The Princess and the Goblin | Page 8

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 will tell
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 it in
bed, I'll be bound.' 'She didn't say that. And I don't think she does. That
wouldn't be comfortable - would it? I don't think my papa wears his
crown for a night-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 believe
a 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 and
angry, 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 you are
the first I ever heard of who expected to have them believed,' she added,
seeing that the child was strangely in earnest.
The princess burst into tears.
'Well, I must say,' remarked the nurse, now thoroughly vexed with her
for crying, 'it is not at all becoming in a princess to tell stories and
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 I hadn'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't have
any more such nonsense.'
The princess wiped her eyes, and her face grew so hot that they were
soon 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 real princess
cannot tell a lie. So all the afternoon she did not speak a word. Only
when the nurse spoke to her, she answered her, for a real princess is
never rude - even when she does well to be offended.
Of course the nurse was not comfortable in her mind - not that she
suspected the least truth in Irene's story, but that she loved her dearly,
and was vexed with herself for having been cross to her. She thought
her crossness was the cause of the princess's unhappiness, and had 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 every motion
and look, that, although she tried to amuse herself with her toys, her
heart was too vexed and troubled to enjoy them, her nurse's discomfort
grew and grew. When bedtime came, she undressed and laid her down,
but the child, instead of holding up her little mouth to be kissed, turned
away from her and lay still. Then nursie's heart gave way altogether,
and she began to cry. At the sound of her first sob the princess turned
again, and held her face to kiss her as usual. But the nurse had her
handkerchief to her eyes, and did not see the movement.
'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 vexed with
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, and
walked 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, I
never 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