第 3 节
作者:
一米八 更新:2021-02-25 00:01 字数:9322
meet another as miserable as themselves。 Then the cord is pulled
and they lie where they fall; till they are buried by the first
passer by。 Terrible as this death would be;' added the Prince;
'it would be sweeter than life if I had lost your love。'
The sight of all these happy lovers only made the Prince grieve
the more; and he wandered along the seashore spending his days;
but one day he was sitting on a rock bewailing his fate; and the
impossibility of leaving the island; when all in a moment the sea
appeared to raise itself nearly to the skies; and the caves
echoed with hideous screams。 As he looked a woman rose from the
depths of the sea; flying madly before a furious giant。 The
cries she uttered softened the heart of the Prince; he took the
stone from his mouth; and drawing his sword he rushed after the
giant; so as to give the lady time to escape。 But hardly had he
come within reach of the enemy; than the giant touched him with a
ring that he held in his hand; and the Prince remained immovable
where he stood。 The giant then hastily rejoined his prey; and;
seizing her in his arms; he plunged her into the sea。 Then he
sent some tritons to bind chains about the Prince of the Golden
Isle; and he too felt himself borne to the depths of the ocean;
and without the hope of ever again seeing the Princess。
Now the giant whom the invisible had so rashly attacked was the
Lord of the Sea; and the third son of the Queen of the Elements;
and he had touched the youth with a magic ring which enabled a
mortal to live under water。 So the Prince of the Golden Isle
found; when bound in chains by the tritons; he was carried
through the homes of strange monsters and past immense seaweed
forests; till he reached a vast sandy space; surrounded by huge
rocks。 On the tallest of the rocks sat the giant as on a throne。
'Rash mortal;' said he; when the Prince was dragged before him;
'you have deserved death; but you shall live only to suffer more
cruelly。 Go; and add to the number of those whom it is my
pleasure to torture。'
At these words the unhappy Prince found himself tied to a rock;
but he was not alone in his misfortunes; for all round him were
chained Princes and Princesses; whom the giant had led captive。
Indeed; it was his chief delight to create a storm; in order to
add to the list of his prisoners。
As his hands were fastened; it was impossible for the Prince of
the Golden Isle to make use of his magic stone; and he passed his
nights and days dreaming of Rosalie。 But at last the time came
when the giant took it into his head to amuse himself by
arranging fights between some of his captives。 Lots were drawn;
and one fell upon our Prince; whose chains were immediately
loosened。 The moment he was set free; he snatched up his stone;
and became invisible。
The astonishment of the giant at the sudden disappearance of the
Prince may well be imagined。 He ordered all the passages to be
watched; but it was too late; for the Prince had already glided
between two rocks。 He wandered for a long while through the
forests; where he met nothing but fearful monsters; he climbed
rock after rock; steered his way from tree to tree; till at
length he arrived at the edge of the sea; at the foot of a
mountain that he remembered to have seen in the cabinet of the
present; where Rosalie was held captive。
Filled with joy; he made his way to the top of the mountain which
pierced the clouds; and there he found a palace。 He entered; and
in the middle of a long gallery he discovered a crystal room; in
the midst of which sat Rosalie; guarded night and day by genii。
There was no door anywhere; nor any window。 At this sight the
Prince became more puzzled than ever; for he did not know how he
was to warn Rosalie of his return。 Yet it broke his heart to see
her weeping from dawn till dark。
One day; as Rosalie was walking up and down her room; she was
surprised to see that the crystal which served for a wall had
grown cloudy; as if some one had breathed on it; and; what was
more; wherever she moved the brightness of the crystal always
became clouded。 This was enough to cause the Princess to suspect
that her lover had returned。 In order to set the Prince of the
Air's mind at rest she began by being very gracious to him; so
that when she begged that her captivity might be a little
lightened she should not be refused。 At first the only favour
she asked was to be allowed to walk for one hour every day up and
down the long gallery。 This was granted; and the Invisible
Prince speedily took the opportunity of handing her the stone;
which she at once slipped into her mouth。 No words can paint the
fury of her captor at her disappearance。 He ordered the spirits
of the air to fly through all space; and to bring back Rosalie
wherever she might be。 They instantly flew off to obey his
commands; and spread themselves over the whole earth。
Meantime Rosalie and the Invisible Prince had reached; hand in
hand; a door of the gallery which led through a terrace into the
gardens。 In silence they glided along; and thought themselves
already safe; when a furious monster dashed itself by accident
against Rosalie and the Invisible Prince; and in her fright she
let go his hand。 No one can speak as long as he is invisible;
and besides; they knew that the spirits were all around them; and
at the slightest sound they would be recognised; so all they
could do was to feel about in the hope that their hands might
once more meet。
But; alas! the joy of liberty lasted but a short time。 The
Princess; having wandered in vain up and down the forest; stopped
at last on the edge of a fountain。 As she walked she wrote on
the trees: 'If ever the Prince; my lover; comes this way; let him
know that it is here I dwell; and that I sit daily on the edge of
this fountain; mingling my tears with its waters。'
These words were read by one of the genii; who repeated them to
his master。 The Prince of the Air; in his turn making himself
invisible; was led to the fountain; and waited for Rosalie。 When
she drew near he held out his hand; which she grasped eagerly;
taking it for that of her lover; and; seizing his opportunity;
the Prince passed a cord round her arms; and throwing off his
invisibility cried to his spirits to drag her into the lowest
pit。
It was at this moment that the Invisible Prince appeared; and at
the sight of the Prince of the Genii mounting into the air;
holding a silken cord; he guessed instantly that he was carrying
off Rosalie。
He felt so overwhelmed by despair that he thought for an instant
of putting an end to his life。 'Can I survive my misfortunes?'
he cried。 'I fancied I had come to an end of my troubles; and
now they are worse than ever。 What will become of me? Never can
I discover the place where this monster will hide Rosalie。'
The unhappy youth had determined to let himself die; and indeed
his sorrow alone was enough to kill him; when the thought that by
means of the cabinets of the years he might find out where the
Princess was imprisoned; gave him a little ray of comfort。 So he
continued to walk on through the forest; and after some hours he
arrived at the gate of a temple; guarded by two huge lions。
Being invisible; he was able to enter unharmed。 In the middle of
the temple was an altar; on which lay a book; and behind the
altar hung a great curtain。 The Prince approached the altar and
opened the book; which contained the names of all the lovers in
the world: and in it he read that Rosalie had been carried off by
the Prince of the Air to an abyss which had no entrance except
the one that lay by way of the Fountain of Gold。
Now; as the Prince had not the smallest idea where this fountain
was to be found; it might be thought that he was not much nearer
Rosalie than before。 This was not; however; the view taken by
the Prince。
'Though every step that I take may perhaps lead me further from
her;' he said to himself; 'I am still thankful to know that she
is alive somewhere。'
On leaving the temple the Invisible Prince saw six paths lying
before him; each of which led through the wood。 He was
hesitating which to choose; when he suddenly beheld two people
coming towards him; down the track which lay most to his right。
They turned out to be the Prince Gnome and his friend; and the
sudden desire to get some news of his sister; Princess Argentine;
caused the Invisible Prince to follow them and to listen to their
conversation。
'Do you think;' the Prince Gnome was saying; 'do you think that I
would not break my chains if I could? I know that the Princess
Argentine will never love me; yet each day I feel her dearer
still。 And as if this were not enough; I have the horror of
feeling that she probably loves another。 So I have resolved to
put myself out of my pain by means of the G