The Princess and the Goblin Page 4

  CHAPTER 4

  What the Nurse Thought of It

  'Why, where can you have been, princess?' asked the nurse, taking herin her arms. 'It's very unkind of you to hide away so long. I began tobe afraid--' Here she checked herself.

  'What were you afraid of, nursie?' asked the princess.

  'Never mind,' she answered. 'Perhaps I will tell you another day. Nowtell me where you have been.'

  'I've been up a long way to see my very great, huge, old grandmother,'said the princess.

  'What do you mean by that?' asked the nurse, who thought she was makingfun.

  'I mean that I've been a long way up and up to see My GREATgrandmother. Ah, nursie, you don't know what a beautiful mother ofgrandmothers I've got upstairs. She is such an old lady, with suchlovely white hair--as white as my silver cup. Now, when I think of it,I think her hair must be silver.'

  'What nonsense you are talking, princess!' said the nurse.

  'I'm not talking nonsense,' returned Irene, rather offended. 'I willtell you all about her. She's much taller than you, and much prettier.'

  'Oh, I dare say!' remarked the nurse.

  'And she lives upon pigeons' eggs.'

  'Most likely,' said the nurse.

  'And she sits in an empty room, spin-spinning all day long.'

  'Not a doubt of it,' said the nurse.

  'And she keeps her crown in her bedroom.'

  'Of course--quite the proper place to keep her crown in. She wears itin bed, I'll be bound.'

  'She didn't say that. And I don't think she does. That wouldn't becomfortable--would it? I don't think my papa wears his crown for anight-cap. Does he, nursie?'

  'I never asked him. I dare say he does.'

  'And she's been there ever since I came here--ever so many years.'

  'Anybody could have told you that,' said the nurse, who did not believea word Irene was saying.

  'Why didn't you tell me, then?'

  'There was no necessity. You could make it all up for yourself.'

  'You don't believe me, then!' exclaimed the princess, astonished andangry, as she well might be.

  'Did you expect me to believe you, princess?' asked the nurse coldly.'I know princesses are in the habit of telling make-believes, but youare the first I ever heard of who expected to have them believed,' sheadded, seeing that the child was strangely in earnest.

  The princess burst into tears.

  'Well, I must say,' remarked the nurse, now thoroughly vexed with herfor crying, 'it is not at all becoming in a princess to tell storiesand expect to be believed just because she is a princess.'

  'But it's quite true, I tell you.'

  'You've dreamt it, then, child.'

  'No, I didn't dream it. I went upstairs, and I lost myself, and if Ihadn't found the beautiful lady, I should never have found myself.'

  'Oh, I dare say!'

  'Well, you just come up with me, and see if I'm not telling the truth.'

  'Indeed I have other work to do. It's your dinnertime, and I won'thave any more such nonsense.'

  The princess wiped her eyes, and her face grew so hot that they weresoon quite dry. She sat down to her dinner, but ate next to nothing.Not to be believed does not at all agree with princesses: for a realprincess cannot tell a lie. So all the afternoon she did not speak aword. Only when the nurse spoke to her, she answered her, for a realprincess is never rude--even when she does well to be offended.

  Of course the nurse was not comfortable in her mind--not that shesuspected the least truth in Irene's story, but that she loved herdearly, and was vexed with herself for having been cross to her. Shethought her crossness was the cause of the princess's unhappiness, andhad no idea that she was really and deeply hurt at not being believed.But, as it became more and more plain during the evening in her everymotion and look, that, although she tried to amuse herself with hertoys, her heart was too vexed and troubled to enjoy them, her nurse'sdiscomfort grew and grew. When bedtime came, she undressed and laidher down, but the child, instead of holding up her little mouth to bekissed, turned away from her and lay still. Then nursie's heart gaveway altogether, and she began to cry. At the sound of her first sobthe princess turned again, and held her face to kiss her as usual. Butthe nurse had her handkerchief to her eyes, and did not see themovement.

  'Nursie,' said the princess, 'why won't you believe me?'

  'Because I can't believe you,' said the nurse, getting angry again.

  'Ah! then, you can't help it,' said Irene, 'and I will not be vexedwith you any more. I will give you a kiss and go to sleep.'

  'You little angel!' cried the nurse, and caught her out of bed, andwalked about the room with her in her arms, kissing and hugging her.

  'You will let me take you to see my dear old great big grandmother,won't you?' said the princess, as she laid her down again.

  'And you won't say I'm ugly, any more--will you, princess?' 'Nursie, Inever said you were ugly. What can you mean?'

  'Well, if you didn't say it, you meant it.'

  'Indeed, I never did.'

  'You said I wasn't so pretty as that--'

  'As my beautiful grandmother--yes, I did say that; and I say it again,for it's quite true.'

  'Then I do think you are unkind!' said the nurse, and put herhandkerchief to her eyes again.

  'Nursie, dear, everybody can't be as beautiful as every other body, youknow. You are very nice-looking, but if you had been as beautiful asmy grandmother--'

  'Bother your grandmother!' said the nurse.

  'Nurse, that's very rude. You are not fit to be spoken to till you canbehave better.'

  The princess turned away once more, and again the nurse was ashamed ofherself.

  'I'm sure I beg your pardon, princess,' she said, though still in anoffended tone. But the princess let the tone pass, and heeded only thewords.

  'You won't say it again, I am sure,' she answered, once more turningtowards her nurse. 'I was only going to say that if you had been twiceas nice-looking as you are, some king or other would have married you,and then what would have become of me?'

  'You are an angel!' repeated the nurse, again embracing her. 'Now,'insisted Irene, 'you will come and see my grandmother--won't you?'

  'I will go with you anywhere you like, my cherub,' she answered; and intwo minutes the weary little princess was fast asleep.