06-the master thief-第3章

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

fool　for　having　let　myself　be　taken　in　by　such　a　fellow　as　you。'



‘Well；　it　wouldn't　be　very　hard　to　do　that；'　said　the　Master

Thief。　So　he　dressed　himself　up　like　a　bird；　and　threw　a　great　white

sheet　over　himself；　broke　off　a　goose's　wings；　and　set　them　on　his

back；　and　in　this　attire　climbed　into　a　great　maple　tree　which　stood

in　the　Priest's　garden。　So　when　the　Priest　returned　home　in　the

evening　the　youth　began　to　cry；　‘Father　Lawrence！　Father

Lawrence！　‘for　the　Priest　was　called　Father　Lawrence。



‘Who　is　calling　me？'　said　the　Priest。



‘I　am　an　angel　sent　to　announce　to　thee　that　because　of　thy

piety　thou　shalt　be　taken　away　alive　into　heaven；'　said　the　Master

Thief。　‘Wilt　thou　hold　thyself　in　readiness　to　travel　away　next

Monday　night？　for　then　will　I　come　and　fetch　thee；　and　bear　thee

away　with　me　in　a　sack；　and　thou　must　lay　all　thy　gold　and　silver；

and　whatsoever　thou　may　'st　possess　of　this　world's　wealth；　in　a　heap

in　thy　best　parlour。'



So　Father　Lawrence　fell　down　on　his　knees　before　the　angel

and　thanked　him；　and　the　following　Sunday　he　preached　a　farewell

sermon；　and　gave　out　that　an　angel　had　come　down　into　the　large

maple　tree　in　his　garden；　and　had　announced　to　him　that；　because

of　his　righteousness；　he　should　be　taken　up　alive　into　heaven；　and

as　he　thus　preached　and　told　them　this　everyone　in　the　church；

old　or　young；　wept。



On　Monday　night　the　Master　Thief　once　more　came　as　an　angel；

and　before　the　Priest　was　put　into　the　sack　he　fell　on　his　knees　and

thanked　him；　but　no　sooner　was　the　Priest　safely　inside　it　than　the

Master　Thief　began　to　drag　him　away　over　stocks　and　stones。



‘Oh！　oh！　‘cried　the　Priest　in　the　sack。　‘Where　are　you　taking

me？'



‘This　is　the　way　to　heaven。　The　way　to　heaven　is　not　an　easy

one；'　said　the　Master　Thief；　and　dragged　him　along　till　he　all　but

killed　him。



At　last　he　flung　him　into　the　Governor's　goose…house；　and　the

geese　began　to　hiss　and　peck　at　him；　till　he　felt　more　dead　than

alive。



‘Oh！　oh！　oh！　Where　am　I　now？'　asked　the　Priest。



‘Now　you　are　in　Purgatory；'　said　the　Master　Thief；　and　off　he

went　and　took　the　gold　and　the　silver　and　all　the　precious　things

which　the　Priest　had　laid　together　in　his　best　parlour。



Next　morning；　when　the　goose…girl　came　to　let　out　the　geese；　she

heard　the　Priest　bemoaning　himself　as　he　lay　in　the　sack　in　the

goose…house。



‘Oh；　heavens！　who　is　that；　and　what　ails　you？'　said　she。



‘Oh；'　said　the　Priest；　‘if　you　are　an　angel　from　heaven　do　let

me　out　and　let　me　go　back　to　earth　again；　for　no　place　was　ever　so

bad　as　thisthe　little　fiends　nip　me　so　with　their　tongs。'



‘I　am　no　angel；'　said　the　girl；　and　helped　the　Priest　out　of　the

sack。　‘I　only　look　after　the　Governor's　geese；　that's　what　I　do；

and　they　are　the　little　fiends　which　have　pinched　your　reverence。'



‘This　is　the　Master　Thief's　doing！　Oh；　my　gold　and　my　silver

and　my　best　clothes！'　shrieked　the　Priest；　and；　wild　with　rage；　he

ran　home　so　fast　that　the　goose…girl　thought　he　had　suddenly　gone

mad。



When　the　Governor　learnt　what　had　happened　to　the　Priest　he

laughed　till　he　nearly　killed　himself；　but　when　the　Master　Thief

came　and　wanted　to　have　his　daughter　according　to　promise；　he

once　more　gave　him　nothing　but　fine　words；　and　said；　‘You　must

give　me　one　more　proof　of　your　skill；　so　that　I　can　really　judge

of　your　worth。　I　have　twelve　horses　in　my　stable；　and　I　will　put

twelve　stable　boys　in　it；　one　on　each　horse。　If　you　are　clever

enough　to　steal　the　horses　from　under　them；　I　will　see　what　I　can

do　for　you。'



‘What　you　set　me　to　do　can　be　done；'　said　the　Master　Thief；　‘but

am　I　certain　to　get　your　daughter　when　it　is？'



‘Yes；　if　you　can　do　that　I　will　do　my　best　for　you；'　said　the

Governor。



So　the　Master　Thief　went　to　a　shop；　and　bought　enough　brandy

to　fill　two　pocket　flasks；　and　he　put　a　sleeping　drink　into　one　of

these；　but　into　the　other　he　poured　brandy　only。　Then　he　engaged

eleven　men　to　lie　that　night　in　hiding　behind　the　Governor's

stable。　After　this；　by　fair　words　and　good　payment；　he　borrowed　a

ragged　gown　and　a　jerkin　from　an　aged　woman；　and　then；　with　a

staff　in　his　hand　and　a　poke　on　his　back；　he　hobbled　off　as　evening

came　on　towards　the　Governor's　stable。　The　stable　boys　were　just

watering　the　horses　for　the　night；　and　it　was　quite　as　much　as　they

could　do　to　attend　to　that。



‘What　on　earth　do　you　want　here？'　said　one　of　them　to　the

old　woman。



‘Oh　dear！　oh　dear！　How　cold　it　is！'　she　said；　sobbing；　and

shivering　with　cold。　‘Oh　dear！　oh　dear！　it's　cold　enough　to　freeze

a　poor　old　body　to　death！'　and　she　shivered　and　shook　again；　and

said；　‘For　heaven's　sake　give　me　leave　to　stay　here　and　sit　just

inside　the　stable　door。'



‘You　will　get　nothing　of　the　kind！　Be　off　this　moment！　If　the

Governor　were　to　catch　sight　of　you　here；　he　would　lead　us　a　pretty

dance；'　said　one。



‘Oh！　what　a　poor　helpless　old　creature！'　said　another；　who　felt

sorry　for　her。　‘That　poor　old　woman　can　do　no　harm　to　anyone。

She　may　sit　there　and　welcome。'



The　rest　of　them　thought　that　she　ought　not　to　stay；　but　while

they　were　disputing　about　this　and　looking　after　the　horses；　she

crept　farther　and　farther　into　the　stable；　and　at　last　sat　down　behind

the　door；　and　when　once　she　was　inside　no　one　took　any　more　notice

of　her。



As　the　night　wore　on　the　stable　boys　found　it　rather　cold　work

to　sit　still　on　horseback。



‘Hutetu！　But　it　is　fearfully　cold！'　said　one；　and　began　to　beat

his　arms　backwards　and　forwards　across　his　breast。



‘Yes；　I　am　so　cold　that　my　teeth　are　chattering；'　said　another。



‘If　one　had　but　a　little　tobacco；'　said　a　third。



Well；　one　of　them　had　a　little；　so　they　shared　it　among　them；

though　there　was　very　little　for　each　man；　but　they　chewed　it。　This

was　some　help　to　them；　but　very　soon　they　were　just　as　cold　as　before。



‘Hutetu！'　said　one　of　them；　shivering　again。



‘Hutetu！'　said　the　old　woman；　gnashing　her　teeth　together　till

they　chattered　inside　her　mouth；　and　then　she　got　out　the　flask

which　contained　nothing　but　brandy；　and　her　hands　trembled　so

that　she　shook　the　bottle　about；　and　when　she　drank　it　made　a　great

gulp　in　her　throat。



‘What　is　that　you　have　in　your　flask；　old　woman？'　asked　one

of　the　stable　boys。



‘Oh；　it's　only　a　little　drop　of　brandy；　your　honour；'　she　said。



‘Brandy！　What！　Let　me　have　a　drop！　Let　me　have　a　drop！'

screamed　all　the　twelve　at　once。



‘Oh；　but　what　I　have　is　so　little；'　whimpered　the　old　woman。

‘It　will　not　even　wet　your　mouths。'



But　they　were　determined　to　have　it；　and　there　was　nothing　to

be　done　but　give　it；　so　she　took　out　the　flask　with　the　sleeping　drink

and　put　it　to　the　lips　of　the　first　of　them；　and　now　she　shook　no

more；　but　guided　the　flask　so　that　each　of　them　got　just　as　much　as

he　ought；　and　the　twelfth　had　not　done　drinking　before　the　first

was　already　sitting　snoring。　Then　the　Master　Thief　flung　off　his

beggar's　rags；　and　took　one　stable　boy　after　the　other　and　gently

set　him　astride　on　the　partitions　which　divided　the　stalls；　and　then

he　called　his　eleven　men　who　were　waiting　outside；　and　they　rode

off　with　the　Governor's　horses。



In　the　morning　when　the　Governor　came　to　look　after　his　stable

boys　they　were　just　beginning　to　come　to　again。　They　were　driving

their　spurs　into　the　partition　till　the　splinters　flew　about；　and

some　of　the　boys　fell　off；　and　some　still　hung　on　and　sat　looking　like

fools。　‘Ah；　well；'　said　the　Governor；　‘it　is　easy　to　see　who　has　been

here；　but　what　a　worthless　set　of　fellows　you　must　be　to　sit　here　and

let　the　Master　Thief　steal　the　horses　from　under　you！'　And　they

all　got　a　beating　for　not　having　kept　watch　better。



Later　in　the　day　the　Master　Thief　came　and　related　what　he　had

done；　and　wanted　to　have　the　Governor's　daughter　as　h