Fourth Story.docx
- 文档编号:29143592
- 上传时间:2023-07-20
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:6
- 大小:19.10KB
Fourth Story.docx
《Fourth Story.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《Fourth Story.docx(6页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
FourthStory
FourthStory:
FourthStory:
ThePrinceandPrincess
ERDAwasobligedtorestagain,andjustoppositetheplacewhereshesat,shesawagreatcrowcomehoppingacrossthesnowtowardher.Hestoodlookingatherforsometime,andthenhewaggedhisheadandsaid,“Caw,caw;good-day,good-day.”Hepronouncedthewordsasplainlyashecould,becausehemeanttobekindtothelittlegirl;andthenheaskedherwhereshewasgoingallaloneinthewideworld.
ThewordaloneGerdaunderstoodverywell,andknewhowmuchitexpressed.Sothenshetoldthecrowthewholestoryofherlifeandadventures,andaskedhimifhehadseenlittleKay.
Thecrownoddedhisheadverygravely,andsaid,“PerhapsIhave—itmaybe.”
“No!
Doyouthinkyouhave?
”criedlittleGerda,andshekissedthecrow,andhuggedhimalmosttodeathwithjoy.
“Gently,gently,”saidthecrow.“IbelieveIknow.IthinkitmaybelittleKay;buthehascertainlyforgottenyoubythistimefortheprincess.”
“Doeshelivewithaprincess?
”askedGerda.
“Yes,listen,”repliedthecrow,“butitissodifficulttospeakyourlanguage.Ifyouunderstandthecrows’language1thenIcanexplainitbetter.Doyou?
”
“No,Ihaveneverlearntit,”saidGerda,“butmygrandmotherunderstandsit,andusedtospeakittome.IwishIhadlearntit.”
“Itdoesnotmatter,”answeredthecrow;“IwillexplainaswellasIcan,althoughitwillbeverybadlydone;”andhetoldherwhathehadheard.“Inthiskingdomwherewenoware,”saidhe,“therelivesaprincess,whoissowonderfullycleverthatshehasreadallthenewspapersintheworld,andforgottenthemtoo,althoughsheissoclever.Ashorttimeago,asshewassittingonherthrone,whichpeoplesayisnotsuchanagreeableseatasisoftensupposed,shebegantosingasongwhichcommencesinthesewords:
‘WhyshouldInotbemarried?
’
‘Whynotindeed?
’saidshe,andsoshedeterminedtomarryifshecouldfindahusbandwhoknewwhattosaywhenhewasspokento,andnotonewhocouldonlylookgrand,forthatwassotiresome.Thensheassembledallhercourtladiestogetheratthebeatofthedrum,andwhentheyheardofherintentionstheywereverymuchpleased.‘Wearesogladtohearit,’saidthey,‘weweretalkingaboutitourselvestheotherday.’YoumaybelievethateverywordItellyouistrue,”saidthecrow,“forIhaveatamesweetheartwhogoesfreelyaboutthepalace,andshetoldmeallthis.”
Ofcoursehissweetheartwasacrow,for“birdsofafeatherflocktogether,”andonecrowalwayschoosesanothercrow.
“Newspaperswerepublishedimmediately,withaborderofhearts,andtheinitialsoftheprincessamongthem.Theygavenoticethateveryyoungmanwhowashandsomewasfreetovisitthecastleandspeakwiththeprincess;andthosewhocouldreplyloudenoughtobeheardwhenspokento,weretomakethemselvesquiteathomeatthepalace;buttheonewhospokebestwouldbechosenasahusbandfortheprincess.Yes,yes,youmaybelieveme,itisallastrueasIsithere,”saidthecrow.“Thepeoplecameincrowds.Therewasagreatdealofcrushingandrunningabout,butnoonesucceededeitheronthefirstorsecondday.Theycouldallspeakverywellwhiletheywereoutsideinthestreets,butwhentheyenteredthepalacegates,andsawtheguardsinsilveruniforms,andthefootmenintheirgoldenliveryonthestaircase,andthegreathallslightedup,theybecamequiteconfused.Andwhentheystoodbeforethethroneonwhichtheprincesssat,theycoulddonothingbutrepeatthelastwordsshehadsaid;andshehadnoparticularwishtohearherownwordsoveragain.Itwasjustasiftheyhadalltakensomethingtomakethemsleepywhiletheywereinthepalace,fortheydidnotrecoverthemselvesnorspeaktilltheygotbackagainintothestreet.Therewasquitealonglineofthemreachingfromthetown-gatetothepalace.Iwentmyselftoseethem,”saidthecrow.“Theywerehungryandthirsty,foratthepalacetheydidnotgetevenaglassofwater.Someofthewisesthadtakenafewslicesofbreadandbutterwiththem,buttheydidnotshareitwiththeirneighbors;theythoughtiftheywentintotheprincesslookinghungry,therewouldbeabetterchanceforthemselves.”
“ButKay!
tellmeaboutlittleKay!
”saidGerda,“washeamongstthecrowd?
”
“Stopabit,wearejustcomingtohim.Itwasonthethirdday,therecamemarchingcheerfullyalongtothepalacealittlepersonage,withouthorsesorcarriage,hiseyessparklinglikeyours;hehadbeautifullonghair,buthisclotheswereverypoor.”
“ThatwasKay!
”saidGerdajoyfully.“Oh,thenIhavefoundhim;”andsheclappedherhands.
“Hehadalittleknapsackonhisback,”addedthecrow.
“No,itmusthavebeenhissledge,”saidGerda;“forhewentawaywithit.”
“Itmayhavebeenso,”saidthecrow;“Ididnotlookatitveryclosely.ButIknowfrommytamesweetheartthathepassedthroughthepalacegates,sawtheguardsintheirsilveruniform,andtheservantsintheirliveriesofgoldonthestairs,buthewasnotintheleastembarrassed.‘Itmustbeverytiresometostandonthestairs,’hesaid.‘Iprefertogoin.’Theroomswereblazingwithlight.Councillorsandambassadorswalkedaboutwithbarefeet,carryinggoldenvessels;itwasenoughtomakeanyonefeelserious.Hisbootscreakedloudlyashewalked,andyethewasnotatalluneasy.”
“ItmustbeKay,”saidGerda,“Iknowhehadnewbootson,Ihaveheardthemcreakingrandmother’sroom.”
“Theyreallydidcreak,”saidthecrow,“yethewentboldlyuptotheprincessherself,whowassittingonapearlaslargeasaspinningwheel,andalltheladiesofthecourtwerepresentwiththeirmaids,andallthecavalierswiththeirservants;andeachofthemaidshadanothermaidtowaituponher,andthecavaliers’servantshadtheirownservants,aswellasapageeach.Theyallstoodincirclesroundtheprincess,andthenearertheystoodtothedoor,theproudertheylooked.Theservants’pages,whoalwaysworeslippers,couldhardlybelookedat,theyheldthemselvesupsoproudlybythedoor.”
“Itmustbequiteawful,”saidlittleGerda,“butdidKaywintheprincess?
”
“IfIhadnotbeenacrow,”saidhe,“Iwouldhavemarriedhermyself,althoughIamengaged.HespokejustaswellasIdo,whenIspeakthecrows’language,soIheardfrommytamesweetheart.Hewasquitefreeandagreeableandsaidhehadnotcometowootheprincess,buttohearherwisdom;andhewasaspleasedwithherasshewaswithhim.”
“Oh,certainlythatwasKay,”saidGerda,“hewassoclever;hecouldworkmentalarithmeticandfractions.Oh,willyoutakemetothepalace?
”
“Itisveryeasytoaskthat,”repliedthecrow,“buthowarewetomanageit?
However,Iwillspeakaboutittomytamesweetheart,andaskheradvice;forImusttellyouitwillbeverydifficulttogainpermissionforalittlegirllikeyoutoenterthepalace.”
“Oh,yes;butIshallgainpermissioneasily,”saidGerda,“forwhenKayhearsthatIamhere,hewillcomeoutandfetchmeinimmediately.”
“Waitformeherebythepalings,”saidthecrow,wagginghisheadasheflewaway.
Itwaslateintheeveningbeforethecrowreturned.“Caw,caw,”hesaid,“shesendsyougreeting,andhereisalittlerollwhichshetookfromthekitchenforyou;thereisplentyofbreadthere,andshethinksyoumustbehungry.Itisnotpossibleforyoutoenterthepalacebythefrontentrance.Theguardsinsilveruniformandtheservantsingoldliverywouldnotallowit.Butdonotcry,wewillmanagetogetyouin;mysweetheartknowsalittleback-staircasethatleadstothesleepingapartments,andsheknowswheretofindthekey.”
Thentheywentintothegardenthroughthegreatavenue,wheretheleaveswerefallingoneafteranother,andtheycouldseethelightinthepalacebeingputoutinthesamemanner.AndthecrowledlittleGerdatothebackdoor,whichstoodajar.Oh!
howlittleGerda’sheartbeatwithanxietyandlonging;itwasjustasifsheweregoingtodosomethingwrong,andyetsheonlywantedtoknowwherelittleKaywas.“Itmustbehe,”shethought,“withthosecleareyes,andthatlonghair.”Shecouldfancyshesawhimsmilingather,asheusedtoathome,whentheysatamongtheroses.Hewouldcertainlybegladtoseeher,andtohearwhatalongdistanceshehadcomeforhissake,andtoknowhowsorrytheyhadbeenathomebecausehedidnotcomeback.Ohwhatjoyandyetfearshefelt!
Theywerenowonthestairs,andinasmallclosetatthetopalampwasburning.Inthemiddleofthefloorstoodthetamecrow,turningherheadfromsidetoside,andgazingatGerda,whocurtseyedashergrandmotherhadtaughthertodo.
“Mybetrothedhasspokensoveryhighlyofyou,mylittlelady,”saidthetamecrow,“yourlife-history,Vita,asitmaybecalled,isverytouching.IfyouwilltakethelampIwillwalkbeforeyou.Wewillgostraightalongthisway,thenweshallmeetnoone.”
“Itseemstomeasifsomebodywerebehindus,”saidGerda,assomethingrushedbyherlikeashadowonthewall,andthenhorseswithflyingmanesandthinlegs,hunters,ladiesandgentlemenonhorseback,glidedbyher,likeshadowsonthewall.
“Theyareonlydreams,”saidthecrow,“theyarecomingtofetchthethoughtsofthegreatpeopleouthunting.”
“Allthebetter,forweshallbeabletolookatthemintheirbedsmoresafely.Ihopethatwhenyourisetohonorandfavor,youwillshowagratefulheart.”
“Youmaybequitesureofthat,”saidthecrowfromtheforest.
Theynowcameintothefirsthall,thewallsofwhichwerehungwithrose-coloredsatin,embroideredwithartificialflowers.Herethedreamsagainflittedbythembutso
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- Fourth Story