11-the wonderful birch-第2部分

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WEah：　what　great　things　we　have　seen　at　the　palace！　My　little

girl　was　carried　about　again；　but　had　the　ill…luck　to　fall　and　get　her

eye　knocked　out。　You　stupid　thing；　you；　what　do　you　know　about

anything？'



‘Yes；　indeed；　what　can　I　know？'　replied　the　girl；　‘I　had

enough　to　do　to　get　the　hearth　clean。'



Now　the　Prince　had　kept　all　the　things　the　girl　had　lost；　and　he

soon　set　about　finding　the　owner　of　them。　For　this　purpose　a　great

banquet　was　given　on　the　fourth　day；　and　all　the　people　were

invited　to　the　palace。　The　witch　got　ready　to　go　too。　She　tied　a

wooden　beetle　on　where　her　child's　foot　should　have　been；　a　log　of

wood　instead　of　an　arm；　and　stuck　a　bit　of　dirt　in　the　empty　socket

for　an　eye；　and　took　the　child　with　her　to　the　castle。　When　all　the

people　were　gathered　together；　the　King's　son　stepped　in　among

the　crowd　and　cried：



‘The　maiden　whose　finger　this　ring　slips　over；　whose　head　this

golden　hoop　encircles；　and　whose　foot　this　shoe　fits；　shall　be　my

bride。'



What　a　great　trying　on　there　was　now　among　them　all！　The

things　would　fit　no　one；　however。



‘The　cinder　wench　is　not　here；'　said　the　Prince　at　last；　‘go　and

fetch　her；　and　let　her　try　on　the　things。'



So　the　girl　was　fetched；　and　the　Prince　was　just　going　to　hand

the　ornaments　to　her；　when　the　witch　held　him　back；　saying：



‘Don't　give　them　to　her；　she　soils　everything　with　cinders；

give　them　to　my　daughter　rather。'



Well；　then　the　Prince　gave　the　witch's　daughter　the　ring；　and

the　woman　filed　and　pared　away　at　her　daughter's　finger　till　the

ring　fitted。　It　was　the　same　with　the　circlet　and　the　shoes　of　gold。

The　witch　would　not　allow　them　to　be　handed　to　the　cinder　wench；

she　worked　at　her　own　daughter's　head　and　feet　till　she　got　the

things　forced　on。　What　was　to　be　done　now？　The　Prince　had　to

take　the　witch's　daughter　for　his　bride　whether　he　would　or　no；　he

sneaked　away　to　her　father's　house　with　her；　however；　for　he　was

ashamed　to　hold　the　wedding　festivities　at　the　palace　with　so　strange

a　bride。　Some　days　passed；　and　at　last　he　had　to　take　his　bride

home　to　the　palace；　and　he　got　ready　to　do　so。　Just　as　they　were

taking　leave；　the　kitchen　wench　sprang　down　from　her　place　by　the

stove；　on　the　pretext　of　fetching　something　from　the　cowhouse；　and

in　going　by　she　whispered　in　the　Prince's　ear　as　he　stood　in　the

yard：



‘Alas！　dear　Prince；　do　not　rob　me　of　my　silver　and　my　gold。'



Thereupon　the　King's　son　recognised　the　cinder　wench；　so　he

took　both　the　girls　with　him；　and　set　out。　After　they　had　gone　some

little　way　they　came　to　the　bank　of　a　river；　and　the　Prince　threw

the　witch's　daughter　across　to　serve　as　a　bridge；　and　so　got　over

with　the　cinder　wench。　There　lay　the　witch's　daughter　then；　like　a

bridge　over　the　river；　and　could　not　stir；　though　her　heart　was

consumed　with　grief。　No　help　was　near；　so　she　cried　at　last　in　her

anguish：



‘May　there　grow　a　golden　hemlock　out　of　my　body！　perhaps

my　mother　will　know　me　by　that　token。'



Scarcely　had　she　spoken　when　a　golden　hemlock　sprang　up　from

her；　and　stood　upon　the　bridge。



Now；　as　soon　as　the　Prince　had　got　rid　of　the　witch's　daughter

he　greeted　the　cinder　wench　as　his　bride；　and　they　wandered　together

to　the　birch　tree　which　grew　upon　the　mother's　grave。　There　they

received　all　sorts　of　treasures　and　riches；　three　sacks　full　of　gold；

and　as　much　silver；　and　a　splendid　steed；　which　bore　them　home　to

the　palace。　There　they　lived　a　long　time　together；　and　the　young

wife　bore　a　son　to　the　Prince。　Immediately　word　was　brought　to

the　witch　that　her　daughter　had　borne　a　sonfor　they　all　believed

the　young　King's　wife　to　be　the　witch's　daughter。



‘So；　so；'　said　the　witch　to　herself；　‘I　had　better　away　with　my

gift　for　the　infant；　then。'



And　so　saying　she　set　out。　Thus　it　happened　that　she　came　to

the　bank　of　the　river；　and　there　she　saw　the　beautiful　golden

hemlock　growing　in　the　middle　of　the　bridge；　and　when　she　began　to

cut　it　down　to　take　to　her　grandchild；　she　heard　a　voice　moaning：



‘Alas！　dear　mother；　do　not　cut　me　so！'



‘Are　you　here？'　demanded　the　witch。



‘Indeed　I　am；　dear　little　mother；'　answered　the　daughter

‘They　threw　me　across　the　river　to　make　a　bridge　of　me。'



In　a　moment　the　witch　had　the　bridge　shivered　to　atoms；　and

then　she　hastened　away　to　the　palace。　Stepping　up　to　the　young

Queen's　bed；　she　began　to　try　her　magic　arts　upon　her；　saying：



‘Spit；　you　wretch；　on　the　blade　of　my　knife；　bewitch　my　knife's

blade　for　me；　and　I　shall　change　you　into　a　reindeer　of　the　forest。'



‘Are　you　there　again　to　bring　trouble　upon　me？'　said　the　young

woman。



She　neither　spat　nor　did　anything　else；　but　still　the　witch

changed　her　into　a　reindeer；　and　smuggled　her　own　daughter　into

her　place　as　the　Prince's　wife。　But　now　the　child　grew　restless

and　cried；　because　it　missed　its　mother's　care。　They　took　it　to　the

court；　and　tried　to　pacify　it　in　every　conceivable　way；　but　its　crying

never　ceased。



‘What　makes　the　child　so　restless？'　asked　the　Prince；　and　he

went　to　a　wise　widow　woman　to　ask　her　advice。



‘Ay；　ay；　your　own　wife　is　not　at　home；'　said　the　widow　woman；

‘she　is　living　like　a　reindeer　in　the　wood；　you　have　the　witch's

daughter　for　a　wife　now；　and　the　witch　herself　for　a　mother…in…

law。'



‘Is　there　any　way　of　getting　my　own　wife　back　from　the　wood

again？'　asked　the　Prince。



‘Give　me　the　child；'　answered　the　widow　woman。　‘I'll　take　it

with　me　to…morrow　when　I　go　to　drive　the　cows　to　the　wood。　I'll

make　a　rustling　among　the　birch　leaves　and　a　trembling　among

the　aspensperhaps　the　boy　will　grow　quiet　when　he　hears　it。'



‘Yes；　take　the　child　away；　take　it　to　the　wood　with　you　to　quiet

it；'　said　the　Prince；　and　led　the　widow　woman　into　the　castle。



‘How　now？　you　are　going　to　send　the　child　away　to　the　wood？'

said　the　witch　in　a　suspicious　tone；　and　tried　to　interfere。



But　the　King's　son　stood　firm　by　what　he　had　commanded；　and

said：



‘Carry　the　child　about　the　wood；　perhaps　that　will　pacify　it。'



So　the　widow　woman　took　the　child　to　the　wood。　She　came　to

the　edge　of　a　marsh；　and　seeing　a　herd　of　reindeer　there；　she　began

all　at　once　to　sing



‘Little　Bright…eyes；　little　Redskin；

Come　nurse　the　child　you　bore！

　　That　bloodthirsty　monster；

　　That　man…eater　grim；

Shall　nurse　him；　shall　tend　him　no　more。

　　They　may　threaten　and　force　as　they　will；

　　He　turns　from　her；　shrinks　from　her　still；'



and　immediately　the　reindeer　drew　near；　and　nursed　and　tended

the　child　the　whole　day　long；　but　at　nightfall　it　had　to　follow　the

herd；　and　said　to　the　widow　woman：



‘Bring　me　the　child　to…morrow；　and　again　the　following　day；

after　that　I　must　wander　with　the　herd　far　away　to　other　lands。'



The　following　morning　the　widow　woman　went　back　to　the

castle　to　fetch　the　child。　The　witch　interfered；　of　course；　but　the

Prince　said：



‘Take　it；　and　carry　it　about　in　the　open　air；　the　boy　is　quieter

at　night；　to　be　sure；　when　he　has　been　in　the　wood　all　day。'



So　the　widow　took　the　child　in　her　arms；　and　carried　it　to　the

marsh　in　the　forest。　There　she　sang　as　on　the　preceding　day



‘Little　Bright…eyes；　little　Redskin；

Come　nurse　the　child　you　bore！

　　That　bloodthirsty　monster；

　　That　man…eater　grim；

Shall　nurse　him；　shall　tend　him　no　more。

　　They　may　threaten　and　force　as　they　will；

　　He　turns　from　her；　shrinks　from　her　still；'



and　immediately　the　reindeer　left　the　herd　and　came　to　the　child；

and　tended　it　as　on　the　day　before。　And　so　it　was　that　the　child

throve；　till　not　a　finer　boy　was　to　be　seen　anywhere。　But　the

King's　son　had　been　pondering　over　all　these　things；　and　he　said　to

the　widow　woman：



‘Is　there　no　way　of　changing　the　reindeer　into　a　human　being

again？'



‘I　don't　rightly　know；'　was　her　answer。　‘Come　to　the　wood　with

me；　however；　when　the　woman　puts　off　her　reindeer　skin　I　shall

comb　her　head　for　her；　whilst　I　am　doing　so　you　must　burn　the　skin。'



Thereupon　they　both　went　to　the　wood　with　the　child；　scarcely

were　they　there　when　the　reindeer　appeared　and　nursed　the　child

as　before。　Then　the　widow　woman　said　to　the　reindeer：



‘Since　you　are　going　far　away　to…morrow；　and　I　shall　not　see

you　again；　let　me　comb　your　head　for　the　last　time；　as　a

remembrance　of　you。'



Good；　the　young　woman　stript　off　the　reindeer　skin；　and　let

the　widow　woman　do　as　she　wished。　In　the　meantime　the　King's

son　threw　the　reindeer　skin　into　the　fire　unobserved。



‘What　smells　of　singeing　here？'　asked　the　young　woman；　and

looking　round　she　saw　her　own　husband。　‘Woe　is　me！　you　have

burnt　my　skin。　Why　did　you　do　that？'



‘To　give　you　back　your　human　form　again。'



‘Alack…a…day！　I　have　nothing　to　cover　me　now；　poor　creature

that　I　am！'　cried　the　young　woman；　and　transformed　herself　first

into　a　distaff；　then　into　a　wooden　beetle；　then　into　a　spindle；　and

into　all　imaginable　shapes。　But　all　these　shapes　the　King's　son

went　on　destroying　till　she　stood　before　him　in　human　form　again。



Alas！　wherefore　take　me　home　with　you　again；'　cried　the　young

woman；　‘since　the　witch　is　sure　to　eat　me　up？'



‘She　will　not　eat　you　up；'　answered　her　husband；　and　they

started　for　home　with　the　child。



But　when　the　witch　wife　saw　them　she　ran　away　with　her

daughter；　and　if　she　has　not　stopped　she　is　running　still；　though　at

a　great　age。　And　the　Prince；　and　his　wife；　and　the　baby　lived

happy　ever　afterwards。＇9＇



＇9＇　From　the　Russo…Karelian。