英文童话翻译

11. THE GRATEFUL BEASTS

There

was

once

upon

a

time

a

man

and

woman

who

had

three

fine-looking sons, but they were so poor that they had hardly enough food

for themselves, let alone their children. So the sons determined to set out

into

the

world

and

to

try

their

luck.

Before

starting

their

mother

gave

them

each

a

loaf

of

bread

and

her

blessing,

and

having

taken

a

tender

farewell of her and their father the three set forth on their travels.

The

youngest

of

the

three

brothers,

whose

name

was

Ferko,

was

a

beautiful

youth,

with

a

splendid

figure,

blue

eyes,

fair

hair,

and

a

complexion like milk and roses. His two brothers were as jealous of him

as they could be, for they thought that with his good looks he would be

sure to be more fortunate than they would ever be.

One day all the three were sitting resting under a tree, for the sun was hot

and they were tired of walking. Ferko fell fast asleep, but the other two

remained awake, and the eldest said to the second brother, 'What do you

say

to

doing

our

brother

Ferko

some

harm?

He

is

so

beautiful

that

everyone takes a fancy to him, which is more than they do to us. If we

could only get him out of the way we might succeed better.'

'I quite agree with you,' answered the second brother, 'and my advice is to

eat up his loaf of bread, and then to refuse to give him a bit of ours until

he has promised to let us put out his eyes or break his legs.'

His eldest brother was delighted with this proposal, and the two wicked

wretches seized Ferko's loaf and ate it all up, while the poor boy was still

asleep.

When he did awake he felt very hungry and turned to eat his bread, but

his brothers cried out, 'You ate your loaf in your sleep, you glutton, and

you may starve as long as you like, but you won't get a scrap of ours.'

Ferko was at a loss to understand how he could have eaten in his sleep,

but he said nothing, and fasted all that day and the next night. But on the

following

morning

he

was

so

hungry

that

he

burst

into

tears,

and

implored his brothers to give him a little bit of their bread. Then the cruel

creatures

laughed,

and

repeated

what

they

had

said

the

day

before;

but

when Ferko continued to beg and beseech them, the eldest said at last, 'If

you will let us put out one of your eyes and break one of your legs, then

we will give you a bit of our bread.'

At these words poor Ferko wept more bitterly than before, and bore the

torments

of

hunger

till

the

sun

was

high

in

the

heavens;

then

he

could

stand it no longer, and he consented to allow his left eye to be put out and

his left leg to be broken. When this was done he stretched out his hand

eagerly for the piece of bread, but his brothers gave him such a tiny scrap

that the starving youth finished it in a moment and besought them for a

second bit.

But

the

more

Ferko

wept

and

told

his

brothers

that

he

was

dying

of

hunger,

the

more

they

laughed

and

scolded

him

for

his

greed.

So

he

endured

the

pangs

of

starvation

all

that

day,

but

when

night

came

his

endurance gave way, and he let his right eye be put out and his right leg

broken for a second piece of bread.

After his brothers had thus successfully

maimed and disfigured him for

life,

they

left

him

groaning

on

the

ground

and

continued

their

journey

without him.

Poor Ferko ate up the scrap of bread they had left him and wept bitterly,

but no one heard him or came to his help. Night came on, and the poor

blind youth had no eyes to close, and could only crawl along the ground,

not knowing in the least where he was going. But when the sun was once

more

high

in

the

heavens,

Ferko

felt

the

blazing

heat

scorch

him,

and

sought for some cool shady place to rest his aching limbs. He climbed to

the top of a hill and lay down in the grass, and as he thought under the

shadow of a big tree. But it was no tree he leant against, but a gallows on

which

two

ravens

were

seated.

The

one

was

saying

to

the

other

as

the

weary

youth

lay

down,

'Is

there

anything

the

least

wonderful

or

remarkable about this neighbourhood?'

'I should just think there was,' replied the other; 'many things that don't

exist anywhere else in the world. There is a lake down there below us,

and

anyone

who

bathes

in

it,

though

he

were

at

death's

door,

becomes

sound and well on the spot, and those who wash their eyes with the dew

on this hill become as sharp- sighted as the eagle, even if they have been

blind from their youth.'

'Well,' answered the first raven, 'my eyes are in no want of this healing

bath, for, Heaven be praised, they are as good as ever they were; but my

wing has been very feeble and weak ever since it was shot by an arrow

many years ago, so let us fly at once to the lake that I may be restored to

health and strength again.' And so they flew away.

Their words rejoiced Ferko's heart, and he waited impatiently till evening

should come and he could rub the precious dew on his sightless eyes.

At

last

it

began

to

grow

dusk,

and

the

sun

sank

behind

the

mountains;

gradually it became cooler on the hill, and the grass grew wet with dew.

Then

Ferko

buried

his

face

in

the

ground

till

his

eyes

were

damp

with

dewdrops, and in a moment he saw clearer than he had ever done in his

life before. The moon was shining brightly, and lighted him to the lake

where he could bathe his poor broken legs.

Then Ferko crawled to the edge of the lake and dipped his limbs in the

water. No sooner had he done so than his legs felt as sound and strong as

they had been before, and Ferko thanked the kind fate that had led him to

the

hill

where

he

had

overheard

the

ravens'

conversation.

He

filled

a

bottle with the healing water, and then continued his journey in the best

of spirits.

He

had

not

gone

far

before

he

met

a

wolf,

who

was

limping

disconsolately along on three legs, and who on perceiving Ferko began to

howl dismally.

'My good friend,' said the youth, 'be of good cheer, for I can soon heal

your

leg,'

and

with

these

words

he

poured

some

of

the

precious

water

over

the

wolf's

paw,

and

in

a

minute

the

animal

was

springing

about

sound and well on all fours. The grateful creature thanked his benefactor

warmly, and promised Ferko to do him a good turn if he should ever need

it.

Ferko continued his way till he came to a ploughed field. Here he noticed

a little mouse creeping wearily along on its hind paws, for its front paws

had both been broken in a trap.

Ferko

felt

so

sorry

for

the

little

beast

that

he

spoke

to

it

in

the

most

friendly manner, and washed its small paws with the healing water. In a

moment

the

mouse

was

sound

and

whole,

and

after

thanking

the

kind

physician it scampered away over the ploughed furrows.

Ferko

again

proceeded

on

his

journey,

but

he

hadn't

gone

far

before

a

queen bee flew against him, trailing one wing behind her, which had been

cruelly torn in two by a big bird. Ferko was no less willing to help her

than

he

had

been

to

help

the

wolf

and

the

mouse,

so

he

poured

some

healing

drops

over

the

wounded

wing.

On

the

spot

the

queen

bee

was

cured, and turning to Ferko she said, 'I am most grateful for your kindness,

and

shall

reward

you

some

day.'

And

with

these

words

she

flew

away

humming, gaily.

Then

Ferko

wandered

on

for

many

a

long

day,

and

at

length reached a

strange

kingdom.

Here,

he

thought

to

himself,

he

might

as

well

go

straight to the palace and offer his services to the King of the country, for

he had heard that the King's daughter was as beautiful as the day.

So he went to the royal palace, and as he entered the door the first people

he saw were his two brothers who had so shamefully ill-treated him. They

had

managed

to

obtain

places

in

the

King's

service,

and

when

they

recognised

Ferko

with

his

eyes

and

legs

sound

and

well

they

were

frightened

to

death,

for

they

feared

he

would

tell

the

King

of

their

conduct, and that they would be hung.

No sooner had Ferko entered the palace than all eyes were turned on the

handsome youth, and the King's daughter herself was lost in admiration,

for

she

had

never

seen

anyone

so

handsome

in

her

life

before.

His

brothers noticed this, and envy and jealousy were added to their fear, so

much so that they determined once more to destroy him. They went to the

King and told him that Ferko was a wicked magician, who had come to

the palace with the intention of carrying off the Princess.

Then the King had Ferko brought before him, and said, 'You are accused

of

being

a

magician

who

wishes

to

rob

me

of

my

daughter,

and

I

condemn you to death; but if you can fulfil three tasks which I shall set

you to do your life shall be spared, on condition you leave the country;

but if you cannot perform what I demand you shall be hung on the nearest

tree.'

And turning to the two wicked brothers he said, 'Suggest something for

him to do; no matter how difficult, he must succeed in it or die.'

They did not think long, but replied, 'Let him build your Majesty in one

day a more beautiful palace than this, and if he fails in the attempt let him

be hung.'

The King was pleased with this proposal, and commanded Ferko to set to

work

on

the

following

day.

The

two

brothers

were

delighted,

for

they

thought they had now got rid of Ferko for ever. The poor youth himself

was heart-broken, and cursed the hour he had crossed the boundary of the

King's domain. As he was wandering disconsolately about the meadows

round the palace, wondering how he could escape being put to death, a

little

bee

flew

past,

and

settling

on

his

shoulder

whispered

in

his

ear,

'What is troubling you, my kind benefactor? Can I be of any help to you?

I

am

the

bee

whose

wing

you

healed,

and

would

like

to

show

my

gratitude in some way.'