第十章 公主的父王

   天气一连晴了好几个星期，小公主天天外出游玩。在这个山区，这么长的晴好天气还真是少见。唯一让她不开心的是，保姆变得非常神经过敏，特别是太阳快要落山的时候，常常是哪怕只有一丝浮云掠过太阳，在山坡投下一点阴影，她就要急忙拉着她朝回跑；有好几个傍晚，她们回家呆了整整一个钟头，太阳才从马厩的定风针尖落下去。要不是这种怪异的行为，伊莲娜早就把妖仙的事忘得一干二净了。她永远忘不了柯迪，她一直惦记着他，倒不仅仅是为了他的缘故，还因为身为公主，她决不能忘记自己欠债未还。

有一天阳光灿烂，大约午后一小时，伊莲娜坐在花园草坪上玩耍，听见远处传来一阵号角声。她高兴得又喊又跳，因为她凭你特别的号角声就知道，她的父王看她来了。这个草坪就在山坡上，正好眺望山下的乡野。于是她手搭凉棚，纵目远望，希望早些看到闪光的盔甲。一会儿之后，有一小队人马威武雄壮地攀上了一座山梁。长矛和头盔金光闪闪，彩旗飘飘，战马骉骉，接着号角声再次响起，在她听来，这声音仿佛是她父王在远方呼唤：“伊莲娜，我来啦！”他们越来越近，公主终于能辨认出国王了。他骑着白马，比所有随从人员都要高些。他的头盔周边镶有一圈精致的珠宝金环，他走得更近了，伊莲娜可以觉察到他身上的宝石在阳光下闪烁。他已经好久没来看她了，所以，随着仪仗队渐渐走近，她那颗幼小的心跳得越来越快了，因为她非常爱父王，很高兴父王把自己抱在怀中。他们走到一个地方，她在花园里再也看不到了，这时她就跑到大门口，等候着他们的到来，马蹄嘚嘚，伴随着再次响起的清脆号角声，似乎在说：“伊莲娜，我来啦！”

这时候宅子里的人们都聚集在大门口，只有伊莲娜独自站在最前面。骑士们刚刚勒住缰绳，她就跑到白马旁边，伸出了双臂。国王停下来紧握住她的双手。瞬刻之间他就用粗壮有力的双臂把她抱起来，稳稳坐在马鞍上。但愿我对国王的描述能在你们心中留下深刻的印象。他有两只和蔼可亲的蓝眼睛，一个鹰钩鼻子。长长的黑胡子间杂有几根银丝，从嘴边差不多要垂到腰了，伊莲娜一坐上马鞍，就撒娇地把小脸藏进父王的怀里，母后赋予她的金头发依偎着父王的黑胡子，这二者交织在一起，仿佛是阳光给乌云镶了一道金边。他把她贴在胸口上紧紧抱了好一阵子，然后对他的白马咕哝了几声，那匹高大的骏马，刚才还一直在奔腾，这时却象个贵妇人那样缓步慢行——因为他早已知晓自己背上坐着一位小千金——穿过花园门，来到大宅门。于是国王把她放到地上，随后自己下马，拉着她的手，和她一起步入大厅，这个大厅平时几乎无人进出，只在他来看望小公主时才开放。他在那里坐下休息，身边只留下两为陪从大臣，吃些茶点，伊莲娜坐在他的右边，用一个精雕细刻的花木碗喝牛奶。

吃过喝过以后，国王转向公主，一边抚摸着她的头发，一边问道：

“嗯，孩子呀，我们还要做些什么呢？”

每次他们一起进餐之后，他差不多总是要先对她提出这个问题的；伊莲娜一直在急切地等待着这个问题，因为她早就想弄清一个一直在困扰她的问题。

“我想请你带我去看看我的老太祖母。”

国王显得很庄重，问道：

“我的小闺女，你在说什么呀？”

“我是说，住在顶上阁楼的那位伊莲娜王后——那位老太太，你知道吗，满头长长的银发。”

国王凝视着这位小公主，那种眼神是她难以理解的。

“她的凤冠就放在她的卧室里，”她又说道；“不过，我还没有去过那里。你知道她住在那里，对吗？”

“不知道，”国王非常冷静地说道。

“那么，那肯定是个幻梦，”伊莲娜说道。“我倒不觉得这是个幻梦；不过，我也不能确定。可现在我确信了。因为，我后来又上去过，却找不到她了。”

这时，一只雪白的鸽子从一扇敞开着的窗子飞了进来，停在伊莲娜的头上。她欢快地大笑起来，稍稍有点畏缩，于是她把双手举到头上，说道：

“亲爱的鸽儿，请你别啄我。你要是不小心，你那长爪子会把我的头发抓掉的。”

国王伸手去捉那只鸽子，它却张开翅膀又从那敞开着的窗子飞了出去，那洁白的身子在阳光中一闪就不见了。国王把手放在公主的头上，把她的头发往后拢了拢，凝视着她的小脸蛋，半似微笑，半似惊叹。

“好啦，孩子；我们一起去花园散散步吧，”他说道。

“那么，父王，你是不想上去看望我那雍容华贵的太祖母啦？”公主问道。

“这回不去了，”国王很温和地说道。“她没有邀请我，你知道，而且，象她这样的老太太，是不愿意未经许可就去造访的。”

  这座花园十分优美可爱。由于建在山坡上，园内有的地方怪石成群，紧挨着石群的地方却是野草遍地。一簇簇石楠和耐旱的山地花草，生长在砂石缝里，而在它们的附近，有许多娇美可爱的玫瑰花和百合花，还有各种怡人的庭院花卉。这种荒山野岭与人工垦殖的奇妙结合是非常罕见的，即使是任何高明的园丁不可能打理出如此天然无雕饰、雅俗共赏的花园。

有一条长椅子靠在一块岩石上，那块高悬其上的岩石恰好遮住了下午的阳光。有一条蜿蜒的小径直上岩顶，顶部还有一条长椅子；不过，他们还是坐在岩下的那条长椅子上，因为太阳光还很热；他们在那里谈了好多事情。最后国王开口说道：

“伊莲娜，我听说有一天黄昏，你在外头呆得很晚。”

“是的，父王。这是我的过错；露蒂也很难过。”

“我要和露蒂谈谈这件事，”国王说道。

“父王，请你不要呵斥她，”伊莲娜说道。“打从那以后，她就一直担心在外面呆晚了！她确实没有不听话。而且仅此一次。”

“有了一次就可能有多次！”国王喃喃自语道，一边抚摸着小公主的脑袋。

他是怎么知道这件事的，我也说不清楚。我确信柯迪没有告诉他。说到底，肯定是那天王宫四周有人看见了他们。国王坐在那里沉思了一会儿。只听见一条小溪，从他们坐椅子旁边的岩洞口流出来，快速流下山，穿过花园，发出了欢快的响声。然后国王站起身，让伊莲娜在原地不动，自己走进宅子，派人去把露蒂召来，对她说了一席话，把她说哭了。

黄昏时分，他骑上自己的大白马走了，留下了六名随从卫士，命令他们三人一班，每夜从日落到日出，轮流在宅子外巡逻。很显然，他对公主的安全很不放心。

附录：原文

Chapter 10 The Princess's King-Papa

The weather continued fine for weeks, and the little princess went out every day. So long a period of fine weather had indeed never been known upon that mountain. The only uncomfortable thing was that her nurse was so nervous and particular about being in before the sun was down that often she would take to her heels when nothing worse than a fleecy cloud crossing the sun threw a shadow on the hillside; and many an evening they were home a full hour before the sunlight had left the weather-cock on the stables. If it had not been for such odd behaviour Irene would by this time have almost forgotten the goblins. She never forgot Curdie, but him she remembered for his own sake, and indeed would have remembered him if only because a princess never forgets her debts until they are paid.

One splendid sunshiny day, about an hour after noon, Irene, who was playing on a lawn in the garden, heard the distant blast of a bugle. She jumped up with a cry of joy, for she knew by that particular blast that her father was on his way to see her. This part of the garden lay on the slope of the hill and allowed a full view of the country below. So she shaded her eyes with her hand and looked far away to catch the first glimpse of shining armour. In a few moments a little troop came glittering round the shoulder of a hill. Spears and helmets were sparkling and gleaming, banners were flying, horses prancing, and again came the bugle-blast which was to her like the voice of her father calling across the distance: 'Irene, I'm coming.' On and on they came until she could clearly distinguish the king. He rode a white horse and was taller than any of the men with him. He wore a narrow circle of gold set with jewels around his helmet, and as he came still nearer Irene could discern the flashing of the stones in the sun. It was a long time since he had been to see her, and her little heart beat faster and faster as the shining troop approached, for she loved her king-papa very dearly and was nowhere so happy as in his arms. When they reached a certain point, after which she could see them no more from the garden, she ran to the gate, and there stood till up they came, clanging and stamping, with one more bright bugle-blast which said: 'Irene, I am come.'

By this time the people of the house were all gathered at the gate, but Irene stood alone in front of them. When the horsemen pulled up she ran to the side of the white horse and held up her arms. The king stopped and took her hands. In an instant she was on the saddle and clasped in his great strong arms. I wish I could describe the king so that you could see him in your mind. He had gentle, blue eyes, but a nose that made him look like an eagle. A long dark beard, streaked with silvery lines, flowed from his mouth almost to his waist, and as Irene sat on the saddle and hid her glad face upon his bosom it mingled with the golden hair which her mother had given her, and the two together were like a cloud with streaks of the sun woven through it. After he had held her to his heart for a minute he spoke to his white horse, and the great beautiful creature, which had been prancing so proudly a little while before, walked as gently as a lady—for he knew he had a little lady on his back—through the gate and up to the door of the house. Then the king set her on the ground and, dismounting, took her hand and walked with her into the great hall, which was hardly ever entered except when he came to see his little princess. There he sat down, with two of his counsellors who had accompanied him, to have some refreshment, and Irene sat on his right hand and drank her milk out of a wooden bowl curiously carved.

After the king had eaten and drunk he turned to the princess and said, stroking her hair:

'Now, my child, what shall we do next?'

This was the question he almost always put to her first after their meal together; and Irene had been waiting for it with some impatience, for now, she thought, she should be able to settle a question which constantly perplexed her.

'I should like you to take me to see my great old grandmother.'

The king looked grave And said:

'What does my little daughter mean?'

'I mean the Queen Irene that lives up in the tower—the very old lady, you know, with the long hair of silver.'

The king only gazed at his little princess with a look which she could not understand.

'She's got her crown in her bedroom,' she went on; 'but I've not been in there yet. You know she's there, don't you?'

'No,' said the king, very quietly.

'Then it must all be a dream,' said Irene. 'I half thought it was; but I couldn't be sure. Now I am sure of it. Besides, I couldn't find her the next time I went up.'

At that moment a snow-white pigeon flew in at an open window and settled upon Irene's head. She broke into a merry laugh, cowered a little, and put up her hands to her head, saying:

'Dear dovey, don't peck me. You'll pull out my hair with your long claws if you don't mind.'

The king stretched out his hand to take the pigeon, but it spread its wings and flew again through the open window, when its Whiteness made one flash in the sun and vanished. The king laid his hand on his princess's head, held it back a little, gazed in her face, smiled half a smile, and sighed half a sigh.

'Come, my child; we'll have a walk in the garden together,' he said.

'You won't come up and see my huge, great, beautiful grandmother, then, king-papa?' said the princess.

'Not this time,' said the king very gently. 'She has not invited me, you know, and great old ladies like her do not choose to be visited without leave asked and given.'

The garden was a very lovely place. Being upon a Mountainside there were parts in it where the rocks came through in great masses, and all immediately about them remained quite wild. Tufts of heather grew upon them, and other hardy mountain plants and flowers, while near them would be lovely roses and lilies and all pleasant garden flowers. This mingling of the wild mountain with the civilized garden was very quaint, and it was impossible for any number of gardeners to make such a garden look formal and stiff.

Against one of these rocks was a garden seat, shadowed from the afternoon sun by the overhanging of the rock itself. There was a little winding path up to the top of the rock, and on top another seat; but they sat on the seat at its foot because the sun was hot; and there they talked together of many things. At length the king said:

'You were out late one evening, Irene.'

'Yes, papa. It was my fault; and Lootie was very sorry.'

'I must talk to Lootie about it,' said the king.

'Don't speak loud to her, please, papa,' said Irene. 'She's been so afraid of being late ever since! Indeed she has not been naughty. It was only a mistake for once.'

'Once might be too often,' murmured the king to himself, as he stroked his child's head.

I can't tell you how he had come to know. I am sure Curdie had not told him. Someone about the palace must have seen them, after all.

He sat for a good while thinking. There was no sound to be heard except that of a little stream which ran merrily out of an opening in the rock by where they sat, and sped away down the hill through the garden. Then he rose and, leaving Irene where she was, went into the house and sent for Lootie, with whom he had a talk that made her cry.

When in the evening he rode away upon his great white horse, he left six of his attendants behind him, with orders that three of them should watch outside the house every night, walking round and round it from sunset to sunrise. It was clear he was not quite comfortable about the princess.