王子复仇记—星子-4

Towards the evening he passed through the gate of the city with a heavy heart. But oddly enough, the guards bowed down and said, "How handsome our lord is!" A crowd of citizens followed him and cried out, "Surely our lord is the most handsome man in the world!"

But the Star-Child didn't understand them. He thought they were making fun of his misery.

Suddenly the gate of the palace opened. The priests and the high-ranking officers of the city ran to meet him and said, "You are our lord, the son of our king. We have been waiting for you."

But the Star-Child said to them, "I am not a king's son. I'm the child of a poor woman beggar─and as ugly as a toad!"

"No. You are as good-looking as a flower," said one of the soldiers.  "Look!" He held up his shield.

The Star-Child looked and found a handsome boy reflected in the polished shield. He was handsome again! The high-ranking officers knelt down and said with one voice, "Our Lord!"

But he said to them, "I do not deserve this, for I have denied my own mother. I cannot rest till I find her. Please let me go. I must wander again all over the world."

He turned his face from them towards the street. Just then in the twilight he saw the woman beggar─his mother─among the crowd. And the old beggar stood at her side.

He ran towards her and knelt down. He cried out, "Mother, please forgive me." He sobbed bitterly and his tears washed her feet.

The woman beggar put her hand on his head, and said to him, "Stand up."

He rose from his feet and looked at them. And lo! He saw a king and a queen before him.

The king said, "This is your mother whose feet you washed with your tears. Now, my son, this crown is yours."

The king took off his crown and put it on the Star-Child's head. On the top of the crown a golden star was shining in the shades of night.

傍晚时分，他带着沉重的心情穿过城门。奇怪的是，守卫们竟然向他鞠躬行礼说道：『我们的少主多幺英俊挺拔啊！』一群市民跟着他喊道：『我们的少主当然是世界上最帅的人了！』

但是星子一点儿也不懂他们的意思。他心想他们一定是在取笑他的不幸际遇。

突然间，皇宫的门开了，城里的教士和高级官员们都跑出来迎接他，并说道：『你就是国王的儿子，我们的少主。我们一直在等您。』

但是星子对他们说：『我不是什幺国王的儿子。我只是个可怜乞妇的儿子，而且就像癞蛤蟆一样丑！』

『不，你像花一样好看，』其中一个士兵举起他的盾牌说道：『看！』

星子看了以后，发现一个小帅哥映照在发亮的盾牌里。他又和以前一样帅了！这些高官全都跪了下来一致说道：『我们的少主！』

但是他对他们说：『我不配这个称呼，因为我不认自己的母亲。我非找到她才能罢休。请让我走吧。我必须再一次浪迹天涯。』

说完他转头往街上看去。就在天色转黑之际，他在人群中看到那名乞妇 ──他的母亲，还有那个老乞丐站在她旁边。

他跑过去跪了下来大叫道：『母亲，请原谅我。』他悲痛地哭着，泪水浸湿了他母亲的脚。

这名乞妇将手放在他的头上，对他说道：『起来吧。』

他站起身来看着他们。天啊！他看到的是一位国王和一位皇后站在他面前。

国王说：『这位就是被你的泪水洗过双脚的母亲。儿子，这顶王冠现在是你的了。』

国王摘下他的王冠戴在星子的头上。在王冠的顶端，一颗金色的星星正在夜色下闪闪发光。