13-the little good mouse-第1部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！






THE　LITTLE　GOOD　MOUSE



ONCE　upon　a　time　there　lived　a　King　and　Queen　who　loved　each

other　so　much　that　they　were　never　happy　unless　they　were

together。　Day　after　day　they　went　out　hunting　or　fishing；　night

after　night　they　went　to　balls　or　to　the　opera；　they　sang；　and　danced；

and　ate　sugar…plums；　and　were　the　gayest　of　the　gay；　and　all　their

subjects　followed　their　example　so　that　the　kingdom　was　called　the

Joyous　Land。　Now　in　the　next　kingdom　everything　was　as　different

as　it　could　possibly　be。　The　King　was　sulky　and　savage；　and　never

enjoyed　himself　at　all。　He　looked　so　ugly　and　cross　that　all　his

subjects　feared　him；　and　he　hated　the　very　sight　of　a　cheerful　face；

so　if　he　ever　caught　anyone　smiling　he　had　his　head　cut　off　that

very　minute。　This　kingdom　was　very　appropriately　called　the　Land

of　Tears。　Now　when　this　wicked　King　heard　of　the　happiness　of

the　Jolly　King；　he　was　so　jealous　that　he　collected　a　great　army

and　set　out　to　fight　him；　and　the　news　of　his　approach　was　soon

brought　to　the　King　and　Queen。　The　Queen；　when　she　heard　of　it；

was　frightened　out　of　her　wits；　and　began　to　cry　bitterly。　‘Sire；'

she　said；　‘let　us　collect　all　our　riches　and　run　away　as　far　as　ever

we　can；　to　the　other　side　of　the　world。'



But　the　King　answered：



‘Fie；　madam！　I　am　far　too　brave　for　that。　It　is　better　to　die

than　to　be　a　coward。'



Then　he　assembled　all　his　armed　men；　and　after　bidding　the

Queen　a　tender　farewell；　he　mounted　his　splendid　horse　and　rode

away。　When　he　was　lost　to　sight　the　Queen　could　do　nothing　but

weep；　and　wring　her　hands；　and　cry。



‘Alas！　If　the　King　is　killed；　what　will　become　of　me　and　of　my

little　daughter？'　and　she　was　so　sorrowful　that　she　could　neither　eat

nor　sleep。



The　King　sent　her　a　letter　every　day；　but　at　last；　one　morning；

as　she　looked　out　of　the　palace　window；　she　saw　a　messenger

approaching　in　hot　haste。



‘What　news；　courier？　What　news？'　cried　the　Queen；　and　he

answered：



‘The　battle　is　lost　and　the　King　is　dead；　and　in　another　moment

the　enemy　will　be　here。'



The　poor　Queen　fell　back　insensible；　and　all　her　ladies　carried

her　to　bed；　and　stood　round　her　weeping　and　wailing。　Then　began

a　tremendous　noise　and　confusion；　and　they　knew　that　the　enemy

had　arrived；　and　very　soon　they　heard　the　King　himself　stamping

about　the　palace　seeking　the　Queen。　Then　her　ladies　put　the　little

Princess　into　her　arms；　and　covered　her　up；　head　and　all；　in　the

bedclothes；　and　ran　for　their　lives；　and　the　poor　Queen　lay　there

shaking；　and　hoping　she　would　not　be　found。　But　very　soon　the

wicked　King　clattered　into　the　room；　and　in　a　fury　because　the

Queen　would　not　answer　when　he　called　to　her；　he　tore　back　her

silken　coverings　and　tweaked　off　her　lace　cap；　and　when　all　her

lovely　hair　came　tumbling　down　over　her　shoulders；　he　wound　it

three　times　round　his　hand　and　threw　her　over　his　shoulder；　where

he　carried　her　like　a　sack　of　flour。



The　poor　Queen　held　her　little　daughter　safe　in　her　arms　and

shrieked　for　mercy；　but　the　wicked　King　only　mocked　her；　and

begged　her　to　go　on　shrieking；　as　it　amused　him；　and　so　mounted

his　great　black　horse；　and　rode　back　to　his　own　country。　When　he

got　there　he　declared　that　he　would　have　the　Queen　and　the　little

Princess　hanged　on　the　nearest　tree；　but　his　courtiers　said　that

seemed　a　pity；　for　when　the　baby　grew　up　she　would　be　a　very　nice

wife　for　the　King's　only　son。



The　King　was　rather　pleased　with　this　idea；　and　shut　the　Queen

up　in　the　highest　room　of　a　tall　tower；　which　was　very　tiny；　and

miserably　furnished　with　a　table　and　a　very　hard　bed　upon　the　floor。

Then　he　sent　for　a　fairy　who　lived　near　his　kingdom；　and　after

receiving　her　with　more　politeness　than　he　generally　showed；　and

entertaining　her　at　a　sumptuous　feast；　he　took　her　up　to　see　the

Queen。　The　fairy　was　so　touched　by　the　sight　of　her　misery　that

when　she　kissed　her　hand　she　whispered：



‘Courage；　madam！　I　think　I　see　a　way　to　help　you。'



The　Queen；　a　little　comforted　by　these　words；　received　her

graciously；　and　begged　her　to　take　pity　upon　the　poor　little　Princess；　who

had　met　with　such　a　sudden　reverse　of　fortune。　But　the　King　got

very　cross　when　he　saw　them　whispering　together；　and　cried　harshly：



‘Make　an　end　of　these　fine　speeches；　madam。　I　brought　you

here　to　tell　me　if　the　child　will　grow　up　pretty　and　fortunate。'



Then　the　Fairy　answered　that　the　Princess　would　be　as　pretty；

and　clever；　and　well　brought　up　as　it　was　possible　to　be；　and　the

old　King　growled　to　the　Queen　that　it　was　lucky　for　her　that　it　was

so；　as　they　would　certainly　have　been　hanged　if　it　were　otherwise。

Then　he　stamped　off；　taking　the　Fairy　with　him；　and　leaving　the

poor　Queen　in　tears。



‘How　can　I　wish　my　little　daughter　to　grow　up　pretty　if　she　is

to　be　married　to　that　horrid　little　dwarf；　the　King's　son；'　she　said

to　herself；　‘and　yet；　if　she　is　ugly　we　shall　both　be　killed。　If　I　could

only　hide　her　away　somewhere；　so　that　the　cruel　King　could　never

find　her。'



As　the　days　went　on；　the　Queen　and　the　little　Princess　grew

thinner　and　thinner；　for　their　hard…hearted　gaoler　gave　them　every

day　only　three　boiled　peas　and　a　tiny　morsel　of　black　bread；　so

they　were　always　terribly　hungry。　At　last；　one　evening；　as　the

Queen　sat　at　her　spinning…wheelfor　the　King　was　so　avaricious

that　she　was　made　to　work　day　and　nightshe　saw　a　tiny；　pretty

little　mouse　creep　out　of　a　hole；　and　said　to　it：



‘Alas；　little　creature！　what　are　you　coming　to　look　for　here？

I　only　have　three　peas　for　my　day's　provision；　so　unless　you　wish

to　fast　you　must　go　elsewhere。'



But　the　mouse　ran　hither　and　thither；　and　danced　and　capered

so　prettily；　that　at　last　the　Queen　gave　it　her　last　pea；　which　she

was　keeping　for　her　supper；　saying：　‘Here；　little　one；　eat　it　up；　I

have　nothing　better　to　offer　you；　but　I　give　this　willingly　in　return

for　the　amusement　I　have　had　from　you。'



She　had　hardly　spoken　when　she　saw　upon　the　table　a　delicious

little　roast　partridge；　and　two　dishes　of　preserved　fruit。　‘Truly；'　said

she；　‘a　kind　action　never　goes　unrewarded；　‘and　she　and　the　little

Princess　ate　their　supper　with　great　satisfaction；　and　then　the

Queen　gave　what　was　left　to　the　little　mouse；　who　danced　better

than　ever　afterwards。　The　next　morning　came　the　gaoler　with

the　Queen's　allowance　of　three　peas；　which　he　brought　in　upon　a

large　dish　to　make　them　look　smaller；　but　as　soon　as　he　set　it

down　the　little　mouse　came　and　ate　up　all　three；　so　that　when　the

Queen　wanted　her　dinner　there　was　nothing　left　for　her。　Then

she　was　quite　provoked；　and　said：



‘What　a　bad　little　beast　that　mouse　must　be！　If　it　goes　on　like

this　I　shall　be　starved。'　But　when　she　glanced　at　the　dish　again

it　was　covered　with　all　sorts　of　nice　things　to　eat；　and　the　Queen

made　a　very　good　dinner；　and　was　gayer　than　usual　over　it。　But

afterwards　as　she　sat　at　her　spinning…wheel　she　began　to　consider

what　would　happen　if　the　little　Princess　did　not　grow　up　pretty

enough　to　please　the　King；　and　she　said　to　herself：



‘Oh！　if　I　could　only　think　of　some　way　of　escaping。'



As　she　spoke　she　saw　the　little　mouse　playing　in　a　corner　with

some　long　straws。　The　Queen　took　them　and　began　to　plait　them；

saying：



‘If　only　I　had　straws　enough　I　would　make　a　basket　with　them；

and　let　my　baby　down　in　it　from　the　window　to　any　kind　passer…

by　who　would　take　care　of　her。'



By　the　time　the　straws　were　all　plaited　the　little　mouse　had

dragged　in　more　and　more；　until　the　Queen　had　plenty　to　make

her　basket；　and　she　worked　at　it　day　and　night；　while　the　little

mouse　danced　for　her　amusement；　and　at　dinner　and　supper　time

the　Queen　gave　it　the　three　peas　and　the　bit　of　black　bread；　and

always　found　something　good　in　the　dish　in　their　place。　She

really　could　not　imagine　where　all　the　nice　things　came　from。

At　last　one　day　when　the　basket　was　finished；　the　Queen　was　looking

out　of　the　window　to　see　how　long　a　cord　she　must　make　to

lower　it　to　the　bottom　of　the　tower；　when　she　noticed　a　little　old

woman　who　was　leaning　upon　her　stick　and　looking　up　at　her。

Presently　she　said：



‘I　know　your　trouble；　madam。　If　you　like　I　will　help　you。'



‘Oh！　my　dear　friend；'　said　the　Queen。　‘If　you　really　wish　to

be　of　use　to　me　you　will　come　at　the　time　that　I　will　appoint；　and

I　will　let　down　my　poor　little　baby　in　a　basket。　If　you　will　take

her；　and　bring　her　up　for　me；　when　I　am　rich　I　will　reward　you

splendidly。'



‘I　don't　care　about　the　reward；'　said　the　old　woman；　‘but　there

is　one　thing　I　should　like。　You　must　know　that　I　am　very

particular　about　what　I　eat；　and　if　there　is　one　thing　that　I　fancy

above　all　others；　it　is　a　plump；　tender　little　mouse。　If　there　is

such　a　thing　in　your　garret　just　throw　it　down　to　me；　and　in

return　I　will　promise　that　your　little　daughter　shall　be　well　taken

care　of。'



The　Queen　when　she　heard