytrain。
\"Gee-up!gee-up!\"criedPrinceDoloringreatexcitement。\"Thisisasgoodasridingarace。\"
Andhepattedthecloakasifithadbeenahorse——thatis,inthewayhesupposedhorsesoughttobepatted——andtossedhisheadbacktomeetthefreshbreeze,andpulledhiscoatcollarupandhishatdownashefeltthewindgrowkeenerandcolder——colderthananythinghehadeverknown。
\"Whatdoesitmatter,though?\"saidhe。
\"I’maboy,andboysoughtnottomindanything。\"
Still,forallhisgood-will,byandby,hebegantoshiverexceedingly;also,hehadcomeawaywithouthisdinner,andhegrewfrightfullyhungry。Andtoaddtoeverything,thesunshinydaychangedintorain,andbeinghighup,intheverymidstoftheclouds,hegotsoakedthroughandthroughinaveryfewminutes。
\"ShallIturnback?\"meditatedhe。
\"SupposeIsay`Abracadabra?’\"
Herehestopped,foralreadythecloakgaveanobedientlurch,asifitwereexpectingtobesenthomeimmediately。
\"No——Ican’t——Ican’tgoback!Imustgoforwardandseetheworld。Butoh!ifIhadbuttheshabbiestoldrugtosheltermefromtherain,orthedriestmorselofbreadandcheese,justtokeepmefromstarving!Still,Idon’tmuchmind;I’maprince,andoughttobeabletostandanything。Holdon,cloak,we’llmakethebestofit。\"
Itwasamostcuriouscircumstance,butnosoonerhadhesaidthisthanhefeltstealingoverhiskneessomethingwarmandsoft;infact,amostbeautifulbearskin,whichfoldeditselfroundhimquitenaturally,andcuddledhimupascloselyasifhehadbeenthecubofthekindoldmother-bearthatonceownedit。Thenfeelinginhispocket,whichsuddenlystuckoutinamarvelousway,hefound,notexactlybreadandcheese,norevensandwiches,butapacketofthemostdeliciousfoodhehadevertasted。
Itwasnotmeat,norpudding,butacombinationofboth,anditservedhimexcellentlyforboth。Heatehisdinnerwiththegreatestgustoimaginable,tillhegrewsothirstyhedidnotknowwhattodo。
\"Couldn’tIhavejustonedropofwater,ifitdidn’ttroubleyoutoomuch,kindestofgodmothers?\"
Forhereallythoughtthiswantwasbeyondherpowertosupply。AllthewaterwhichsuppliedHopelessTowerwaspumpedupwithdifficultyfromadeepartesianwell——thereweresuchthingsknowninNomansland——whichhadbeenmadeatthefootofit。Butaround,formilesuponmiles,thedesolateplainwasperfectlydry。Andaboveit,highintheair,howcouldheexpecttofindawell,ortogetevenadropofwater?
Heforgotonething——therain。Whilehespoke,itcameoninanotherwildburst,asifthecloudshadpouredthemselvesoutinapassionofcrying,wettinghimcertainly,butleavingbehind,inalargeglassvesselwhichhehadnevernoticedbefore,enoughwatertoquenchthethirstoftwoorthreeboysatleast。
Anditwassofresh,sopure——aswaterfromthecloudsalwaysiswhenitdoesnotcatchthesootfromcitychimneysandotherdefilements——thathedrankit,everydrop,withthegreatestdelightandcontent。
Also,assoonasitwasemptytherainfilleditagain,sothathewasabletowashhisfaceandhandsandrefreshhimselfexceedingly。Thenthesuncameoutanddriedhiminnotime。
Afterthathecurledhimselfupunderthebear-
skinrug,andthoughhedeterminedtobethemostwide-awakeboyimaginable,beingsoexceedinglysnugandwarmandcomfortable,PrinceDolorcondescendedtoshuthiseyesjustforoneminute。Thenextminutehewassoundasleep。
Whenheawoke,hefoundhimselffloatingoveracountryquiteunlikeanythinghehadeverseenbefore。
Yetitwasnothingbutwhatmostofyouchildrenseeeverydayandnevernoticeit——aprettycountrylandscape,likeEngland,Scotland,France,oranyotherlandyouchoosetoname。
Ithadnoparticularfeatures——nothinginitgrandorlovely——wassimplypretty,nothingmore;yettoPrinceDolor,whohadnevergonebeyondhislonelytowerandlevelplain,itappearedthemostcharmingsightimaginable。
First,therewasariver。Itcametumblingdownthehillside,frothingandfoaming,playingathide-and-seekamongtherocks,thenburstingoutinnoisyfunlikeachild,toburyitselfindeep,stillpools。Afterwarditwentsteadilyonforawhile,likeagoodgrown-upperson,tillitcametoanotherbigrock,whereitmisbehaveditselfextremely。Itturnedintoacataract,andwenttumblingoverandover,afterafashionthatmadetheprince——whohadneverseenwaterbefore,exceptinhisbathorhisdrinking-cup——claphishandswithdelight。
\"Itissoactive,soalive!Ilikethingsactiveandalive!\"criedhe,andwatcheditshimmeringanddancing,whirlingandleaping,till,afterafewwindingsandvagaries,itsettledintoarespectablestream。Afterthatitwentalong,deepandquiet,butflowingsteadilyon,tillitreachedalargelake,intowhichitslippedandsoendeditscourse。
Allthistheboysaw,eitherwithhisownnakedeyeorthroughhisgoldspectacles。Hesawalsoasinapicture,beautifulbutsilent,manyotherthingswhichstruckhimwithwonder,especiallyagroveoftrees。
Onlythink,tohavelivedtohisage(whichhehimselfdidnotknow,ashedidnotknowhisownbirthday)andnevertohaveseentrees!
Ashefloatedovertheseoaks,theyseemedtohim——trunk,branches,andleaves——themostcurioussightimaginable。
\"IfIcouldonlygetnearer,soastotouchthem,\"saidhe,andimmediatelytheobedientcloakduckeddown;PrinceDolormadeasnatchatthetopmosttwigofthetallesttree,andcaughtabunchofleavesinhishand。
Justabunchofgreenleaves——suchasweseeinmyriads;watchingthembud,grow,fall,andthenkickingthemalongonthegroundasiftheywereworthnothing。Yethowwonderfultheyare——everyoneofthemalittledifferent。
Idon’tsupposeyoucouldeverfindtwoleavesexactlyalikeinform,color,andsize——nomorethanyoucouldfindtwofacesalike,ortwocharactersexactlythesame。Theplanofthisworldisinfinitesimilarityandyetinfinitevariety。
PrinceDolorexaminedhisleaveswiththegreatestcuriosity——andalsoalittlecaterpillarthathefoundwalkingoveroneofthem。Hecoaxedittotakeanadditionalwalkoverhisfinger,whichitdidwiththegreatestdignityanddecorum,asifit,Mr。Caterpillar,werethemostimportantindividualinexistence。Itamusedhimforalongtime;andwhenasuddengustofwindblewitoverboard,leavesandall,hefeltquitedisconsolate。
\"Stilltheremustbemanylivecreaturesintheworldbesidescaterpillars。Ishouldliketoseeafewofthem。\"
Thecloakgavealittledipdown,asiftosay\"Allright,myPrince,\"andborehimacrosstheoakforesttoalongfertilevalley——calledinScotlandastrathandinEnglandaweald,butwhattheycallitinthetongueofNomanslandIdonotknow。Itwasmadeupofcornfields,pasturefields,lanes,hedges,brooks,andponds。
Also,initwerewhattheprincedesiredtosee——aquantityoflivingcreatures,wildandtame。
Cowsandhorses,lambsandsheep,fedinthemeadows;pigsandfowlswalkedaboutthefarm-yards;andinlonelierplacesharesscudded,rabbitsburrowed,andpheasantsandpartridges,withmanyothersmallerbirds,inhabitedthefieldsandwoods。
ThroughhiswonderfulspectaclesthePrincecouldseeeverything;but,asIsaid,itwasasilentpicture;hewastoohighuptocatchanythingexceptafaintmurmur,whichonlyarousedhisanxietytohearmore。
\"Ihaveasgoodastwopairsofeyes,\"hethought。\"Iwonderifmygodmotherwouldgivemeasecondpairofears。\"
Scarcelyhadhespokenthanhefoundlyingonhislapthemostcuriouslittleparcel,alldoneupinsilverypaper。Anditcontained——whatdoyouthink?Actuallyapairofsilverears,which,whenhetriedthemon,fittedsoexactlyoverhisownthathehardlyfeltthem,exceptforthedifferencetheymadeinhishearing。
Thereissomethingwhichwelistentodailyandnevernotice。Imeanthesoundsofthevisibleworld,animateandinanimate。Windsblowing,watersflowing,treesstirring,insectswhirring(dearme!Iamquiteunconsciouslywritingrhyme),withthevariouscriesofbirdsandbeasts,——lowingcattle,bleatingsheep,gruntingpigs,andcacklinghens,——alltheinfinitediscordsthatsomehoworothermakeabeautifulharmony。
Wehearthis,andaresoaccustomedtoitthatwethinknothingofit;butPrinceDolor,whohadlivedallhisdaysinthedeadsilenceofHopelessTower,hearditforthefirsttime。
Andoh!ifyouhadseenhisface。
Helistened,listened,asifhecouldneverhavedonelistening。Andhelookedandlooked,asifhecouldnotgazeenough。Aboveall,themotionoftheanimalsdelightedhim:cowswalking,horsesgalloping,littlelambsandcalvesrunningracesacrossthemeadows,weresuchatreatforhimtowatch——hethatwasalwayssoquiet。But,thesecreatureshavingfourlegs,andheonlytwo,thedifferencedidnotstrikehimpainfully。
Still,byandby,afterthefashionofchildren,——andIfear,ofmanybigpeopletoo,——hebegantowantsomethingmorethanhehad,somethingfreshandnew。
\"Godmother,\"hesaid,havingnowbeguntobelievethat,whetherhesawherornot,hecouldalwaysspeaktoherwithfullconfidencethatshewouldhearhim——\"Godmother,allthesecreaturesIlikeexceedingly;butIshouldlikebettertoseeacreaturelikemyself。Couldn’tyoushowmejustonelittleboy?\"
Therewasasighbehindhim,——itmighthavebeenonlythewind,——andthecloakremainedsolongbalancedmotionlessinairthathewashalfafraidhisgodmotherhadforgottenhim,orwasoffendedwithhimforaskingtoomuch。
Suddenlyashrillwhistlestartledhim,eventhroughhissilverears,andlookingdownward,hesawstartupfrombehindabushonacommon,something————
Neitherasheepnorahorsenoracow——nothinguponfourlegs。Thiscreaturehadonlytwo;buttheywerelong,straight,andstrong。
Andithadalithe,activebody,andacurlyheadofblackhairsetuponitsshoulders。Itwasaboy,ashepherd-boy,aboutthePrince’sownage——but,oh!sodifferent。
Notthathewasanuglyboy——thoughhisfacewasalmostasredashishands,andhisshaggyhairmattedlikethebacksofhisownsheep。
Hewasratheranice-lookinglad;andseemedsobrightandhealthyandgood-tempered——
\"jolly\"wouldbetheword,onlyIamnotsureiftheyhavesuchaoneintheelegantlanguageofNomansland——thatthelittlePrincewatchedhimwithgreatadmiration。
\"Mighthecomeandplaywithme?Iwoulddropdowntothegroundtohim,orfetchhimuptomehere。Oh,howniceitwouldbeifIonlyhadalittleboytoplaywithme。\"
Butthecloak,usuallysoobedienttohiswishes,disobeyedhimnow。Therewereevi-
dentlysomethingswhichhisgodmothereithercouldnotorwouldnotgive。Thecloakhungstationary,highinair,neverattemptingtodescend。Theshepherd-ladevidentlytookitforalargebird,and,shadinghiseyes,lookedupatit,makingthePrince’sheartbeatfast。
However,nothingensued。Theboyturnedround,withalong,loudwhistle——seeminglyhisusualandonlywayofexpressinghisfeelings。
Hecouldnotmakethethingoutexactly——itwasarathermysteriousaffair,butitdidnottroublehimmuch——hewasnotan\"examining\"boy。
Then,stretchinghimself,forhehadbeenevidentlyhalfasleep,hebeganfloppinghisshoulderswithhisarmstowakeandwarmhimself;
whilehisdog,aroughcollie,whohadbeenguardingthesheepmeanwhile,begantojumpuponhim,barkingwithdelight。
\"Down,Snap,down:Stopthat,orI’llthrashyou,\"thePrinceheardhimsay;thoughwithsucharough,hardvoiceandqueerpronunciationthatitwasdifficulttomakethewordsout。
\"Hollo!Let’swarmourselvesbyarace。\"
Theystartedofftogether,boyanddog——barkingandshouting,tillitwasdoubtfulwhichmadethemorenoiseorranthefaster。A
regularsteeplechaseitwas:firstacrossthelevelcommon,greatlydisturbingthequietsheep;andthentearingawayacrosscountry,scramblingthroughhedgesandleapingditches,andtumblingupanddownoverplowedfields。Theydidnotseemtohaveanythingtorunfor——butasiftheydidit,bothofthem,forthemerepleasureofmotion。
Andwhatapleasurethatseemed!Tothedogofcourse,butscarcelylesssototheboy。
Howheskimmedalongovertheground——hischeeksglowing,andhishairflying,andhislegs——oh,whatapairoflegshehad!
PrinceDolorwatchedhimwithgreatintentness,andinastateofexcitementalmostequaltothatoftherunnerhimself——forawhile。
Thenthesweet,palefacegrewatriflepaler,thelipsbegantoquiver,andtheeyestofill。
\"Howniceitmustbetorunlikethat!\"hesaidsoftly,thinkingthatnever——no,neverinthisworld——wouldhebeabletodothesame。
Nowheunderstoodwhathisgodmotherhadmeantwhenshegavehimhistraveling-cloak,andwhyhehadheardthatsigh——hewassureitwashers——whenhehadaskedtosee\"justonelittleboy。\"
\"IthinkIhadrathernotlookathimagain,\"
saidthepoorlittlePrince,drawinghimselfbackintothecenterofhiscloak,andresuminghisfavoriteposture,sittinglikeaTurk,withhisarmswrappedroundhisfeeble,uselesslegs。
\"You’renogoodtome,\"hesaid,pattingthemmournfully。\"Youneverwillbeanygoodtome。IwonderwhyIhadyouatall。I
wonderwhyIwasbornatall,sinceIwasnottogrowuplikeotherboys。Whynot?\"
Aquestionsostrange,sosad,yetsooftenoccurringinsomeformorotherinthisworld——asyouwillfind,mychildren,whenyouareolder——thatevenifhehadputittohismothershecouldonlyhaveansweredit,aswehavetoanswermanyasdifficultthings,bysimplysaying,\"Idon’tknow。\"Thereismuchthatwedonotknowandcannotunderstand——webigfolksnomorethanyoulittleones。Wehavetoacceptitalljustasyouhavetoacceptanythingwhichyourparentsmaytellyou,eventhoughyoudon’tasyetseethereasonofit。Youmaysometime,ifyoudoexactlyastheytellyou,andarecontenttowait。
PrinceDolorsatagoodwhilethus,oritappearedtohimagoodwhile,somanythoughtscameandwentthroughhispooryoungmind——
thoughtsofgreatbitterness,which,littlethoughhewas,seemedtomakehimgrowyearsolderinafewminutes。
Thenhefanciedthecloakbegantorockgentlytoandfro,withasoothingkindofmotion,asifhewereinsomebody’sarms:somebodywhodidnotspeak,butlovedhimandcomfortedhimwithoutneedofwords;notbydeceivinghimwithfalseencouragementorhope,butbymakinghimseetheplain,hardtruthinallitshardness,andthuslettinghimquietlyfaceit,tillitgrewsofteneddown,anddidnotseemnearlysodreadfulafterall。
Throughthedrearysilenceandblankness,forhehadplacedhimselfsothathecouldseenothingbutthesky,andhadtakenoffhissilverearsaswellashisgoldspectacles——whatwastheuseofeitherwhenhehadnolegswithwhichtowalkorrun?——upfrombelowthereroseadelicioussound。
Youhaveheardithundredsoftimes,mychildren,andsohaveI。WhenIwasachildI
thoughttherewasnothingsosweet;andIthinksostill。Itwasjustthesongofaskylark,mountinghigherandhigherfromtheground,tillitcamesoclosethatPrinceDolorcoulddistinguishhisquiveringwingsandtinybody,almosttootinytocontainsuchagushofmusic。
\"Oh,youbeautiful,beautifulbird!\"criedhe;
\"Ishoulddearlyliketotakeyouinandcuddleyou。Thatis,ifIcould——ifIdared。\"
Buthehesitated。Thelittlebrowncreaturewithitsloudheavenlyvoicealmostmadehimafraid。Nevertheless,italsomadehimhappy;
andhewatchedandlistened——soabsorbedthatheforgotallregretandpain,forgoteverythingintheworldexceptthelittlelark。
Itsoaredandsoared,andhewasjustwonderingifitwouldsoaroutofsight,andwhatintheworldheshoulddowhenitwasgone,whenitsuddenlycloseditswings,aslarksdowhentheymeantodroptotheground。But,insteadofdroppingtotheground,itdroppedrightintothelittleboy’sbreast。
Whatfelicity!Ifitwouldonlystay!A
tiny,softthingtofondleandkiss,tosingtohimalldaylong,andbehisplayfellowandcompanion,tameandtender,whiletotherestoftheworlditwasawildbirdoftheair。Whatapride,whatadelight!Tohavesomethingthatnobodyelsehad——somethingallhisown。Asthetraveling-cloaktraveledon,helittleheededwhere,andthelarkstillstayed,nestleddowninhisbosom,hoppedfromhishandtohisshoulder,andkissedhimwithitsdaintybeak,asifitlovedhim,PrinceDolorforgotallhisgrief,andwasentirelyhappy。
ButwhenhegotinsightofHopelessTowerapainfulthoughtstruckhim。
\"Myprettybird,whatamItodowithyou?
IfItakeyouintomyroomandshutyouupthere,you,awildskylarkoftheair,whatwillbecomeofyou?Iamusedtothis,butyouarenot。Youwillbesomiserable;andsupposemynurseshouldfindyou——shewhocan’tbearthesoundofsinging?Besides,Irememberheroncetellingmethatthenicestthingsheeverateinherlifewaslarkpie!\"
Thelittleboyshiveredalloveratthethought。
And,thoughthemerrylarkimmediatelybrokeintotheloudestcarol,asifsayingderisivelythathedefiedanybodytoeathim,still,PrinceDolorwasveryuneasy。Inanotherminutehehadmadeuphismind。
\"No,mybird,nothingsodreadfulshallhappentoyouifIcanhelpit;Iwouldratherdowithoutyoualtogether。Yes,I’lltry。Flyaway,mydarling,mybeautiful!Good-by,mymerry,merrybird。\"
Openinghistwocaressinghands,inwhich,asifforprotection,hehadfoldedit,heletthelarkgo。Itlingeredaminute,perchingontherimofthecloak,andlookingathimwitheyesofalmosthumantenderness;thenawayitflew,farupintothebluesky。Itwasonlyabird。
Butsometimeafter,whenPrinceDolorhadeatenhissupper——somewhatdrearily,exceptforthethoughtthathecouldnotpossiblysupofflarkpienow——andgonequietlytobed,theoldfamiliarlittlebed,wherehewasaccustomedtosleep,orlieawakecontentedlythinking——
suddenlyheheardoutsidethewindowalittlefaintcarol——faintbutcheerful——cheerfuleventhoughitwasthemiddleofthenight。
Thedearlittlelark!ithadnotflownaway,afterall。Anditwastrulythemostextraordinarybird,for,unlikeordinarylarks,itkepthoveringaboutthetowerinthesilenceanddarknessofthenight,outsidethewindoworovertheroof。Wheneverhelistenedforamoment,hehearditsingingstill。
Hewenttosleepashappyasaking。
CHAPTERVII
Happyasaking。\"HowfarkingsarehappyIcannotsay,nomorethancouldPrinceDolor,thoughhehadoncebeenakinghimself。Butherememberednothingaboutit,andtherewasnobodytotellhim,excepthisnurse,whohadbeenforbiddenuponpainofdeathtolethimknowanythingabouthisdeadparents,orthekinghisuncle,orindeedanypartofhisownhistory。
Sometimeshespeculatedabouthimself,whetherhehadhadafatherandmotherasotherlittleboyshadwhattheyhadbeenlike,andwhyhehadneverseenthem。But,knowingnothingaboutthem,hedidnotmissthem——onlyonceortwice,readingprettystoriesaboutlittlechildrenandtheirmothers,whohelpedthemwhentheywereindifficultyandcomfortedthemwhentheyweresick,hefeelingillanddullandlonely,wonderedwhathadbecomeofhismotherandwhyshenevercametoseehim。
Then,inhishistorylessons,ofcoursehereadaboutkingsandprinces,andthegovernmentsofdifferentcountries,andtheeventsthathappenedthere。Andthoughhebutfaintlytookinallthis,stillhedidtakeitinalittle,andworriedhisyoungbrainaboutit,andperplexedhisnursewithquestions,towhichshereturnedsharpandmysteriousanswers,whichonlysethimthinkingthemore。
Hehadplentyoftimeforthinking。Afterhislastjourneyinthetraveling-cloak,thejourneywhichhadgivenhimsomuchpain,hisdesiretoseetheworldsomehowfadedaway。
Hecontentedhimselfwithreadinghisbooks,andlookingoutofthetowerwindows,andlisteningtohisbelovedlittlelark,whichhadcomehomewithhimthatday,andneverlefthimagain。
True,itkeptoutoftheway;andthoughhisnursesometimesdimlyheardit,andsaid\"Whatisthathorridnoiseoutside?\"shenevergotthefaintestchanceofmakingitintoalarkpie。PrinceDolorhadhispetalltohimself,andthoughheseldomsawit,heknewitwasnearhim,andhecaughtcontinually,atoddhoursoftheday,andeveninthenight,fragmentsofitsdelicioussong。
Allduringthewinter——sofarasthereeverwasanydifferencebetweensummerandwinterinHopelessTower——thelittlebirdcheeredandamusedhim。Hescarcelyneededanythingmore——notevenhistraveling-cloak,whichlaybundledupunnoticedinacorner,tiedupinitsinnumerableknots。
Nordidhisgodmothercomenearhim。Itseemedasifshehadgiventhesetreasuresandlefthimalone——tousethemorlosethem,applythemormisapplythem,accordingtohisownchoice。Thatisallwecandowithchildrenwhentheygrowintobigchildrenoldenoughtodistinguishbetweenrightandwrong,andtoooldtobeforcedtodoeither。
PrinceDolorwasnowquiteabigboy。Nottall——alas!henevercouldbethat,withhispoorlittleshrunkenlegs,whichwereofnouse,onlyanencumbrance。Buthewasstoutandstrong,withgreatsturdyshoulders,andmusculararms,uponwhichhecouldswinghimselfaboutalmostlikeamonkey。Asifincompensationforhisuselesslowerlimbs,Naturehadgiventotheseextrastrengthandactivity。Hisface,too,wasveryhandsome;thinner,firmer,moremanly;butstillthesweetfaceofhischildhood——hismother’sownface。
Howhismotherwouldhavelikedtolookathim!Perhapsshedid——whoknows?
Theboywasnotastupidboyeither。Hecouldlearnalmostanythinghechose——andhedidchoose,whichwasmorethanhalfthebattle。
Henevergaveuphislessonstillhehadlearnedthemall——neverthoughtitapunishmentthathehadtoworkatthem,andthattheycosthimadealoftroublesometimes。
\"But,\"thoughthe,\"menwork,anditmustbesograndtobeaman——aprincetoo;andI
fancyprincesworkharderthananybody——
exceptkings。TheprincesIreadaboutgenerallyturnintokings。Iwonder\"——theboywasalwayswondering——\"Nurse,\"——andonedayhestartledherwithasuddenquestion,——\"tellme——
shallIeverbeaking?\"
Thewomanstood,perplexedbeyondexpression。
Solongatimehadpassedbysincehercrime——ifitwereacrime——andhersentence,thatshenowseldomthoughtofeither。Evenherpunishment——tobeshutupforlifeinHopelessTower——shehadgraduallygotusedto。
UsedalsotothelittlelamePrince,hercharge——whomatfirstshehadhated,thoughshecarefullydideverythingtokeephimalive,sinceuponhimherownlifehung。
Butlatterlyshehadceasedtohatehim,and,inasortofway,almostlovedhim——atleast,enoughtobesorryforhim——aninnocentchild,imprisonedheretillhegrewintoanoldman,andbecameadull,worn-outcreaturelikeherself。Sometimes,watchinghim,shefeltmoresorryforhimthanevenforherself;andthen,seeingshelookedalessmiserableanduglywoman,hedidnotshrinkfromherasusual。
Hedidnotnow。\"Nurse——dearnurse,\"saidhe,\"Idon’tmeantovexyou,buttellmewhatisaking?shallIeverbeone?\"
Whenshebegantothinklessofherselfandmoreofthechild,thewoman’scourageincreased。Theideacametoher——whatharmwoulditbe,evenifhedidknowhisownhistory?
Perhapsheoughttoknowit——fortherehadbeenvariousupsanddowns,usurpations,revolutions,andrestorationsinNomansland,asinmostothercountries。Somethingmighthappen——whocouldtell?Changesmightoccur。Possiblyacrownwouldevenyetbesetuponthosepretty,faircurls——whichshebegantothinkprettierthaneverwhenshesawtheimaginarycoronetuponthem。
Shesatdown,consideringwhetherheroath,neverto\"sayaword\"toPrinceDolorabouthimself,wouldbebrokenifsheweretotakeapencilandwritewhatwastobetold。Amerequibble——amean,miserablequibble。Butthenshewasamiserablewoman,moretobepitiedthanscorned。
Afterlongdoubt,andwithgreattrepidation,sheputherfingerstoherlips,andtakingthePrince’sslate——withthespongetiedtoit,readytoruboutthewritinginaminute——shewrote:
\"Youareaking。\"
PrinceDolorstarted。Hisfacegrewpale,andthenflushedallover;heheldhimselferect。
Lameashewas,anybodycouldseehewasborntobeaking。
\"Hush!\"saidthenurse,ashewasbeginningtospeak。Andthen,terriblyfrightenedallthewhile,——peoplewhohavedonewrongalwaysarefrightened,——shewrotedowninafewhurriedsentenceshishistory。Howhisparentshaddied——hisunclehadusurpedhisthrone,andsenthimtoendhisdaysinthislonelytower。
\"I,too,\"addedshe,burstingintotears。
\"Unless,indeed,youcouldgetoutintotheworld,andfightforyourrightslikeaman。Andfightformealso,myPrince,thatImaynotdieinthisdesolateplace。\"
\"Pooroldnurse!\"saidtheboycompassion-
ately。Forsomehow,boyashewas,whenheheardhewasborntobeaking,hefeltlikeaman——likeaking——whocouldaffordtobetenderbecausehewasstrong。
Hescarcelysleptthatnight,andeventhoughheheardhislittlelarksinginginthesunrise,hebarelylistenedtoit。Thingsmoreseriousandimportanthadtakenpossessionofhismind。
\"Suppose,\"thoughthe,\"Iweretodoasshesays,andgooutintheworld,nomatterhowithurtsme——theworldofpeople,activepeople,asthatboyIsaw。Theymightonlylaughatme——
poorhelplesscreaturethatIam;butstillI
mightshowthemIcoulddosomething。Atanyrate,Imightgoandseeiftherewereanythingformetodo。Godmother,helpme!\"
Itwassolongsincehehadaskedherhelpthathewashardlysurprisedwhenhegotnoanswer——onlythelittlelarkoutsidethewindowsanglouderandlouder,andthesunrose,floodingtheroomwithlight。
PrinceDolorsprangoutofbed,andbegandressinghimself,whichwashardwork,forhewasnotusedtoit——hehadalwaysbeenaccustomedtodependuponhisnurseforeverything。
\"ButImustnowlearntobeindependent,\"
thoughthe。\"Fancyakingbeingdressedlikeababy!\"
Sohedidthebesthecould,——awkwardlybutcheerily,——andthenheleapedtothecornerwherelayhistraveling-cloak,untieditasbefore,andwatcheditunrollingitself——whichitdidrapidly,withaheartygood-will,asifquitetiredofidleness。SowasPrinceDolor——orfeltasifhewere。Hejumpedintothemiddleofit,saidhischarm,andwasoutthroughtheskylightimmediately。
\"Good-by,prettylark!\"heshouted,ashepasseditonthewing,stillwarblingitscaroltothenewlyrisensun。\"Youhavebeenmypleasure,mydelight;nowImustgoandwork。
SingtooldnursetillIcomebackagain。Perhapsshe’llhearyou——perhapsshewon’t——butitwilldohergoodallthesame。Good-by!\"
But,asthecloakhungirresoluteinair,hesuddenlyrememberedthathehadnotdeterminedwheretogo——indeed,hedidnotknow,andtherewasnobodytotellhim。
\"Godmother,\"hecried,inmuchperplexity,\"youknowwhatIwant,——atleast,Ihopeyoudo,forIhardlydomyself——takemewhereI
oughttogo;showmewhateverIoughttosee——
nevermindwhatIliketosee,\"asasuddenideacameintohismindthathemightseemanypainfulanddisagreeablethings。Butthisjourneywasnotforpleasureasbefore。Hewasnotababynow,todonothingbutplay——bigboysdonotalwaysplay。Normenneither——theywork。ThusmuchPrinceDolorknew——thoughverylittlemore。
Asthecloakstartedoff,travelingfasterthanhehadeverknownittodo,——throughsky-landandcloudland,overfreezingmountain-tops,anddesolatestretchesofforest,andsmilingcultivatedplains,andgreatlakesthatseemedtohimalmostasshorelessasthesea,——hewasoftenratherfrightened。Buthecroucheddown,silentandquiet;whatwastheuseofmakingafuss?and,wrappinghimselfupinhisbear-skin,waitedforwhatwastohappen。
Aftersometimeheheardamurmurinthedistance,increasingmoreandmoretillitgrewlikethehumofagigantichiveofbees。And,stretchinghischinovertherimofhiscloak,PrinceDolorsaw——far,farbelowhim,yet,withhisgoldspectaclesandsilverearson,hecoulddistinctlyhearandsee——what?
Mostofushavesometimeorothervisitedagreatmetropolis——havewanderedthroughitsnetworkofstreets——lostourselvesinitscrowdsofpeople——lookedupatitstallrowsofhouses,itsgrandpublicbuildings,churches,andsquares。Also,perhaps,wehavepeepedintoitsmiserablelittlebackalleys,wheredirtychildrenplayinguttersalldayandhalfthenight——
evenyoungboysgoaboutpickingpockets,withnobodytotellthemitiswrongexceptthepoliceman,andhesimplytakesthemofftoprison。
Andallthiswretchednessisclosebehindthegrandeur——likethetwosidesoftheleafofabook。
Anawfulsightisalargecity,seenanyhowfromanywhere。But,supposeyouweretoseeitfromtheupperair,where,withyoureyesandearsopen,youcouldtakeineverythingatonce?Whatwoulditlooklike?Howwouldyoufeelaboutit?Ihardlyknowmyself。Doyou?
PrinceDolorhadneedtobeaking——thatis,aboywithakinglynature——tobeabletostandsuchasightwithoutbeingutterlyovercome。
Buthewasverymuchbewildered——asbewilderedasablindpersonwhoissuddenlymadetosee。
Hegazeddownonthecitybelowhim,andthenputhishandoverhiseyes。
\"Ican’tbeartolookatit,itissobeautiful——
sodreadful。AndIdon’tunderstandit——notonebit。Thereisnobodytotellmeaboutit。
IwishIhadsomebodytospeakto。\"
\"Doyou?Thenprayspeaktome。Iwasalwaysconsideredgoodatconversation。\"
Thevoicethatsqueakedoutthisreplywasanexcellentimitationofthehumanone,thoughitcameonlyfromabird。Nolarkthistime,however,butagreatblackandwhitecreaturethatflewintothecloak,andbeganwalkingroundandroundontheedgeofitwithadignifiedstride,onefootbeforetheother,likeanyunfeatheredbipedyoucouldname。
\"Ihaven’tthehonorofyouracquaintance,sir,\"saidtheboypolitely。
\"Ma’am,ifyouplease。Iamamotherbird,andmynameisMag,andIshallbehappytotellyoueverythingyouwanttoknow。ForI
knowagreatdeal;andIenjoytalking。Myfamilyisofgreatantiquity;wehavebuiltinthispalaceforhundreds——thatistosay,dozensofyears。Iamintimatelyacquaintedwiththeking,thequeen,andthelittleprincesandprincesses——alsothemaidsofhonor,andalltheinhabitantsofthecity。Italkagooddeal,butI
alwaystalksense,andIdaresayIshouldbeex-
ceedinglyusefultoapoorlittleignorantboylikeyou。\"
\"Iamaprince,\"saidtheothergently。
\"Allright。AndIamamagpie。Youwillfindmeamostrespectablebird。\"
\"Ihavenodoubtofit,\"wasthepoliteanswer——thoughhethoughtinhisownmindthatMagmusthaveaverygoodopinionofherself。Butshewasaladyandastranger,soofcoursehewasciviltoher。
Shesettledherselfathiselbow,andbegantochatteraway,pointingoutwithoneskinnyclaw,whileshebalancedherselfontheother,everyobjectofinterest,evidentlybelieving,asnodoubtallitsinhabitantsdid,thattherewasnocapitalintheworldlikethegreatmetropolisofNomansland。
Ihavenotseenit,andthereforecannotdescribeit,sowewilljusttakeitupontrust,andsupposeittobe,likeeveryotherfinecity,thefinestcitythateverwasbuilt。Magsaidso——
andofcoursesheknew。
Nevertheless,therewereafewthingsinitwhichsurprisedPrinceDolor——and,ashehadsaid,hecouldnotunderstandthematall。Onehalfthepeopleseemedsohappyandbusy——
hurryingupanddownthefullstreets,ordriv-
inglazilyalongtheparksintheirgrandcarriages,whiletheotherhalfweresowretchedandmiserable。
\"Can’ttheworldbemadealittlemorelevel?
IwouldtrytodoitifIwereaking。\"
\"Butyou’renottheking:onlyalittlegooseofaboy,\"returnedthemagpieloftily。\"AndI’mherenottoexplainthings,onlytoshowthem。ShallIshowyoutheroyalpalace?\"
Itwasaverymagnificentpalace。Ithadterracesandgardens,battlementsandtowers。Itextendedoveracresofground,andhadinitroomsenoughtoaccommodatehalfthecity。Itswindowslookedinalldirections,butnoneofthemhadanyparticularview——exceptasmallone,highuptowardtheroof,whichlookedoutontheBeautifulMountains。Butsincethequeendiedthereithadbeenclosed,boardedup,indeed,themagpiesaid。Itwassolittleandinconvenientthatnobodycaredtoliveinit。
Besides,thelowerapartments,whichhadnoview,weremagnificent——worthyofbeinginhabitedbytheking。
\"Ishouldliketoseetheking,\"saidPrinceDolor。
CHAPTERVIII
What,Iwonder,wouldbepeople’sideaofaking?WhatwasPrinceDolor’s?
Perhapsaverysplendidpersonage,withacrownonhisheadandascepterinhishand,sittingonathroneandjudgingthepeople。Alwaysdoingright,andneverwrong——\"Thekingcandonowrong\"wasalawlaiddowninoldentimes。Nevercross,ortired,orsick,orsuffering;perfectlyhandsomeandwelldressed,calmandgood-tempered,readytoseeandheareverybody,anddiscourteoustonobody;
allthingsalwaysgoingwellwithhim,andnothingunpleasanteverhappening。
This,probably,waswhatPrinceDolorexpectedtosee。Andwhatdidhesee?ButI
musttellyouhowhesawit。
\"Ah,\"saidthemagpie,\"noleveeto-day。
TheKingisill,thoughhisMajestydoesnotwishittobegenerallyknown——itwouldbesoveryinconvenient。Hecan’tseeyou,butperhapsyoumightliketogoandtakealookathiminawayIoftendo?Itissoveryamusing。\"
Amusing,indeed!
Theprincewasjustnowtoomuchexcitedtotalkmuch。Washenotgoingtoseethekinghisuncle,whohadsucceededhisfatheranddethronedhimself;hadsteppedintoallthepleasantthingsthathe,PrinceDolor,oughttohavehad,andshuthimupinadesolatetower?Whatwashelike,thisgreat,bad,cleverman?Hadhegotallthethingshewanted,whichanotheroughttohavehad?Anddidheenjoythem?
\"Nobodyknows,\"answeredthemagpie,justasifshehadbeensittinginsidetheprince’sheart,insteadofonthetopofhisshoulder。\"Heisaking,andthat’senough。Fortherestnobodyknows。\"
Asshespoke,Magflewdownontothepalaceroof,wherethecloakhadrested,settlingdownbetweenthegreatstacksofchimneysascomfortablyasifontheground。Shepeckedatthetileswithherbeak——trulyshewasawonderfulbird——andimmediatelyalittleholeopened,asortofdoor,throughwhichcouldbeseendistinctlythechamberbelow。
\"Nowlookin,myPrince。Makehaste,forI
mustsoonshutitupagain。\"
Buttheboyhesitated。\"Isn’titrude?——
won’ttheythinkusintruding?\"
\"Oh,dearno!there’saholelikethisineverypalace;dozensofholes,indeed。Everybodyknowsit,butnobodyspeaksofit。Intrusion!
Why,thoughtheroyalfamilyaresupposedtoliveshutupbehindstonewallseversothick,alltheworldknowsthattheyliveinaglasshousewhereeverybodycanseethemandthrowastoneatthem。Nowpopdownonyourknees,andtakeapeepathisMajestyHisMajesty!
ThePrincegazedeagerlydownintoalargeroom,thelargestroomhehadeverbeheld,withfurnitureandhangingsgranderthananythinghecouldhaveeverimagined。Astraysunbeam,comingthroughacreviceofthedarkenedwindows,struckacrossthecarpet,anditwastheloveliestcarpeteverwoven——justlikeabedofflowerstowalkover;onlynobodywalkedoverit,theroombeingperfectlyemptyandsilent。