at the back of the north wind-第37部分

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very　trim　and　nice；　and　it　was　free　of　brushwood　for　a　long　way　in；

but　by　degrees　it　got　wild；　and　it　grew　wilder；　and　wilder；　and　wilder；

until　some　said　wild　beasts　at　last　did　what　they　liked　in　it。　

The　king　and　his　courtiers　often　hunted；　however；　and　this　kept　the　wild

beasts　far　away　from　the　palace。



One　glorious　summer　morning；　when　the　wind　and　sun　were　out　together；

when　the　vanes　were　flashing　and　the　flags　frolicking　against

the　blue　sky；　little　Daylight　made　her　appearance　from　somewhere

nobody　could　tell　wherea　beautiful　baby；　with　such　bright　eyes

that　she　might　have　come　from　the　sun；　only　by　and　by　she　showed　such

lively　ways　that　she　might　equally　well　have　come　out　of　the　wind。　

There　was　great　jubilation　in　the　palace；　for　this　was　the　first　baby

the　queen　had　had；　and　there　is　as　much　happiness　over　a　new　baby

in　a　palace　as　in　a　cottage。



But　there　is　one　disadvantage　of　living　near　a　wood：　　you　do　not　know

quite　who　your　neighbours　may　be。　　Everybody　knew　there　were　in　it

several　fairies；　living　within　a　few　miles　of　the　palace；　who　always

had　had　something　to　do　with　each　new　baby　that　came；　for　fairies　live

so　much　longer　than　we；　that　they　can　have　business　with　a　good　many

generations　of　human　mortals。　　The　curious　houses　they　lived　in　were

well　known　also；one；　a　hollow　oak；　another；　a　birch…tree；　though

nobody　could　ever　find　how　that　fairy　made　a　house　of　it；　another；　a　hut

of　growing　trees　intertwined；　and　patched　up　with　turf　and　moss。　

But　there　was　another　fairy　who　had　lately　come　to　the　place；

and　nobody　even　knew　she　was　a　fairy　except　the　other　fairies。　

A　wicked　old　thing　she　was；　always　concealing　her　power；

and　being　as　disagreeable　as　she　could；　in　order　to　tempt　people

to　give　her　offence；　that　she　might　have　the　pleasure　of　taking

vengeance　upon　them。　　The　people　about　thought　she　was　a　witch；

and　those　who　knew　her　by　sight　were　careful　to　avoid　offending　her。　

She　lived　in　a　mud　house；　in　a　swampy　part　of　the　forest。



In　all　history　we　find　that　fairies　give　their　remarkable　gifts

to　prince　or　princess；　or　any　child　of　sufficient　importance　in

their　eyes；　always　at　the　christening。　　Now　this　we　can　understand；

because　it　is　an　ancient　custom　amongst　human　beings　as　well；

and　it　is　not　hard　to　explain　why　wicked　fairies　should　choose

the　same　time　to　do　unkind　things；　but　it　is　difficult　to　understand

how　they　should　be　able　to　do　them；　for　you　would　fancy　all　wicked

creatures　would　be　powerless　on　such　an　occasion。　　But　I　never　knew

of　any　interference　on　the　part　of　the　wicked　fairy　that　did　not

turn　out　a　good　thing　in　the　end。　　What　a　good　thing；　for　instance；

it　was　that　one　princess　should　sleep　for　a　hundred　years！　　Was　she

not　saved　from　all　the　plague　of　young　men　who　were　not　worthy　of　her？　

And　did　she　not　come　awake　exactly　at　the　right　moment　when　the

right　prince　kissed　her？　　For　my　part；　I　cannot　help　wishing　a　good

many　girls　would　sleep　till　just　the　same　fate　overtook　them。　

It　would　be　happier　for　them；　and　more　agreeable　to　their　friends。



Of　course　all　the　known　fairies　were　invited　to　the　christening。　

But　the　king　and　queen　never　thought　of　inviting　an　old　witch。



For　the　power　of　the　fairies　they　have　by　nature；　whereas　a　witch　gets

her　power　by　wickedness。　　The　other　fairies；　however；　knowing　the

danger　thus　run；　provided　as　well　as　they　could　against　accidents

from　her　quarter。　　But　they　could　neither　render　her　powerless；

nor　could　they　arrange　their　gifts　in　reference　to　hers　beforehand；

for　they　could　not　tell　what　those　might　be。



Of　course　the　old　hag　was　there　without　being　asked。　　Not　to　be

asked　was　just　what　she　wanted；　that　she　might　have　a　sort　of　reason

for　doing　what　she　wished　to　do。　　For　somehow　even　the　wickedest

of　creatures　likes　a　pretext　for　doing　the　wrong　thing。



Five　fairies　had　one　after　the　other　given　the　child　such　gifts

as　each　counted　best；　and　the　fifth　had　just　stepped　back　to　her

place　in　the　surrounding　splendour　of　ladies　and　gentlemen；　when；

mumbling　a　laugh　between　her　toothless　gums；　the　wicked　fairy

hobbled　out　into　the　middle　of　the　circle；　and　at　the　moment

when　the　archbishop　was　handing　the　baby　to　the　lady　at　the　head

of　the　nursery　department　of　state　affairs；　addressed　him　thus；

giving　a　bite　or　two　to　every　word　before　she　could　part　with　it：



〃Please　your　Grace；　I'm　very　deaf：　　would　your　Grace　mind　repeating

the　princess's　name？〃



〃With　pleasure；　my　good　woman；〃　said　the　archbishop；　stooping　to

shout　in　her　ear：　　〃the　infant's　name　is　little　Daylight。〃



〃And　little　daylight　it　shall　be；〃　cried　the　fairy；　in　the　tone

of　a　dry　axle；　〃and　little　good　shall　any　of　her　gifts　do　her。　

For　I　bestow　upon　her　the　gift　of　sleeping　all　day　long；　whether　she

will　or　not。　　Ha；　ha！　　He；　he！　　Hi；　hi！〃



Then　out　started　the　sixth　fairy；　who；　of　course；　the　others

had　arranged　should　come　after　the　wicked　one；　in　order　to　undo

as　much　as　she　might。



〃If　she　sleep　all　day；〃　she　said；　mournfully；　〃she　shall；　at　least；

wake　all　night。〃



〃A　nice　prospect　for　her　mother　and　me！〃　thought　the　poor　king；

for　they　loved　her　far　too　much　to　give　her　up　to　nurses；

especially　at　night；　as　most　kings　and　queens　doand　are　sorry

for　it　afterwards。



〃You　spoke　before　I　had　done；〃　said　the　wicked　fairy。　　〃That's　against

the　law。　　It　gives　me　another　chance。〃



〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　said　the　other　fairies；　all　together。



〃She　did。　　I　hadn't　done　laughing；〃　said　the　crone。　　〃I　had　only　got

to　Hi；　hi！　and　I　had　to　go　through　Ho；　ho！　and　Hu；　hu！　　So　I　decree

that　if　she　wakes　all　night　she　shall　wax　and　wane　with　its　mistress；

the　moon。　　And　what　that　may　mean　I　hope　her　royal　parents　will

live　to　see。　　Ho；　ho！　　Hu；　hu！〃



But　out　stepped　another　fairy；　for　they　had　been　wise　enough　to　keep

two　in　reserve；　because　every　fairy　knew　the　trick　of　one。



〃Until；〃　said　the　seventh　fairy；　〃a　prince　comes　who　shall　kiss

her　without　knowing　it。〃



The　wicked　fairy　made　a　horrid　noise　like　an　angry　cat；　and　hobbled　away。　

She　could　not　pretend　that　she　had　not　finished　her　speech　this　time；

for　she　had　laughed　Ho；　ho！　and　Hu；　hu！



〃I　don't　know　what　that　means；〃　said　the　poor　king　to　the　seventh　fairy。



〃Don't　be　afraid。　　The　meaning　will　come　with　the　thing　itself；〃

said　she。



The　assembly　broke　up；　miserable　enoughthe　queen；　at　least；

prepared　for　a　good　many　sleepless　nights；　and　the　lady　at　the　head

of　the　nursery　department　anything　but　comfortable　in　the　prospect

before　her；　for　of　course　the　queen　could　not　do　it　all。　　As　for

the　king；　he　made　up　his　mind；　with　what　courage　he　could　summon；

to　meet　the　demands　of　the　case；　but　wondered　whether　he　could

with　any　propriety　require　the　First　Lord　of　the　Treasury　to　take

a　share　in　the　burden　laid　upon　him。



I　will　not　attempt　to　describe　what　they　had　to　go　through　for　some　time。　

But　at　last　the　household　settled　into　a　regular　systema　very　irregular

one　in　some　respects。　　For　at　certain　seasons　the　palace　rang　all　night

with　bursts　of　laughter　from　little　Daylight；　whose　heart　the　old

fairy's　curse　could　not　reach；　she　was　Daylight　still；　only　a　little

in　the　wrong　place；　for　she　always　dropped　asleep　at　the　first　hint

of　dawn　in　the　east。　　But　her　merriment　was　of　short　duration。　

When　the　moon　was　at　the　full；　she　was　in　glorious　spirits；

and　as　beautiful　as　it　was　possible　for　a　child　of　her　age　to　be。　

But　as　the　moon　waned；　she　faded；　until　at　last　she　was　wan　and

withered　like　the　poorest；　sickliest　child　you　might　come　upon

in　the　streets　of　a　great　city　in　the　arms　of　a　homeless　mother。　

Then　the　night　was　quiet　as　the　day；　for　the　little　creature

lay　in　her　gorgeous　cradle　night　and　day　with　hardly　a　motion；

and　indeed　at　last　without　even　a　moan；　like　one　dead。　　At　first

they　often　thought　she　was　dead；　but　at　last　they　got　used　to　it；

and　only　consulted　the　almanac　to　find　the　moment　when　she　would　begin

to　revive；　which；　of　course；　was　with　the　first　appearance　of　the

silver　thread　of　the　crescent　moon。　　Then　she　would　move　her　lips；

and　they　would　give　her　a　little　nourishment；　and　she　would　grow　better

and　better　and　better；　until　for　a　few　days　she　was　splendidly　well。　

When　well；　she　was　always　merriest　out　in　the　moonlight；　but　even

when　near　her　worst；　she　seemed　better　when；　in　warm　summer　nights；

they　carried　her　cradle　out　into　the　light　of　the　waning　moon。　

Then　in　her　sleep　she　would　smile　the　faintest；　most　pitiful　smile。



For　a　long　time　very　few　people　ever　saw　her　awake。　　As　she　grew

older　she　became　such　a　favourite；　however；　that　about　the　palace

there　were　always　some　who　would　contrive　to　keep　awake　at　night；

in　order　to　be　near　her。　　But　she　soon　began　to　take　every　chance

of　getting　away　from　her　nurses　and　enjoying　her　moonlight　alone。　

And　thus　things　went　on　until　she　was　nearly　seventeen　years　o