登陆注册
15314600000094

第94章 The White Slipper(2)

The great day appeared to Diamantina to be long in coming, but, like other days, it came at last.Before the sun was fairly up in the heavens the princess, too full of excitement to stay in the palace, was walking about the streets so covered with precious stones that you had to shade your eyes before you could look at her.By-and-by a trumpet sounded, and she hurried home, only to appear again in a few moments walking by the side of her father down to the river.Here a splendid barge was waiting for them, and from it they watched all sorts of races and feats of swimming and diving.When these were over the barge proceeded up the river to the field where the dancing and concerts were to take place, and after the prizes had been given away to the winners, and the loaves and the dresses had been distributed by the princess, they bade farewell to their guests, and turned to step into the barge which was to carry them back to the palace.

Then a dreadful thing happened.As the king stepped on board the boat one of the sandals of the white slipper, which had got loose, caught in a nail that was sticking out, and caused the king to stumble.The pain was great, and unconsciously he turned and shook his foot, so that the sandals gave way, and in a moment the precious shoe was in the river.

It had all occurred so quickly that nobody had noticed the loss of the slipper, not even the princess, whom the king's cries speedily brought to his side.

'What is the matter, dear father?' asked she.But the king could not tell her; and only managed to gasp out: 'My shoe! my shoe!' While the sailors stood round staring, thinking that his majesty had suddenly gone mad.

Seeing her father's eyes fixed on the stream, Diamantina looked hastily in that direction.There, dancing on the current, was the point of something white, which became more and more distant the longer they watched it.The king could bear the sight no more, and, besides, now that the healing ointment in the shoe had been removed the pain in his foot was as bad as ever; he gave a sudden cry, staggered, and fell over the bulwarks into the water.

In an instant the river was covered with bobbing heads all swimming their fastest towards the king, who had been carried far down by the swift current.At length one swimmer, stronger than the rest, seized hold of his tunic, and drew him to the bank, where a thousand eager hands were ready to haul him out.He was carried, unconscious, to the side of his daughter, who had fainted with terror on seeing her father disappear below the surface, and together they were place in a coach and driven to the palace, where the best doctors in the city were awaiting their arrival.

In a few hours the princess was as well as ever; but the pain, the wetting, and the shock of the accident, all told severely on the king, and for three days he lay in a high fever.Meanwhile, his daughter, herself nearly mad with grief, gave orders that the white slipper should be sought for far and wide; and so it was, but even the cleverest divers could find no trace of it at the bottom of the river.

When it became clear that the slipper must have been carried out to sea by the current, Diamantina turned her thoughts elsewhere, and sent messengers in search of the doctor who had brought relief to her father, begging him to make another slipper as fast as possible, to supply the place of the one which was lost.But the messengers returned with the sad news that the doctor had died some weeks before, and, what was worse, his secret had died with him.

In his weakness this intelligence had such an effect on the king that the physicians feared he would become as ill as before.He could hardly be persuaded to touch food, and all night long he lay moaning, partly with pain, and partly over his own folly in not having begged the doctor to make him several dozens of white slippers, so that in case of accidents he might always have one to put on.However, by-and-by he saw that it was no use weeping and wailing, and commanded that they should search for his lost treasure more diligently than ever.

What a sight the river banks presented in those days! It seemed as if all the people in the country were gathered on them.But this second search was no more fortunate than the first, and at last the king issued a proclamation that whoever found the missing slipper should be made heir to the crown, and should marry the princess.

Now many daughters would have rebelled at being disposed of in the manner; and it must be admitted that Diamantina's heart sank when she heard what the king had done.Still, she loved her father so much that she desired his comfort more than anything else in the world, so she said nothing, and only bowed her head.

Of course the result of the proclamation was that the river banks became more crowded than before; for all the princess's suitors from distant lands flocked to the spot, each hoping that he might be the lucky finder.Many times a shining stone at the bottom of the stream was taken for the slipper itself, and every evening saw a band of dripping downcast men returning homewards.But one youth always lingered longer than the rest, and night would still see him engaged in the search, though his clothes stuck to his skin and his teeth chattered.

One day, when the king was lying on his bed racked with pain, he heard the noise of a scuffle going on in his antechamber, and rang a golden bell that stood by his side to summon one of his servants.

'Sire,' answered the attendant, when the king inquired what was the matter, 'the noise you heard was caused by a young man from the town, who has had the impudence to come here to ask if he may measure your majesty's foot, so as to make you another slipper in place of the lost one.'

'And what have you done to the youth?' said the king.

'The servants pushed him out of the palace, and, added a few blows to teach him not to be insolent,' replied the man.

'Then they did very ill,' answered the king, with a frown.'He came here from kindness, and there was no reason to maltreat him.'

同类推荐
  • Miss Civilization

    Miss Civilization

    "Miss Civilization" is founded on a story by the late James Harvey Smith. All professional rights in this play belong to Richard Harding Davis.
  • ON REGIMEN IN ACUTE DISEASES

    ON REGIMEN IN ACUTE DISEASES

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 王文端公集

    王文端公集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 阴持入经注

    阴持入经注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 冥通记

    冥通记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 末世之炼金系统

    末世之炼金系统

    因为他人的陷害,杨叶背上了抢劫杀人的罪名,但在被执行枪决后的七年,他居然又奇迹般的活了过来,短短的七年间,世界早已经大变样,那些只会出现在虚幻里的怪物居然来到了现实当中,他不仅要在这个末世里生存下去,还想找到当初陷害自己的真凶···········
  • 青洲赋

    青洲赋

    堰青洲,圆溜溜,出门是沙洲,信江悠悠向西流,愁断肝肠愁愁愁。
  • 塑造淑女的101个细节

    塑造淑女的101个细节

    本书涵盖了101个细节,从仪表、言谈、举止、性格和行为习惯等方面,告诉你如何成为真正的淑女。
  • 奇幻就是魔法与公主吗

    奇幻就是魔法与公主吗

    比穿越更离奇的事情,是穿越到了自己的书中世界。维布伦闭上眼睛,整个世界的脉络都赫然显现在脑海之中。他沐浴了索斯马波山上的风和雪、也观赏了云端之城的云和月。亲眼见证了瑟兰骑士的剑与誓言、也目睹了斯卡曼公爵的千年一叛。前世畅叙于纸上的文韵与墨香,而今化作时间长河中亘古的低吟,道尽了奥德里奇大陆的十二万五千年。
  • 行星异想:伪盗墓之麒麟印

    行星异想:伪盗墓之麒麟印

    此文为伪盗墓,其实写的是其他人,完全是我乱想的,是我其他文的番外篇。牛鹿CP和开兴CP之后的事,希望不要有人拍我。因为那个文被封了,而且很长,所以先写番外。我承认我脑洞很大,有什么不对的地方,也可以指出。
  • 美女总裁俏房客

    美女总裁俏房客

    兵王夏洛龙潜都市,遭遇美女总裁反婚,然而金子丢哪都会发光。刚回到家,美女接二连三的找上门求收留……
  • 我不懂青春

    我不懂青春

    刚入学的张毅就被班主任叫过去了......忆回忆、遇新知、踏征程、入世、梦恋人......一段曲折的经历就这样开始了.........
  • 妃常逗比:王爷撩不停

    妃常逗比:王爷撩不停

    身穿盛世,腰好腿好身体好,爹娘爱,亲人疼,某女狂笑:天公作美也!某王邪笑:如此甚好,养肥了给我送床上!某女落荒而逃,墨殇烨把千玖音往床上一按:想跑?玖音哭丧着脸:不跑了不跑了,王爷,克制啊!
  • 魔法世界的剑仙很异常

    魔法世界的剑仙很异常

    与认知中不一样的华夏剑仙,在魔法世界中不一样的冒险故事。(友情提醒:本文是很正经的故事,绝对不包含搞笑,吐槽,崩坏,变身,萝莉控,妹控,柴刀,病弱,傲娇,治愈,兽耳,女仆,天然呆,女王,御姐,三无,毒舌,邻家女,魔法少女,兵器娘,伪娘,大小姐等等三观混乱的情节,唔,大概应该可能没错吧。)
  • 441女生寝室

    441女生寝室

    古老的信仰里究竟隐藏着什么?继七星夺魂阵后,441女生寝室再起灵异风暴:死而复生的奇怪女生,抱着心爱的男生神秘自焚;死去多时的寝室亡灵,不时在深夜低声细语;陈旧的彩色电视机,频频传来鬼魂的讯号;深山里的古宅,暗藏着谁都逃不出去的死亡循环;悄然而至的传染怪病,引发恐怖的瘟疫灾难;再入月神地下宫殿,惊现诡异惊悚的人体变异,还有阴魂不散的嗜血恶灵……经历种种生死考验,揭开441,女生寝室的最终谜底——原来,所有的一切,都只是为了她。