公主的生日

这一天是公主的生日，她刚满十二岁。灿烂的阳光照在王宫的花园中。

虽说她是一个真正的公主，一位西班牙公主，但是她就像穷人家的孩子们一样，每年只

能过一次生日，因此举国上下自然而然地就把这当作是一件重大的事情，那就是她过生日这

天应该是个晴朗的天气。那一天的确是个晴朗的好天。高高的带条纹的郁金香直挺挺地立在

花茎上，像一排列队立正的士兵，并傲慢地望着草地那边的玫瑰花，一边说：“我们跟你们

一样美丽无比。”紫色的蝴蝶伴着翅膀上的金粉翩翩起舞，轮流走访着每一朵鲜花；小蜥蜴

们从墙上的裂缝中爬出来，躺在白日的阳光下；石榴在火热的阳光下纷纷裂开了嘴，露出了

它们血红的心。就连沿着阴暗走廊的刻花棚架上的一串串悬挂着的浅黄色柠搁，仿佛也从这

奇妙的阳光中染上了一层丰富的色彩，玉兰花树也张开了它们那重叠着的象牙色的巨大球状

花朵，使空气中充满了浓浓的芳香。

小公主本人同她的伴侣们在阳台上来回地走动着，并绕着石花瓶和布满青苔的古雕像在

玩捉迷藏的游戏。在平日里她只被允许同她身分相同的小孩子们玩，因此她总是一个人玩，

不过生日这天可以例外。国王已经下了命令，她可邀请任何她喜欢的小朋友来宫中同她一起

玩。这些瘦小的西班牙孩子跑动起来的动作还挺优雅的。男孩们头戴大羽毛帽子，身穿飘动

的短外套，女孩们手里提着缎子长裙的后摆，并用黑色和银灰色的大扇子护住眼睛遮挡阳

光。然而小公主却是他们当中最优雅的一个，打扮得也是最入时的，依照的是当时相当繁杂

的款式。她的裙子是用灰色锦缎做的，裙摆和宽大的袖口上绣满了银线，挺直的胸衣上缝着

几排名贵的珍珠。两只配着粉红色大玫瑰花的小拖鞋随着她的走动从衣服下边显露出来。那

把大纱扇是粉红色和珍珠色的，她的头发像一圈褪色的金黄光环包围着她那张苍白的小脸

蛋，上面戴着一朵美丽的白玫瑰。

满面愁容的国王透过宫中的窗户望着他们。站在他身后的是他所憎恨的人，那是他的兄

弟，来自阿拉贡省的唐．彼德罗，还有他的忏悔师，来自格兰那达的大宗教裁判官坐在他的

身边。国王此时比以往更忧伤，因为他看见小公主一副孩子般严肃的模样向宫中群臣们行

礼，另外还看见她甩扇子掩着嘴偷笑那总是陪着她的一脸严肃的阿尔布奎尔基公爵夫人，国

王突然想起了年轻的王后，就是小公主的母亲，这在他看来就像是前不久的事情。那时王后

从欢乐的国度法兰西来到西班牙，在西班牙宫廷忧郁华丽的生活中不幸去逝了，死时孩子才

六个月大，她连园子中杏花的第二次开放也没有看到，也没赶上采集院子中央那棵多节老无

花果树上第二年的果子，此刻那儿已是杂草丛生。他爱她爱得太深了，他不能忍受把她埋在

自己看不见的墓穴中。一位摩尔人医生为她的尸体做了香料处理，为了回报医生的工作，国

王保住了他的生命，因为由于信邪教和行巫术的嫌疑，这位医生已被宗教裁判所判了极刑。

她的尸体仍然安放在宫中黑色大理石礼拜堂中铺着织锦的尸架上，还跟十二年前在一个狂风

大作的三月天里僧侣们把她抬放到那儿时的模样一个样。国王每月一次，身上裹着黑袍，手

里提着一个不透光的灯笼，走进礼拜堂跪在她的身旁，呼唤着：“我的王后，我的王后！”

有时他会不顾应有的礼节（在西班牙生活中的任何行为都受到礼节的约束，就连国王的悲痛

也不例外），万分悲痛地抓住她戴着珠宝的苍白的手，并狂吻着她那冰凉的化了妆的脸，试

图把她唤醒。

今天他好像又看见她了，就跟他头一次在巴黎的枫丹白露宫中见到她时一样，当时他仅

有十五岁，而她更年轻。他俩就是在那个时候正式订婚，出席仪式的有罗马教皇的使节还有

法国国王和全体朝臣，那之后他就带着一小束金黄头发返回到西班牙王宫中去了。自打踏上

自己的马车那时起，他就一直想着两片孩子气的嘴唇弯下来吻他手的情景。接下来的婚礼是

在蒲尔哥斯匆匆举行的，那是两国边境的一座小城市。进入马德里的公开庆典是盛大的，照

惯例在拉．阿托卡大教堂里举行了一次大弥撒，并且还搞了一次比平日更庄严的判处异教徒

火刑的仪式。将近三百名异教徒，其中不少是英国人，被交与刽子手去烧死在火刑柱上。

他爱她真是发了狂，很多人都认为是他把国家给毁了，因为当时他们正与英国为争夺新

世界的帝国而进行战争。他甚至连一刻钟也不能离开她；为了她，他已经忘记了，或似乎是

忘记了国家的一切重大事项；在这种激情的驱使下他达到了如此盲目的可怕地步，以致于他

没有发现，那些他为取悦于她而想出来的繁杂礼节，—反而加重了她所犯的奇怪的忧郁病。

她死后有那么一段时间，他仿佛发了疯似的。要不是他担心自己离去后小公主会受到自己兄

弟的残害的话，说真的，他定会正式退位并隐居到格兰那达的特拉卜教大寺院去，他已经是

该院的名誉院长了。他兄弟的残酷无情在西班牙是出了名的，不少人怀疑是他害死了王后，

传说王后到他所在的阿拉贡的城堡去走访的时候，他送了一双有毒的手套给王后。甚至在国

王以皇家法令宣布举国上下公开哀悼三年之后，他仍旧无法忍受他的大臣们跟他提起续弦的

事，当神圣的罗马帝国皇帝本人亲自来向他提出把自己的侄女，一位美丽可爱的波西米亚郡

主嫁给他时，他仍吩咐自己的大臣去告诉皇帝，说西班牙国王已经和悲伤结了婚，尽管她只

是一个不能生育的新娘，可他却爱她超过任何美人；这个回答的代价是使他的王国失去了富

饶的尼德兰诸省，这些省份不久后便在皇帝的鼓动下，由一些改革教派的狂热倍徒领导着，

向他发动了叛乱。

今天他望着小公主在阳台上玩耍的时候，似乎又回想起了他整个的婚姻生活，那是一场

强烈而火热的欢愉，同时也因其突然的完结而导致了可怕的痛苦。小公主具备了王后一切可

爱的傲慢举止，完全一样的任性的摆头动作，同样弯曲而骄傲的美丽嘴唇，一样漂亮可人的

笑容——的确是非常法国式的微笑——小公主不时地抬头望望窗户，或伸出小手让显贵的西

班牙绅士吻着。不过孩子们高声的笑声刺着了他的耳朵，明亮而无情的阳光嘲讽着他的哀

伤，一股奇怪香料的单调气味，就似是处理尸体用的香料，好像把早晨清新的空气给弄脏

了——这或许是他的幻想吧？他把脸埋在双手巾，等小公主再次举头望窗户的时候，窗帘已

经垂下，国王也离开了。

她有些失望地撅橛小嘴，并耸了耸肩膀。说实在的，他本应该跟她呆在一起过生日的。

那些愚载的国家事务有什么要紧的？或许他又去了那个阴森森的礼拜堂了吧？那儿一直点着

蜡烛，而且从未让她进去过。如此好的阳光，大家又这么开心，他可真是太傻了。再说，他

会错过看一场人扮的斗牛比赛，比赛的号角已经吹响了，更不用说那些木偶戏和其它精彩的

表演了。她的叔父和大宗教裁判官倒是更体谅人。他们已经走到阳台上了，并向她道了贺

词。所以她又摆起了她那可爱的头，还拉着唐．彼德罗的手，缓缓走下石阶，朝着耸立在花

园尽头的紫绸编织的长长亭廊走去，其他孩子严格地依照次序紧跟在她的身后，即谁的名字

最长，谁就走在前头。

一行由贵族男孩子化装成斗牛士的队伍走出来欢迎她。年轻的新地伯爵，一位十四岁的

美少年，用西班牙下级贵族世家的全部优雅举止向她脱帽致敬，并庄重地把她引到竞技场内

搭起的看台上安放着的一把镶金的象牙小椅子上坐下。孩子们在她的四周围成一圈，他们一

面挥动着手中的大扇子，一面相互交谈着。唐．彼德罗和大宗教裁判官面带笑容地站在人口

处。就连那位女公爵——人称侍从女市长的人——一个瘦小而性格不定的女人，带着黄色的

翎颌，也一改往日那板起的面孔，一丝像是冷冷的笑容掠过她那皱巴巴的脸，她那没有血色

而干瘦的嘴唇也抽动了一下。

这真是一场令人叫绝的斗牛赛，在小公主看来比真的斗牛比赛还要好看。那是在帕尔马

公爵来看望她父亲时，她被人带去塞维尔看过一场斗牛赛。一群男孩子穿着装饰华丽的马皮

衣服在场子内来回跑着，他们挥舞着长矛，上面绑着色彩艳丽的丝带；另一些男孩徒步走

着，并在假牛面前舞动着猩红色的大地，当牛冲来时他们就轻松地跳过栅栏；至于牛呢，尽

管它只是由柳枝和张开的牛皮做成的，可却跟真牛一样生龙活虎，不过有时它坚持着用后腿

绕着场子跑，这却是真牛连做梦也不敢想的事。这牛斗得也不错，孩子们兴奋极了，他们纷

纷起身站在了长凳子上，并挥动着手中的带边手绢，大声嚷着：太好了，太好了！那种劲头

就跟成年人一样。就这样战斗持续了下去，最后，好几匹人扮的马被戳倒，那位年轻的新地

伯爵把牛也压在了地上，他请求小公主允许他给予致命的一击，然后他就用木剑朝那动物猛

刺下去。他用力太大，一下子把牛头给刺掉了，这使小罗南先生高兴地大笑起来，他是法国

驻马德里大使的儿子。

在大家的掌声中，竞技场被收拾干净了，两个身着黄黑制服的摩尔人侍从把倒地的木马

庄严地拖走了，接着是一段小小的插曲，由一位法国的走绳索大师在一根绷紧的绳子上完成

了一次表演。一些意大利木偶戏表演者在特意建来演木偶戏的一个小戏院中上演了半古典的

悲剧《索福尼西巴》。他们的演出非常出色，木偶的动作也十分自然，演出结束时小公主的

眼中已充满了泪水。当时真的有好多孩子都哭了，只好拿糖块去安慰他们，就是大宗教裁判

官也深受感动，他忍不住对唐．彼德罗说，这些用简单的木头和彩色蜡做成的，并由丝线机

械地牵动的东西，竟能表演得如此悲伤和那么不幸，他似乎觉得难以接受。

接下来是一个非洲人表演戏法。他提来一只又大又平的篮子，上面盖着一块红布。他把

篮子放在场地中央，然后从他的包头帕下面拿出一根奇异的芦管，并吹了起来。不一会儿，

红布开始动了，随着芦管声愈吹愈尖，两条金绿色的蛇伸出了它们那古怪的楔形头，并越伸

越高，还随着音乐声摇来摆去，就跟水中浮动的植物一样。孩子们看见它们那有斑点的头部

和快速吐出的舌头，反而害怕起来，直到看见变戏法者在沙地上变出一棵小桔子树，开出美

丽白色的花朵且长出一串串真实的果实后，才又开心起来；后来变戏法者从拉斯．托里斯侯

爵的小女儿手中拿起一把扇子，把它变成了一只蓝色的小鸟在亭廊里飞来飞去，还不停地唱

着歌，这时他们的兴奋和惊讶真是难以形容。由纽斯特拉丝母院礼拜堂跳舞班的男孩们表演

的庄严舞曲，也同样引人人胜。小公主以前从没有见过如此盛大的庆典，这种庆典每年五月

在圣母大祭坛前面举办一次，是专为庆祝圣母而举行的。其实，自从一位疯教士（据许多人

说他是英国伊丽莎白女王收买了的）想用一块有毒的圣饼谋害西班牙太子阿斯图里亚斯以

后，就没有一位西班牙皇室的成员走进过萨拉哥萨大教堂。因此，小公主仅仅是听人说过这

种“我们之圣母”的舞蹈，看上去也确实很精彩。男孩们穿着白色天鹅绒做的老式宫廷服

装，他们那滑稽的三角帽上缀着银饰物，顶上插着很大的驼鸟毛。他们在阳光下桅舰起舞的

时候，那身耀眼的白色服饰在他们黑色面容和长长黑发的衬托下显得更加绚丽夺目。所有的

人都被他们的一举一动给迷住了，只见他们在繁杂的舞蹈动作中一直显得庄严尊重，缓缓的

舞姿得体而优雅，还气派不凡地鞠着躬。等舞曲一结束，他们就脱下大羽毛帽子向小公主致

敬，她很有礼貌地接受了，并许诺送一只大蜡烛给比拉尔圣母的神坛，以回报圣母给她带来

的快乐。

这时一队漂亮的埃及人——当时也被称为吉卜赛人—一走进到场子中来，他们盘腿席地

而坐，围成一个圈子，开始轻轻地弹奏起他们的弦琴，另一些人伴着曲调舞动起腰身，并用

他们尽可能低的声音哼着歌儿，那声音低得如同梦中的微风掠过。他们一看见唐．彼德罗，

便朝他皱起了眉头，有的人还露出了恐惧的表情，因为就在数周之前，唐说他们的两个族人

被行妖术而给绞死在塞维尔的市场上了。不过美丽的小公主使他们入了迷，这时她朝后靠着

身子，一对蓝色的大眼睛从扇子上边望着他们，他们相信像她这徉可爱的人绝不会残忍地对

待别人的。于是，他们很安静地弹着琴，他们那长长的尖指甲刚好挨到琴弦，他们的头开始

朝前点着，仿佛要入睡似的。突然传来一声尖厉的大叫，孩子们全都大吃了一惊，唐．彼德

罗的手赶紧抓住了他短剑的玛瑙剑柄。只见弹琴者们跳起身来，围着场地疯狂地转起圈来，

并不停地敲打手鼓，同时用他们那奇特的带喉音的语言唱起了狂放的情歌。随着一声信号的

传来，他们又都扑倒在地上，静静地躺着不动了，全场一派寂静，只能听到单调的弦琴声。

就这样他们做了几个来回以后，又一下子消失了，等他们再回来时已用链条牵来了一头毛乎

乎的棕色大熊，他们肩头上还坐着几只巴巴利的小猴子。大熊十分认真地倒立起身子，干瘦

的猴子跟着两个像是它们主人的吉卜赛小男孩在表演着各种各样逗笑的把戏，它们还会挥动

小剑和放枪，并且会像国王的卫队那样完成一整套正规军的操练。吉卜赛人的表演的确大获

成功。

然而整个早上的娱乐活动中最有趣的还要数小矮人的舞蹈。他蹒跚地移动着自己那双弯

曲的腿，他那颗畸形的大脑袋左右摇摆着，就这样他跌跌撞撞地冲进到场子中。孩子们见到

此情此景都一下子兴奋地大声叫了起来，小公主本人更是大笑不止，以致那位女侍从市长不

得不提醒她说，虽然过去西班牙国王的女儿在同等人面前哭过几回，可却从没有皇室家族的

公主在比她低下的人跟前如此开怀大笑过呢。不过，小矮人的举动真是让人无法抗拒，即使

是西班牙宫廷，这样一个以培养恐怖而著称的地方，也从未见过一个如此吸引人的小怪物。

这还是他头一回出场演出。人们仅是在昨天才找到了他，当时他正在树林里疯颠颠地跑着，

两个贵族刚好在环城一带的栓皮储树林中偏僻的区域打猎，于是就把他带进宫中，作为献给

小公玄的一个惊喜。小矮人的父亲是个穷苦的烧炭人，能够摆脱这个又丑又无用的孩子对他

来说真是求之不得。或许真正最有趣的倒是小矮人一点也不知道自己那丑陋的相貌。的确他

看上去好开心且精神饱满。孩子们笑了，他也跟他们一样笑得无拘无束。每支舞曲结束时，

他便要向他们每一个人鞠一个最滑稽的躬，他对他们点头高兴的样子就好像他的的确确是他

们中的一员，并非是上帝以滑稽的方式刻意创造出来让别人戏弄的一个不幸的小怪物。至于

小公主，她简直把小矮人给迷住了。他不能够把眼睛从她身上移开，他好像是专为小公主一

人跳舞似的。演出结束时，小公主记起了自己曾见过宫廷贵妇们向意大利著名男高音加法奈

里抛掷花束的情形，当时罗马教皇把加法奈里从自己的礼拜堂派往马德里，打算用他那最甜

美的歌声去医治国王的忧闷；于是小公主便从自己的头发上取下那朵美丽的白玫瑰，一半是

开玩笑，一半是为了戏弄那位女侍从市长，把花向场中的小矮人掷了过去，脸上带着最甜蜜

的微笑。小矮人把整个事情看得十分认真，他一只手将花朵压在他粗糙的嘴唇下，另一只手

按住胸膛跪在她的面前，咧着大嘴笑着，那双明亮的小眼睛放射出欣喜的光芒。

这使小公主忘记了尊严，等小矮人跑出场子好长一阵子她还在一个劲儿地笑，并对她的

叔父表示想立即让这种舞蹈再表演一次。然而那位女侍从市长却恳求说太阳已经老高了，太

热了，她的小公主殿下应该马上回到宫里去，那里已经为她备好了丰盛的宴席，有一个地道

的生日蛋糕，上面有用彩糖做出的她名字的大写字母，还有一面飘舞的小银旗。小公主非常

庄重地站起身来，并宣布说让小矮人在她午睡时间之后再表演一次，还要求把她的谢意转告

给新地伯爵，感谢他那番殷勤的款待，接着她就回自己的房间去了，其他孩子们又依照原先

进来时的次序跟着她出去了。

当听说小公主叫他去她面前再表演一次，而且还是她亲自下的命令的时候，小怪人真是

得意万分。他跑到花园中去，欣喜若狂地亲吻着那朵白玫瑰，得意忘形地做出了许多笨拙而

难看的动作。

花儿们对他如此胆大地闯进他们美丽的家园里来非常愤怒，他们看见他在花廊里奔来奔

去的，还十分可笑地举着双手挥舞着，他们再也忍受不下去了。

“他真是太难看了，根本不该让他到我们呆的地方来，”郁金香大声喊道。

“他应该去喝鸦片汤，然后睡上一千年，”红色的大百合花说。这时他们真的怒火万丈

了。

“他是个十足的可怕人物！”仙人掌尖叫着说，“啊，他扭得又丑，人又长得矮小，他

的头跟腿长得不成比例。他的确使我浑身上下觉得不舒服，如果他走近我身边，我会用我的

刺去刺他。”

“而他却真的弄到了我最美的一朵花，”白玫瑰树惊叹道，“那朵花是我今天早上亲自

送给小公主的，作为生日礼物，他却从她那儿把花偷走了。”然后她大叫起来，“小偷，小

偷，小偷！”

甚至连不爱抛头露面的红色风露草们，这些大家都知道本身就有很多穷亲戚的草们，在

看见小矮人时也都厌恶地卷起身子。紫罗兰却温和地说小矮人的确是其貌不扬，可他也没有

办法去压他一把。风露草也非常公正地反驳说，那是他主要的缺陷，而人们不该因为他的不

治之症而嘲弄他。其实，也有好些紫罗兰觉得小矮人的丑陋是他本人装出来的，假如他面带

些愁容，或至少表现出沉思的样子，而不是欢乐地跳上跳下，做出古怪而又傻乎乎的神态，

那么他会让人觉得好受许多。

至于老日晷仪，他是一位非常了不起的人物，他曾经只向查理五世陛下本人汇报每天的

时刻，小矮人的模样让他吃惊不小，几乎忘记用他那长长的有影子的指头标出时间达两分之

久。他忍不住对在栏栅上晒太阳的乳白色的大孔雀说，人人都知道，国王的孩子就是国王，

烧炭夫的孩子还是烧炭夫，要想事情并非如此，那是不可能的。这种见解得到了孔雀的完全

赞同，而且她真的叫起好来：“是的，是的。”声音又大又粗，连住在凉爽的喷水池中的金

鱼们也从水中露出头来，询问巨大的石雕海神特里通斯究竟发生了什么事。

不过，鸟儿们却喜欢小矮人。他们常在树林中见到他，像个精灵似的追赶着空中的落

叶，或者蹲在一棵老橡树的洞子里，与松鼠们一起分享他的坚果。他们一点也不在乎他的相

貌丑。是啊，夜莺在夜晚去林子里放声歌唱，月亮有时也会俯下身聆听她甜美的歌声，其实

她也没有什么耐看的；再说，小矮人过去对他们一直都很好。在那可怕的严冬里，树上已经

没有坚果了，地面被冻得跟铁块似的，狼群也下山来到城门口寻找食物，就在这种时候，小

矮人也不曾忘记他们，他总是把自己的小块的黑面包揉成屑给他们吃，不管他的早餐多么

少，他总会分一些给他们吃。

所以他们绕着他飞了一圈又一圈，他们飞过他身边的时候用翅膀轻轻抚摸着他的脸，并

相互交谈着。小矮人高兴得不得了，他忍不住把那朵美丽的白玫瑰拿出来给他们看，还告诉

他们这是小公主本人亲自给他的，因为她爱他。

对他讲的话他们一个字也听不懂，不过这倒没什么关系，因为他们把头偏在一旁，看上

去很精明的样子，这就跟了解此事是一样的好，并且也更加容易。

蜥蜴也非常喜欢他，每当他跑累了以后躺在草地上休息的时候，蜥蜴就会在他身上爬来

爬去地玩着，拿出浑身的本事去逗他开心。“不是每个人都可以像蜥蜴那样漂亮的，”他们

大声说道，“不过这种要求太过分了。而且说起来也有些荒唐，其实他一点也不难看，当

然，只要人们团上眼睛，不要去看他。”蜥蜴们天生就是十足的哲学家派头，在没有什么事

情可做的时候，或碰上雨天不能外出，他们会一坐就是好几个钟头地思考问题。

然而，花儿对他们的举止倒是十分地担心，同时对鸟儿的举动也很不安。“这只能表

明，”花儿们说，“这种不停地蹦蹦跳跳会产生多么粗俗的影响。像我们这徉有教养的人，

总是老老实实地呆在同一个地方。从没有人看见我们在花廊中跳来跳去的，或者在草丛中发

疯似的追赶蜻蜓，只要我们想换换空气，我们就会叫园丁来，他会把我们搬到另一个花坛上

去。这是很神圣的事，而且也应该如此。可是鸟儿和蜥蜴没有休息的意识，的确鸟儿连一个

固定的住址都不曾有。他们只不过是一群像吉卜赛人那样的流浪汉，而且也真该受到同徉的

待遇。”于是花儿们露出趾高气昂的样子，一副了不起的神态，并且很得意地望着小矮人从

草地上爬起身来，跨过阳台朝宫廷走去。

“他应该一辈子都关在房子里不出门，”他们说，“看看他的驼背，还有他那双拐

腿，”说着他们吃吃地笑了起来。

不过小矮人对此是一无所知。他好喜欢这些小鸟和蜥蜴，并且认为花儿是世界上最美丽

的东西了，当然要除开小公主。而小公主已经把美丽的白玫瑰给了他，她是爱他的，这就大

不一样了。他多么希望自己能跟她一起回到树林中去！她会让他坐在她的右手边，还对他微

笑，他永远也不愿从她身边离去，他要她跟自己一块儿玩，并教她各种逗人的把戏。因为尽

管他以前从未进过王宫，可他却知道好多了不起的事情。他可以用灯芯草编出小笼子，好把

蚱蜢关在里面唱歌，他还会把竹节细长的竹子做成笛子，用它吹出牧神最爱听的曲子。他了

解每只鸟儿的叫声，还能把欧椋鸟从树梢上唤下来，或从池塘中唤弧苍鹭。他认识每一种动

物的足迹，可以凭着轻微的脚印寻觅到野兔，靠被践踏过的树叶找到狗熊。他知道各种风的

轻舞，有秋天里穿着红衣的狂舞，有穿着蓝色草鞋在稻谷上掠过的轻舞，有冬季戴着雪冠的

舞蹈，还有春天里吹过果园的慢舞。他知道斑鸠在什么地方做窝，曾有一次一对老斑鸠给捕

鸟者抓走了，他就亲自来哺育那些幼鸟，并在一棵砍去了树梢的榆树裂缝中为他们筑起了一

个小小的鸠窝。他们都很听话，并习惯了在他的手上找东西吃。小公主会喜欢他们的，还有

那些在长长的凤尾草中乱窜的兔子们，和有着硬羽毛和黑嘴的鹒鸟，以及能够弯曲成带刺圆

球的刺猬，和会摇头、轻轻地咬嫩叶、慢慢爬行的大智龟。是的，她一定会到林子里来和他

一起玩。他会把自己的小床让给她睡，他在窗外看守着直到天亮，不让带角的野兽伤了她，

更不能让饥饿的狼群靠近小茅屋。天亮时他会轻轻地敲着窗板把她唤醒，他们会一起到外面

去，跳上一整天的舞蹈。在树林里真是一点也不寂寞。有时主教会骑着他的白骡子从这里走

过，一边走一边还读着本带图画的书。有时候那些养猎鹰的人戴着他们的绿绒帽子，穿着硝

过的鹿皮短上衣从这儿经过，手腕上站着蒙着头的鹰。每到葡萄熟透的季节，采葡萄的人们

连手和脚都是紫色的，头上戴着常青藤编的花冠，手里拿着滴着葡萄酒的皮袋子。烧炭人晚

上围坐在大火盆的边上，望着干柴在火中慢慢地燃烧，把栗子埋在灰中烘烤。强盗们也从山

洞里窜出来跟他们一块儿玩乐。还有一回，他看见一些人排成好看的队伍在长长的尘土飞扬

的大路上蜿蜒地朝托列多而去。僧侣们走在队伍的前头，唱着甜甜的歌曲，手里拿着鲜艳的

旗子和金十字架，随后跟着披银枣甲执火绳枪和长矛的士兵，在这些人当中走着三个赤脚的

人，身着奇怪的黄袍，上面绘满了奇妙的画像，他们的手中拿着点燃的蜡烛。说真的，树林

中有非常多值得看的东西。她疲倦了的时候，他便会找一个长满青苔的软海滩让她休息，要

不就扶着她走，因为他很结实，尽管他深知自己的个头不算高。他会用红色的蔓草果为她做

一串项链，它会跟她衣服上戴的白色珍珠一样美丽，一旦她不欢喜这种项链了，就把它给扔

掉，他还会为她做别的。他会给她找来一些皂角和露水浸泡过的秋牡丹，而且小小的萤火虫

还可以做她浅黄色头发上的小星星。

可是她又在什么地方呢？他问着白玫瑰，白玫瑰回答不了他的问题。整个王宫像是睡着

了似的，甚至连那些百叶窗没有关闭的地方，也垂下了厚重的窗帘挡去了投入窗户的光线。

他到处转悠着想寻到一处可以进入的地方，最后他瞧了一扇开着的小门。他溜了进去，发现

自己来到了一个辉煌的大厅中，他感到要比那树林气派得多，处处金光灿烂，就连地板都是

用五颜六色的大石头铺成的，可是小公主并不在那儿，只有几个美丽异常的白石像从他们的

绿宝石座上朝下望着他，眼神中满是忧伤和茫然，嘴角上还挂着一丝奇怪的微笑。

在大厅的尽头垂挂着绣工精致的黑天鹅绒帷幔，上面绣着太阳和繁星，都是国王最中意

的设计，而且绣的又是他最喜爱的颜色。也许她就躲在那后面？他无论怎样也要去看看。

于是他悄悄地走过去，把帷幔拉开。没有人，那儿只不过是另一间房子，可他觉得这间

房子比他刚才走过的那间更漂亮。墙上挂着绣着许多人物像的绿色挂毡。那是一幅狩猎图，

是几位弗来米西艺术家花了七年时间完成的。这儿曾经是被称为傻约翰的国王的房间，那个

疯子国王太喜欢打猎了，在他精神失常的时候，他总是幻想着骑上那些画中蹬起后蹄的大

马，拖开那只由一群大猎狗攻击的公鹿，吹响他那打猎的号角，用他的短剑刺一只奔跑的母

鹿。现在这儿改作会议厅了，在屋中央的桌子上放着大臣们的红色文件夹，上面盖着西班牙

金色郁金香的印花，以及哈普斯堡皇室的纹章和标识。

小矮人吃惊地朝四周看着，他真有点不敢往前走了。画中那些陌生而沉默的骑马人敏捷

地跨越过一片长长的草地，连一点声音也听不见，在他看来这些人就像烧炭夫们讲过的那些

可怕的鬼影——康普拉克斯，他们只在夜里外出打猎，要是遇上人，就会把此人变成一只赤

鹿，然后去猎取他。但是小矮人想起了美丽的小公主，于是又壮起了胆子。他希望她是一个

人呆在那儿，好让他告诉她，他也是爱她的。也许她就在隔壁的那间屋子里。

他从柔软的莫尔人地毯上跑过去，打开了门。没有！她也不在这儿。房间里空空的。

这是一间御室，用来接待外国使节的，只要国王同意亲自接见他们，这种事近来不常有

了。多年以前，就是在这间屋子里，英国的特使到这儿来安排他们的女王——当时她是欧洲

天主教君主之一，与皇帝的长子联姻的。屋子里的帷幔都是用镀金的皮革做成的，黑白两色

相间的开花板下面垂挂着沉重的镀金烛架，上而可以架起三百支蜡烛。一个巨大的金光闪闪

的华盖上面用小粒珍珠绣出了狮子和卡斯特尔城堡图，华盖下面就是国王的宝座，宝座上盖

着昂贵的黑色天鹅绒罩布，罩布上镶着银色的郁金香并且还配着精致的银饰和珍珠穗子。在

宝座第二级上面放着小公主用的跪凳，垫子是用银丝线布做成的，就在跪凳下面，靠华盖外

面的地方，立着教皇使节的椅子，只有这位使节大人才有权在任何公开的庆典仪式上与国王

坐在一起。他那顶主教的帽子，帽上缠着深红色的帽缨，就放在一个靠前边的紫色绣框上。

正对着宝座的墙上，挂着一幅查理五世猎装服的画像，像跟真人一样大小，身边还站着一只

大猎犬。另一面墙的中央处挂着一幅脉力普二世接受尼德兰诸省朝贡时的画像。在两扇窗户

的中间放着一个乌木幅柜，里面放着象牙盘子，盘子上刻着霍尔彭“死亡舞蹈”中的人物，

据说，这是这位大师亲自动手刻的。

可是小矮人对眼前豪华的盛景却没有留意。他不愿用自己的玫瑰花来换华盖上的珍珠，

更不肯用哪怕一片玫瑰花瓣来换宝座。他所要做的就是在小公主去亭廊之前见上她一面，并

要求在他的舞蹈结束之后就跟他一块儿离去。此时在宫中，空气是郁闷而沉重的，然而在树

林里风儿却能自由自在地衣着，阳光挥舞着那双金灿灿的双手拔开抖动的树叶。树林中也有

鲜花，也许赶不上花园里的花那么鲜艳，但却更加芳香怕人；早春中的风信子花在清凉的山

谷和青草的小丘上荡起层层紫色的浪潮；一簇簇黄色的樱草爬满了橡树根的四周；色彩鲜明

的白屈莱，蓝幽幽的威灵仙，深红且金黄的萄尾随处可见。榛树上有灰色的茅荑花，顶针花

上挂吊着斑迹点点的蜜蜂小屋。栗树的顶部如同白色的星星，而山楂却透着它那苍白的美丽

月色。是的，只要他能够找到她，她一定会来的！她会跟他一块儿到美妙的树林中去的，他

还会给她跳一整天的舞，逗她开心。想到这几，他的眼睛中露出灿烂的微笑，然后他就走进

了另一间房子。

在所有的房屋中这一间是最明亮和最漂亮的。屋里的四壁上布满了印着浅红色花朵的意

大利缎子，缎子上面还点缀着鸟图和可爱的银花；家具是用大块的银子做成的，上面镶着鲜

艳的花环和转动的小爱神；在两个大壁炉的前面立着绣有鹏踏和孔雀的大屏风；地板是海绿

色的玛瑙，仿佛延伸至遥遥的远方。这里并非他一个人，房间的另一头，在门道的阴影下站

着一个小小的人影，正望着他。他心中一颤，从口中进发出一声喜悦的叫声，接着他一下子

跑进了屋外的阳光中。他这么做的时候，那个人影也跟着这么做，他完全看清楚那是什么了。

小公主！不，那只是个怪物，是他所见过的最难看的怪物。奇形怪状的样子，非常人一

般，驼着背，拐着腿，还有一个摇来摇去的大脑袋和一头鬃毛般的乌发。小矮人皱起了眉

头。他笑了，而它也跟着笑，而且还把两只手放在腰间，就跟他的做法是一样的。他嘲笑着

向它鞠了一躬，它也对他还了一个礼。他朝它走去，它也走上来迎他，跟他迈着同样的步

伐，他停下来，对方也站住了脚步。他惊奇地叫了起来，跑上前去，伸出一只手，而怪物的

手也朝他的手伸来，那只手冷冰冰的。他觉得好害怕，又把手挥舞了过去，怪物的手也很快

地伸了过来。他再试着往前压去，但有什么光滑而坚硬的东西挡住了他。怪物的脸此时此刻

正好贴近了他的脸，脸上似乎充满了恐俱。他把头发从眼睛上抹开。它也摹仿他。他去打

它，可它也报以拳头。他对它做出烦恼的样子，它也朝他做鬼脸。他向后退去，它也跟着退

去了。

它是什么东西呀？他想了一会儿，并朝房屋的四周看了看。真是怪了，不管什么东西在

这堵看不见的清水墙上都会重复出现它们原有的模样，是的，墙上有屋里一样的图画，一样

的睡椅。门口壁禽中那个躺着的睡牧神，竟也有一个模样相同的孪生兄弟酣睡在那儿，那位

站立在阳光中伸出双臂的银维纳斯像也正朝着另一个一样可爱的维纳斯对视着。

这是回音吗？他曾经在山谷中呼唤过她，她一个字一个字地回应着。难道她也能摹仿眼

睛就像她摹仿声音那样？难道她能制造出一个与真实世界一样的假世界？难道物体的影子有

颜色、生命和动作吗？难道这会是——？

他吃了一惊，便从怀里拿出那朵美丽的白玫瑰，转过身来，吻着花。那个怪物也有自己

的玫瑰花，花瓣竟跟他的一模一样！它也在吻花，而且跟他的吻法是一样的，还用它那可怕

的动作把花按在自己的胸口上。

等他明白了其中的道理的时候，他发出了绝望的狂叫声，趴在地上痛哭起来。原来那个

奇丑无比，弯腰驼背的怪物就是他自己。他正是那个怪物，所有的小孩嘲笑的也是他，那位

他原以为爱他的小公主——她也只不过是在嘲笑他的丑态，拿他的拐腿寻开心罢了。他们为

什么要把他带出树林？林子里没有镜子告诉他，他是多么的丑陋。为什么他的父亲不杀死

他，却要出卖他的丑相呢？热泪从他的脸颊上滚滚而下，他把白玫瑰扯了个粉碎。那个趴在

地上的怪物也照他的样子做了，还把花瓣撒在空中。它在地上爬着，他朝它看着，它也用皱

着眉头的苦脸望着他。他朝一边爬去，不愿再看见它，并用双手捂住自己的眼睛。他像一只

受了伤的动物，向阴暗处爬去，并躺在那儿呻吟起来。

正在这时小公主带着她的小伙伴们从开着的落地窗中走了进来，当他们看见丑陋的小矮

人躺在地上，用紧握的拳头捶打地板的时候，他们忍不住为他那极其滑稽夸张的举动哈哈大

笑起来，并围着他观赏起来。

“他的舞蹈很有趣的，”小公主说，“而他的演技更加滑稽。的确他差不多跟木偶人一

样的好，只是还不够自然而已。”说完她扇起了大扇子，高兴地拍手叫好。

可是小矮人再也没有抬起头来，他的哭泣声越来越弱了，突然他发出一声奇怪的喘息，

并在身上抓起来。然后他又倒了下去，一动不动地脑下了。

“这可真精彩，”小公主说，又过了一阵子；“不过现在你必须为我们跳舞了。”

可是小矮人却一声未答。

小公主跺了跺脚，叫起了她的叔父。她叔父此时正和宫廷大臣一起在阳台上散步，读着

刚从墨西哥送来的公文，宗教裁判所最近在墨西哥成立了。“我的这个有趣的小矮人生气

了，”她大声嚷道，“你一定要把他叫醒，让他为我跳舞。”

他们两人相互笑了笑，慢慢地走了进来。唐．彼德罗弯下腰去，用他那绣花的手套打着

小矮人的脸，说道：“你必须得跳舞，小怪物，你一定得跳。西班牙及西印度群岛的小公主

要开心快乐才对。”

可是小矮人却一动也不动。

“应该叫个执鞭人来打他一顿，”唐．彼德罗愤愤地说，接着他又回到了阳台上去。不

过宫廷大臣却是一副庄重的表情，他跪在小矮人的身旁，把手按在小矮人的胸口上。过了一

会儿，他耸了耸肩膀，站起身来，向小公主鞠了个躬，并说道：

“我美丽的小公主，您那位滑稽的小矮人再也不能够跳舞了。真遗憾，他长得这么丑，

一定会使国王不开心的。”

“可是他为什么不再跳舞了呢？”小公主笑着问道。

“因为他的心碎了，”宫廷大臣说。

公主皱皱眉头，她那可爱的玫瑰叶嘴唇傲气地朝上撅了一下。“那么以后让那些来陪我

玩的人都不带心才行，”她大声说，然后就朝外跑进花园里去了。

the birthday of the infanta

it was the birthday of the infanta. she was just twelve years of

age, and the sun was shining brightly in the gardens of the palace.

although she was a real princess and the infanta of spain, she had

only one birthday every year, just like the children of quite poor

people, so it was naturally a matter of great importance to the

whole country that she should have a really fine day for the

occasion. and a really fine day it certainly was. the tall

striped tulips stood straight up upon their stalks, like long rows

of soldiers, and looked defiantly across the grass at the roses,

and said: we are quite as splendid as you are now. the purple

butterflies fluttered about with gold dust on their wings, visiting

each flower in turn; the little lizards crept out of the crevices

of the wall, and lay basking in the white glare; and the

pomegranates split and cracked with the heat, and showed their

bleeding red hearts. even the pale yellow lemons, that hung in

such profusion from the mouldering trellis and along the dim

arcades, seemed to have caught a richer colour from the wonderful

sunlight, and the magnolia trees opened their great globe-like

blossoms of folded ivory, and filled the air with a sweet heavy

perfume.

the little princess herself walked up and down the terrace with her

companions, and played at hide and seek round the stone vases and

the old moss-grown statues. on ordinary days she was only allowed

to play with children of her own rank, so she had always to play

alone, but her birthday was an exception, and the king had given

orders that she was to invite any of her young friends whom she

liked to come and amuse themselves with her. there was a stately

grace about these slim spanish children as they glided about, the

boys with their large-plumed hats and short fluttering cloaks, the

girls holding up the trains of their long brocaded gowns, and

shielding the sun from their eyes with huge fans of black and

silver. but the infanta was the most graceful of all, and the most

tastefully attired, after the somewhat cumbrous fashion of the day.

her robe was of grey satin, the skirt and the wide puffed sleeves

heavily embroidered with silver, and the stiff corset studded with

rows of fine pearls. two tiny slippers with big pink rosettes

peeped out beneath her dress as she walked. pink and pearl was her

great gauze fan, and in her hair, which like an aureole of faded

gold stood out stiffly round her pale little face, she had a

beautiful white rose.

from a window in the palace the sad melancholy king watched them.

behind him stood his brother, don pedro of aragon, whom he hated,

and his confessor, the grand inquisitor of granada, sat by his

side. sadder even than usual was the king, for as he looked at the

infanta bowing with childish gravity to the assembling counters, or

laughing behind her fan at the grim duchess of albuquerque who

always accompanied her, he thought of the young queen, her mother,

who but a short time before - so it seemed to him - had come from

the gay country of france, and had withered away in the sombre

splendour of the spanish court, dying just six months after the

birth of her child, and before she had seen the almonds blossom

twice in the orchard, or plucked the second years fruit from the

old gnarled fig-tree that stood in the centre of the now grass-

grown courtyard. so great had been his love for her that he had

not suffered even the grave to hide her from him. she had been

embalmed by a moorish physician, who in return for this service had

been granted his life, which for heresy and suspicion of magical

practices had been already forfeited, men said, to the holy office,

and her body was still lying on its tapestried bier in the black

marble chapel of the palace, just as the monks had borne her in on

that windy march day nearly twelve years before. once every month

the king, wrapped in a dark cloak and with a muffled lantern in his

hand, went in and knelt by her side calling out, mi reina! mi

reina! and sometimes breaking through the formal etiquette that in

spain governs every separate action of life, and sets limits even

to the sorrow of a king, he would clutch at the pale jewelled hands

in a wild agony of grief, and try to wake by his mad kisses the

cold painted face.

to-day he seemed to see her again, as he had seen her first at the

castle of fontainebleau, when he was but fifteen years of age, and

she still younger. they had been formally betrothed on that

occasion by the papal nuncio in the presence of the french king and

all the court, and he had returned to the escurial bearing with him

a little ringlet of yellow hair, and the memory of two childish

lips bending down to kiss his hand as he stepped into his carriage.

later on had followed the marriage, hastily performed at burgos, a

small town on the frontier between the two countries, and the grand

public entry into madrid with the customary celebration of high

mass at the church of la atocha, and a more than usually solemn

auto-da-fe, in which nearly three hundred heretics, amongst whom

were many englishmen, had been delivered over to the secular arm to

be burned.

certainly he had loved her madly, and to the ruin, many thought, of

his country, then at war with england for the possession of the

empire of the new world. he had hardly ever permitted her to be

out of his sight; for her, he had forgotten, or seemed to have

forgotten, all grave affairs of state; and, with that terrible

blindness that passion brings upon its servants, he had failed to

notice that the elaborate ceremonies by which he sought to please

her did but aggravate the strange malady from which she suffered.

when she died he was, for a time, like one bereft of reason.

indeed, there is no doubt but that he would have formally abdicated

and retired to the great trappist monastery at granada, of which he

was already titular prior, had he not been afraid to leave the

little infanta at the mercy of his brother, whose cruelty, even in

spain, was notorious, and who was suspected by many of having

caused the queens death by means of a pair of poisoned gloves that

he had presented to her on the occasion of her visiting his castle

in aragon. even after the expiration of the three years of public

mourning that he had ordained throughout his whole dominions by

royal edict, he would never suffer his ministers to speak about any

new alliance, and when the emperor himself sent to him, and offered

him the hand of the lovely archduchess of bohemia, his niece, in

marriage, he bade the ambassadors tell their master that the king

of spain was already wedded to sorrow, and that though she was but

a barren bride he loved her better than beauty; an answer that cost

his crown the rich provinces of the netherlands, which soon after,

at the emperors instigation, revolted against him under the

leadership of some fanatics of the reformed church.

his whole married life, with its fierce, fiery-coloured joys and

the terrible agony of its sudden ending, seemed to come back to him

to-day as he watched the infanta playing on the terrace. she had

all the queens pretty petulance of manner, the same wilful way of

tossing her head, the same proud curved beautiful mouth, the same

wonderful smile - vrai sourire de france indeed - as she glanced up

now and then at the window, or stretched out her little hand for

the stately spanish gentlemen to kiss. but the shrill laughter of

the children grated on his ears, and the bright pitiless sunlight

mocked his sorrow, and a dull odour of strange spices, spices such

as embalmers use, seemed to taint - or was it fancy? - the clear

morning air. he buried his face in his hands, and when the infanta

looked up again the curtains had been drawn, and the king had

retired.

she made a little moue of disappointment, and shrugged her

shoulders. surely he might have stayed with her on her birthday.

what did the stupid state-affairs matter? or had he gone to that

gloomy chapel, where the candles were always burning, and where she

was never allowed to enter? how silly of him, when the sun was

shining so brightly, and everybody was so happy! besides, he would

miss the sham bull-fight for which the trumpet was already

sounding, to say nothing of the puppet-show and the other wonderful

things. her uncle and the grand inquisitor were much more

sensible. they had come out on the terrace, and paid her nice

compliments. so she tossed her pretty head, and taking don pedro

by the hand, she walked slowly down the steps towards a long

pavilion of purple silk that had been erected at the end of the

garden, the other children following in strict order of precedence,

those who had the longest names going first.

a procession of noble boys, fantastically dressed as toreadors,

came out to meet her, and the young count of tierra-nueva, a

wonderfully handsome lad of about fourteen years of age, uncovering

his head with all the grace of a born hidalgo and grandee of spain,

led her solemnly in to a little gilt and ivory chair that was

placed on a raised dais above the arena. the children grouped

themselves all round, fluttering their big fans and whispering to

each other, and don pedro and the grand inquisitor stood laughing

at the entrance. even the duchess - the camerera-mayor as she was

called - a thin, hard-featured woman with a yellow ruff, did not

look quite so bad-tempered as usual, and something like a chill

smile flitted across her wrinkled face and twitched her thin

bloodless lips.

it certainly was a marvellous bull-fight, and much nicer, the

infanta thought, than the real bull-fight that she had been brought

to see at seville, on the occasion of the visit of the duke of

parma to her father. some of the boys pranced about on richly-

caparisoned hobby-horses brandishing long javelins with gay

streamers of bright ribands attached to them; others went on foot

waving their scarlet cloaks before the bull, and vaulting lightly

over the barrier when he charged them; and as for the bull himself,

he was just like a live bull, though he was only made of wicker-

work and stretched hide, and sometimes insisted on running round

the arena on his hind legs, which no live bull ever dreams of

doing. he made a splendid fight of it too, and the children got so

excited that they stood up upon the benches, and waved their lace

handkerchiefs and cried out: bravo toro! bravo toro! just as

sensibly as if they had been grown-up people. at last, however,

after a prolonged combat, during which several of the hobby-horses

were gored through and through, and, their riders dismounted, the

young count of tierra-nueva brought the bull to his knees, and

having obtained permission from the infanta to give the coup de

grace, he plunged his wooden sword into the neck of the animal with

such violence that the head came right off, and disclosed the

laughing face of little monsieur de lorraine, the son of the french

ambassador at madrid.

the arena was then cleared amidst much applause, and the dead

hobbyhorses dragged solemnly away by two moorish pages in yellow

and black liveries, and after a short interlude, during which a

french posture-master performed upon the tightrope, some italian

puppets appeared in the semi-classical tragedy of sophonisba on the

stage of a small theatre that had been built up for the purpose.

they acted so well, and their gestures were so extremely natural,

that at the close of the play the eyes of the infanta were quite

dim with tears. indeed some of the children really cried, and had

to be comforted with sweetmeats, and the grand inquisitor himself

was so affected that he could not help saying to don pedro that it

seemed to him intolerable that things made simply out of wood and

coloured wax, and worked mechanically by wires, should be so

unhappy and meet with such terrible misfortunes.

an african juggler followed, who brought in a large flat basket

covered with a red cloth, and having placed it in the centre of the

arena, he took from his turban a curious reed pipe, and blew

through it. in a few moments the cloth began to move, and as the

pipe grew shriller and shriller two green and gold snakes put out

their strange wedge-shaped heads and rose slowly up, swaying to and

fro with the music as a plant sways in the water. the children,

however, were rather frightened at their spotted hoods and quick

darting tongues, and were much more pleased when the juggler made a

tiny orange-tree grow out of the sand and bear pretty white

blossoms and clusters of real fruit; and when he took the fan of

the little daughter of the marquess de las-torres, and changed it

into a blue bird that flew all round the pavilion and sang, their

delight and amazement knew no bounds. the solemn minuet, too,

performed by the dancing boys from the church of nuestra senora del

pilar, was charming. the infanta had never before seen this

wonderful ceremony which takes place every year at maytime in front

of the high altar of the virgin, and in her honour; and indeed none

of the royal family of spain had entered the great cathedral of

saragossa since a mad priest, supposed by many to have been in the

pay of elizabeth of england, had tried to administer a poisoned

wafer to the prince of the asturias. so she had known only by

hearsay of our ladys dance, as it was called, and it certainly

was a beautiful sight. the boys wore old-fashioned court dresses

of white velvet, and their curious three-cornered hats were fringed

with silver and surmounted with huge plumes of ostrich feathers,

the dazzling whiteness of their costumes, as they moved about in

the sunlight, being still more accentuated by their swarthy faces

and long black hair. everybody was fascinated by the grave dignity

with which they moved through the intricate figures of the dance,

and by the elaborate grace of their slow gestures, and stately

bows, and when they had finished their performance and doffed their

great plumed hats to the infanta, she acknowledged their reverence

with much courtesy, and made a vow that she would send a large wax

candle to the shrine of our lady of pilar in return for the

pleasure that she had given her.

a troop of handsome egyptians - as the gipsies were termed in those

days - then advanced into the arena, and sitting down cross-legs,

in a circle, began to play softly upon their zithers, moving their

bodies to the tune, and humming, almost below their breath, a low

dreamy air. when they caught sight of don pedro they scowled at

him, and some of them looked terrified, for only a few weeks before

he had had two of their tribe hanged for sorcery in the market-

place at seville, but the pretty infanta charmed them as she leaned

back peeping over her fan with her great blue eyes, and they felt

sure that one so lovely as she was could never be cruel to anybody.

so they played on very gently and just touching the cords of the

zithers with their long pointed nails, and their heads began to nod

as though they were falling asleep. suddenly, with a cry so shrill

that all the children were startled and don pedros hand clutched

at the agate pommel of his dagger, they leapt to their feet and

whirled madly round the enclosure beating their tambourines, and

chaunting some wild love-song in their strange guttural language.

then at another signal they all flung themselves again to the

ground and lay there quite still, the dull strumming of the zithers

being the only sound that broke the silence. after that they had

done this several times, they disappeared for a moment and came

back leading a brown shaggy bear by a chain, and carrying on their

shoulders some little barbary apes. the bear stood upon his head

with the utmost gravity, and the wizened apes played all kinds of

amusing tricks with two gipsy boys who seemed to be their masters,

and fought with tiny swords, and fired off guns, and went through a

regular soldiers drill just like the kings own bodyguard. in

fact the gipsies were a great success.

but the funniest part of the whole mornings entertainment, was

undoubtedly the dancing of the little dwarf. when he stumbled into

the arena, waddling on his crooked legs and wagging his huge

misshapen head from side to side, the children went off into a loud

shout of delight, and the infanta herself laughed so much that the

camerera was obliged to remind her that although there were many

precedents in spain for a kings daughter weeping before her

equals, there were none for a princess of the blood royal making so

merry before those who were her inferiors in birth. the dwarf,

however, was really quite irresistible, and even at the spanish

court, always noted for its cultivated passion for the horrible, so

fantastic a little monster had never been seen. it was his first

appearance, too. he had been discovered only the day before,

running wild through the forest, by two of the nobles who happened

to have been hunting in a remote part of the great cork-wood that

surrounded the town, and had been carried off by them to the palace

as a surprise for the infanta; his father, who was a poor charcoal-

burner, being but too well pleased to get rid of so ugly and

useless a child. perhaps the most amusing thing about him was his

complete unconsciousness of his own grotesque appearance. indeed

he seemed quite happy and full of the highest spirits. when the

children laughed, he laughed as freely and as joyously as any of

them, and at the close of each dance he made them each the funniest

of bows, smiling and nodding at them just as if he was really one

of themselves, and not a little misshapen thing that nature, in

some humourous mood, had fashioned for others to mock at. as for

the infanta, she absolutely fascinated him. he could not keep his

eyes off her, and seemed to dance for her alone, and when at the

close of the performance, remembering how she had seen the great

ladies of the court throw bouquets to caffarelli, the famous

italian treble, whom the pope had sent from his own chapel to

madrid that he might cure the kings melancholy by the sweetness of

his voice, she took out of her hair the beautiful white rose, and

partly for a jest and partly to tease the camerera, threw it to him

across the arena with her sweetest smile, he took the whole matter

quite seriously, and pressing the flower to his rough coarse lips

he put his hand upon his heart, and sank on one knee before her,

grinning from ear to ear, and with his little bright eyes sparkling

with pleasure.

this so upset the gravity of the infanta that she kept on laughing

long after the little dwarf had ran out of the arena, and expressed

a desire to her uncle that the dance should be immediately

repeated. the camerera, however, on the plea that the sun was too

hot, decided that it would be better that her highness should

return without delay to the palace, where a wonderful feast had

been already prepared for her, including a real birthday cake with

her own initials worked all over it in painted sugar and a lovely

silver flag waving from the top. the infanta accordingly rose up

with much dignity, and having given orders that the little dwarf

was to dance again for her after the hour of siesta, and conveyed

her thanks to the young count of tierra-nueva for his charming

reception, she went back to her apartments, the children following

in the same order in which they had entered.

now when the little dwarf heard that he was to dance a second time

before the infanta, and by her own express command, he was so proud

that he ran out into the garden, kissing the white rose in an

absurd ecstasy of pleasure, and making the most uncouth and clumsy

gestures of delight.

the flowers were quite indignant at his daring to intrude into

their beautiful home, and when they saw him capering up and down

the walks, and waving his arms above his head in such a ridiculous

manner, they could not restrain their feelings any longer.

he is really far too ugly to be allowed to play in any place where

we are, cried the tulips.

he should drink poppy-juice, and go to sleep for a thousand

years, said the great scarlet lilies, and they grew quite hot and

angry.

he is a perfect horror! screamed the cactus. why, he is twisted

and stumpy, and his head is completely out of proportion with his

legs. really he makes me feel prickly all over, and if he comes

near me i will sting him with my thorns.

and he has actually got one of my best blooms, exclaimed the

white rose-tree. i gave it to the infanta this morning myself, as

a birthday present, and he has stolen it from her. and she called

out: thief, thief, thief! at the top of her voice.

even the red geraniums, who did not usually give themselves airs,

and were known to have a great many poor relations themselves,

curled up in disgust when they saw him, and when the violets meekly

remarked that though he was certainly extremely plain, still he

could not help it, they retorted with a good deal of justice that

that was his chief defect, and that there was no reason why one

should admire a person because he was incurable; and, indeed, some

of the violets themselves felt that the ugliness of the little

dwarf was almost ostentatious, and that he would have shown much

better taste if he had looked sad, or at least pensive, instead of

jumping about merrily, and throwing himself into such grotesque and

silly attitudes.

as for the old sundial, who was an extremely remarkable individual,

and had once told the time of day to no less a person than the

emperor charles v. himself, he was so taken aback by the little

dwarfs appearance, that he almost forgot to mark two whole minutes

with his long shadowy finger, and could not help saying to the

great milk-white peacock, who was sunning herself on the

balustrade, that every one knew that the children of kings were

kings, and that the children of charcoal-burners were charcoal-

burners, and that it was absurd to pretend that it wasnt so; a

statement with which the peacock entirely agreed, and indeed

screamed out, certainly, certainly, in such a loud, harsh voice,

that the gold-fish who lived in the basin of the cool splashing

fountain put their heads out of the water, and asked the huge stone

tritons what on earth was the matter.

but somehow the birds liked him. they had seen him often in the

forest, dancing about like an elf after the eddying leaves, or

crouched up in the hollow of some old oak-tree, sharing his nuts

with the squirrels. they did not mind his being ugly, a bit. why,

even the nightingale herself, who sang so sweetly in the orange

groves at night that sometimes the moon leaned down to listen, was

not much to look at after all; and, besides, he had been kind to

them, and during that terribly bitter winter, when there were no

berries on the trees, and the ground was as hard as iron, and the

wolves had come down to the very gates of the city to look for

food, he had never once forgotten them, but had always given them

crumbs out of his little hunch of black bread, and divided with

them whatever poor breakfast he had.

so they flew round and round him, just touching his cheek with

their wings as they passed, and chattered to each other, and the

little dwarf was so pleased that he could not help showing them the

beautiful white rose, and telling them that the infanta herself had

given it to him because she loved him.

they did not understand a single word of what he was saying, but

that made no matter, for they put their heads on one side, and

looked wise, which is quite as good as understanding a thing, and

very much easier.

the lizards also took an immense fancy to him, and when he grew

tired of running about and flung himself down on the grass to rest,

they played and romped all over him, and tried to amuse him in the

best way they could. every one cannot be as beautiful as a

lizard, they cried; that would be too much to expect. and,

though it sounds absurd to say so, he is really not so ugly after

all, provided, of course, that one shuts ones eyes, and does not

look at him. the lizards were extremely philosophical by nature,

and often sat thinking for hours and hours together, when there was

nothing else to do, or when the weather was too rainy for them to

go out.

the flowers, however, were excessively annoyed at their behaviour,

and at the behaviour of the birds. it only shows, they said,

what a vulgarising effect this incessant rushing and flying about

has. well-bred people always stay exactly in the same place, as we

do. no one ever saw us hopping up and down the walks, or galloping

madly through the grass after dragon-flies. when we do want change

of air, we send for the gardener, and he carries us to another bed.

this is dignified, and as it should be. but birds and lizards have

no sense of repose, and indeed birds have not even a permanent

address. they are mere vagrants like the gipsies, and should be

treated in exactly the same manner. so they put their noses in

the air, and looked very haughty, and were quite delighted when

after some time they saw the little dwarf scramble up from the

grass, and make his way across the terrace to the palace.

he should certainly be kept indoors for the rest of his natural

life, they said. look at his hunched back, and his crooked

legs, and they began to titter.

but the little dwarf knew nothing of all this. he liked the birds

and the lizards immensely, and thought that the flowers were the

most marvellous things in the whole world, except of course the

infanta, but then she had given him the beautiful white rose, and

she loved him, and that made a great difference. how he wished

that he had gone back with her! she would have put him on her

right hand, and smiled at him, and he would have never left her

side, but would have made her his playmate, and taught her all

kinds of delightful tricks. for though he had never been in a

palace before, he knew a great many wonderful things. he could

make little cages out of rushes for the grasshoppers to sing in,

and fashion the long jointed bamboo into the pipe that pan loves to

hear. he knew the cry of every bird, and could call the starlings

from the tree-top, or the heron from the mere. he knew the trail

of every animal, and could track the hare by its delicate

footprints, and the boar by the trampled leaves. all the wild-

dances he knew, the mad dance in red raiment with the autumn, the

light dance in blue sandals over the corn, the dance with white

snow-wreaths in winter, and the blossom-dance through the orchards

in spring. he knew where the wood-pigeons built their nests, and

once when a fowler had snared the parent birds, he had brought up

the young ones himself, and had built a little dovecot for them in

the cleft of a pollard elm. they were quite tame, and used to feed

out of his hands every morning. she would like them, and the

rabbits that scurried about in the long fern, and the jays with

their steely feathers and black bills, and the hedgehogs that could

curl themselves up into prickly balls, and the great wise tortoises

that crawled slowly about, shaking their heads and nibbling at the

young leaves. yes, she must certainly come to the forest and play

with him. he would give her his own little bed, and would watch

outside the window till dawn, to see that the wild horned cattle

did not harm her, nor the gaunt wolves creep too near the hut. and

at dawn he would tap at the shutters and wake her, and they would

go out and dance together all the day long. it was really not a

bit lonely in the forest. sometimes a bishop rode through on his

white mule, reading out of a painted book. sometimes in their

green velvet caps, and their jerkins of tanned deerskin, the

falconers passed by, with hooded hawks on their wrists. at

vintage-time came the grape-treaders, with purple hands and feet,

wreathed with glossy ivy and carrying dripping skins of wine; and

the charcoal-burners sat round their huge braziers at night,

watching the dry logs charring slowly in the fire, and roasting

chestnuts in the ashes, and the robbers came out of their caves and

made merry with them. once, too, he had seen a beautiful

procession winding up the long dusty road to toledo. the monks

went in front singing sweetly, and carrying bright banners and

crosses of gold, and then, in silver armour, with matchlocks and

pikes, came the soldiers, and in their midst walked three

barefooted men, in strange yellow dresses painted all over with

wonderful figures, and carrying lighted candles in their hands.

certainly there was a great deal to look at in the forest, and when

she was tired he would find a soft bank of moss for her, or carry

her in his arms, for he was very strong, though he knew that he was

not tall. he would make her a necklace of red bryony berries, that

would be quite as pretty as the white berries that she wore on her

dress, and when she was tired of them, she could throw them away,

and he would find her others. he would bring her acorn-cups and

dew-drenched anemones, and tiny glow-worms to be stars in the pale

gold of her hair.

but where was she? he asked the white rose, and it made him no

answer. the whole palace seemed asleep, and even where the

shutters had not been closed, heavy curtains had been drawn across

the windows to keep out the glare. he wandered all round looking

for some place through which he might gain an entrance, and at last

he caught sight of a little private door that was lying open. he

slipped through, and found himself in a splendid hall, far more

splendid, he feared, than the forest, there was so much more

gilding everywhere, and even the floor was made of great coloured

stones, fitted together into a sort of geometrical pattern. but

the little infanta was not there, only some wonderful white statues

that looked down on him from their jasper pedestals, with sad blank

eyes and strangely smiling lips.

at the end of the hall hung a richly embroidered curtain of black

velvet, powdered with suns and stars, the kings favourite devices,

and broidered on the colour he loved best. perhaps she was hiding

behind that? he would try at any rate.

so he stole quietly across, and drew it aside. no; there was only

another room, though a prettier room, he thought, than the one he

had just left. the walls were hung with a many-figured green arras

of needle-wrought tapestry representing a hunt, the work of some

flemish artists who had spent more than seven years in its

composition. it had once been the chamber of jean le fou, as he

was called, that mad king who was so enamoured of the chase, that

he had often tried in his delirium to mount the huge rearing

horses, and to drag down the stag on which the great hounds were

leaping, sounding his hunting horn, and stabbing with his dagger at

the pale flying deer. it was now used as the council-room, and on

the centre table were lying the red portfolios of the ministers,

stamped with the gold tulips of spain, and with the arms and

emblems of the house of hapsburg.

the little dwarf looked in wonder all round him, and was half-

afraid to go on. the strange silent horsemen that galloped so

swiftly through the long glades without making any noise, seemed to

him like those terrible phantoms of whom he had heard the charcoal-

burners speaking - the comprachos, who hunt only at night, and if

they meet a man, turn him into a hind, and chase him. but he

thought of the pretty infanta, and took courage. he wanted to find

her alone, and to tell her that he too loved her. perhaps she was

in the room beyond.

he ran across the soft moorish carpets, and opened the door. no!

she was not here either. the room was quite empty.

it was a throne-room, used for the reception of foreign

ambassadors, when the king, which of late had not been often,

consented to give them a personal audience; the same room in which,

many years before, envoys had appeared from england to make

arrangements for the marriage of their queen, then one of the

catholic sovereigns of europe, with the emperors eldest son. the

hangings were of gilt cordovan leather, and a heavy gilt chandelier

with branches for three hundred wax lights hung down from the black

and white ceiling. underneath a great canopy of gold cloth, on

which the lions and towers of castile were broidered in seed

pearls, stood the throne itself, covered with a rich pall of black

velvet studded with silver tulips and elaborately fringed with

silver and pearls. on the second step of the throne was placed the

kneeling-stool of the infanta, with its cushion of cloth of silver

tissue, and below that again, and beyond the limit of the canopy,

stood the chair for the papal nuncio, who alone had the right to be

seated in the kings presence on the occasion of any public

ceremonial, and whose cardinals hat, with its tangled scarlet

tassels, lay on a purple tabouret in front. on the wall, facing

the throne, hung a life-sized portrait of charles v. in hunting

dress, with a great mastiff by his side, and a picture of philip

ii. receiving the homage of the netherlands occupied the centre of

the other wall. between the windows stood a black ebony cabinet,

inlaid with plates of ivory, on which the figures from holbeins

dance of death had been graved - by the hand, some said, of that

famous master himself.

but the little dwarf cared nothing for all this magnificence. he

would not have given his rose for all the pearls on the canopy, nor

one white petal of his rose for the throne itself. what he wanted

was to see the infanta before she went down to the pavilion, and to

ask her to come away with him when he had finished his dance.

here, in the palace, the air was close and heavy, but in the forest

the wind blew free, and the sunlight with wandering hands of gold

moved the tremulous leaves aside. there were flowers, too, in the

forest, not so splendid, perhaps, as the flowers in the garden, but

more sweetly scented for all that; hyacinths in early spring that

flooded with waving purple the cool glens, and grassy knolls;

yellow primroses that nestled in little clumps round the gnarled

roots of the oak-trees; bright celandine, and blue speedwell, and

irises lilac and gold. there were grey catkins on the hazels, and

the foxgloves drooped with the weight of their dappled bee-haunted

cells. the chestnut had its spires of white stars, and the

hawthorn its pallid moons of beauty. yes: surely she would come

if he could only find her! she would come with him to the fair

forest, and all day long he would dance for her delight. a smile

lit up his eyes at the thought, and he passed into the next room.

of all the rooms this was the brightest and the most beautiful.

the walls were covered with a pink-flowered lucca damask, patterned

with birds and dotted with dainty blossoms of silver; the furniture

was of massive silver, festooned with florid wreaths, and swinging

cupids; in front of the two large fire-places stood great screens

broidered with parrots and peacocks, and the floor, which was of

sea-green onyx, seemed to stretch far away into the distance. nor

was he alone. standing under the shadow of the doorway, at the

extreme end of the room, he saw a little figure watching him. his

heart trembled, a cry of joy broke from his lips, and he moved out

into the sunlight. as he did so, the figure moved out also, and he

saw it plainly.

the infanta! it was a monster, the most grotesque monster he had

ever beheld. not properly shaped, as all other people were, but

hunchbacked, and crooked-limbed, with huge lolling head and mane of

black hair. the little dwarf frowned, and the monster frowned

also. he laughed, and it laughed with him, and held its hands to

its sides, just as he himself was doing. he made it a mocking bow,

and it returned him a low reverence. he went towards it, and it

came to meet him, copying each step that he made, and stopping when

he stopped himself. he shouted with amusement, and ran forward,

and reached out his hand, and the hand of the monster touched his,

and it was as cold as ice. he grew afraid, and moved his hand

across, and the monsters hand followed it quickly. he tried to

press on, but something smooth and hard stopped him. the face of

the monster was now close to his own, and seemed full of terror.

he brushed his hair off his eyes. it imitated him. he struck at

it, and it returned blow for blow. he loathed it, and it made

hideous faces at him. he drew back, and it retreated.

what is it? he thought for a moment, and looked round at the rest

of the room. it was strange, but everything seemed to have its

double in this invisible wall of clear water. yes, picture for

picture was repeated, and couch for couch. the sleeping faun that

lay in the alcove by the doorway had its twin brother that

slumbered, and the silver venus that stood in the sunlight held out

her arms to a venus as lovely as herself.

was it echo? he had called to her once in the valley, and she had

answered him word for word. could she mock the eye, as she mocked

the voice? could she make a mimic world just like the real world?

could the shadows of things have colour and life and movement?

could it be that - ?

he started, and taking from his breast the beautiful white rose, he

turned round, and kissed it. the monster had a rose of its own,

petal for petal the same! it kissed it with like kisses, and

pressed it to its heart with horrible gestures.

when the truth dawned upon him, he gave a wild cry of despair, and

fell sobbing to the ground. so it was he who was misshapen and

hunchbacked, foul to look at and grotesque. he himself was the

monster, and it was at him that all the children had been laughing,

and the little princess who he had thought loved him - she too had

been merely mocking at his ugliness, and making merry over his

twisted limbs. why had they not left him in the forest, where

there was no mirror to tell him how loathsome he was? why had his

father not killed him, rather than sell him to his shame? the hot

tears poured down his cheeks, and he tore the white rose to pieces.

the sprawling monster did the same, and scattered the faint petals

in the air. it grovelled on the ground, and, when he looked at it,

it watched him with a face drawn with pain. he crept away, lest he

should see it, and covered his eyes with his hands. he crawled,

like some wounded thing, into the shadow, and lay there moaning.

and at that moment the infanta herself came in with her companions

through the open window, and when they saw the ugly little dwarf

lying on the ground and beating the floor with his clenched hands,

in the most fantastic and exaggerated manner, they went off into

shouts of happy laughter, and stood all round him and watched him.

his dancing was funny, said the infanta; but his acting is

funnier still. indeed he is almost as good as the puppets, only of

course not quite so natural. and she fluttered her big fan, and

applauded.

but the little dwarf never looked up, and his sobs grew fainter and

fainter, and suddenly he gave a curious gasp, and clutched his

side. and then he fell back again, and lay quite still.

that is capital, said the infanta, after a pause; but now you

must dance for me.

yes, cried all the children, you must get up and dance, for you

are as clever as the barbary apes, and much more ridiculous. but

the little dwarf made no answer.

and the infanta stamped her foot, and called out to her uncle, who

was walking on the terrace with the chamberlain, reading some

despatches that had just arrived from mexico, where the holy office

had recently been established. my funny little dwarf is sulking,

she cried, you must wake him up, and tell him to dance for me.

they smiled at each other, and sauntered in, and don pedro stooped

down, and slapped the dwarf on the cheek with his embroidered

glove. you must dance, he said, petit monsire. you must dance.

the infanta of spain and the indies wishes to be amused.

but the little dwarf never moved.

a whipping master should be sent for, said don pedro wearily, and

he went back to the terrace. but the chamberlain looked grave, and

he knelt beside the little dwarf, and put his hand upon his heart.

and after a few moments he shrugged his shoulders, and rose up, and

having made a low bow to the infanta, he said -

mi bella princesa, your funny little dwarf will never dance again.

it is a pity, for he is so ugly that he might have made the king

smile.

but why will he not dance again? asked the infanta, laughing.

because his heart is broken, answered the chamberlain.

and the infanta frowned, and her dainty rose-leaf lips curled in

pretty disdain. for the future let those who come to play with me

have no hearts, she cried, and she ran out into the garden.