贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > 03-east of sun >

第2章

03-east of sun-第2章

小说: 03-east of sun 字数: 每页4000字

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!




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

between you and me; and I must leave you; and go to her。

She lives in a castle which lies east of the sun and west of

the moon; and there too is a princess with a nose which

is three ells long; and she now is the one whom I must

marry。〃



She wept and lamented; but all in vain; for go he must。

Then she asked him if she could not go with him。 But

no; that could not be。 〃Can you tell me the way then;

and I will seek youthat I may surely be allowed to do!〃



〃Yes; you may do that;〃 said he; 〃but there is no way

thither。 It lies east of the sun and west of the moon; and

never would you find your way there。〃



When she awoke in the morning both the Prince and

the castle were gone; and she was lying on a small green

patch in the midst of a dark; thick wood。 By her side lay

the self…same bundle of rags which she had brought with

her from her own home。 So when she had rubbed the

sleep out of her eyes; and wept till she was weary; she

set out on her way; and thus she walked for many and

many a long day; until at last she came to a great mountain。

Outside it an aged woman was sitting; playing with

a golden apple。 The girl asked her if she knew the way

to the Prince who lived with his stepmother in the castle

which lay east of the sun and west of the moon; and who

was to marry a princess with a nose which was three ells

long。 〃How do you happen to know about him?〃

inquired the old woman; 〃maybe you are she who ought to

have had him。〃 〃Yes; indeed; I am;〃 she said。 〃So it is

you; then?〃 said the old woman; 〃I know nothing about

him but that he dwells in a castle which is east of the sun

and west of the moon。 You will be a long time in getting

to it; if ever you get to it at all; but you shall have the

loan of my horse; and then you can ride on it to an old

woman who is a neighbor of mine: perhaps she can tell

you about him。 When you have got there you must just

strike the horse beneath the left ear and bid it go home

again; but you may take the golden apple with you。〃



So the girl seated herself on the horse; and rode for a

long; long way; and at last she came to the mountain; where

an aged woman was sitting outside with a gold carding…

comb。 The girl asked her if she knew the way to the

castle which lay east of the sun and west of the moon;

but she said what the first old woman had said: 〃I know

nothing about it; but that it is east of the sun and west

of the moon; and that you will be a long time in getting

to it; if ever you get there at all; but you shall have the

loan of my horse to an old woman who lives the nearest

to me: perhaps she may know where the castle is; and

when you have got to her you may just strike the horse

beneath the left ear and bid it go home again。〃 Then she

gave her the gold carding…comb; for it might; perhaps; be

of use to her; she said。



So the girl seated herself on the horse; and rode a

wearisome long way onward again; and after a very long time

she came to a great mountain; where an aged woman was

sitting; spinning at a golden spinning…wheel。 Of this

woman; too; she inquired if she knew the way to the

Prince; and where to find the castle which lay east of the

sun and west of the moon。 But it was only the same

thing once again。 〃Maybe it was you who should have

had the Prince;〃 said the old woman。 〃Yes; indeed; I

should have been the one;〃 said the girl。 But this old

crone knew the way no better than the othersit was

east of the sun and west of the moon; she knew that; 〃and

you will be a long time in getting to it; if ever you get to

it at all;〃 she said; 〃but you may have the loan of my

horse; and I think you had better ride to the East Wind;

and ask him: perhaps he may know where the castle is;

and will blow you thither。 But when you have got to

him you must just strike the horse beneath the left ear;

and he will come home again。〃 And then she gave her the

golden spinning…wheel; saying: 〃Perhaps you may find

that you have a use for it。〃



The girl had to ride for a great many days; and for a

long and wearisome time; before she got there; but at last

she did arrive; and then she asked the East Wind if he

could tell her the way to the Prince who dwelt east of the

sun and west of the moon。 〃Well;〃 said the East Wind;

〃I have heard tell of the Prince; and of his castle; but I

do not know the way to it; for I have never blown so far;

but; if you like; I will go with you to my brother the West

Wind: he may know that; for he is much stronger than I

am。 You may sit on my back; and then I can carry you

there。〃 So she seated herself on his back; and they did go

so swiftly! When they got there; the East Wind went in

and said that the girl whom he had brought was the one

who ought to have had the Prince up at the castle which

lay east of the sun and west of the moon; and that now she

was traveling about to find him again; so he had come

there with her; and would like to hear if the West Wind

knew whereabout the castle was。 〃No;〃 said the West

Wind; 〃so far as that have I never blown; but if you like

I will go with you to the South Wind; for he is much

stronger than either of us; and he has roamed far and wide;

and perhaps he can tell you what you want to know。 You

may seat yourself on my back; and then I will carry you

to him。〃。



So she did this; and journeyed to the South Wind;

neither was she very long on the way。 When they had got

there; the West Wind asked him if he could tell her the

way to the castle that lay east of the sun and west of the

moon; for she was the girl who ought to marry the Prince

who lived there。 〃Oh; indeed!〃 said the South Wind; 〃is

that she? Well;〃 said he; 〃I have wandered about a great

deal in my time; and in all kinds of places; but I have

never blown so far as that。 If you like; however; I will go

with you to my brother; the North Wind; he is the oldest

and strongest of all of us; and if he does not know where

it is no one in the whole world will be able to tell you。

You may sit upon my back; and then I will carry you

there。〃 So she seated herself on his back; and off he went

from his house in great haste; and they were not long on

the way。 When they came near the North Wind's dwelling;

he was so wild and frantic that they felt cold gusts a

long while before they got there。 〃What do you want?〃

he roared out from afar; and they froze as they heard。

Said the South Wind: 〃It is I; and this is she who should

have had the Prince who lives in the castle which lies east

of the sun and west of the moon。 And now she wishes to

ask you if you have ever been there; and can tell her the

way; for she would gladly find him again。〃



〃Yes;〃 said the North Wind; 〃I know where it is。 I

once blew an aspen leaf there; but I was so tired that for

many days afterward I was not able to blow at all。 However;

if you really are anxious to go there; and are not

afraid to go with me; I will take you on my back; and try

if I can blow you there。〃



〃Get there I must;〃 said she; 〃and if there is any way

of going I will; and I have no fear; no matter how fast you

go。〃



〃Very well then;〃 said the North Wind; 〃but you must

sleep here to…night; for if we are ever to get there we must

have the day before us。〃



The North Wind woke her betimes next morning; and

puffed himself up; and made himself so big and so strong

that it was frightful to see him; and away they went; high

up through the air; as if they would not stop until they

had reached the very end of the world。 Down below there

was such a storm! It blew down woods and houses; and

when they were above the sea the ships were wrecked by

hundreds。 And thus they tore on and on; and a long time

went by; and then yet more time passed; and still they

were above the sea; and the North Wind grew tired; and

more tired; and at last so utterly weary that he was scarcely

able to blow

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的