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the light princess(光明公主)-第6部分

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her an awful whipping。          Yet not a tear would flow。 She looked grave; and 



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her   laughing   sounded   uncommonly   like   screamingthat   was   all。  The 

good old tyrant; though he put on his best gold spectacles to look; could 

not discover the smallest cloud in the serene blue of her eyes。 



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                       9。        Put Me in Again。 



       It must have been about this time that the son of a king; who lived a 

thousand miles from Lagobel set out to look for the daughter of a queen。 

He   travelled   far   and   wide;   but   as   sure   as   he   found   a   princess;  he   found 

some fault in her。       Of course he could not marry a mere woman; however 

beautiful; and there was no princess to be found worthy of him。                   Whether 

the prince was so near perfection that he had a right to demand perfection 

itself;   I  cannot    pretend    to  say。   All    I  know    is;  that  he   was   a  fine; 

handsome;       brave;   generous;     well…bred;    and   well…behaved      youth;   as   all 

princes are。 

     In his wanderings he had come across some reports about our princess; 

but as everybody said she was bewitched; he never dreamed that she could 

bewitch him。       For what indeed could a prince do with a princess that had 

lost   her   gravity?    Who   could   tell   what   she   might   not   lose   next?   She 

might   lose   her   visibility;   or   her   tangibility;   or;   in   short;   the   power   of 

making impressions upon the radical sensorium; so that he should never 

be   able   to   tell   whether   she   was   dead   or   alive。 Of   course   he   made   no 

further inquiries about her。 One day he lost sight of his retinue in a great 

forest。     These   forests   are   very   useful   in   delivering   princes   from   their 

courtiers;   like   a   sieve   that   keeps   back   the   bran。 Then   the   princes   get 

away to follow their fortunes。          In this way they have the advantage of the 

princesses; who are forced to marry before they have had a bit of fun。                      I 

wish our princesses got lost in a forest sometimes。 

     One   lovely  evening;   after   wandering   about   for   many  days;   he   found 

that he was approaching the outskirts of this forest; for the trees had got so 

thin that he could see the sunset through them; and he soon came upon a 

kind of heath。      Next he came upon signs of human neighbourhood; but by 

this time it was getting late; and there was nobody in the fields to direct 

him。 

     After travelling for another hour; his horse; quite worn out with long 

labour and lack of food; fell; and was unable to rise again。 So he continued 

his journey on foot。       At length he entered another woodnot a wild forest; 

but   a   civilized   wood;  through   which   a   footpath   led him  to   the   side of   a 



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lake。    Along this path the prince pursued his way through the gathering 

darkness。      Suddenly       he  paused;     and   listened。    Strange     sounds    came 

across the water。       It was; in fact; the princess laughing。           Now there was 

something odd in her laugh; as I have already hinted; for the hatching of a 

real hearty laugh requires the incubation of gravity; and perhaps this was 

how   the   prince   mistook   the   laughter   for   screaming。      Looking   over   the 

lake; he saw something white in the water; and; in an instant; he had torn 

off his tunic; kicked off his sandals; and plunged in。              He soon reached the 

white object; and found that it was a woman。               There was not light enough 

to show that she was a princess; but quite enough to show that she was a 

lady; for it does not want much light to see that。 

     Now   I   cannot   tell   how   it   came   about;whether   she   pretended   to   be 

drowning; or whether he frightened her; or caught her so as to embarrass 

her;but certainly he brought her to shore in a fashion ignominious to a 

swimmer; and more nearly drowned than she had ever expected to be; for 

the water had got into her throat as often as she had tried to speak。 

     At   the   place   to   which   he   bore   her;   the   bank   was   only  a   foot   or   two 

above the water; so he gave her a strong lift out of the water; to lay her on 

the   bank。    But;   her   gravitation   ceasing   the   moment   she   left   the   water; 

away she went up into the air; scolding and screaming。 

     〃You naughty; naughty; NAUGHTY; NAUGHTY man!〃 she cried。 

     No   one   had    ever   succeeded   in    putting   her   into   a   passion  before。… 

before。When the prince saw her ascend; he thought he must have been 

bewitched; and have mistaken a great swan for a lady。                   But the princess 

caught hold of the topmost cone upon a lofty fir。                This came off; but she 

caught     at  another;    and;   in   fact;  stopped    herself    by   gathering    cones; 

dropping them  as the   stalks gave way。             The   prince; meantime;   stood in 

the    water;    staring;    and    forgetting    to   get   out。     But     the   princess 

disappearing; he scrambled on shore; and went in the direction of the tree。 

There he found her climbing down one of the branches towards the stem。 

But     in  the   darkness      of  the   wood;     the   prince    continued      in  some 

bewilderment   as   to   what   the   phenomenon   could   be;   until;   reaching   the 

ground; and seeing him standing there; she caught hold of him; and said; 

     〃I'll tell papa。〃 



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     〃Oh no; you won't!〃 returned the prince。 

     〃Yes; I will;〃 she persisted。       〃What business had you to pull me down 

out of the water; and throw me to the bottom of the air?                I never did you 

any harm。〃 

     〃Pardon me。       I did not mean to hurt you。〃 

     〃I don't believe you have any brains; and that is a worse loss than your 

wretched gravity。       I pity you。' 

     The   prince   now  saw  that   he   had   come   upon   the   bewitched   princess; 

and had already offended her。          But before he could think what to say next; 

she burst out angrily; giving a stamp with her foot that would have sent her 

aloft again but for the hold she had of his arm; 

     〃Put me up directly。〃 

     〃Put you up where; you beauty?〃 asked the prince。 

     He had fallen in love with her almost; already; for her anger made her 

more charming than any one else had ever beheld her; and; as far as   he 

could see; which certainly was not far; she had not a single fault about her; 

except;   of   course;   that   she   had   not   any   gravity。 No   prince;   however; 

would judge of a princess by weight。 The loveliness of her foot he would 

hardly estimate by the depth of the impression it could make in mud。 

     〃Put you up where; you beauty?〃 asked the prince。 

     〃In the water; you stupid!〃 answered the princess。 

     〃Come; then;〃 said the prince。 

     The condition of her dress; increasing her usual difficulty in walking; 

compelled her to cling to him; and he could hardly persuade himself that 

he was not in a delightful dream; notwithstanding the torrent of   musical 

abuse with which she overwhelmed him。                 The prince being therefore in 

no hurry; they came upon the lake at quite another part; where the bank 

was twenty…five feet high at least; and when they had reached the edge; he 

turned towards the princess; and said; 

     〃How   am   I   to   put   you   in?〃   〃That   is   your   business;〃   she   answered; 

quite snappishly。      〃You took me output me in again。〃 

     〃Very   well;〃   said   the   prince;   and;   catching   her   up   in   his   arms;   he 

sprang with her   from  the   rock。       The princess had   just   time   to   give one 

delighted shriek of laughter before the water closed over them。 When they 



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came to the surface; she found that; for a moment or two; she could not 

even   laugh;   for   she   had   gone   down   with   such   a   rush;   that   it   was   with 

difficulty she recovered her breath。          The instant they reached the surface… 

… 

     〃How do you like falling in?〃 said the prince。 

     After some effort the princess panted out; 

     〃Is that what you call FALLING IN?〃 
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