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第2章

31-minnikin-第2章

小说: 31-minnikin 字数: 每页4000字

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Ritter Red was to stay with her and protect her。 He; however; was

very unlikely to do the Troll much injury; for no sooner had the

Princess seated herself by the sea…shore than Ritter Red climbed

up into a great tree which was standing there; and hid himself as

well as he could among the branches。



The Princess wept; and begged him most earnestly not to go and

leave her; but Ritter Red did not concern himself about that。 ‘It

is better that one should die than two;' said he。



In the meantime Minnikin begged the kitchen…maid very prettily

to give him leave to go down to the strand for a short time。



‘Oh; what could you do down at the strand?' said the kitchen…

maid。 ‘You have nothing to do there。'



‘Oh yes; my dear; just let me go;' said Minnikin。 ‘I should

so like to go and amuse myself with the other children。'



‘Well; well; go then!' said the kitchen…maid; ‘but don't let me

find you staying there over the time when the pan has to be set on

the fire for supper; and the roast put on the spit; and mind you

bring back a good big armful of wood for the kitchen。'



Minnikin promised this; and ran down to the sea…shore。



Just as he got to the place where the King's daughter was

sitting; the Troll came rushing up with a great whistling and

whirring; and he was so big and stout that he was terrible to see; and

he had five heads。



‘Fire!' screeched the Troll。



‘Fire yourself!' said Minnikin。



‘Can you fight?' roared the Troll。



‘If not; I can learn;' said Minnikin。



So the Troll struck at him with a great thick iron bar which he

had in his fist; till the sods flew five yards up into the air。



‘Fie!' said Minnikin。 ‘That was not much of a blow。 Now

you shall see one of mine。'



So he grasped the sword which he had got from the old crook…

backed woman; and slashed at the Troll so that all five heads went

flying away over the sands。



When the Princess saw that she was delivered she was so

delighted that she did not know what she was doing; and skipped

and danced。



‘Come and sleep a bit with your head in my lap;' she said to

Minnikin; and as he slept she put a golden dress on him。



But when Ritter Red saw that there was no longer any danger

afoot; he lost no time in creeping down from the tree。 He then

threatened the Princess; until at length she was forced to promise

to say that it was he who had rescued her; for he told her that if

she did not he would kill her。 Then he took the Troll's lungs and

tongue and put them in his pocket…handkerchief; and led the

Princess back to the King's palace; and whatsoever had been

lacking to him in the way of honour before was lacking no longer;

for the King did not know how to exalt him enough; and always

set him on his own right hand at table。



As for Minnikin; first he went out on the Troll's ship and took

a great quantity of gold and silver hoops away with him; and then

he trotted back to the King's palace。



When the kitchen…maid caught sight of all this gold and silver

she was quite amazed; and said: ‘My dear friend Minnikin; where

have you got all that from?' for she was half afraid that he had

not come by it honestly。



‘Oh;' answered Minnikin; ‘I have been home a while; and these

hoops had fallen off some of our buckets; so I brought them away

with me for you。'



So when the kitchen…maid heard that they were for her; she

asked no more questions about the matter。 She thanked Minnikin;

and everything was right again at once。



Next Thursday evening all went just the same; and everyone

was full of grief and affliction; but Ritter Red said that he had been

able to deliver the King's daughter from one Troll; so that he could

very easily deliver her from another; and he led her down to the

sea…shore。 But he did not do much harm to this Troll either; for

when the time came when the Troll might be expected; he said as

he had said before: ‘It is better that one should die than two;' and

then climbed up into the tree again。



Minnikin once more begged the cook's leave to go down to the

sea…shore for a short time。



‘Oh; what can you do there?' said the cook。



‘My dear; do let me go!' said Minnikin; ‘I should so like to go

down there and amuse myself a little with the other children。'



So this time also she said that he should have leave to go; but

he must first promise that he would be back by the time the joint

was turned and that he would bring a great armful of wood with

him。



No sooner had Minnikin got down to the strand than the Troll

came rushing along with a great whistling and whirring; and he

was twice as big as the first Troll; and he had ten heads。



‘Fire!' shrieked the Troll。



‘Fire yourself!' said Minnikin。



‘Can you fight?' roared the Troll。



‘If not; I can learn;' said Minnikin。



So the Troll struck at him with his iron clubwhich was still

bigger than that which the first Troll had hadso that the earth

flew ten yards up in the air。



‘Fie!' said Minnikin。 ‘That was not much of a blow。 Now

you shall see one of my blows。'



Then he grasped his sword and struck at the Troll; so that all his

ten heads danced away over the sands。



And again the King's daughter said to him; ‘Sleep a while on my

lap;' and while Minnikin lay there she drew some silver raiment

over him。



As soon as Ritter Red saw that there was no longer any danger

afoot; he crept down from the tree and threatened the Princess;

until at last she was again forced to promise to say that it was he

who had rescued her; after which he took the tongue and the lungs

of the Troll and put them in his pocket…handkerchief; and then

he conducted the Princess back to the palace。 There was joy

and gladness in the palace; as may be imagined; and the King

did not know how to show enough honour and respect to Ritter Red。



Minnikin; however; took home with him an armful of gold and

silver hoops from the Troll's ship。 When he came back to the

King's palace the kitchen…maid clapped her hands and wondered

where he could have got all that gold and silver; but Minnikin

answered that he had been home for a short time; and that it was

only the hoops which had fallen off some pails; and that he had

brought them away for the kitchen…maid。



When the third Thursday evening came; everything happened

exactly as it had happened on the two former occasions。 Everything

in the King's palace was hung with black; and everyone was

sorrowful and distressed; but Ritter Red said that he did not think

that they had much reason to be afraidhe had delivered the

King's daughter from two Trolls; so he could easily deliver her

from the third as well。



He led her down to the strand; but when the time drew near for

the Troll to come; he climbed up into the tree again and hid himself。



The Princess wept and entreated him to stay; but all to no

purpose。 He stuck to his old speech; ‘It is better that one life should

be lost than two。'



This evening also; Minnikin begged for leave to go down to the

sea…shore。



‘Oh; what can you do there?' answered the kitchen…maid。



However; he begged until at last he got leave to go; but he was

forced to promise that he would be back again in the kitchen when

the roast had to be turned。



Almost immediately after he had got down to the sea…shore the

Troll came with a great whizzing and whirring; and he was much;

much bigger than either of the two former ones; and he had fifteen

heads。



‘Fire!' roared the Troll。



‘Fire yourself!' said Minnikin。



‘Can you fight?' screamed the Troll。



‘If not; I can learn;' said Minnikin。



‘I will teach you;' yelled the Troll; and struck at him with his

iron club so that the earth flew up fifteen yards high into the air。



‘Fie!' said Minnikin。 ‘That was not much of a blow。 Now I

will let you see one of my blows。'



So saying he grasped his sword; and cut at the Troll in su

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