09-the enchanted pig-第3节

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admission。　The　mother　of　the　Wind　had　pity　on　her　and　took　her

in；　that　she　might　rest　a　little。　Here　too　she　was　hidden　away；　so

that　the　Wind　might　not　notice　her。



The　next　morning　the　mother　of　the　Wind　told　her　that　her

husband　was　living　in　a　thick　wood；　so　thick　that　no　axe　had　been　able

to　cut　a　way　through　it；　here　he　had　built　himself　a　sort　of　house

by　placing　trunks　of　trees　together　and　fastening　them　with　withes

and　here　he　lived　alone；　shunning　human　kind。



After　the　mother　of　the　Wind　had　given　the　Princess　a　chicken

to　eat；　and　had　warned　her　to　take　care　of　the　bones；　she　advised

her　to　go　by　the　Milky　Way；　which　at　night　lies　across　the　sky；　and

to　wander　on　till　she　reached　her　goal。



Having　thanked　the　old　woman　with　tears　in　her　eyes　for　her

hospitality；　and　for　the　good　news　she　had　given　her；　the　Princess

set　out　on　her　journey　and　rested　neither　night　nor　day；　so　great

was　her　longing　to　see　her　husband　again。　On　and　on　she　walked

until　her　last　pair　of　shoes　fell　in　pieces。　So　she　threw　them　away

and　went　on　with　bare　feet；　not　heeding　the　bogs　nor　the　thorns

that　wounded　her；　nor　the　stones　that　bruised　her。　At　last　she

reached　a　beautiful　green　meadow　on　the　edge　of　a　wood。　Her

heart　was　cheered　by　the　sight　of　the　flowers　and　the　soft　cool

grass；　and　she　sat　down　and　rested　for　a　little。　But　hearing　the

birds　chirping　to　their　mates　among　the　trees　made　her　think　with

longing　of　her　husband；　and　she　wept　bitterly；　and　taking　her　child

in　her　arms；　and　her　bundle　of　chicken　bones　on　her　shoulder；　she

entered　the　wood。



For　three　days　and　three　nights　she　struggled　through　it；　but

could　find　nothing。　She　was　quite　worn　out　with　weariness　and

hunger；　and　even　her　staff　was　no　further　help　to　her；　for　in　her

many　wanderings　it　had　become　quite　blunted。　She　almost　gave

up　in　despair；　but　made　one　last　great　effort；　and　suddenly　in　a

thicket　she　came　upon　the　sort　of　house　that　the　mother　of　the

Wind　had　described。　It　had　no　windows；　and　the　door　was　up　

in　the　roof。　Round　the　house　she　went；　in　search　of　steps；　but

could　find　none。　What　was　she　to　do？　How　was　she　to　get　in？

She　thought　and　thought；　and　tried　in　vain　to　climb　up　to　the

door。　Then　suddenly　she　be…thought　her　of　the　chicken　bones

that　she　had　dragged　all　that　weary　way；　and　she　said　to

herself：　‘They　would　not　all　have　told　me　to　take　such　good　care

of　these　bones　if　they　had　not　had　some　good　reason　for　doing

so。　Perhaps　now；　in　my　hour　of　need；　they　may　be　of　use　to　me。'



So　she　took　the　bones　out　of　her　bundle；　and　having　thought

for　a　moment；　she　placed　the　two　ends　together。　To　her　surprise

they　stuck　tight；　then　she　added　the　other　bones；　till　she　had　two

long　poles　the　height　of　the　house；　these　she　placed　against　the　wall；

at　a　distance　of　a　yard　from　one　another。　Across　them　she　placed

the　other　bones；　piece　by　piece；　like　the　steps　of　a　ladder。　As　soon

as　one　step　was　finished　she　stood　upon　it　and　made　the　next　one；

and　then　the　next；　till　she　was　close　to　the　door。　But　just　as　she　got

near　the　top　she　noticed　that　there　were　no　bones　left　for　the　last

rung　of　the　ladder。　What　was　she　to　do？　Without　that　last　step

the　whole　ladder　was　useless。　She　must　have　lost　one　of　the　bones。

Then　suddenly　an　idea　came　to　her。　Taking　a　knife　she　chopped

off　her　little　finger；　and　placing　it　on　the　last　step；　it　stuck　as　the

bones　had　done。　The　ladder　was　complete；　and　with　her　child　on

her　arm　she　entered　the　door　of　the　house。　Here　she　found　everything

in　perfect　order。　Having　taken　some　food；　she　laid　the　child

down　to　sleep　in　a　trough　that　was　on　the　floor；　and　sat　down

herself　to　rest。



When　her　husband；　the　Pig；　came　back　to　his　house；　he　was

startled　by　what　he　saw。　At　first　he　could　not　believe　his　eyes；

and　stared　at　the　ladder　of　bones；　and　at　the　little　finger　on　the　top

of　it。　He　felt　that　some　fresh　magic　must　be　at　work；　and　in　his

terror　he　almost　turned　away　from　the　house；　but　then　a　better

idea　came　to　him；　and　he　changed　himself　into　a　dove；　so　that　no

witchcraft　could　have　power　over　him；　and　flew　into　the　room

without　touching　the　ladder。　Here　he　found　a　woman　rocking　a

child。　At　the　sight　of　her；　looking　so　changed　by　all　that　she　had

suffered　for　his　sake；　his　heart　was　moved　by　such　love　and　longing

and　by　so　great　a　pity　that　he　suddenly　became　a　man。



The　Princess　stood　up　when　she　saw　him。　and　her　heart　beat

with　fear；　for　she　did　not　know　him。　But　when　he　had　told　her

who　he　was；　in　her　great　joy　she　forgot　all　her　sufferings；　and　they

seemed　as　nothing　to　her。　He　was　a　very　handsome　man；　as

straight　as　a　fir　tree。　They　sat　down　together　and　she　told

him　all　her　adventures；　and　he　wept　with　pity　at　the　tale。　And

then　he　told　her　his　own　history。



‘I　am　a　King's　son。　Once　when　my　father　was　fighting　against

some　dragons；　who　were　the　scourge　of　our　country；　I　slew　the

youngest　dragon。　His　mother；　who　was　a　witch；　cast　a　spell　over　me

and　changed　me　into　a　Pig。　It　was　she　who　in　the　disguise　of　an

old　woman　gave　you　the　thread　to　bind　round　my　foot。　So　that

instead　of　the　three　days　that　had　to　run　before　the　spell　was　broken；

I　was　forced　to　remain　a　Pig　for　three　more　years。　Now　that　we

have　suffered　for　each　other；　and　have　found　each　other　again；　let

us　forget　the　past。'



And　in　their　joy　they　kissed　one　another。



Next　morning　they　set　out　early　to　return　to　his　father's

kingdom。　Great　was　the　rejoicing　of　all　the　people　when　they　saw　him

and　his　wife；　his　father　and　his　mother　embraced　them　both；　and

there　was　feasting　in　the　palace　for　three　days　and　three　nights。



Then　they　set　out　to　see　her　father。　The　old　King　nearly　went

out　of　his　mind　with　joy　at　beholding　his　daughter　again。　When

she　had　told　him　all　her　adventures；　he　said　to　her：



‘Did　not　I　tell　you　that　I　was　quite　sure　that　that　creature　who

wooed　and　won　you　as　his　wife　had　not　been　born　a　Pig？　You　see；

my　child；　how　wise　you　were　in　doing　what　I　told　you。'



And　as　the　King　was　old　and　had　no　heirs；　he　put　them　on　the

throne　in　his　place。　And　they　ruled　as　only　kings　rule　who　have

suffered　many　things。　And　if　they　are　not　dead　they　are　still　living

and　ruling　happily。＇8＇



＇8＇　Rumanische　Marchen　ubersetzt　von　Nite　Kremnitz。