第6章TheGnome

第6章thegnome

therewasonceuponatimearichkingwhohadthreedaughters,whodailywenttowalkinthepalacegarden,andthekingwasagreatloverofallkindsoffinetrees,buttherewasoneforwhichhehadsuchanaffection,thatifanyonegatheredanapplefromithewishedhimahundredfathomsunderground.andwhenharvesttimecame,theapplesonthistreewereallasredasblood.thethreedaughterswenteverydaybeneaththetree,andlookedtoseeifthewindhadnotblowndownanapple,buttheyneverbyanychancefoundone,andthetreewassoloadedwiththemthatitwasalmostbreaking,andthebrancheshungdowntotheground.thentheking'syoungestchildhadagreatdesireforanapple,andsaidtohersisters:“ourfatherlovesusfartoomuchtowishusunderground,itismybeliefthathewouldonlydothattopeoplewhowerestrangers.”andwhileshewasspeaking,thechildpluckedoffquitealargeapple,andrantohersisters,saying:“justtaste,mydearlittlesisters,forneverinmylifehaveitastedanythingsodelightful.”thenthetwoothersistersalsoatesomeoftheapple,whereuponallthreesankdeepdownintotheearth,wheretheycouldhearnocockcrow.

whenmiddaycame,thekingwishedtocallthemtocometodinner,buttheywerenowheretobefound.hesoughtthemeverywhereinthepalaceandgarden,butcouldnotfindthem.thenhewasmuchtroubled,andmadeknowntothewholelandthatwhosoeverbroughthisdaughtersbackagainshouldhaveoneofthemtowife.hereuponsomanyyoungmenwentaboutthecountryinsearch,thattherewasnocountingthem,foreveryonelovedthethreechildrenbecausetheyweresokindtoall,andsofairofface.threeyounghuntsmenalsowentout,andwhentheyhadtravelledaboutforeightdays,theyarrivedatagreatcastle,inwhichwerebeautifulapartments,andinoneroomatablewaslaidonwhichweredelicatedisheswhichwerestillsowarmthattheyweresmoking,butinthewholeofthecastlenohumanbeingwaseithertobeseenorheard.theywaitedthereforhalfaday,andthefoodstillremainedwarmandsmoking,andatlengththeyweresohungrythattheysatdownandate,andagreedwitheachotherthattheywouldstayandliveinthatcastle,andthatoneofthem,whoshouldbechosenbycastinglots,shouldremaininthehouse,andthetwoothersseektheking'sdaughters.theycastlots,andthelotfellontheeldest;sonextdaythetwoyoungerwentouttoseek,andtheeldesthadtostayathome.atmiddayasmall,smallmannikincameandedforapieceofbread,thenthehuntsmantookthebreadwhichhehadfoundthere,andcutaroundofftheloafandwasabouttogiveittohim,butwhilehewasgivingittothemannikin,thelatterletitfall,andaskedthehuntsmantobesogoodastogivehimthatpieceagain.thehuntsmanwasabouttodosoandstooped,onwhichthemannikintookastick,seizedhimbythehair,andgavehimagoodbeating.nextday,thesecondstayedathome,andhefarednobetter.whenthetwoothersreturnedintheevening,theeldestsaid:“well,howhaveyougoton?”  “oh,verybadly,”saidhe,andthentheylamentedtheirmisfortunetogether,buttheysaidnothingaboutittotheyoungest,fortheydidnotlikehimatall,andalwayscalledhimstupidhans,becausehedidnotknowthewaysoftheworld.onthethirdday,theyoungeststayedathome,andagainthelittlemannikincameedforapieceofbread.whentheyouthgaveittohim,theelfletitfallasbefore,andaskedhimtobesogoodastogivehimthatpieceagain.thensaidhanstothelittlemannikin,“what!canyounotpickupthatpieceyourself?ifyouwillnottakeasmuchtroubleasthatforyourdailybread,youdonotdeservetohaveit.”thenthemannikingrewveryangryandsaidhewastodoit,butthehuntsmanwouldnot,andtookmydearmannikin,andgavehimathoroughbeating.thenthemannikinscreamedterribly,andcried:“stop,stop,andletmego,andiwilltellyouwheretheking'sdaughtersare.”whenhansheardthat,heleftoffbeatinghimandthemannikintoldhimthathewasagnome,andthatthereweremorethanathousandlikehim,andthatifhewouldgowithhimhewouldshowhimwheretheking'sdaughterswere.thenheshowedhimadeepwell,buttherewasnowaterinit.andtheelfsaidthatheknewwellthatthecompanionshanshadwithhimdidnotintendtodealhonourablywithhim,thereforeifhewishedtodelivertheking'schildren,hemustdoitalone.thetwootherbrotherswouldalsobeverygladtorecovertheking'sdaughters,buttheydidnotwanttohaveanytroubleordanger.hanswasthereforetotakealargebasket,andhemustseathimselfinitwithhishuntingknifeandabell,andbeletdown.belowwerethreerooms,andineachofthemwasaprincess,whowaslousingadragonwithmanyheads,whichhemustcutoff.andhavingsaidallthis,theelfvanished.whenitwaseveningthetwobrotherscameandaskedhowhehadgoton,andhesaid:“prettywellsofar,”andthathehadseennooneexceptatmiddaywhenalittlemannikinhadcomeandedforapieceofbread,thathehadgivensometohim,butthatthemannikinhadletitfallandhadaskedhimtopickitupagain;butashedidnotchoosetodothat,theelfhadbeguntoscold,andthathehadlosthistemper,andhadgiventheelfabeating,atwhichhehadtoldhimwheretheking'sdaughterswere.thenthetwoweresoangryatthisthattheygrewgreenandyellow.nextmorningtheywentto.thewelltogether,anddrewlotswhoshouldfirstseathimselfinthebasket,andagainthelotfellontheeldest,andhewastoseathimselfinit,andtakethebellwithhim.thenhesaid:“ifiring,youmustdrawmeupagainimmediately.”whenhehadgonedownforashortdistance,herang,andtheyatoncedrewhimupagain.thenthesecondseatedhimselfinthebasket,buthedidjustthesameasthefirst,andthenitwastheturnoftheyoungest,buthelethimselfbeloweredquitetothebottom.whenhehadgotoutofthebasket,hetookhisknife,andwentandstoodoutsidethefirstdoorandlistened,andheardthedragonsnoringquiteloudly.heopenedthedoorslowly,andoneoftheprincesseswassittingthere,andhadninedragons’headslyinguponherlap,andwaslousingthem.thenhetookhisknifeandhewedatthem,andtheninefelloff.theprincesssprangup,threwherarmsroundhisneck,embracedandkissedhimrepeatedly,andtookherstomacher,whichwasofpuregold,andhungitroundhisneck.thenhewenttothesecondprincess,whohadadragonwithfiveheadstolouse,anddeliveredheralso,andtotheyoungest,whohadadragonwithfourheads,hewentlikewise.andtheyallrejoiced,andembracedhimandkissedhimwithoutstopping.thenherangveryloud,sothatthoseaboveheardhim,andheplacedtheprincessesoneaftertheotherinthebasket,andhadthemalldrawnup,butwhenitcametohisownturnherememberedthewordsoftheelf,whohadtoldhimthathiscomradesdidnotmeanwellbyhim.sohetookagreatstonewhichwaslyingthere,andplaceditinthebasket,andwhenitwasabouthalfwayup,hisfalsebrothersabovecuttherope,sothatthebasketwiththestonefelltotheground,andtheythoughtthathewasdead,andranawaywiththethreeprincesses,makingthempromisetotelltheirfatherthatitwastheywhohaddeliveredthem.thentheywenttotheking,andeachdemandedaprincessinmarriage.

inthemeantimetheyoungesthuntsmanwaswanderingaboutthethreechambersingreattrouble,fullyexpectingtohavetoendhisdaysthere,whenhesaw,hangingonthewall,aflute;thensaidhe:“whydoyouhangthere?noonecanbemerryhere.”helookedatthedragons'headslikewiseandsaid:“youtoocannothelpmenow.”hewalkedtoandfroforsuchalongtimethathemadethesurfaceofthegroundquitesmooth.butatlastotherthoughtscametohismind,andhetooktheflutefromthewall,andplayedafewnotesonit,andsuddenlyanumberofelvesappeared,andwitheverynotethathesoundedonemorecame.thenheplayeduntiltheroomwasentirelyfilled.theyallaskedwhathedesired,sohesaidhewishedtogetabovegroundbacktodaylight,onwhichtheyseizedhimbyeveryhairthatgrewonhishead,andthustheyflewwithhimontotheearthagain.whenhewasaboveground;heatoncewenttotheking'spalace,justastheweddingofoneprincesswasabouttobecelebrated,andhewenttotheroomwherethekingandhisthreedaughterswere.whentheprincessessawhimtheyfainted.hereuponthekingwasangry,andorderedhimtobeputinprisonatonce,becausehethoughthemusthavedonesomeinjurytothechildren.whentheprincessescametothemselves,however,theyentreatedthekingtosethimfreeagain.thekingaskedwhy,andtheysaidthattheywerenotallowedtotellthat,buttheirfathersaidthattheyweretotellittothestove.andhewentout,listenedatthedoor,andheardeverything.thenhecausedthetwobrotherstobehangedonthegallows,andtothethirdhegavehisyoungestdaughter,andonthatoccasioniworeapairofglassshoes,andistruckthemagainstastone,andtheysaid“klink,”andwerebroken.