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014 - Chapter 23 · Princess and the Goblin

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  Speaker 1: Section fourteen of The Princess and the Goblin. This is
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  Speaker 1: the LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: From more information not a volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: Recording by Lizzie Driver. The Princess and the Goblin by
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  Speaker 1: George mac donald, Chapter twenty three Curdie and his mother.
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  Speaker 1: Curdie went up the mountain, neither whistling nor singing, for
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  Speaker 1: he was vexed with Irene for taking him in, as
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  Speaker 1: he called it, and he was vexed with himself for
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  Speaker 1: having spoken to her so angrily. His mother gave a
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  Speaker 1: cry of joy when she saw him, and at once
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  Speaker 1: at about getting him something to eat, asking him questions
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  Speaker 1: all the time, which he did not answer so cheerfully
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  Speaker 1: as usual. When his meal was ready, she left him
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  Speaker 1: to eat it and hurried to the mind let his
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  Speaker 1: father know he was safe. When she came back, she
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  Speaker 1: found him fast asleep upon her bed, nor did he
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  Speaker 1: wake un till his father came home in the evening. Now, Curdie,
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  Speaker 1: his mother said, as they sat at supper, tell us
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  Speaker 1: the whole story, from beginning to end, just as it
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  Speaker 1: all happened. Curdie obeyed and told everything to the point
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  Speaker 1: where they came out upon the lawn in the garden
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  Speaker 1: of the King's house. And what happened after that? Asked
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  Speaker 1: his mother. You haven't told us all. You ought to
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  Speaker 1: be very happy at having got away from those demons,
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  Speaker 1: and instead of that, I never saw you so gloomy.
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  Speaker 1: There must be something more. Besides, you do not speak
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  Speaker 1: of that lovely child as I should like to hear you.
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  Speaker 1: She saved your life at the risk of her own,
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  Speaker 1: and yet somehow you don't seem to think much of it.
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  Speaker 1: She talked such nonsense, answered Curdie, and told me a
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  Speaker 1: pack of things that weren't a bit true, and I
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  Speaker 1: can't get over it. What were they asked his father.
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  Speaker 1: Your mother may be able to throw some light upon them.
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  Speaker 1: Then Curdie made a clean breast of it and told
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  Speaker 1: them everything. They all sat in silence for some time,
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  Speaker 1: pondering the strange tale. At last, Curdie's mother spoke, You confess,
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  Speaker 1: my boy, she said, there is something about the whole
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  Speaker 1: affair you do not understand. Yes, of course, mother, he answered,
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  Speaker 1: I cannot understand tell a child knowing nothing about the
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  Speaker 1: mountain or even that I was shut up in it
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  Speaker 1: should come all that way alone, straight to where I was,
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  Speaker 1: and then, after getting me out of the hole, led
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  Speaker 1: me out of the mountain too, where I should not
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  Speaker 1: have known a step of the way if it had
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  Speaker 1: been as light as in the open air, then you
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  Speaker 1: have no right to say what she told you was
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  Speaker 1: not true. She did take you out, and she must
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  Speaker 1: have had something to guide her. Why not a thread
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  Speaker 1: as well as a rope or anything else. There is
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  Speaker 1: something you cannot explain, and her explanation may be the
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  Speaker 1: right one. It's no explanation at all, mother, and I
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  Speaker 1: can't believe it. That may be only because you do
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  Speaker 1: not understand it. If you did, you would probably find
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  Speaker 1: it was an explanation and believe it thoroughly. I don't
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  Speaker 1: blame you for not being able to believe it, but
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  Speaker 1: I do blame you for fancying such a child will
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  Speaker 1: try to deceive you. Why should she depend upon it?
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  Speaker 1: She told you all she knew. Until you had found
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  Speaker 1: a better way of accounting for it, you might at
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  Speaker 1: least be more sparing of your judgment. That is what
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  Speaker 1: something inside me has been saying all the time, said Curdie,
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  Speaker 1: hanging down his head. But what do you make of
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  Speaker 1: the grandmother? That is what I can't get over to
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  Speaker 1: take me up to an old garret and try to
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  Speaker 1: persuade me, against the sight of my own eyes that
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  Speaker 1: it was a beautiful room with blue walls and silver
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  Speaker 1: stars and no end of things in it, When there
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  Speaker 1: was nothing there but an old tub and a withered
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  Speaker 1: apple and a heap of straw and a sunbeam. It
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  Speaker 1: was too bad. She might have had some old woman
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  Speaker 1: there at least to pass for a precious grandmother. Didn't
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  Speaker 1: she speak as if she saw those other things herself, Curdie, Yes,
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  Speaker 1: that's what bothers me. You would have thought she really
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  Speaker 1: meant and believed that she saw every one of the
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  Speaker 1: things she talked about, and not one of them there.
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  Speaker 1: It was too bad. I say, perhaps some people can
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  Speaker 1: see things other people can't see, Curdie, said his mother,
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  Speaker 1: very gravely. I think I will tell you something I
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  Speaker 1: saw myself once, only perhaps you won't believe me either. Well, mother,
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  Speaker 1: mother cried Curdie, bursting into tears. I don't deserve that, surely,
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  Speaker 1: But what I am going to tell you is very strange,
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  Speaker 1: persisted his mother. And if having heard it, you were
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  Speaker 1: to say, I must have been dreaming. I don't know
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  Speaker 1: that I should have any right to be vexed with you,
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  Speaker 1: though I know at least that I was not asleep.
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  Speaker 1: Do tell me, mother, perhaps it will help me to
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  Speaker 1: think better of the princess. That's why I am temper
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  Speaker 1: to tell you, replied his mother. But first I may
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  Speaker 1: as well mention that, according to old whispers, there is
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  Speaker 1: something more than common about the king's family, and the
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  Speaker 1: queen was of the same blood, for they were cousins
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  Speaker 1: of some degree. There were strange stories to hold concern
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  Speaker 1: in them. All good stories, but strange, very strange. What
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  Speaker 1: they were I cannot tell, for I only remember the
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  Speaker 1: faces of my grandmother and my mother as they talked
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  Speaker 1: together about them. There was wonder and awe, not fear
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  Speaker 1: in their eyes, and they whispered and never spoke aloud.
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  Speaker 1: But what I saw myself was this. Your father was
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  Speaker 1: going to work in the mine one night, and I
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  Speaker 1: had been down with his supper. It was soon after
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  Speaker 1: we were married, and not very long before you were born.
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  Speaker 1: He came with me to the mouth of the mine
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  Speaker 1: and left me to go home alone. For I knew
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  Speaker 1: the way almost as well as the floor of our
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  Speaker 1: own cottage. It was pretty dark, and in some places
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  Speaker 1: of the road where the rocks overhung nearly quite dark.
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  Speaker 1: But I got along perfectly well, never thinking of being afraid,
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  Speaker 1: until I reached a spot you know well enough, Curdie,
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  Speaker 1: where the path has to make a sharp turn out
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  Speaker 1: of the way of a great rock on the left
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  Speaker 1: hand side. When I got there, I was suddenly surrounded
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  Speaker 1: by half a dozen of the Cobs, the first I
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  Speaker 1: had ever seen, although I had heard tell of them
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  Speaker 1: often enough. One of them blocked up the path, and
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  Speaker 1: so they all began tormenting and teasing me in a
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  Speaker 1: way it makes me shudder to think of, even now,
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  Speaker 1: if only I had been with you, cried father and
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  Speaker 1: son in a breath. The mother gave a funny little
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  Speaker 1: smile and went on. They had some of their horrible
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  Speaker 1: creatures with them, too, And I must confess I was
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  Speaker 1: dreadfully frightened. They had torn my clothes very much, and
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  Speaker 1: I was afraid they were going to tear myself to pieces.
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  Speaker 1: When suddenly a great, white, soft light shone upon me.
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  Speaker 1: I looked up. A broad ray like a shining road,
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  Speaker 1: came down from a large glob of silvery light, not
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  Speaker 1: very high up, indeed, not quite so high as the horizon,
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  Speaker 1: so it could not have been a new star or
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  Speaker 1: another moon, or anything of that sort. The cobs dropped
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  Speaker 1: persecuting me and looked dazed, and I thought they were
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  Speaker 1: going to run away, but presently they began again. The
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  Speaker 1: same moment, however, down a path from the globe of
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  Speaker 1: light came a bird, shining like silver in the sun.
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  Speaker 1: It gave a few rapid flaps first, and then with
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  Speaker 1: its wings straight out, shot sliding down the slope of
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  Speaker 1: the light. It looked to me just like a white pigeon,
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  Speaker 1: but whatever it was. When the Cobs caught sight of
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  Speaker 1: it coming straight down upon them, they took to their
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  Speaker 1: heels and scampered away across the mountain, leaving me safe,
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  Speaker 1: only much frightened. As soon as it had sent them off,
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  Speaker 1: the bird went gliding again up the light, and the
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  Speaker 1: moment it reached the globe, the light disappeared, just as
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  Speaker 1: if a shutter had been closed over a window, and
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  Speaker 1: I saw it no more. But I had no trouble
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  Speaker 1: with the Cobs that night or ever after. How strange,
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  Speaker 1: exclaimed Curdie. Yes, it was strange, but I can't help
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  Speaker 1: believing it, whether you do or not, said his mother.
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  Speaker 1: It's exactly as your mother told it to me the
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  Speaker 1: very next morning, said his father. You don't think I'm
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  Speaker 1: doubting my own mother, cried Curdie. There are other people
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  Speaker 1: in the world quite as well worth believing as your
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  Speaker 1: own mother, said his mother. I don't know that she's
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  Speaker 1: so much the fitter to be believed that she happens
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  Speaker 1: to be your mother. Mister Curdie, there are mothers far
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  Speaker 1: more likely to tell lies than the little girl I
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  Speaker 1: saw talking to the Primroses a few weeks ago. If
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  Speaker 1: she were to lie, I should begin to doubt my
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  Speaker 1: own word. But princesses have told lies as well as
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  Speaker 1: other people, said Curdie. Yes, but not princesses like that child.
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  Speaker 1: She's a good girl, I am certain, and that's more
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  Speaker 1: than being a princess. Depend upon it. You will have
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  Speaker 1: to be sorry for behaving so to her, Curdie, you
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  Speaker 1: ought at least to have held your tongue. I am sorry, now,
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  Speaker 1: answer Curdie. You ought to go and tell us so. Then.
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  Speaker 1: I don't see how I could manage that they wouldn't
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  Speaker 1: let her mine. A boy like me have a word
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  Speaker 1: with her alone, and I couldn't tell her before that
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  Speaker 1: nurse of hers. She'd be asking ever so many questions,
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  Speaker 1: and I don't know how many the little princess would
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  Speaker 1: like me to answer. She told me that Lukey didn't
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  Speaker 1: know anything about her coming to get me out of
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  Speaker 1: the mountain. I am certain she would have prevented her
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  Speaker 1: somehow if she had known it. But I may have
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  Speaker 1: a chance before long, and meantime I must try to
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  Speaker 1: do something for her. I think, father, I have got
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  Speaker 1: on the track at last, have you indeed, my boy,
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  Speaker 1: said Peter. I am sure you deserve some success. You
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  Speaker 1: have worked very hard for it. What have you found out?
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  Speaker 1: It's difficult, you know, father, inside the mountain, especially in
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  Speaker 1: the dark, and not knowing what turns you have taken
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  Speaker 1: to tell the lie of things outside impossible, my boy
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  Speaker 1: without a chart or at least a compass, returned his father. Well,
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  Speaker 1: I think I have nearly discovered in what direction the
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  Speaker 1: cobs are mining. If I am right, I know something
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  Speaker 1: else that I can put to it, and then one
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  Speaker 1: and one will make three. They very often do, Curdie,
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  Speaker 1: as we miners ought to be very well aware. Now
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  Speaker 1: tell us, my boy, what the two things are, and
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  Speaker 1: see whether we can guess at the same third as you.
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  Speaker 1: I don't see what this has to do with the princess,
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  Speaker 1: interposed his mother. I will soon let you see that. Mother.
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  Speaker 1: Perhaps you may think me foolish, but until I am
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  Speaker 1: sure there is nothing in my present fancy, I am
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  Speaker 1: more determined than ever to go on with my observations.
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  Speaker 1: Just as we came to the channel by which we
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  Speaker 1: got out, I heard the miners at work somewhere near
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  Speaker 1: I think down below us. Now, since I began to
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  Speaker 1: watch them, they have mined a good half mile in
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  Speaker 1: a straight line, and so far as I am aware,
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  Speaker 1: they are working in no other part of the mountain,
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  Speaker 1: but I never could tell in what direction they were going.
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  Speaker 1: When we came out in the King's garden, however, I
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  Speaker 1: thought at once whether it was possible they were working
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  Speaker 1: towards the King's house. And what I want to do
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  Speaker 1: to night is to make sure whether they are or not.
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  Speaker 1: I will take a light with me. Oh, Curdie, cried
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  Speaker 1: his mother. Then they will see you. I am no
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  Speaker 1: more afraid of them now than I was before, rejoined Curdie.
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  Speaker 1: Now that I've got this precious shoe. They can't make
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  Speaker 1: another in such a hurry, and one barefoot will do
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  Speaker 1: for my purpose. Woman as she may be, I won't
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  Speaker 1: spare her next time, but I shall be careful with
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  Speaker 1: my light, for I don't want them to see me.
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  Speaker 1: I won't stick it in my hat. Go on, then,
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  Speaker 1: and tell us what you mean to do. I mean
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  Speaker 1: to take a bit of paper with me and a pencil,
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  Speaker 1: and go in at the mouth of the stream by
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  Speaker 1: which we came out. I shall mark on the paper
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  Speaker 1: as near as I can the angle of every turning
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  Speaker 1: I take, until I find the cobs at work, and
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  Speaker 1: so get a good idea in what direction they are going.
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  Speaker 1: If it should prove to be nearly parallel with the stream,
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  Speaker 1: I should know it is towards the King's house they
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  Speaker 1: are working. And what if you should, how much wiser
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  Speaker 1: will you be? Then wait a minute, mother, dear, I
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  Speaker 1: told you that when I came upon the royal family
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  Speaker 1: in the cave, they were talking of their prince Harelip.
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  Speaker 1: They called him marrying a sun woman. That means one
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  Speaker 1: of us when we toes to her feet now in
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  Speaker 1: the speech one of the maid that night at their
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  Speaker 1: great gathering, of which I heard only a part. He
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  Speaker 1: said that peace would be secured for a generation at
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  Speaker 1: least by the pledge the prince would hold for the
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  Speaker 1: good behavior of her relatives. That's what he said, and
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  Speaker 1: he must have meant the some woman the prince was
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  Speaker 1: to marry. I am quite sure the King is much
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  Speaker 1: too proud to wish his son to marry any but
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  Speaker 1: a princess, and much too knowing to fancy that his
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  Speaker 1: having a peasant woman for a wife would be of
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  Speaker 1: any great advantage to them. I see what you are
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  Speaker 1: driving at now, said his mother. But said his father,
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  Speaker 1: our king would dig the mount into the plain before
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  Speaker 1: he would have his princess the wife of a cob
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  Speaker 1: if he were ten times a prince. Yes, but they
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  Speaker 1: think so much of themselves, said his mother. Small creatures
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  Speaker 1: always do. The bantam is the proudest cock in my
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  Speaker 1: little yard. And I fancy, said Curdie, if they once
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  Speaker 1: got her, they would tell the King they would kill
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  Speaker 1: her except he consented to the marriage. They might say so,
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  Speaker 1: said his father. But they wouldn't kill her. They would
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  Speaker 1: keep her alive for the sake of the hole that
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  Speaker 1: gave them over our king. Whatever he did to them,
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  Speaker 1: they would threaten to do the same to the princess,
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  Speaker 1: and they are bad enough to torment her just for
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  Speaker 1: their own amusement. I know that, said his mother. Anyhow,
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  Speaker 1: I will keep a watch on them and see what
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  Speaker 1: they are up to, said Curdie. It's too horrible to
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  Speaker 1: think of. I daren't let myself do it. But they
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  Speaker 1: shan't have her, at least if I can help it. So, mother, dear,
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  Speaker 1: my clue is all right. Will you get me a
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  Speaker 1: bit of paper and a pencil and a lump of
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  Speaker 1: peas pudding, and I will set out at once. I
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  Speaker 1: saw a place where I can climb over the wall
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  Speaker 1: of the garden quite easily. You must mind and keep
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  Speaker 1: out of the way of the men on the watch,
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  Speaker 1: said his mother, that I will. I don't want them
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  Speaker 1: to know anything about it. They would spoil it all.
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  Speaker 1: The Cobs would only try some other plan. They are
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  Speaker 1: such obstinate creatures. I shall take good care, mother. They
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  Speaker 1: won't kill and eat me either if they should come
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  Speaker 1: upon me, so you needn't mind them. His mother got
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  Speaker 1: him what he had asked for, and Curdie set out
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  Speaker 1: close beside the door by which the princess left the garden.
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  Speaker 1: For the mountain stood a great rock, and by climbing it,
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  Speaker 1: Curdy got over the wall. He tied his clue to
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  Speaker 1: a stone just inside the channel of the stream, and
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  Speaker 1: took his pick axe with him. He had not gone
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  Speaker 1: far before he encountered a horrid creature coming towards the mouth.
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  Speaker 1: The spot was too narrow for two of almost any
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  Speaker 1: size or shape, and besides, Curdy had no wish to
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  Speaker 1: let the creature pass. Not being able to use his
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  Speaker 1: pick axe, however, he had a severe struggle with him,
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  Speaker 1: and it was only after receiving many bites, some of
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  Speaker 1: them bad, that he succeeded in killing him with his
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  Speaker 1: pocket knife. Having dragged him out, he made haste to
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  Speaker 1: get in again before another should stop up the way.
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  Speaker 1: I need not follow him farther in this night's adventures.
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  Speaker 1: He returned to his breakfast, satisfy that the goblins were
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  Speaker 1: mining in the direction of the palace, on so low
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  Speaker 1: a level that their intention must, he thought, beat a
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  Speaker 1: burrow under the walls of the King's house and rise
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  Speaker 1: up inside it in order, he fully believed, to lay
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  Speaker 1: hands on the little princess and carry her off for
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  Speaker 1: a wife to their horrid harelip end of Section fourteen,