02-the six swans-第1部分

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THE　SIX　SWANS



A　king　was　once　hunting　in　a　great　wood；　and　he　hunted　the　game

so　eagerly　that　none　of　his　courtiers　could　follow　him。　　When

evening　came　on　he　stood　still　and　looked　round　him；　and　he　saw

that　he　had　quite　lost　himself。　　He　sought　a　way　out；　but　could

find　none。　　Then　he　saw　an　old　woman　with　a　shaking　head　coming

towards　him；　but　she　was　a　witch。



'Good　woman；'　he　said　to　her；　'can　you　not　show　me　the　way　out　of

the　wood？'



'Oh；　certainly；　Sir　King；'　she　replied；　'I　can　quite　well　do

that；　but　on　one　condition；　which　if　you　do　not　fulfil　you　will

never　get　out　of　the　wood；　and　will　die　of　hunger。'



'What　is　the　condition？'　asked　the　King。



'I　have　a　daughter；'　said　the　old　woman；　'who　is　so　beautiful

that　she　has　not　her　equal　in　the　world；　and　is　well　fitted　to　be

your　wife；　if　you　will　make　her　lady…queen　I　will　show　you　the

way　out　of　the　wood。'



The　King　in　his　anguish　of　mind　consented；　and　the　old　woman　led

him　to　her　little　house　where　her　daughter　was　sitting　by　the

fire。　　She　received　the　King　as　if　she　were　expecting　him；　and　he

saw　that　she　was　certainly　very　beautiful；　but　she　did　not　please

him；　and　he　could　not　look　at　her　without　a　secret　feeling　of

horror。　　As　soon　as　he　had　lifted　the　maiden　on　to　his　horse　the

old　woman　showed　him　the　way；　and　the　King　reached　his　palace；

where　the　wedding　was　celebrated。



The　King　had　already　been　married　once；　and　had　by　his　first　wife

seven　children；　six　boys　and　one　girl；　whom　he　loved　more　than

anything　in　the　world。　　And　now；　because　he　was　afraid　that　their

stepmother　might　not　treat　them　well　and　might　do　them　harm；　he

put　them　in　a　lonely　castle　that　stood　in　the　middle　of　a　wood。　

It　lay　so　hidden；　and　the　way　to　it　was　so　hard　to　find；　that　he

himself　could　not　have　found　it　out　had　not　a　wise…woman　given

him　a　reel　of　thread　which　possessed　a　marvellous　property：　when

he　threw　it　before　him　it　unwound　itself　and　showed　him　the　way。　

But　the　King　went　so　often　to　his　dear　children　that　the　Queen

was　offended　at　his　absence。　　She　grew　curious；　and　wanted　to

know　what　he　had　to　do　quite　alone　in　the　wood。　　She　gave　his

servants　a　great　deal　of　money；　and　they　betrayed　the　secret　to

her；　and　also　told　her　of　the　reel　which　alone　could　point　out

the　way。　　She　had　no　rest　now　till　she　had　found　out　where　the

King　guarded　the　reel；　and　then　she　made　some　little　white

shirts；　and；　as　she　had　learnt　from　her　witch…mother；　sewed　an

enchantment　in　each　of　them。



And　when　the　King　had　ridden　off　she　took　the　little　shirts　and

went　into　the　wood；　and　the　reel　showed　her　the　way。　　The

children；　who　saw　someone　coming　in　the　distance；　thought　it　was

their　dear　father　coming　to　them；　and　sprang　to　meet　him　very

joyfully。　　Then　she　threw　over　each　one　a　little　shirt；　which

when　it　had　touched　their　bodies　changed　them　into　swans；　and

they　flew　away　over　the　forest。　　The　Queen　went　home　quite

satisfied；　and　thought　she　had　got　rid　of　her　step…children；　but

the　girl　had　not　run　to　meet　her　with　her　brothers；　and　she　knew

nothing　of　her。



The　next　day　the　King　came　to　visit　his　children；　but　he　found　no

one　but　the　girl。



'Where　are　your　brothers？'　asked　the　King。



'Alas！　　dear　father；'　she　answered；　'they　have　gone　away　and　left

me　all　alone。'　　And　she　told　him　that　looking　out　of　her　little

window　she　had　seen　her　brothers　flying　over　the　wood　in　the

shape　of　swans；　and　she　showed　him　the　feathers　which　they　had

let　fall　in　the　yard；　and　which　she　had　collected。　　The　King

mourned；　but　he　did　not　think　that　the　Queen　had　done　the　wicked

deed；　and　as　he　was　afraid　the　maiden　would　also　be　taken　from

him；　he　wanted　to　take　her　with　him。　　But　she　was　afraid　of　the

stepmother；　and　begged　the　King　to　let　her　stay　just　one　night

more　in　the　castle　in　the　wood。　　The　poor　maiden　thought；　'My

home　is　no　longer　here；　I　will　go　and　seek　my　brothers。'　　And

when　night　came　she　fled　away　into　the　forest。　　She　ran　all

through　the　night　and　the　next　day；　till　she　could　go　no　farther

for　weariness。　　Then　she　saw　a　little　hut；　went　in；　and　found　a

room　with　six　little　beds。　　She　was　afraid　to　lie　down　on　one；　so

she　crept　under　one　of　them；　lay　on　the　hard　floor；　and　was　going

to　spend　the　night　there。　　But　when　the　sun　had　set　she　heard　a

noise；　and　saw　six　swans　flying　in　at　the　window。　　They　stood　on

the　floor　and　blew　at　one　another；　and　blew　all　their　feathers

off；　and　their　swan…skin　came　off　like　a　shirt。　　Then　the　maiden

recognised　her　brothers；　and　overjoyed　she　crept　out　from　under

the　bed。　　Her　brothers　were　not　less　delighted　than　she　to　see

their　little　sister　again；　but　their　joy　did　not　last　long。



'You　cannot　stay　here；'　they　said　to　her。　　'This　is　a　den　of

robbers；　if　they　were　to　come　here　and　find　you　they　would　kill

you。'



'Could　you　not　protect　me？'　asked　the　little　sister。



'No；'　they　answered；　'for　we　can　only　lay　aside　our　swan　skins

for　a　quarter　of　an　hour　every　evening。　　For　this　time　we　regain

our　human　forms；　but　then　we　are　changed　into　swans　again。'



Then　the　little　sister　cried　and　said；　'Can　you　not　be　freed？'



'Oh；　no；'　they　said；　'the　conditions　are　too　hard。　　You　must　not

speak　or　laugh　for　six　years；　and　must　make　in　that　time　six

shirts　for　us　out　of　star…flowers。　　If　a　single　word　comes　out　of

your　mouth；　all　your　labour　is　vain。'　　And　when　the　brothers　had

said　this　the　quarter　of　an　hour　came　to　an　end；　and　they　flew

away　out　of　the　window　as　swans。



But　the　maiden　had　determined　to　free　her　brothers　even　if　it

should　cost　her　her　life。　　She　left　the　hut；　went　into　the

forest；　climbed　a　tree；　and　spent　the　night　there。　　The　next

morning　she　went　out；　collected　star…flowers；　and　began　to　sew。　

She　could　speak　to　no　one；　and　she　had　no　wish　to　laugh；　so　she

sat　there；　looking　only　at　her　work。



When　she　had　lived　there　some　time；　it　happened　that　the　King　of

the　country　was　hunting　in　the　forest；　and　his　hunters　came　to

the　tree　on　which　the　maiden　sat。　　They　called　to　her　and　said

'Who　are　you？'



But　she　gave　no　answer。



'Come　down　to　us；'　they　said；　'we　will　do　you　no　harm。'



But　she　shook　her　head　silently。　　As　they　pressed　her　further

with　questions；　she　threw　them　the　golden　chain　from　her　neck。　

But　they　did　not　leave　off；　and　she　threw　them　her　girdle；　and

when　this　was　no　use；　her　garters；　and　then　her　dress。　　The

huntsmen　would　not　leave　her　alone；　but　climbed　the　tree；　lifted

the　maiden　down；　and　led　her　to　the　King。　　The　King　asked；　'Who

are　you？　　What　are　you　doing　up　that　tree？'



But　she　answered　nothing。



He　asked　her　in　all　the　languages　he　knew；　but　she　remained　as

dumb　as　a　fish。　　Because　she　was　so　beautiful；　however；　the

King's　heart　was　touched；　and　he　was　seized　with　a　great　love　for

her。　　He　wrapped　her　up　in　his　cloak；　placed　her　before　him　on

his　horse。　　and　brought　her　to　his　castle。　　There　he　had　her

dressed　in　rich　clothes；　and　her　beauty　shone　out　as　bright　as

day；　but　not　a　word　could　be　drawn　from　her。　　He　set　her　at　table

by　his　side；　and　her　modest　ways　and　behaviour　pleased　him　so

much　that　he　said；　'I　will　marry　this　maiden　and　none　other　in

the　world；'　and　after　some　days　he　married　her。　　But　the　King　had

a　wicked　mother　who　was　displeased　with　the　marriage；　and　said

wicked　things　of　the　young　Queen。　　'Who　knows　who　this　girl　is？'

she　said；　'she　cannot　speak；　and　is　not　worthy　of　a　king。'



After　a　year；　when　the　Queen　had　her　first　child；　the　old　mother

took　it　away　from　her。　　Then　she　went　to　the　King　and　said　that

the　Queen　had　killed　it。　　The　King　would　not　believe　it；　and

would　not　allow　any　harm　to　be　done　her。　　But　she　sat　quietly

sewing　at　the　shirts　and　troubling　herself　about　nothing。　　The

next　time　she　had　a　child　the　wicked　mother　did　the　same　thing；

but　the　King　could　not　make　up　his　mind　to　believe　her。　　He　said；

'She　is　too　sweet　and　good　to　do　such　a　thing　as　that。　　If　she

were　not　dumb　and　could　defend　herself；　her　innocence　would　be

proved。'　　But　when　the　third　child　was　taken　away；　and　the　Queen

was　again　accused；　and　could　not　utter　a　word　in　her　own　defence；

the　King　was　obliged　to　give　her　over　to　the　law；　which　decreed

that　she　must　be　burnt　to　death。　　When　the　day　came　on　which　the

sentence　was　to　be　executed；　it　was　the　last　day　of　the　six　years

in　which　she　must　not　speak　or　laugh；　and　now　she　had　freed　her

dear　brothers　from　the　power　of　the　enchantment。　　The　six　shirts

were　done；　there　was　only　the　left　sleeve　wanting　to　the　last。



When　she　was　led　to　the　stake；　she　laid　the　shirts　on　her　arm；

and　as　she　stood　on　the　pile　and　the　fire　was　about　to　be

lighted；　she　looked　around　her　and　saw　six　swans　flying　through

the　air。　　Then　she　knew　that　her　release　was　at　hand　and　her

heart　danced　for　joy。　　The　swans　fluttered　round　her；　and　hovered

low　so　that　she　could　throw　the　shirts　over　them。　　When　they　had

touched　them　the　swan…skins　fell　off；　and　her　brothers　stood

before　her　living；　well　and　beautiful。　　Only　the　youngest　had　a

swan's　wing　instead　of　his　left　arm。　　They　embraced　and　kissed

each　other；　and　the　Queen　went　to　the　King；　who　was　standing　by

in　great　astonishment；　and　began　to　speak　to　him；　saying；

'Dearest　husband；　now　I　can　speak　and　tell　you　openly　that　I　am

innocent　and　have　been　falsely　accused。'



She　told　him　of　the　old　woman's　deceit；　and　how　she　had　taken　the

three　children　away　and　hidden　them。　　Then　they　were　fetched；　to

the　great　joy　of　the　King；　and　the　wicked　mother　came　to　no　good

end。



But　the　King　and　the　Queen　with　their　six　brothers　lived　many

years　in　happiness　and　peace。