03-east of sun-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！






EAST　OF　THE　SUN　AND　WEST　OF　THE　MOON





Once　upon　a　time　there　was　a　poor　husbandman　who

had　many　children　and　little　to　give　them　in　the　way

either　of　food　or　clothing。　They　were　all　pretty；　but　the

prettiest　of　all　was　the　youngest　daughter；　who　was　so

beautiful　that　there　were　no　bounds　to　her　beauty。



So　onceit　was　late　on　a　Thursday　evening　in　autumn；

and　wild　weather　outside；　terribly　dark；　and　raining　so

heavily　and　blowing　so　hard　that　the　walls　of　the　cottage

shook　againthey　were　all　sitting　together　by　the　fireside；

each　of　them　busy　with　something　or　other；　when

suddenly　some　one　rapped　three　times　against　the　window…

pane。　The　man　went　out　to　see　what　could　be　the　matter；

and　when　he　got　out　there　stood　a　great　big　white　bear。



〃Good…evening　to　you；〃　said　the　White　Bear。



〃Good…evening；〃　said　the　man。



〃Will　you　give　me　your　youngest　daughter？〃　said　the

White　Bear；　〃if　you　will；　you　shall　be　as　rich　as　you　are

now　poor。



Truly　the　man　would　have　had　no　objection　to　be　rich；

but　he　thought　to　himself：　〃I　must　first　ask　my　daughter

about　this；〃　so　he　went　in　and　told　them　that　there　was　a

great　white　bear　outside　who　had　faithfully　promised　to

make　them　all　rich　if　he　might　but　have　the　youngest

daughter。



She　said　no；　and　would　not　hear　of　it；　so　the　man　went

out　again；　and　settled　with　the　White　Bear　that　he　should

come　again　next　Thursday　evening；　and　get　her　answer。

Then　the　man　persuaded　her；　and　talked　so　much　to　her

about　the　wealth　that　they　would　have；　and　what　a　good

thing　it　would　be　for　herself；　that　at　last　she　made　up　her

mind　to　go；　and　washed　and　mended　all　her　rags；　made

herself　as　smart　as　she　could；　and　held　herself　in　readiness

to　set　out。　Little　enough　had　she　to　take　away　with　her。



Next　Thursday　evening　the　White　Bear　came　to　fetch

her。　She　seated　herself　on　his　back　with　her　bundle；　and

thus　they　departed。　When　they　had　gone　a　great　part　of

the　way；　the　White　Bear　said：　〃Are　you　afraid？〃



〃No；　that　I　am　not；〃　said　she。



〃　Keep　tight　hold　of　my　fur；　and　then　there　is　no

danger；〃　said　he。



And　thus　she　rode　far；　far　away；　until　they　came　to　a

great　mountain。　Then　the　White　Bear　knocked　on　it；　and

a　door　opened；　and　they　went　into　a　castle　where　there

were　many　brilliantly　lighted　rooms　which　shone　with

gold　and　silver；　likewise　a　large　hall　in　which　there　was　a

well…spread　table；　and　it　was　so　magnificent　that　it　would

be　hard　to　make　anyone　understand　how　splendid　it　was。

The　White　Bear　gave　her　a　silver　bell；　and　told　her　that

when　she　needed　anything　she　had　but　to　ring　this　bell；

and　what　she　wanted　would　appear。　So　after　she　had

eaten；　and　night　was　drawing　near；　she　grew　sleepy　after

her　journey；　and　thought　she　would　like　to　go　to　bed。

She　rang　the　bell；　and　scarcely　had　she　touched　it　before

she　found　herself　in　a　chamber　where　a　bed　stood　ready

made　for　her；　which　was　as　pretty　as　anyone　could　wish

to　sleep　in。　It　had　pillows　of　silk；　and　curtains　of　silk

fringed　with　gold；　and　everything　that　was　in　the　room

was　of　gold　or　silver；　but　when　she　had　lain　down　and

put　out　the　light　a　man　came　and　lay　down　beside　her；

and　behold　it　was　the　White　Bear；　who　cast　off　the　form

of　a　beast　during　the　night。　She　never　saw　him；　however；

for　he　always　came　after　she　had　put　out　her　light；　and

went　away　before　daylight　appeared。



So　all　went　well　and　happily　for　a　time；　but　then　she

began　to　be　very　sad　and　sorrowful；　for　all　day　long　she

had　to　go　about　alone；　and　she　did　so　wish　to　go　home　to

her　father　and　mother　and　brothers　and　sisters。　Then　the

White　Bear　asked　what　it　was　that　she　wanted；　and　she

told　him　that　it　was　so　dull　there　in　the　mountain；　and

that　she　had　to　go　about　all　alone；　and　that　in　her　parents'

house　at　home　there　were　all　her　brothers　and　sisters；　and

it　was　because　she　could　not　go　to　them　that　she　was　so

sorrowful。



〃There　might　be　a　cure　for　that；〃　said　the　White　Bear；

〃if　you　would　but　promise　me　never　to　talk　with　your

mother　alone；　but　only　when　the　others　are　there　too；　for

she　will　take　hold　of　your　hand；〃　he　said；　〃and　will　want

to　lead　you　into　a　room　to　talk　with　you　alone；　but　that

you　must　by　no　means　do；　or　you　will　bring　great　misery

on　both　of　us。〃



So　one　Sunday　the　White　Bear　came　and　said　that　they

could　now　set　out　to　see　her　father　and　mother；　and　they

journeyed　thither；　she　sitting　on　his　back；　and　they　went

a　long；　long　way；　and　it　took　a　long；　long　time；　but　at　last

they　came　to　a　large　white　farmhouse；　and　her　brothers

and　sisters　were　running　about　outside　it；　playing；　and　it

was　so　pretty　that　it　was　a　pleasure　to　look　at　it。



〃Your　parents　dwell　here　now；〃　said　the　White　Bear；

〃but　do　not　forget　what　I　said　to　you；　or　you　will　do　much

harm　both　to　yourself　and　me。〃



〃No；　indeed；〃　said　she；　〃I　shall　never　forget；〃　and　as

soon　as　she　was　at　home　the　White　Bear　turned　round　and

went　back　again。



There　were　such　rejoicings　when　she　went　in　to　her

parents　that　it　seemed　as　if　they　would　never　come　to　an

end。　Everyone　thought　that　he　could　never　be　sufficiently

grateful　to　her　for　all　she　had　done　for　them　all。　Now　they

had　everything　that　they　wanted；　and　everything　was　as

good　as　it　could　be。　They　all　asked　her　how　she　was　getting

on　where　she　was。　All　was　well　with　her　too；　she　said；

and　she　had　everything　that　she　could　want。　What　other

answers　she　gave　I　cannot　say；　but　I　am　pretty　sure　that

they　did　not　learn　much　from　her。　But　in　the　afternoon；

after　they　had　dined　at　midday；　all　happened　just　as　the

White　Bear　had　said。　Her　mother　wanted　to　talk　with

her　alone　in　her　own　chamber。　But　she　remembered　what

the　White　Bear　had　said；　and　would　on　no　account　go。

〃What　we　have　to　say　can　be　said　at　any　time；〃　she

answered。　But　somehow　or　other　her　mother　at　last

persuaded　her；　and　she　was　forced　to　tell　the　whole　story。　So

she　told　how　every　night　a　man　came　and　lay　down　beside

her　when　the　lights　were　all　put　out；　and　how　she　never

saw　him；　because　he　always　went　away　before　it　grew

light　in　the　morning；　and　how　she　continually　went　about

in　sadness；　thinking　how　happy　she　would　be　if　she　could

but　see　him；　and　how　all　day　long　she　had　to　go　about

alone；　and　it　was　so　dull　and　solitary。　〃Oh！〃　cried　the

mother；　in　horror；　〃you　are　very　likely　sleeping　with　a

troll！　But　I　will　teach　you　a　way　to　see　him。　You　shall

have　a　bit　of　one　of　my　candles；　which　you　can　take　away

with　you　hidden　in　your　breast。　Look　at　him　with　that

when　he　is　asleep；　but　take　care　not　to　let　any　tallow　drop

upon　him。〃



So　she　took　the　candle；　and　hid　it　in　her　breast；　and

when　evening　drew　near　the　White　Bear　came　to　fetch　her

away。　When　they　had　gone　some　distance　on　their　way；

the　White　Bear　asked　her　if　everything　had　not　happened

just　as　he　had　foretold；　and　she　could　not　but　own　that　it

had。　〃Then；　if　you　have　done　what　your　mother　wished；〃

said　he；　〃you　have　brought　great　misery　on　both　of　us。〃

〃No；〃　she　said；　〃I　have　not　done　anything　at　all。〃　So

when　she　had　reached　home　and　had　gone　to　bed　it　was

just　the　same　as　it　had　been　before；　and　a　man　came　and

lay　down　beside　her；　and　late　at　night；　when　she　could

hear　that　he　was　sleeping；　she　got　up　and　kindled　a　light；

lit　her　candle；　let　her　light　shine　on　him；　and　saw　him；　and

he　was　the　handsomest　prince　that　eyes　had　ever　beheld；

and　she　loved　him　so　much　that　it　seemed　to　her　that　she

must　die　if　she　did　not　kiss　him　that　very　moment。　So

she　did　kiss　him；　but　while　she　was　doing　it　she　let　three

drops　of　hot　tallow　fall　upon　his　shirt；　and　he　awoke。

〃What　have　you　done　now？〃　said　he；　〃you　have　brought

misery　on　both　of　us。　If　you　had　but　held　out　for　the

space　of　one　year　I　should　have　been　free。　I　have　a　step…

mother　who　has　bewitched　me　so　that　I　am　a　white　bear

by　day　and　a　man　by　night；　but　now　all　is　at　an　end

between　you　and　me；