The Little Lame Prince

t beautiful Prince

inly, but what there was seemed an aquiline shape; his complexion was a charming, healthy purple; he was round and fat, straight-limbed and long-in fact, a splendid baby, and everybody was exceedingly proud of him, especi

not been born. But as his majesty was very kind to him, and even rather sorry for him-insomuch that at the Queen's request he gave h

nd-twenty god-fathers and godmothers, who each had to give him a name, and promise to do their utmost for him. When he came

rkingmen; tea-parties in the streets for their wives; and milk-and-bun feasts for the children in the schoolrooms. For Nomansland

it was the room which, though the Prince was six weeks old, his mother the Queen had never quitted. Nobody said she was ill, however-it would have been so inconvenient; an

s so-in the elegant new clothes which the Queen, who thought of everybody, had taken care to give them, from the ladies-in-waiting down to the

e; which proceeding his Royal Highness did not like at all, but kicked and screamed like any common baby. When he had a little calmed down, they carried him to be lo

then she gave him up with a gentle smile, and, saying she hoped he would be very good, that it would be a very nice christening, and all the guests would e

as to pleasures, they could go on quite well without her, or it seemed so. The company arrived: great and notable persons in this and neighboring countries; also the four-and-twenty godfathers and godmothers, who had been

onounced the name each had given him. Then the four-and-twenty names were shouted out with great energy by six heralds, one after the other, and afterward written

pt, perhaps, the little Prince himself, who moaned faintl

nurse-maid,-an elegant and fashionable young lady of rank, whose duty it was to carry him to and from the chapel, had been so occupied in arrang

y did speak of it. The baby had turned deadly pale, but did not cry, so no person a step or two behind could discover anything wrong; afterward, even

flowers, which they strewed all the way before the nurse and child-finally the four-and-twenty godfathers and godmothers, as proud as possible, and so splendid to look at that they would have quite e

stood; the king and his train on one side, the Prince and his attenda

e next eldest, as she shook the last rose out of her basket; "and

he group of children somebody,-not a child, yet no bigger than a child,-somebody whom nobody

ke the gray of an evening sky. Her hair was gray, and her eyes also-even her complexion had a soft gray shadow over it. But there was nothing unpleasantly ol

n't let the ba

ady nurse started

ing in a much sharper tone than I hope young ladies of rank are in the habit of speaking-"Old woman, you will

ust kiss him. I a

the elegant

l the gentlemen an

they began to blow the silver trumpets i

aving already moved off toward the palace,-but on the top-most step of the ma

by the help of her stick, and ga

dly with her lace handkerchief. "Such an insult to his Royal Highness! Take y

, with an indifferent air, as if she thought the loss was more on his

queens," said the lady nur

ce you dropped him on the marble stairs (this she said in a mysterious whisper, which made the young lady tremble in

an paid not the slightest attention. Her soft gray eyes were fixed on the Prince, who seemed to a

ar of this," said a

o," said the old woman sadly. And again stretching up to t

y has ever thought of. Be Prince Dol

oman had committed. In Nomansland, neither the king nor the queen was supposed to have any Christian name at all. They d

rified. "How you could know the fact passes my comprehension. But even if you did kno

said the old woman, wi

tretched out their hands to seize her; but the gray mantle melted from between their fingers like

family, and for as many times as he or she was years old-began to toll. They listened, mute and

ding away all her women to see the grand sight,-at least they said afterward, in excuse, that she had done so, and it was very like her to do it,-she had turned with her fac

other's kiss any more. As for his godmother,-the little old woman in gray who called herself so,-whether she melted into air, like her gown when they touc

his continual moans, saw, sitting in the doorway, something which she would have thought a mere shadow, had she not seen shining out of