stories to tell to children-第37章

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Billy　ran　and　dressed　himself　in　his　master's

best　suit　of　clothes；　took　the　brown　mare　from

the　stable；　and　was　off　to　the　king's　town。



When　he　came　there；　he　saw　a　big　round

place　with　great　high　seats　built　up　around　it；

and　all　the　people　sitting　there。　　Down　in　the

midst　was　the　champion；　walking　up　and　down

proudly；　with　two　men　behind　him　to　carry

his　heavy　sword。　　And　up　in　the　centre　of　the

seats　was　the　princess；　with　her　maidens；　she

was　looking　very　pretty；　but　nervous。



The　fight　was　about　to　begin　when　Billy　got

there；　and　the　herald　was　crying　out　how　the

champion　would　fight　the　dragon　for　the　princess's

sake；　when　suddenly　there　was　heard　a

fearsome　great　roaring；　and　the　people　shouted；

〃Here　he　is　now；　the　dragon！〃



The　dragon　had　more　heads　than　the　biggest

of　the　giants；　and　fire　and　smoke　came　from

every　one　of　them。　　And　when　the　champion

saw　the　creature；　he　never　waited　even　to　take　

his　sword；he　turned　and　ran；　and　he　never

stopped　till　he　came　to　a　deep　well；　where　he

jumped　in　and　hid　himself；　up　to　the　neck。



When　the　princess　saw　that　her　champion

was　gone；　she　began　wringing　her　hands；　and

crying；　〃Oh；　please；　kind　gentlemen；　fight　the

dragon；　some　of　you；　and　keep　me　from　being

eaten！　　Will　no　one　fight　the　dragon　for　me？〃

But　no　one　stepped　up；　at　all。　　And　the　dragon

made　to　eat　the　princess。



Just　then；　out　stepped　Billy　from　the　crowd；

with　his　fine　suit　of　clothes　and　his　hide　belt

on　him。　　〃I'll　fight　the　beast；〃　he　says；　and

swinging　his　stick　three　times　round　his　head；

to　give　him　the　strength　of　a　thousand　men

besides　his　own；　he　walked　up　to　the　dragon；

with　easy　gait。　　The　princess　and　all　the　people

were　looking；　you　may　be　sure；　and　the　dragon

raged　at　Billy　with　all　his　mouths；　and　they

at　it　and　fought。　　It　was　a　terrible　fight；　but

in　the　end　Billy　Beg　had　the　dragon　down；　and

he　cut　off　his　heads　with　the　sword。



There　was　great　shouting；　then；　and　crying

that　the　strange　champion　must　come　to　the

king　to　be　made　prince；　and　to　the　princess；

to　be　seen。　　But　in　the　midst　of　the　hullabaloo

Billy　Begs　slips　on　the　brown　mare　and　is　off

and　away　before　anyone　has　seen　his　face。　　But；

quick　as　he　was；　he　was　not　so　quick　but　that

the　princess　caught　hold　of　him　as　he　jumped

on　his　horse；　and　he　got　away　with　one　shoe

left　in　her　hand。　　And　home　he　rode；　to　his

master's　house；　and　had　his　old　clothes　on　and

the　mare　in　the　stable　before　his　master　came

back。



When　his　master　came　back；　he　had　a　great

tale　for　Billy；　how　the　princess's　champion　had

run　from　the　dragon；　and　a　strange　knight　had

come　out　of　the　clouds　and　killed　the　dragon；

and　before　anyone　could　stop　him　had

disappeared　in　the　sky。　　〃Wasn't　it　wonderful？〃

said　the　old　gentleman　to　Billy。　　〃I　should　say

so；〃　said　Billy　to　him。



Soon　there　was　proclamation　made　that　the

man　who　killed　the　dragon　was　to　be　found；

and　to　be　made　son　of　the　king　and　husband

of　the　princess；　for　that；　everyone　should　come

up　to　the　king's　town　and　try　on　the　shoe　which

the　princess　had　pulled　from　off　the　foot　of　the

strange　champion；　that　he　whom　it　fitted　should

be　known　to　be　the　man。　　On　the　day　set；　there

was　passing　of　coaches　and　chaises；　of　carriages

and　wheelbarrows；　people　on　horseback　and

afoot；　and　Billy's　master　was　the　first　to　go。



While　Billy　was　watching；　at　last　came　along

a　raggedy　man。



〃Will　you　change　clothes　with　me；　and　I'll

give　you　boot？〃　said　Billy　to　him。



〃Shame　to　you　to　mock　a　poor　raggedy

man！〃　said　the　raggedy　man　to　Billy。



〃It's　no　mock；〃　said　Billy；　and　he　changed

clothes　with　the　raggedy　man；　and　gave　him

boot。



When　Billy　came　to　the　king's　town；　in　his

dreadful　old　clothes；　no　one　knew　him　for　the

champion　at　all；　and　none　would　let　him　come

forward　to　try　the　shoe。　　But　after　all　had　tried；

Billy　spoke　up　that　he　wanted　to　try。　　They

laughed　at　him；　and　pushed　him　back；　with

his　rags。　　But　the　princess　would　have　it　that

he　should　try。　　〃I　like　his　face；〃　said　she；　〃let

him　try；　now。〃



So　up　stepped　Billy；　and　put　on　the　shoe；　and

it　fitted　him　like　his　own　skin。



Then　Billy　confessed　that　it　was　he　that

killed　the　dragon。　　And　that　he　was　a　king's

son。　　And　they　put　a　velvet　suit　on　him；　and

hung　a　gold　chain　round　his　neck；　and　everyone

said　a　finer…looking　boy　they'd　never　seen。



So　Billy　married　the　princess；　and　was　the

prince　of　that　place。







THE　LITTLE　HERO　OF　HAARLEM＇1＇



＇1＇　Told　from　memory　of　the　story　told　me　when　a　child。





A　long　way　off；　across　the　ocean；　there　is　a

little　country　where　the　ground　is　lower　than

the　level　of　the　sea；　instead　of　higher；　as　it　is

here。　　Of　course　the　water　would　run　in　and

cover　the　land　and　houses；　if　something　were

not　done　to　keep　it　out。　　But　something　is　done。

The　people　build　great；　thick　walls　all　round

the　country；　and　the　walls　keep　the　sea　out。

You　see　how　much　depends　on　those　walls；

the　good　crops；　the　houses；　and　even　the　safety

of　the　people。　　Even　the　small　children　in　that

country　know　that　an　accident　to　one　of　the

walls　is　a　terrible　thing。　　These　walls　are　really

great　banks；　as　wide　as　roads；　and　they　are

called　〃dikes。〃



Once　there　was　a　little　boy　who　lived　in　that

country；　whose　name　was　Hans。　　One　day；　he

took　his　little　brother　out　to　play。　　They　went

a　long　way　out　of　the　town；　and　came　to　where

there　were　no　houses；　but　ever　so　many　flowers

and　green　fields。　　By…and…by；　Hans　climbed　up

on　the　dike；　and　sat　down；　the　little　brother

was　playing　about　at　the　foot　of　the　bank。



Suddenly　the　little　brother　called　out；　〃Oh；

what　a　funny　little　hole！　　It　bubbles！〃



〃Hole？　　Where？〃　said　Hans。



〃Here　in　the　bank；〃　said　the　little　brother；

〃water's　in　it。〃



〃What！〃　said　Hans；　and　he　slid　down　as

fast　as　he　could　to　where　his　brother　was　playing。



There　was　the　tiniest　little　hole　in　the　bank。

Just　an　air…hole。　　A　drop　of　water　bubbled

slowly　through。



〃It　is　a　hole　in　the　dike！〃　cried　Hans。　　〃What

shall　we　do？〃



He　looked　all　round；　not　a　person　or　a　house

in　sight。　　He　looked　at　the　hole；　the　little

drops　oozed　steadily　through；　he　knew　that

the　water　would　soon　break　a　great　gap；

because　that　tiny　hole　gave　it　a　chance。　　The

town　was　so　far　awayif　they　ran　for　help　it

would　be　too　late；　what　should　he　do？　　Once

more　he　looked；　the　hole　was　larger；　now；　and

the　water　was　trickling。



Suddenly　a　thought　came　to　Hans。　　He　stuck

his　little　forefinger　right　into　the　hole；　where　it

fitted　tight；　and　he　said　to　his　little　brother；

〃Run；　Dieting！　　Go　to　the　town　and　tell　the

men　there's　a　hole　in　the　dike。　　Tell　them　I　will

keep　it　stopped　till　they　get　here。〃



The　little　brother　knew　by　Hans'　face　that

something　very　serious　was　the　matter；　and　he

started　for　the　town；　as　fast　as　his　legs　could

run。　　Hans；　kneeling　with　his　finger　in　the　hole；

watched　him　grow　smaller　and　smaller　as　he　got

farther　away。



Soon　he　was　as　small　as　a　chicken；　then　he

was　only　a　speck；　then　he　was　out　of　sight。

Hans　was　alone；　his　finger　tight　in　the　bank。



He　could　hear　the　water；　slap；　slap；　slap；　on

the　stones；　and　deep　down　under　the　slapping

was　a　gurgling；　rumbling　sound。　　It　seemed

very　near。



By…and…by；　his　hand　began　to　feel　numb。　　He

rubbed　it　with　the　other　hand；　but　it　got　colder

and　more　numb；　colder　and　more　numb；　every

minute。　　He　looked　to　see　if　the　men　were

coming；　the　road　was　bare　as　far　as　he　could

see。　　Then　the　cold　began　creeping；　creeping；

up　his　arm；　first　his　wrist；　then　his　arm　to　the

elbow；　then　his　arm　to　the　shoulder；　how　cold

it　was！　　And　soon　it　began　to　ache。　　Ugly

little　cramp…pains　streamed　up　his　finger；　up

his　palm；　up　his　arm；　till　they　reached　into　his

shoulder；　and　down　the　back　of　his　neck。　　It

seeme