安徒生童话英文阅读(5)

　　Then the dog ran back again with the princess . But when morning came, and the King and Queen were drinking tea, the princess said she had had a strange dream the night before, about a dog and a soldier ---- that she had ridden upon the dog, and the soldier had kissed her.

　　“That would be a fine history!” said the Queen.

　　So one of the old court ladies had to watch the next night by the princess's bed, to see if this was really a dream, or what it might be.

　　The soldier had a great longing to see the lovely princess again; so the dog came in the night, took her away, and ran as fast as he could. But the old lady put on waterboots, and ran just as fast after him. When she saw that they both entered a great house , she thought ; “Now I know where it is;” and with a bit of chalk she drew a great cross on the door. Then she went home and lay down, and the dog came up with the princess; but when he saw that there was a cross drawn on the door where the soldier lived, he took a piece of chalk too, and drew crosses on all the doors in the town . And that was cleverly done , for now the lady could not find the right door, because all the doors had crosses upon them.

　　In the morning early came the King and the Queen, the old court lady and all the officers , to see where it was the princess had been. “Here it is !” said the King, when he saw the first door with a cross upon it. “No, my dear husband, it is there !” said the Queen , who descried another door which also showed a cross . “But there is one , and there is one !” said all , for wherever they looked there were crosses on the doors . So they saw that it would avail them nothing if they searched on .

　　But the Queen was an exceedingly clever woman , who could do more than ride in a coach. She took her great gold scissors , cut a piece of silk into pieces , and made a neat little bag; this bag she filled with fine wheat flour, and tied it on the princess's back; and when that was done, she cut a little hole in the bag, so that the flour would be scattered along all the way which the princess should take.