06-the master thief-第1章

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THE　MASTER　THIEF



THERE　was　once　upon　a　time　a　husbandman　who　had　three　sons。

He　had　no　property　to　bequeath　to　them；　and　no　means　of　putting

them　in　the　way　of　getting　a　living；　and　did　not　know　what　to

do；　so　he　said　that　they　had　his　leave　to　take　to　anything　they　most

fancied；　and　go　to　any　place　they　best　liked。　He　would　gladly

accompany　them　for　some　part　of　their　way；　he　said；　and　that　he　did。

He　went　with　them　till　they　came　to　a　place　where　three　roads

met；　and　there　each　of　them　took　his　own　way；　and　the　father　bade

them　farewell　and　returned　to　his　own　home　again。　What　became

of　the　two　elder　I　have　never　been　able　to　discover；　but　the　youngest

went　both　far　and　wide。



It　came　to　pass；　one　night；　as　he　was　going　through　a　great

wood；　that　a　terrible　storm　came　on。　It　blew　so　hard　and　rained

so　heavily　that　he　could　scarcely　keep　his　eyes　open；　and　before　he

was　aware　of　it　he　had　got　quite　out　of　the　track；　and　could　neither

find　road　nor　path。　But　he　went　on；　and　at　last　he　saw　a　light　far

away　in　the　wood。　Then　he　thought　he　must　try　and　get　to　it；　and

after　a　long；　long　time　he　did　reach　it。　There　was　a　large　house；

and　the　fire　was　burning　so　brightly　inside　that　he　could　tell　that

the　people　were　not　in　bed。　So　he　went　in；　and　inside　there　was

an　old　woman　who　was　busy　about　some　work。



‘Good　evening；　mother！'　said　the　youth。



‘Good　evening！'　said　the　old　woman。



‘Hutetu！　it　is　terrible　weather　outside　to…night；'　said　the　young

fellow。



‘Indeed　it　is；'　said　the　old　woman。



‘Can　I　sleep　here；　and　have　shelter　for　the　night？'　asked　the

youth。



‘It　wouldn't　be　good　for　you　to　sleep　here；'　said　the　old　hag；

‘for　if　the　people　of　the　house　come　home　and　find　you；　they　will

kill　both　you　and　me。'



‘What　kind　of　people　are　they　then；　who　dwell　here？'　said　the

youth。



‘Oh！　robbers；　and　rabble　of　that　sort；'　said　the　old　woman；

‘they　stole　me　away　when　I　was　little；　and　I　have　had　to　keep

house　for　them　ever　since。'



‘I　still　think　I　will　go　to　bed；　all　the　same；'　said　the　youth。

‘No　matter　what　happens；　I'll　not　go　out　to…night　in　such　weather

as　this。'



‘Well；　then；　it　will　be　the　worse　for　yourself；'　said　the　old

woman。



The　young　man　lay　down　in　a　bed　which　stood　near；　but　he

dared　not　go　to　sleep：　and　it　was　better　that　he　didn't；　for　the

robbers　came；　and　the　old　woman　said　that　a　young　fellow　who　was

a　stranger　had　come　there；　and　she　had　not　been　able　to　get　him

to　go　away　again。



‘Did　you　see　if　he　had　any　money？'　said　the　robbers。



‘He's　not　one　to　have　money；　he　is　a　tramp！　If　he　has　a　few

clothes　to　his　back；　that　is　all。'



Then　the　robbers　began　to　mutter　to　each　other　apart　about

what　they　should　do　with　him；　whether　they　should　murder　him；

or　what　else　they　should　do。　In　the　meantime　the　boy　got　up　and

began　to　talk　to　them；　and　ask　them　if　they　did　not　want　a　man…

servant；　for　he　could　find　pleasure　enough　in　serving　them。



‘Yes；'　said　they；　‘if　you　have　a　mind　to　take　to　the　trade　that

we　follow；　you　may　have　a　place　here。'



‘It's　all　the　same　to　me　what　trade　I　follow；'　said　the　youth；

‘for　when　I　came　away　from　home　my　father　gave　me　leave　to

take　to　any　trade　I　fancied。'



‘Have　you　a　fancy　for　stealing；　then？'　said　the　robbers。



‘Yes；'　said　the　boy；　for　he　thought　that　was　a　trade　which　would

not　take　long　to　learn。



Not　very　far　off　there　dwelt　a　man　who　had　three　oxen；　one　of

which　he　was　to　take　to　the　town　to　sell。　The　robbers　had　heard

of　this；　so　they　told　the　youth　that　if　he　were　able　to　steal　the　ox

from　him　on　the　way；　without　his　knowing；　and　without　doing　him

any　harm；　he　should　have　leave　to　be　their　servant…man。　So　the

youth　set　off；　taking　with　him　a　pretty　shoe　with　a　silver　buckle

that　was　lying　about　in　the　house。　He　put　this　in　the　road　by

which　the　man　must　go　with　his　ox；　and　then　went　into　the　wood

and　hid　himself　under　a　bush。　When　the　man　came　up　he　at　once

saw　the　shoe。



‘That's　a　brave　shoe；'　said　he。　‘If　I　had　but　the　fellow　to　it；　I

would　carry　it　home　with　me；　and　then　I　should　put　my　old　woman

into　a　good　humour　for　once。'



For　he　had　a　wife　who　was　so　cross　and　ill…tempered　that　the

time　between　the　beatings　she　gave　him　was　very　short。　But　then

he　bethought　himself　that　he　could　do　nothing　with　one　shoe　if　he

had　not　the　fellow　to　it；　so　he　journeyed　onwards　and　let　it　lie

where　it　was。　Then　the　youth　picked　up　the　shoe　and　hurried　off

away　through　the　wood　as　fast　as　he　was　able；　to　get　in　front　of　the

man；　and　then　put　the　shoe　in　the　road　before　him　again。



When　the　man　came　with　the　ox　and　saw　the　shoe；　he　was

quite　vexed　at　having　been　so　stupid　as　to　leave　the　fellow　to　it

lying　where　it　was；　instead　of　bringing　it　on　with　him。



‘I　will　just　run　back　again　and　fetch　it　now；'　he　said　to　himself；

‘and　then　I　shall　take　back　a　pair　of　good　shoes　to　the　old　woman；

and　she　may　perhaps　throw　a　kind　word　to　me　for　once。'



So　he　went　and　searched　and　searched　for　the　other　shoe　for　a

long；　long　time；　but　no　shoe　was　to　be　found；　and　at　last　he　was

forced　to　go　back　with　the　one　which　he　had。



In　the　meantime　the　youth　had　taken　the　ox　and　gone　off　with

it。　When　the　man　got　there　and　found　that　his　ox　was　gone；　he

began　to　weep　and　wail；　for　he　was　afraid　that　when　his　old　woman

got　to　know　she　would　be　the　death　of　him。　But　all　at　once　it　came

into　his　head　to　go　home　and　get　the　other　ox；　and　drive　it　to　the　town；

and　take　good　care　that　his　old　wife　knew　nothing　about　it。　So　he

did　this；　he　went　home　and　took　the　ox　without　his　wife's　knowing

about　it；　and　went　on　his　way　to　the　town　with　it。　But　the　robbers

they　knew　it　well；　because　they　got　out　their　magic。　So　they　told

the　youth　that　if　he　could　take　this　ox　also　without　the　man　knowing

anything　about　it；　and　without　doing　him　any　hurt；　he　should

then　be　on　an　equality　with　them。



‘Well；　that　will　not　be　a　very　hard　thing　to　do；'　thought　the

youth。



This　time　he　took　with　him　a　rope　and　put　it　under　his　arms　and

tied　himself　up　to　a　tree；　which　hung　over　the　road　that　the　man

would　have　to　take。　So　the　man　came　with　his　ox；　and　when　he

saw　the　body　hanging　there　he　felt　a　little　queer。



‘What　a　hard　lot　yours　must　have　been　to　make　you　hang

yourself！'　said　he。　‘Ah；　well！　you　may　hang　there　for　me；　I　can't

breathe　life　into　you　again。'



So　on　he　went　with　his　ox。　Then　the　youth　sprang　down　from

the　tree；　ran　by　a　short　cut　and　got　before　him；　and　once　more　hung

himself　up　on　a　tree　in　the　road　before　the　man。



‘How　I　should　like　to　know　if　you　really　were　so　sick　at　heart

that　you　hanged　yourself　there；　or　if　it　is　only　a　hobgoblin　that's

before　me！'　said　the　man。　‘Ah；　well！　you　may　hang　there　for　me；

whether　you　are　a　hobgoblin　or　not；'　and　on　he　went　with　his　ox。



Once　more　the　youth　did　just　as　he　had　done　twice　already；

jumped　down　from　the　tree；　ran　by　a　short　cut　through　the　wood；

and　again　hanged　himself　in　the　very　middle　of　the　road　before　him。



But　when　the　man　once　more　saw　this　he　said　to　himself；

‘What　a　bad　business　this　is！　Can　they　all　have　been　so　heavy。

hearted　that　they　have　all　three　hanged　themselves？　No；　I　can't

believe　that　it　is　anything　but　witchcraft！　But　I　will　know　the

truth；'　he　said；　‘if　the　two　others　are　still　hanging　there　it　is　true

but　if　they　are　not　it's　nothing　else　but　witchcraft。'



So　he　tied　up　his　ox　and　ran　back　to　see　if　they　really　were

hanging　there。　While　he　was　going；　and　looking　up　at　every　tree

as　he　went；　the　youth　leapt　down　and　took　his　ox　and　went　off　with

it。　Any　one　may　easily　imagine　what　a　fury　the　man　fell　into

when　he　came　back　and　saw　that　his　ox　was　gone。　He　wept　and

he　raged；　but　at　last　he　took　comfort　and　told　himself　that　the　best

thing　to　do　was　to　go　home　and　take　the　third　ox；　without　letting

his　wife　know　anything　about　it；　and　then　try　to　sell