登陆注册
15418600000031

第31章

The Ring The same moment her nurse came into the room, sobbing.When she saw her sitting there she started back with a loud cry of amazement and joy.Then running to her, she caught her in her arms and covered her with kisses.

'My precious darling princess! where have you been? What has happened to you? We've all been crying our eyes out, and searching the house from top to bottom for you.'

'Not quite from the top,' thought Irene to herself; and she might have added, 'not quite to the bottom', perhaps, if she had known all.But the one she would not, and the other she could not say.

'Oh, Lootie! I've had such a dreadful adventure!' she replied, and told her all about the cat with the long legs, and how she ran out upon the mountain, and came back again.But she said nothing of her grandmother or her lamp.

'And there we've been searching for you all over the house for more than an hour and a half!' exclaimed the nurse.'But that's no matter, now we've got you! Only, princess, I must say,' she added, her mood changing, 'what you ought to have done was to call for your own Lootie to come and help you, instead of running out of the house, and up the mountain, in that wild, I must say, foolish fashion.'

'Well, Lootie,' said Irene quietly, 'perhaps if you had a big cat, all legs, running at you, you might not exactly know what was the wisest thing to do at the moment.'

'I wouldn't run up the mountain, anyhow,' returned Lootie.

'Not if you had time to think about it.But when those creatures came at you that night on the mountain, you were so frightened yourself that you lost your way home.'

This put a stop to Lootie's reproaches.She had been on the point of saying that the long-legged cat must have been a twilight fancy of the princess's, but the memory of the horrors of that night, and of the talking-to which the king had given her in consequence, prevented her from saying what after all she did not half believe - having a strong suspicion that the cat was a goblin; for she knew nothing of the difference between the goblins and their creatures:

she counted them all just goblins.

Without another word she went and got some fresh tea and bread and butter for the princess.Before she returned, the whole household, headed by the housekeeper, burst into the nursery to exult over their darling.The gentlemen-at-arms followed, and were ready enough to believe all she told them about the long-legged cat.

Indeed, though wise enough to say nothing about it, they remembered, with no little horror, just such a creature amongst those they had surprised at their gambols upon the princess's lawn.

In their own hearts they blamed themselves for not having kept better watch.And their captain gave orders that from this night the front door and all the windows on the ground floor should be locked immediately the sun set, and opened after upon no pretence whatever.The men-at-arms redoubled their vigilance, and for some time there was no further cause of alarm.

When the princess woke the next morning, her nurse was bending over her.'How your ring does glow this morning, princess! - just like a fiery rose!' she said.

'Does it, Lootie?' returned Irene.'Who gave me the ring, Lootie?

I know I've had it a long time, but where did I get it? I don't remember.'

'I think it must have been your mother gave it you, princess; but really, for as long as you have worn it, I don't remember that ever I heard,' answered her nurse.

'I will ask my king-papa the next time he comes,' said Irene.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 万雷之帝

    万雷之帝

    一杯浊酒,告别了往日的宁静。一把板斧,造就了今日的传奇。不畏巅峰的宗门,也不畏强大的神。只是一步一步,慢慢行走,走向巅峰,走向最强。
  • 白色眷恋

    白色眷恋

    因为不满皇马6比2的比分,中国青年律师沈星怒砸啤酒瓶,结果电光火石间,他穿越成了佛罗伦蒂诺的儿子,且看来自09年的小伙子如何玩转03年的欧洲足坛
  • 军医穿越:纨绔太子妃

    军医穿越:纨绔太子妃

    什么?!睁开眼她就变成了太子妃?哎呀,这下子可以做一个作威作福的米虫了!纳尼?!她嫁了个病秧子太子爷?天呀,老天爷这是在考验她吗?家里边是疑心重的病秧子夫君,家外头是几个虎视眈眈的小叔子,头顶上还有个不怀好意的皇后婆婆,下面是几个不省心的小姑子,连玥觉得自己的生活简直是精彩极了,比狗血还要狗血。好吧,既来之则安之,撸起袖子擦狗血吧!【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 生活不是命运

    生活不是命运

    从普通人的视角,以普通人在企业发展变化过程中的角色变化,以及各为主角在企业发展变化过程中发生的变化,反思在人生道路上应当如何面对成长中遇到的各种困难和挑战,以此唤起读者关于生活是否应当遵从所谓“命运”的思考,进而鼓励读者认真生活、努力生活。
  • 鼠帝

    鼠帝

    没错,我是怪胎。虽然我和大家长得很像。两只脚,两条腿,两只手,十根手指,一个脑袋,两个眼睛,两个小耳朵。只是我的耳朵实在太小了,连手掌大也没有,只有一块奥利奥差不多大。我的老爹有两对紫红色的大耳朵,和济公的蒲扇似的一般大,每次我抬头就见老爹弧线的大肚子,却挡不住那两对在阳光下发亮的大耳朵,像是紫红色的荧光果冻般的质感,可以看到耳朵表面的细细的毛绒绒的血管,那里面流动着可能和我一样的血液(他们那样说的)。
  • 双枝生

    双枝生

    风云际涌,强者为尊!晨光微曦,她站在悬崖之上,微微侧头:“紫美玲,我赤岚在此发誓,只要你生死不弃,我必以命相随!”正在擦拭武器的手顿住,抬目远望那镀光的林海,长叹一声:“那句话是‘只要你不离不弃,我必生死相依’。”顿了顿,侧目,“何况,你算哪根草啊,也配跟随我。”长剑出鞘。“铮——”神兵相接。紫美玲笑了,你当然不配跟随我。你应做的,是与我一起傲视天下!天下,我们的天下!
  • 女尊王朝:枭王盛世

    女尊王朝:枭王盛世

    世界上有这样一种人,她既负责风华绝代,又负责威震四方,只可远观,不可近处亵玩。这种人外表高岭之花实则天性闷骚,内心傲娇无比却又十分龟毛。这种魔性生物叫做:枭权。但是让全国人民醉了的是,身为枭王朝皇位继承人的她居!然!被!出!轨!了!权王殿下抽刀表示:坚决不能忍!“你敢再去看她一次,本王断她一只手脚。”“你敢再说一次和离,本王就灭了你晏家满门。”他们一个是天下无人不知的当朝权王,权倾朝野。一个是出身商贾的王府侍夫。云泥之别,但姻缘冥冥注定。“此生步步为营,不毁你半分纯净;待我君临天下,不负你红妆十里。”【此文一对一结局无小三,happyend欢迎跳坑!】
  • 请叫我大帝

    请叫我大帝

    穿越到异界,手持黑皮书召唤强力保镖!黑猫警长?不,它只是猥琐的流氓头子。互撸娃?这是一群暴力的时尚青年。小龙人?作为标准的神龙直系子弟,也只是吃货。马良小朋友?等他长大你就知道了......本书有毒,专毁童年,点击需谨慎。
  • 海星与狮子

    海星与狮子

    关于一档“校园娱乐脱口秀”节目《狮星王》。以超红娱乐脱口秀《天天向上》为蓝本,一档“校园娱乐脱口秀”《狮星王》的节目贯穿了全文。节目中的校园外景主持人、17岁的男主角牧野,通过女主角十月结识了一群性格各异的群居人,这群如同生活在“爱情公寓”中的年轻人一同经历了校园里的怪事、笑事、悲事、傻事,展开一段笑泪校园的彪悍人生。“人生如戏,戏如人生”,无论台前幕后,只有真情动人。尊敬的书友,本书选载最精华部分供您阅读。阅读全本内容,请到书店购买正版实体书
  • 万里殇

    万里殇

    花落泪殇,琉璃碎,烟灭。行万里,回头,不回头。碧树枯竹,谁葬竹下。越言下一世再见,他这么说,消失在她的梦魇。