to find it had been overtaken by the storm and had not even yet
returned. Poor Sir Walter was especially filled with shame, and almost
entertained the hope that the king would order him to be decapitated,
for the very thought of that sweet little face down amongst the goblins
was unendurable.
When Curdie ran in at the gate with the princess in his arms, they were
all so absorbed in their own misery and awed by the king's presence
and
grief, that no one observed his arrival. He went straight up to the
king, where he sat on his horse.
"Papa! papa!" the princess cried, stretching out her arms to him; "here
I am!"
The king started. The color rushed to his face. He gave an inarticulate
cry. Curdie held up the princess, and the king bent down and took her
from his arms. As he clasped her to his bosom, the big tears went
dropping down his cheeks and his beard. And such a shout arose from
all
the bystanders, that the startled horses pranced and capered, and the
armor rang and clattered, and the rocks of the mountain echoed back
the
Madhuri Noah
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