31-minnikin-第3章

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will　let　you　see　one　of　my　blows。'



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

way　that　all　his　fifteen　heads　danced　away　over　the　sands。



Then　the　Princess　was　delivered；　and　she　thanked　Minnikin

and　blessed　him　for　saving　her。



‘Sleep　a　while　now　on　my　lap；'　said　she；　and　while　he　lay　there

she　put　a　garment　of　brass　upon　him。



‘But　now；　how　shall　we　have　it　made　known　that　it　was　you

who　saved　me？'　said　the　King's　daughter。



‘That　I　will　tell　you；'　answered　Minnikin。　‘When　Ritter　Red

has　taken　you　home　again；　and　given　out　that　it　was　he　who

rescued　you；　he　will；　as　you　know；　have　you　to　wife；　and　half　the

kingdom。　But　when　they　ask　you　on　your　wedding…day　whom

you　will　have　to　be　your　cup…bearer；　you　must　say；　‘‘I　will　have　the

ragged　boy　who　is　in　the　kitchen；　and　carries　wood　and　water　for

the　kitchen…maid；''　and　when　I　am　filling　your　cups　for　you；　I　will

spill　a　drop　upon　his　plate　but　none　upon　yours；　and　then　he　will

be　angry　and　strike　me；　and　this　will　take　place　thrice。　But　the

third　time　you　must　say；　‘‘Shame　on　you　thus　to　smite　the　beloved

of　mine　heart。　It　is　he　who　delivered　me　from　the　Troll；　and　he　is

the　one　whom　I　will　have。''　'



Then　Minnikin　ran　back　to　the　King's　palace　as　he　had　done

before；　but　first　he　went　on　board　the　Troll's　ship　and　took　a　great

quantity　of　gold　and　silver　and　other　precious　things；　and　out　of

these　he　once　more　gave　to　the　kitchen…maid　a　whole　armful　of　gold

and　silver　hoops。



No　sooner　did　Ritter　Red　see　that　all　danger　was　over　than　he

crept　down　from　the　tree；　and　threatened　the　King's　daughter　till

he　made　her　promise　to　say　that　he　had　rescued　her。　Then　he

conducted　her　back　to　the　King's　palace；　and　if　honour　enough　had

not　been　done　him　before　it　was　certainly　done　now；　for　the　King

had　no　other　thought　than　how　to　make　much　of　the　man　who　had

saved　his　daughter　from　the　three　Trolls；　and　it　was　settled　then

that　Ritter　Red　should　marry　her；　and　receive　half　the　kingdom。



On　the　wedding…day；　however；　the　Princess　begged　that　she　might

have　the　little　boy　who　was　in　the　kitchen；　and　carried　wood　and

water　for　the　kitchen…maid；　to　fill　the　wine…cups　at　the　wedding　feast。



‘Oh；　what　can　you　want　with　that　dirty；　ragged　boy；　in　here？'

said　Ritter　Red；　but　the　Princess　said　that　she　insisted　on　having

him　as　cup…bearer　and　would　have　no　one　else；　and　at　last　she　got

leave；　and　then　everything　was　done　as　had　been　agreed　on　between

the　Princess　and　Minnikin。　He　spilt　a　drop　on　Ritter　Red's　plate

but　none　upon　hers；　and　each　time　that　he　did　it　Ritter　Red　fell

into　a　rage　and　struck　him。　At　the　first　blow　all　the　ragged

garments　which　he　had　worn　in　the　kitchen　fell　from　off　Minnikin；

at　the　second　blow　the　brass　garments　fell　off；　and　at　the　third

the　silver　raiment；　and　there　he　stood　in　the　golden　raiment；　which

was　so　bright　and　splendid　that　light　flashed　from　it。



Then　the　King's　daughter　said：　‘Shame　on　you　thus　to　smite

the　beloved　of　my　heart。　It　is　he　who　delivered　me　from　the　Troll；

and　he　is　the　one　whom　I　will　have。'



Ritter　Red　swore　that　he　was　the　man　who　had　saved　her；　but

the　King　said：　‘He　who　delivered　my　daughter　must　have　some

token　in　proof　of　it。'



So　Ritter　Red　ran　off　at　once　for　his　handkerchief　with　the　lungs

and　tongue；　and　Minnikin　went　and　brought　all　the　gold　and　silver

and　precious　things　which　he　had　taken　out　of　the　Trolls'　ships；

and　they　each　of　them　laid　these　tokens　before　the　King。



‘He　who　has　such　precious　things　in　gold　and　silver　and

diamonds；'　said　the　King；　‘must　be　the　one　who　killed　the　Troll；

for　such　things　are　not　to　be　had　anywhere　else。'　So　Ritter　Red

was　thrown　into　the　snake…pit；　and　Minnikin　was　to　have　the

Princess；　and　half　the　kingdom。



One　day　the　King　went　out　walking　with　Minnikin；　and

Minnikin　asked　him　if　he　had　never　had　any　other　children。



‘Yes；'　said　the　King；　‘I　had　another　daughter；　but　the　Troll

carried　her　away　because　there　was　no　one　who　could　deliver　her。

You　are　going　to　have　one　daughter　of　mine；　but　if　you　can　set　free

the　other；　who　has　been　taken　by　the　Troll；　you　shall　willingly

have　her　too；　and　the　other　half　of　the　kingdom　as　well。'



‘I　may　as　well　make　the　attempt；'　said　Minnikin；　‘but　I　must

have　an　iron　rope　which　is　five　hundred　ells　long；　and　then　I　must

have　five　hundred　men　with　me；　and　provisions　for　five　weeks；　for

I　have　a　long　voyage　before　me。'



So　the　King　said　he　should　have　these　things；　but　the　King　was

afraid　that　he　had　no　ship　large　enough　to　carry　them　all。



‘But　I　have　a　ship　of　my　own；'　said　Minnikin；　and　he　took

the　one　which　the　old　woman　had　given　him　out　of　his　pocket。

The　King　laughed　at　him　and　thought　that　it　was　only　one　of　his

jokes；　but　Minnikin　begged　him　just　to　give　him　what　he　had

asked　for；　and　then　he　should　see　something。　Then　all　that

Minnikin　had　asked　for　was　brought；　and　first　he　ordered　them　to

lay　the　cable　in　the　ship；　but　there　was　no　one　who　was　able　to

lift　it；　and　there　was　only　room　for　one　or　two　men　at　a　time　in

the　little　bit　of　a　ship。　Then　Minnikin　himself　took　hold　of　the

cable；　and　laid　one　or　two　links　of　it　into　the　ship；　and　as　he　threw

the　links　into　it　the　ship　grew　bigger　and　bigger；　and　at　last　it　was　so

large　that　the　cable；　and　the　five　hundred　men；　and　provisions；　and

Minnikin　himself；　had　room　enough。



‘Now　go　over　fresh　water　and　salt　water；　over　hill　and　dale；

and　do　not　stop　until　thou　comest　to　where　the　King's　daughter

is；'　said　Minnikin　to　the　ship；　and　off　it　went　in　a　moment

over　land　and　water　till　the　wind　whistled　and　moaned　all　round

about　it。



When　they　had　sailed　thus　a　long；　long　way；　the　ship　stopped

short　in　the　middle　of　the　sea。



‘Ah；　now　we　have　got　there；'　said　Minnikin；　‘but　how　we

are　to　get　back　again　is　a　very　different　thing。'



Then　he　took　the　cable　and　tied　one　end　of　it　round　his　body。

‘Now　I　must　go　to　the　bottom；'　he　said；　‘but　when　I　give　a　good

jerk　to　the　cable　and　want　to　come　up　again；　you　must　all　pull

like　one　man；　or　there　will　be　an　end　of　all　life　both　for　you　and

for　me。'　So　saying　he　sprang　into　the　water；　and　yellow　bubbles

rose　up　all　around　him。　He　sank　lower　and　lower；　and　at　last　he

came　to　the　bottom。　There　he　saw　a　large　hill　with　a　door　in　it；

and　in　he　went。　When　he　had　got　inside　he　found　the　other

Princess　sitting　sewing；　but　when　she　saw　Minnikin　she　clapped

her　hands。



‘Ah；　heaven　be　praised！'　she　cried；　‘I　have　not　seen　a

Christian　man　since　I　came　here。'



‘I　have　come　for　you；'　said　Minnikin。



‘Alas！　you　will　not　be　able　to　get　me；'　said　the　King's　daughter。

‘It　is　no　use　even　to　think　of　that；　if　the　Troll　catches　sight　of

you　he　will　take　your　life。'



‘You　had　better　tell　me　about　him；'　said　Minnikin。　‘Where　is

he　gone？　It　would　be　amusing　to　see　him。'



So　the　King's　daughter　told　Minnikin　that　the　Troll　was　out

trying　to　get　hold　of　someone　who　could　brew　a　hundred　lasts　of

malt　at　one　brewing；　for　there　was　to　be　a　feast　at　the　Troll's；　at

which　less　than　that　would　not　be　drunk。



‘I　can　do　that；'　said　Minnikin。



‘Ah！　if　only　the　Troll　were　not　so　quick…tempered　I　might　have

told　him　that；'　answered　the　Princess；　‘but　he　is　so　ill…natured

that　he　will　tear　you　to　pieces；　I　fear；　as　soon　as　he　comes　in。　But

I　will　try　to　find　some　way　of　doing　it。　Can　you　hide　yourself

here　in　the　cupboard？　and　then　we　will　see　what　happens。'



Minnikin　did　this；　and　almost　before　he　had　crept　into　the　cupboard

and　hidden　himself；　came　the　Troll。



‘Huf！　What　a　smell　of　Christian　man's　blood！'　said　the　Troll。



‘Yes；　a　bird　flew　over　the　roof　with　a　Christian　man's　bone　in

his　bill；　and　let　it　fall　down　our　chimney；'　answered　the　Princess。

‘I　made　haste　enough　to　get　it　away　again；　but　it　must　be　that

which　smells　so；　notwithstanding。'



‘Yes；　it　must　be　that；'　said　the　Troll。



Th