01-the bronze ring-第2节

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〃Listen　to　me；　though　I　don't　know　anything　more

about　you；　I　am　willing　to　help　you。　I　will　give　you　a　ship

to　take　you　back　to　your　own　country　upon　one　condition。〃



〃Whatever　it　may　be；　I　accept　it　willingly。〃



〃Follow　me　to　my　palace。〃



The　minister's　son　followed　the　rich　stranger；　whom　he

had　not　recognized。　When　they　reached　the　palace　the

gardener's　son　made　a　sign　to　his　slaves；　who　completely

undressed　the　new…comer。



〃Make　this　ring　red…hot；〃　commanded　the　master；　〃and

mark　the　man　with　it　upon　his　back。〃



The　slaves　obeyed　him。



〃Now；　young　man；〃　said　the　rich　stranger；　〃I　am　going

to　give　you　a　vessel　which　will　take　you　back　to　your　own

country。〃



And；　going　out；　he　took　the　bronze　ring　and　said：



〃Bronze　ring；　obey　thy　master。　Prepare　me　a　ship　of

which　the　half…rotten　timbers　shall　be　painted　black；　let

the　sails　be　in　rags；　and　the　sailors　infirm　and　sickly。　One

shall　have　lost　a　leg；　another　an　arm；　the　third　shall　be　a

hunchback；　another　lame　or　club…footed　or　blind；　and

most　of　them　shall　be　ugly　and　covered　with　scars。　Go；

and　let　my　orders　be　executed。〃



The　minister's　son　embarked　in　this　old　vessel；　and

thanks　to　favorable　winds；　at　length　reached　his　own

country。　In　spite　of　the　pitiable　condition　in　which　he

returned　they　received　him　joyfully。



〃I　am　the　first　to　come　back；〃　said　he　to　the　King；

now　fulfil　your　promise；　and　give　me　the　princess　in

marriage。



So　they　at　once　began　to　prepare　for　the　wedding

festivities。　As　to　the　poor　princess；　she　was　sorrowful　and

angry　enough　about　it。



The　next　morning；　at　daybreak；　a　wonderful　ship　with

every　sail　set　came　to　anchor　before　the　town。　The　King

happened　at　that　moment　to　be　at　the　palace　window。



〃What　strange　ship　is　this；〃　he　cried；　〃that　has　a

golden　hull；　silver　masts；　and　silken　sails；　and　who　are　the

young　men　like　princes　who　man　it？　And　do　I　not　see　St。

Nicholas　at　the　helm？　Go　at　once　and　invite　the　captain

of　the　ship　to　come　to　the　palace。〃



His　servants　obeyed　him；　and　very　soon　in　came　an

enchantingly　handsome　young　prince；　dressed　in　rich

silk；　ornamented　with　pearls　and　diamonds。



〃Young　man；〃　said　the　King；　〃you　are　welcome；

whoever　you　may　be。　Do　me　the　favor　to　be　my　guest　as　long

as　you　remain　in　my　capital。〃



〃Many　thanks；　sire；〃　replied　the　captain；　〃I　accept

your　offer。〃



〃My　daughter　is　about　to　be　married；〃　said　the　King；

〃will　you　give　her　away？〃



〃I　shall　be　charmed；　sire。〃



Soon　after　came　the　Princess　and　her　betrothed。



〃Why；　how　is　this？〃　cried　the　young　captain；　〃would

you　marry　this　charming　princess　to　such　a　man　as　that？〃



〃But　he　is　my　prime　minister's　son！〃



〃What　does　that　matter？　I　cannot　give　your　daughter

away。　The　man　she　is　betrothed　to　is　one　of　my　servants。〃



〃Your　servant？〃



〃Without　doubt。　I　met　him　in　a　distant　town　reduced

to　carrying　away　dust　and　rubbish　from　the　houses。　I

had　pity　on　him　and　engaged　him　as　one　of　my　servants。〃



〃It　is　impossible！〃　cried　the　King。



〃Do　you　wish　me　to　prove　what　I　say？　This　young　man

returned　in　a　vessel　which　I　fitted　out　for　him；　an　unsea…

worthy　ship　with　a　black　battered　hull；　and　the　sailors

were　infirm　and　crippled。〃



〃It　is　quite　true；〃　said　the　King。



〃It　is　false；〃　cried　the　minister's　son。　〃I　do　not　know

this　man！〃



〃Sire；〃　said　the　young　captain；　〃order　your　daughter's

betrothed　to　be　stripped；　and　see　if　the　mark　of　my　ring

is　not　branded　upon　his　back。〃



The　King　was　about　to　give　this　order；　when　the

minister's　son；　to　save　himself　from　such　an　indignity；

admitted　that　the　story　was　true。



〃And　now；　sire；〃　said　the　young　captain；　〃do　you　not

recognize　me？〃



〃I　recognize　you；〃　said　the　Princess；　〃you　are　the

gardener's　son　whom　I　have　always　loved；　and　it　is　you

I　wish　to　marry。〃



〃Young　man；　you　shall　be　my　son…in…law；〃　cried　the

King。　〃The　marriage　festivities　are　already　begun；　so　you

shall　marry　my　daughter　this　very　day。〃



And　so　that　very　day　the　gardener's　son　married　the

beautiful　Princess。



Several　months　passed。　The　young　couple　were　as

happy　as　the　day　was　long；　and　the　King　was　more　and

more　pleased　with　himself　for　having　secured　such　a　son…

in…law。



But；　presently；　the　captain　of　the　golden　ship　found　it

necessary　to　take　a　long　voyage；　and　after　embracing　his

wife　tenderly　he　embarked。



Now　in　the　outskirts　of　the　capital　there　lived　an　old

man；　who　had　spent　his　life　in　studying　black　arts

alchemy；　astrology；　magic；　and　enchantment。　This　man

found　out　that　the　gardener's　son　had　only　succeeded　in

marrying　the　Princess　by　the　help　of　the　genii　who　obeyed

the　bronze　ring。



〃I　will　have　that　ring；〃　said　he　to　himself。　So　he　went

down　to　the　sea…shore　and　caught　some　little　red　fishes。

Really；　they　were　quite　wonderfully　pretty。　Then　he　came

back；　and；　passing　before　the　Princess's　window；　he　began

to　cry　out：



〃Who　wants　some　pretty　little　red　fishes？〃



The　Princess　heard　him；　and　sent　out　one　of　her　slaves；

who　said　to　the　old　peddler：



〃What　will　you　take　for　your　fish？〃



〃A　bronze　ring。〃



〃A　bronze　ring；　old　simpleton！　And　where　shall　I　find

one？〃



〃Under　the　cushion　in　the　Princess's　room。〃



The　slave　went　back　to　her　mistress。



The　old　madman　will　take　neither　gold　nor　silver；〃

said　she。



〃What　does　he　want　then？〃



〃A　bronze　ring　that　is　hidden　under　a　cushion。〃



Find　the　ring　and　give　it　to　him；〃　said　the　Princess。



And　at　last　the　slave　found　the　bronze　ring；　which　the

captain　of　the　golden　ship　had　accidentally　left　behind

and　carried　it　to　the　man；　who　made　off　with　it　instantly。



Hardly　had　he　reached　his　own　house　when；　taking　the

ring；　he　said；　〃Bronze　ring；　obey　thy　master。　I　desire　that

the　golden　ship　shall　turn　to　black　wood；　and　the　crew　to

hideous　negroes；　that　St。　Nicholas　shall　leave　the　helm

and　that　the　only　cargo　shall　be　black　cats。〃



And　the　genii　of　the　bronze　ring　obeyed　him。



Finding　himself　upon　the　sea　in　this　miserable

condition；　the　young　captain　understood　that　some　one　must

have　stolen　the　bronze　ring　from　him；　and　he　lamented

his　misfortune　loudly；　but　that　did　him　no　good。



〃Alas！〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃whoever　has　taken　my　ring

has　probably　taken　my　dear　wife　also。　What　good　will　it

do　me　to　go　back　to　my　own　country？〃　And　he　sailed

about　from　island　to　island；　and　from　shore　to　shore；

believing　that　wherever　he　went　everybody　was　laughing　at

him；　and　very　soon　his　poverty　was　so　great　that　he　and

his　crew　and　the　poor　black　cats　had　nothing　to　eat　but

herbs　and　roots。　After　wandering　about　a　long　time　he

reached　an　island　inhabited　by　mice。　The　captain　landed

upon　the　shore　and　began　to　explore　the　country。　There

were　mice　everywhere；　and　nothing　but　mice。　Some　of

the　black　cats　had　followed　him；　and；　not　having　been　fed

for　several　days；　they　were　fearfully　hungry；　and　made

terrible　havoc　among　the　mice。



Then　the　queen　of　the　mice　held　a　council。



〃These　cats　will　eat　every　one　of　us；〃　she　said；　〃if　the

captain　of　the　ship　does　not　shut　the　ferocious　animals　up。

Let　us　send　a　deputation　to　him　of　the　bravest　among　us。〃



Several　mice　offered　themselves　for　this　mission　and　set

out　to　find　the　young　captain。



〃Captain；〃　said　they；　〃go　away　quickly　from　our　island；

or　we　shall　perish；　every　mouse　of　us。〃



〃Willingly；〃　replied　the　young　captain；　〃upon　one

condition。　That　is　that　you　shall　first　bring　me　back　a　bronze

ring　which　some　clever　magician　has　stolen　from　me。　If

you　do　not　do　this　I　will　land　all　my　cats　upon　your

island；　and　you　shall　be　exterminated。〃



The　mice　withdrew　in　great　dismay。　〃What　is　to　be

done？〃　said　the　Queen。　〃How　can　we　find　this　bronze

ring？〃　She　held　a　new　council；　calling　in　mice　from　every

quarter　of　the　globe；　but　nobody　knew　where　the　bronze

ring　was。　Suddenly　three　mice　arrived　from　a　very　distant

country。　One　was　blind；　the　second　lame；　and　the

third　had　her　ears　cropped。



〃Ho；　ho；　ho！〃　said　the　new…comers。　〃We　come　from　a

far　distant　country。〃



〃Do　you　know　where　the　bronze　ring　is　which　the　genii

obey？〃



〃Ho；　ho；　ho！　we　know；　an　old　sorcerer　has　taken

possession　of　it；　and　now　he　keeps　it　in　his　pocket　by　day　and　in

his　mouth　by　night。〃



〃Go　and　take　it　from　him；　and　come　back　as　soon　as

possible。〃



So　the　three　mice　made　themselves　a　boat　and　set　sail

for　the　magician's　country。　When　they　reached　the　capital

they　landed　and　ran　to　the　palace；　leaving　only　the

blind　mouse　on　the　shore　to　take　care　of　the　boat。　Then

they　waited　till　it　was　night。　The　wicked　old　man　lay

down　in　bed　and　put　the　bronze　ring　into　his　mouth；　and

very　soon　he　was　asleep。



〃Now；　what　shall　we　do？〃　said　the　two　little　animals　to

each　other。



The　mouse　with　the　cropped