第8章TheRaven

第8章theraven

therewasonceuponatimeaqueenwhohadalittledaughterwhowasstillsoyoungthatshehadtobecarried.onedaythechildwasnaughty,andthemothermightsaywhatsheliked,butthechildwouldnotbequiet.thenshebecameimpatient,andastheravenswereflyingaboutthepalace,sheopenedthewindowandsaid:“iwishyouwerearavenandwouldflyaway,andthenishouldhavesomerest.”scarcelyhadshespokenthewords,beforethechildwaschangedintoaraven,andflewfromherarmsoutofthewindow.itflewintoadarkforest,andstayedinitalongtime,andtheparentsheardnothingoftheirchild.thenonedayamanwasonhiswaythroughthisforestandheardtheravencrying,andfollowedthevoice,andwhenhecamenearer,thebirdsaid:“iamaking'sdaughterbybirth,andambewitched,butyoucansetmefree.”“whatamitodo?”askedhe.shesaid:“gofurtherintotheforest,andyouwillfindahouse,whereinsitsanagedwoman,whowillofferyoumeatanddrink,butyoumustacceptnothing;forifyoueatanddrinkanything,youwillfallintoasleep,andthenyouwillnotbeabletosetmefree.inthegardenbehindthehousethereisagreatheapoftan,andonthisyoushallstandandwaitforme.forthreedaysiwillcomeeveryafternoonattwoo'clockinacarriage.onthefirstdayfourwhitehorseswillbeharnessedtoit,thenfourchestnuthorses,andlastlyfourblackones;butifyouarenotawake,butsleeping,ishallnotbesetfree.”themanpromisedtodoeverythingthatshedesired,buttheravensaid:“alas!iknowalreadythatyouwillnotsetmefree;youwillacceptsomethingfromthewoman.”thenthemanoncemorepromisedthathewouldcertainlynottouchanythingeithertoeatortodrink.butwhenheenteredthehousetheoldwomancametohimandsaid:“poorman,howfaintyouare;comeandrefreshyourself;eatanddrink.”“no,”saidtheman,“iwillnoteatordrink.”she,however,lethimhavenopeace,andsaid:“ifyouwillnoteat,takeonedrinkoutoftheglass;oneisnothing.”thenhelethimselfbepersuaded,anddrank.shortlybeforetwoo'clockintheafternoonhewentintothegardentothetanheaptowaitfortheraven.ashewasstandingthere,hiswearinessallatoncebecamesogreatthathecouldnotleagainstit,andlaydownforashorttime,buthewasdeterminednottogotosleep.hardly,however,hadhelaindown,thanhiseyesclosedoftheirownaccord,andhefellasleepandsleptsosoundlythatnothingintheworldcouldhavearousedhim.attwoo'clocktheravencamedrivingupwithfourwhitehorses,butshewasalreadyindeepgriefandsaid:“iknowheisasleep.”andwhenshecameintothegarden,hewasindeedlyingthereasleepontheheapoftan.shealightedfromthecarriage,wenttohim,shookhim,andcalledhim,buthedidnotawake.nextdayaboutnoon,theoldwomancameagainandbroughthimfoodanddrinkbuthewouldnottakeanyofit.butshelethimhavenorestandpersuadedhimuntilatlengthheagaintookonedrinkoutoftheglass.towardstwoo'clockhewentintothegardentothetanheaptowaitfortheraven,butallatoncefeltsuchagreatwearinessthathislimbswouldnolongersupporthim.hecouldnothelphimself,andwasforcedtoliedown,andfellintoaheavysleep.whentheravendroveupwithfourbrownhorses,shewasalreadyfullofgrief,andsaid:“iknowheisasleep.”shewenttohim,buttherehelaysleeping,andtherewasnowakeninghim.nextdaytheoldwomanaskedwhatwasthemeaningofthis?hewasneithereatingnordrinkinganything;didhewanttodie?hereplied:“iamnotallowedtoeatordrink,andwillnotdoso.”butshesetadishwithfood,andaglasswithwinebeforehim,andwhenhesmeltithecouldnotresist,andswallowedadeepdraught.whenthetimecame,hewentoutintothegardentotheheapoftan,andwaitedfortheking'sdaughter;buthebecamestillmorewearythanonthedaybefore,andlaydownandsleptassoundlyasifhehadbeenastone.attwoo'clocktheravencamewithfourblackhorses,andthecoachmanandeverythingelsewasblack.shewasalreadyinthedeepestgrief,andsaid:“iknowthatheisasleepandcannotsetmefree.”whenshecametohim,therehewaslyingfastasleep.sheshookhimandcalledhim,butshecouldnotwakenhim.thenshelaidaloafbesidehim,andafterthatapieceofmeat,andthirdlyabottleofwine,andhemightconsumeasmuchofallofthemasheliked,buttheywouldnevergrowless.afterthisshetookagoldringfromherfinger,andputitonhis,andhernamewasgravenonit.lastly,shelaidaletterbesidehimwhereinwaswrittenwhatshehadgivenhim,andthatnoneofthethingswouldevergrowless;andinitwasalsowritten:“iseerightwellthathereyouwillneverbeabletosetmefree,butifyouarestillwillingtodoso,cometothegoldencastleofstromberg;itliesinyourpower,ofthatiamcertain.”andwhenshehadgivenhimallthesethings,sheseatedherselfinhercarriage,anddrovetothegoldencastleofstromberg.

whenthemanawokeandsawthathehadslept,hewassadatheart,andsaid:“shehascertainlydrivenby,andihavenotsetherfree.”thenheperceivedthethingswhichwerelyingbesidehim,andreadtheletterwhereinwaswrittenhoweverythinghadhappened.sohearoseandwentaway,intendingtogotothegoldencastleofstromberg,buthedidnotknowwhereitwas.afterhehadwalkedabouttheworldforalongtime,heenteredintoadarkforest,andwalkedforfourteendays,andstillcouldnotfindhiswayout.thenitwasoncemoreevening,andhewassotiredthathelaydowninathicketandfellasleep.nextdayhewentonwards,andintheevening,ashewasagainabouttoliedownbeneathsomebushes,heheardsuchahowlingandcryingthathecouldnotgotosleep.andatthetimewhenpeoplelightthecandles,hesawoneglimmering,andaroseandwenttowardsit.thenhecametoahousewhichseemedverysmall,forinfrontofitagreatgiantwasstanding.hethoughttohimself:“ifigoinandthegiantseesme,itwillverylikelycostmemylife.”atlengthheventureditandwentin.whenthegiantsawhim,hesaid:“itiswellthatyoucome,foritislongsinceihaveeaten;iwillatoncedevouryouformysupper.”“i'dratheryoudidnot,”saidtheman,“idonotliketobeeaten;butifyouhaveanydesiretoeat,ihavequiteenoughheretosatisfyyou.”“ifthatbetrue,”saidthegiant,“youmaybeeasy,iwasonlygoingtodevouryoubecauseihadnothingelse.”thentheywent,andsatdowntothetable,andthemantookoutthebread,wine,andmeatwhichwouldnevercometoanend.“thispleasesmewell,”saidthegiant,andatetohisheart'scontent.thenthemansaidtohim:“canyoutellmewherethegoldencastleofstrombergis?”thegiantsaid:“iwilllookatmymap;allthetowns,andvillages,andhousesaretobefoundonit.”hebroughtoutthemapwhichhehadintheroomandlookedforthecastle,butitwasnottobefoundonit.“it'snomatter!”saidhe,“ihavesomestilllargermapsinmycupboardupstairs,andwewilllookatthem.”butthere,too,itwasinvain.themannowwantedtosetoutagain,butthegiantedhimtowaitafewdayslongeruntilhisbrother,whohadgoneouttobringsomeprovisions,camehome.whenthebrothercamehometheyinquiredaboutthegoldencastleofstromberg.hereplied:“whenihaveeatenandhavehadenough,iwilllookatthemap.”thenhewentwiththemuptohischamber,andtheysearchedonhismap,butcouldnotfindit.thenhebroughtoutstilloldermaps,andtheyneverresteduntiltheyfoundthegoldencastleofstromberg,butitwasmanythousandmilesaway.“howamitogetthere?”askedtheman.thegiantsaid:“ihavetwohours'time,duringwhichiwillcarryyouintotheneighbourhood,butafterthatimustbeathometosucklethechildthatwehave.”sothegiantcarriedthemantoaboutahundredleaguesfromthecastle,andsaid:“youcanverywellwalktherestofthewayalone.”andheturnedback,butthemanwentonwardsdayandnight,untilatlengthhecametothegoldencastleofstromberg.itstoodonaglass-mountain,andthebewitchedmaidenwasdrivinginhercarriageroundthecastle,andthenwentinsideit.herejoicedwhenhesawherandwantedtoclimbuptoher,butwhenhebegantodosohealwaysslippeddowntheglassagain.andwhenhesawthathecouldnotreachher,hewasveryworried,andsaidtohimself:“iwillstaydownherebelow,andwaitforher.”sohebuilthimselfahutandstayedinitforawholeyear,andeverydaysawtheking'sdaughterdrivingaboutabove,butnevercouldreachher.

thenonedayhesawfromhishutthreerobberswhowerebeatingeachother,andcriedtothem:“godbewithyou!”theystoppedwhentheyheardthecry,butastheysawnoone,theyoncemorebegantobeateachother,andthattoomostdangerously.soheagaincried:“godbewithyou.”againtheystopped,lookedroundabout,butastheysawnoonetheywentonbeatingeachother.thenhecriedforthethirdtime:“godbewithyou,”andthought:“imustseewhatthesethreeareabout,”andwentthitherandaskedwhytheywerebeatingeachothersofuriously.oneofthemsaidthathehadfoundastick,andthatwhenhestruckadoorwithit,thatdoorwouldspringopen.thenextsaidthathehadfoundamantle,andthatwheneverheputiton,hewasinvisible,butthethirdsaidhehadfoundahorseonwhichamancouldrideeverywhere,evenuptheglass-mountain.andnowtheydidnotknowwhethertheyoughttohavethesethingsincommon,orwhethertheyoughttodividethem.thenthemansaid:“iwillgiveyousomethinginexchangeforthesethreethings.moneyindeedhaveinot,butihaveotherthingsofmorevalue;butfirstimustmakeanexperimenttoseeifyouhavetoldthetruth.”thentheyputhimonthehorse,threwthemantleroundhim,andgavehimthestickinhishand,andwhenhehadallthesethingstheywerenolongerabletoseehim.sohegavethemsomevigorousblowsandcried:“now,vagabonds,youhavegowhatyoudeserve;areyousatisfied?”andherodeuptheglassmountain,butwhenhecameinfrontofthecastleatthetop,itwasshut.thenhestruckthedoorwithhisstick,anditsprangopenimmediately.hewentinandascendedthestairsuntilhecametothehallwherethemaidenwassittingwithagoldengobletofwinebeforeher.she,however,couldnotseehimbecausehehadthemantleon.andwhenhecameuptoher,hedrewfromhisfingertheringwhichshehadgivenhim,andthrewitintothegobletsothatitrang.thenshecried:“thatismyring,sothemanwhoistosetmefreemustbehere.”theysearchedthewholecastleanddidnotfindhim,buthehadgoneout,andhadseatedhimselfonthehorseandthrownoffthemantle.whentheycametothedoor,theysawhimandcriedaloudintheirdelight.thenhealightedandtooktheking'sdaughterinhisarms,butshekissedhimandsaid:“nowhaveyousetmefree,andto-morrowwewillcelebrateourwedding.”