stories to tell to children-第32节

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the　bull　leaped　nine　miles　high　and　nine　miles

broad　and　came　down　with　Billy　sticking　between

his　horns。　　Then　away　he　rushed；　over　the　head

of　the　queen；　killing　her　dead；　where　you

wouldn't　know　day　by　night　or　night　by　day；

over　high　hills；　low　hills；　sheep　walks　and

bullock　traces；　the　Cove　o'　Cork；　and　old　Tom

Fox　with　his　bugle　horn。



When　at　last　he　stopped　he　said；　〃Now；

Billy；　my　boy；　you　and　I　must　undergo　great

scenery；　there's　a　mighty　great　bull　of　the　forest

I　must　fight；　here；　and　he'll　be　hard　to　fight；

but　I'll　be　able　for　him。　　But　first　we　must　have

dinner。　　Put　your　hand　in　my　left　ear　and　pull

out　the　napkin　you'll　find　there；　and　when　you've

spread　it；　it　will　be　covered　with　eating　and

drinking　fit　for　a　king。〃



So　Billy　put　his　hand　in　the　bull's　left　ear；

and　drew　out　the　napkin；　and　spread　it；　and；

sure　enough；　it　was　spread　with　all　kinds　of

eating　and　drinking；　fit　for　a　king。　　And　Billy

Beg　ate　well。



But　just　as　he　finished　he　heard　a　great　roar；

and　out　of　the　forest　came　a　mighty　bull；　snorting

and　running。



And　the　two　bulls　at　it　and　fought。　　They

knocked　the　hard　ground　into　soft；　the　soft　into

hard；　the　rocks　into　spring　wells；　and　the　spring

wells　into　rocks。　　It　was　a　terrible　fight。　　But

in　the　end；　Billy　Beg's　bull　was　too　much　for

the　other　bull；　and　he　killed　him；　and　drank　his

blood。



Then　Billy　jumped　on　the　bull's　back；　and　the

bull　off　and　away；　where　you　wouldn't　know　day

from　night　or　night　from　day；　over　high　hills；

low　hills；　sheep　walks　and　bullock　traces；　the

Cove　o'　Cork；　and　old　Tom　Fox　with　his　bugle

horn。　　And　when　he　stopped　he　told　Billy　to

put　his　hand　in　his　left　ear　and　pull　out　the

napkin；　because　he'd　to　fight　another　great　bull

of　the　forest。　　So　Billy　pulled　out　the　napkin

and　spread　it；　and　it　was　covered　with　all　kinds

of　eating　and　drinking；　fit　for　a　king。



And；　sure　enough；　just　as　Billy　finished　eating；

there　was　a　frightful　roar；　and　a　mighty　great

bull；　greater　than　the　first；　rushed　out　of　the

forest。　　And　the　two　bulls　at　it　and　fought。

It　was　a　terrible　fight！　　They　knocked　the　hard

ground　into　soft；　the　soft　into　hard；　the　rocks

into　spring　wells；　and　the　spring　wells　into　rocks。

But　in　the　end；　Billy　Beg's　bull　killed　the　other

bull；　and　drank　his　blood。



Then　he　off　and　away；　with　Billy。



But　when　he　came　down；　he　told　Billy　Beg

that　he　was　to　fight　another　bull；　the　brother　of

the　other　two；　and　that　this　time　the　other　bull

would　be　too　much　for　him；　and　would　kill　him

and　drink　his　blood。



〃When　I　am　dead；　Billy；　my　boy；〃　he　said；

〃put　your　hand　in　my　left　ear　and　draw　out　the

napkin；　and　you'll　never　want　for　eating　or

drinking；　and　put　your　hand　in　my　right　ear；

and　you'll　find　a　stick　there；　that　will　turn　into

a　sword　if　you　wave　it　three　times　round　your

head；　and　give　you　the　strength　of　a　thousand

men　beside　your　own。　　Keep　that；　then　cut　a

strip　of　my　hide；　for　a　belt；　for　when　you　buckle

it　on；　there's　nothing　can　kill　you。〃



Billy　Beg　was　very　sad　to　hear　that　his　friend

must　die。　　And　very　soon　he　heard　a　more

dreadful　roar　than　ever　he　heard；　and　a　tremendous

bull　rushed　out　of　the　forest。　　Then　came

the　worst　fight　of　all。　　In　the　end；　the　other

bull　was　too　much　for　Billy　Beg's　bull；　and　he

killed　him　and　drank　his　blood。



Billy　Beg　sat　down　and　cried　for　three　days

and　three　nights。　　After　that　he　was　hungry；

so　he　put　his　hand　in　the　bull's　left　ear；　and

drew　out　the　napkin；　and　ate　all　kinds　of　eating

and　drinking。　　Then　he　put　his　hand　in　the

right　ear　and　pulled　out　the　stick　which　was　to

turn　into　a　sword　if　waved　round　his　head　three

times；　and　to　give　him　the　strength　of　a　thousand

men　beside　his　own。　　And　he　cut　a　strip　of　the

hide　for　a　belt；　and　started　off　on　his　adventures。



Presently　he　came　to　a　fine　place；　an　old

gentleman　lived　there。　　So　Billy　went　up　and

knocked；　and　the　old　gentleman　came　to　the

door。



〃Are　you　wanting　a　boy？〃　says　Billy。



〃I　am　wanting　a　herd…boy；〃　says　the　gentleman；

〃to　take　my　six　cows；　six　horses；　six

donkeys；　and　six　goats　to　pasture　every　morning；

and　bring　them　back　at　night。　　Maybe　you'd　do。〃



〃What　are　the　wages？〃　says　Billy。



〃Oh；　well；〃　says　the　gentleman；　〃it's　no　use

to　talk　of　that　now；　there's　three　giants　live

in　the　wood　by　the　pasture；　and　every　day　they

drink　up　all　the　milk　and　kill　the　boy　that　looks

after　the　cattle；　so　we'll　wait　to　talk　about

wages　till　we　see　if　you　come　back　alive。〃



〃All　right；〃　says　Billy；　and　he　entered　service

with　the　old　gentleman。



The　first　day；　he　drove　the　six　cows；　six

horses；　six　donkeys；　and　six　goats　to　pasture；

and　sat　down　by　them。　　About　noon　he　heard

a　kind　of　roaring　from　the　wood；　and　out

rushed　a　giant　with　two　heads；　spitting　fire

out　of　his　two　mouths。



〃Oh！　my　fine　fellow；〃　says　he　to　Billy；　〃you

are　too　big　for　one　swallow　and　not　big　enough

for　two；　how　would　you　like　to　die；　then？

By　a　cut　with　the　sword；　a　blow　with　the　fist

or　a　swing　by　the　back？〃



〃That　is　as　may　be；〃　says　Billy；　〃but　I'll

fight　you。〃　　And　he　buckled　on　his　hide　belt

and　swung　his　stick　three　times　round　his

head；　to　give　him　the　strength　of　a　thousand

men　besides　his　own；　and　went　for　the　giant。

And　at　the　first　grapple　Billy　Beg　lifted　the　giant

up　and　sunk　him　in　the　ground；　to　his　armpits。



〃Oh；　mercy！　mercy！　　Spare　my　life！〃　cried

the　giant。



〃I　think　not；〃　said　Billy；　and　he　cut　off　his

heads。



That　night；　when　the　cows　and　the　goats

were　driven　home；　they　gave　so　much　milk

that　all　the　dishes　in　the　house　were　filled

and　the　milk　ran　over　and　made　a　little　brook

in　the　yard。



〃This　is　very　queer；〃　said　the　old　gentleman；

〃they　never　gave　any　milk　before。　　Did　you　see

nothing　in　the　pasture？〃



〃Nothing　worse　than　myself；〃　said　Billy。

And　next　morning　he　drove　the　six　cows；　six

horses；　six　donkeys；　and　six　goats　to　pasture

again。



Just　before　noon　he　heard　a　terrific　roar；　and

out　of　the　wood　came　a　giant　with　six　heads。



〃You　killed　my　brother；〃　he　roared；　fire

coming　out　of　his　six　mouths；　〃and　I'll　very

soon　have　your　blood！　　Will　you　die　by　a　cut

of　the　sword；　or　a　swing　by　the　back？〃



〃I'll　fight　you；〃　said　Billy。　　And　buckling

on　his　belt　and　swinging　his　stick　three　times

round　his　head；　he　ran　in　and　grappled　the

giant。　　At　the　first　hold；　he　sunk　the　giant　up

to　the　shoulders　in　the　ground。



〃Mercy；　mercy；　kind　gentleman！〃　cried　the

giant。　　〃Spare　my　life！〃



〃I　think　not；〃　said　Billy；　and　cut　off　his　heads。



That　night　the　cattle　gave　so　much　milk　that

it　ran　out　of　the　house　and　made　a　stream；　and

turned　a　mill　wheel　which　had　not　been　turned

for　seven　years！



〃It's　certainly　very　queer；〃　said　the　old

gentleman；　〃did　you　see　nothing　in　the

pasture；　Billy？〃



〃Nothing　worse　than　myself；〃　said　Billy。



And　the　next　morning　the　gentleman　said；

〃Billy；　do　you　know；　I　only　heard　one　of　the

giants　roaring　in　the　night；　and　the　night　before

only　two。　　What　can　ail　them；　at　all？〃



〃Oh；　maybe　they　are　sick　or　something；〃

says　Billy；　and　with　that　he　drove　the　six

cows；　six　horses；　six　donkeys；　and　six　goats

to　pasture。



At　about　ten　o'clock　there　was　a　roar　like　a

dozen　bulls；　and　the　brother　of　the　two　giants

came　out　of　the　wood；　with　twelve　heads　on

him；　and　fire　spouting　from　every　one　of　them。



〃I'll　have　you；　my　fine　boy；〃　cries　he；　〃how

will　you　die；　then？〃



〃We'll　see；〃　says　Billy；　〃come　on！〃



And　swinging　his　stick　round　his　head；　he

made　for　the　giant；　and　drove　him　up　to　his

twelve　necks　in　the　ground。　　All　twelve　of　the

heads　began　begging　for　mercy；　but　Billy　soon

out　them　short。　　Then　he　drove　the　beasts

home。



And　that　night　the　milk　overflowed　the　mill…

stream　and　made　a　lake；　nine　miles　long；　nine

miles　broad；　and　nine　miles　deep；　and　there　are

salmon　and　whitefish　there　to　this　day。



〃You　are　a　fine　boy；〃　said　the　gentleman；

〃and　I'll　give　you　wages。〃



So　Billy　was　herd。



The　next　day；　his　master　told　him　to　look

after　the　house　while　he　went　up　to　the　king's

town；　to　see　a　great　sight。　　〃What　will　it

be？〃　said　Billy。　　〃The　king's　daughter　is　to

be　eaten　by　a　fiery　dragon；〃　said　his　master；

〃unless　the　champion　fighter　they've　been　feed…

ing　for　six　weeks　on　purpose　kills　the　dragon。〃

〃Oh；〃　said　Billy。



After　he　was　left　alone；　there　were　people

passing　on　horses　and　afoot；　in　coaches　and

chaises；　in　carriages　and　in　wheelbarrows；　all

going　to　see　the　great　sight。　　And　all　asked

Billy　why　he　was　not　on　his　way。　　But　Billy

said　he　didn't　care　about　going。



When　the　last　passer…by　was　out　of　sight；

Billy　ran　and　dressed　himself　in　his　master's

best　suit　of　clothes；　took　the　brown　mare　from

the　stable；　and　was　off