03-east of sun-第3章

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

able　to　blow　any　longer；　and　he　sank　and　sank；　lower

and　lower；　until　at　last　he　went　so　low　that　the　waves

dashed　against　the　heels　of　the　poor　girl　he　was　carrying。

〃Art　thou　afraid？〃　said　the　North　Wind。　〃I　have　no

fear；〃　said　she；　and　it　was　true。　But　they　were　not　very；

very　far　from　land；　and　there　was　just　enough　strength

left　in　the　North　Wind　to　enable　him　to　throw　her　on　to

the　shore；　immediately　under　the　windows　of　a　castle

which　lay　east　of　the　sun　and　west　of　the　moon；　but　then

he　was　so　weary　and　worn　out　that　he　was　forced　to　rest

for　several　days　before　he　could　go　to　his　own　home　again。



Next　morning　she　sat　down　beneath　the　walls　of　the

castle　to　play　with　the　golden　apple；　and　the　first　person

she　saw　was　the　maiden　with　the　long　nose；　who　was　to

have　the　Prince。　〃How　much　do　you　want　for　that　gold

apple　of　yours；　girl？〃　said　she；　opening　the　window。　〃It

can't　be　bought　either　for　gold　or　money；〃　answered　the

girl。　〃If　it　cannot　be　bought　either　for　gold　or　money；

what　will　buy　it？　You　may　say　what　you　please；〃　said

the　Princess。



〃Well；　if　I　may　go　to　the　Prince　who　is　here；　and　be

with　him　to…night；　you　shall　have　it；〃　said　the　girl　who

had　come　with　the　North　Wind。　〃You　may　do　that；〃　said

the　Princess；　for　she　had　made　up　her　mind　what　she

would　do。　So　the　Princess　got　the　golden　apple；　but　when

the　girl　went　up　to　the　Prince's　apartment　that　night　he

was　asleep；　for　the　Princess　had　so　contrived　it。　The　poor

girl　called　to　him；　and　shook　him；　and　between　whiles　she

wept；　but　she　could　not　wake　him。　In　the　morning；　as

soon　as　day　dawned；　in　came　the　Princess　with　the　long

nose；　and　drove　her　out　again。　In　the　daytime　she　sat

down　once　more　beneath　the　windows　of　the　castle；　and

began　to　card　with　her　golden　carding…comb；　and　then　all

happened　as　it　had　happened　before。　The　Princess　asked

her　what　she　wanted　for　it；　and　she　replied　that　it　was　not

for　sale；　either　for　gold　or　money；　but　that　if　she　could　get

leave　to　go　to　the　Prince；　and　be　with　him　during　the

night；　she　should　have　it。　But　when　she　went　up　to　the

Prince's　room　he　was　again　asleep；　and；　let　her　call　him；

or　shake　him；　or　weep　as　she　would；　he　still　slept　on；　and

she　could　not　put　any　life　in　him。　When　daylight　came　in

the　morning；　the　Princess　with　the　long　nose　came　too；

and　once　more　drove　her　away。　When　day　had　quite

come；　the　girl　seated　herself　under　the　castle　windows；　to

spin　with　her　golden　spinning…wheel；　and　the　Princess

with　the　long　nose　wanted　to　have　that　also。　So　she

opened　the　window；　and　asked　what　she　would　take　for

it。　The　girl　said　what　she　had　said　on　each　of　the　former

occasionsthat　it　was　not　for　sale　either　for　gold　or　for

money；　but　if　she　could　get　leave　to　go　to　the　Prince　who

lived　there；　and　be　with　him　during　the　night；　she　should

have　it。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　Princess；　〃I　will　gladly　consent　to　that。〃



But　in　that　place　there　were　some　Christian　folk　who

had　been　carried　off；　and　they　had　been　sitting　in　the

chamber　which　was　next　to　that　of　the　Prince；　and　had

heard　how　a　woman　had　been　in　there　who　had　wept　and

called　on　him　two　nights　running；　and　they　told　the

Prince　of　this。　So　that　evening；　when　the　Princess　came

once　more　with　her　sleeping…drink；　he　pretended　to　drink；

but　threw　it　away　behind　him；　for　he　suspected　that　it

was　a　sleeping…drink。　So；　when　the　girl　went　into　the

Prince's　room　this　time　he　was　awake；　and　she　had　to　tell

him　how　she　had　come　there。　〃You　have　come　just　in

time；〃　said　the　Prince；　〃for　I　should　have　been　married

to…morrow；　but　I　will　not　have　the　long…nosed　Princess；

and　you　alone　can　save　me。　I　will　say　that　I　want　to　see

what　my　bride　can　do；　and　bid　her　wash　the　shirt　which

has　the　three　drops　of　tallow　on　it。　This　she　will　consent

to　do；　for　she　does　not　know　that　it　is　you　who　let　them

fall　on　it；　but　no　one　can　wash　them　out　but　one　born　of

Christian　folk：　it　cannot　be　done　by　one　of　a　pack　of

trolls；　and　then　I　will　say　that　no　one　shall　ever　be　my　bride

but　the　woman　who　can　do　this；　and　I　know　that　you

can。〃　There　was　great　joy　and　gladness　between　them　all

that　night；　but　the　next　day；　when　the　wedding　was　to


take　place；　the　Prince　said；　〃I　must　see　what　my　bride

can　do。〃　〃That　you　may　do；〃　said　the　stepmother。



〃I　have　a　fine　shirt　which　I　want　to　wear　as　my　wedding

shirt；　but　three　drops　of　tallow　have　got　upon　it　which　I

want　to　have　washed　off；　and　I　have　vowed　to　marry　no

one　but　the　woman　who　is　able　to　do　it。　If　she　cannot　do

that；　she　is　not　worth　having。〃



Well；　that　was　a　very　small　matter；　they　thought；　and

agreed　to　do　it。　The　Princess　with　the　long　nose　began

to　wash　as　well　as　she　could；　but；　the　more　she　washed　and

rubbed；　the　larger　the　spots　grew。　〃Ah！　you　can't　wash

at　all；〃　said　the　old　troll…hag；　who　was　her　mother。　〃Give

it　to　me。〃　But　she　too　had　not　had　the　shirt　very　long　in

her　hands　before　it　looked　worse　still；　and；　the　more　she

washed　it　and　rubbed　it；　the　larger　and　blacker　grew　the

spots。



So　the　other　trolls　had　to　come　and　wash；　but；　the　more

they　did；　the　blacker　and　uglier　grew　the　shirt；　until　at

length　it　was　as　black　as　if　it　had　been　up　the　chimney。

〃Oh；〃　cried　the　Prince；　〃not　one　of　you　is　good　for

anything　at　all！　There　is　a　beggar…girl　sitting　outside　the

window；　and　I'll　be　bound　that　she　can　wash　better　than

any　of　you！　Come　in；　you　girl　there！〃　he　cried。　So　she

came　in。　〃Can　you　wash　this　shirt　clean？〃　he　cried。　〃Oh！

I　don't　know；〃　she　said；　〃but　I　will　try。〃　And　no　sooner

had　she　taken　the　shirt　and　dipped　it　in　the　water　than

it　was　white　as　driven　snow；　and　even　whiter　than　that。

〃I　will　marry　you；〃　said　the　Prince。



Then　the　old　troll…hag　flew　into　such　a　rage　that　she

burst；　and　the　Princess　with　the　long　nose　and　all　the

little　trolls　must　have　burst　too；　for　they　have　never　been

heard　of　since。　The　Prince　and　his　bride　set　free　all　the

Christian　folk　who　were　imprisoned　there；　and　took　away

with　them　all　the　gold　and　silver　that　they　could　carry；

and　moved　far　away　from　the　castle　which　lay　east　of　the

sun　and　west　of　the　moon。＇1＇





＇1＇　Asbjornsen　and　Moe。