28-the nettle spinner-第1部分

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THE　NETTLE　SPINNER



I



ONCE　upon　a　time　there　lived　at　Quesnoy；　in　Flanders；　a　great　lord

whose　name　was　Burchard；　but　whom　the　country　people　called

Burchard　the　Wolf。　Now　Burchard　had　such　a　wicked；　cruel　heart；

that　it　was　whispered　how　he　used　to　harness　his　peasants　to　the

plough；　and　force　them　by　blows　from　his　whip　to　till　his　land　with

naked　feet。



His　wife；　on　the　other　hand；　was　always　tender　and　pitiful　to　the

poor　and　miserable。



Every　time　that　she　heard　of　another　misdeed　of　her　husband's

she　secretly　went　to　repair　the　evil；　which　caused　her　name　to　be

blessed　throughout　the　whole　country…side。　This　Countess　was

adored　as　much　as　the　Count　was　hated。





II





One　day　when　he　was　out　hunting　the　Count　passed　through　a

forest；　and　at　the　door　of　a　lonely　cottage　he　saw　a　beautiful　girl

spinning　hemp。



‘What　is　your　name？'　he　asked　her。



‘Renelde；　my　lord。'



‘You　must　get　tired　of　staying　in　such　a　lonely　place？'



‘I　am　accustomed　to　it；　my　lord；　and　I　never　get　tired　of　it。'



‘That　may　be　so；　but　come　to　the　castle；　and　I　will　make　you

lady's　maid　to　the　Countess。'



‘I　cannot　do　that；　my　lord。　I　have　to　look　after　my　grandmother；

who　is　very　helpless。'



‘Come　to　the　castle；　I　tell　you。　I　shall　expect　you　this　evening；'

and　he　went　on　his　way。



But　Renelde；　who　was　betrothed　to　a　young　wood…cutter　called

Guilbert；　had　no　intention　of　obeying　the　Count；　and　she　had；

besides；　to　take　care　of　her　grandmother。



Three　days　later　the　Count　again　passed　by。



‘Why　didn't　you　come？'　he　asked　the　pretty　spinner。



‘I　told　you；　my　lord；　that　I　have　to　look　after　my　grandmother。'

‘Come　to…morrow；　and　I　will　make　you　lady…in…waiting　to　the

Countess；'　and　he　went　on　his　way。



This　offer　produced　no　more　effect　than　the　other；　and　Renelde

did　not　go　to　the　castle。



‘If　you　will　only　come；'　said　the　Count　to　her　when　next　he

rode　by；　‘I　will　send　away　the　Countess；　and　will　marry　you。'



But　two　years　before；　when　Renelde's　mother　was　dying　of　a

long　illness；　the　Countess　had　not　forgotten　them；　but　had　given

help　when　they　sorely　needed　it。　So　even　if　the　Count　had　really

wished　to　marry　Renelde；　she　would　always　have　refused。





III





Some　weeks　passed　before　Burchard　appeared　again。



Renelde　hoped　she　had　got　rid　of　him；　when　one　day　he　stopped

at　the　door；　his　duck…gun　under　his　arm　and　his　game…bag　on　his

shoulder。　This　time　Renelde　was　spinning　not　hemp；　but　flax。



‘What　are　you　spinning？'　he　asked　in　a　rough　voice。



‘My　wedding　shift；　my　lord。'



‘You　are　going　to　be　married；　then？'



‘Yes；　my　lord；　by　your　leave。'



For　at　that　time　no　peasant　could　marry　without　the　leave　of

his　master。



‘I　will　give　you　leave　on　one　condition。　Do　you　see　those　tall

nettles　that　grow　on　the　tombs　in　the　churchyard？　Go　and　gather

them；　and　spin　them　into　two　fine　shifts。　One　shall　be　your　bridal

shift；　and　the　other　shall　be　my　shroud。　For　you　shall　be　married

the　day　that　I　am　laid　in　my　grave。'　And　the　Count　turned　away

with　a　mocking　laugh。



Renelde　trembled。　Never　in　all　Locquignol　had　such　a　thing

been　heard　of　as　the　spinning　of　nettles。



And　besides；　the　Count　seemed　made　of　iron　and　was　very

proud　of　his　strength；　often　boasting　that　he　should　live　to　be　a

hundred。



Every　evening；　when　his　work　was　done；　Guilbert　came　to　visit

his　future　bride。　This　evening　he　came　as　usual；　and　Renelde　told

him　what　Burchard　had　said。



‘Would　you　like　me　to　watch　for　the　Wolf；　and　split　his　skull

with　a　blow　from　my　axe？'



‘No；'　replied　Renelde；　‘there　must　be　no　blood　on　my　bridal

bouquet。　And　then　we　must　not　hurt　the　Count。　Remember　how

good　the　Countess　was　to　my　mother。'



An　old；　old　woman　now　spoke：　she　was　the　mother　of　Renelde's

grandmother；　and　was　more　than　ninety　years　old。　All　day　long

she　sat　in　her　chair　nodding　her　head　and　never　saying　a　word。



‘My　children；'　she　said；　‘all　the　years　that　I　have　lived　in　the

world；　I　have　never　heard　of　a　shift　spun　from　nettles。　But　what

God　commands；　man　can　do。　Why　should　not　Renelde　try　it？'





IV





Renelde　did　try；　and　to　her　great　surprise　the　nettles　when

crushed　and　prepared　gave　a　good　thread；　soft　and　light　and　firm。

Very　soon　she　had　spun　the　first　shift；　which　was　for　her　own

wedding。　She　wove　and　cut　it　out　at　once；　hoping　that　the　Count

would　not　force　her　to　begin　the　other。　Just　as　she　had　finished

sewing　it；　Burchard　the　Wolf　passed　by。



‘Well；'　said　he；　‘how　are　the　shifts　getting　on？'



‘Here；　my　lord；　is　my　wedding　garment；'　answered　Renelde；

showing　him　the　shift；　which　was　the　finest　and　whitest　ever　seen。



The　Count　grew　pale；　but　he　replied　roughly；　‘Very　good。

Now　begin　the　other。'



The　spinner　set　to　work。　As　the　Count　returned　to　the　castle；　a

cold　shiver　passed　over　him；　and　he　felt；　as　the　saying　is；　that　some

one　was　walking　over　his　grave。　He　tried　to　eat　his　supper；　but

could　not；　he　went　to　bed　shaking　with　fever。　But　he　did　not　sleep；

and　in　the　morning　could　not　manage　to　rise。



This　sudden　illness；　which　every　instant　became　worse；　made

him　very　uneasy。　No　doubt　Renelde's　spinning…wheel　knew　all

about　it。　Was　it　not　necessary　that　his　body；　as　well　as　his　shroud；

should　be　ready　for　the　burial？



The　first　thing　Burchard　did　was　to　send　to　Renelde　and　to　stop

her　wheel。



Renelde　obeyed；　and　that　evening　Guilbert　asked　her：



‘Has　the　Count　given　his　consent　to　our　marriage？'



‘No；'　said　Renelde。



‘Continue　your　work；　sweetheart。　It　is　the　only　way　of　gaining

it。　You　know　he　told　you　so　himself。'





V





The　following　morning；　as　soon　as　she　had　put　the　house　in　order；

the　girl　sat　down　to　spin。　Two　hours　after　there　arrived　some

soldiers；　and　when　they　saw　her　spinning　they　seized　her；　tied　her

arms　and　legs；　and　carried　her　to　the　bank　of　the　river；　which　was

swollen　by　the　late　rains。



When　they　reached　the　bank　they　flung　her　in；　and　watched　her

sink；　after　which　they　left　her。　But　Renelde　rose　to　the　surface；

and　though　she　could　not　swim　she　struggled　to　land。



Directly　she　got　home　she　sat　down　and　began　to　spin。



Again　came　the　two　soldiers　to　the　cottage　and　seized　the　girl；

carried　her　to　the　river　bank；　tied　a　stone　to　her　neck　and　flung　her

into　the　water。



The　moment　their　backs　were　turned　the　stone　untied　itself。

Renelde　waded　the　ford；　returned　to　the　hut；　and　sat　down　to　spin。



This　time　the　Count　resolved　to　go　to　Locquignol　himself；　but；

as　he　was　very　weak　and　unable　to　walk；　he　had　himself　borne　in

a　litter。　And　still　the　spinner　spun。



When　he　saw　her　he　fired　a　shot　at　her；　as　he　would　have　fired

at　a　wild　beast。　The　bullet　rebounded　without　harming　the　spinner；

who　still　spun　on。



Burchard　fell　into　such　a　violent　rage　that　it　nearly　killed　him。

He　broke　the　wheel　into　a　thousand　pieces；　and　then　fell　fainting　on

the　ground。　He　was　carried　back　to　the　castle；　unconscious。



The　next　day　the　wheel　was　mended；　and　the　spinner　sat　down

to　spin。　Feeling　that　while　she　was　spinning　he　was　dying；　the

Count　ordered　that　her　hands　should　be　tied；　and　that　they　should

not　lose　sight　of　her　for　one　instant。



But　the　guards　fell　asleep；　the　bonds　loosed　themselves；　and　the

spinner　spun　on。



Burchard　had　every　nettle　rooted　up　for　three　leagues　round。

Scarcely　had　they　been　torn　from　the　soil　when　they　sowed　themselves

afresh；　and　grew　as　you　were　looking　at　them。



They　sprung　up　even　in　the　well…trodden　floor　of　the　cottage；　and

as　fast　as　they　were　uprooted　the　distaff　gathered　to　itself　a　supply

of　nettles；　crushed；　prepared；　and　ready　for　spinning。



And　every　day　Burchard　grew　worse；　and　watched　his　end

approaching。





VI





Moved　by　pity　for　her　husband；　the　Countess　at　last　found　out

the　cause　of　his　illness；　and　entreated　him　to　allow　himself　to　be

cured。　But　the　Count　in　his　pride　refused　more　than　ever　to　give

his　consent　to　the　marriage。



So　the　lady　resolved　to　go　without　his　knowledge　to　pray　for

mercy　from　the　spinner；　and　in　the　name　of　Renelde's　dead　mother

she　besought　her　to　spin　no　more。　Renelde　gave　her　promise；　but

in　the　evening　Guilbert　arrived　at　the　cottage。　Seeing　that　the　cloth

was　no　farther　advanced　than　it　was　the　evening　before；　he　inquired

the　reason。　Renelde　confessed　that　the　Countess　had　prayed　her　not

to　let　her　husband　die。



‘Will　he　consent　to　our　marriage？'



‘No。'



‘Let　him　die　then。'



‘But　what　will　the　Countess　say？'



‘The　Countess　will　understand　that　it　is　not　your　fault；　the　Count

alone　is　guilty　of　his　own　death。'



‘Let　us　wait　a　little。　Perhaps　his　heart　may　be　softened。'



So　they　waited　for　one　month；　for　two；　for　six；　for　a　year。　The

spinner　spun　no　more。　The　Count　had　ceased　to　persecute　her；　but

he　still　refused　his　consent　to　the　marriage。　Guilbert　became

impatient。



The　poor　girl　loved　him　with　her　whole　soul；　and　she　was　more

unhappy　than　she　had　been　before；　when　Burchard　was　only　tormenting

her　body。



‘Let　us　have　done　with　it；'　said　Guilbert。



‘Wait　a　little　still；'　pleaded　Renelde。



But　the　young　man　grew　weary。　He　came　more　rarely　to

Locquignol；　and　very　soon　he　did　not　come　at　all。　Renelde　felt　as

if　her　heart　would　break；　but　she　held　firm。



One　day　she　met　the　Count。　She　clasped　her　hands　as　if　in

prayer；　and　cried：



‘My　lord；　have　mercy！'



Burchard　the　Wolf　turned　away　his　head　and　passed　on。



She　might　have　humbled　his　pride　had　she　gone　to　her　spinning…

wheel　again；　but　she　did　nothing　of　the　sort。



Not　long　after　she　learnt　that　Guilbert　had　left　the　country。

He　did　not　even　come　to　say　good…bye　to　her；　but；　all　the　same；　she

knew　the　day　and　hour　of　his　departure；　and　hid　herself　on　the　road

to　se