stories to tell to children-第35章

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to　it；　〃Grind　oatmeal　porridge；　Little　Mill；　and

grind　quickly！〃　　The　Little　Mill　ground；　and

ground；　and　ground；　and　out　came　delicious

oatmeal　porridge。　　Each　man　held　his　bowl

under　the　spout。　　When　the　last　bowl　was

filled；　the　porridge　ran　over　on　the　ground。



〃That's　enough；　Little　Mill；〃　said　the　Rich

Brother。　　〃You　may　stop；　and　stop　quickly。〃



But　this　was　not　the　magic　word；　and　the

Little　Mill　did　not　stop。　　It　ground；　and　ground；

and　ground；　and　the　porridge　ran　all　round　and

made　a　little　pool。　　The　Rich　Brother　said；

〃No；　no；　Little　Mill；　I　said；　‘Stop　grinding；　and

stop　quickly。'〃　　But　the　Little　Mill　ground；　and

ground；　faster　than　ever；　and　presently　there

was　a　regular　pond　of　porridge；　almost　up　to

their　knees。　　The　Rich　Brother　said；　〃Stop

grinding；〃　in　every　kind　of　way；　he　called　the

Little　Mill　names；　but　nothing　did　any　good。

The　Little　Mill　ground　porridge　just　the　same。

At　last　the　men　said；　〃Go　and　get　your　brother

to　stop　the　Little　Mill；　or　we　shall　be　drowned

in　porridge。〃



So　the　Rich　Brother　started　for　his　brother's

house。　　He　had　to　swim　before　he　got　there；

and　the　porridge　went　up　his　sleeves；　and　down

his　neck；　and　it　was　horrid　and　sticky。　　His

brother　laughed　when　he　heard　the　story；　but

he　came　with　him；　and　they　took　a　boat　and

rowed　across　the　lake　of　porridge　to　where　the

Little　Mill　was　grinding。　　And　then　the　Poor

Brother　whispered　the　magic　word；　and　the

Little　Mill　stopped。



But　the　porridge　was　a　long　time　soaking　into

the　ground；　and　nothing　would　ever　grow　there

afterwards　except　oatmeal。



The　Rich　Brother　didn't　seem　to　care　much

about　the　Little　Mill　after　this；　so　the　Poor

Brother　took　it　home　again　and　put　it　behind

the　door；　and　there　it　stayed　a　long；　long　while。



Years　afterwards　a　Sea　Captain　came　there　on

a　visit。　　He　told　such　big　stories　that　the　Poor

Brother　said；　〃Oh；　I　daresay　you　have　seen

wonderful　things；　but　I　don't　believe　you　ever

saw　anything　more　wonderful　than　the　Little

Mill　that　stands　behind　my　door。〃



〃What　is　wonderful　about　that？〃　said　the

Sea　Captain。



〃Why；〃　said　the　Poor　Brother；　〃anything　in

the　world　you　want；you　have　only　to　name　it

to　the　Little　Mill　and　say；　‘Grind　that；　Little

Mill；　and　grind　quickly；'　and　it　will　grind　that

thing　until〃



The　Sea　Captain　didn't　wait　to　hear　another

word。　　〃Will　you　lend　me　that　Little　Mill？〃

he　said　eagerly。



The　Poor　Brother　smiled　a　little；　but　he　said；

〃Yes；〃　and　the　Sea　Captain　took　the　Little　Mill

under　his　arm；　and　went　on　board　his　ship　and

sailed　away。



They　had　head…winds　and　storms；　and　they

were　so　long　at　sea　that　some　of　the　food　gave

out。　　Worst　of　all；　the　salt　gave　out。　　It　was

dreadful；　being　without　salt。　　But　the　Captain

happened　to　remember　the　Little　Mill。



〃Bring　up　the　salt　box！〃　he　said　to　the　cook。

〃We　will　have　salt　enough。〃



He　set　the　Little　Mill　on　deck；　put　the　salt

box　under　the　spout；　and　said；



〃Grind　salt；　Little　Mill；　and　grind　quickly！〃



And　the　Little　Mill　ground　beautiful；　white；

powdery　salt。　　When　they　had　enough；　the

Captain　said；　〃Now　you　may　stop；　Little　Mill；

and　stop　quickly。〃　　The　Little　Mill　kept　on

grinding；　and　the　salt　began　to　pile　up　in　little

heaps　on　the　deck。　　〃I　said；　‘Stop；'〃　said　the

Captain。　　But　the　Little　Mill　ground；　and　ground；

faster　than　ever；　and　the　salt　was　soon　thick　on

the　deck　like　snow。　　The　Captain　called　the

Little　Mill　names　and　told　it　to　stop；　in　every

language　he　knew；　but　the　Little　Mill　went　on

grinding。　　The　salt　covered　all　the　decks　and

poured　down　into　the　hold；　and　at　last　the　ship

began　to　settle　in　the　water；　salt　is　very　heavy。

But　just　before　the　ship　sank　to　the　water…line；

the　Captain　had　a　bright　thought：　he　threw　the

Little　Mill　overboard！



It　fell　right　down　to　the　bottom　of　the　sea。

AND　IT　HAS　BEAN　GRINDING　SALT　EVER　SINCE。







BILLY　BEG　AND　HIS　BULL＇1＇



＇1＇　Adapted　from　In　Chimney　Corners；　by　Seumas　McManus。

I　have　ventured　to　give　this　in　the　somewhat　Hibernian

phraseology　suggested　by　the　original；　because　I　have　found

that　the　humour　of　the　manner　of　it　appeals　quite　as　readily

to　the　boys　and　girls　of　my　acquaintance　as　to　maturer　friends；

and　they　distinguish　as　quickly　between　the　savour　of　it　and

any　unintentional　crudeness　of　diction。





Once　upon　a　time；　there　was　a　king　and　a

queen；　and　they　had　one　son；　whose　name　was

Billy。　　And　Billy　had　a　bull　he　was　very　fond

of；　and　the　bull　was　just　as　fond　of　him。　　And

when　the　queen　came　to　die；　she　put　it　as　her

last　request　to　the　king；　that　come　what　might；

come　what　may；　he'd　not　part　Billy　and　the　bull。

And　the　king　promised　that；　come　what　might；

come　what　may；　he　would　not。　　Then　the　good

queen　died；　and　was　buried。



After　a　time；　the　king　married　again；　and　the

new　queen　could　not　abide　Billy；　no　more　could

she　stand　the　bull；　seeing　him　and　Billy　so　thick。

So　she　asked　the　king　to　have　the　bull　killed。

But　the　king　said　he　had　promised；　come　what

might；　come　what　may；　he'd　not　part　Billy　Beg

and　his　bull；　so　he　could　not。



Then　the　queen　sent　for　the　Hen…Wife；　and

asked　what　she　should　do。　　〃What　will　you

give　me；〃　said　the　Hen…Wife；　〃and　I'll　very　soon

part　them？〃



〃Anything　at　all；〃　said　the　queen。



〃Then　do　you　take　to　your　bed；　very　sick　with

a　complaint；〃　said　the　Hen…Wife；　〃and　I'll　do

the　rest。〃



So　the　queen　took　to　her　bed；　very　sick　with

a　complaint；　and　the　king　came　to　see　what

could　be　done　for　her。　　〃I　shall　never　be　better

of　this；〃　she　said；　〃till　I　have　the　medicine　the

Hen…Wife　ordered。〃



〃What　is　that？〃　said　the　king。



〃A　mouthful　of　the　blood　of　Billy　Beg's　bull。〃



〃I　can't　give　you　that；〃　said　the　king；　and

went　away；　sorrowful。



Then　the　queen　got　sicker　and　sicker；　and

each　time　the　king　asked　what　would　cure　her　she

said；　〃A　mouthful　of　the　blood　of　Billy　Beg's

bull。〃　　And　at　last　it　looked　as　if　she　were　going

to　die。　　So　the　king　finally　set　a　day　for　the　bull

to　be　killed。　　At　that　the　queen　was　so　happy

that　she　laid　plans　to　get　up　and　see　the　grand

sight。　　All　the　people　were　to　be　at　the　killing；

and　it　was　to　be　a　great　affair。



When　Billy　Beg　heard　all　this；　he　was　very

sorrowful；　and　the　bull　noticed　his　looks。　　〃What

are　you　doitherin'　about？〃　said　the　bull　to　him。

So　Billy　told　him。　　〃Don't　fret　yourself　about

me；〃　said　the　bull；　〃it's　not　I　that'll　be　killed！〃



The　day　came；　when　Billy　Beg's　bull　was　to

be　killed；　all　the　people　were　there；　and　the

queen；　and　Billy。　　And　the　bull　was　led　out；　to

be　seen。　　When　he　was　led　past　Billy　he　bent

his　head。　　〃Jump　on　my　back；　Billy；　my　boy；〃

says　he；　〃till　I　see　what　kind　of　a　horseman　you

are！〃　　Billy　jumped　on　his　back；　and　with　that

the　bull　leaped　nine　miles　high　and　nine　miles

broad　and　came　down　with　Billy　sticking　between

his　horns。　　Then　away　he　rushed；　over　the　head

of　the　queen；　killing　her　dead；　where　you

wouldn't　know　day　by　night　or　night　by　day；

over　high　hills；　low　hills；　sheep　walks　and

bullock　traces；　the　Cove　o'　Cork；　and　old　Tom

Fox　with　his　bugle　horn。



When　at　last　he　stopped　he　said；　〃Now；

Billy；　my　boy；　you　and　I　must　undergo　great

scenery；　there's　a　mighty　great　bull　of　the　forest

I　must　fight；　here；　and　he'll　be　hard　to　fight；

but　I'll　be　able　for　him。　　But　first　we　must　have

dinner。　　Put　your　hand　in　my　left　ear　and　pull

out　the　napkin　you'll　find　there；　and　when　you've

spread　it；　it　will　be　covered　with　eating　and

drinking　fit　for　a　king。〃



So　Billy　put　his　hand　in　the　bull's　left　ear；

and　drew　out　the　napkin；　and　spread　it；　and；

sure　enough；　it　was　spread　with　all　kinds　of

eating　and　drinking；　fit　for　a　king。　　And　Billy

Beg　ate　well。



But　just　as　he　finished　he　heard　a　great　roar；

and　out　of　the　forest　came　a　mighty　bull；　snorting