09-the little green frog-第1章

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　THE　LITTLE　GREEN　FROG＇8＇



＇8＇　Cabinet　des　Fees。



In　a　part　of　the　world　whose　name　I　forget　lived　once　upon　a　time

two　kings；　called　Peridor　and　Diamantino。　　They　were　cousins　as

well　as　neighbours；　and　both　were　under　the　protection　of　the

fairies；　though　it　is　only　fair　to　say　that　the　fairies　did　not

love　them　half　so　well　as　their　wives　did。



Now　it　often　happens　that　as　princes　can　generally　manage　to　get

their　own　way　it　is　harder　for　them　to　be　good　than　it　is　for

common　people。　　So　it　was　with　Peridor　and　Diamantino；　but　of　the

two；　the　fairies　declared　that　Diamantino　was　much　the　worst；

indeed；　he　behaved　so　badly　to　his　wife　Aglantino；　that　the

fairies　would　not　allow　him　to　live　any　longer；　and　he　died；

leaving　behind　him　a　little　daughter。　　As　she　was　an　only　child；

of　course　this　little　girl　was　the　heiress　of　the　kingdom；　but；

being　still　only　a　baby；　her　mother；　the　widow　of　Diamantino；　was

proclaimed　regent。　　The　Queen…dowager　was　wise　and　good；　and

tried　her　best　to　make　her　people　happy。　　The　only　thing　she　had

to　vex　her　was　the　absence　of　her　daughter；　for　the　fairies；　for

reasons　of　their　own；　determined　to　bring　up　the　little　Princess

Serpentine　among　themselves。



As　to　the　other　King；　he　was　really　fond　of　his　wife；　Queen

Constance；　but　he　often　grieved　her　by　his　thoughtless　ways；　and

in　order　to　punish　him　for　his　carelessness；　the　fairies　caused

her　to　die　quite　suddenly。　　When　she　was　gone　the　King　felt　how

much　he　had　loved　her；　and　his　grief　was　so　great　（though　he

never　neglected　his　duties）　that　his　subjects　called　him　Peridor

the　Sorrowful。　　It　seems　hardly　possible　that　any　man　should　live

like　Peridor　for　fifteen　years　plunged　in　such　depth　of　grief；

and　most　likely　he　would　have　died　too　if　it　had　not　been　for　the

fairies。



The　one　comfort　the　poor　King　had　was　his　son；　Prince　Saphir；　who

was　only　three　years　old　at　the　time　of　his　mother's　death；　and

great　care　was　given　to　his　education。　　By　the　time　he　was

fifteen　Saphir　had　learnt　everything　that　a　prince　should　know；

and　he　was；　besides；　charming　and　agreeable。



It　was　about　this　time　that　the　fairies　suddenly　took　fright　lest

his　love　for　his　father　should　interfere　with　the　plans　they　had

made　for　the　young　prince。　　So；　to　prevent　this；　they　placed　in　a

pretty　little　room　of　which　Saphir　was　very　fond　a　little　mirror

in　a　black　frame；　such　as　were　often　brought　from　Venice。　　The

Prince　did　not　notice　for　some　days　that　there　was　anything　new

in　the　room；　but　at　last　he　perceived　it；　and　went　up　to　look　at

it　more　closely。　　What　was　his　surprise　to　see　reflected　in　the

mirror；　not　his　own　face；　but　that　of　a　young　girl　as　lovely　as

the　morning！　　And；　better　still；　every　movement　of　the　girl；　just

growing　out　of　childhood；　was　also　reflected　in　the　wonderful

glass。



As　might　have　been　expected；　the　young　Prince　lost　his　heart

completely　to　the　beautiful　image；　and　it　was　impossible　to　get

him　out　of　the　room；　so　busy　was　he　in　watching　the　lovely

unknown。　　Certainly　it　was　very　delightful　to　be　able　to　see　her

whom　he　loved　at　any　moment　he　chose；　but　his　spirits　sometimes

sank　when　he　wondered　what　was　to　be　the　end　of　this　adventure。



The　magic　mirror　had　been　for　about　a　year　in　the　Prince's

possession；　when　one　day　a　new　subject　of　disquiet　seized　upon

him。　　As　usual；　he　was　engaged　in　looking　at　the　girl；　when

suddenly　he　thought　he　saw　a　second　mirror　reflected　in　the

first；　exactly　like　his　own；　and　with　the　same　power。　　And　in

this　he　was　perfectly　right。　　The　young　girl　had　only　possessed

it　for　a　short　time；　and　neglected　all　her　duties　for　the　sake　of

the　mirror。　　Now　it　was　not　difficult　for　Saphir　to　guess　the

reason　of　the　change　in　her；　nor　why　the　new　mirror　was　consulted

so　often；　but　try　as　he　would　he　could　never　see　the　face　of　the

person　who　was　reflected　in　it；　for　the　young　girl's　figure

always　came　between。　　All　he　knew　was　that　the　face　was　that　of　a

man；　and　this　was　quite　enough　to　make　him　madly　jealous。　　This

was　the　doing　of　the　fairies；　and　we　must　suppose　that　they　had

their　reasons　for　acting　as　they　did。



When　these　things　happened　Saphir　was　about　eighteen　years　old；

and　fifteen　years　had　passed　away　since　the　death　of　his　mother。　

King　Peridor　had　grown　more　and　more　unhappy　as　time　went　on；　and

at　last　he　fell　so　ill　that　it　seemed　as　if　his　days　were

numbered。　　He　was　so　much　beloved　by　his　subjects　that　this　sad

news　was　heard　with　despair　by　the　nation；　and　more　than　all　by

the　Prince。



During　his　whole　illness　the　King　never　spoke　of　anything　but　the

Queen；　his　sorrow　at　having　grieved　her；　and　his　hope　of　one　day

seeing　her　again。　　All　the　doctors　and　all　the　water…cures　in　the

kingdom　had　been　tried；　and　nothing　would　do　him　any　good。　　At

last　he　persuaded　them　to　let　him　lie　quietly　in　his　room；　where

no　one　came　to　trouble　him。



Perhaps　the　worst　pain　he　had　to　bear　was　a　sort　of　weight　on　his

chest；　which　made　it　very　hard　for　him　to　breathe。　　So　he

commanded　his　servants　to　leave　the　windows　open　in　order　that　he

might　get　more　air。　　One　day；　when　he　had　been　left　alone　for　a

few　minutes；　a　bird　with　brilliant　plumage　came　and　fluttered

round　the　window；　and　finally　rested　on　the　sill。　　His　feathers

were　sky…blue　and　gold；　his　feet　and　his　beak　of　such　glittering

rubies　that　no　one　could　bear　to　look　at　them；　his　eyes　made　the

brightest　diamonds　look　dull；　and　on　his　head　he　wore　a　crown。　　I

cannot　tell　you　what　the　crown　was　made　of；　but　I　am　quite

certain　that　it　was　still　more　splendid　than　all　the　rest。　　As　to

his　voice　I　can　say　nothing　about　that；　for　the　bird　never　sang

at　all。　　In　fact；　he　did　nothing　but　gaze　steadily　at　the　King；

and　as　he　gazed；　the　King　felt　his　strength　come　back　to　him。　　In

a　little　while　the　bird　flew　into　the　room；　still　with　his　eyes

fixed　on　the　King；　and　at　every　glance　the　strength　of　the　sick

man　became　greater；　till　he　was　once　more　as　well　as　he　used　to

be　before　the　Queen　died。　　Filled　with　joy　at　his　cure；　he　tried

to　seize　the　bird　to　whom　he　owed　it　all；　but；　swifter　than　a

swallow；　it　managed　to　avoid　him。　　In　vain　he　described　the　bird

to　his　attendants；　who　rushed　at　his　first　call；　in　vain　they

sought　the　wonderful　creature　both　on　horse　and　foot；　and

summoned　the　fowlers　to　their　aid：　the　bird　could　nowhere　be

found。　　The　love　the　people　bore　King　Peridor　was　so　strong；　and

the　reward　he　promised　was　so　large；　that　in　the　twinkling　of　an

eye　every　man；　woman；　and　child　had　fled　into　the　fields；　and　the

towns　were　quite　empty。



All　this　bustle；　however；　ended　in　nothing　but　confusion；　and；

what　was　worse；　the　King　soon　fell　back　into　the　same　condition

as　he　was　in　before。　　Prince　Saphir；　who　loved　his　father　very

dearly；　was　so　unhappy　at　this　that　he　persuaded　himself　that　he

might　succeed　where　the　others　had　failed；　and　at　once　prepared

himself　for　a　more　distant　search。　　In　spite　of　the　opposition　he

met　with；　he　rode　away；　followed　by　his　household；　trusting　to

chance　to　help　him。　　He　had　formed　no　plan；　and　there　was　no

reason　that　he　should　choose　one　path　more　than　another。　　His

only　idea　was　to　make　straight　for　those　spots　which　were　the

favourite　haunts　of　birds。　　But　in　vain　he　examined　all　the

hedges　and　all　the　thickets；　in　vain　he　questioned　everyone　he

met　along　the　road。　　The　more　he　sought　the　less　he　found。



At　last　he　came　to　one　of　the　largest　forests　in　all　the　world；

composed　entirely　of　cedars。　　But　in　spite　of　the　deep　shadows

cast　by　the　wide…spreading　branches　of　the　trees；　the　grass

underneath　was　soft　and　green；　and　covered　with　the　rarest

flowers。　　It　seemed　to　Saphir　that　this　was　exactly　the　place

where　the　birds　would　choose　to　live；　and　he　determined　not　to

quit　the　wood　until　he　had　examined　it　from　end　to　end。　　And　he

did　more。　　He　ordered　some　nets　to　be　prepared　and　painted　of　the

sa