There was once a King who had a son who asked in marriage the daughter of a mighty¹ King; she was called Maid Maleen, and was very beautiful. As her father wished to give her to another, the prince was rejected; but as they both loved each other with all their hearts, they would not give each other up, and Maid Maleen said to her father, “I can and will take no other for my husband.” Then the King flew into a passion, and ordered a dark tower to be built, into which no ray of sunlight or moonlight should enter. When it was finished, he said, “Therein shalt thou be imprisoned² for seven years, and then I will come and see if thy perverse³ spirit is broken.” Meat and drink for the seven years were carried into the tower, and then she and her waiting-woman were led into it and walled up, and thus cut off from the sky and from the earth. There they sat in the darkness, and knew not when day or night began. The King’s son often went round and round the tower, and called their names, but no sound from without pierced through the thick walls. What else could they do but lament⁴ and complain? Meanwhile the time passed, and by the diminution⁵ of the food and drink they knew that the seven years were coming to an end. They thought the moment of their deliverance was come; but no stroke of the hammer was heard, no stone fell out of the wall, and it seemed to Maid Maleen that her father had forgotten her. As they only had food for a short time longer, and saw a miserable⁶ death awaiting them, Maid Maleen said, “We must try our last chance, and see if we can break through the wall.” She took the bread-knife, and picked and bored at the mortar⁷ of a stone, and when she was tired, the waiting-maid took her turn. With great labour they succeeded in getting out one stone, and then a second, and a third, and when three days were over the first ray of light fell on their darkness, and at last the opening was so large that they could look out. The sky was blue, and a fresh breeze played on their faces; but how

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1 mighty
adj.强有力的；巨大的
参考例句：
A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。 The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

2 imprisoned
下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。 They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

3 perverse
adj.刚愎的；坚持错误的，行为反常的
参考例句：
It would be perverse to stop this healthy trend.阻止这种健康发展的趋势是没有道理的。 She gets a perverse satisfaction from making other people embarrassed.她有一种不正常的心态，以使别人难堪来取乐。

4 lament
n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹
参考例句：
Her face showed lament.她的脸上露出悲伤的样子。 We lament the dead.我们哀悼死者。

5 diminution
n.减少；变小
参考例句：
They hope for a small diminution in taxes.他们希望捐税能稍有减少。 He experienced no diminution of his physical strength.他并未感觉体力衰落。

6 miserable
adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的
参考例句：
It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。 Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

7 mortar
n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合
参考例句：
The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。 The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

8 melancholy
n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的
参考例句：
All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。 He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

9 ravaged
毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫
参考例句：
a country ravaged by civil war 遭受内战重创的国家 The whole area was ravaged by forest fires. 森林火灾使整个地区荒废了。

10 slain
杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)
参考例句：
The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。 His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

11 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

12 appease
v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足
参考例句：
He tried to appease the crying child by giving him candy.他试图给那个啼哭的孩子糖果使他不哭。 The government tried to appease discontented workers.政府试图安抚不满的工人们。

13 nettles
n.荨麻( nettle的名词复数 )
参考例句：
I tingle where I sat in the nettles. 我坐过在荨麻上的那个部位觉得刺痛。 来自《简明英汉词典》 This bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard. 那蔓草丛生的凄凉地方是教堂公墓。 来自辞典例句

14 nettle
n.荨麻；v.烦忧，激恼
参考例句：
We need a government that will grasp the nettle.我们需要一个敢于大刀阔斧地处理问题的政府。 She mightn't be inhaled as a rose,but she might be grasped as a nettle.她不是一朵香气扑鼻的玫瑰花，但至少是可以握在手里的荨麻。

15 betrothed
n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
She is betrothed to John. 她同约翰订了婚。 His daughter was betrothed to a teacher. 他的女儿同一个教师订了婚。

16 fixed
adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的
参考例句：
Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？ Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

17 maiden
n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的
参考例句：
The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。 The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

18 sprained
v.&n. 扭伤
参考例句：
I stumbled and sprained my ankle. 我摔了一跤，把脚脖子扭了。 When Mary sprained her ankles, John carried her piggyback to the doctors. 玛丽扭伤了足踝，约翰驮她去看医生。

19 chamber
n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所
参考例句：
For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。 The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

20 deception
n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计
参考例句：
He admitted conspiring to obtain property by deception.他承认曾与人合谋骗取财产。 He was jailed for two years for fraud and deception.他因为诈骗和欺诈入狱服刑两年。

21 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

22 lawful
adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的
参考例句：
It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。 We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。