The Princess and Curdie

Father

the tone beyond the politeness that went to her heart, for it seemed to come from the place where all lovely things were born before they began to grow in this world. When he set his father's chair to the table, an attention he had not shown him for a long time, Pete

o tell them. For when a child's heart is all right, it is not likely he will want to keep anything from his parents. But the story of the evening was t

ear. The summer was young and soft, and this was the warmest evening they had yet had-dusky, dark even below, while above, the stars were bright and large and sharp in the blackest blue sky. The night came close around them, clasping them in one universal arm of love, and although it neither spoke nor smiled, seemed all eye and ear, seemed t

rue things which it could not understand, Curdie told his tale, outside and in, to his father and mother. What a world

it, Mother? it's so stra

of it, isn't it, Peter?' said the good woman, turni

appiest couple in that country, because they always understood each other, and that was because they always meant the same thing, and t

ou tell Curd

ou tell him, and I will listen-and lea

e, 'don't know

to make of a thing, you'll know soon enough what to think of it. Now

answered Curdie, 'that I mus

what else could it be?

goes. It is a very strange story, but you see the question

quite angry with her, and said there was nothing in the place but an old tub, a heap of straw-oh, I remember your inventory quite well!-an old tub, a heap of straw, a w

eyes, was when the thin, filmy creature that seemed almost to float about in the moonlight like a bit of the silver paper they put over pictures, or lik

so, Curdie, if she looke

ere were no other, would make me doubt whether I was not dr

d scent, and remember the dry, withered-looking little thing I dibbled into the hole in the same spot in the spring. I only think how wonderful and lovely it all is. It seems just as full of reason as it is of wonder. How it is done I can't tell, only there it is! And there i

ing a little ashamed, 'I m

t however any of these things may be, this one point remains certain: there can be no harm in doing as she t

you in a dream, Curdie, and tells you not to talk about her

s, Mother, I'll d

ch is the night of the soul, next too