"
"My princess, you must never quit this room again," said Gilliflower.
"I must; for the same enchantment which makes me a hind forces me to
do as hinds do. I feel myself every morning irresistibly compelled to
run into the wood, to leap and bound, and eat grass, and behave myself
exactly like a wild creature of the forest. Oh, how weary I am!"
Her soft eyes closed, and she fell asleep until the dawn of day, when
again she was driven out in the shape of a poor four-footed creature,
to fulfil her sad destiny.
The prince on his part came home also very much wearied and vexed.
"Becafico," he said, "I have spent the day in chasing the most
beautiful hind I ever saw. She has slipped from me time after time
with the most wondrous adroitness; yet my arrows were so true that I
marvel how she escaped. At dawn to-morrow I must be after her once
more."
So he did not fail to go, at earliest dawn, to her hiding-place; but
the hind took care not to re-visit her favourite haunt. He sought her
everywhere, and could see nothing; then being very tired and hot, he
gathered some luscious apples which he saw hanging upon a tree over
his head. As soon as he ate them he fell fast asleep.
Meantime the hind, roaming stealthily about, came to the place where
he lay--came quite suddenly, or else she would have taken to flight;
but now seeing her enemy sound asleep, she paused a minute to look at
him; and in his features, wasted with grief, but still so loveable
and beautiful, she recognised the face which had long been engraven on
her heart.
Pages:
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448