tanglewood tales-第38部分

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she　ever　thought　of　flinging　away　the　wreath　of　withered　poppies；　which　she　put　on　the　very　morning　of　Proserpina's　disappearance。　She　roamed　about　in　so　wild　a　way；　and　with　her　hair　so　disheveled；　that　people　took　her　for　some　distracted　creature；　and　never　dreamed　that　this　was　Mother　Ceres；　who　had　the　oversight　of　every　seed　which　the　husbandman　planted。　Nowadays；　however；　she　gave　herself　no　trouble　about　seed　time　nor　harvest；　but　left　the　farmers　to　take　care　of　their　own　affairs；　and　the　crops　to　fade　or　flourish；　as　the　case　might　be。　There　was　nothing；　now；　in　which　Ceres　seemed　to　feel　an　interest；　unless　when　she　saw　children　at　play；　or　gathering　flowers　along　the　wayside。　Then；　indeed；　she　would　stand　and　gaze　at　them　with　tears　in　her　eyes。　The　children；　too；　appeared　to　have　a　sympathy　with　her　grief；　and　would　cluster　themselves　in　a　little　group　about　her　knees；　and　look　up　wistfully　in　her　face；　and　Ceres；　after　giving　them　a　kiss　all　round；　would　lead　them　to　their　homes；　and　advise　their　mothers　never　to　let　them　stray　out　of　sight。

〃For　if　they　do；〃　said　she；　〃it　may　happen　to　you；　as　it　has　to　me；　that　the　iron…hearted　King　Pluto　will　take　a　liking　to　your　darlings；　and　snatch　them　up　in　his　chariot；　and　carry　them　away。〃

One　day；　during　her　pilgrimage　in　quest　of　the　entrance　to　Pluto's　kingdom；　she　came　to　the　palace　of　King　Cereus；　who　reigned　at　Eleusis。　Ascending　a　lofty　flight　of　steps；　she　entered　the　portal；　and　found　the　royal　household　in　very　great　alarm　about　the　queen's　baby。　The　infant；　it　seems；　was　sickly　（being　troubled　with　its　teeth；　I　suppose）；　and　would　take　no　food；　and　was　all　the　time　moaning　with　pain。　The　queenher　name　was　Metanirawas　desirous　of　funding　a　nurse；　and　when　she　beheld　a　woman　of　matronly　aspect　coming　up　the　palace　steps；　she　thought；　in　her　own　mind；　that　here　was　the　very　person　whom　she　needed。　So　Queen　Metanira　ran　to　the　door；　with　the　poor　wailing　baby　in　her　arms；　and　besought　Ceres　to　take　charge　of　it；　or；　at　least；　to　tell　her　what　would　do　it　good。

〃Will　you　trust　the　child　entirely　to　me？〃　asked　Ceres。

〃Yes；　and　gladly；　too；〃　answered　the　queen；　〃if　you　will　devote　all　your　time　to　him。　For　I　can　see　that　you　have　been　a　mother。〃

〃You　are　right；〃　said　Ceres。　〃I　once　had　a　child　of　my　own。　Well；　I　will　be　the　nurse　of　this　poor；　sickly　boy。　But　beware；　I　warn　you；　that　you　do　not　interfere　with　any　kind　of　treatment　which　I　may　judge　proper　for　him。　If　you　do　so；　the　poor　infant　must　suffer　for　his　mother's　folly。〃

Then　she　kissed　the　child；　and　it　seemed　to　do　him　good；　for　he　smiled　and　nestled　closely　into　her　bosom。

So　Mother　Ceres　set　her　torch　in　a　corner　（where　it　kept　burning　all　the　while）；　and　took　up　her　abode　in　the　palace　of　King　Cereus；　as　nurse　to　the　little　Prince　Demophoon。　She　treated　him　as　if　he　were　her　own　child；　and　allowed　neither　the　king　nor　the　queen　to　say　whether　he　should　be　bathed　in　warm　or　cold　water；　or　what　he　should　eat；　or　how　often　he　should　take　the　air；　or　when　he　should　be　put　to　bed。　You　would　hardly　believe　me；　if　I　were　to　tell　how　quickly　the　baby　prince　got　rid　of　his　ailments；　and　grew　fat；　and　rosy；　and　strong；　and　how　he　had　two　rows　of　ivory　teeth　in　less　time　than　any　other　little　fellow；　before　or　since。　Instead　of　the　palest；　and　wretchedest；　and　puniest　imp　in　the　world　（as　his　own　mother　confessed　him　to　be；　when　Ceres　first　took　him　in　charge）；　he　was　now　a　strapping　baby；　crowing；　laughing；　kicking　up　his　heels；　and　rolling　from　one　end　of　the　room　to　the　other。　All　the　good　women　of　the　neighborhood　crowded　to　the　palace；　and　held　up　their　hands；　in　unutterable　amazement；　at　the　beauty　and　wholesomeness　of　this　darling　little　prince。　Their　wonder　was　the　greater；　because　he　was　never　seen　to　taste　any　food；　not　even　so　much　as　a　cup　of　milk。

〃Pray；　nurse；〃　the　queen　kept　saying；　〃how　is　it　that　you　make　the　child　thrive　so？〃

〃I　was　a　mother　once；〃　Ceres　always　replied；　〃and　having　nursed　my　own　child；　I　know　what　other　children　need。〃

But　Queen　Metanira；　as　was　very　natural；　had　a　great　curiosity　to　know　precisely　what　the　nurse　did　to　her　child。　One　night；　therefore；　she　hid　herself　in　the　chamber　where　Ceres　and　the　little　prince　were　accustomed　to　sleep。　There　was　a　fire　in　the　chimney；　and　it　had　now　crumbled　into　great　coals　and　embers；　which　lay　glowing　on　the　hearth；　with　a　blaze　flickering　up　now　and　then；　and　flinging　a　warm　and　ruddy　light　upon　the　walls。　Ceres　sat　before　the　hearth　with　the　child　in　her　lap；　and　the　firelight　making　her　shadow　dance　upon　the　ceiling　overhead。　She　undressed　the　little　prince；　and　bathed　him　all　over　with　some　fragrant　liquid　out　of　a　vase。　The　next　thing　she　did　was　to　rake　back　the　red　embers；　and　make　a　hollow　place　among　them；　just　where　the　backlog　had　been。　At　last；　while　the　baby　was　crowing；　and　clapping　its　fat　little　hands；　and　laughing　in　the　nurse's　face　（just　as　you　may　have　seen　your　little　brother　or　sister　do　before　going　into　its　warm　bath）；　Ceres　suddenly　laid　him；　all　naked　as　he　was；　in　the　hollow　among　the　red…hot　embers。　She　then　raked　the　ashes　over　him；　and　turned　quietly　away。

You　may　imagine；　if　you　can；　how　Queen　Metanira　shrieked；　thinking　nothing　less　than　that　her　dear　child　would　be　burned　to　a　cinder。　She　burst　forth　from　her　hiding…place；　and　running　to　the　hearth；　raked　open　the　fire；　and　snatched　up　poor　little　Prince　Demophoon　out　of　his　bed　of　live　coals；　one　of　which　he　was　gripping　in　each　of　his　fists。　He　immediately　set　up　a　grievous　cry；　as　babies　are　apt　to　do；　when　rudely　startled　out　of　a　sound　sleep。　To　the　queen's　astonishment　and　joy；　she　could　perceive　no　token　of　the　child's　being　injured　by　the　hot　fire　in　which　he　had　lain。　She　now　turned　to　Mother　Ceres；　and　asked　her　to　explain　the　mystery。

〃Foolish　woman；〃　answered　Ceres；　〃did　you　not　promise　to　intrust　this　poor　infant　entirely　to　me？　You　little　know　the　mischief　you　have　done　him。　Had　you　left　him　to　my　care；　he　would　have　grown　up　like　a　child　of　celestial　birth；　endowed　with　superhuman　strength　and　intelligence；　and　would　have　lived　forever。　Do　you　imagine　that　earthly　children　are　to　become　immortal　without　being　tempered　to　it　in　the　fiercest　heat　of　the　fire？　But　you　have　ruined　your　own　son。　For　though　he　will　be　a　strong　man　and　a　hero　in　his　day；　yet；　on　account　of　your　folly；　he　will　grow　old；　and　finally　die；　like　the　sons　of　other　women。　The　weak　tenderness　of　his　mother　has　cost　the　poor　boy　an　immortality。　Farewell。〃

Saying　these　words；　she　kissed　the　little　Prince　Demophoon；　and　sighed　to　think　what　he　had　lost；　and　took　her　departure　without　heeding　Queen　Metanira；　who　entreated　her　to　remain；　and　cover　up　the　child　among　the　hot　embers　as　often　as　she　pleased。　Poor　baby！　He　never　slept　so　warmly　again。

While　she　dwelt　in　the　king's　palace；　Mother　Ceres　had　been　so　continually　occupied　with　taking　care　of　the　young　prince；　that　her　heart　was　a　little　lightened　of　its　grief　for　Proserpina。　But　now；　having　nothing　else　to　busy　herself　about；　she　became　just　as　wretched　as　before。　At　length；　in　her　despair；　she　came　to　the　dreadful　resolution　that　not　a　stalk　of　grain；　nor　a　blade　of　grass；　not　a　p