尼诺和忠狗——睡美人2

The king and queen were heavy-hearted, but after a while, with as much dignity as they could muster, they came slowly down the grand staircase to join their guests. Just as they entered the great hall, the seventh fairy flew through the window.

　　Of course, the fairies always know instantly what happens to their friends even in the most distant parts of the world. So this fairy was deeply interested in everything that happened to the princess. As soon as this fairy arrived at the palace, she knew that the girl had fallen into a death-like sleep. She saw the sad faces of the king and queen as well as the guests, and she began to think. She thought that all the people would grow old and die after a hundred years. When the princess awoke, she would be terribly frightened and lonely. There would be nobody she knew to talk with.

　　The fairy decided that everyone and everything in the palace should also remain for a hundred years just as they were at this moment. When the princess awoke, she would be among her parents and friends.

　　The fairy touched everyone in the palace with her magic wand, so that everything became frozen in time. She touched not only the king and queen and every guest but all the palace attendants, from royal ladies to the smallest boys, and even the stable-boys, the horses, dogs, and cats, the food at the banquet tables, and vegetables and flowers in the garden.

　　Then the fairy flew away and she surrounded the castle with thickets of bushes. The thickets were so thick that the palace was completely protected.

　　Now, while the palace and all its inhabitants had lain in this magic sleep for very nearly a hundred years, a young prince in a neighboring country was approaching his twentieth birthday. He was not only handsome and brave but good and kind as well, so he was loved by his people.

　　He had once heard mysterious stories of the enchanted castle whose tower he could see high above a forest of tangled trees on a clear day. Many knights, who had heard what might be within the forest, had tried to cut through the thickets, but none had been successful.

　　But the prince was younger and more courageous than all the others. He made up his mind that on his twentieth birthday he would try to see the castle. He had also heard the story about the beautiful young lady called Sleeping Beauty asleep within the castle. The princess was waiting for a prince to awaken her from the spell the wicked witch had cast on her. The prince wanted to be the one to help her.

　　The young prince set off bravely. He whistled gaily when he approached the thick wall of thickets and forest surrounding the castle.

　　When the prince looked about the wall of thickets, he felt that it would be difficult to go through them. But suddenly  a  wonderful  thing happened. In the twinkling of an eye, the heavy branches came loose, and the tall trees bent gracefully and made a narrow opening and then the prince was able to enter the path to the castle. They closed after him at once so that no one else could follow him. As the path was narrow and winding, the prince followed it carefully.

　　At last he found himself in the courtyard of the castle. Flowers of the brightest colors, trees and bushes and other things grew in the garden, but it was as if they were made of wax. Not a leaf or flower moved. At both sides of the doorway two soldiers stood on guard and their rifles were on their shoulders. But their eyes were closed and their legs didn't move. Birds and squirrels were on the stone stairs, but there was neither sound nor movement from any of them.

　　The prince entered the castle door and saw the scene. There were great numbers of knights and ladies, as well as courtiers, servants and flower girls. It seemed that all the royal guests were very happy. At one end stood the king and queen. Dancers were about to go round in a waltz. Musicians bent over their instruments. Servants were carrying great silver trays of party food and drinks. All stood like statues.

　　In every room the prince saw the same kind of scene. He was greatly excited because he felt that he was nearing the solution to the mystery.

　　The prince climbed up the stairs, and he came to a room as rosy-pink and snowy-white as a blossoming apple tree. There was a royal bed of carved wood with gold curtains in the center of the room. And on it, deep in sleep, lay Sleeping Beauty! She was the loveliest, most beautiful girl the prince had ever seen. With a deep feeling of joy and love, he knelt by the side of her bed and kissed her tenderly on the brow.

　　Suddenly everyone and everything came alive. Sleeping Beauty took a long deep breath, smiled, and opened her eyes. "Oh, my dear!" she cried as she saw the handsome prince kneeling at her side. "I knew you would come."

　　At once the musicians went on with the music that they had suddenly stopped playing so many years before. The dancers went on waltzing. The servants kept on carrying their silver trays of food.

　　The prince helped the princess, who was still in her delightful gossamer gown. They went down into the great hall, where the king and queen were overjoyed at welcoming her.

　　And so the prince and Princess Sleeping Beauty were married and lived happily ever after.

　　国王和皇后心情都十分沉重，但过了一会儿，他们尽量维持自己的尊严，缓缓地沿着大阶梯而下加入他们的宾客中。他们一走进大厅，第七位仙女从窗外飞了进来。

　　当然，仙女们总是能立刻知道她们朋友发生什幺事，即使是在世界上最遥远的地方也是一样。所以这位仙女十分关心发生在公主身上的每一件事。她一到达皇宫，马上就知道公主已经陷入像死亡一样的沉睡中。仙女看到国王、皇后和其它宾客悲戚的面容时，她就开始思考。她心想一百年后所有的人都会变老而死去。当公主醒过来时，她会非常地害怕和寂寞。那时她将没有一个认识的人可以说话。

　　仙女决定这皇宫里的每个人和每件东西在这一百年中都将维持和此刻一模一样。当公主醒过来时，她将仍然和父母及朋友在一起。

　　仙女用她的魔杖触碰宫里的每个人，以便及时将这里的一切冻结起来。她不只碰了国王皇后和每一位宾客，也触及宫里所有的侍从，从宫女到最小的仆人，甚至于马厩小厮、马、狗、猫，以及宴会桌上的食物，和花园里的蔬菜和花朵。

　　然后仙女飞走，并将城堡用茂密的树篱包围起来。树篱相当茂密，因此整座宫殿完全都被保护起来。

　　现在，整座宫殿和宫中所有的居民在魔法中沉睡了将近百年，这时候邻国一位年轻王子即将过二十岁生日。他不仅英俊勇敢，而且也很亲切仁慈，因此他深得人民的爱戴。

　　他曾经听说过这座魔法控制下城堡的神秘故事，天气晴朗的时候，他可以看到城堡的高塔耸立在纠结缠绕的树木之中。以前有许多骑士也听说那森林里可能会有什幺东西，也曾经试着要穿过树篱，可是都没有人成功过。

　　但是这位王子比所有的骑士都要年轻和勇敢。他决定在他二十岁生日的那天，要设法看到那座城堡。他也听说有个叫做睡美人的漂亮女孩沈睡在城堡里的故事。这位公主正在等待一位王子把她从坏女巫的诅咒中唤醒。王子希望自己就是那位能帮助她的人。

　　这位年轻王子勇敢地出发了。当他接近城堡周围的茂密树篱和森林时，他快乐地吹着口哨。

　　当王子环顾周遭的树篱时，他觉得要穿过去一定会很困难。但突然间一件神奇的事发生了。一眨眼间，茂密的树枝散开了，高大的树都优雅地弯下来形成一条狭窄的信道，使王子能进入通往城堡的小径。而他通过后那些树又马上合起来，以免有人跟踪他。由于小径又窄又弯曲，所以王子小心翼翼地沿径而行。

　　最后他发现自己来到城堡的庭院中。花园里有万紫千红的花朵，大小树丛和其它植物，但是看起来都像是用蜡做的。所有的树叶和花朵连动都不动。在门口的两旁站着两位士兵，他们的枪放在肩膀上。但是他们的双眼闭着，而他们的脚也是一动也不动。小鸟和松鼠站在石阶上，但是却都没有叫声和动作。

　　王子进入城堡大门，他看到的是这样一幅景象。有许多武士和淑女，以及朝臣、仆人和女花童。似乎所有的皇族贵宾看起来都很快乐。一端站立着国王和皇后。舞者们正准备要跳一曲华尔滋。乐师们俯身在乐器上。仆人们正用银盘端着宴客的食物和饮料。所有的人都像雕像般站立着。

　　王子在每个房间里都看到相同的景象。他非常地兴奋，因为他觉得他就要解开这个谜了。

　　王子爬上楼梯，来到一间像花朵盛开的苹果树般红白相间的房间。在房间的中央有一张垂着黄金帐幕的雕木床，而上面正躺着沉睡中的睡美人！她是王子所看过最漂亮、最美丽的女孩了。他带着深深的喜悦和爱意跪在她床边，并温柔地在她的眉上吻了一下。

　　突然每个人和其它所有的生物都醒过来了。睡美人深深地吸了一口气，甜甜一笑地睁开了眼睛。当她看到英俊的王子跪在她身边时，叫道：『哦，亲爱的！我就知道你会来。』

　　乐师们马上继续演奏许多年前突然中断的音乐。舞者们继续跳着华尔滋。仆人继续端着用银盘盛着的食物。

　　王子搀扶着仍穿著那套美丽薄纱晚礼服的公主，双双走到楼下大厅，在那儿国王和皇后欣喜万分地迎接他们的女儿。

　　于是王子和睡美人公主结了婚，从此以后过着幸福快乐的生活。