Bee of Clarides
They climbed a winding1 path along the wooded slope of the hill. Here and there granite2 boulders3, bare and blasted, broke through the grey verdure of the dwarf4 oaks, and the sombre purple mountain with its bluish ravines formed an impassable barrier about the desolate5 landscape.
The procession, preceded by Bob on his feathered steed, passed through a chasm6 overgrown with brambles. Honey-Bee, with her golden hair flowing over her shoulders, looked like the dawn breaking on the mountains, supposing, of course, that the dawn was ever frightened and called her mother and tried to escape, for all these things she did as she caught a confused glimpse of dwarfs7, armed to the teeth, lying in ambush8 along the windings9 of the rocks.
With bows bent10 or lance at rest they stood immovable. Their tunics11 of wild beast skins and their long knives that hung from their belts gave them a most terrible appearance. Game, furred and feathered, lay beside them. And yet these huntsmen, to judge only by their faces, did not seem very grim; on the contrary, they appeared gentle and grave like the dwarfs of the forest, whom they greatly resembled.
In their midst stood a dwarf full of majesty12. He wore a cock feather over his ear, and on his head a diadem13 set with enormous gems14. His mantle15 raised at the shoulder disclosed a muscular arm covered with circlets of gold. A horn of ivory and chased silver hung from his belt. His left hand rested on his lance in an attitude of quiet strength, and his right he held over his eyes so as to look towards Honey-Bee and the light.
“King Loc,” said the forest dwarfs, “we have brought you the beautiful child we have found; her name is Honey-Bee.”
“You have done well,” said King Loc. “She shall live amongst us according to the custom of the dwarfs.”
“Honey-Bee,” he said, approaching her, “you are welcome.” He spoke16 very gently, for he already felt very kindly17 towards her. He lifted himself on the tips of his toes to kiss her hand that hung at her side, and he assured her not only that he would do her no harm, but that he would try to gratify all her wishes, even should she long for necklaces, mirrors, stuffs from Cashmere and silks from China.
“I wish I had some shoes,” replied Honey-Bee. Upon which King Loc struck his lance against a bronze disc that hung on the surface of the rock, and instantly something bounded like a ball out of the depths of the cavern18. Increasing in size it disclosed the face of a dwarf with features such as painters give to the illustrious Belisarius, but his leather apron19 proclaimed that he was a shoemaker. He was indeed the chief of the shoemakers.
“True,” said the king, “choose the softest leather out of our store-houses, take cloth-of-gold and silver, ask the guardian20 of my treasures for a thousand pearls of the finest water, and with this leather, these fabrics21, and these pearls create a pair of shoes for the lady Honey-Bee.”
At these words True threw himself at the feet of Honey-Bee and measured them with great care.
“Little King Loc,” said Honey-Bee, “I want the pretty shoes you promised at once, because as soon as I have them I must return to Clarides to my mother.” “You shall have the shoes,” King Loc replied; “you shall have them to walk about the mountain, but not to return to Clarides, for never again shall you leave this kingdom, where we will teach you wonderful secrets still unknown on earth. The dwarfs are superior to men, and it is your good fortune that you are made welcome amongst them.”
“It is my misfortune,” replied Honey-Bee. “Little King Loc, give me a pair of wooden shoes, such as the peasants wear, and let me return to Clarides.”
But King Loc made a sign with his head to signify that this was impossible. Then Honey-Bee clasped her hands and said, coaxingly22:
“Little King Loc, let me go and I will love you very much.”
“You will forget me in your shining world.”
“Little King Loc, I will never forget you, and I will love you as much as I love Flying Wind.”
“And who is Flying Wind?”
“It is my milk-white steed, and he has rose-coloured reins23 and he eats out of my hand. When he was very little Francoeur the squire24 used to bring him to my room every morning and I kissed him. But now Francceur is in Rome, and Flying Wind is too big to mount the stairs.”
King Loc smiled.
“Will you love me more than Flying Wind?”
“Indeed I would,” said Honey-Bee.
“Well said,” cried the King.
“Indeed I would, but I cannot, I hate you, little King Loc, because you will not let me see my mother and George again.”
“Who is George?”
“George is George and I love him.”
The friendship of King Loc for Honey-Bee had increased prodigiously25 in a few minutes, and as he had already made up his mind to marry her as soon as she was of age, and hoped through her to reconcile men and dwarfs, he feared that later on George might become his rival and wreck26 his plans. It was because of this that he turned away frowning, his head bowed as if with care.
Honey-Bee seeing that she had offended him pulled him gently by his mantle.
“Little King Loc,” she said, in a voice both tender and sad, “why should we make each other unhappy, you and I?”
“It is in the nature of things,” replied King Loc. “I cannot take you back to your mother, but I will send her a dream which will tell her your fate, dear Honey-Bee, and that will comfort her.”
“Little King Loc,” and Honey-Bee smiled through her tears, “what a good idea, but I will tell you just what you ought to do. You must send my mother a dream every night in which she will see me, and every night you must send me a dream in which I shall see her.”
And King Loc promised, and so said, so done. Every night Honey-Bee saw her mother, and every night the Duchess saw her daughter, and that satisfied their love just a little.
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1
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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2
granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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3
boulders
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| n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾 | |
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4
dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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5
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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6
chasm
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| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
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7
dwarfs
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| n.侏儒，矮子（dwarf的复数形式）vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的第三人称单数形式） | |
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8
ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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9
windings
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| （道路、河流等）蜿蜒的，弯曲的( winding的名词复数 )； 缠绕( wind的现在分词 )； 卷绕； 转动（把手） | |
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10
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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11
tunics
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| n.（动植物的）膜皮( tunic的名词复数 )；束腰宽松外衣；一套制服的短上衣；（天主教主教等穿的）短祭袍 | |
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12
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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13
diadem
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| n.王冠，冕 | |
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14
gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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15
mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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16
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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17
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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18
cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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19
apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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20
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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21
fabrics
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| 织物( fabric的名词复数 )； 布； 构造； （建筑物的）结构（如墙、地面、屋顶）：质地 | |
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22
coaxingly
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| adv. 以巧言诱哄，以甘言哄骗 | |
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23
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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24
squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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25
prodigiously
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| adv.异常地，惊人地，巨大地 | |
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26
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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