45-hermod and hadvor-第1章

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HERMOD　AND　HADVOR　＇32＇



＇32＇　From　the　Icelandic。



Once　upon　a　time　there　were　a　King　and　a　Queen　who　had　an　only

daughter；　called　Hadvor；　who　was　fair　and　beautiful；　and　being　an

only　child；　was　heir　to　the　kingdom。　　The　King　and　Queen　had　also

a　foster　son；　named　Hermod；　who　was　just　about　the　same　age　as

Hadvor；　and　was　good…looking；　as　well　as　clever　at　most　things。　

Hermod　and　Hadvor　often　played　together　while　they　were　children；

and　liked　each　other　so　much　that　while　they　were　still　young

they　secretly　plighted　their　troth　to　each　other。



As　time　went　on　the　Queen　fell　sick；　and　suspecting　that　it　was

her　last　illness；　sent　for　the　King　to　come　to　her。　　When　he　came

she　told　him　that　she　had　no　long　time　to　live；　and　therefore

wished　to　ask　one　thing　of　him；　which　was；　that　if　he　married

another　wife　he　should　promise　to　take　no　other　one　than　the

Queen　of　Hetland　the　Good。　　The　King　gave　the　promise；　and

thereafter　the　Queen　died。



Time　went　past；　and　the　King；　growing　tired　of　living　alone；

fitted　out　his　ship　and　sailed　out　to　sea。　　As　he　sailed　there

came　upon　him　so　thick　a　mist　that　he　altogether　lost　his

bearings；　but　after　long　trouble　he　found　land。　　There　he　laid

his　ship　to；　and　went　on　shore　all　alone。　　After　walking　for　some

time　he　came　to　a　forest；　into　which　he　went　a　little　way　and

stopped。　　Then　he　heard　sweet　music　from　a　harp；　and　went　in　the

direction　of　the　sound　until　he　came　to　a　clearing；　and　there　he

saw　three　women；　one　of　whom　sat　on　a　golden　chair；　and　was

beautifully　and　grandly　dressed；　she　held　a　harp　in　her　hands；

and　was　very　sorrowful。　　The　second　was　also　finely　dressed；　but

younger　in　appearance；　and　also　sat　on　a　chair；　but　it　was　not　so

grand　as　the　first　one's。　　The　third　stood　beside　them；　and　was

very　pretty　to　look　at；　she　had　a　green　cloak　over　her　other

clothes；　and　it　was　easy　to　see　that　she　was　maid　to　the　other

two。



After　the　King　had　looked　at　them　for　a　little　he　went　forward

and　saluted　them。　　The　one　that　sat　on　the　golden　chair　asked　him

who　he　was　and　where　he　was　going；　and　he　told　her　all　the　story

how　he　was　a　king；　and　had　lost　his　queen；　and　was　now　on　his

way　to　Hetland　the　Good；　to　ask　the　Queen　of　that　country　in

marriage。　　She　answered　that　fortune　had　contrived　this

wonderfully；　for　pirates　had　plundered　Hetland　and　killed　the

King；　and　she　had　fled　from　the　land　in　terror；　and　had　come

hither　after　great　trouble；　and　she　was　the　very　person　he　was

looking　for；　and　the　others　were　her　daughter　and　maid。　　The　King

immediately　asked　her　hand；　she　gladly　received　his　proposal　and

accepted　him　at　once。　　Thereafter　they　all　set　out；　and　made

their　way　to　the　ship；　and　after　that　nothing　is　told　of　their

voyage　until　the　King　reached　his　own　country。　　There　he　made　a

great　feast；　and　celebrated　his　marriage　with　this　woman；　and

after　that　things　are　quiet　for　a　time。



Hermod　and　Hadvor　took　but　little　notice　of　the　Queen　and　her

daughter；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　Hadvor　and　the　Queen's　maid；

whose　name　was　Olof；　were　very　friendly；　and　Olof　came　often　to

visit　Hadvor　in　her　castle。　　Before　long　the　King　went　out　to

war；　and　no　sooner　was　he　away　than　the　Queen　came　to　talk　with

Hermod；　and　said　that　she　wanted　him　to　marry　her　daughter。　

Hermod　told　her　straight　and　plain　that　he　would　not　do　so；　at

which　the　Queen　grew　terribly　angry；　and　said　that　in　that　case

neither　should　he　have　Hadvor；　for　she　would　now　lay　this　spell

on　him；　that　he　should　go　to　a　desert　island　and　there　be　a　lion

by　day　and　a　man　by　night。　　He　should　also　think　always　of

Hadvor；　which　would　cause　him　all　the　more　sorrow；　and　from　this

spell　he　should　never　be　freed　until　Hadvor　burned　the　lion's

skin；　and　that　would　not　happen　very　soon。



As　soon　as　the　Queen　had　finished　her　speech　Hermod　replied　that

he　also　laid　a　spell　on　her；　and　that　was；　that　as　soon　as　he　was

freed　from　her　enchantments　she　should　become　a　rat　and　her

daughter　a　mouse；　and　fight　with　each　other　in　the　hall　until　he

killed　them　with　his　sword。



After　this　Hermod　disappeared；　and　no　one　knew　what　had　become　of

him；　the　Queen　caused　search　to　be　made　for　him；　but　he　could

nowhere　be　found。　　One　time；　when　Olof　was　in　the　castle　beside

Hadvor；　she　asked　the　Princess　if　she　knew　where　Hermod　had　gone

to。　　At　this　Hadvor　became　very　sad；　and　said　that　she　did　not。



'I　shall　tell　you　then；'　said　Olof；　'for　I　know　all　about　it。　

Hermod　has　disappeared　through　the　wicked　devices　of　the　Queen；

for　she　is　a　witch；　and　so　is　her　daughter；　though　they　have　put

on　these　beautiful　forms。　　Because　Hermod　would　not　fall　in　with

the　Queen's　plans；　and　marry　her　daughter；　she　has　laid　a　spell

on　him；　to　go　on　an　island　and　be　a　lion　by　day　and　a　man　by

night；　and　never　be　freed　from　this　until　you　burn　the　lion's

skin。　　Besides；'　said　Olof；　'she　has　looked　out　a　match　for　you；

she　has　a　brother　in　the　Underworld；　a　three…headed　Giant；　whom

she　means　to　turn　into　a　beautiful　prince　and　get　him　married　to

you。　　This　is　no　new　thing　for　the　Queen；　she　took　me　away　from

my　parents'　house　and　compelled　me　to　serve　her；　but　she　has

never　done　me　any　harm；　for　the　green　cloak　I　wear　protects　me

against　all　mischief。



Hadvor　now　became　still　sadder　than　before　at　the　thought　of　the

marriage　destined　for　her；　and　entreated　Olof　to　think　of　some

plan　to　save　her。



'I　think；'　said　Olof；　'that　your　wooer　will　come　up　through　the

floor　of　the　castle　to　you；　and　so　you　must　be　prepared　when　you

hear　the　noise　of　his　coming　and　the　floor　begins　to　open；　and

have　at　hand　blazing　pitch；　and　pour　plenty　of　it　into　the

opening。　　That　will　prove　too　much　for　him。'



About　this　time　the　King　came　home　from　his　expedition；　and

thought　it　a　great　blow　that　no　one　knew　what　had　become　of

Hermod；　but　the　Queen　consoled　him　as　best　she　could；　and　after　a

time　the　King　thought　less　about　his　disappearance。



Hadvor　remained　in　her　castle；　and　had　made　preparations　to

receive　her　wooer　when　he　came。　　One　night；　not　long　after；　a

loud　noise　and　rumbling　was　heard　under　the　castle。　　Hadvor　at

once　guessed　what　it　was；　and　told　her　maids　to　be　ready　to　help

her。　　The　noise　and　thundering　grew　louder　and　louder；　until　the

floor　began　to　open；　whereupon　Hadvor　made　them　take　the　caldron

of　pitch　and　pour　plenty　of　it　into　the　opening。　　With　that　the

noises　grew　fainter　and　fainter；　till　at　last　they　ceased

altogether。



Next　morning　the　Queen　rose　early；　and　went　out　to　the　Palace

gate；　and　there　she　found　her　brother　the　Giant　lying　dead。　　She

went　up　to　him　and　said；　'I　pronounce　this　spell；　that　you　become

a　beautiful　prince；　and　that　Hadvor　shall　be　unable　to　say

anything　against　the　charges　that　I　shall　bring　against　her。'



The　body　of　the　dead　Giant　now　became　that　of　a　beautiful　prince；

and　the　Queen　went　in　again。



'I　don't　think；'　said　she　to　the　King；　'that　your　daughter　is　as

good　as　she　is　said　to　be。　　My　brother　came　and　asked　her　hand；　

and　she　has　had　him　put　to　death。　　I　have　just　found　his　dead

body　lying　at　the　Palace　gate。'



The　King　went　along　with　the　Queen　to　see　the　body；　and　thought

it　all　very　strange；　so　beautiful　a　youth；　he　said；　would　have

been　a　worthy　match　for　Hadvor；　and　he　would　readily　have　agreed

to　their　marriage。　　The　Queen　asked　leave　to　decide　what　Hadvor's

punishment　should　be；　which　the　King　was　very　willing　to　allow；

so　as　to　escape　from　punishing　his　own　daughter。　　The　Queen's

decision　was　that　the　King　should　make　a　big　grave…mound　for　her

brother；　and　put　Hadvor　into　it　beside　him。



Olof　knew　all　the　plans　of　the　Queen；　and　went　to　tell　the

Princess　what　had　been　done；　whereupon　Hadvor　earnestly　entreated

her　to　tell　her　what　to　do。



'First　and　foremost；'　said　Olof；　'you　must　get　a　wide　cloak　to

wear　over　your　other　clothes；　when　you　are　put　into　the　mound。　

The　Giant's　ghost