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Tanglewood Tales-Part20_NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE(1804-1864)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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blush--such superb hyacinths and such aromatic pinks--and many

others, some of which seemed to be of new shapes and colors.



Two or three times, moreover, she could not help thinking that

a tuft of most splendid flowers had suddenly sprouted out of



the earth before her very eyes, as if on purpose to tempt her a

few steps farther. Proserpina's apron was soon filled, and



brimming over with delightful blossoms. She was on the point of

turning back in order to rejoin the sea nymphs, and sit with



them on the moist sands, all twining wreaths together. But, a

little farther on, what should she behold? It was a large



shrub, completely covered with the most magnificent flowers in

the world.



"The darlings!" cried Proserpina; and then she thought to

herself, "I was looking at that spot only a moment ago. How



strange it is that I did not see the flowers!"

The nearer she approached the shrub, the more attractive it



looked, until she came quite close to it; and then, although

its beauty was richer than words can tell, she hardly knew



whether to like it or not. It bore above a hundred flowers of

the most brilliant hues, and each different from the others,



but all having a kind of resemblance among themselves, which

showed them to be sister blossoms. But there was a deep, glossy



luster on the leaves of the shrub, and on the petals of the

flowers, that made Proserpina doubt whether they might not be



poisonous. To tell you the truth, foolish as it may seem, she

was half inclined to turn round and run away.



"What a silly child I am!" thought she, taking courage. "It is

really the most beautiful shrub that ever sprang out of the



earth. I will pull it up by the roots, and carry it home, and

plant it in my mother's garden."



Holding up her apron full of flowers with her left hand,

Proserpina seized the large shrub with the other, and pulled,



and pulled, but was hardly able to loosen the soil about its

roots. What a deep-rooted plant it was! Again the girl pulled



with all her might, and observed that the earth began to stir

and crack to some distance around the stem. She gave another



pull, but relaxed her hold, fancying that there was a rumbling

sound right beneath her feet. Did the roots extend down into



some enchanted cavern? Then laughing at herself for so childish

a notion, she made another effort: up came the shrub, and



Proserpina staggered back, holding the stem triumphantly in her

hand, and gazing at the deep hole which its roots had left in



the soil.

Much to her astonishment, this hole kept spreading wider and



wider, and growing deeper and deeper, until it really seemed to

have no bottom; and all the while, there came a rumbling noise



out of its depths, louder and louder, and nearer and nearer,

and sounding like the tramp of horses' hoofs and the rattling



of wheels. Too much frightened to run away, she stood straining

her eyes into this wonderful cavity, and soon saw a team of



four sable horses, snorting smoke out of their nostrils, and

tearing their way out of the earth with a splendid golden



chariot whirling at their heels. They leaped out of the

bottomless hole, chariot and all; and there they were, tossing



their black manes, flourishing their black tails, and

curvetting with every one of their hoofs off the ground at



once, close by the spot where Proserpina stood. In the chariot

sat the figure of a man, richly dressed, with a crown on his



head, all flaming with diamonds. He was of a noble aspect, and

rather handsome, but looked sullen and discontented; and he



kept rubbing his eyes and shading them with his hand, as if he

did not live enough in the sunshine to be very fond of its



light.

As soon as this personage saw the affrighted Proserpina, he



beckoned her to come a little nearer.

"Do not be afraid," said he, with as cheerful a smile as he



knew how to put on. "Come! Will you not like to ride a little

way with me, in my beautiful chariot?"



But Proserpina was so alarmed, that she wished for nothing but

to get out of his reach. And no wonder. The stranger did not



look remarkablygood-natured, in spite of his smile; and as for

his voice, its tones were deep and stern, and sounded as much



like the rumbling of an earthquakeunderground than anything

else. As is always the case with children in trouble,



Proserpina's first thought was to call for her mother.




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