40-the blue mountains-第1节

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THE　BLUE　MOUNTAINS



There　were　once　a　Scotsman　and　an　Englishman　and　an　Irishman

serving　in　the　army　together；　who　took　it　into　their　heads　to　run

away　on　the　first　opportunity　they　could　get。　　The　chance　came

and　they　took　it。　　They　went　on　travelling　for　two　days　through　a

great　forest；　without　food　or　drink；　and　without　coming　across　a

single　house；　and　every　night　they　had　to　climb　up　into　the　trees

through　fear　of　the　wild　beasts　that　were　in　the　wood。　　On　the

second　morning　the　Scotsman　saw　from　the　top　of　his　tree　a　great

castle　far　away。　　He　said　to　himself　that　he　would　certainly　die

if　he　stayed　in　the　forest　without　anything　to　eat　but　the　roots

of　grass；　which　would　not　keep　him　alive　very　long。　　As　soon；

then；　as　he　got　down　out　of　the　tree　he　set　off　towards　the

castle；　without　so　much　as　telling　his　companions　that　he　had

seen　it　at　all；　perhaps　the　hunger　and　want　they　had　suffered　had

changed　their　nature　so　much　that　the　one　did　not　care　what

became　of　the　other　if　he　could　save　himself。　　He　travelled　on

most　of　the　day；　so　that　it　was　quite　late　when　he　reached　the

castle；　and　to　his　great　disappointment　found　nothing　but　closed

doors　and　no　smoke　rising　from　the　chimneys。　　He　thought　there

was　nothing　for　it　but　to　die　after　all；　and　had　lain　down　beside

the　wall；　when　he　heard　a　window　being　opened　high　above　him。　　At

this　he　looked　up；　and　saw　the　most　beautiful　woman　he　had　ever

set　eyes　on。



'Oh；　it　is　Fortune　that　has　sent　you　to　me；'　he　said。



'It　is　indeed；'　said　she。　　'What　are　you　in　need　of；　or　what　has

sent　you　here？'



'Necessity；'　said　he。　　'I　am　dying　for　want　of　food　and　drink。'



'Come　inside；　then；'　she　said；　'there　is　plenty　of　both　here。'



Accordingly　he　went　in　to　where　she　was；　and　she　opened　a　large

room　for　him；　where　he　saw　a　number　of　men　lying　asleep。　　She

then　set　food　before　him；　and　after　that　showed　him　to　the　room

where　the　others　were。　　He　lay　down　on　one　of　the　beds　and　fell

sound　asleep。　　And　now　we　must　go　back　to　the　two　that　he　left

behind　him　in　the　wood。



When　nightfall　and　the　time　of　the　wild　beasts　came　upon　these；

the　Englishman　happened　to　climb　up　into　the　very　same　tree　on

which　the　Scotsman　was　when　he　got　a　sight　of　the　castle；　and　as

soon　as　the　day　began　to　dawn　and　the　Englishman　looked　to　the

four　quarters　of　heaven；　what　did　he　see　but　the　castle　too！　　Off

he　went　without　saying　a　word　to　the　Irishman；　and　everything

happened　to　him　just　as　it　had　done　to　the　Scotsman。



The　poor　Irishman　was　now　left　all　alone；　and　did　not　know　where

the　others　had　gone　to；　so　he　just　stayed　where　he　was；　very　sad

and　miserable。　　When　night　came　he　climbed　up　into　the　same　tree

as　the　Englishman　had　been　on　the　night　before。　　As　soon　as　day

came　he　also　saw　the　castle；　and　set　out　towards　it；　but　when　he

reached　it　he　could　see　no　signs　of　fire　or　living　being　about

it。　　Before　long；　however；　he　heard　the　window　opened　above　his

head；　looked　up；　and　beheld　the　most　beautiful　woman　he　had　ever

seen。　　He　asked　if　she　would　give　him　food　and　drink；　and　she

answered　kindly　and　heartily　that　she　would；　if　he　would　only

come　inside。　　This　he　did　very　willingly；　and　she　set　before　him

food　and　drink　that　he　had　never　seen　the　like　of　before。　　In　the

room　there　was　a　bed；　with　diamond　rings　hanging　at　every　loop　of

the　curtains；　and　everything　that　was　in　the　room　besides

astonished　him　so　much　that　he　actually　forgot　that　he　was

hungry。　　When　she　saw　that　he　was　not　eating　at　all；　she　asked

him　what　he　wanted　yet；　to　which　he　replied　that　he　would　neither

eat　nor　drink　until　he　knew　who　she　was；　or　where　she　came　from；

or　who　had　put　her　there。



'I　shall　tell　you　that；'　said　she。　　'I　am　an　enchanted　Princess；

and　my　father　has　promised　that　the　man　who　releases　me　from　the

spell　shall　have　the　third　of　his　kingdom　while　he　is　alive；　and

the　whole　of　it　after　he　is　dead；　and　marry　me　as　well。　　If　ever

I　saw　a　man　who　looked　likely　to　do　this；　you　are　the　one。　　I

have　been　here　for　sixteen　years　now；　and　no　one　who　ever　came　to

the　castle　has　asked　me　who　I　was；　except　yourself。　　Every　other

man　that　has　come；　so　long　as　I　have　been　here；　lies　asleep　in

the　big　room　down　there。'



'Tell　me；　then；'　said　the　Irishman；　'what　is　the　spell　that　has

been　laid　on　you；　and　how　you　can　be　freed　from　it。'



'There　is　a　little　room　there；'　said　the　Princess；　'and　if　I

could　get　a　man　to　stay　in　it　from　ten　o'clock　till　midnight　for

three　nights　on　end　I　should　be　freed　from　the　spell。'



'I　am　the　man　for　you；　then；'　said　he；　'I　will　take　on　hand　to　do

it。'



Thereupon　she　brought　him　a　pipe　and　tobacco；　and　he　went　into

the　room；　but　before　long　he　heard　a　hammering　and　knocking　on

the　outside　of　the　door；　and　was　told　to　open　it



'I　won't；'　he　said。



The　next　moment　the　door　came　flying　in；　and　those　outside　along

with　it。　　They　knocked　him　down；　and　kicked　him；　and　knelt　on　his

body　till　it　came　to　midnight；　but　as　soon　as　the　cock　crew　they

all　disappeared。　　The　Irishman　was　little　more　than　alive　by　this

time。　　As　soon　as　daylight　appeared　the　Princess　came；　and　found

him　lying　full　length　on　the　floor；　unable　to　speak　a　word。　　She

took　a　bottle；　rubbed　him　from　head　to　foot　with　something　from

it；　and　thereupon　he　was　as　sound　as　ever；　but　after　what　he　had

got　that　night　he　was　very　unwilling　to　try　it　a　second　time。　

The　Princess；　however；　entreated　him　to　stay；　saying　that　the

next　night　would　not　be　so　bad；　and　in　the　end　he　gave　in　and

stayed。



When　it　was　getting　near　midnight　he　heard　them　ordering　him　to

open　the　door；　and　there　were　three　of　them　for　every　one　that

there　had　been　the　previous　evening。　　He　did　not　make　the

slightest　movement　to　go　out　to　them　or　to　open　the　door；　but

before　long　they　broke　it　up；　and　were　in　on　top　of　him。　　They

laid　hold　of　him；　and　kept　throwing　him　between　them　up　to　the

ceiling；　or　jumping　above　him；　until　the　cock　crew；　when　they　all

disappeared。　　When　day　came　the　Princess　went　to　the　room　to　see

if　he　was　still　alive；　and　taking　the　bottle　put　it　to　his

nostrils；　which　soon　brought　him　to　himself。　　The　first　thing　he

said　then　was　that　he　was　a　fool　to　go　on　getting　himself　killed

for　anyone　he　ever　saw；　and　was　determined　to　be　off　and　stay

there　no　longer；　When　the　Princess　learned　his　intention　she

entreated　him　to　stay；　reminding　him　that　another　night　would

free　her　from　the　spell。　　'Besides；'　she　said；　'if　there　is　a

single　spark　of　life　in　you　when　the　day　comes；　the　stuff　that　is

in　this　bottle　will　make　you　as　sound　as　ever　you　were。'



With　all　this　the　Irishman　decided　to　stay；　but　that　night　there

were　three　at　him　for　every　one　that　was　there　the　two　nights

before；　and　it　looked　very　unlikely　that　he　would　be　alive　in　the

morning　after　all　that　he　got。　　When　morning　dawned；　and　the

Princess　came　to　see　if　he　was　still　alive；　she　found　him　lying

on　the　floor　as　if　dead。　　She　tried　to　see　if　there　was　breath　in

him；　but　could　not　quite　make　it　out。　　Then　she　put　her　hand　on

his　pulse；　and　found　a　faint　movement　in　it。　　Accordingly　she

poured　what　was　in　the　bottle　on　him；　and　before　long　he　rose　up

on　his　feet；　and　was　as　well　as　ever　he　was。　　So　that　business

was　finished；　and　the　Princess　was　freed　from　the　spell。



The　Princess　then　told　the　Irishman　that　she　must　go　away　for　the

present；　but　would　return　for　him　in　a　few　days　in　a　carriage

drawn　by　four　grey　horses。　　He　told　her　to　'be　aisy；'　and　not

speak　like　that　to　him。　　'I　have　paid　dear　for　you　for　the　last

three　nights；'　he　said；　'if　I　have　to　part　with　you　now；'　but　in

the　twinkling　of　an　eye　she　had　disappeared。　　He　did　not　know

what　to　do　with　himself　when　he　saw　that　she　was　gone；　but　before

she　went　she　had　given　him　a　little　rod；　with　which　he　could；

when　he　pleased；　waken　the　men　who　had　been　sleeping　there；　some

of　them　for　sixteen　years。



After　being　thus　left　alone；　he　went　in　and　stretched　himself　on

three　chairs　that　were　in　the　room；　when　what　does　he　see　coming

in　at　the　door　but　a　little　fair…haired　lad。



'Where　did　you　come　from；　my　lad？'　said　the　Irishman。



'I　came　to　make　ready　your　food　for　you；'　said　he。



'Who　told　you　to　do　that？'　said　the　Irishman。



'My　mistress；'　answered　the　lad'the　Princess　that　was　under　the

spell　and　is　now　free。'



By　this　the　Irishman　knew　that　she　had　sent　the　lad　to　wait　on

him。　　The　lad　also　told　him　that　his　mistress　wished　him　to　be

ready　next　morning　at　nine　o'clock；　when　she　would　come　for　him

with　the　carriage；　as　she　had　promised。　　He　was　greatly　pleased

at　this；　and　next　morning；　when　the　time　was　drawing　near；　went

out　into　the　garden；　but　the　little　fair…haired　lad　took　a　big

pin　out　of　his　pocket；　and　stuck　it　into　the　back　of　the

Irishman's　coat　without　his　noticing　it；　whereupon　he　fell　sound

asleep。



Before　l