But one evening, after a very hot day, all the ladies in waiting felt strangely drowsy2, and, though they tried their best to keep awake, one by one they gradually dropped off to sleep in the high carved chairs on which they sat. Then a gentle rustle3 might have been heard outside on the staircase, and when the door opened a brilliant light streamed in, though the ladies slept too soundly to be awakened4 by it. Wrapped round by the light were six fairies, more beautiful than any fairies that ever were seen, who glided5 noiselessly to the cradle of the baby.
‘How fair he is!’ whispered one; ‘the true son of a king.’
‘And how strong he is!’ answered another; ‘look at his arms and legs,’ and the whole six bent6 forward and looked at him.
‘The world shall ring with his fame,’ said the first, whose name was Gloriande, ‘and I will give him the best gift I have. He shall never fear death, and no word of shame shall ever touch him.’
Then the second fairy leaned forward and lifted the baby out of his cradle. She was tall, and on her head was a ruby7 crown, while a plate of gold covered her breast.
‘Through all your life,’ she murmured, ‘wherever war and strife8 may be, you shall be found in the midst of it, even as your forefathers9.’
‘Yes,’ said a third; ‘but my gift is better than hers, for you shall never be worsted in any fight, and every one shall add to your honour.’
‘And though you are the first of knights,’ exclaimed the fourth, ‘you shall win fame for your courtesy and gentlehood, no less than for your valour.’
‘The hearts of all women shall turn to you, and they shall love you,’ said the fifth, who was clad in a robe of transparent11 green; ‘but beware how you give them back their love, for this love of mortals needs proving’; and with that she slipped away from the cradle.
The sixth fairy looked silently at the child for a few moments, though her thoughts seemed to be with something far away.
At length she spoke12, and these were her words:
‘When you are weary of travel and of strife and have won all the glory and honour that may fall to men, then you shall come to me in my palace of Avallon, and rest in the joys of fairyland with Morgane le Fay.’
After that the light began to fade, and the six fairies vanished none could tell how or whither.
By-and-by the baby’s attendants woke up, and never knew that during their sleep the child’s fate had been fixed13 as surely as if he had been bitten by a serpent or carried off by a wolf. Everything seemed the same as it had done before, and so they took it for granted that it was.
Time passed on, and Ogier, for that was the name they gave him, was ten years old. He was tall and strong and could send his arrows farther than most boys many years older. He could handle a spear too, and his thrusts went straight at the mark; while he could sing a song, or touch the lute14 as delicately as a maiden15. His father was proud of him, and it went sore with him when Charlemagne the emperor, who had had a bitter quarrel with the king of Denmark, demanded that Ogier should be sent as a hostage to his court of Paris.
A group of fairies looking down on another fairy lifting a baby from his cradle
HOW THE FAIRIES CAME TO SEE OGIER THE DANE
For four years the boy lived happily in Paris, daily making new friends, and learning to be a skilled swordsman; but at the end of that time the Danish king sank some of Charlemagne’s ships, and the emperor vowed16 that Ogier should pay for his father’s deed. His life was spared, but the youth was banished17 to St. Omer, a little town on the coast. Here he spent some years, which would have been dull and very wearisome but for the kindness of the governor, who not only allowed him to fish and hunt on receiving his word that he would not try to escape, but gave him his daughter, the fair Belissande, as his companion, and even consented to a marriage between them. For, kind though he was, he did not forget that the captive youth was after all heir to the Danish throne.
Ogier would have been quite content to stay where he was, when suddenly the emperor summoned him to come to Paris and take part in a war which had broken out between him and the Saracens, who had landed in Italy. Unwilling18 though he was, of course Ogier was forced to obey, and he speedily won such fame that in a little while Charlemagne declared that from henceforth he should have in battle the place of honour on the right hand of the emperor himself. This favour so excited the jealousy19 of Charlot, the emperor’s son, that he laid many snares20 for Ogier’s life, but, owing to the gift of the fairy Gloriande, the young man contrived21 to escape them all.
On his return to France with the army, after the war was over and the Saracens had been beaten, he found two pieces of news awaiting him. One was that his father was dead, and that he was king of Denmark, and the other was that during his absence a son had been born to him.
Taking leave of the emperor, he chose the swiftest horse he could find in the stables and rode straight to St. Omer. The boy was by this time three years old, and promised to be tall and strong like his father. Already he could mount a pony22 and use a tiny bow and arrows that had been made for him, and even could tell the names of some of the battles his father had won.
But Ogier could not tarry long in the castle of St. Omer. Taking his wife and son with him, he set out at once for Denmark, and spent several years in the kingdom making laws and teaching his people many things that he had learnt in his travels.
After ten years, however, he became weary of this peaceful life, and, after Belissande died, he felt he could bear it no longer. So, leaving the crown to his uncle, he returned to France with his son and fought once more by the side of Charlemagne. This was the life he loved, and it seemed as if it might have gone on for ever had it not been for the prince Charlot, who, unhappily, only grew more quarrelsome and foolish the older he got.
Charlot was one day playing chess with the son of Ogier, and, as he was hasty and impatient, the game went against him. Like many others, he had never learned how to take a beating like a man, and, raising his hand, he struck the youth a blow on the temple which killed him. Charlemagne, grieved though he really was, refused to punish Charlot, and after saying bitter words Ogier left Paris, and took service with the king of Lombardy, but was soon captured, while asleep, by Archbishop Turpin.
By this time Charlemagne had felt the loss of Ogier so greatly, and had besides suffered so much from further ill-doings on the part of his son, that he lent a ready ear to Ogier’s offer of reconciliation23, provided he were allowed to avenge24 himself on the murderer. But just as Ogier was about to strike off Charlot’s head, and rid the world of a man who never did any good in it, he was stopped by a mysterious voice which bade him to spare the son of Charlemagne. So Charlot was left to work more mischief25 throughout the land.
A second time a crown fell to Ogier in right of his wife, the princess Claria of England, who had been delivered by Ogier out of the hands of the Saracens. But the princess died not many months after, and the fetters26 of the throne were no more to Ogier’s taste in England than in Denmark. So he assembled all his barons27, and bade them choose themselves a king from among them. This done, he set sail across the sea for the life of adventure that he loved.
For some time Ogier fought in Palestine, where he gained great fame, for no army and no city could stand before him. But his heart always turned to France, and directly peace was made he said farewell to his companions and took ship for Marseilles. At first the breeze was fair, but when they had made half the voyage a tempest arose and the vessel28 was driven on a rock, while all the crew except Ogier himself were drowned. This happened early in the morning, but as soon as darkness fell and Ogier was fearing that he might die of hunger, as no living thing could be seen on the island, he suddenly beheld29 facing him a castle of adamant30. He rubbed his eyes and gazed at it in amazement31, thinking it was a vision, for he knew not that this castle was enchanted32, and, though unseen by day, shone by night from light of its own. However, he did not hesitate at the strangeness of his adventure, but taking his sword in his teeth he swam ashore33, and mounted the flight of steps that led to the open door.
Rich and beautiful things lay scattered34 everywhere, but not a sign was there of any one to enjoy them. Room after room was empty, and Ogier was fast losing hope and wondering whether he was to die of starvation in the midst of all this splendour. He had searched every chamber35 of the castle except one which lay before him at the end of a long gallery. He would go into that too, but if it should prove as barren as the rest then his case was indeed perilous36.
With a beating heart he drew back the bolts and lifted the latch37 of the great carved door. Before him a long table was spread with fruits and food of the rarest sort, while in a large chair at the further end a horse was seated enjoying a huge pasty. At the sight of Ogier he rose politely and bowed, after which he presented him with a golden bowl full of water and returned to his chair.
During his travels Ogier had beheld many strange things, but never before had a horse been his host, and he was so startled that, hungry though he was, he hardly touched the food which the horse heaped on his plate, expecting every moment that a magician might appear or the whole castle crumble38 away.
Quiet though Ogier was, the horse, who had been taught manners in the court of the sultan of Babylon himself, took no notice of his guest’s behaviour but finished his own supper, which was a very hearty39 one. When it was done he rose again, bowed a second time to Ogier, who had risen also, and, signing with his fore1 hoof40 towards a curtain on one side of the hall, passed through, followed by his guest. In the centre of a magnificent chamber stood a soft bed, at which Ogier gazed longingly41. The horse saw the direction of his eyes, and with another bow he withdrew.
In the morning Ogier awoke early and passed through the door into a meadow bright with flowers. He looked round him, and saw a group of ladies sitting under a tree plucking fruit from its branches, and filling golden cups from a clear stream that ran at their feet. Not having eaten since his scanty42 supper of the night before, he approached the ladies, one of whom arose and spoke to him, saying:
‘Welcome, Ogier of Denmark! I have waited for you long. A hundred years have passed since I stood by your cradle — a hundred years of war and of fighting. But you have tired of them at last and have come back to me! And now you shall rest in the palace of Avallon. I am Morgane le Fay.’
A knight10 meeting a woman, with other women seated on the ground behind her
OGIER THE DANE MEETS MORGANE LE FAY AT LAST
She held out her hand, and Ogier placed his within it, and thus they entered the castle. Then she went to her closet and drew a casket from it, and from the casket she took a ring, which she slipped on Ogier’s finger. Afterwards she placed on his head a wreath of golden laurels43 intertwined with bays, and his white hair became once more like sunshine, and the wrinkles faded from his brow. And with the wrinkles faded also the recollection of the battles he had fought, and of Charlemagne himself, and even of Belissande, whom he had loved so well. Soft sounds of singing floated through the palace, and fairies trailing flowers glided in and out in the dance. While Ogier stood entranced and dumb, there entered King Arthur, to whom spoke Morgane le Fay:
‘Draw near, Arthur, my lord and brother, come and salute44 the flower of chivalry45, the boast of the court of France, he in whom courtesy, loyalty46, and all virtue47 are united.’
And Arthur drew near, and they embraced each other.
Two hundred years passed as a single day, till one morning when Ogier was lying on a bank listening to the birds which sang like no birds which mortal ears have ever heard, he took for an instant the crown from off his head. In a moment the memories of his old life flashed across him, and, starting up, he sought Morgane le Fay, and bade her give him his sword, for he was going to fight for fair France again. In vain the fairy besought48 him not to forsake49 her, but he would hear nothing, and she was fain to do as he wished. So by her magic she conjured50 up a little boat which bore Ogier to Marseilles, whence he hastened to the war, which was being carried on in Normandy.
Great was the surprise of the warriors51 and ladies of the court at the sight of the new-comer, whose face was as young and fresh as their own, but whose arms and whose speech were of a time long gone by. At first some were inclined to try him with jests, but they speedily found that, strange though his manners might seem, it were wiser to accept them. Indeed, it was not long before Ogier’s presence had caused itself to be so felt throughout the camp that he was given command of an army that was about to march against the enemy who were invading France and utterly52 routed them. In gratitude53 the king begged him to counsel him in all things, and in a few months some of Ogier’s strength and wisdom had passed into the people.
Now night and day Ogier wore the ring which Morgane le Fay had placed on his finger, and as long as it was there no youth about the court was fairer and more splendid than he. The gift with which he had been endowed in his cradle had lost none of its power, and as he passed through the crowd, towering full a head over other men, the hearts of the ladies went out towards him. He could not help it, and they could not help it. It had been so ordained54 by the fairy. Even age could not preserve them; nay55, it seemed to render them an easier prey56.
Amongst the noble ladies whose pulses beat faster at the sight of Ogier’s golden hair was the Countess of Senlis. Old was she, and withered57 of face, but she had never ceased to think that she was young, and she mistook the kindliness58 and courtesy of Ogier’s manner for the love that man bears to woman.
One morning, in crossing the garden to attend upon her mistress the queen, the countess came upon Ogier lying asleep under the trees. She stopped and looked upon him tenderly; then her eyes fell upon the ring on his finger, whose stone, of a strange green hue59, was graven with devices.
‘If I could see them close, perchance I might guess who he is and whence he came,’ said she to herself, and, stooping, she drew lightly the ring from his hand, not knowing that the queen had crept up and stood behind her. But what an awful change came over him all at once! His limbs grew shrivelled, his hair white, his eyes so shrunken that they seemed hardly more than points; but when the queen turned with horror to ask her lady what it meant, the change in her was hardly less wondrous60, for, though the old countess was ignorant of it, fifty years had been swept from her, and she was straight and winsome61 as of yore.
They were still standing62, dumb with surprise, when Ogier awoke and glanced about him with feeble, uncertain gaze. Catching63 sight of the ring, which the countess was still holding, he stretched his shaking hand towards it. The action was more than the queen could bear.
‘Give it back to him,’ she said; and, unwilling though she was to part with such a treasure, the countess was forced to obey.
Tremblingly Ogier restored the ring to its place, and in an instant his youth and beauty returned to him.
Soon after this the king of France died, and when the time of mourning was over the queen made known to Ogier that she wished to take him for her second husband. Gentle was she and fair, and easy it was for Ogier to love her, and his heart beat high at the thought of sitting on the throne where Charlemagne had once sat. The people rejoiced greatly when they heard of the marriage, for with Ogier for their king they were safe, they thought, from invaders64.
The wedding day had come, and scarce a man or woman in Paris had closed their eyes the night before. Magnificent indeed would the procession be that was to end in the new cathedral; gorgeous would be the trappings of the horses, dazzling the dresses of the ladies that would ride, some in litters and some on horses, through the streets that bordered the river. Early was the queen astir, to be tired by her maidens65, and if Ogier’s slumbers66 lasted longer — well, it was not the first time that he had been crowned a king.
At length he was awakened by the sound of a voice calling his name:
‘Ogier, Ogier!’ and at the sound the present was forgotten, and the past rushed back. ‘Ogier, Ogier!’ whispered the voice again, and, looking, he saw standing by his bed not the queen, but Morgane le Fay.
‘Rise quickly,’ she said, ‘and put on your wedding garments. Clothe yourself in the mantle67 Charlemagne wore, and the crown that was placed upon his brow. Set on your feet his shoes of gold, and let me see you once as France would have seen you.’
He did her bidding, and she gazed at him awhile, then slowly drawing nigh she lifted the crown from his hair, and in its stead she put on him the wreath of laurel which brought peace and forgetfulness.
‘Now come with me,’ she said, holding out her hand, and together they left the palace unseen, and entered a barge68 that was waiting in the river, and in the sunrise they sailed away to the castle of Avallon.
[Adapted from Dunlop’s History of Prose Fiction, and Morris’s Ogier the Dane.]
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1
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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4
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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forefathers
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| n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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12
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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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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lute
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| n.琵琶，鲁特琴 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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snares
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| n.陷阱( snare的名词复数 )；圈套；诱人遭受失败（丢脸、损失等）的东西；诱惑物v.用罗网捕捉，诱陷，陷害( snare的第三人称单数 ) | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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reconciliation
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| n.和解，和谐，一致 | |
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avenge
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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fetters
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| n.脚镣( fetter的名词复数 )；束缚v.给…上脚镣，束缚( fetter的第三人称单数 ) | |
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barons
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| 男爵( baron的名词复数 )； 巨头； 大王； 大亨 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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adamant
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| adj.坚硬的，固执的 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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ashore
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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crumble
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| vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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hoof
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| n.(马，牛等的)蹄 | |
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longingly
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| adv. 渴望地 热望地 | |
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scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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laurels
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| n.桂冠，荣誉 | |
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salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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45
chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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48
besought
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| v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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forsake
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| vt.遗弃，抛弃；舍弃，放弃 | |
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50
conjured
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| 用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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52
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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53
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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54
ordained
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| v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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56
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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57
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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58
kindliness
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| n.厚道，亲切，友好的行为 | |
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59
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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60
wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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winsome
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| n.迷人的，漂亮的 | |
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62
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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63
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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64
invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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66
slumbers
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| 睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 ) | |
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67
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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barge
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| n.平底载货船，驳船 | |
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