42-the witch in the stone boat-第1节

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THE　WITCH　IN　THE　STONE　BOAT＇31＇



＇31＇　From　the　Icelandic。



There　were　once　a　King　and　a　Queen；　and　they　had　a　son　called

Sigurd；　who　was　very　strong　and　active；　and　good…looking。　　When

the　King　came　to　be　bowed　down　with　the　weight　of　years　he　spoke

to　his　son；　and　said　that　now　it　was　time　for　him　to　look　out　for

a　fitting　match　for　himself；　for　he　did　not　know　how　long　he

might　last　now；　and　he　would　like　to　see　him　married　before　he

died。



Sigurd　was　not　averse　to　this；　and　asked　his　father　where　he

thought　it　best　to　look　for　a　wife。　　The　King　answered　that　in　a

certain　country　there　was　a　King　who　had　a　beautiful　daughter；

and　he　thought　it　would　be　most　desirable　if　Sigurd　could　get

her。　　So　the　two　parted；　and　Sigurd　prepared　for　the　journey；　and

went　to　where　his　father　had　directed　him。



He　came　to　the　King　and　asked　his　daughter's　hand；　which　he

readily　granted　him；　but　only　on　the　condition　that　he　should

remain　there　as　long　as　he　could；　for　the　King　himself　was　not

strong　and　not　very　able　to　govern　his　kingdom。　　Sigurd　accepted

this　condition；　but　added　that　he　would　have　to　get　leave　to　go

home　again　to　his　own　country　when　he　heard　news　of　his　father's

death。　　After　that　Sigurd　married　the　Princess；　and　helped　his

father…in…　law　to　govern　the　kingdom。　　He　and　the　Princess　loved

each　other　dearly；　and　after　a　year　a　son　came　to　them；　who　was

two　years　old　when　word　came　to　Sigurd　that　his　father　was　dead。　

Sigurd　now　prepared　to　return　home　with　his　wife　and　child；　and

went　on　board　ship　to　go　by　sea。



They　had　sailed　for　several　days；　when　the　breeze　suddenly　fell；

and　there　came　a　dead　calm；　at　a　time　when　they　needed　only　one

day's　voyage　to　reach　home。　　Sigurd　and　his　Queen　were　one　day　on

deck；　when　most　of　the　others　on　the　ship　had　fallen　asleep。　

There　they　sat　and　talked　for　a　while；　and　had　their　little　son

along　with　them。　　After　a　time　Sigurd　became　so　heavy　with　sleep

that　he　could　no　longer　keep　awake；　so　he　went　below　and　lay

down；　leaving　the　Queen　alone　on　the　deck；　playing　with　her　son。



A　good　while　after　Sigurd　had　gone　below　the　Queen　saw　something

black　on　the　sea；　which　seemed　to　be　coming　nearer。　　As　it

approached　she　could　make　out　that　it　was　a　boat；　and　could　see

the　figure　of　some　one　sitting　in　it　and　rowing　it。　　At　last　the

boat　came　alongside　the　ship；　and　now　the　Queen　saw　that　it　was　a

stone　boat；　out　of　which　there　came　up　on　board　the　ship　a

fearfully　ugly　Witch。　　The　Queen　was　more　frightened　than　words

can　describe；　and　could　neither　speak　a　word　nor　move　from　the

place　so　as　to　awaken　the　King　or　the　sailors。　　The　Witch　came

right　up　to　the　Queen；　took　the　child　from　her　and　laid　it　on　the

deck；　then　she　took　the　Queen；　and　stripped　her　of　all　her　fine

clothes；　which　she　proceeded　to　put　on　herself；　and　looked　then

like　a　human　being。　　Last　of　all　she　took　the　Queen；　put　her　into

the　boat；　and　said



'This　spell　I　lay　upon　you；　that　you　slacken　not　your　course

until　you　come　to　my　brother　in　the　Underworld。'



The　Queen　sat　stunned　and　motionless；　but　the　boat　at　once　shot

away　from　the　ship　with　her；　and　before　long　she　was　out　of

sight。



When　the　boat　could　no　longer　be　seen　the　child　began　to　cry；　and

though　the　Witch　tried　to　quiet　it　she　could　not　manage　it；　so

she　went　below　to　where　the　King　was　sleeping　with　the　child　on

her　arm；　and　awakened　him；　scolding　him　for　leaving　them　alone　on

deck；　while　he　and　all　the　crew　were　asleep。　　It　was　great

carelessness　of　him；　she　said；　to　leave　no　one　to　watch　the　ship

with　her。



Sigurd　was　greatly　surprised　to　hear　his　Queen　scold　him　so　much；

for　she　had　never　said　an　angry　word　to　him　before；　but　he

thought　it　was　quite　excusable　in　this　case；　and　tried　to　quiet

the　child　along　with　her；　but　it　was　no　use。　　Then　he　went　and

wakened　the　sailors；　and　bade　them　hoist　the　sails；　for　a　breeze

had　sprung　up　and　was　blowing　straight　towards　the　harbour。



They　soon　reached　the　land　which　Sigurd　was　to　rule　over；　and

found　all　the　people　sorrowful　for　the　old　King's　death；　but　they

became　glad　when　they　got　Sigurd　back　to　the　Court；　and　made　him

King　over　them。



The　King's　son；　however；　hardly　ever　stopped　crying　from　the　time

he　had　been　taken　from　his　mother　on　the　deck　of　the　ship；

although　he　had　always　been　such　a　good　child　before；　so　that　at

last　the　King　had　to　get　a　nurse　for　himone　of　the　maids　of　the

Court。　　As　soon　as　the　child　got　into　her　charge　he　stopped

crying；　and　behaved　well　as　before。



After　the　sea…voyage　it　seemed　to　the　King　that　the　Queen　had

altered　very　much　in　many　ways；　and　not　for　the　better。　　He

thought　her　much　more　haughty　and　stubborn　and　difficult　to　deal

with　than　she　used　to　be。　　Before　long　others　began　to　notice

this　as　well　as　the　King。　　In　the　Court　there　were　two　young

fellows；　one　of　eighteen　years　old；　the　other　of　nineteen；　who

were　very　fond　of　playing　chess；　and　often　sat　long　inside

playing　at　it。　　Their　room　was　next　the　Queen's；　and　often　during

the　day　they　heard　the　Queen　talking。



One　day　they　paid　more　attention　than　usual　when　they　heard　her

talk；　and　put　their　ears　close　to　a　crack　in　the　wall　between　the

rooms；　and　heard　the　Queen　say　quite　plainly；　'When　I　yawn　a

little；　then　I　am　a　nice　little　maiden；　when　I　yawn　half…way；

then　I　am　half　a　troll；　and　when　I　yawn　fully；　then　I　am　a　troll

altogether。'



As　she　said　this　she　yawned　tremendously；　and　in　a　moment　had　put

on　the　appearance　of　a　fearfully　ugly　troll。　　Then　there　came　up

through　the　floor　of　the　room　a　three…headed　Giant　with　a　trough

full　of　meat；　who　saluted　her　as　his　sister　and　set　down　the

trough　before　her。　　She　began　to　eat　out　of　it；　and　never　stopped

till　she　had　finished　it。　　The　young　fellows　saw　all　this　going

on；　but　did　not　hear　the　two　of　them　say　anything　to　each　other。　

They　were　astonished　though　at　how　greedily　the　Queen　devoured

the　meat；　and　how　much　she　ate　of　it；　and　were　no　longer

surprised　that　she　took　so　little　when　she　sat　at　table　with　the

King。　　As　soon　as　she　had　finished　it　the　Giant　disappeared　with

the　trough　by　the　same　way　as　he　had　come；　and　the　Queen　returned

to　her　human　shape。



Now　we　must　go　back　to　the　King's　son　after　he　had　been　put　in

charge　of　the　nurse。　　One　evening；　after　she　had　lit　a　candle　and

was　holding　the　child；　several　planks　sprang　up　in　the　floor　of

the　room；　and　out　at　the　opening　came　a　beautiful　woman　dressed

in　white；　with　an　iron　belt　round　her　waist；　to　which　was

fastened　an　iron　chain　that　went　down　into　the　ground。　　The　woman

came　up　to　the　nurse；　took　the　child　from　her；　and　pressed　it　to

her　breast；　then　she　gave　it　back　to　the　nurse　and　returned　by

the　same　way　as　she　had　come；　and　the　floor　closed　over　her

again。　　Although　the　woman　had　not　spoken　a　single　word　to　her；

the　nurse　was　very　much　frightened；　but　told　no　one　about　it。



Next　evening　the　same　thing　happened　again；　just　as　before；　but

as　the　woman　was　going　away　she　said　in　a　sad　tone；　'Two　are

gone；　and　one　only　is　left；'　and　then　disappeared　as　before。　　The

nurse　was　still　more　frightened　when　she　heard　the　woman　say

this；　and　thought　that　perhaps　some　danger　was　hanging　over　the

child；　though　she　had　no　ill…opinion　of　the　unknown　woman；　who；

indeed；　had　behaved　towards　the　child　as　if　it　were　her　own。　　The

most　mysterious　thing　was　the　woman　saying　'and　only　one　is

left；'　but　the　nurse　guessed　that　this　must　mean　that　only　one

day　was　left；　since　she　had　come　for　two　days　already。



At　last　the　nurse　made　up　her　mind　to　go　to　the　King；　and　told

him　the　whole　story；　and　asked　him　to　be　present　in　person　next

day　about　the　time　when　the　woman　usually　came。　　The　King

promised　to　do　so；　and　came　to　the　nurse's　room　a　little　before

the　time；　and　sat　down　on　a　chair　with　his　drawn　sword　in　his

hand。　　Soon　after　the　planks　in　the　floor　sprang　up　as　before；

and　the　woman　came　up；　dressed　in　white；　with　the　iron　belt　and

chain。　　The　King　saw　at　once　that　it　was　his　own　Queen；　and

immediately　hewed　asunder　the　iron　chain　that　was　fastened　to　the

belt。　　This　was　followed　by　such　noises　and　crashings　down　in　the

earth　that　all　the　King's　Palace　shook；　so　that　no　one　expected

anything　else　than　to　see　every　bit　of　it　shaken　to　pieces。　　At

last；　however；　the　noises　and　shaking　stopped；　and　they　began　to

come　to　themselves　again。



The　King　and　Queen　embraced　each　other；　and　she　told　him　the

whole　storyhow　the　Witch　came　to　the　ship　when　they　were　all

asleep　and　sent　her　off　in　the　boat。　　After　she　had　gone　so　far

that　she　could　not　see　the　ship；　she　sailed　on　through　darkness

until　she　landed　beside　a　three…headed　Giant。　　The　Giant　wished

her　to　marry　him；　but　she　refused；　whereupon　he　shut　her　up　by

herself；　and　told　her　she　would　never　get　free　until　she

consented。　　After　a　time　she　began　to　plan　how　to　get　her

freed