37-prince ring-第2章

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next　morning；　and　see　which　of　them　could　do　most　work。　

Snati…Snati　heard　this　and　told　it　to　Ring；　advising　him　to　ask

the　King　for　two　axes；　so　that　he　might　have　one　in　reserve　if

the　first　one　got　broken。　　Next　morning　the　King　asked　Ring　and

Red　to　go　and　cut　down　trees　for　him；　and　both　agreed。　　Ring　got

the　two　axes；　and　each　went　his　own　way；　but　when　the　Prince　had

got　out　into　the　wood　Snati　took　one　of　the　axes　and　began　to　hew

along　with　him。　　In　the　evening　the　King　came　to　look　over　their

day's　work；　as　Red　had　proposed；　and　found　that　Ring's　wood…heap

was　more　than　twice　as　big。



'I　suspected；'　said　the　King；　'that　Ring　was　not　quite　useless；

never　have　I　seen　such　a　day's　work。'



Ring　was　now　in　far　greater　esteem　with　the　King　than　before；　and

Red　was　all　the　more　discontented。　　One　day　he　came　to　the　King

and　said；　'If　Ring　is　such　a　mighty　man；　I　think　you　might　ask

him　to　kill　the　wild　oxen　in　the　wood　here；　and　flay　them　the

same　day；　and　bring　you　the　horns　and　the　hides　in　the　evening。'



'Don't　you　think　that　a　desperate　errand？'　said　the　King；　'seeing

they　are　so　dangerous；　and　no　one　has　ever　yet　ventured　to　go

against　them？'



Red　answered　that　he　had　only　one　life　to　lose；　and　it　would　be

interesting　to　see　how　brave　he　was；　besides；　the　King　would　have

good　reason　to　ennoble　him　if　he　overcame　them。　　The　King　at　last

allowed　himself；　though　rather　unwillingly；　to　be　won　over　by

Red's　persistency；　and　one　day　asked　Ring　to　go　and　kill　the　oxen

that　were　in　the　wood　for　him；　and　bring　their　horns　and　hides　to

him　in　the　evening。　　Not　knowing　how　dangerous　the　oxen　were；

Ring　was　quite　ready；　and　went　off　at　once；　to　the　great　delight

of　Red；　who　was　now　sure　of　his　death。



As　soon　as　Ring　came　in　sight　of　the　oxen　they　came　bellowing　to

meet　him；　one　of　them　was　tremendously　big；　the　other　rather

less。　　Ring　grew　terribly　afraid。



'How　do　you　like　them？'　asked　Snati。



'Not　well　at　all；'　said　the　Prince。



'We　can　do　nothing　else；'　said　Snati；　'than　attack　them；　if　it　is

to　go　well；　you　will　go　against　the　little　one；　and　I　shall　take

the　other。'



With　this　Snati　leapt　at　the　big　one；　and　was　not　long　in

bringing　him　down。　　Meanwhile　the　Prince　went　against　the　other

with　fear　and　trembling；　and　by　the　time　Snati　came　to　help　him

the　ox　had　nearly　got　him　under；　but　Snati　was　not　slow　in

helping　his　master　to　kill　it。



Each　of　them　then　began　to　flay　their　own　ox；　but　Ring　was　only

half　through　by　the　time　Snati　had　finished　his。　　In　the　evening；

after　they　had　finished　this　task；　the　Prince　thought　himself

unfit　to　carry　all　the　horns　and　both　the　hides；　so　Snati　told

him　to　lay　them　all　on　his　back　until　they　got　to　the　Palace

gate。



The　Prince　agreed；　and　laid　everything　on　the　Dog　except　the　skin

of　the　smaller　ox；　which　he　staggered　along　with　himself。　　At　the

Palace　gate　he　left　everything　lying；　went　before　the　King；　and

asked　him　to　come　that　length　with　him；　and　there　handed　over　to

him　the　hides　and　horns　of　the　oxen。　　The　King　was　greatly

surprised　at　his　valour；　and　said　he　knew　no　one　like　him；　and

thanked　him　heartily　for　what　he　had　done。



After　this　the　King　set　Ring　next　to　himself；　and　all　esteemed

him　highly；　and　held　him　to　be　a　great　hero；　nor　could　Red　any

longer　say　anything　against　him；　though　he　grew　still　more

determined　to　destroy　him。　　One　day　a　good　idea　came　into　his

head。　　He　came　to　the　King　and　said　he　had　something　to　say　to

him。



'What　is　that？'　said　the　King。



Red　said　that　he　had　just　remembered　the　gold　cloak；　gold

chess…board；　and　bright　gold　piece　that　the　King　had　lost　about　a

year　before。



'Don't　remind　me　of　them！'　said　the　King。



Red；　however；　went　on　to　say　that；　since　Ring　was　such　a　mighty

man　that　he　could　do　everything；　it　had　occurred　to　him　to　advise

the　King　to　ask　him　to　search　for　these　treasures；　and　come　back

with　them　before　Christmas；　in　return　the　King　should　promise　him

his　daughter。



The　King　replied　that　he　thought　it　altogether　unbecoming　to

propose　such　a　thing　to　Ring；　seeing　that　he　could　not　tell　him

where　the　things　were；　but　Red　pretended　not　to　hear　the　King's

excuses；　and　went　on　talking　about　it　until　the　King　gave　in　to

him。　　One　day；　a　month　or　so　before　Christmas；　the　King　spoke　to

Ring；　saying　that　he　wished　to　ask　a　great　favour　of　him。



'What　is　that？'　said　Ring。



'It　is　this；'　said　the　King：　'that　you　find　for　me　my　gold　cloak；

my　gold　chess…board；　and　my　bright　gold　piece；　that　were　stolen

from　me　about　a　year　ago。　　If　you　can　bring　them　to　me　before

Christmas　I　will　give　you　my　daughter　in　marriage。'



'Where　am　I　to　look　for　them；　then？'　said　Ring。



'That　you　must　find　out　for　yourself；'　said　the　King：　'I　don't

know。'



Ring　now　left　the　King；　and　was　very　silent；　for　he　saw　he　was　in

a　great　difficulty：　but；　on　the　other　hand；　he　thought　it　was

excellent　to　have　such　a　chance　of　winning　the　King's　daughter。　

Snati　noticed　that　his　master　was　at　a　loss；　and　said　to　him　that

he　should　not　disregard　what　the　King　had　asked　him　to　do；　but　he

would　have　to　act　upon　his　advice；　otherwise　he　would　get　into

great　difficulties。　　The　Prince　assented　to　this；　and　began　to

prepare　for　the　journey。



After　he　had　taken　leave　of　the　King；　and　was　setting　out　on　the

search；　Snati　said　to　him；　'Now　you　must　first　of　all　go　about

the　neighbourhood；　and　gather　as　much　salt　as　ever　you　can。'　　The

Prince　did　so；　and　gathered　so　much　salt　that　he　could　hardly

carry　it；　but　Snati　said；　'Throw　it　on　my　back；'　which　he

accordingly　did；　and　the　Dog　then　ran　on　before　the　Prince；　until

they　came　to　the　foot　of　a　steep　cliff。



'We　must　go　up　here；'　said　Snati。



'I　don't　think　that　will　be　child's　play；'　said　the　Prince。



'Hold　fast　by　my　tail；'　said　Snati；　and　in　this　way　he　pulled

Ring　up　on　the　lowest　shelf　of　the　rock。　　The　Prince　began　to　get

giddy；　but　up　went　Snati　on　to　the　second　shelf。　　Ring　was　nearly

swooning　by　this　time；　but　Snati　made　a　third　effort　and　reached

the　top　of　the　cliff；　where　the　Prince　fell　down　in　a　faint。　

After　a　little；　however；　he　recovered　again；　and　they　went　a

short　distance　along　a　level　plain；　until　they　came　to　a　cave。　

This　was　on　Christmas　Eve。　　They　went　up　above　the　cave；　and

found　a　window　in　it；　through　which　they　looked；　and　saw　four

trolls　lying　asleep　beside　the　fire；　over　which　a　large

porridge…pot　was　hanging。



'Now　you　must　empty　all　the　salt　into　the　porridge…pot；'　said

Snati。　



Ring　did　so；　and　soon　the　trolls　wakened　up。　　The　old　hag；　who

was　the　most　frightful　of　them　all；　went　first　to　taste　the

porridge。



'How　comes　this？'　she　said；　'the　porridge　is　salt！　　I　got　the

milk　by　witchcraft　yesterday　out　of　four　kingdoms；　and　now　it　is

salt！'



All　the　others　then　came　to　taste　the　porridge；　and　thought　it

nice；　but　after　they　had　finished　it　the　old　hag　grew　so　thirsty

that　she　could　stand　it　no　longer；　and　asked　her　daughter　to　go

out　and　bring　her　some　water　from　the　river　that　ran　near　by。



'I　won't　go；'　said　she；　'unless　you　lend　me　your　bright　gold

piece。'



'Though　I　should　die　you　shan't　have　that；'　said　the　hag。



'Die；　then；'　said　the　girl。



'Well；　then；　take　it；　you　brat；'　said　the　old　hag；　'and　be　off

with　you；　and　make　haste　with　the　water。'



The　girl　took　the　gold　and　ran　out　with　it；　and　it　was　so　bright

that　it　shone　all　over　the　plain。　　As　soon　as　she　came　to　the

river　she　lay　down　to　take　a　drink　of　the　water；　but　meanwhile

the　two　of　them　had　got　down　off　the　roof　and　thrust　her；　head

first；　into　the　river。



The　old　hag　began　now　to　long　for　the　water；　and　said　that　the

girl　would　be　running　about　with　the　gold　piece　all　over　the

plain；　so　she　asked　her　son　to　go　and　get　her　a　drop　of　water。



'I　won't　go；'　said　he；　'unless　I　get　the　gold　cloak。'



'Though　I　should　die