130
“So a great crowd collected, and the King, in scarlet5 and ermine and gold, stepped forth upon the dais that had been decked with flowers and cloth of gold for his honour. And it was at this moment that a tramp of feet was heard, a champing of bits, the noise of people arriving from a journey. All heads were turned to see who was coming. Then two heralds6, clad in green and gold, stepped forward and made low obeisance7 and delivered their message. They had come from a neighbouring Prince to wish the King all good fortune upon his birthday, and to bring him a gift. The gift, they said, was a white horse. It was the most beautiful horse that had ever been bred in the Prince’s country—perfect in every point.
“‘Bring it forth,’ cried the King, very pleased with the gift, for he loved horses.
131
“The heralds bowed, withdrew, and all the people waited expectantly. The beat of hoofs8 sounded on the white marble pavement. A murmur9 of admiration10 broke from the waiting crowd like the roar of the sea. A beautiful white horse was being led forward, decked with green satin accoutrements and hangings, studded with jewels that sparkled in the sun. A golden bit was in his mouth, and a jewelled bridle11 about his stately head. His gilded12 hoofs dazzled the eyes of all beholders as he lifted his feet, stepping proudly forward to his royal master.
“But no sooner had he stepped on to the marble pavement than he stopped, trembling and rolling his eyes in terror. The groom13 coaxed14 him, and tried to lead him on, but every few yards he stopped, prancing15 restively16, swerving17 away, drawing back. The people ceased to applaud; they even stilled their whispers of admiration, and held their breath. At last the beautiful animal reached the King’s throne. The King stood up, his eyes shining with pleasure at the present. He would have descended18 to the animal’s side, but the horse had begun to curvet and prance19 and shy away, as if from some unseen terror. In vain the groom patted his neck and spoke20 soothing21 words into his ear. The horse’s eyes were starting from his head as if he saw something beside him which filled him with fear. He was beginning to rear, and the Court looked on in dismay. Had the Prince sent a wild, unbroken horse as a gift to their King?
132
“Then something strange happened. A little stable boy, who had come to the feast, stepped forward out of the crowd. Bowing low before the King, he said that he knew why the horse was afraid and would not stand before his Majesty22.
“The King, who was always willing to hear the opinion of his very lowest vassal23 if it was worth hearing, gave orders that the royal groom should give the white horse into the charge of the little stable boy. Bowing low, the groom withdrew, and the boy took the golden reins24 into his hands. Gradually he led the horse, still prancing wildly, away past the throne. Then some twenty yards on he stopped, turned the horse round, and began leading him back. It was as if a miracle had been worked. The horse was perfectly25 quiet, and as he was led once more before the royal throne he stood still and calm.
“Gradually he led the horse, still prancing wildly, away past the throne”
133
“‘Well done, little stable boy!’ cried the King, stepping from his golden dais and patting the beautiful animal’s neck. ‘But tell me, little friend, why was he afraid?’
“‘Sire,’ said the boy, bending his knee, ‘’twas his own black shadow on the marble floor he feared. I did but turn his face to the sun, and the shadow is behind him, where he sees it not.’
“How do you boys go through your day?” asked the old Bishop, looking at each one with his keen, kind eyes, that twinkled like little blue jewels in his wrinkled face. “Do you go through the day filled with discontent?—trying first to avoid doing this disagreeable thing, and then that one? Afraid of a little trouble, a little pain, a little hardship? Do you pull away every time your conscience says, ‘Tommy, come this way: do that’? Do you jump about and shy, and try and run away, like the white horse, when your mother has told you to do something or other? And are you always nervous—afraid of being ‘found out’? And if you are alone in the dark do you get ‘creeps,’ and think there are bogeys26 coming after you?”
134
Some of the Cubs27 looked down on the ground, and answered nothing. They wondered how the Bishop knew all about them, when he was a stranger.
“Do you know how I know some boys are like that?” he said at length. “You see I have not always been a Bishop, and I have not always been very, very old! Once I was a very naughty small boy, and I can still remember exactly how it felt. I used to do all those things I mentioned to you just now. In fact, I behaved like the white horse; because, you see, I was looking at my shadow—that is, at my ugly little black self, and all I wanted. I couldn’t help seeing myself all the time, and I was always discontented. Why was it the horse saw his shadow?”
“’Cos he’d got his back to the sun,” said one of the Cubs.
135
“Yes,” said the Bishop, “and so had I—that’s why I couldn’t help always seeing myself. And then, one day, I turned round and faced the sun; that is, I turned and fixed28 my eyes on God, the great, shining Sun of our life—and my own shadow fell behind me, and I forgot all about what I felt, and I wanted. And I became so happy! And I wasn’t afraid of being ‘found out’ any more. And I didn’t get creeps in the dark. And it became easy to do all the hard things, because I was facing God and doing them for Him.”
. . . . . . . .
“Wish the Bishop would come every week,” said the Cubs, when he had gone, “and we wouldn’t mind if he preached a sermon every time!”
The End
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1
bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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2
wrestled
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| v.（与某人）搏斗( wrestle的过去式和过去分词 )；扭成一团；扭打；（与…）摔跤 | |
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3
trumpets
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| 喇叭( trumpet的名词复数 )； 小号； 喇叭形物； （尤指）绽开的水仙花 | |
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4
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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5
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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6
heralds
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| n.使者( herald的名词复数 )；预报者；预兆；传令官v.预示( herald的第三人称单数 )；宣布（好或重要） | |
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7
obeisance
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| n.鞠躬，敬礼 | |
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8
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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9
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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10
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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11
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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12
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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13
groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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14
coaxed
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱 | |
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15
prancing
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| v.（马）腾跃( prance的现在分词 ) | |
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16
restively
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| adv.倔强地，难以驾御地 | |
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17
swerving
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的现在分词 ) | |
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18
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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19
prance
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| v.（马）腾跃，(人)神气活现地走 | |
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20
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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21
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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22
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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23
vassal
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| n.附庸的；属下；adj.奴仆的 | |
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24
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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25
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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26
bogeys
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| n.妖怪，可怕的人（物）( bogey的名词复数 )v.妖怪，可怕的人（物）( bogey的第三人称单数 ) | |
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27
cubs
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| n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 ) | |
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28
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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