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小说: 19-drakestail 字数: 每页4000字

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DRAKESTAIL



DRAKESTAIL was very little; that is why he was called Drakestail;

but tiny as he was he had brains; and he knew what he

was about; for having begun with nothing he ended by amassing a

hundred crowns。 Now the King of the country; who was very

extravagant and never kept any money; having heard that Drakestail

had some; went one day in his own person to borrow his hoard; and;

my word; in those days Drakestail was not a little proud of having

lent money to the King。 But after the first and second year; seeing

that they never even dreamed of paying the interest; he became

uneasy; so much so that at last he resolved to go and see His Majesty

himself; and get repaid。 So one fine morning Drakestail; very spruce

and fresh; takes the road; singing: ‘Quack; quack; quack; when shall

I get my money back?'



He had not gone far when he met friend Fox; on his rounds

that way。



‘Good…morning; neighbour;' says the friend; ‘where are you off

to so early?'



‘I am going to the King for what he owes me。'



‘Oh! take me with thee!'



Drakestail said to himself: ‘One can't have too many friends。'

。 。 。 ‘I will;' says he; ‘but going on all…fours you will soon be tired。

Make yourself quite small; get into my throatgo into my gizzard

and I will carry you。'



‘Happy thought!' says friend Fox。



He takes bag and baggage; and; presto! is gone like a letter into

the post。



And Drakestail is off again; all spruce and fresh; still singing:

‘Quack; quack; quack; when shall I have my money back?'



He had not gone far when he met his lady…friend Ladder;

leaning on her wall。



‘Good morning; my duckling;' says the lady friend; ‘whither

away so bold?'



‘I am going to the King for what he owes me。'



‘Oh! take me with thee!'



Drakestail said to himself: ‘One can't have too many friends。'

。 。 。 ‘I will;' says he; ‘but with your wooden legs you will soon be

tired。 Make yourself quite small; get into my throatgo into my

gizzard and I will carry you。'



‘Happy thought!' says my friend Ladder; and nimble; bag and

baggage; goes to keep company with friend Fox。



And ‘Quack; quack; quack。' Drakestail is off again; singing and

spruce as before。 A little farther he meets his sweetheart; my friend

River; wandering quietly in the sunshine。



‘Thou; my cherub;' says she; ‘whither so lonesome; with arching

tail; on this muddy road?'



‘I am going to the King; you know; for what he owes me。'



‘Oh! take me with thee!'



Drakestail said to himself: ‘We can't be too many friends。' 。 。 。 ‘I

will;' says he; ‘but you who sleep while you walk will soon be tired。

Make yourself quite small; get into my throatgo into my gizzard

and I will carry you。'



‘Ah! happy thought!' says my friend River。



She takes bag and baggage; and glou; glou; glou; she takes her

place between friend Fox and my friend Ladder。



And ‘Quack; quack; quack。' Drakestail is off again singing。



A little farther on he meets comrade Wasp's…nest; manoeuvring

his wasps。



‘Well; good…morning; friend Drakestail;' said comrade Wasp's…

nest; ‘where are we bound for so spruce and fresh?'



‘I am going to the King for what he owes me。'



‘Oh! take me with thee!'



Drakestail said to himself; ‘One can't have too many friends。' 。 。 。

‘I will;' says he; ‘but with your battalion to drag along; you will soon

be tired。 Make yourself quite small; go into my throatget into my

gizzard and I will carry you。'



‘By Jove I that's a good idea!' says comrade Wasp's…nest。



And left file! he takes the same road to join the others with all

his party。 There was not much more room; but by closing up a bit

they managed。 。 。 。 And Drakestail is off again singing。



He arrived thus at the capital; and threaded his way straight up

the High Street; still running and singing ‘Quack; quack; quack;

when shall I get my money back?' to the great astonishment of the

good folks; till he came to the King's palace。



He strikes with the knocker: ‘Toc! toc!'



‘Who is there?' asks the porter; putting his head out of the

wicket。



‘ 'Tis I; Drakestail。 I wish to speak to the King。'



‘Speak to the King! 。 。 。 That's easily said。 The King is

dining; and will not be disturbed。'



‘Tell him that it is I; and I have come he well knows why。'



The porter shuts his wicket and goes up to say it to the King;

who was just sitting down to dinner with a napkin round his neck;

and all his ministers。



‘Good; good!' said the King laughing。 ‘I know what it is!

Make him come in; and put him with the turkeys and chickens。'



The porter descends。



‘Have the goodness to enter。'



‘Good!' says Drakestail to himself; ‘I shall now see how they

eat at court。'



‘This way; this way;' says the porter。 ‘One step further。 。 。 。

There; there you are。'



‘How? what? in the poultry yard?'



Fancy how vexed Drakestail was!



‘Ah! so that's it;' says he。 ‘Wait! I will compel you to receive

me。 Quack; quack; quack; when shall I get my money back?'

But turkeys and chickens are creatures who don't like people that

are not as themselves。 When they saw the new…comer and how he

was made; and when they heard him crying too; they began to look

black at him。



‘What is it? what does he want?'



Finally they rushed at him all together; to overwhelm him with

pecks。



‘I am lost!' said Drakestail to himself; when by good luck he

remembers his comrade friend Fox; and he cries:



‘Reynard; Reynard; come out of your earth;

Or Drakestail's life is of little worth。'



Then friend Fox; who was only waiting for these words; hastens

out; throws himself on the wicked fowls; and quick! quack! he tears

them to pieces; so much so that at the end of five minutes there

was not one left alive。 And Drakestail; quite content; began to sing

again; ‘Quack; quack; quack; when shall I get my money back?'



When the King who was still at table heard this refrain; and the

poultry woman came to tell him what had been going on in the yard;

he was terribly annoyed。



He ordered them to throw this tail of a drake into the well; to

make an end of him。



And it was done as he commanded。 Drakestail was in despair

of getting himself out of such a deep hole; when he remembered his

lady friend; the Ladder。





‘Ladder; Ladder; come out of thy hold;

Or Drakestail's days will soon be told。'





My friend Ladder; who was only waiting for these words; hastens

out; leans her two arms on the edge of the well; then Drakestail

climbs nimbly on her back; and hop! he is in the yard; where he

begins to sing louder than ever。



When the King; who was still at table and laughing at the good

trick he had played his creditor; heard him again reclaiming his

money; he became livid with rage。



He commanded that the furnace should be heated; and this

tail of a drake thrown into it; because he must be a sorcerer。



The furnace was soon hot; but this time Drakestail was not so

afraid; he counted on his sweetheart; my friend River。





‘River; River; outward flow;

Or to death Drakestail must go。'





My friend River hastens out; and errouf! throws herself into the

furnace; which she floods; with all the people who had lighted it;

after which she flowed growling into the hall of the palace to the

height of more than four feet。



And Drakestail; quite content; begins to swim; singing deafeningly;

‘Quack; quack; quack; when shall I get my money back?'



The King was still at table; and thought himself quite sure of his

game; but when he heard Drakestail singing again; and when they

told him all that had passed; he became furious and got up from

table brandishing his fists。



‘Bring him here; and I'll cut his throat! bring him here quick!'

cried he。



And quickly two footmen ran to fetch Drakestail。



‘At last;' said the poor chap; going up the great stairs; ‘they

have decided to receive me。'



Imagine his terror when on entering he sees the King as red as

a turkey cock; and all his ministers attending him standing sword

in hand。 He thought this time it was all up with him。 Happily;

he remembered that there was still one remaining friend; and he

cried with dying accents:



‘Wasp's…nest; Wasp's…nest; make a sally;

Or Drakestail nevermore may rally。'





Hereupon the scene changes。



‘Bs; bs; bayonet them! ‘The brave Wasp's…nest rushes out

with all his wasps。 They threw themselves on the infuriated King

and his ministers; and stung them so fiercely in the face that they

lost their heads; and not knowing where to hide themselves they all

jumped pell…mell from the window and broke their necks on the

pavement。



Behold Drakestail much astonished; all alone in the big saloon

and master of the field。 He could not get over it。



Nevertheless; he remembered shortly what he had come for to

the palace; and i

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