第15章Bearskin

第15章bearskin

therewasonceayoungfellowwhoenlistedasasoldier,conductedhimselfbravely,andwasalwaystheforemostwhenitrainedbullets.solongasthewarlasted,allwentwell,butwhenpeacewasmade,hereceivedhisdismissal,andthecaptainsaidhemightgowhereheliked.hisparentsweredead,andhehadnolongerahome,sohewenttohisbrothersandedthemtotakehimin,andkeephimuntilwarbrokeoutagain.thebrothers,however,werehard-heartedandsaid:“whatcanwedowithyou?youareofnousetous;goandmakealivingforyourself.”thesoldierhadnothingleftbuthisgun;sohetookthatonhisshoulder,andwentforthintotheworld.hecametoawideheath,onwhichnothingwastobeseenbutacircleoftrees;underthesehesatsorrowfullydown,andbegantothinkoverhisfate.“ihavenomoney,”thoughthe,“ihavelearntnotradebutthatoffighting,andnowthattheyhavemadepeacetheydon'twantmeanylonger;soiseebeforehandthatishallhavetostarve.”allatonceheheardarustling,andwhenhelookedround,astrangemanstoodbeforehim,whoworeagreencoatandlookedrightstately,buthadahideousclovenfoot.“iknowalreadywhatyouareinneedof,”saidtheman;“goldandpossessionsshallyouhave,asmuchasyoucanmakeawaywith,dowhatyouwill,butfirstimustknowifyouarefearless,thatimaynotbestowmymoneyinvain.”“asoldierandfear—howcanthosetwothingsgotogether?”heanswered;“youcanputmetotheproof.”“verywell,then,”answeredtheman,“lookbehindyou.”thesoldierturnedround,andsawalargebear,whichcamegrowlingtowardshim.“oho!”criedthesoldier,“iwilltickleyournoseforyou,sothatyoushallsoonloseyourfancyforgrowling,”andheaimedatthebearandshotitthroughthemuzzle;itfelldownandneverstirredagain.“iseequitewell,”saidthestranger,“thatyouarenotwantingincourage,butthereisstillanotherconditionwhichyouwillhavetofulfil.”“ifitdoesnotendangermysalva-tion,”repliedthesoldier,whoknewverywellwhowasstandingbyhim.“ifitdoes,i'llhavenothingtodowithit.”“youwilllooktothatforyourself,”answeredgreencoat;“youshallforthenextsevenyearsneitherwashyourself,norcombyourbeard,noryourhair,norcutyournails,noroncesaythelord'sprayer.iwillgiveyouacoatandacloak,whichduringthistimeyoumustwear.ifyoudieduringthesesevenyears,youaremine;ifyouremainalive,youarefree,andrichtoboot,foralltherestofyourlife.”thesoldierthoughtofthegreatextremityinwhichhenowfoundhimself,andashesooftenhadgonetomeetdeath,heresolvedtoriskitnowalso,andagreedtotheterms.thedeviltookoffhisgreencoat,andgaveittothesoldier,andsaid:“ifyouhavethiscoatonyourbackandputyourhandintothepocket,youwillalwaysfinditfullofmoney.”thenhepulledtheskinoffthebearandsaid:“thisshallbeyourcloak,andyourbedalso,forthereonshallyousleep,andinnootherbedshallyoulie,andbecauseofthisapparelshallyoubecalledbearskin.”whereuponthedevilvanished.

thesoldierputthecoaton,feltatonceinthepocket,andfoundthatthethingwasreallytrue.thenheputonthebearskinandwentforthintotheworld,andenjoyedhimself,refrainingfromnothingthatdidhimgoodandhismoneyharm.duringthefirstyearhisappearancewaspassable,butduringthesecondhebegantolooklikeamonster.hishaircoverednearlythewholeofhisface,hisbeardwaslikeapieceofcoarsefelt,hisfingershadclaws,andhisfacewassocoveredwithdirtthatifcresshadbeensownonit,itwouldhavecomeup.whosoeversawhim,ranaway,butasheeverywheregavethepoormoneytopraythathemightnotdieduringthesevenyears,andashepaidwellforeverythinghestillalwaysfoundshelter.inthefourthyear,heenteredaninnwherethelandlordwouldnotreceivehim,andwouldnotevenlethimhaveaplaceinthestable,becausehewasafraidthehorseswouldbescared.butasbearskinthrusthishandintohispocketandpulledoutahandfulofducats,thehostlethimselfbepersuadedandgavehimaroominanouthouse.bearskin,howeverwasobligedtopromisenottolethimselfbeseen,lesttheinnshouldgetabadname.

asbearskinwassittingaloneintheevening,andwishingfromthebottomofhisheartthatthesevenyearswereover,heheardaloudlamentinginaneighbouringroom.hehadacompassionateheart,soheopenedthedoor,andsawanoldmanweepingbitterly,andwringinghishands.bearskinwentnearer,butthemansprangtohisfeetandtriedtoescapefromhim.atlastwhenthemanperceivedthatbearskin'svoicewashumanhelethimselfbeprevailedupon,andbykindwordsbearskineededsofarthattheoldmanrevealedthecauseofhisgrief.hispropertyhaddwindledawaybydegrees,heandhisdaughterswouldhavetostarve,andhewassopoorthathecouldnotpaytheinnkeeper,andwastobeputinprison.“ifthatisyouronlytrouble,”saidbearskin,“ihaveplentyofmoney.”hecausedtheinnkeepertobebroughtthither,paidhimandevenputapursefullofgoldintothepooroldman'spocket.

whentheoldmansawhimselfsetfreefromallhistroubleshedidnotknowhowtoshowhisgratitude.“comewithme,”saidhetobearskin;“mydaughtersareallmiraclesofbeauty,chooseoneofthemforyourselfasawife.whenshehearswhatyouhavedoneforme,shewillnotrefuseyou.youdointruthlookalittlestrange,butshewillsoonputyoutorightsagain.”thispleasedbearskinwell,andhewent.whentheeldestsawhimshewassoterriblyalarmedathisfacethatshescreamedandranaway.thesecondstoodstillandlookedathimfromheadtofoot,butthenshesaid:“howcaniacceptahusbandwhonolongerhasahumanform?theshavenbearthatoncewashereandpasseditselfoffforamanpleasedmefarbetter,foratanyrateitworeahussar'sdressandwhitegloves.ifhewereonlyugly,imightgetusedtothat.”theyoungest,however,said:“dearfather,thatmustbeagoodmantohavehelpedyououtofyourtrouble,soifyouhavepromisedhimabridefordoingit,yourpromisemustbekept.”itwasapitythatbearskin'sfacewascoveredwithdirtandwithhair,forifnottheymighthaveseenhowdelightedhewaswhenheheardthesewords.hetookaringfromhisfinger,brokeitintwo,andgaveheronehalf,theotherhekeptforhimself.thenhewrotehisnameonherhalf,andhersonhis,andedhertokeepherpiececarefully.thenhetookhisleaveandsaid:“imuststillwanderaboutforthreeyears,andifidonotreturnthen,youarefree,forishallbedead.butpraytogodtopreservemylife.”thepoorbetrothedbridedressedherselfentirelyinblack,andwhenshethoughtofherfuturebridegroom,tearscameintohereyes.nothingbutcontemptandmockeryfelltoherlotfromhersisters.“takecare,”saidtheeldest,“ifyougivehimyourhand,hewillstrikehisclawsintoit.”“beware!”saidthesecond.“bearslikesweetthings,andifhetakesafancytoyou,hewilleatyouup.”“youmustalwaysdoashelikes,”begantheelderagain,“orelsehewillgrowl.”andthesecondcontinued:“buttheweddingwillbeamerryone,forbearsdancewell,”thebridewassilent,anddidnotletthemvexher.bearskin,however,travelledabouttheworldfromoneplacetoanother,didgoodwherehewasable,andgavegenerouslytothepoorthattheymightprayforhim.

atlength,asthelastdayofthesevenyearsdawned,hewentoncemoreoutontotheheath,andseatedhimselfbeneaththecircleoftrees.itwasnotlongbeforethewindwhistled,andthedevilstoodbeforehimandlookedangrilyathim;thenhethrewbearskinhisoldcoat,andaskedforhisowngreenoneback.“wehavenotgotsofarasthatyet,”answeredbearskin,“youmustfirstmakemeclean.”whetherthedevillikeditornot,hewasforcedtofetchwater,andwashbearskin,combhishair,andcuthisnails.afterthis,helookedlikeabravesoldier,andwasmuchhandsomerthanhehadeverbeenbefore.

whenthedevilhadgoneaway,bearskinwasquitelighthearted.hewentintothetown,putonamagnificentvelvetcoat,seatedhimselfinacarriagedrawnbyfourwhitehorses,anddrovetohisbride'shouse.noonerecognizedhim.thefathertookhimforadistinguishedgeneral,andledhimintotheroomwherehisdaughtersweresitting.hewasforcedtoplacehimselfbetweenthetwoeldest,whohelpedhimtowine,gavehimthebestpiecesofmeat,andthoughtthatinalltheworldtheyhadneverseenahandsomerman.thebride,however,satoppositetohiminherblackdress,andneverraisedhereyes,norspokeaword.whenatlengthheaskedthefatherifhewouldgivehimoneofhisdaughterstowife,thetwoeldestjumpedup,ranintotheirbedroomstoputonsplendiddresses,foreachofthemfanciedshewasthechosenone.thestranger,assoonashewasalonewithhisbride,broughtouthishalfofthering,andthrewitinaglassofwinewhichhehandedacrossthetabletoher.shetookthewine,butwhenshehaddrunkit,andfoundthehalfringlyingatthebottom,herheartbegantobeat.shegottheotherhalf,whichsheworeonaribbonroundherneck,joinedthem,andsawthatthetwopiecesfittedexactlytogether.thensaidhe:“iamyourbetrothedbridegroom,whomyousawasbearskin,butthroughgod'sgraceihaveagainreceivedmyhumanform,andhaveoncemorebecomeclean.”hewentuptoher,embracedher,andgaveherakiss.inthemeantimethetwosisterscamebackinfulldress,andwhentheysawthat,thehandsomemanhadfallentotheshareoftheyoungest,andheardthathewasbearskin,theyranoutfullofangerandrage.oneofthemdrownedherselfinthewell,theotherhangedherselfonatree.intheevening,someoneknockedatthedoor,andwhenthebridegroomopenedit,itwasthedevilinhisgreencoat,whosaid:“yousee,ihavenowgottwosoulsintheplaceofyourone!”