06-the master thief-第2章

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

that　he　got　a　good　sum　of　money　for　it。　So　he　went　home　and

took　the　third　ox；　and　drove　it　off　without　his　wife　knowing

anything　about　it。　But　the　robbers　knew　all　about　it；　and　they　told

the　youth　that　if　he　could　steal　this　as　he　had　stolen　the　two

others；　he　should　be　master　of　the　whole　troop。　So　the　youth

set　out　and　went　to　the　wood；　and　when　the　man　was　coming　along

with　the　ox　he　began　to　bellow　loudly；　just　like　a　great　ox

somewhere　inside　the　wood。　When　the　man　heard　that　he　was　right

glad；　for　he　fancied　he　recognised　the　voice　of　his　big　bullock；　and

thought　that　now　he　should　find　both　of　them　again。　So　he　tied

up　the　third；　and　ran　away　off　the　road　to　look　for　them　in　the

wood。　In　the　meantime　the　youth　went　away　with　the　third　ox。

When　the　man　returned　and　found　that　he　had　lost　that　too；　he　fell

into　such　a　rage　that　there　was　no　bounds　to　it。　He　wept　and

lamented；　and　for　many　days　he　did　not　dare　to　go　home　again；　for

he　was　afraid　that　the　old　woman　would　slay　him　outright。　The

robbers；　also；　were　not　very　well　pleased　at　this；　for　they　were　forced

to　own　that　the　youth　was　at　the　head　of　them　all。　So　one　day

they　made　up　their　minds　to　set　to　work　to　do　something　which　it

was　not　in　his　power　to　accomplish；　and　they　all　took　to　the　road

together；　and　left　him　at　home　alone。　When　they　were　well　out　of

the　house；　the　first　thing　that　he　did　was　to　drive　the　oxen　out　on

the　road；　whereupon　they　all　ran　home　again　to　the　man　from　whom

he　had　stolen　them；　and　right　glad　was　the　husbandman　to　see

them。　Then　he　brought　out　all　the　horses　the　robbers　had；　and

loaded　them　with　the　most　valuable　things　which　he　could　find

vessels　of　gold　and　of　silver；　and　clothes　and　other　magnificent

thingsand　then　he　told　the　old　woman　to　greet　the　robbers　from

him　and　thank　them　from　him；　and　say　that　he　had　gone　away；

and　that　they　would　have　a　great　deal　of　difficulty　in　finding　him

again；　and　with　that　he　drove　the　horses　out　of　the　courtyard。

After　a　long；　long　time　he　came　to　the　road　on　which　he　was　travelling

when　he　came　to　the　robbers。　And　when　he　had　got　very　near

home；　and　was　in　sight　of　the　house　where　his　father　lived；　he　put

on　a　uniform　which　he　had　found　among　the　things　he　had　taken

from　the　robbers；　and　which　was　made　just　like　a　general's；　and

drove　into　the　yard　just　as　if　he　were　a　great　man。　Then　he　entered

the　house　and　asked　if　he　could　find　a　lodging　there。



‘No；　indeed　you　can't！'　said　his　father。　‘How　could　I　possibly

be　able　to　lodge　such　a　great　gentleman　as　you？　It　is　all　that　I

can　do　to　find　clothes　and　bedding　for　myself；　and　wretched　they

are。'



‘You　were　always　a　hard　man；'　said　the　youth；　‘and　hard　you

are　still　if　you　refuse　to　let　your　own　son　come　into　your　house。'



‘Are　you　my　son？'　said　the　man。



‘Do　you　not　know　me　again　then？'　said　the　youth。



Then　he　recognised　him　and　said；　‘But　what　trade　have　you

taken　to　that　has　made　you　such　a　great　man　in　so　short　a

time？'



‘Oh；　that　I　will　tell　you；'　answered　the　youth。　‘You　said　that　I

might　take　to　anything　I　liked；　so　I　apprenticed　myself　to　some

thieves　and　robbers；　and　now　I　have　served　my　time　and　have

become　Master　Thief。'



Now　the　Governor　of　the　province　lived　by　his　father's　cottage；

and　this　Governor　had　such　a　large　house　and　so　much　money　that

he　did　not　even　know　how　much　it　was；　and　he　had　a　daughter　too

who　was　both　pretty　and　dainty；　and　good　and　wise。　So　the

Master　Thief　was　determined　to　have　her　to　wife；　and　told　his

father　that　he　was　to　go　to　the　Governor；　and　ask　for　his　daughter

for　him。　‘If　he　asks　what　trade　I　follow；　you　may　say　that　I　am　a

Master　Thief；'　said　he。



‘I　think　you　must　be　crazy；'　said　the　man；　‘for　you　can't　be　in

your　senses　if　you　think　of　anything　so　foolish。'



‘You　must　go　to　the　Governor　and　beg　for　his　daughterthere

is　no　help；'　said　the　youth。



‘But　I　dare　not　go　to　the　Governor　and　say　this。　He　is　so　rich

and　has　so　much　wealth　of　all　kinds；'　said　the　man。



‘There　is　no　help　for　it；'　said　the　Master　Thief；　‘go　you　must；

whether　you　like　it　or　not。　If　I　can't　get　you　to　go　by　using　good

words；　I　will　soon　make　you　go　with　bad　ones。'



But　the　man　was　still　unwilling；　so　the　Master　Thief　followed

him；　threatening　him　with　a　great　birch　stick；　till　he　went　weeping

and　wailing　through　the　door　to　the　Governor　of　the　province。



‘Now；　my　man；　and　what's　amiss　with　you？'　said　the　Governor。



So　he　told　him　that　he　had　three　sons　who　had　gone　away　one

day；　and　how　he　had　given　them　permission　to　go　where　they

chose；　and　take　to　whatsoever　work　they　fancied。　‘Now；'　he

said；　‘the　youngest　of　them　has　come　home；　and　has　threatened

me　till　I　have　come　to　you　to　ask　for　your　daughter　for　him；　and

I　am　to　say　that　he　is　a　Master　Thief；'　and　again　the　man　fell

a…weeping　and　lamenting。



‘Console　yourself；　my　man；'　said　the　Governor；　laughing。　‘You

may　tell　him　from　me　that　he　must　first　give　me　some　proof　of

this。　If　he　can　steal　the　joint　off　the　spit　in　the　kitchen　on　Sunday；

when　every　one　of　us　is　watching　it；　he　shall　have　my　daughter。

Will　you　tell　him　that？'



The　man　did　tell　him；　and　the　youth　thought　it　would　be　easy

enough　to　do　it。　So　he　set　himself　to　work　to　catch　three　hares

alive；　put　them　in　a　bag；　clad　himself　in　some　old　rags　so　that　he

looked　so　poor　and　wretched　that　it　was　quite　pitiable　to　see　him；

and　in　this　guise　on　Sunday　forenoon　he　sneaked　into　the　passage

with　his　bag；　like　any　beggar　boy。　The　Governor　himself　and

every　one　in　the　house　was　in　the　kitchen；　keeping　watch　over　the

joint。　While　they　were　doing　this　the　youth　let　one　of　the　hares

slip　out　of　his　bag；　and　off　it　set　and　began　to　run　round　the　yard。



‘Just　look　at　that　hare；'　said　the　people　in　the　kitchen；　and

wanted　to　go　out　and　catch　it。



The　Governor　saw　it　too；　but　said；　‘Oh；　let　it　go！　it's　no　use　to

think　of　catching　a　hare　when　it's　running　away。'



It　was　not　long　before　the　youth　let　another　hare　out；　and　the

people　in　the　kitchen　saw　this　too；　and　thought　that　it　was　the　same。

So　again　they　wanted　to　go　out　and　catch　it；　but　the　Governor　again

told　them　that　it　was　of　no　use　to　try。



Very　soon　afterwards；　however；　the　youth　let　slip　the　third

hare；　and　it　set　off　and　ran　round　and　round　the　courtyard。　The

people　in　the　kitchen　saw　this　too；　and　believed　that　it　was　still　the

same　hare　that　was　running　about；　so　they　wanted　to　go　out　and

catch　it。



‘It's　a　remarkably　fine　hare！'　said　the　Governor。　‘Come

and　let　us　see　if　we　can　get　hold　of　it。'　So　out　he　went；　and　the

others　with　him；　and　away　went　the　hare；　and　they　after　it；　in　real

earnest。



In　the　meantime；　however；　the　Master　Thief　took　the　joint　and

ran　off　with　it；　and　whether　the　Governor　got　any　roast　meat　for

his　dinner　that　day　I　know　not；　but　I　know　that　he　had　no　roast

hare；　though　he　chased　it　till　he　was　both　hot　and　tired。

At　noon　came　the　Priest；　and　when　the　Governor　had　told　him

of　the　trick　played　by　the　Master　Thief　there　was　no　end　to　the

ridicule　he　cast　on　the　Governor。



‘For　my　part；'　said　the　Priest；　‘I　can't　imagine　myself　being

made　a　fool　of　by　such　a　fellow　as　that！'



‘Well；　I　advise　you　to　be　careful；'　said　the　Governor；　‘for　he

may　be　with　you　before　you　are　at　all　aware。'



But　the　Priest　repeated　what　he　had　said；　and　mocked　the

Governor　for　having　allowed　himself　to　be　made　such　a　fool　of。



Later　in　the　afternoon　the　Master　Thief　came　and　wanted　to

have　the　Governor's　daughter　as　he　had　promised。



‘You　must　first　give　some　more　samples　of　your　skill；'　said　the

Governor；　trying　to　speak　him　fair；　‘for　what　you　did　to…day　was　no

such　very　great　thing　after　all。　Couldn't　you　play　off　a　really　good

trick　on　the　Priest？　for　he　is　sitting　inside　there　and　calling　me　a

fool　for　having　let　myself　be　taken　in　by