More years passed. Seasons came and went. Days grew longer and then shorter and then longer again. The thick wall grew taller in the summer, invigorated by the sun's warmth. And in fall, the roots dug deeper. On one side, in the Faerie Moors¹, Maleficent continued to sit on the throne. She focused on helping² the Moors thrive and enjoyed knowing that she had brought a long-lasting peace for all the creatures, great and small.

Over the years, Maleficent grew more confident and more beautiful. On the other side of the Thorn Wall, however, things did not go as well. In his castle, King Stefan grew weaker and more paranoid. His beard grew gray and thinned while his belly³ became larger. His red-rimmed eyes were constantly trained on the wall as he waited for the moment it would show him its weakness. He had ordered the once lovely light stone walls of the castle to be covered by thick, dull iron—an attempt to make sure that Maleficent could be kept out. It gave the castle a scary, foreboding appearance, and those who lived in its shadow felt its heavy weight on their shoulders. Gone were the days of celebrations and fun. The kingdom, many said, was in a perpetual state of mourning for a cursed princess who they would never see grow up.

Deep in the woods between the two worlds, unaware⁴ of it all, Aurora⁵ grew older. Her pudgy cheeks thinned out yet stayed rosy⁶. The little legs that had so often gotten her into trouble became long and lean so that she towered over her short "aunts." The button nose that turned up slightly at the tip fit her face perfectly⁷, and the long blond locks that flowed down to her tiny waist shimmered⁸ and shone. At fifteen, she was a vision of beauty. And raised away from the trappings of royal life, she was a vision of kindness, as well. There was not an animal she didn't love or a bird she didn't sing to. She would wander the woods for hours at a time, lost in thought but perfectly comfortable with the nature around her.　

Maleficent had watched as Aurora grew and got closer and closer to the age of her curse. She had witnessed the awkward years when Aurora's legs were too long for her body, and seen the emotional shift from child to teen as Aurora struggled to figure out who she was, never getting answers from the three women who had raised her. She had followed the girl as she wandered the woods, always surprised to see a human so in touch with nature. And she had been uncomfortable when, wandering far from home one afternoon, Aurora had discovered the Wall. Soon Aurora began to spend long afternoons lying in front of it, trying to see through its thick, thorny⁹ branches. While Maleficent tried to ignore the girl's presence so close to her home, it was practically impossible. The girl always seemed to be nearby.　

Sitting with Diaval one afternoon on the human side of the Wall, Maleficent tried to relax and enjoy lying on the warm ground. Her gaze fell on the road that ran across from the Wall. It was the road between the human forest and the Faerie Moors. Long and winding¹⁰, it had deep ruts dug into the dirt by countless¹¹ carriages and wagons¹³. Tall trees grew on either side of it. In the opposite direction was King Stefan's castle. As the road drew closer to the castle, it became more structured, the trees trimmed back and the foliage¹⁴ kept to a minimum. Gazing at Stefan's castle in the distance, Maleficent crinkled her nose. All those years later and the place still made her mad.

Suddenly, Diaval, who was in his human form, cocked his head, listening. "She's back again," he said after a moment.

Pushing themselves back into the shadows of the thick branches, the pair watched as a moment later Aurora emerged from the woods. Looking around to be sure no one had spotted¹⁵ her, Aurora crossed the road and made her way up to the thorns. She craned her neck up, marveling again at the immensity of the Wall. She stood on tiptoe and then sank, trying to find a hole in the Wall to see through.

"Curious little beast," Maleficent muttered as she watched Aurora. She was just about to signal Diaval to go when there was the loud sound of metal cutting through wood. The noise sliced through Maleficent, causing her to shudder¹⁶, as though she were the one being cut.

Forgetting all about Aurora, Maleficent began to walk toward the noise. It didn't take her long to discover the source. A large wagon¹² had broken down on the road. Two of its wheels lay flat on the ground, the other two still connected to the disabled vehicle. The back of the wagon was shattered where its heavy cargo¹⁷ had fallen through. Squinting¹⁸, Maleficent could just make out a hint of heavy iron peering from underneath¹⁹ the cargo cover.

Several soldiers, armed in iron and carrying iron weapons, stood guard near the cargo. Two more had made their way to the edge of the forest and were using a two-handed saw to cut down a tree. They were clearly going to use the fresh wood to repair their wagon.

As the metal blade sliced into the tree's trunk, Maleficent cringed. Anger filled her and she raised her staff, ready to put a stop to the humans' destructive work. But a warning caw from Diaval made her pause. Turning, she saw that Aurora was approaching.

Two of the soldiers had left the group, spotting Aurora close by. The first one called out to her. "Hey, you. What are you doing?"　

"You don't belong out here," the other said.　

Then they started shouting over each other.

"How did you get out here?"　

"Why are you out here in the middle of the forest?"

Aurora started walking in their direction, her eyes curious and trusting.

Maleficent quickly formed a plan in her mind. The soldiers outnumbered her. And they did have iron weapons. But she had magic. And Diaval. Looking at him, she narrowed her eyes. She was going to need something a bit scarier than a raven²⁰ to help her frighten off the soldiers. Raising her staff, she softly said, "Bring them to me."

With a small cry, Diaval fell to his knees. And then, in front of Maleficent's eyes, he transformed into an enormous wolf. His fur was thick and black and long; sharp talons²¹ extended from huge paws. He was a terrifying creature. The only things that were not frightening were the wolf's eyes, which still retained Diaval's kindness. He bounded off.

The soldiers stopped in their tracks as soon as they heard a loud, echoing howl. Instantly, they turned around and headed back to the other men.

At the same time, Maleficent approached Aurora from behind. She pulled a yellow flower from her robe and blew on it. Pollen²² flew off the flower, got caught in the gentle breeze, and began to move toward Aurora.

"Sleep," Maleficent said softly.　

Taking the shape of a small cloud, the pollen continued to float toward Aurora. Reaching her, the yellow dust swirled²³ around, and her eyes began to close. A moment later, Aurora's body went limp and she gently dropped to the ground. But Aurora was still too visible for Maleficent's liking²⁴. Lifting her staff, Maleficent raised the princess's sleeping body slowly into the air. The girl floated higher and higher until she hovered²⁵ safely above the soldiers' line of sight.

That taken care of, Maleficent turned her attention back to the soldiers. She watched as Diaval galloped²⁶ closer and closer to them. Terrified of the mass of fur and muscle fast approaching, the soldiers drew their swords. And then, just as swiftly, they started running in the opposite direction. Diaval trailed behind like a menacing sheepdog.

Too late, the soldiers realized they were racing²⁷ straight toward a tall, horned creature. They skidded²⁸ to a stop just as Maleficent raised her staff once more, lifting the soldiers into the air this time. Weapons began to rain down as she made them float in the air. She twisted her staff, and the soldiers bumped into one another in the air, then fell to the ground in an unconscious heap.

She grinned, satisfied that the crisis had been averted²⁹. But the smile faded on her lips as she looked down at an iron helmet lying near her feet. She studied it and then carefully reached out a finger. The tip touched the iron and Maleficent felt a searing heat. She snatched her hand away and held it to her chest. So that little problem hasn't gone away, she thought. And if she faced more soldiers in another battle, it could become a much bigger problem.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the return of Diaval. Waving her hand, she transformed him back into a human. His cheeks were flushed and he shuffled³⁰ from foot to foot, clearly agitated³¹.

"How could you do that to me?" he asked angrily.

Maleficent took a step back, surprised by his response. He had never reacted to a transformation³² like that before. "You said ... anything I need," she replied haltingly. And he had. True, it had been many years earlier, but she didn't think there was an expiration³³ date.

"Not a dog!" Diaval snapped.

Maleficent shrugged³⁴. So that was what he was so upset about. That he had been furry³⁵. "It was a wolf," she pointed³⁶ out, "not a dog."

"It's the same thing," Diaval replied. "They're dirty, vicious, and they hunt birds."

"Fine," Maleficent said, throwing up her hands.

"Next time I'll change you into a mealy worm."

She turned and began to make her way back to the Wall. It wouldn't be long before the soldiers awoke and alerted King Stefan to the skirmish. She would be safer in the Moors. Diaval followed, still muttering about his earlier transformation. "I'll be a mealy worm," he was saying. "Gladly! Anything but a filthy³⁷, stinking³⁸ ... Awk!"

Looking over her shoulder, Maleficent tried not to smile as Diaval flapped angrily about. He could be so dramatic. A little transformation never hurt anybody, and it wasn't like he had hurt a bird while he was a wolf.

Suddenly, Maleficent remembered Aurora. Looking up, she saw the princess was still floating in the air, blissfully asleep and unaware of the battle that had occurred on the ground below. She needed to wake the girl up and get her safely back to the cottage before any of Stefan's men woke up. Yet that could take a while and she could be followed if the soldiers were good trackers. Maleficent doubted she had that long. Suddenly, she had an idea. A strange and unsettling idea, but an idea nonetheless.

"I wonder ..." she mused³⁹ aloud.

What if she were to take Aurora to the other side of the Wall? The men couldn't follow them there and Aurora would be safe for the time being. Plus, Maleficent thought, I am curious to see what the girl would think of the Moors. Would she see their beauty? Or be frightened? Or overcome with the urge to take and destroy like every other human? She shook her head. Was she being foolish even to consider taking her to the Moors? Or was it the best decision given the circumstances?

Maleficent could stand there all day battling with herself. But time was precious and she needed to make a decision ... soon. Lifting her staff, she pointed it at Aurora.

 

时间过得很快，季节在不断地轮回变化，白天越来越长，继而又越来越短，之后又越来越长。夏天温暖的阳光带来勃勃生机，那厚厚的荆棘墙越长越高。而秋天，它们的根也越扎越深。在墙的一边，在精灵族的摩尔森林里，玛琳菲森一直当着女王。她专注于摩尔王国的兴盛和繁荣。在她的努力下，这里大大小小的生灵都过上了持久和平的生活，为此她感到十分欣喜。

许多年过去了，玛琳菲森变得愈发自信而美丽。然而在荆棘墙的另一边，情况就没有那么好了。城堡里的斯戴芬国王变得越来越虚弱和偏执。他的胡须变得灰白稀疏，肚子也越发地圆鼓起来。他通红的眼睛总是紧紧地盯着荆棘墙，好像在等着它自己露出破绽似的。城堡原来漂亮的浅色石墙被包上了一层厚重的铁壁，好确保玛琳菲森再也无法进入。这些铁壁让整个城堡都变得阴森恐怖，每一个住在里面的人都觉得这些铁壁好像都压在自己的肩膀上一样。昔日的庆典和欢笑早已不见踪影。许多人说，因为公主受到诅咒再也长不大，所以整个王国都难以从悲伤中走出来。

在人类世界和摩尔森林之间的一片树林深处，爱洛慢慢长大，对外面的世界一无所知。她胖嘟嘟的小脸蛋变瘦了一些，却还是红扑扑的。而她那一双常常将自己带入麻烦的小腿也变得纤长起来，现在的她已经比那几个矮小的“阿姨”要高出许多了。她那小巧可爱、鼻尖微微翘起的鼻子把她的脸蛋点缀得恰到好处，金黄色的长发垂在纤细的腰间，散发出迷人的光彩。年仅十五的她已然长成了美人的模样。远离了皇宫的繁文缛节，她还拥有一颗善良的心灵。她爱着每一种动物，会和每一种鸟儿唱歌。她在森林里游荡，一待就是很长时间，她沉浸在自己的想象之中，与周围自然中的一切融为一体。

玛琳菲森一直关注着爱洛的成长，眼看着就到了魔咒应验的年纪。她目睹了爱洛的尴尬岁月，那时她的腿长到与身体不成比例；她还目睹了爱洛从孩提时代进入少年时代时遇到的种种情绪困扰，比如想要弄清楚自己到底是谁，养育她的三位仙子可从来不会回答这个问题。玛琳菲森也会悄悄跟着爱洛漫步森林，对她与自然的亲和力惊叹不已。有一天下午，爱洛走了很远，发现了那堵荆棘墙，这让玛琳菲森感到有些不安。不久之后，爱洛就开始整个下午都待在墙边，想要透过浓密的荆棘枝条看看里面的世界。尽管玛琳菲森试图忽视与她的家园近在尺咫的爱洛，可这几乎不可能。她好像总在附近转悠。

一天下午，玛琳菲森和迪艾瓦一起坐在荆棘墙外面，打算躺在温暖的地面上休息片刻。她的目光盯着从树墙中延伸到外面的那条路。那条路连接着人类森林和精灵族的摩尔森林，漫长而又曲折，因为有很多车辆经过，路面上留下了深深的车辙印。道路两旁长着高高的大树，路的另一头就是斯戴芬国王的城堡。靠近城堡那端的道路平整许多，树木都经过了修剪，枝叶稀疏。玛琳菲森眺望着那座城堡，皱了皱鼻子。这么多年过去了，那个地方还是让她很恼火。

突然，变成人形的迪艾瓦侧耳听了一阵，接着说道：“她又来了。”

两人赶紧藏到了浓密的树枝下。不一会儿，爱洛就从树林中走了出来。她东瞧瞧西看看，确定周围没人发现她后，就径自走到荆棘墙边，伸长脖子再次惊叹着高大无比的荆棘墙。她时而踮起脚，时而蹲下身，想要找到一个小洞窥探墙里面的世界。

玛琳菲森一边看着爱洛，一边喃喃自语道：“好奇的小怪物。”她正准备叫上迪艾瓦离开，突然传来一阵金属切割树木的嘈杂声。这噪声好像在切割玛琳菲森的身体一般，她不禁一阵哆嗦。

玛琳菲森向着那噪声走去，完全忘记了爱洛。她很快就找到了声音的来源：路上一辆大型马车坏了，两个轮子倒在地上，另外两个还连在散架的车上。马车后部损坏得十分严重，车上沉重的货物都落在了地上。玛琳菲森眯着眼睛，透过货物的覆盖物，发现车上载着的好像是沉甸甸的金属。

几名士兵守卫着马车，他们身着盔甲，手持铁质武器。另外两名个士兵走到树林边，两人举着锯子来回锯着树干，显然他们准备用这棵树修理马车。

玛琳菲森听着金属切割树干的声音，难受得缩成一团。她满怀愤怒，举起魔杖想要制止这些人的破坏行为。这时迪艾瓦警告似地叫了一声，她停了下来。玛琳菲森回头一看，爱洛正在往这边走。

有两名士兵离开了队伍，发现了附近的爱洛，一个先开口问道：“嗨，说你呢，你在干什么？”

另一个说道：“这里不是你该来的地方。”

接着他们七嘴八舌地嚷了起来：

“你是怎么到这里来的？”

“你一个人在树林里干什么？”

爱洛向他们走去，她的眼里满是好奇和信任。

玛琳菲森很快有了主意。士兵数量很多，而且还配有铁制武器，不过她有魔力，还有迪艾瓦。她眯起眼睛看着迪艾瓦，她需要一种比乌鸦可怕的动物来吓跑这群士兵。她举起魔杖，轻声说道：“把他们拿下。”

迪艾瓦轻轻叫了一声，跪倒在地。接着，玛琳菲森眼前的他就变成了一匹体形硕大的狼。它的长毛乌黑浓密，爪子大而尖利。这绝对是一只让人胆战心惊的野兽。唯一不够凶狠的是它的眼睛，因为其中还透着迪艾瓦的善良。他向士兵跑去。

听到一声响亮的狼嚎回荡在丛林中，士兵停了下来，立刻转身向自己的同伴走去。

与此同时，玛琳菲森走到了爱洛的背后，从自己的袍子上摘下一朵黄色的花，然后对它吹了一口气，花粉便随着微风，向爱 洛飘去。

玛琳菲森轻声说道：“睡吧。”

花粉汇成了一小朵云的形状，继续飘向爱洛。一碰到她，黄色的粉末便围着她旋转，她的眼睛慢慢地合上了。片刻之后，爱洛的身体就开始倾斜，最后缓缓地倒在了地上。不过玛琳菲森还是觉得，这样躺着也有些碍眼。于是她又举起魔杖，让这位公主的身体慢慢飘浮在空中。她越升越高，最后安全地悬在了士兵视线的上方。

安顿完爱洛，玛琳菲森将注意力转回到那群士兵身上。她看着迪艾瓦极速向他们奔去。看到这样一只长着长毛、肌肉强健的动物朝自己跑来，士兵们拨出刀剑，接着又立即转身落荒而逃。迪艾瓦在后面追赶着，活像一只张牙舞爪的牧羊犬。

等士兵们发现自己被一个身形高挑、头长犄角的东西挡住了去路时，为时已晚。他们赶紧刹住了脚步，这时玛琳菲森又一次举起了魔杖，将所有士兵都抬向空中，他们的武器就像雨点一般落下来。她扭动了一下魔杖，士兵们在空中互相碰撞，然后纷纷摔落在地上，晕了过去。

危机扭转了，她露出了满意的笑容。然而当她看到落在脚边的一顶铁制头盔时，笑容又消失了。她仔细观察着这顶头盔，然后小心翼翼地探出了一根手指，刚一碰到头盔表面，手指上立刻传来一阵灼痛。她赶紧缩回手，放在自己的胸膛上。她想：那个小麻烦还没有解决。如果下一次遇到更多的士兵，那麻烦就大了。

返回的迪艾瓦打断了她的思绪。她摆了摆手，将它变回了人。他的脸颊通红，左摇右摆，看起来是生气了。

他愤愤不平地问：“你怎么能这样对我？”

玛琳菲森不禁后退了一步，有些惊讶。他以前对变身从来没有过这样的反应，玛琳菲森迟疑地答道：“你说过……无论我需要什么。”他的确说过这样的话，那是很多年以前了，不过她并不认为这个承诺是有期限的。

迪艾瓦生气地说：“那也不能变成狗啊！”

玛琳菲森耸了耸肩，原来他不喜欢的是这个。他不喜欢变成毛茸茸的东西。她指出：“那是狼，不是狗。”

迪艾瓦答道：“一样的，它们都很肮脏、凶残，而且它们还抓鸟！”

玛琳菲森两手一摊说：“好吧。”

“下次我把你变成一条小虫子。”

她转身往荆棘墙走去。这些士兵很快就会醒来，向斯戴芬国王报告这次战斗。她还是回到摩尔森林比较安全。迪艾瓦跟在后面，还在为刚刚的变身愤愤不平：“我倒情愿变成小虫子，总好过那只又臭又脏的……啊呜！”

玛琳菲森转头一看，强忍住笑意，迪艾瓦正生气地扑棱着翅膀。他总是小题大做，一次小小的变身又不会伤害任何人，再说，他变成狼之后也没有伤害过一只鸟啊。

忽然玛琳菲森想起了爱洛。抬头望去，爱洛公主还飘在空中，幸福地熟睡着，丝毫不知道地上刚刚经历过一场战斗。她得把爱洛弄醒，在斯戴芬国王的士兵醒来之前把她带回小屋。但是这样会很浪费时间，而且如果士兵中有追踪高手的话，她的形迹就会败露。玛琳菲森觉得没有那么多时间了。忽然间，她有了一个主意，这个主意很奇怪，又让人不安，但它到底是个主意。

她自言自语道：“能不能……”

如果我把爱洛带到墙那边的摩尔森林里去会怎样？这些士兵不可能追到那里，爱洛的安全也可以暂时得到保证。玛琳菲森想着，而且我想知道爱洛会怎么看摩尔森林。她会看见摩尔森林的美吗？还是会感到害怕？又或者会和其他人类一样，想要攫取、破坏所有的一切？玛琳菲森摇了摇头，把她带回摩尔森林的想法会不会太愚蠢了？还是说，在这种情况下这样做其实是最好的选择？

这事可真够玛琳菲森纠结一天的。可眼下时间宝贵，她需要马上做出决定……她举起魔杖，指向了爱洛。

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