09-the enchanted pig-第1部分

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THE　ENCHANTED　PIG



ONCE　upon　a　time　there　lived　a　King　who　had　three　daughters。

Now　it　happened　that　he　had　to　go　out　to　battle；　so　he　called

his　daughters　and　said　to　them：



‘My　dear　children；　I　am　obliged　to　go　to　the　wars。　The　enemy

is　approaching　us　with　a　large　army。　It　is　a　great　grief　to　me　to

leave　you　all。　During　my　absence　take　care　of　yourselves　and　be

good　girls；　behave　well　and　look　after　everything　in　the　house。

You　may　walk　in　the　garden；　and　you　may　go　into　all　the　rooms

in　the　palace；　except　the　room　at　the　back　in　the　right…hand

corner；　into　that　you　must　not　enter；　for　harm　would　befall　you。'



‘You　may　keep　your　mind　easy；　father；'　they　replied。　‘We

have　never　been　disobedient　to　you。　Go　in　peace；　and　may　heaven

give　you　a　glorious　victory！'



When　everything　was　ready　for　his　departure；　the　King　gave

them　the　keys　of　all　the　rooms　and　reminded　them　once　more　of

what　he　had　said。　His　daughters　kissed　his　hands　with　tears　in

their　eyes；　and　wished　him　prosperity；　and　he　gave　the　eldest　the

keys。



Now　when　the　girls　found　themselves　alone　they　felt　so　sad　and

dull　that　they　did　not　know　what　to　do。　So；　to　pass　the　time；　they

decided　to　work　for　part　of　the　day；　to　read　for　part　of　the　day；　and

to　enjoy　themselves　in　the　garden　for　part　of　the　day。　As　long　as

they　did　this　all　went　well　with　them。　But　this　happy　state　of

things　did　not　last　long。　Every　day　they　grew　more　and　more

curious；　and　you　will　see　what　the　end　of　that　was。



‘Sisters；'　said　the　eldest　Princess；　‘all　day　long　we　sew；　spin；　and

read。　We　have　been　several　days　quite　alone；　and　there　is　no

corner　of　the　garden　that　we　have　not　explored。　We　have　been

in　all　the　rooms　of　our　father's　palace；　and　have　admired　the　rich

and　beautiful　furniture：　why　should　not　we　go　into　the　room　that

our　father　forbad　us　to　enter？'



Sister；'　said　the　youngest；　‘I　cannot　think　how　you　can　tempt

us　to　break　our　father's　command。　When　he　told　us　not　to　go　into

that　room　he　must　have　known　what　he　was　saying；　and　have　had

a　good　reason　for　saying　it。'



‘Surely　the　sky　won't　fall　about　our　heads　if　we　DO　go　in；'　said

the　second　Princess。　‘Dragons　and　such　like　monsters　that　would

devour　us　will　not　be　hidden　in　the　room。　And　how　will　our　father

ever　find　out　that　we　have　gone　in？'



While　they　were　speaking　thus；　encouraging　each　other；　they

had　reached　the　room；　the　eldest　fitted　the　key　into　the　lock；　and

snap！　the　door　stood　open。



The　three　girls　entered；　and　what　do　you　think　they　saw？



The　room　was　quite　empty；　and　without　any　ornament；　but　in

the　middle　stood　a　large　table；　with　a　gorgeous　cloth；　and　on　it　lay

a　big　open　book。



Now　the　Princesses　were　curious　to　know　what　was　written　in

the　book；　especially　the　eldest；　and　this　is　what　she　read：



‘The　eldest　daughter　of　this　King　will　marry　a　prince　from　the

East。'



Then　the　second　girl　stepped　forward；　and　turning　over　the　page

she　read：



‘The　second　daughter　of　this　King　will　marry　a　prince　from　the

West。'



The　girls　were　delighted；　and　laughed　and　teased　each　other。



But　the　youngest　Princess　did　not　want　to　go　near　the　table　or

to　open　the　book。　Her　elder　sisters　however　left　her　no　peace；　and

will　she；　nill　she；　they　dragged　her　up　to　the　table；　and　in　fear　and

trembling　she　turned　over　the　page　and　read：



‘The　youngest　daughter　of　this　King　will　be　married　to　a　pig　from

the　North。'



Now　if　a　thunderbolt　had　fallen　upon　her　from　heaven　it　would

not　have　frightened　her　more。



She　almost　died　of　misery；　and　if　her　sisters　had　not　held　her

up；　she　would　have　sunk　to　the　ground　and　cut　her　head　open。



When　she　came　out　of　the　fainting　fit　into　which　she　had

fallen　in　her　terror；　her　sisters　tried　to　comfort　her；　saying：



‘How　can　you　believe　such　nonsense？　When　did　it　ever　happen

that　a　king's　daughter　married　a　pig？'



‘What　a　baby　you　are！'　said　the　other　sister；　‘has　not　our

father　enough　soldiers　to　protect　you；　even　if　the　disgusting　creature

did　come　to　woo　you？'



The　youngest　Princess　would　fain　have　let　herself　be　convinced

by　her　sisters'　words；　and　have　believed　what　they　said；　but　her　heart

was　heavy。　Her　thoughts　kept　turning　to　the　book；　in　which　stood

written　that　great　happiness　waited　her　sisters；　but　that　a　fate　was

in　store　for　her　such　as　had　never　before　been　known　in　the　world。



Besides；　the　thought　weighed　on　her　heart　that　she　had　been

guilty　of　disobeying　her　father。　She　began　to　get　quite　ill；　and　in

a　few　days　she　was　so　changed　that　it　was　difficult　to　recognise　her；

formerly　she　had　been　rosy　and　merry；　now　she　was　pale　and

nothing　gave　her　any　pleasure。　She　gave　up　playing　with　her　sisters

in　the　garden；　ceased　to　gather　flowers　to　put　in　her　hair；　and　never

sang　when　they　sat　together　at　their　spinning　and　sewing。



In　the　meantime　the　King　won　a　great　victory；　and　having

completely　defeated　and　driven　off　the　enemy；　he　hurried　home　to　his

daughters；　to　whom　his　thoughts　had　constantly　turned。　Everyone

went　out　to　meet　him　with　cymbals　and　fifes　and　drums；　and　there

was　great　rejoicing　over　his　victorious　return。　The　King's　first　act

on　reaching　home　was　to　thank　Heaven　for　the　victory　he　had　gained

over　the　enemies　who　had　risen　against　him。　He　then　entered　his

palace；　and　the　three　Princesses　stepped　forward　to　meet　him。　His

joy　was　great　when　he　saw　that　they　were　all　well；　for　the　youngest

did　her　best　not　to　appear　sad。



In　spite　of　this；　however；　it　was　not　long　before　the　King　noticed

that　his　third　daughter　was　getting　very　thin　and　sad…looking。　And

all　of　a　sudden　he　felt　as　if　a　hot　iron　were　entering　his　soul；　for　it

flashed　through　his　mind　that　she　had　disobeyed　his　word。　He　felt

sure　he　was　right；　but　to　be　quite　certain　he　called　his　daughters　to

him；　questioned　them；　and　ordered　them　to　speak　the　truth。　They

confessed　everything；　but　took　good　care　not　to　say　which　had　led

the　other　two　into　temptation。



The　King　was　so　distressed　when　he　heard　it　that　he　was　almost

overcome　by　grief。　But　he　took　heart　and　tried　to　comfort　his

daughters；　who　looked　frightened　to　death。　He　saw　that　what　had

happened　had　happened；　and　that　a　thousand　words　would　not　alter

matters　by　a　hair's…breadth。



Well；　these　events　had　almost　been　forgotten　when　one　fine　day

a　prince　from　the　East　appeared　at　the　Court　and　asked　the　King　for

the　hand　of　his　eldest　daughter。　The　King　gladly　gave　his　consent。

A　great　wedding　banquet　was　prepared；　and　after　three　days　of

feasting　the　happy　pair　were　accompanied　to　the　frontier　with

much　ceremony　and　rejoicing。



After　some　time　the　same　thing　befell　the　second　daughter；　who

was　wooed　and　won　by　a　prince　from　the　West。



Now　when　the　young　Princess　saw　that　everything　fell　out

exactly　as　had　been　written　in　the　book；　she　grew　very　sad。　She

refused　to　eat；　and　would　not　put　on　her　fine　clothes　nor　go　out

walking；　and　declared　that　she　would　rather　die　than　become　a

laughing…stock　to　the　world。　But　the　King　would　not　allow　her　to

do　anything　so　wrong；　and　he　comforted　her　in　all　possible　ways。



So　the　time　passed；　till　lo　and　behold！　one　fine　day　an　enormous

pig　from　the　North　walked　into　the　palace；　and　going　straight

up　to　the　King　said；　‘Hail！　oh　King。　May　your　life　be　as　prosperous

and　bright　as　sunrise　on　a　clear　day！'



‘I　am　glad　to　see　you　well；　friend；'　answered　the　King；　‘but

what　wind　has　brought　you　hither？'



‘I　come　a…wooing；'　replied　the　Pig。



Now　the　King　was　astonished　to　hear　so　fine　a　speech　from　a　Pig；

and　at　once　it　occurred　to　him　that　something　strange　was　the

matter。　He　would　gladly　have　turned　the　Pig's　thoughts　in　another

direction；　as　he　did　not　wish　to　give　him　the　Princess　for　a　wife；　but

when　he　heard　that　the　Court　and　the　whole　street　were　full　of　all

the　pigs　in　the　world　he　saw　that　there　was　no　escape；　and　that　he

must　give　his　consent。　The　Pig　was　not　satisfied　with　mere　promises；

but　insisted　that　the　wedding　should　take　place　within　a

week；　and　would　not　go　away　till　the　King　had　sworn　a　royal　oath

upon　it。



The　King　then　sent　for　his　daughter；　and　advised　her　to　submit

to　fate；　as　there　was　nothing　else　to　be　done。　And　he　added：



‘My　child；　the　words　and　whole　behaviour　of　this　Pig　are　quite

unlike　those　of　other　pigs。　I　do　not　myself　believe　that　he　always

was　a　pig。　Depend　upon　it　some　magic　or　witchcraft　has　been　at

work。　Obey　him；　and　do　everything　that　he　wishes；　and　I　feel　sure

that　Heaven　will　shortly　send　you　release。'



‘If　you　wish　me　to　do　this；　dear　father；　I　will　do　it；'　replied　the

girl。



In　the　meantime　the　wedding…day　drew　near。　After　the　marriage；

the　Pig　and　his　bride　set　out　for　his　home　in　one　of　the　royal

carriages。　On　the　way　they　passed　a　great　bog；　and　the　Pig　ordered

the　carriage　to　stop；　and　got　out　and　rolled　about　in　the　mire　till

he　was　covered　with　mud　from　head　to　foot；　then　he　got　back

into　the　carriage　and　told　his　wife　to　kiss　him。　What　was　the

poor　girl　to　do？　She　bethought　herself　of　her　father's　words；　and；

pulling　out　her　pocket　handkerchief；　she　gently　wiped　the　Pig's

snout　and　kissed　it。



By　the　time　they　reached　the　Pig's　dwelling；　which　stood　in　a

thick　wood；　it　was　quite　dark。　They　sat　down　quietly　for　a　little；　as

they　were　tired　after　their　drive；　then　they　had　supper　together；　and

lay　down　to　rest。　During　the　night　the　Princess　noticed　that　the　Pig

had　changed　into　a　man。　She　was　not　a　little　surprised；　but

remembering　her　father's　words；　she　took　courage；　determined　to

wait　and　see　what　would　happen。



And　now　she　noticed　that　every　night　the　Pig　became　a　man；

and　every　morning　he　was　changed　into　a　Pig　before　she　awoke。

This　happened　several　nights　running；　and　the　Princess　could　not

understand　it　at　all。　Clearly　her　husband　must　be　bewitched。　In

time　she　grew　quite　fo