32-bushy bride-第1部分

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BUSHY　BRIDE



THERE　was　once　on　a　time　a　widower　who　had　a　son　and　a

daughter　by　his　first　wife。　They　were　both　good　children；

and　loved　each　other　with　all　their　hearts。　After　some　time　had

gone　by　the　man　married　again；　and　he　chose　a　widow　with　one

daughter　who　was　ugly　and　wicked；　and　her　mother　was　ugly　and

wicked　too。　From　the　very　day　that　the　new　wife　came　into　the

house　there　was　no　peace　for　the　man's　children；　and　not　a　corner

to　be　found　where　they　could　get　any　rest；　so　the　boy　thought　that

the　best　thing　he　could　do　was　to　go　out　into　the　world　and　try　to

earn　his　own　bread。



When　he　had　roamed　about　for　some　time　he　came　to　the

King's　palace；　where　he　obtained　a　place　under　the　coachman；　and

very　brisk　and　active　he　was；　and　the　horses　that　he　looked　after

were　so　fat　and　sleek；　that　they　shone　again。



But　his　sister；　who　was　still　at　home；　fared　worse　and　worse。

Both　her　step…mother　and　her　step…sister　were　always　finding

fault　with　her；　whatsoever　she　did　and　whithersoever　she　went；

and　they　scolded　her　and　abused　her　so　that　she　never　had

an　hour's　peace。　They　made　her　do　all　the　hard　work；　and　hard

words　fell　to　her　lot　early　and　late；　but　little　enough　food

accompanied　them。



One　day　they　sent　her　to　the　brook　to　fetch　some　water　home；

and　an　ugly　and　horrible　head　rose　up　out　of　the　water；　and　said；

‘Wash　me；　girl！'



‘Yes；　I　will　wash　you　with　pleasure；'　said　the　girl；　and　began

to　wash　and　scrub　the　ugly　face；　but　she　couldn't　help　thinking

that　it　was　a　very　unpleasant　piece　of　work。　When　she　had　done

it；　and　done　it　well；　another　head　rose　up　out　of　the　water；　and

this　one　was　uglier　still。



‘Brush　me；　girl！'　said　the　head。



‘Yes；　I　will　brush　you　with　pleasure；'　said　the　girl；　and　set　to

work　with　the　tangled　hair；　and；　as　may　be　easily　imagined；　this

too　was　by　no　means　pleasant　work。



When　she　had　got　it　done；　another　and　a　much　more　ugly　and

horrible…looking　head　rose　up　out　of　the　water。



‘Kiss　me；　girl！'　said　the　head。



‘Yes；　I　will　kiss　you；''　said　the　man's　daughter；　and　she　did　it；

but　she　thought　it　was　the　worst　bit　of　work　that　she　had　ever　had

to　do　in　her　life。



So　the　heads　all　began　to　talk　to　each　other；　and　to　ask　what

they　should　do　for　this　girl　who　was　so　full　of　kindliness。



‘She　shall　be　the　prettiest　girl　that　ever　was；　and　fair　and

bright　as　the　day；'　said　the　first　head。



‘Gold　shall　drop　from　her　hair　whenever　she　brushes　it；'

said　the　second。



‘Gold　shall　drop　from　her　mouth　whenever　she　speaks；'

said　the　third　head。



So　when　the　man's　daughter　went　home；　looking　as　beautiful

and　bright　as　day；　the　step…mother　and　her　daughter　grew　much

more　ill…tempered；　and　it　was　worse　still　when　she　began　to　talk；

and　they　saw　that　golden　coins　dropped　from　her　mouth。　The

step…mother　fell　into　such　a　towering　passion　that　she　drove　the

man's　daughter　into　the　pig…styeshe　might　stay　there　with　her

fine　show　of　gold；　the　step…mother　said；　but　she　should　not　be

permitted　to　set　foot　in　the　house。



It　was　not　long　before　the　mother　wanted　her　own　daughter　to

go　to　the　stream　to　fetch　some　water。



When　she　got　there　with　her　pails；　the　first　head　rose　up　out　of

the　water　close　to　the　bank。　‘Wash　me；　girl！'　it　said。



‘Wash　yourself！'　answered　the　woman's　daughter。



Then　the　second　head　appeared。



‘Brush　me；　girl！'　said　the　head。



‘Brush　yourself！'　said　the　woman's　daughter。



So　down　it　went　to　the　bottom；　and　the　third　head　came　up。



‘Kiss　me；　girl！'　said　the　head。



‘As　if　I　would　kiss　your　ugly　mouth！'　said　the　girl。



So　again　the　heads　talked　together　about　what　they　should　do

for　this　girl　who　was　so　ill…tempered　and　full　of　her　own　importance；

and　they　agreed　that　she　should　have　a　nose　that　was　four　ells

long；　and　a　jaw　that　was　three　ells；　and　a　fir　bush　in　the　middle　of

her　forehead；　and　every　time　she　spoke　ashes　should　fall　from　her

mouth。



When　she　came　back　to　the　cottage　door　with　her　pails；　she

called　to　her　mother　who　was　inside；　‘Open　the　door！'



‘Open　the　door　yourself；　my　own　dear　child！'　said　the　mother。



‘I　can't　get　near；　because　of　my　nose；'　said　the　daughter。



When　the　mother　came　and　saw　her　you　may　imagine　what　a

state　of　mind　she　was　in；　and　how　she　screamed　and　lamented；　but

neither　the　nose　nor　the　jaw　grew　any　the　less　for　that。



Now　the　brother；　who　was　in　service　in　the　King's　palace；　had

taken　a　portrait　of　his　sister；　and　he　had　carried　the　picture　away

with　him；　and　every　morning　and　evening　he　knelt　down　before　it

and　prayed　for　his　sister；　so　dearly　did　he　love　her。



The　other　stable…boys　had　heard　him　doing　this；　so　they　peeped

through　the　key…hole　into　his　room；　and　saw　that　he　was　kneeling

there　before　a　picture；　so　they　told　everyone　that　every　morning

and　evening　the　youth　knelt　down　and　prayed　to　an　idol　which　he

had；　and　at　last　they　went　to　the　King　himself；　and　begged　that　he

too　would　peep　through　the　key…hole；　and　see　for　himself　what　the

youth　did。　At　first　the　King　would　not　believe　this；　but　after　a

long；　long　time；　they　prevailed　with　him；　and　he　crept　on　tip…toe

to　the　door；　peeped　through；　and　saw　the　youth　on　his　knees；　with

his　hands　clasped　together　before　a　picture　which　was　hanging　on

the　wall。



‘Open　the　door！'　cried　the　King；　but　the　youth　did　not

hear。



So　the　King　called　to　him　again；　but　the　youth　was　praying　so

fervently　that　he　did　not　hear　him　this　time　either。



‘Open　the　door；　I　say！'　cried　the　King　again。　‘It　is　I！　I　want

to　come　in。'



So　the　youth　sprang　to　the　door　and　unlocked　it；　but　in　his

haste　he　forgot　to　hide　the　picture。



When　the　King　entered　and　saw　it；　he　stood　still　as　if　he　were

in　fetters；　and　could　not　stir　from　the　spot；　for　the　picture　seemed

to　him　so　beautiful。



‘There　is　nowhere　on　earth　so　beautiful　a　woman　as　this！'　said

the　King。



But　the　youth　told　him　that　she　was　his　sister；　and　that　he　had

painted　her；　and　that　if　she　was　not　prettier　than　the　picture　she

was　at　all　events　not　uglier。



‘Well；　if　she　is　as　beautiful　as　that；　I　will　have　her　for　my

Queen；'　said　the　King；　and　he　commanded　the　youth　to　go　home

and　fetch　her　without　a　moment's　delay；　and　to　lose　no　time　in

coming　back。　The　youth　promised　to　make　all　the　haste　he　could；

and　set　forth　from　the　King's　palace。



When　the　brother　arrived　at　home　to　fetch　his　sister；　her

stepmother　and　step…sister　would　go　too。　So　they　all　set　out　together；

and　the　man's　daughter　took　with　her　a　casket　in　which　she　kept

her　gold；　and　a　dog　which　was　called　Little　Snow。　These　two

things　were　all　that　she　had　inherited　from　her　mother。　When

they　had　travelled　for　some　time　they　had　to　cross　the　sea；　and　the

brother　sat　down　at　the　helm；　and　the　mother　and　the　two　half…

sisters　went　to　the　fore…part　of　the　vessel；　and　they　sailed　a　long；

long　way。　At　last　they　came　in　sight　of　land。



‘Look　at　that　white　strand　there；　that　is　where　we　shall　land；'

said　the　brother；　pointing　across　the　sea。



‘What　is　my　brother　saying？'　inquired　the　man's　daughter。



‘He　says　that　you　are　to　throw　your　casket　out　into　the　sea；'

answered　the　step…mother。



‘Well；　if　my　brother　says　so；　I　must　do　it；'　said　the　man's

daughter；　and　she　flung　her　casket　into　the　sea。



When　they　had　sailed　for　some　time　longer；　the　brother　once

more　pointed　over　the　sea。　‘There　you　may　see　the　palace　to

which　we　are　bound；'　said　he。



‘What　is　my　brother　saying？'　asked　the　man's　daughter。



‘Now　he　says　that　you　are　to　throw　your　dog　into　the　sea；'

answered　the　step…mother。



The　man's　daughter　wept；　and　was　sorely　troubled；　for　Little

Snow　was　the　dearest　thing　she　had　on　earth；　but　at　last　she　threw

him　overboard。



‘If　my　brother　says　that；　I　must　do　it；　but　Heaven　knows　how

unwilling　I　am　to　throw　thee　out；　Little　Snow！'　said　she。



So　they　sailed　onwards　a　long　way　farther。



‘There　may'st　thou　see　the　King　coming　out　to　meet　thee；'　said

the　brother；　pointing　to　the　sea…shore。



‘What　is　my　brother　saying？'　asked　his　sister　again。



‘Now　he　says　that　you　are　to　make　haste　and　throw　yourself

overboard；'　answered　the　step…mother。



She　wept　and　she　wailed；　but　as　her　brother　had　said　that；　she

thought　she　must　do　it；　so　she　leaped　into　the　sea。



But　when　they　arrived　at　the　palace；　and　the　King　beheld　the　ugly

bride　with　a　nose　that　was　four　ells　long；　a　jaw　that　was　three　ells；　and

a　forehead　that　had　a　bush　in　the　middle　of　it；　he　was　quite　terrified；

but　the　wedding　feast　was　all　prepared；　as　regarded　brewing　and

baking；　and　all　the　wedding　guests　were　sitting　waiting；　so；　ugly

as　she　was；　the　King　was　forced　to　take　her。



But　he　was　very　wroth；　and　none　can　blame　him　for　that；　so　he

caused　the　brother　to　be　thrown　into　a　pit　full　of　snakes。



On　the　first　Thursday　night　after　this；　a　beautiful　maiden

came　into　the　kitchen　of　the　palace；　and　begged　the　kitchen…maid；

who　slept　there；　to　lend　her　a　brush。　She　begged　very　prettily；

and　got　it；　and　then　she　brushed　her　hair；　and　the　gold　dropped

from　it。



A　little　dog　was　with　her；　and　she　said　to　it；　‘Go　out；　Little

Snow；　and　see　if　it　will　soon　be　day！'



This　she　said　thrice；　and　the　third　time　that　she　sent　out　the

dog　to　see；　it　was　very　near　dawn。　Then　she　was　forced　to　depart；

but　as　she　went　she　said：





‘Out　on　thee；　ugly　Bushy　Bride；

Sleeping　so　soft　by　the　young　King's　side；

On　sand　and　stones　my　bed　I　make；

And　my　brother　sleeps　with　the　cold　snake；

　　Unpitied　and　unwept。'





I　shall　come　twice　more；　and　then　never　again；'　said　she。



In　the　morning　the　kitchen…maid　related　what　she　had　seen　and

heard；　and　the　King　said　that　next　Thursday　night　he　himself

would　watch　in　the　kitchen　and　see　if　this　were　true；　and　when　it

had　begun　to　grow　dark　he　went　out