本集演播：槑贰

后期：骐煜

英文对照在底部，请往下拉

第3节

妈妈勉强一笑，又接着说。

“那些短腿怪还带着些长得很丑的畜生。实话说我吓坏了。他们把我衣服扯烂了，我怕他们要把我也撕成碎片。突然有一片柔和的白光从顶上照着我。我抬头看，那道光线很宽阔，就像一条发亮的路，从一颗闪烁着银光的大球那儿一直铺下来。那颗银球不是很高，比地面高不了多少。所以那颗大球不可能是新的星球或者另一个月亮之类的。这时候，短腿怪就不为难我了，他们看起来像是惊呆了。我以为他们就要跑开了，可是不一会儿他们又开始了。但是这时候，就在那颗发光的大球里，一只鸟飞了出来，它也发着光，像是太阳底下的银子。一开始它很快地扑动翅膀，然后它沿着光线展开翅膀直直飞了下来。看起来像是一只白鸽子。不管那是什么，反正那些短腿怪一看到它这样子直冲下来，吓得拔腿就跑，四处跑开，到山里去了。我就这样脱险了，但还是吓坏了。那只鸟把怪物赶走后又立刻沿着那道光飞了上去。它一飞到光球那里，光也就灭了，就像百叶窗关上了一样。然后我就再也没见到那只鸟，不过那天晚上还有之后，短腿怪都再也没有找过我麻烦。”

“太奇怪了！”科迪大声说。

“确实很奇怪。但我不得不相信它就是这样的，不管你信不信。”妈妈说。

“当时第二天早上你妈妈就是这么和我说的。”爸爸说。

“你该不会以为我不相信自己的妈妈吧？”科迪大喊。

妈妈说：“这世上还有和妈妈一样值得你信任的人。科迪先生，我不知道这么值得你信任的人会不会只是恰好是你的妈妈。因为比起那小女孩，有些妈妈更可能撒谎呢。几个星期前，我还看见那个小姑娘和樱草花聊天，如果连她都会撒谎，那我就要怀疑自己说的话了。”

“可是就算是公主，也会和其他人一样撒谎呀。”科迪说。

“是的，公主也会撒谎，但像她那样的公主不会的。她是个好姑娘，我保证，这比做一个公主了不起。你那样子对她，你可要后悔哟，科迪。你怎么也得管住你的嘴巴呀。”

“我现在后悔了。”科迪说。

“那你就去告诉她。”

“我不知道怎么去跟她说。他们不会让我这样的矿工小子和她单独说话的。我又不能当着她奶妈的面说，她会问这问那，我不知道小公主的意思，不知道哪些该说，哪些不该说。艾琳说她去救我的事洛蒂一点都不知道。我敢肯定，她要知道了，一定不会让公主去的。不过可能不久后我会有机会的。到时候，我得努力为她做点事。爸爸，我想我终于准备好了。”

“真的吗，孩子？”彼得说，“我知道你肯定行的，你那么拼命。你发现什么了？”

PART III

The mother gave a funny little smile, and went on.

'They had some of their horrible creatures with them too, and I must confess I was dreadfully frightened. They had torn my clothes very much, and I was afraid they were going to tear myself to pieces, when suddenly a great white soft light shone upon me. I looked up. A broad ray, like a shining road, came down from a large globe of silvery light, not very high up, indeed not quite so high as the horizon—so it could not have been a new star or another moon or anything of that sort. The cobs dropped persecuting me, and looked dazed, and I thought they were going to run away, but presently they began again. The same moment, however, down the path from the globe of light came a bird, shining like silver in the sun. It gave a few rapid flaps first, and then, with its wings straight out, shot, sliding down the slope of the light. It looked to me just like a white pigeon. But whatever it was, when the cobs caught sight of it coming straight down upon them, they took to their heels and scampered away across the mountain, leaving me safe, only much frightened. As soon as it had sent them off, the bird went gliding again up the light, and the moment it reached the globe the light disappeared, just as if a shutter had been closed over a window, and I saw it no More. But I had no more trouble with the cobs that night or ever after.'

'How strange!' exclaimed Curdie.

'Yes, it was strange; but I can't help believing it, whether you do or not,' said his mother.

'It's exactly as your mother told it to me the very next morning,' said his father.

'You don't think I'm doubting my own mother?' cried Curdie.

 'There are other people in the world quite as well worth believing as your own mother,' said his mother. 'I don't know that she's so much the fitter to be believed that she happens to be your mother, Mr. Curdie. There are mothers far more likely to tell lies than the little girl I saw talking to the primroses a few weeks ago. If she were to lie I should begin to doubt my own word.'

'But princesses have told lies as well as other people,' said Curdie.

'Yes, but not princesses like that child. She's a good girl, I am certain, and that's more than being a princess. Depend upon it you will have to be sorry for behaving so to her, Curdie. You ought at least to have held your tongue.'

'I am sorry now,' answered Curdie.

'You ought to go and tell her so, then.'

'I don't see how I could manage that. They wouldn't let a miner boy like me have a word with her alone; and I couldn't tell her before that nurse of hers. She'd be asking ever so many questions, and I don't know how many the little princess would like me to answer. She told me that Lootie didn't know anything about her coming to get me out of the mountain. I am certain she would have prevented her somehow if she had known it. But I may have a chance before long, and meantime I must try to do something for her. I think, father, I have got on the track at last.'

'Have you, indeed, my boy?' said Peter. 'I am sure you deserve some success; you have worked very hard for it. What have you found out?'