PART II

"Sing again, prince. It makes it less tedious," said the princess.

But the prince was too much overcome to sing any more, and a long pause followed.

"This is very kind of you, prince," said the princess at last, quite coolly, as she lay in the boat with her eyes shut.

"I am sorry I can't return the compliment," thought the prince; "but you are worth dying for, after all."

Again a wavelet, and another, and another flowed over the stone, and wetted both the prince's knees; but he did not speak or move. Two—three—four hours passed in this way, the princess apparently asleep, and the prince very patient. But he was much disappointed in his position, for he had none of the consolation he had hoped for.

At last he could bear it no longer.

"Princess!" said he.

But at the moment up started the princess, crying,—

"I'm afloat! I'm afloat!"

And the little boat bumped against the stone.

"Princess!" repeated the prince, encouraged by seeing her wide awake and looking eagerly at the water.

"Well?" said she, without looking round.

"Your papa promised that you should look at me, and you haven't looked at me once."

"Did he? Then I suppose I must. But I am so sleepy!"

"Sleep then, darling, and don't mind me," said the poor prince.

"Really, you are very good," replied the princess. "I think I will go to sleep again."

"Just give me a glass of wine and a biscuit first," said the prince, very humbly.

"With all my heart," said the princess, and gaped as she said it.

She got the wine and the biscuit, however, and leaning over the side of the boat towards him, was compelled to look at him.

"Why, prince," she said, "you don't look well! Are you sure you don't mind it?"

"Not a bit," answered he, feeling very faint indeed. "Only I shall die before it is of any use to you, unless I have something to eat."

"There, then," said she, holding out the wine to him.

"Ah! you must feed me. I dare not move my hands. The water would run away directly."

"Good gracious!" said the princess; and she began at once to feed him with bits of biscuit and sips of wine.

第二节

“接着唱啊，王子，这样就不会觉得太无聊。”公主说道。

但是王子的感情实在难以自制，无法再唱下去了。一时间，他们沉默了许久。

“你真好，王子。”最后，公主十分冷静地说道。这时候，她躺在船里，眼睛微微闭上。

“我很难过我无法回答这番称赞，”王子想道，“但是为你去死是值得的，无论如何都是值得的。”

一个小水浪冒出来，接着又是一个，然后一个一个地从石头缝里冒出来，把王子的两个膝盖都打湿了，不过他既没有抱怨也没有挪动身体。就这样一个、两个、三个钟头过去了，公主显然已经睡着了，而王子却十分地有耐心。不过他觉得这样的状况很让人失望，因为他本来指望会有的稍许安慰，现在连一丁点都没有。

最后，他再也无法忍受了。

“公主！”他喊道。

公主醒过来，一起身，立刻惊叫道：

“我漂起来了！我漂起来了！”

小船渐渐地从石头上浮起来了。

“公主！”王子又喊了一句，看到她醒了过来，如此热切地看着湖水，又有了勇气。

“怎么了？”公主说道，但是并没有朝他看去。

“你的父王答应过我，你会一直照看着我，可是你一直看都不看我一眼。”

“他这么答应的？那么我想我也要那么做的。不过我真的觉得好困啊！”

“那你睡吧，亲爱的，别管我。”可怜的王子说道。

“真的，你实在是太好了，”公主答道，“我觉得我又要睡一会儿了。”

“那么请先给我拿一杯葡萄酒和一份点心吧。”王子十分客气地说道。

“乐意之至。”公主一边说一边打着哈欠。

她取来葡萄酒和糕点，然后斜倚着船舷靠向他，这时候，她就不得不注视着他了。

“啊，王子，”她说道，“你看起来不怎么好！你真的不要紧吗？”

“一点都不要紧，”他回答道，显得相当虚弱，“如果我不吃点什么的话，恐怕在能帮到你之前就要死了。”

“来，给你。”公主说着，把葡萄酒递给他。

“啊！你得喂给我吃。我不能腾出手来吃东西，水会趁机流走的。”

“好的，我的天哪！”公主说着，立刻把点心一点一点掰给他吃，把葡萄酒一小口一小口喂给他喝。

第14章02 This Is Very Kind of You 你人真好！