21-the three brothers-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！






　THE　THREE　BROTHERS＇17＇



＇17＇　From　the　Polish。　　Kletke。



There　was　once　upon　a　time　a　witch；　who　in　the　shape　of　a　hawk

used　every　night　to　break　the　windows　of　a　certain　village

church。　　In　the　same　village　there　lived　three　brothers；　who　were

all　determined　to　kill　the　mischievous　hawk。　　But　in　vain　did　the

two　eldest　mount　guard　in　the　church　with　their　guns；　as　soon　as

the　bird　appeared　high　above　their　heads；　sleep　overpowered　them；

and　they　only　awoke　to　hear　the　windows　crashing　in。



Then　the　youngest　brother　took　his　turn　of　guarding　the　windows；

and　to　prevent　his　being　overcome　by　sleep　he　placed　a　lot　of

thorns　under　his　chin；　so　that　if　he　felt　drowsy　and　nodded　his

head；　they　would　prick　him　and　keep　him　awake。



The　moon　was　already　risen；　and　it　was　as　light　as　day；　when

suddenly　he　heard　a　fearful　noise；　and　at　the　same　time　a

terrible　desire　to　sleep　overpowered　him。



His　eyelids　closed；　and　his　head　sank　on　his　shoulders；　but　the

thorns　ran　into　him　and　were　so　painful　that　he　awoke　at　once。　

He　saw　the　hawk　swooping　down　upon　the　church；　and　in　a　moment　he

had　seized　his　gun　and　shot　at　the　bird。　　The　hawk　fell　heavily

under　a　big　stone；　severely　wounded　in　its　right　wing。　　The　youth

ran　to　look　at　it；　and　saw　that　a　huge　abyss　had　opened　below　the

stone。　　He　went　at　once　to　fetch　his　brothers；　and　with　their

help　dragged　a　lot　of　pine…wood　and　ropes　to　the　spot。　　They

fastened　some　of　the　burning　pine…wood　to　the　end　of　the　rope；

and　let　it　slowly　down　to　the　bottom　of　the　abyss。　　At　first　it

was　quite　dark；　and　the　flaming　torch　only　lit　up　dirty　grey

stone　walls。　　But　the　youngest　brother　determined　to　explore　the

abyss；　and　letting　himself　down　by　the　rope　he　soon　reached　the

bottom。　　Here　he　found　a　lovely　meadow　full　of　green　trees　and

exquisite　flowers。



In　the　middle　of　the　meadow　stood　a　huge　stone　castle；　with　an

iron　gate　leading　to　it；　which　was　wide　open。　　Everything　in　the

castle　seemed　to　be　made　of　copper；　and　the　only　inhabitant　he

could　discover　was　a　lovely　girl；　who　was　combing　her　golden

hair；　and　he　noticed　that　whenever　one　of　her　hairs　fell　on　the

ground　it　rang　out　like　pure　metal。　　The　youth　looked　at　her　more

closely；　and　saw　that　her　skin　was　smooth　and　fair；　her　blue　eyes

bright　and　sparkling；　and　her　hair　as　golden　as　the　sun。　　He　fell

in　love　with　her　on　the　spot；　and　kneeling　at　her　feet；　he

implored　her　to　become　his　wife。



The　lovely　girl　accepted　his　proposal　gladly；　but　at　the　same

time　she　warned　him　that　she　could　never　come　up　to　the　world

above　till　her　mother；　the　old　witch；　was　dead。　　And　she　went　on

to　tell　him　that　the　only　way　in　which　the　old　creature　could　be

killed　was　with　the　sword　that　hung　up　in　the　castle；　but　the

sword　was　so　heavy　that　no　one　could　lift　it。



Then　the　youth　went　into　a　room　in　the　castle　where　everything

was　made　of　silver；　and　here　he　found　another　beautiful　girl；　the

sister　of　his　bride。　　She　was　combing　her　silver　hair；　and　every

hair　that　fell　on　the　ground　rang　out　like　pure　metal。　　The

second　girl　handed　him　the　sword；　but　though　he　tried　with　all

his　strength　he　could　not　lift　it。　　At　last　a　third　sister　came

to　him　and　gave　him　a　drop　of　something　to　drink；　which　she　said

would　give　him　the　needful　strength。　　He　drank　one　drop；　but

still　he　could　not　lift　the　sword；　then　he　drank　a　second；　and

the　sword　began　to　move；　but　only　after　he　had　drunk　a　third　drop

was　he　able　to　swing　the　sword　over　his　head。



Then　he　hid　himself　in　the　castle　and　awaited　the　old　witch's

arrival。　　At　last　as　it　was　beginning　to　grow　dark　she　appeared。　

She　swooped　down　upon　a　big　apple…tree；　and　after　shaking　some

golden　apples　from　it；　she　pounced　down　upon　the　earth。　　As　soon

as　her　feet　touched　the　ground　she　became　transformed　from　a　hawk

into　a　woman。　　This　was　the　moment　the　youth　was　waiting　for；　and

he　swung　his　mighty　sword　in　the　air　with　all　his　strength　and

the　witch's　head　fell　off；　and　her　blood　spurted　up　on　the　walls。



Without　fear　of　any　further　danger；　he　packed　up　all　the

treasures　of　the　castle　into　great　chests；　and　gave　his　brothers

a　signal　to　pull　them　up　out　of　the　abyss。　　First　the　treasures

were　attached　to　the　rope　and　then　the　three　lovely　girls。　　And

now　everything　was　up　above　and　only　he　himself　remained　below。　

But　as　he　was　a　little　suspicious　of　his　brothers；　he　fastened　a

heavy　stone　on　to　the　rope　and　let　them　pull　it　up。　　At　first

they　heaved　with　a　will；　but　when　the　stone　was　half　way　up　they

let　it　drop　suddenly；　and　it　fell　to　the　bottom　broken　into　a

hundred　pieces。



'So　that's　what　would　have　happened　to　my　bones　had　I　trusted

myself　to　them；'　said　the　youth　sadly；　and　he　began　to　cry

bitterly；　not　because　of　the　treasures；　but　because　of　the　lovely

girl　with　her　swanlike　neck　and　golden　hair。



For　a　long　time　he　wandered　sadly　all　through　the　beautiful

underworld；　and　one　day　he　met　a　magician　who　asked　him　the　cause

of　his　tears。　　The　youth　told　him　all　that　had　befallen　him；　and

the　magician　said：



'Do　not　grieve；　young　man！　　If　you　will　guard　the　children　who

are　hidden　in　the　golden　apple…tree；　I　will　bring　you　at　once　up

to　the　earth。　　Another　magician　who　lives　in　this　land　always

eats　my　children　up。　　It　is　in　vain　that　I　have　hidden　them　under

the　earth　and　locked　them　into　the　castle。　　Now　I　have　hidden

them　in　the　apple…tree；　hide　yourself　there　too；　and　at　midnight

you　will　see　my　enemy。'



The　youth　climbed　up　the　tree；　and　picked　some　of　the　beautiful

golden　apples；　which　he　ate　for　his　supper。



At　midnight　the　wind　began　to　rise；　and　a　rustling　sound　was

heard　at　the　foot　of　the　tree。　　The　youth　looked　down　and　beheld

a　long　thick　serpent　beginning　to　crawl　up　the　tree。　　It　wound

itself　round　the　stem　and　gradually　got　higher　and　higher。　　It

stretched　its　huge　head；　in　which　the　eyes　glittered　fiercely；

among　the　branches；　searching　for　the　nest　in　which　the　little

children　lay。　　They　trembled　with　terror　when　they　saw　the

hideous　creature；　and　hid　themselves　beneath　the　leaves。



Then　the　youth　swung　his　mighty　sword　in　the　air；　and　with　one

blow　cut　off　the　serpent's　head。　　He　cut　up　the　rest　of　the　body

into　little　bits　and　strewed　them　to　the　four　winds。



The　father　of　the　rescued　children　was　so　delighted　over　the

death　of　his　enemy　that　he　told　the　youth　to　get　on　his　back；　and

in　this　way　he　carried　him　up　to　the　world　above。



With　what　joy　did　he　hurry　now　to　his　brothers'　house！　　He　burst

into　a　room　where　they　were　all　assembled；　but　no　one　knew　who　he

was。　　Only　his　bride；　who　was　serving　as　cook　to　her　sisters；

recognised　her　lover　at　once。



His　brothers；　who　had　quite　believed　he　was　dead；　yielded　him　up

his　treasures　at　once；　and　flew　into　the　woods　in　terror。　　But

the　good　youth　forgave　them　all　they　had　done；　and　divided　his

treasures　with　them。　　Then　he　built　himself　a　big　castle　with

golden　windows；　and　there　he　lived　happily　with　his　golden…haired

wife　till　the　end　of　their　lives。