Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde: The Young King and The Remarkable Rocket
AND INDEED IT WAS THE HUNTERS WHO HAD FOUND HIM COMING UPON HIM ALMOST BY CHANCE AS BARE LIMBED AND PIPE IN HAND HE WAS FOLLOW ING THE FLOCK OF THE POOR GOATHERD WHO HAD BROUGHT HIM UP AND WHOSE SON HE HAD ALWAYS FANCIED HIMSELF TO BE THE CHILD OF THE OLD KING's ONLY DAUGHTER BY A SECRET MARRIAGE WITH ONE MUCH BENEATH HER IN STATION the G HE HAD BEEN WHENBUTA WEEKOLD AS SHE SLEPT AND GIVEN TO AN OLD STOLEN FROM HIS MOTHER S SIDE PEASANT AND HIS WIFE WHO LIVED IN A PART OF THE FOREST REMOTE win GRIEF OR AS SOME Su6 AND AS THE TRUSTY MESSENGER THE GESTED A SWIFT ITALIAN WHO BARE THE CHILD ACROSS THE BODY OF THE POISON IN A CUP OF SPICED WINE SADDLE Bow STOOPEO FROM HIS PRINCESS WAS BEING LOWERED SLEWWITHIN AN HOUR OF HER WAKE WEARYHORSE AND KNOCKED AT THE INTO AN OPEN GRAVE IN A DESERTED NING THE GIRL WHO HAD GIVEN RUDE DOOR OF THE GOATHERO's HuT CHURCHYARD BEYOND THE CITY HIM BIRTHALL GATES A GRAVE WHERE IT WAS SAID THAT ANOTHER BODY WAS ALSO LYING THAT OF A YOUNG MAN OF MARVELLOUS AND FOREIGN BEALTY WHOSE HANDS WERE TIED BEHIND HIM WITH A KNOTTED CORD AND WHOSE BREAST WAs STABBED WITH MANY RED WOUNDs
CERTAIN IT WAS THAT THE OLD KING WHEN ON HIS DEATHBED AND IT SEEMS THAT FROM THE VERY FIRST WHETHER MOVED BY REMORSE FOR HIS GREAT SIN OR MOMENT OF HIS RECOGNITION MERELY DESIRING THAT THE KINGDOM SHOULD NOT PASS AWAY FROM HIS LINE HAD HADTHE LAD SENT FOR AND IN THE PRESENCE OF THE COUNCIL HAD ACKNOWLEDGED HIM AS HIS HEIR HE HAD SHOWN SIGNS OF THAT STRANGE PASSION FOR BEAUTY THAT WAS DESTINED TO HAVE SO GREAT AN INFLUENCE OVER HIS LIFE THOSE WHO ACCOMPANIED HIM TO THE SUITE OF ROOMS SET APART FOR HIS SERVICE AND OF THE ALMOST FIERCE JOY WITH WHICH HE FLUNG ASIDE HIS RouGH LEATHERN TuNIC AND COARSE SHEEPSKIN CLOAK OFTEN SPOKE OF THE CRYOF PLEASURE THAT BROKE FROM HIS LIPS WHEN HE SAW THE DEL ICATE RAIMENT AND RICH JEW ELS THAT HAD BEEN PREPAR ED FOR
HE MISSED INDEED AT TIMES THE FINE FREEDOM OF HIS FOREST LIFE M AND WAS ALWAYS APT TO CHAFE AT Io THE TEDious CouRT CEREMONIES THAT OCCUPIED SO MUCH OF EACH DAY AND AS SOON AS HE COULD ESCAPE FROM THE COUNCIL BOARD OR AUDIENCE CHAMBER HE WOULD RUN DOWN THE GREAT STAIRCASE AND WANDER FROM ROOM TO ROOM LIKE ONE WHO ITH WASSEEKING IN BEAUTY AN ANODYNE FROM PAIN UPON THESE JOuRNEYS OF DISCOVERY AS HE CALLED THEM HE WOULD SOMETIMES BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE FAIR HAIRED COURT PAGES WITH THEIR FLOATING MANTLES AND FLUTTERING RIBANDS BuT MORE OFTEN HE wouLD BE ALONE FEELING THROUGH A CERTAIN THAT THE SECRETS OF ART ARE QuICK INSTINCT WHICH WAS AL BEST LEARNED IN SECRET MOST A DIVINATION AND THAT BEAUTY LIKE WISDOM Loves THE LONELY
MANY Curious STORIES WERE RELATED ABOUT HIM AT THIS TIME IT WAS SAID THAT A STOUT BURGOMASTER WHO HAD COME TO DELIVER A FLORID ORATORICAL ADDRESS ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS OF THE TOWN HAD CAUGHT SIGHT OF HIM KNEELING IN RE AL ADORATION BEFORE A GREAT PICTURE THAT HAD JUST BEEN BROUGHT FROM VENICE AND THAT SEEMED TO HERALD THE WORSHIP OF SOME NEW GOps ON ANOTHER OCCASION HE HAD BEEN MIS HE HAD BEEN SEEN SO THE SED FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND HAD BEEN TALERAN PRESSING HIS DISCOVERED IN A LITTLE CHAMBER OF WARM LIPs TO THE MARBLE THE PALACE GAZING AS ONE IN A TRANCE BROW OF AN ANTIQUE STA AT A GREEK GEM CAkVED WITH THE TuE DISCOVERED IN THE FIGURE OF ADONIs BED OF THE RIVER A WHOLE NIGHT IN NOTING THE EFFECT OF THE MOONLIGHT ON A SILVER IMAGE OF ENDYMION WS IN HIS EAGERNESS TO PRO CuRE RARE AND COSTLY MATERIALS HE SENT AWAY MANY MERCHANTS SOME TO TRAFFIC FOR SOME TO EGYPT TO LOOK FOR AND OTHERS TO INDIA TO AMBER WITH THE ROUGH THAT Curious GREEN TUR SOME TO PERSIA FOR BY GAZE AND STAINED FISHERFOLK OF THE QUOISE WHICH IS FOUND ONLY SILKEN CARPETS AND IVORY MOONSTONES AND NORTH SEAS IN THE TOMBS OF KINGS AND PAINTED POTTERY BRACELETS OF JADE SAN IS SAID TO POSSESS MAGICAL DALWOOD AND BLUE EN PROPERTIES AMEL AND SHAWLS OF FINE WOOL IT
