CHAPTER 17
Springtime
The spring so dear to all creatures, young and old, came at last, andbefore the first few days of it had gone, the king rode through itsbudding valleys to see his little daughter. He had been in a distantpart of his dominions all the winter, for he was not in the habit ofstopping in one great city, or of visiting only his favourite countryhouses, but he moved from place to place, that all his people mightknow him. Wherever he journeyed, he kept a constant look-out for theablest and best men to put into office; and wherever he found himselfmistaken, and those he had appointed incapable or unjust, he removedthem at once. Hence you see it was his care of the people that kepthim from seeing his princess so often as he would have liked. You maywonder why he did not take her about with him; but there were severalreasons against his doing so, and I suspect her great-great-grandmotherhad had a principal hand in preventing it. Once more Irene heard thebugle-blast, and once more she was at the gate to meet her father as herode up on his great white horse.
After they had been alone for a little while, she thought of what shehad resolved to ask him.
'Please, king-papa,' she said, 'Will you tell me where I got thispretty ring? I can't remember.'
The king looked at it. A strange beautiful smile spread like sunshineover his face, and an answering smile, but at the same time aquestioning one, spread like moonlight over Irene's. 'It was yourqueen-mamma's once,' he said.
'And why isn't it hers now?' asked Irene.
'She does not want it now,' said the king, looking grave.
'Why doesn't she want it now?'
'Because she's gone where all those rings are made.'
'And when shall I see her?' asked the princess.
'Not for some time yet,' answered the king, and the tears came into hiseyes.
Irene did not remember her mother and did not know why her fatherlooked so, and why the tears came in his eyes; but she put her armsround his neck and kissed him, and asked no more questions.
The king was much disturbed on hearing the report of thegentlemen-at-arms concerning the creatures they had seen; and I presumewould have taken Irene with him that very day, but for what thepresence of the ring on her finger assured him of. About an hourbefore he left, Irene saw him go up the old stair; and he did not comedown again till they were just ready to start; and she thought withherself that he had been up to see the old lady. When he went away heleft other six gentlemen behind him, that there might be six of themalways on guard.
And now, in the lovely spring weather, Irene was out on the mountainthe greater part of the day. In the warmer hollows there were lovelyprimroses, and not so many that she ever got tired of them. As oftenas she saw a new one opening an eye of light in the blind earth, shewould clap her hands with gladness, and unlike some children I know,instead of pulling it, would touch it as tenderly as if it had been anew baby, and, having made its acquaintance, would leave it as happy asshe found it. She treated the plants on which they grew like birds'nests; every fresh flower was like a new little bird to her. She wouldpay visits to all the flower-nests she knew, remembering each byitself. She would go down on her hands and knees beside one and say:'Good morning! Are you all smelling very sweet this morning?Good-bye!' and then she would go to another nest, and say the same. Itwas a favourite amusement with her. There were many flowers up anddown, and she loved them all, but the primroses were her favourites.
'They're not too shy, and they're not a bit forward,' she would say toLootie.
There were goats too about, over the mountain, and when the little kidscame she was as pleased with them as with the flowers. The goatsbelonged to the miners mostly-a few of them to Curdie's mother; butthere were a good many wild ones that seemed to belong to nobody.These the goblins counted theirs, and it was upon them partly that theylived. They set snares and dug pits for them; and did not scruple totake what tame ones happened to be caught; but they did not try tosteal them in any other manner, because they were afraid of the dogsthe hill-people kept to watch them, for the knowing dogs always triedto bite their feet. But the goblins had a kind of sheep of theirown--very queer creatures, which they drove out to feed at night, andthe other goblin creatures were wise enough to keep good watch overthem, for they knew they should have their bones by and by.