THE LIGHT PRINCESS(光明公主)

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THE LIGHT PRINCESS

GEORGE MACDONALD

THE LIGHT PRINCESS

1. What! No Children?

Once upon a time, so long ago that I have quite forgotten the date,

there lived a king and queen who had no children.

And the king said to himself, "All the queens of my acquaintance have

children, some three, some seven, and some as many as twelve; and my

queen has not one. I feel ill-used." So he made up his mind to be cross

with his wife about it. But she bore it all like a good patient queen as she

was. Then the king grew very cross indeed. But the queen pretended to

take it all as a joke, and a very good one too.

"Why don't you have any daughters, at least?" said he. "I don't say

sons; that might be too much to expect."

"I am sure, dear king, I am very sorry," said the queen.

"So you ought to be," retorted the king; "you are not going to make a

virtue of that, surely."

But he was not an ill-tempered king, and in any matter of less moment

would have let the queen have her own way with all his heart. This,

however, was an affair of state.

The queen smiled.

"You must have patience with a lady, you know, dear king," said she.

She was, indeed, a very nice queen, and heartily sorry that she could

not oblige the king immediately.

THE LIGHT PRINCESS

2. Won't I, Just?

The king tried to have patience, but he succeeded very badly. It was

more than he deserved, therefore, when, at last, the queen gave him a

daughter--as lovely a little princess as ever cried.

The day drew near when the infant must be christened. The king

wrote all the invitations with his own hand. Of course somebody was

forgotten. Now it does not generally matter if somebody is forgotten, only

you must mind who. Unfortunately, the king forgot without intending to

forget; and so the chance fell upon the Princess Makemnoit, which was

awkward. For the princess was the king's own sister; and he ought not to

have forgotten her. But she had made herself so disagreeable to the old

king, their father, that he had forgotten her in making his will; and so it

was no wonder that her brother forgot her in writing his invitations. But

poor relations don't do anything to keep you in mind of them. Why don't

they? The king could not see into the garret she lived in, could he?

She was a sour, spiteful creature. The wrinkles of contempt crossed

the wrinkles of peevishness, and made her face as full of wrinkles as a pat

of butter. If ever a king could be justified in forgetting anybody, this king

was justified in forgetting his sister, even at a christening. She looked

very odd, too. Her forehead was as large as all the rest of her face, and

projected over it like a precipice. When she was angry, her little eyes

flashed blue. When she hated anybody, they shone yellow and green.

What they looked like when she loved anybody, I do not know; for I never

heard of her loving anybody but herself, and I do not think she could have

managed that if she had not somehow got used to herself. But what

made it highly imprudent in the king to forget her was that she was

awfully clever. In fact, she was a witch; and when she bewitched

anybody, he very soon had enough of it; for she beat all the wicked fairies

in wickedness, and all the clever ones in cleverness. She despised all the

modes we read of in history, in which offended fairies and witches have

taken their revenges; and therefore, after waiting and waiting in vain for

an invitation, she made up her mind at last to go without one, and make

the whole family miserable, like a princess as she was.

THE LIGHT PRINCESS

So she put on her best gown, went to the palace, was kindly received

by the happy monarch, who forgot that he had forgotten her, and took her

place in the procession to the royal chapel. When they were all gathered

about the font, she contrived to get next to it, and throw something into the

water; after which she maintained a very respectful demeanour till the

water was applied to the child's face. But at that moment she turned

round in her place three times, and muttered the following words, loud

enough for those beside her to hear:--

"Light of spirit, by my charms, Light of body, every part, Never

weary human arms-- Only crush thy parents' heart!"

They all thought she had lost her wits, and was repeating some

foolish nursery rhyme; but a shudder went through the whole of them

notwithstanding. The baby, on the contrary, began to laugh and crow;

while the nurse gave a start and a smothered cry, for she thought she was

struck with paralysis: she could not feel the baby in her arms. But she

clasped it tight and said nothing. The mischief was done.

THE LIGHT PRINCESS

3. She Can't Be Ours.

Her atrocious aunt had deprived the child of all her gravity. If you

ask me how this was effected, I answer, "In the easiest way in the world.

She had only to destroy gravitation." For the princess was a philosopher,

and knew all the ins and outs of the laws of gravitation as well as the ins

and outs of her boot-lace. And being a witch as well, she could abrogate

those laws in a moment; or at least so clog their wheels and rust their

bearings, that they would not work at all. But we have more to do with

what followed than with how it was done.

The first awkwardness that resulted from this unhappy privation was,

that the moment the nurse began to float the baby up and down, she flew

from her arms towards the ceiling. Happily, the resistance of the air

brought her ascending career to a close within a foot of it. There she

remained, horizontal as when she left her nurse's arms, kicking and

laughing amazingly. The nurse in terror flew to the bell, and begged the

footman, who answered it, to bring up the house-steps directly.

Trembling in every limb, she climbed upon the steps, and had to stand

upon the very top, and reach up, before she could catch the floating tail of

the baby's long clothes.

When the strange fact came to be known, there was a terrible

commotion in the palace. The occasion of its discovery by the king was

naturally a repetition of the nurse's experience. Astonished that he felt no

weight when the child was laid in his arms, he began to wave her up and

not down, for she slowly ascended to the ceiling as before, and there

remained floating in perfect comfort and satisfaction, as was testified by

her peals of tiny laughter. The king stood staring up in speechless

amazement, and trembled so that his beard shook like grass in the wind.

At last, turning to the queen, who was just as horror-struck as himself, he

said, gasping, staring, and stammering,--

"She can't be ours, queen!"

Now the queen was much cleverer than the king, and had begun

already to suspect that "this effect defective came by cause."

"I am sure she is ours," answered she. "But we ought to have taken

THE LIGHT PRINCESS

better care of her at the christening. People who were never invited

ought not to have been present."

"Oh, ho!" said the king, tapping his forehead with his forefinger, "I

have it all. I've found her out. Don't you see it, queen? Princess

Makemnoit has bewitched her." "That's just what I say," answered the

queen.

"I beg your pardon, my love; I did not hear you.--John! bring the steps

I get on my throne with."

For he was a little king with a great throne, like many other kings.

The throne-steps were brought, and set upon the dining-table, and John

got upon the top of them. But he could not reach the little princess, who

lay like a baby-laughter-cloud in the air, exploding continuously. "Take the

tongs, John," said his Majesty; and getting up on the table, he handed them

to him.

John could reach the baby now, and the little princess was handed

down by the tongs.

THE LIGHT PRINCESS

4. Where Is She?

One fine summer day, a month after these her first adventures, during

which time she had been very carefully watched, the princess was lying on

the bed in the queen's own chamber, fast asleep. One of the windows

was open, for it was noon, and the day was so sultry that the little girl was

wrapped in nothing less ethereal than slumber itself. The queen came

into the room, and not observing that the baby was on the bed, opened

another window. A frolicsome fairy wind, which had been watching for a

chance of mischief, rushed in at the one window, and taking its way over

the bed where the child was lying, caught her up, and rolling and floating

her along like a piece of flue, or a dandelion seed, carried her with it

through the opposite window, and away. The queen went down-stairs,

quite ignorant of the loss she had herself occasioned.

When the nurse returned, she supposed that her Majesty had carried

her off, and, dreading a scolding, delayed making inquiry about her. But

hearing nothing, she grew uneasy, and went at length to the queen's

boudoir, where she found her Majesty.

"Please, your Majesty, shall I take the baby?" said she.

"Where is she?" asked the queen.

"Please forgive me. I know it was wrong."

"What do you mean?" said the queen, looking grave.

"Oh! don't frighten me, your Majesty!" exclaimed the nurse, clasping

her hands.

The queen saw that something was amiss, and fell down in a faint.

The nurse rushed about the palace, screaming, "My baby! my baby!"

Every one ran to the queen's room. But the queen could give no

orders. They soon found out, however, that the princess was missing,

and in a moment the palace was like a beehive in a garden; and in one

minute more the queen was brought to herself by a great shout and a

clapping of hands. They had found the princess fast asleep under a rose-

bush, to which the elvish little wind-puff had carried her, finishing its

mischief by shaking a shower of red rose-leaves all over the little white

sleeper. Startled by the noise the servants made, she woke, and, furious

THE LIGHT PRINCESS

with glee, scattered the rose- leaves in all directions, like a shower of

spray in the sunset.

She was watched more carefully after this, no doubt; yet it would be

endless to relate all the odd incidents resulting from this peculiarity of the

young princess. But there never was a baby in a house, not to say a

palace, that kept the household in such constant good humour, at least

below- stairs. If it was not easy for her nurses to hold her, at least she

made neither their arms nor their hearts ache. And she was so nice to

play at ball with! There was positively no danger of letting her fall. They

might throw her down, or knock her down, or push her down, but couldn't

let her down. It is true, they might let her fly into the fire or the coal-hole,

or through the window; but none of these accidents had happened as yet.

If you heard peals of laughter resounding from some unknown region, you

might be sure enough of the cause. Going down into the kitchen, or the

room, you would find Jane and Thomas, and Robert and Susan, all and

sum, playing at ball with the little princess. She was the ball herself, and

did not enjoy it the less for that. Away she went, flying from one to

another, screeching with laughter. And the servants loved the ball itself

better even than the game. But they had to take some care how they

threw her, for if she received an upward direction, she would never come

down again without being fetched.

THE LIGHT PRINCESS

5. What Is to Be Done?

But above-stairs it was different. One day, for instance, after

breakfast, the king went into his counting-house, and counted out his

money. The operation gave him no pleasure.

"To think," said he to himself, "that every one of these gold sovereigns

weighs a quarter of an ounce, and my real, live, flesh-and-blood princess

weighs nothing at all!"

And he hated his gold sovereigns, as they lay with a broad smile of

self-satisfaction all over their yellow faces.

The queen was in the parlour, eating bread and honey. But at the

second mouthful she burst out crying, and could not swallow it.

The king heard her sobbing. Glad of anybody, but especially of his

queen, to quarrel with, he clashed his gold sovereigns into his money-box,

clapped his crown on his head, and rushed into the parlour.

"What is all this about?" exclaimed he. "What are you crying for,

queen?"

"I can't eat it," said the queen, looking ruefully at the honey-pot.

"-No wonder!" retorted the king. "You've just eaten your breakfast --

two turkey eggs, and three anchovies."

"Oh, that's not it!" sobbed her Majesty. "It's my child, my child!"

"Well, what's the matter with your child? She's neither up the

chimney nor down the draw-well. Just hear her laughing."

Yet the king could not help a sigh, which he tried to turn into a cough,

saying--

"It is a good thing to be light-hearted, I am sure, whether she be ours

or not."

"It is a bad thing to be light-headed," answered the queen, looking with

prophetic soul far into the future.

"'Tis a good thing to be light-handed," said the king.

"'Tis a bad thing to be light-fingered," answered the queen.

"'Tis a good thing to be light-footed," said the king.

"'Tis a bad thing--" began the queen; but the king interrupted her.

"In fact," said he, with the tone of one who concludes an argument in

THE LIGHT PRINCESS

which he has had only imaginary opponents, and in which, therefore, he

has come off triumphant--"in fact, it is a good thing altogether to be light-

bodied."

"But it is a bad thing altogether to be light- minded," retorted the

queen, who was beginning to lose her temper.

This last answer quite discomfited his Majesty, who turned on his heel,

and betook himself to his counting-house again. But he was not half-way

towards it, when the voice of his queen overtook him.

"And it's a bad thing to be light-haired," screamed she, determined to

have more last words, now that her spirit was roused.

The queen's hair was black as night; and the king's had been, and his

daughter's was, golden as morning. But it was not this reflection on his

hair that arrested him; it was the double use of the word light. For the

king hated all witticisms, and punning especially. And besides, he could

not tell whether the queen meant light-haired or light-heired; for why

might she not aspirate her vowels when she was exasperated herself?

He turned upon his other heel, and rejoined her. She looked angry

still, because she knew that she was guilty, or, what was much the same,

knew that HE thought so. "My dear queen," said he, "duplicity of any

sort is exceedingly objectionable between married people of any rank, not

to say kings and queens; and the most objectionable form duplicity can

assume is that of punning."

"There!" said the queen, "I never made a jest, but I broke it in the

making. I am the most unfortunate woman in the world!"

She looked so rueful, that the king took her in his arms; and they sat

down to consult.

"Can you bear this?" said the king.

"No, I can't," said the queen.

"Well, what's to be done?" said the king.

"I'm sure I don't know," said the queen. "But might you not try an

apology?"

"To my old sister, I suppose you mean?" said the king.

"Yes," said the queen.

"Well, I don't mind," said the king. So he went the next morning to

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THELIGHTPRINCESS1THELIGHTPRINCESSGEORGEMACDONALDTHELIGHTPRINCESS21.What!NoChildren?Onceuponatime,solongagothatIhavequiteforgottenthedate,therelivedakingandqueenwhohadnochildren.Andthekingsaidtohimself,"Allthequeensofmyacquaintancehavechildren,somethree,someseven,andsomeasmanyastwelve;andmyqueenhasno...

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