登陆注册
5289800000069

第69章 The Salt of Life.(5)

The prince needed no urging to do that. They hurried to the palace; they crossed the garden to the stone wall. There they found the stone upon which the prince had set the black cross. He pressed his hand upon it, and it opened to him like a door. They descended the steps, and went through the passageway, until they came out upon the sea-shore. The black dogs came leaping towards them; but this time it was to fawn upon them, and to lick their hands and faces.

The prince turned the great stone mill till the brazen boat came flying towards the shore. They entered it, and so crossed the water and came to the other side. They did not tarry in the garden, but went straight to the snow-white palace and to the great vaulted chamber where was the statue. "Yes," said the old man, "it is the youngest princess, sure enough."

The prince said nothing, but he dipped up some of the water in his palm and dashed it upon the statue. "If you are the princess, take your true shape again," said he. Before the words had left his lips the statue became flesh and blood, and the princess stepped down from where she stood, and the prince thought that he had never seen any one so beautiful as she. "You have brought me back to life," said she, "and whatever I shall have shall be yours as well as mine."

Then they all set their faces homeward again, and the prince took with him a cupful of the water of life.

When they reached the farther shore the black dogs came running to meet them. The prince sprinkled the water he carried upon them, and as soon as it touched them that instant they were black dogs no longer, but the tall, noble young men that the sorceress queen had bewitched. There, as the old man had hoped, he found his own three sons, and kissed them with the tears running down his face.

But when the people of that land learned that their youngest princess, and the one whom they loved, had come back again, and that the two sorceresses would trouble them no longer, they shouted and shouted for joy. All the town was hung with flags and illuminated, the fountains ran with wine, and nothing was heard but sounds of rejoicing. In the midst of it all the prince married the princess, and so became the king of that country.

And now to go back again to the beginning.

After the youngest prince had been driven away from home, and the old king had divided the kingdom betwixt the other two, things went for a while smoothly and joyfully. But by little and little the king was put to one side until he became as nothing in his own land. At last hot words passed between the father and the two sons, and the end of the matter was that the king was driven from the land to shift for himself.

Now, after the youngest prince had married and had become king of that other land, he bethought himself of his father and his mother, and longed to see them again. So he set forth and travelled towards his old home. In his journeying he came to a lonely house at the edge of a great forest, and there night came upon him. He sent one of the many of those who rode with him to ask whether he could not find lodging there for the time, and who should answer the summons but the king, his father, dressed in the coarse clothing of a forester. The old king did not know his own son in the kingly young king who sat upon his snow-white horse. He bade the visitor to enter, and he and the old queen served their son and bowed before him.

The next morning the young king rode back to his own land, and then sent attendants with horses and splendid clothes, and bade them bring his father and mother to his own home.

He had a noble feast set for them, with everything befitting the entertainment of a king, but he ordered that not a grain of salt should season it.

So the father and the mother sat down to the feast with their son and his queen, but all the time they did not know him. The old king tasted the food and tasted the food, but he could not eat of it.

"Do you not feel hungry?" said the young king.

"Alas," said his father, "I crave your majesty's pardon, but there is no salt in the food."

"And so is life lacking of savor without love," said the young king; "and yet because I loved you as salt you disowned me and cast me out into the world."

Therewith he could contain himself no longer, but with the tears running down his cheeks kissed his father and his mother; and they knew him, and kissed him again.

Afterwards the young king went with a great army into the country of his elder brothers, and, overcoming them, set his father upon his throne again. If ever the two got back their crowns you may be sure that they wore them more modestly than they did the first time.

So the Fisherman who had one time unbottled the Genie whom Solomon the Wise had stoppered up concluded his story, and all of the good folk who were there began clapping their shadowy hands.

"Aye, aye," said old Bidpai, "there is much truth in what you say, for it is verily so that that which men call--love--is--the--salt--of--" * * *

His voice had been fading away thinner and thinner and smaller and smaller--now it was like the shadow of a voice; now it trembled and quivered out into silence and was gone.

And with the voice of old Bidpai the pleasant Land of Twilight was also gone. As a breath fades away from a mirror, so had it faded and vanished into nothingness.

I opened my eyes.

There was a yellow light--it came from the evening lamp. There were people of flesh and blood around--my own dear people--and they were talking together. There was the library with the rows of books looking silently out from their shelves. There was the fire of hickory logs crackling and snapping in the fireplace, and throwing a wavering, yellow light on the wall.

Had I been asleep? No; I had been in Twilight Land.

And now the pleasant Twilight Land had gone. It had faded out, and I was back again in the work-a-day world.

There I was sitting in my chair; and, what was more, it was time for the children to go to bed.

同类推荐
  • 林外野言

    林外野言

    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。
  • 泰西水法

    泰西水法

    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。
  • 识鉴

    识鉴

    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。
  • 罗氏识遗

    罗氏识遗

    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。
  • 大乘唯识论

    大乘唯识论

    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
  • 傲娇农女训夫日常

    傲娇农女训夫日常

    卧病再床的娘亲!瘦骨如柴的小弟!极品家人!这都是不事儿。无缘无故多了一个是高是矮、是圆是扁、是丑是美都不知道的夫君。这事儿就大了。不嫁吧!就只有等死。嫁吧!心里又有些不爽,她一个堂堂现代人一朝穿越了居然被人安排婚姻,这事怎么想心里都不爽。不过,换个思维想想自己其实也算是赚到了。不仅一朝成了高手中的高手,还有良田空间,嚣张灵宠作伴。咳咳!最最最最重要的还是自己未来夫君居然正好是自己喜欢的类型____
  • 一年之痒

    一年之痒

    我曾经说过,小的时候,理想之一,就是卖文为生。实现了之后,发现自己的生活在别人看来,特别单调。每日里就是看书,写字,看书像是从书页上把字一行行拆下来,而所谓写文章,按王朔的说法,就是码字,像小时候在农场砌墙一样,一块一块往上码。所以说,我的生活等于是一边拆字,一边码字。拆别人的,码自己的,码好了给别人去拆。 习惯了这样生活的人,除了读的写的,都非自家喜欢的东西,一般来说,是不会感到枯燥的。因为拆字的时候,是生活在别人营造的世界里;码字的时候,则是生活在自己手工的世界里,总有新鲜可觅。足不出户,一样好玩儿。
  • 倒枪刺

    倒枪刺

    世界上果真有吸血鬼,柯亭身上的血不管她愿不愿意早被柯珂吸入过半。不求所需的付出和被索取是孽缘,柯亭发现自己连反驳的机会都没有过。她生而为她,选择也不在她,命运也不在她......
  • 理智与情感

    理智与情感

    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。
  • 这个魔尊太黏人

    这个魔尊太黏人

    【正文番外全部完结,包月文,绝对宠文,男女主身心干净】他,六道之外,魔界至尊,却为了她甘愿进入轮回。她,特殊部门顶级特工,睁开眼居然到了完全陌生世界,却还是她的身体……为寻穿越之谜,她战恶鬼、斗僵尸,戏妖魔,嚣张异世。只是…….她究竟都招惹了些什么?天朝太子爷?神医狐狸精?僵尸王将军?鬼界三王爷?各个权倾一界,唱霸一方。凤柒玩笑:“本小姐要是都收了,六界不就是我的了?”某魔尊紧扣她腰身,邪肆霸道:“六界算什么,跟了我,这天地都是你的。”小剧场:他亲昵的将她抱在怀中,下巴抵在她的肩膀上,让她感觉到他身下的火热……“女人,要吗?”啪……回应他的是一巴掌!
  • 淡定小娘子:王后的悠闲生活

    淡定小娘子:王后的悠闲生活

    【女主成长史/情有独钟/浪漫温馨】苍茫岛上,他对她说:“我永远不会阻挡你,我只会在你身后守护你。”漫天飞雪中,他站在皇城之巅,对着璀璨的烟火,许下他生平第一个新年愿望:“我只希望我身边的这个小女孩儿,可以永远平安快乐。”他斜睨苍天,傲然道:“神的旨意?神算什么东西?凭什么所有人的命运都要由他主宰?丢丢的宿命,由我来定。”一见封心,天上地下无路可逃。纵横四海,何如与你相守人间。
  • 纤维

    纤维

    本书是中国科幻第一人之称的刘慈欣(大刘)发表的短篇科幻小说。我打开舱盖,双腿使劲想站起来,却跳了起来,整个人像乘了弹射座椅似的飞出了座舱,轻轻地飘落在地。我看到在光洁的玻璃地面上有几个人在闲逛,他们让我感到最不寻常的地方就是太寻常了,这些人的穿着和长相,就是走在纽约大街上都不会引起注意的,但在这种地方,这种寻常反而让人感觉怪异。然后我就看到了那个登记处,那里除了那个登记员外已经有了三个人,可能都是与我一样的意外闯入者,我走了过去。
  • 傲焰

    傲焰

    艳,一个冷若冰霜却又艳绝天下的女子,冷艳这个词似乎就是为了形容她的存在。从江湖顶尖的杀手到护卫一国的将军,她不是多变的女子,却在人们心中留下了不同的印象,有人畏她如蛇蝎,有人敬她若神明,也有人为她痛彻心。她不是一个迷,而是一个神话,带着现实的酸甜苦辣,却终究达到了凡人无法企及的高度,站在深情的帝王身旁,她是被天下尊称的“焰将”,长剑所指,血红一片。美貌,身姿,气质,这都不是她最吸引人的地方,她的冰冷与炙热带着一种奇异的吸引力,让人不可自拔的陷入,然后愈陷愈深,最终迷失了自己。武功,才情,谋略,这都不是她自傲的地方,她最让人惊叹的是那种洞悉一切的观察力,冷冷的看着世事,用一颗明悟的心,做着自己想做的事,堕落也好,辉煌也罢,她终究知道自己想要的是什么…
  • 倾世绝宠之错位王妃

    倾世绝宠之错位王妃

    一朝穿越,一场错位的人生。一块神秘的玉佩,当她变成她后——苏陌沫无语望天:老天,你玩我是吧?你让本姑娘穿越,可以不是公主、皇后,但好歹你也让本姑娘做个自由人吧!一个小丫鬟是怎么回事?你让本姑娘怎么混?好吧,这苏陌沫认了。只是,当她忙着她的逃跑之路、发财大计之时,却总有一个腹黑无比的妖孽,在她每每将要成功之时在她耳边警告:“苏陌沫,你是跑不掉的,别妄想离开本王的身边!” [小剧场1] 某王爷突然靠近,将苏陌沫抵在了墙壁上。 苏陌沫挑眉:“有事?” 某男:“你有喜欢的人吗?” 苏陌沫:“……没有。” 某男邪魅一笑:“很好,从此刻起,你有了!” [小剧场2] 某日某爷回房,竟听见他的小东西在低低的哭泣。 “谁欺负你了?本王让他生不如死!”某爷承认,他心疼了。 “不管是谁,你都会帮我欺负回去吗?” “……说。”某爷有了不祥的预感。 苏陌沫:“你!” 某爷:“……” “所以……”某女从袖中拿出了一张写好的休书,“王爷赶紧签了,还我自由之身。” 某爷怒极反笑,“放过你?下辈子再说吧。”
  • 穿越女你别怂

    穿越女你别怂

    火凰21世纪超级金牌杀手,杀人如麻,狠绝果断。却在一次任务中被男友背叛。被炸弹炸死魂穿异世!穿越到一届废材和亲公主身上。再次睁眼已是锋芒毕露。斩杀了公主姐姐,脚踹了好色表妹。谁说她是废物,她就横给谁看!自幼携带风系异能,还拥有天生的武灵丹。什么是废材,明明就是惊绝天下的练武奇才。四国大比之上让她展露锋芒,琅邪城一战,让她一战成名!谁说女子不如男,且看异能天才杀手如何在异世混得风生水起。各色美男都相继拜倒在她的石榴裙下,只是美男虽多,各怀鬼胎,最后谁才是能与她袖手天下的男人?【超级女强】(情节虚构,切勿模仿)