37-prince ring-第3章

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'I　won't　go；'　said　he；　'unless　I　get　the　gold　cloak。'



'Though　I　should　die　you　shan't　have　that；'　said　the　hag。



'Die；　then；'　said　the　son。



'Well；　then；　take　it；'　said　the　old　hag；　'and　be　off　with　you；

but　you　must　make　haste　with　the　water。'



He　put　on　the　cloak；　and　when　he　came　outside　it　shone　so　bright

that　he　could　see　to　go　with　it。　　On　reaching　the　river　he　went

to　take　a　drink　like　his　sister；　but　at　that　moment　Ring　and

Snati　sprang　upon　him；　took　the　cloak　from　him；　and　threw　him

into　the　river。



The　old　hag　could　stand　the　thirst　no　longer；　and　asked　her

husband　to　go　for　a　drink　for　her；　the　brats；　she　said；　were　of

course　running　about　and　playing　themselves；　just　as　she　had

expected　they　would；　little　wretches　that　they　were。



'I　won't　go；'　said　the　old　troll；　'unless　you　lend　me　the　gold

chess…board。'



'Though　I　should　die　you　shan't　have　that；'　said　the　hag。　



'I　think　you　may　just　as　well　do　that；'　said　he；　'since　you　won't

grant　me　such　a　little　favour。'



'Take　it；　then；　you　utter　disgrace！'　said　the　old　hag；　'since　you

are　just　like　these　two　brats。'



The　old　troll　now　went　out　with　the　gold　chess…board；　and　down　to

the　river；　and　was　about　to　take　a　drink；　when　Ring　and　Snati

came　upon　him；　took　the　chess…board　from　him；　and　threw　him　into

the　river。　　Before　they　had　got　back　again；　however；　and　up　on

top　of　the　cave；　they　saw　the　poor　old　fellow's　ghost　come

marching　up　from　the　river。　　Snati　immediately　sprang　upon　him；

and　Ring　assisted　in　the　attack；　and　after　a　hard　struggle　they

mastered　him　a　second　time。　　When　they　got　back　again　to　the

window　they　saw　that　the　old　hag　was　moving　towards　the　door。



'Now　we　must　go　in　at　once；'　said　Snati；　'and　try　to　master　her

there；　for　if　she　once　gets　out　we　shall　have　no　chance　with　her。　

She　is　the　worst　witch　that　ever　lived；　and　no　iron　can　cut　her。　

One　of　us　must　pour　boiling　porridge　out　of　the　pot　on　her；　and

the　other　punch　her　with　red…hot　iron。'



In　they　went　then；　and　no　sooner　did　the　hag　see　them　than　she

said；　'So　you　have　come；　Prince　Ring；　you　must　have　seen　to　my

husband　and　children。'



Snati　saw　that　she　was　about　to　attack　them；　and　sprang　at　her

with　a　red…hot　iron　from　the　fire；　while　Ring　kept　pouring

boiling　porridge　on　her　without　stopping；　and　in　this　way　they　at

last　got　her　killed。　　Then　they　burned　the　old　troll　and　her　to

ashes；　and　explored　the　cave；　where　they　found　plenty　of　gold　and

treasures。　　The　most　valuable　of　these　they　carried　with　them　as

far　as　the　cliff；　and　left　them　there。　　Then　they　hastened　home

to　the　King　with　his　three　treasures；　where　they　arrived　late　on

Christmas　night；　and　Ring　handed　them　over　to　him。



The　King　was　beside　himself　with　joy；　and　was　astonished　at　how

clever　a　man　Ring　was　in　all　kinds　of　feats；　so　that　he　esteemed

him　still　more　highly　than　before；　and　betrothed　his　daughter　to

him；　and　the　feast　for　this　was　to　last　all　through

Christmastide。　　Ring　thanked　the　King　courteously　for　this　and

all　his　other　kindnesses；　and　as　soon　as　he　had　finished　eating

and　drinking　in　the　hall　went　off　to　sleep　in　his　own　room。　

Snati；　however；　asked　permission　to　sleep　in　the　Prince's　bed　for

that　night；　while　the　Prince　should　sleep　where　the　Dog　usually

lay。　　Ring　said　he　was　welcome　to　do　so；　and　that　he　deserved

more　from　him　than　that　came　to。　　So　Snati　went　up　into　the

Prince's　bed；　but　after　a　time　he　came　back；　and　told　Ring　he

could　go　there　himself　now；　but　to　take　care　not　to　meddle　with

anything　that　was　in　the　bed。



Now　the　story　comes　back　to　Red；　who　came　into　the　hall　and

showed　the　King　his　right　arm　wanting　the　hand；　and　said　that　now

he　could　see　what　kind　of　a　man　his　intended　son…in…law　was；　for

he　had　done　this　to　him　without　any　cause　whatever。　　The　King

became　very　angry；　and　said　he　would　soon　find　out　the　truth

about　it；　and　if　Ring　had　cut　off　his　hand　without　good　cause　he

should　be　hanged；　but　if　it　was　otherwise；　then　Red　should　die。　

So　the　King　sent　for　Ring　and　asked　him　for　what　reason　he　had

done　this。　　Snati；　however；　had　just　told　Ring　what　had　happened

during　the　night；　and　in　reply　he　asked　the　King　to　go　with　him

and　he　would　show　him　something。　　The　King　went　with　him　to　his

sleeping…room；　and　saw　lying　on　the　bed　a　man's　hand　holding　a

sword。



'This　hand；'　said　Ring；　'came　over　the　partition　during　the

night；　and　was　about　to　run　me　through　in　my　bed；　if　I　had　not

defended　myself。'



The　King　answered　that　in　that　case　he　could　not　blame　him　for

protecting　his　own　life；　and　that　Red　was　well　worthy　of　death。　

So　Red　was　hanged；　and　Ring　married　the　King's　daughter。



The　first　night　that　they　went　to　bed　together　Snati　asked　Ring

to　allow　him　to　lie　at　their　feet；　and　this　Ring　allowed　him　to

do。　　During　the　night　he　heard　a　howling　and　outcry　beside　them；

struck　a　light　in　a　hurry　and　saw　an　ugly　dog's　skin　lying　near

him；　and　a　beautiful　Prince　in　the　bed。　　Ring　instantly　took　the

skin　and　burned　it；　and　then　shook　the　Prince；　who　was　lying

unconscious；　until　he　woke　up。　　The　bridegroom　then　asked　his

name；　he　replied　that　he　was　called　Ring；　and　was　a　King's　son。　

In　his　youth　he　had　lost　his　mother；　and　in　her　place　his　father

had　married　a　witch；　who　had　laid　a　spell　on　him　that　he　should

turn　into　a　dog；　and　never　be　released　from　the　spell　unless　a

Prince　of　the　same　name　as　himself　allowed　him　to　sleep　at　his

feet　the　first　night　after　his　marriage。　　He　added　further；　'As

soon　as　she　knew　that　you　were　my　namesake　she　tried　to　get　you

destroyed；　so　that　you　might　not　free　me　from　the　spell。　　She　was

the　hind　that　you　and　your　companions　chased；　she　was　the　woman

that　you　found　in　the　clearing　with　the　barrel；　and　the　old　hag

that　we　just　now　killed　in　the　cave。'



After　the　feasting　was　over　the　two　namesakes；　along　with　other

men；　went　to　the　cliff　and　brought　all　the　treasure　home　to　the

Palace。　　Then　they　went　to　the　island　and　removed　all　that　was

valuable　from　it。　　Ring　gave　to　his　namesake；　whom　he　had　freed

from　the　spell；　his　sister　Ingiborg　and　his　father's　kingdom　to

look　after；　but　he　himself　stayed　with　his　father…in…law　the

King；　and　had　half　the　kingdom　while　he　lived　and　the　whole　of　it

after　his　death。