The Princess and the Goblin Chapter 16 The Ring The same moment,
Her nurse came into the room sobbing.
When she saw her sitting there,
She started back with a loud cry of amazement and joy.
Then running to her,
She caught her in her arms and covered her with kisses.
My precious darling princess,
Where have you been?
What has happened to you?
We've all been crying our eyes out and searching the house from top to bottom for you.
Not quite from the top,
Thought Irene to herself,
And she might have added,
Not quite to the bottom,
Perhaps if she had known all.
But the one she would not,
And the other she could not say.
Oh Lutie,
I have had such a dreadful adventure,
She replied,
And told her all about the cat with the long legs,
And how she ran out upon the mountain and came back again.
But she said nothing of her grandmother or the lamp.
And there we've been searching for you all over the house for more than an hour and a half,
Exclaimed the nurse.
But that's no matter,
Now we've got you.
Only princess,
I must say,
She added,
Her mood changing.
What you ought to have done was to call for your own Lutie to come and help you,
Instead of running out of the house and up the mountain.
In that wild,
I must say,
Foolish fashion.
Well Lutie,
Said Irene quietly,
Perhaps if you had a big cat,
All legs,
Running at you,
You might not exactly know what was the wisest thing to do at the moment.
I wouldn't run up the mountain anyhow,
Returned Lutie.
Not if you had time to think about it.
But when those creatures came at you that night on the mountain,
You were so frightened yourself that you lost your way home.
This put a stop to Lutie's reproaches.
She had been on the point of saying that the long-legged cat might have been a twilight fancy of the princesses.
But the memory of the horrors of that night,
And of the talking to which the king had given her in consequence,
Prevented her from saying what,
After all,
She did not half believe.
Having a strong suspicion that the cat was a goblin,
For she knew nothing of the difference between the goblins and their creatures,
She counted them all just goblins.
Without another word,
She went and got some fresh tea and bread and butter for the princess.
Before she returned,
The whole household,
Headed by the housekeeper,
Burst into the nursery to exult over their darling.
The gentlemen at arms followed,
And were ready enough to believe all she told them about the long-legged cat.
Indeed,
Though wise enough to say nothing about it,
They remembered,
With no little horror,
Just such a creature amongst those they had surprised at their gambles upon the princess's lawn.
In their own hearts,
They blamed themselves for not having kept better watch,
And their captain gave orders that from this night,
The front door and all the windows on the ground floor should be locked immediately the sunset,
And opened upon no pretense whatever.
The men at arms redoubled their vigilance,
And for some time there was no further cause of alarm.
When the princess woke the next morning,
Her nurse was bending over her.
How your ring does glow this morning,
Princess,
Just like a fiery rose,
She said.
Does it,
Lutie?
Returned Irene.
Who gave me the ring,
Lutie?
I know I've had it a long time,
But where did I get it?
I don't remember.
I think it must have been your mother gave it to you,
Princess.
But really,
For as long as you have worn it,
I don't remember that I ever heard,
Answered her nurse.
I will ask my King Papa the next time he comes,
Said Irene.
This is the end of chapter 16.
Please join me for chapter 17.
