第 8 节
作者:浮游云中      更新:2021-02-21 16:36      字数:9321
  with his soldiers to report matters to the King。
  The King was so pleased with his promptitude that he made him the
  General of the Flying Squadron; which only fights in the air; and conferred
  on    him   the  medal    of  the  Society    for  the  Suppression     of  Superfluous
  Salamanders; whereat the Captain was overjoyed。
  But this is a digression; and I only told you because I wanted you to
  see that virtue is always rewarded。
  Now for the poor Princess。
  Well; she cried a little; of course; but the cats brought her some mouse…
  pie;   which   she   found   very   good;   and   she   was   soon   quite   happy   playing
  with some of the kittens and nearly forgot all about the Dreadful Griffin;
  but he did not forget about HER; oh dear no!               He flew after the Captain
  when he galloped away with the Princess; but when he saw the White Cats
  he shook with ague so fearfully that his teeth rolled about in his mouth like
  billiard balls and he had to go and get a new set before he could eat his
  dinner。    Well; he was in a perfect fury; and how to get at the Princess he
  did not know。 He swallowed several buckets of hot brimstone; rolled his
  head in a red flannel petticoat; put his tail in a hot sand…bag; and went to
  bed hoping to cure the ague; which he did completely; so that he was quite
  well next day and more anxious to eat the Princess than ever。
  Now next door to the Dreadful Griffin (that is; a hundred miles away)
  there lived a Wicked Witch; and he went to consult her as to how he might
  get   at   the   Princess。  When   the   Wicked   Witch   heard   what   a   sad   effect
  White Cats had on the Griffin's constitution she said that she would have
  expected a Griffin of his coils to have had more sense。
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  〃Any slow…worm knows;〃 said the Wicked Witch; 〃that cats love mice
  better than Princesses; therefore get a large sack of fat mice; let them loose
  a little way from the castle; and when the cats see them they will run after
  them; and you can eat the Princess。〃
  The   Dreadful   Griffin   was   so   pleased   with   the Wicked Witch   that   he
  presented her with a pair of fire…bricks and a hot…water tin; and then flew
  away to the Purveyor of Mice; who lived in a town about seventy miles
  away。     He bought twelve hundred dozen fat mice of the best quality; all
  the Purveyor had in stock that were home…grown; and flew on with them
  to the castle。     When he was a little way off he let the mice out; expecting
  all the cats to arrive at once; but not a cat appeared。             They HEARD mice
  and they SMELT mice; but not a cat moved; for they were on their honour;
  so they kept guard and licked their lips sadly。              When the Griffin saw the
  last   of  the  twelve  hundred dozen   mice  disappearing   down   the  road   with
  never a cat after them; he was in a tremendous temper and flew away to
  the house of the Wicked Witch; only stopping to pick up a steam engine
  which   he   dropped   through   her   roof;   and   then   went   home   to   bed。    Next
  day he remembered a friend of his called the Grumpy Giant; who lived six
  doors away; that is; about a thousand miles; so he flew to ask his advice。
  When   the   Giant   heard   his   story;   he   said   in   the   gruffest   voice   you   ever
  heard; 〃Mice is common; try sparrers〃 (by which you can see that he was
  quite an uneducated person); and then he turned over and went to sleep。
  The   Dreadful   Griffin   at   once   flew   away   to   the   Sparrow   Preserves;
  bought eleven thousand;   and   then   proceeded to let them  fly  close   to the
  castle。    Still not a cat moved。       As the cats' copy…book well says; 〃Honour
  is dearer to cats than mice or birds;〃 and all the kittens write this in round…
  hand as soon as they can do lessons at all; and never forget it。
  Well; I really dare not describe the state of mind the Griffin was in; but
  he   made   the   air   so   hot   that   all   the   people   put   on   their   thinnest   clothes;
  although it was the middle of winter。            He flew home puffing and snorting;
  and on the way he passed the house of the Amiable Answerer。                       He went
  in   and   told   his  story;  and    his  voice   shook    with   rage。    The    Amiable
  Answerer   gave   him   a   penny   pink   ice   to   cool   him   down;   and   then   said
  gently:…
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  〃I think; dear Mr Griffin; that green spectacles would meet your case。
  Then the cats which are now white would appear to you green and 。 。 。 〃
  But   the   Griffin   was   already   half…way   to   a   Watchmaker's   where   they
  sold glasses。      He burst into the shop; frightened the watchmaker so that
  he fell into the works of the watch he was mending and could only be got
  out with the greatest difficulty; seized twelve pairs of green spectacles; put
  them on all at once and flew towards the castle。
  Now the Dreadful Griffin was one of those creatures who do not stop
  to think; consequently he came to grief。             White cats gave him the ague;
  but green dogs made him cough most fearfully; and a little way out of the
  town   he   met   thirteen   white   poodles   taking   a   walk;   who   of   course   all
  looked bright green to the Dreadful Griffin。             He coughed so fearfully that
  all the twelve pairs of spectacles fell off his nose and were smashed to bits;
  and his plan was spoilt once more。
  No; I am not going to tell you what the Dreadful Griffin said and did
  then; it is too terrible to speak of; but he had to keep in bed for a week; and
  drink hot tar; and have his chest ironed with a steam roller; and his nose
  greased with seven pounds of tallow candles; but all his misfortunes did
  not cure him of wanting to eat the Princess。             When his cough was better;
  he went for a walk in the wood near which he lived; to think out a new
  plan。    Suddenly      he   heard   something      croaking;    and   saw   the  Fat   Frog
  sitting under   a tree。     Now   the   Dreadful   Griffin   was   so   low   in his   mind
  that he wanted to tell someone his troubles; so he told the Fat Frog。
  〃Don't come near me;〃 said the Fat Frog when he had finished; 〃for I
  hate heat。     If you look under the fifth tree from the end of the wood you'll
  find a thin packet。       Put it in sixteen gallons of water and pour it over the
  cats; only mind you shut your eyes first; and for goodness sake don't come
  into this wood any more; you dry up the moisture。〃
  The Griffin quite forgot to thank the Fat Frog; he was a Griffin of NO
  manners;      but   he   didn't   forget   to  take   the   packet。     It  was    labelled
  'Reckitt's;' and when he put it in the water all the water turned bright blue。
  Then   he   took   the   pail   in   his   claw;   flew   to   the   castle;   shut   his   eyes   and
  poured some of the contents of the pail over the cats in the courtyard。
  When he opened his eyes there were twenty…seven bright blue; damp;
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  depressed cats;   and he   passed   them without   any  difficulty。           He   shut   his
  eyes;    wriggled     up   the  stairs;  poured     the  remaining     mixture     over   the
  seventeen cats; who all turned as blue as the rest; and then he burst open
  the    door   of  the  Princess's    room。    Fortunately   there      was   a  kind   Fairy
  flying     over   the   castle   at  that  very    moment;     who;    seeing    what    was
  happening;   changed   the   Princess   into   a   flea   so   that   the   Dreadful   Griffin
  couldn't see her anywhere。
  No; if I couldn't tell you before; I certainly must not attempt now to
  describe the Griffin's behaviour when he found the Princess thus snatched
  from   his   jaws。    He   went   grunting   and   bellowing   and   screaming   along;
  and just as he was stopping to take breath he heard someone roaring with
  laughter; and saw a little yellow man sitting on the top bough of a tree。
  〃Are you laughing at ME?〃 said the Dreadful Griffin (he was so angry
  that he was quite polite)。        And the little man said quite as politely that he
  certainly WAS。
  〃Why?〃 said the Dreadful Griffin; still fearfully polite。
  〃Because   you're   such   a   green   Griffin;〃   said   the   yellow   man;   and   he
  screamed with laughter again … 〃I know all about it; you've blued the cats
  and now the Princess has greened you。               She's turned into a flea; and you
  still