English
Itmusthavebeenaboutthistimethatthesonofaking,wholivedathousandmilesfromLagobel,setouttolookforthedaughterofaqueen.
Hetravelledfarandwide,butassureashefoundaprincess,hefoundsomefaultwithher.
Ofcoursehecouldnotmarryamerewoman,howeverbeautiful;andtherewasnoprincesstobefoundworthyofhim.
Whethertheprincewassonearperfectionthathehadarighttodemandperfectionitself,Icannotpretendtosay.
AllIknowis,thathewasafine,handsome,brave,generous,well-bred,andwell-behavedyouth,asallprincesare.
Inhiswanderingshehadcomeacrosssomereportsaboutourprincess;butaseverybodysaidshewasbewitched,heneverdreamedthatshecouldbewitchhim.
Forwhatindeedcouldaprincedowithaprincessthathadlosthergravity?
Whocouldtellwhatshemightnotlosenext?
Shemightlosehervisibility,orhertangibility;or,inshort,thepowerofmakingimpressionsupontheradicalsensorium;sothatheshouldneverbeabletotellwhethershewasdeadoralive.
Ofcoursehemadenofurtherinquiriesabouther.
Onedayhelostsightofhisretinueinagreatforest.
Theseforestsareveryusefulindeliveringprincesfromtheircourtiers,likeasievethatkeepsbackthebran.
Thentheprincesgetawaytofollowtheirfortunes.
Inthiswaytheyhavetheadvantageoftheprincesses,whoareforcedtomarrybeforetheyhavehadabitoffun.
Iwishourprincessesgotlostinaforestsometimes.
Onelovelyevening,afterwanderingaboutformanydays,hefoundthathewasapproachingtheoutskirtsofthisforest;forthetreeshadgotsothinthathecouldseethesunsetthroughthem;andhesooncameuponakindofheath.
Nexthecameuponsignsofhumanneighbourhood;butbythistimeitwasgettinglate,andtherewasnobodyinthefieldstodirecthim.
Aftertravellingforanotherhour,hishorse,quitewornoutwithlonglabourandlackoffood,fell,andwasunabletoriseagain.Sohecontinuedhisjourneyonfoot.
Alengthheenteredanotherwood—notawildforest,butacivilisedwood,throughwhichafootpathledhimtothesideofalake.
Alongthispaththeprincepursuedhiswaythroughthegatheringdarkness.Suddenlyhepaused,andlistened.Strangesoundscameacrossthewater.Itwas,infact,theprincesslaughing.
Nowtherewassomethingoddinherlaugh,asIhavealreadyhinted;forthehatchingofarealheartylaughrequirestheincubationofgravity;andperhapsthiswashowtheprincemistookthelaughterforscreaming.
Lookingoverthelake,hesawsomethingwhiteinthewater;and,inaninstant,hehadtornoffhistunic,kickedoffhissandals,andplungedin.
Hesoonreachedthewhiteobject,andfoundthatitwasawoman.
Therewasnotlightenoughtoshowthatshewasaprincess,butquiteenoughtoshowthatshewasalady,foritdoesnotwantmuchlighttoseethat.
NowIcannottellhowitcameabout—whethershepretendedtobedrowning,orwhetherhefrightenedher,orcaughthersoastoembarrassher—butcertainlyhebroughthertoshoreinafashionignominioustoaswimmer,andmorenearlydrownedthanshehadeverexpectedtobe;forthewaterhadgotintoherthroatasoftenasshehadtriedtospeak.
Attheplacetowhichheboreher,thebankwasonlyafootortwoabovethewater;sohegaveherastrongliftoutofthewater,tolayheronthebank.
But,hergravitationceasingthemomentsheleftthewater,awayshewentupintotheair,scoldingandscreaming.
“Younaughty,naughty,Naughty,NAUGHTYman!”shecried.
Noonehadeversucceededinputtingherintoapassionbefore.
Whentheprincesawherascend,hethoughthemusthavebeenbewitched,andhavemistakenagreatswanforalady.
Buttheprincesscaughtholdofthetopmostconeuponaloftyfir.
Thiscameoff;butshecaughtatanother;and,infact,stoppedherselfbygatheringcones,droppingthemasthestalksgaveway.
Theprince,meantime,stoodinthewater,staring,andforgettingtogetout.
Buttheprincessdisappearing,hescrambledonshore,andwentinthedirectionofthetree.
Therehefoundherclimbingdownoneofthebranchestowardsthestem.
Butinthedarknessofthewood,theprincecontinuedinsomebewildermentastowhatthephenomenoncouldbe;until,reachingtheground,andseeinghimstandingthere,shecaughtholdofhim,andsaid:
“I’lltellpapa,”
“Ohno,youwon’t!”returnedtheprince.
“Yes,Iwill,”shepersisted.“Whatbusinesshadyoutopullmedownoutofthewater,andthrowmetothebottomoftheair?Ineverdidyouanyharm.”
“Pardonme.Ididnotmeantohurtyou.”
“Idon’tbelieveyouhaveanybrains;andthatisaworselossthanyourwretchedgravity.Ipityyou.”
Theprincenowsawthathehadcomeuponthebewitchedprincess,andhadalreadyoffendedher.
Butbeforehecouldthinkwhattosaynext,sheburstoutangrily,givingastampwithherfootthatwouldhavesentheraloftagainbutfortheholdshehadofhisarm:
“Putmeupdirectly.”
princesslookingleft
“Putyouupwhere,youbeauty?”askedtheprince.
Hehadfalleninlovewithheralmost,already;forherangermadehermorecharmingthananyoneelsehadeverbeheldher;and,asfarashecouldsee,whichcertainlywasnotfar,shehadnotasinglefaultabouther,except,ofcourse,thatshehadnotanygravity.
Noprince,however,wouldjudgeofaprincessbyweight.
Thelovelinessofherfoothewouldhardlyestimatebythedepthoftheimpressionitcouldmakeinmud.
“Putyouupwhere,youbeauty?”askedtheprince.
“Inthewater,youstupid!”answeredtheprincess.
“Come,then,”saidtheprince.
Theconditionofherdress,increasingherusualdifficultyinwalking,compelledhertoclingtohim;andhecouldhardlypersuadehimselfthathewasnotinadelightfuldream,notwithstandingthetorrentofmusicalabusewithwhichsheoverwhelmedhim.
Theprincebeingthereforeinnohurry,theycameuponthelakeatquiteanotherpart,wherethebankwastwenty-fivefeethighatleast;andwhentheyhadreachedtheedge,heturnedtowardstheprincess,andsaid:
“HowamItoputyouin?”
“Thatisyourbusiness,”sheanswered,quitesnappishly.“Youtookmeout—putmeinagain.”
“Verywell,”saidtheprince;and,catchingherupinhisarms,hesprangwithherfromtherock.
Theprincesshadjusttimetogiveonedelightedshriekoflaughterbeforethewaterclosedoverthem.
Whentheycametothesurface,shefoundthat,foramomentortwo,shecouldnotevenlaugh,forshehadgonedownwithsucharush,thatitwaswithdifficultysherecoveredherbreath.Theinstanttheyreachedthesurface—
“Howdoyoulikefallingin?”saidtheprince.
Aftersomeefforttheprincesspantedout:
“Isthatwhatyoucallfallingin?”
“Yes,”answeredtheprince,“Ishouldthinkitaverytolerablespecimen.”
“Itseemedtomelikegoingup,”rejoinedshe.
“Myfeelingwascertainlyoneofelevationtoo,”theprinceconceded.
Theprincessdidnotappeartounderstandhim,forsheretortedhisquestion:
“Howdoyoulikefallingin?”saidtheprincess.
“Beyondeverything,”answeredhe;“forIhavefalleninwiththeonlyperfectcreatureIeversaw.”
“Nomoreofthat.Iamtiredofit,”saidtheprincess.
Perhapsshesharedherfather’saversiontopunning.
“Don’tyoulikefallingin,then?”saidtheprince.
“ItisthemostdelightfulfunIeverhadinmylife,”answeredshe.“Ineverfellbefore.IwishIcouldlearn.TothinkIamtheonlypersoninmyfather’skingdomthatcan’tfall!”
Herethepoorprincesslookedalmostsad.
“Ishallbemosthappytofallinwithyouanytimeyoulike,”saidtheprince,devotedly.
“Thankyou.Idon’tknow.Perhapsitwouldnotbeproper.ButIdon’tcare.Atallevents,aswehavefallenin,letushaveaswimtogether.”
“Withallmyheart,”respondedtheprince.
Andawaytheywent,swimming,anddiving,andfloating,untilatlasttheyheardcriesalongtheshore,andsawlightsglancinginalldirections.Itwasnowquitelate,andtherewasnomoon.
“Imustgohome,”saidtheprincess.“Iamverysorry,forthisisdelightful.”
“SoamI,”returnedtheprince.“ButIamgladIhaven’tahometogoto—atleast,Idon’texactlyknowwhereitis.”
“IwishIhadn’toneeither,”rejoinedtheprincess;“itissostupid!
Ihaveagreatmind,”shecontinued,“toplaythemallatrick.Whycouldn’ttheyleavemealone?
Theywon’ttrustmeinthelakeforasinglenight!
Youseewherethatgreenlightisburning?Thatisthewindowofmyroom.
Nowifyouwouldjustswimtherewithmeveryquietly,andwhenweareallbutunderthebalcony,givemesuchapush—upyoucallit—asyoudidalittlewhileago,Ishouldbeabletocatchholdofthebalcony,andgetinatthewindow;andthentheymaylookformetillto-morrowmorning!”
“Withmoreobediencethanpleasure,”saidtheprince,gallantly;andawaytheyswam,verygently.
“Willyoubeinthelaketo-morrownight?”theprinceventuredtoask.
“TobesureIwill.Idon’tthinkso.Perhaps,”wastheprincess’ssomewhatstrangeanswer.
Buttheprincewasintelligentenoughnottopressherfurther;andmerelywhispered,ashegaveherthepartinglift,“Don’ttell.”
Theonlyanswertheprincessreturnedwasaroguishlook.Shewasalreadyayardabovehishead.Thelookseemedtosay,“Neverfear.Itistoogoodfuntospoilthatway.”
Soperfectlylikeotherpeoplehadshebeeninthewater,thatevenyettheprincecouldscarcelybelievehiseyeswhenhesawherascendslowly,graspthebalcony,anddisappearthroughthewindow.
Heturned,almostexpectingtoseeherstillbyhisside.Buthewasaloneinthewater.
Soheswamawayquietly,andwatchedthelightsrovingabouttheshoreforhoursaftertheprincesswassafeinherchamber.
Assoonastheydisappeared,helandedinsearchofhistunicandsword,and,aftersometrouble,foundthemagain.
Thenhemadethebestofhiswayroundthelaketotheotherside.
Therethewoodwaswilder,andtheshoresteeper—risingmoreimmediatelytowardsthemountainswhichsurroundedthelakeonallsides,andkeptsendingitmessagesofsilverystreamsfrommorningtonight,andallnightlong.
Hesoonfoundaspotwherehecouldseethegreenlightintheprincess’sroom,andwhere,eveninthebroaddaylight,hewouldbeinnodangerofbeingdiscoveredfromtheoppositeshore.
Itwasasortofcaveintherock,whereheprovidedhimselfabedofwitheredleaves,andlaydowntootiredforhungertokeephimawake.
Allnightlonghedreamedthathewasswimmingwiththeprincess.
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