完整版THE REMARKABLE ROCKET.docx

完整版THE REMARKABLE ROCKET.docx

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完整版THEREMARKABLEROCKET

THEREMARKABLEROCKET

TheKing'ssonwasgoingtobemarried,sothereweregeneral

rejoicings.Hehadwaitedawholeyearforhisbride,andatlast

shehadarrived.ShewasaRussianPrincess,andhaddrivenall

thewayfromFinlandinasledgedrawnbysixreindeer.Thesledge

wasshapedlikeagreatgoldenswan,andbetweentheswan'swings

laythelittlePrincessherself.Herlongermine-cloakreached

rightdowntoherfeet,onherheadwasatinycapofsilver

tissue,andshewasaspaleastheSnowPalaceinwhichshehad

alwayslived.Sopalewasshethatasshedrovethroughthe

streetsallthepeoplewondered."Sheislikeawhiterose!

"they

cried,andtheythrewdownflowersonherfromthebalconies.

AtthegateoftheCastlethePrincewaswaitingtoreceiveher.

Hehaddreamyvioleteyes,andhishairwaslikefinegold.When

hesawherhesankupononeknee,andkissedherhand.

"Yourpicturewasbeautiful,"hemurmured,"butyouaremore

beautifulthanyourpicture";andthelittlePrincessblushed.

"Shewaslikeawhiterosebefore,"saidayoungPagetohis

neighbour,"butsheislikearedrosenow";andthewholeCourt

wasdelighted.

Forthenextthreedayseverybodywentaboutsaying,"Whiterose,

Redrose,Redrose,Whiterose";andtheKinggaveordersthatthe

Page'ssalarywastobedoubled.Ashereceivednosalaryatall

thiswasnotofmuchusetohim,butitwasconsideredagreat

honour,andwasdulypublishedintheCourtGazette.

Whenthethreedayswereoverthemarriagewascelebrated.Itwas

amagnificentceremony,andthebrideandbridegroomwalkedhandin

handunderacanopyofpurplevelvetembroideredwithlittle

pearls.ThentherewasaStateBanquet,whichlastedforfive

hours.ThePrinceandPrincesssatatthetopoftheGreatHall

anddrankoutofacupofclearcrystal.Onlytrueloverscould

drinkoutofthiscup,foriffalselipstouchedit,itgrewgrey

anddullandcloudy.

"It'squiteclearthattheyloveeachother,"saidthelittlePage,

"asclearascrystal!

"andtheKingdoubledhissalaryasecond

time."Whatanhonour!

"criedallthecourtiers.

AfterthebanquettherewastobeaBall.Thebrideandbridegroom

weretodancetheRose-dancetogether,andtheKinghadpromisedto

playtheflute.Heplayedverybadly,butnoonehadeverdaredto

tellhimso,becausehewastheKing.Indeed,heknewonlytwo

airs,andwasneverquitecertainwhichonehewasplaying;butit

madenomatter,for,whateverhedid,everybodycriedout,

"Charming!

charming!

"

Thelastitemontheprogrammewasagranddisplayoffireworks,to

beletoffexactlyatmidnight.ThelittlePrincesshadneverseen

afireworkinherlife,sotheKinghadgivenordersthattheRoyal

Pyrotechnistshouldbeinattendanceonthedayofhermarriage.

"Whatarefireworkslike?

"shehadaskedthePrince,onemorning,

asshewaswalkingontheterrace.

"TheyareliketheAuroraBorealis,"saidtheKing,whoalways

answeredquestionsthatwereaddressedtootherpeople,"onlymuch

morenatural.Ipreferthemtostarsmyself,asyoualwaysknow

whentheyaregoingtoappear,andtheyareasdelightfulasmyown

flute-playing.Youmustcertainlyseethem."

SoattheendoftheKing'sgardenagreatstandhadbeensetup,

andassoonastheRoyalPyrotechnisthadputeverythinginits

properplace,thefireworksbegantotalktoeachother.

"Theworldiscertainlyverybeautiful,"criedalittleSquib.

"Justlookatthoseyellowtulips.Why!

iftheywererealcrackers

theycouldnotbelovelier.IamverygladIhavetravelled.

Travelimprovesthemindwonderfully,anddoesawaywithallone's

prejudices."

"TheKing'sgardenisnottheworld,youfoolishsquib,"saidabig

RomanCandle;"theworldisanenormousplace,anditwouldtake

youthreedaystoseeitthoroughly."

"Anyplaceyouloveistheworldtoyou,"exclaimedapensive

CatherineWheel,whohadbeenattachedtoanolddealboxinearly

life,andpridedherselfonherbrokenheart;"butloveisnot

fashionableanymore,thepoetshavekilledit.Theywrotesomuch

aboutitthatnobodybelievedthem,andIamnotsurprised.True

lovesuffers,andissilent.Iremembermyselfonce-Butitis

nomatternow.Romanceisathingofthepast."

"Nonsense!

"saidtheRomanCandle,"Romanceneverdies.Itislike

themoon,andlivesforever.Thebrideandbridegroom,for

instance,loveeachotherverydearly.Iheardallaboutthemthis

morningfromabrown-papercartridge,whohappenedtobestayingin

thesamedrawerasmyself,andknewthelatestCourtnews."

ButtheCatherineWheelshookherhead."Romanceisdead,Romance

isdead,Romanceisdead,"shemurmured.Shewasoneofthose

peoplewhothinkthat,ifyousaythesamethingoverandovera

greatmanytimes,itbecomestr