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Perhapsthebestthingfortheprincesswouldhavebeentofallinlove.
Buthowaprincesswhohadnogravitycouldfallintoanythingisadifficulty—perhapsthedifficulty.
Asforherownfeelingsonthesubject,shedidnotevenknowthattherewassuchabeehiveofhoneyandstingstobefalleninto.
ButnowIcometomentionanothercuriousfactabouther.
Thepalacewasbuiltontheshoresoftheloveliestlakeintheworld;andtheprincesslovedthislakemorethanfatherormother.
Therootofthispreferencenodoubt,althoughtheprincessdidnotrecogniseitassuch,was,thatthemomentshegotintoit,sherecoveredthenaturalrightofwhichshehadbeensowickedlydeprived—namely,gravity.
Whetherthiswasowingtothefactthatwaterhadbeenemployedasthemeansofconveyingtheinjury,Idonotknow.
Butitiscertainthatshecouldswimanddiveliketheduckthatheroldnursesaidshewas.
Themannerinwhichthisalleviationofhermisfortunewasdiscoveredwasasfollows:
Onesummerevening,duringthecarnivalofthecountry,shehadbeentakenuponthelakebythekingandqueen,intheroyalbarge.
Theywereaccompaniedbymanyofthecourtiersinafleetoflittleboats.
Inthemiddleofthelakeshewantedtogetintothelordchancellor’sbarge,forhisdaughter,whowasagreatfavouritewithher,wasinitwithherfather.
Nowthoughtheoldkingrarelycondescendedtomakelightofhismisfortune,yet,happeningonthisoccasiontobeinaparticularlygoodhumour,asthebargesapproachedeachother,hecaughtuptheprincesstothrowherintothechancellor’sbarge.
Helosthisbalance,however,and,droppingintothebottomofthebarge,losthisholdofhisdaughter;not,however,beforeimpartingtoherthedownwardtendencyofhisownperson,thoughinasomewhatdifferentdirection,for,asthekingfellintotheboat,shefellintothewater.
Withaburstofdelightedlaughtershedisappearedintothelake.
Acryofhorrorascendedfromtheboats.
Theyhadneverseentheprincessgodownbefore.
Halfthemenwereunderwaterinamoment;buttheyhadall,oneafteranother,comeuptothesurfaceagainforbreath,when—tinkle,tinkle,babble,andgush!
cametheprincess’slaughoverthewaterfromfaraway.Thereshewas,swimminglikeaswan.
Norwouldshecomeoutforkingorqueen,chancellorordaughter.Shewasperfectlyobstinate.
princesslookingleft
Butatthesametimesheseemedmoresedatethanusual.
Perhapsthatwasbecauseagreatpleasurespoilslaughing.
Atallevents,afterthis,thepassionofherlifewastogetintothewater,andshewasalwaysthebetterbehavedandthemorebeautifulthemoreshehadofit.
Summerandwinteritwasquitethesame;onlyshecouldnotstaysolonginthewaterwhentheyhadtobreaktheicetoletherin.
Anyday,frommorningtoeveninginsummer,shemightbedescribed—astreakofwhiteinthebluewater—lyingasstillastheshadowofacloud,orshootingalonglikeadolphin;disappearing,andcomingupagainfaroff,justwhereonedidnotexpecther.
Shewouldhavebeeninthelakeofanighttoo,ifshecouldhavehadherway;forthebalconyofherwindowoverhungadeeppoolinit;andthroughashallowreedypassageshecouldhaveswumoutintothewidewetwater,andnoonewouldhavebeenanythewiser.
Indeed,whenshehappenedtowakeinthemoonlightshecouldhardlyresistthetemptation.
Buttherewasthesaddifficultyofgettingintoit.
Shehadasgreatadreadoftheairassomechildrenhaveofthewater.
Fortheslightestgustofwindwouldblowheraway;andagustmightariseinthestillestmoment.
Andifshegaveherselfapushtowardsthewaterandjustfailedofreachingit,hersituationwouldbedreadfullyawkward,irrespectiveofthewind;foratbestthereshewouldhavetoremain,suspendedinhernight-gown,tillshewasseenandangledforbysomebodyfromthewindow.
“Oh!ifIhadmygravity,”thoughtshe,contemplatingthewater,“Iwouldflashoffthisbalconylikealongwhitesea-bird,headlongintothedarlingwetness.Heigh-ho!”
Thiswastheonlyconsiderationthatmadeherwishtobelikeotherpeople.
Anotherreasonforherbeingfondofthewaterwasthatinitalonesheenjoyedanyfreedom.
Forshecouldnotwalkwithoutacort�ge,consistinginpartofatroopoflight-horse,forfearofthelibertieswhichthewindmighttakewithher.
Andthekinggrewmoreapprehensivewithincreasingyears,tillatlasthewouldnotallowhertowalkabroadatallwithoutsometwentysilkencordsfastenedtoasmanypartsofherdress,andheldbytwentynoblemen.
Ofcoursehorsebackwasoutofthequestion.
Butshebadegood-byetoallthisceremonywhenshegotintothewater.
Andsoremarkablewereitseffectsuponher,especiallyinrestoringherforthetimetotheordinaryhumangravity,thatHum-DrumandKopy-Keckagreedinrecommendingthekingtoburyheraliveforthreeyears;inthehopethat,asthewaterdidhersomuchgood,theearthwoulddoheryetmore.
Butthekinghadsomevulgarprejudicesagainsttheexperiment,andwouldnotgivehisconsent.
Foiledinthis,theyyetagreedinanotherrecommendation;which,seeingthatoneimportedhisopinionsfromChinaandtheotherfromThibet,wasveryremarkableindeed.
Theyarguedthat,ifwaterofexternaloriginandapplicationcouldbesoefficacious,waterfromadeepersourcemightworkaperfectcure;inshort,thatifthepoorafflictedprincesscouldbyanymeansbemadetocry,shemightrecoverherlostgravity.
Buthowwasthistobebroughtabout?Thereinlayallthedifficulty—tomeetwhichthephilosopherswerenotwiseenough.
Tomaketheprincesscrywasasimpossibleastomakeherweigh.
Theysentforaprofessionalbeggar,commandedhimtopreparehismosttouchingoracleofwoe,helpedhimoutofthecourtcharadeboxtowhateverhewantedfordressingup,andpromisedgreatrewardsintheeventofhissuccess.Butitwasallinvain.
Shelistenedtothemendicantartist’sstory,andgazedathismarvellousmakeup,tillshecouldcontainherselfnolonger,andwentintothemostundignifiedcontortionsforrelief,shrieking,positivelyscreechingwithlaughter.
Whenshehadalittlerecoveredherself,sheorderedherattendantstodrivehimaway,andnotgivehimasinglecopper;whereuponhislookofmortifieddiscomfiturewroughtherpunishmentandhisrevenge,foritsentherintoviolenthysterics,fromwhichshewaswithdifficultyrecovered.
Butsoanxiouswasthekingthatthesuggestionshouldhaveafairtrial,thatheputhimselfinarageoneday,and,rushinguptoherroom,gaveheranawfulwhipping.Yetnotatearwouldflow.
Shelookedgrave,andherlaughingsoundeduncommonlylikescreaming—thatwasall.
Thegoodoldtyrant,thoughheputonhisbestgoldspectaclestolook,couldnotdiscoverthesmallestcloudinthesereneblueofhereyes.
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