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第3节

03-east of sun-第3节

小说: 03-east of sun 字数: 每页4000字

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her what she wanted for it; and she replied that it was not

for sale; either for gold or money; but that if she could get

leave to go to the Prince; and be with him during the

night; she should have it。 But when she went up to the

Prince's room he was again asleep; and; let her call him;

or shake him; or weep as she would; he still slept on; and

she could not put any life in him。 When daylight came in

the morning; the Princess with the long nose came too;

and once more drove her away。 When day had quite

come; the girl seated herself under the castle windows; to

spin with her golden spinning…wheel; and the Princess

with the long nose wanted to have that also。 So she

opened the window; and asked what she would take for

it。 The girl said what she had said on each of the former

occasionsthat it was not for sale either for gold or for

money; but if she could get leave to go to the Prince who

lived there; and be with him during the night; she should

have it。



〃Yes;〃 said the Princess; 〃I will gladly consent to that。〃



But in that place there were some Christian folk who

had been carried off; and they had been sitting in the

chamber which was next to that of the Prince; and had

heard how a woman had been in there who had wept and

called on him two nights running; and they told the

Prince of this。 So that evening; when the Princess came

once more with her sleeping…drink; he pretended to drink;

but threw it away behind him; for he suspected that it

was a sleeping…drink。 So; when the girl went into the

Prince's room this time he was awake; and she had to tell

him how she had come there。 〃You have come just in

time;〃 said the Prince; 〃for I should have been married

to…morrow; but I will not have the long…nosed Princess;

and you alone can save me。 I will say that I want to see

what my bride can do; and bid her wash the shirt which

has the three drops of tallow on it。 This she will consent

to do; for she does not know that it is you who let them

fall on it; but no one can wash them out but one born of

Christian folk: it cannot be done by one of a pack of

trolls; and then I will say that no one shall ever be my bride

but the woman who can do this; and I know that you

can。〃 There was great joy and gladness between them all

that night; but the next day; when the wedding was to


take place; the Prince said; 〃I must see what my bride

can do。〃 〃That you may do;〃 said the stepmother。



〃I have a fine shirt which I want to wear as my wedding

shirt; but three drops of tallow have got upon it which I

want to have washed off; and I have vowed to marry no

one but the woman who is able to do it。 If she cannot do

that; she is not worth having。〃



Well; that was a very small matter; they thought; and

agreed to do it。 The Princess with the long nose began

to wash as well as she could; but; the more she washed and

rubbed; the larger the spots grew。 〃Ah! you can't wash

at all;〃 said the old troll…hag; who was her mother。 〃Give

it to me。〃 But she too had not had the shirt very long in

her hands before it looked worse still; and; the more she

washed it and rubbed it; the larger and blacker grew the

spots。



So the other trolls had to come and wash; but; the more

they did; the blacker and uglier grew the shirt; until at

length it was as black as if it had been up the chimney。

〃Oh;〃 cried the Prince; 〃not one of you is good for

anything at all! There is a beggar…girl sitting outside the

window; and I'll be bound that she can wash better than

any of you! Come in; you girl there!〃 he cried。 So she

came in。 〃Can you wash this shirt clean?〃 he cried。 〃Oh!

I don't know;〃 she said; 〃but I will try。〃 And no sooner

had she taken the shirt and dipped it in the water than

it was white as driven snow; and even whiter than that。

〃I will marry you;〃 said the Prince。



Then the old troll…hag flew into such a rage that she

burst; and the Princess with the long nose and all the

little trolls must have burst too; for they have never been

heard of since。 The Prince and his bride set free all the

Christian folk who were imprisoned there; and took away

with them all the gold and silver that they could carry;

and moved far away from the castle which lay east of the

sun and west of the moon。'1'





'1' Asbjornsen and Moe。


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