flowers e, and so there is a great ball; the blue violets represent young midshipmen and cadets, they dance with hyacinths and crocuses, which they call young ladies. the tulips and the great yellow lilies, they are old ladies who look on, and see that the dancing goes on properly, and that every thing is beautiful.”

“但是當花兒們在國王的城堡裡跳舞的時候，沒有人給它們任何東西嗎？” 小意達問。

“but is there nobody who gives the flowers any thing while they dance in the king’s castle?” asked little Ida.

“沒有人真正知道這件事。” 學生說。“在夏天的晚上，老城堡管家會定期穿過城堡；他帶著一大串鑰匙，但是隻要花兒們一聽到他鑰匙的叮噹聲，它們就會非常安靜，躲在長長的窗簾後面，用它們的小腦袋向外偷看。”

“there is nobody who rightly knows about it,” said the student. “In the summer season at night the old castle-steward goes regularly through the castle; he has a great bunch of keys with him, but as soon as ever the flowers hear the jingling of his keys, they are quite still, hide themselves behind the long curtains, and peep out with their little heads.

“‘我能聞到周圍有花的味道，’老城堡管家說，‘但我看不到它們！’”

“‘I can smell flowers somewhere about,’ says the old castle-steward, ‘but I cannot see them!’”

“那真迷人！” 小意達說，拍著手；“但是我看不到那些花嗎？”

“that is charming!” said little Ida, and clapped her hands; “but could not I see the flowers?”

“可以，” 學生說，“只要記住下次你在那裡的時候往窗戶裡偷看，然後你就會看到它們。有一天我這麼做了；沙發上躺著一朵高高的黃色土耳其頭巾百合；那是一位宮廷女士。”

“Yes,” said the student, “only remember the next time thou art there to peep in at the window, and then thou wilt see them. I did so one day; there lay a tall yellow tu