登陆注册
5158000000048

第48章 The Prince Who Would Seek Immortality(1)

Once upon a time, in the very middle of the middle of a large kingdom, there was a town, and in the town a palace, and in the palace a king.This king had one son whom his father thought was wiser and cleverer than any son ever was before, and indeed his father had spared no pains to make him so.He had been very careful in choosing his tutors and governors when he was a boy, and when he became a youth he sent him to travel, so that he might see the ways of other people, and find that they were often as good as his own.

It was now a year since the prince had returned home, for his father felt that it was time that his son should learn how to rule the kingdom which would one day be his.But during his long absence the prince seemed to have changed his character altogether.From being a merry and light-hearted boy, he had grown into a gloomy and thoughtful man.The king knew of nothing that could have produced such an alteration.He vexed himself about it from morning till night, till at length an explanation occurred to him--the young man was in love!

Now the prince never talked about his feelings--for the matter of that he scarcely talked at all; and the father knew that if he was to come to the bottom of the prince's dismal face, he would have to begin.So one day, after dinner, he took his son by the arm and led him into another room, hung entirely with the pictures of beautiful maidens, each one more lovely than the other.

'My dear boy,' he said, 'you are very sad; perhaps after all your wanderings it is dull for you here all alone with me.It would be much better if you would marry, and I have collected here the portraits of the most beautiful women in the world of a rank equal to your own.Choose which among them you would like for a wife, and I will send an embassy to her father to ask for her hand.'

'Alas! your Majesty,' answered the prince, 'it is not love or marriage that makes me so gloomy; but the thought, which haunts me day and night, that all men, even kings, must die.Never shall I be happy again till I have found a kingdom where death is unknown.

And I have determined to give myself no rest till I have discovered the Land of Immortality.

The old king heard him with dismay; things were worse than he thought.He tried to reason with his son, and told him that during all these years he had been looking forward to his return, in order to resign his throne and its cares, which pressed so heavily upon him.

But it was in vain that he talked; the prince would listen to nothing, and the following morning buckled on his sword and set forth on his journey.

He had been travelling for many days, and had left his fatherland behind him, when close to the road he came upon a huge tree, and on its topmost bough an eagle was sitting shaking the branches with all his might.This seemed so strange and so unlike an eagle, that the prince stood still with surprise, and the bird saw him and flew to the ground.The moment its feet touched the ground he changed into a king.

'Why do you look so astonished?' he asked.

'I was wondering why you shook the boughs so fiercely,' answered the prince.

'I am condemned to do this, for neither I nor any of my kindred can die till I have rooted up this great tree,' replied the king of the eagles.'But it is now evening, and I need work no more to-day.

Come to my house with me, and be my guest for the night.'

The prince accepted gratefully the eagle's invitation, for he was tired and hungry.They were received at the palace by the king's beautiful daughter, who gave orders that dinner should be laid for them at once.While they were eating, the eagle questioned his guest about his travels, and if he was wandering for pleasure's sake, or with any special aim.Then the prince told him everything, and how he could never turn back till he had discovered the Land of Immortality.

'Dear brother,' said the eagle, 'you have discovered it already, and it rejoices my heart to think that you will stay with us.Have you not just heard me say that death has no power either over myself or any of my kindred till that great tree is rooted up? It will take me six hundred years' hard work to do that; so marry my daughter and let us all live happily together here.After all, six hundred years is an eternity!'

'Ah, dear king,' replied the young man, 'your offer is very tempting!

But at the end of six hundred years we should have to die, so we should be no better off! No, I must go on till I find the country where there is no death at all.'

Then the princess spoke, and tried to persuade the guest to change his mind, but he sorrowfully shook his head.At length, seeing that his resolution was firmly fixed, she took from a cabinet a little box which contained her picture, and gave it to him saying:

'As you will not stay with us, prince, accept this box, which will sometimes recall us to your memory.If you are tired of travelling before you come to the Land of Immortality, open this box and look at my picture, and you will be borne along either on earth or in the air, quick as thought, or swift as the whirlwind.'

The prince thanked her for her gift, which he placed in his tunic, and sorrowfully bade the eagle and his daughter farewell.

Never was any present in the world as useful as that little box, and many times did he bless the kind thought of the princess.One evening it had carried him to the top of a high mountain, where he saw a man with a bald head, busily engaged in digging up spadefuls of earth and throwing them in a basket.When the basket was full he took it away and returned with an empty one, which he likewise filled.The prince stood and watched him for a little, till the bald-headed man looked up and said to him: 'Dear brother, what surprises you so much?'

'I was wondering why you were filling the basket,' replied the prince.

同类推荐
  • The Research Magnificent

    The Research Magnificent

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 青华秘文

    青华秘文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 阿毗昙五法行经

    阿毗昙五法行经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Light of Western Stars

    The Light of Western Stars

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Volcanic Islands

    Volcanic Islands

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 赠三惠大师

    赠三惠大师

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 蒙牛攻略

    蒙牛攻略

    蒙牛大胜局书系以实例和理论相结合的方式,从蒙牛的管理模式与企业战略,人力资源与企业文化以及营销策略与品牌攻略等几个方面入手,以独特的视角揭示了“蒙牛速度”背后真正的奥妙。例如:无论是创立之初精妙绝伦的比附策略,还是后来蒙牛酸酸乳与超级女声的完美结合,抑或是体现出蒙牛管理迈向标准化的三权分立、矩阵式变革,更毋庸说闻名于业界的“蒙牛商学院”,提倡大公有制的草原精神,更有贯穿了蒙牛的整个发展过程的牛氏魅力……从多个角度,深入挖掘了蒙牛的独特魅力,希望能使读者对蒙牛有一个全新的认识、全新的视野以及获得一种全新的感悟。
  • 世族庶女

    世族庶女

    顾婉清只是一个小小的庶女,嫡母佛口蛇心,嘴甜心苦,手段阴狠毒辣,她差一点就被虐死在庵堂里。庶姐奸诈阴险,嫡妹骄横霸道,风刀霜剑,无处不在,她在这世家大族里过得如履薄冰,如临深渊,小心翼翼。好在她聪明睿智,懂得韬光养晦,尽力在复杂的家世里下求得最大的生存空间。嫡母算计她,她就算计回去,庶姐抢婚事,好吧,那样的人家我也不要,你要便拿去就是的。可是,再如何智机百出,聪慧过人,又怎么敌得过封建家长制的婚姻,她不得不代替嫡妹嫁给一个病弱的侯门世子冲喜。却不知,原来所嫁的那个人,却是为了得到她,费尽心机,那一切,不过是他设下的局。新婚之夜,盖头揭开那一瞬她怔住了,她的相公不是应该病得要死了么?怎么那双眼睛如此灿亮如星,就像雪山上的冰凌那般剔透晶莹。
  • 金刚顶瑜伽降三世成就极深密门

    金刚顶瑜伽降三世成就极深密门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 冷的边山热的血

    冷的边山热的血

    当你真正理解了士兵,也就一定理解了人的存在,理解了这个千姿百态的世界——每一个士兵都是社会结构中的一员,他不能不与这个世界相通,而且与你与我都相通:就看你能不能寻找到一条合适而独特的通道(那怕是一座桥),——《冷的边山热的血》应该说是作出了自己的努力的:小说的作者理解了或正在理解。当然,这种理解不仅属于生活,而且属于文学——生活与文学都在如列车似的行进,那我们的理解也应该向更广远的地方行进。以上作为序,既献给小说的作者,也献给诚恳的读者。
  • 千杯不醉之千古罪

    千杯不醉之千古罪

    醉?罪?是醉?还是罪?是醉亦是罪。不是她之过,亦非他之错。这场爱恨纠葛,注定生死相依。
  • 请时间等等她

    请时间等等她

    【推荐迷糊君新书《摄政王家有个偷心贼》】《请时间等等她》:情不知所起,一往而深。——傅瑶vs靳哲《从校服到婚纱》:如果说人类的平均寿命是六十岁,我们九岁时就认识了,那么我们生命的百分之八十五都是在一起的。——陆一帆vs苏沫《黎明前的黑夜》:无论黑夜怎么漫长,黎明总会到来。——江溪vs唐楠《霸总他结婚了》:对于世界,你是一个人,对于我,你却是整个世界。——顾霖vs邓夏《一世长安》:人这一辈子,遇到一个心动的人不容易,前世的回眸,换来今生的相守。——裴卓南vs虞欢《两袖清风明月》:两袖清风,唯有明月放心头。——花影vs白久九《待卿如初珍宝》:红颜未老恩先断,斜倚熏笼坐到明。——苏禧妹《愿君心似我心》:只愿君心似我心,定不负相思意;更盼来生与今生,永不悔比翼情。——君殊vs云杉《徒弟又黑化了》:他问她,愿不愿意和他在一起,一起去天涯海角,四海八荒,就他们两个人。——昊月vs无忧迷糊君的群:741925554【谨慎订阅,挖坑不负责:详情请见评论区置顶公告】
  • 全民诸天轮回

    全民诸天轮回

    全球人类受到主神的召唤,成为轮回者,需要穿梭各个恐怖的世界完成任务。在轮回世界中死亡,就是真的死亡,但获得的力量,也是真实的力量!影视、动漫、小说等幻想世界中的物品开始出现在地球上,武功、异能、魔法、道术……都已习以为常。旧的秩序被打破,新的秩序被建立,这是一个草莽英雄辈出的年代!木锋带着一百场轮回世界的经验,回到了被主神强制召唤的那一天……
  • 病毒来袭:天才少年少女

    病毒来袭:天才少年少女

    当智商195的她遇上智商200的他,当黑客天才遇上网络天才,当美国跆拳道空手道柔道黑道高手遇上全能高手,将碰撞出怎样的火花?冷酷如他,却莫名的对非常嚣张的她柔情似水。强势如她,却喜欢如小鸟般依偎在他的怀抱。齐心协力,揭露五大家族身后的秘密,共同抵抗病毒,对抗残酷BOSS。一路相陪,执子之手,与子偕老。
  • 末世之超级王朝

    末世之超级王朝

    末世世界的狙击王牌叶凡重生在了末世开始前。拿惯了重狙的双手还能拿的惯92手枪吗?杀惯了精英或者头领的叶凡,还杀得动普通丧尸吗?本以为重生回来重走一遍老路的叶凡,居然走运了.....