第19章ThePoorMiller’sBoyandtheCat

第19章thepoormiller’sboyandthecat

inacertainmilllivedanoldmillerwhohadneitherwifenorchild,andthereapprenticesservedunderhim.astheyhadbeenwithhimseveralyears,heonedaysaidtothem:“iamold,andwanttositbehindthestove.goout,andwhichsoeverofyoubringsmethebesthorsehome,tohimwilligivethemill,andinreturnforitlieshalltakecareofmetillmydeath.”thethirdoftheboys,however,wasthedunce,whowaslookedonasfoolishbytheothers;theybegrudgedthemilltohim;andafterwardshewouldnotevenhaveit.thenallthreewentouttogether,andwhentheycametothevillage,thetwosaidtostupidhans:“youmayjustaswellstayhere,aslongasyouliveyouwillnevergetahorse.”hans,however,wentwiththem,andwhenitwasnighttheycametoacaveinwhichtheylaydowntosleep.thetwosmartoneswaiteduntilhanshadfallenasleep,thentheywentup,andwentawayleavinghimwherehewas.andtheythoughttheyhaddoneaverycleverthing,butitwascertaintoturnoutillforthem.whenthesunrose,andhanswokeup,hewaslyinginadeepcavern.helookedaroundoneverysideandexclaimed:“oh,heavens,whereami?”thenhegotupandclamberedoutofthecave,wentintotheforest,andthought:“hereiamquitealoneanddeserted,howshalliobtainahorsenow?”whilsthewasthuswalkingfullofthought,hemetasmalltabby-catwhichsaidquitekindly:“hans,whereareyougoing?”“alas,youcannothelpme.”“iwellknowyourdesire,”saidthecat.“youwishtohaveabeautifulhorse.comewithme,andbemyfaithfulservantforsevenyearslong,andtheniwillgiveyouonemorebeautifulthananyyouhaveeverseeninyourwholelife.”“well,thisisastrangecat!”thoughthans,“butiamdeterminedtoseeifsheistellingthetruth.”soshetookhimwithherintoherenchantedcastle,wheretherewerenothingbutkittenswhowereherservants.theyleaptnimblyupstairsanddownstairs,andweremerryandhappy.intheeveningwhentheysatdowntodinner,threeofthemhadtomakemusic.oneplayedthebassviol,theotherthefiddle,andthethirdputthetrumpettohislips,andblewouthischeeksasmuchashepossiblycould.whentheyhaddined,thetablewascarriedaway,andthecatsaid:“now,hans,comeanddancewithme.”“no,”saidhe,“iwon'tdancewithapussycat.ihaveneverdonethatyet.”“thentakehimtobed.”saidshetothecats.sooneofthemlightedhimtohisbedroom,onepulledhisshoesoff,onehisstockings,andatlastoneofthemblewoutthecandle.nextmorningtheyreturnedandhelpedhimoutofbed,oneputhisstockingsonforhim,onetiedhisgarters,onebroughthisshoes,onewashedhim,andonedriedhisfacewithhertail.“thatfeelsverysoft!”saidhans.he,however,hadtoservethecat,andchopsomewoodeveryday,andtodothat,hehadanaxeofsilver,andthewedgeandsawwereofsilverandthemalletofcopper.sohechoppedthewoodsmall;stayedthereinthehouseandhadgoodmeatanddrink,butneversawanyonebutthetabby-catandherservants.onceshesaidtohim:“goandmowmymeadow,anddrythegrass,”andgavehimascytheofsilver,andawhetstoneofgold,butbadehimdeliverthemupagaincarefully.sohanswentthither,anddidwhathewasbidden,andwhenhehadfinishedthework,hecarriedthescythe,whetstone,andhaytothehouse,andaskedifitwasnotyettimeforhertogivehimhisreward.“no,”saidthecat,“youmustfirstdosomethingmoreformeofthesamekind.thereistimberofsilver,carpenter'saxe,square,andeverythingthatisneedful,allofsilver—withthesebuildmeasmallhouse.”thenhansbuiltthesmallhouse,andsaidthathehadnowdoneeverything,andstillhehadnohorse.nevertheless,thesevenyearshadgonebywithhimasiftheyweresixmonths.thecataskedhimifhewouldliketoseeherhorses.“yes,”saidhans.thensheopenedthedoorofthesmallhouse,andwhenshehadopenedit,therestoodtwelvehorses—suchhorses,sobrightandshining,thathisheartrejoicedatthesightofthem.andnowshegavehimtoeatandtodrink,andsaid:“gohome,iwillnotgiveyouyourhorsenow;butinthreedays'timeiwillfollowyouandbringit.”sohanssetout,andsheshowedhimthewaytothemill.she,however,hadneveroncegivenhimanewcoat,andhehadbeenobligedtokeeponhisdirtyoldsmock,whichhehadbroughtwithhim,andwhichduringthesevenyearshadeverywherebecometoosmallforhim.whenhereachedhome,thetwootherapprenticeswerethereagainaswell,andeachofthemcertainlyhadbroughtahorsewithhim,butoneofthemwasablindone,andtheotherlame.theyaskedhanswherehishorsewas.“itwillfollowmeinthreedays'time.”thentheylaughedandsaid:“indeed,stupidhans,wherewillyougetahorse?itwillbeafineone!”hanswentintotheparlour,butthemillersaidheshouldnotsitdowntotable,forhewassoedandtorn,thattheywouldallbeashamedofhimifanyonecamein.sotheygavehimamouthfuloffoodoutside,andatnight,whentheywenttorest,thetwootherswouldnotlethimhaveabed,andatlasthewasforcedtocreepintothegoose-house,andliedownonalittlehardstraw.inthemorningwhenheawoke,thethreedayshadpassed,andacoachcamewithsixhorsesandtheyshonesobrightthatitwasdelightfultoseethem!aservantbroughtaseventhaswell,whichwasforthepoormiller'sboy.andamagnificentprincessalightedfromthecoachandwentintothemill,andthisprincesswasthelittletabby-catwhompoorhanshadservedforsevenyears.sheaskedthemillerwherethemiller’sboyandduncewas.thenthemillersaid:“wecannothavehimhereinthemill,forheissoed;heislyinginthegoosehouse.”thentheking’sdaughtersaidthattheyweretobringhimimmediately.sotheybroughthimout,andhehadtoholdhislittlesmocktogethertocoverhimself.theservantsunpackedsplendidgarments,andwashedhimanddressedhim,andwhenthatwasdone,nokingcouldhavelookedmorehandsome.thenthemaidendesiredtoseethehorseswhichtheotherapprenticeshadbroughthomewiththem,andoneofthemwasblindandtheotherlame.sosheorderedtheservanttobringtheseventhhorse,andwhenthemillersawit,hesaidthatsuchahorseasthathadneveryetenteredhisyard.“andthatisforthethirdmiller’sboy,”saidshe.“thenhemusthavethemill,”saidthemiller,buttheking’sdaughtersaidthatthehorsewasthere,andthathewastokeephismillaswell,andtookherfaithfulhansandsethiminthecoach,anddroveawaywithhim.theyfirstdrovetothelittlehousewhichhehadbuiltwiththesilvertools,andbeholditwasagreatcastle,andeverythinginsideitwasofsilverandgold;andthenshemarriedhim,andhewasrich,sorichthathehadenoughforalltherestofhislife.afterthis,letnooneeversaythatanyonewhoissillycanneverbecomeapersonofimportance.