第13章TheSpiritintheBottle

第13章thespiritinthebottle

therewasonceapoorwoodcutterwhotoiledfromearlymorningtilllateatnight.whenatlasthehadlaidbysomemoneyhesaidtohisboy:“youaremyonlychild,iwillspendthemoneywhichihaveearnedwiththesweatofmybrowonyoureducation;ifyoulearnsomehonesttradeyoucansupportmeinmyoldage,whenmylimbshavegrownstiffandiamobligedtostayathome.”thentheboywenttoahighschoolandlearneddiligentlysothathismasterspraisedhim,andheremainedtherealongtime.whenhehadworkedthroughtwoclasses,butwasstillnotyetperfectineverything,thelittlepittancewhichthefatherhadearnedwasallspent,andtheboywasobligedtoreturnhometohim.“ah,”saidthefather,sorrowfully,“icangiveyounomore,andinthesehardtimesicannotearnafarthingmorethanwillsufficeforourdailybread.”“dearfather,”answeredtheson,“don'ttroubleyourselfaboutit,ifitisgod'swill,itwillturntomyadvantage,ishallsoonaccustommyselftoit.”whenthefatherwantedtogointotheforesttoearnmoneybyhelpingtochopandstackwood,thesonsaid:“iwillgowithyouandhelpyou.”“nay,myson,”saidthefather,“thatwouldbehardforyou;youarenotaccustomedtoroughwork,andwillnotbeabletobearit.besides,ihaveonlyoneaxeandnomoneyleftwherewithtobuyanother.”“justgototheneighbour,”answeredtheson,“hewilllendyouhisaxeuntilihaveearnedoneformyself.”thefatherthenborrowedanaxeoftheneighbour,andnextmorningatbreakofdaytheywentoutintotheforesttogether.thesonhelpedhisfatherandwasquitemerryandbriskaboutit.butwhenthesunwasrightovertheirheads,thefathersaid:“wewillrest,andhaveourdinner,andthenweshallworktwiceaswell.”thesontookhisbreadinhishands,andsaid:“justyourest,father,iamnottired;iwillwalkupanddownalittleintheforest,andlookforbirds'nests.”“oh,youfool,”saidthefather,“whyshouldyouwanttorunaboutthere?afterwardsyouwillbetired,andnolongerabletoraiseyourarm;stayhere,andsitdownbesideme.”

theson,however,wentintotheforest,atehisbread,wasverymerryandpeeredinamongthegreenbranchestoseeifhecoulddiscoverabird'snestanywhere.sohewalkedtoandfrountilatlasthecametoagreatdangerous-lookingoak,whichcertainlywasalreadymanyhundredyearsold,andwhichfivemencouldnothavespanned.hestoodstillandlookedatit,andthought:“manyabirdmusthavebuiltitsnestinthat.”thenallatonceitseemedtohimthatheheardavoice.helistenedandbecameawarethatsomeonewascryinginaverysmotheredvoice:“letmeout,letmeout!”helookedaround,butcoulddiscovernothing;thenhefanciedthatthevoicecameoutoftheground.sohecried:“whereareyou?”thevoiceanswered:“iamdownhereamongsttherootsoftheoak-tree.letmeout!letmeout!”theschoolboybegantoloosentheearthunderthetree,andsearchamongtheroots,untilatlasthefoundaglassbottleinalittlehollow.helifteditupandhelditagainstthelight,andthensawacreatureshapedlikeafrog,springingupanddowninit.“letmeout!letmeout!”itcriedanew,andtheboy,thinkingnoevil,drewthecorkoutofthebottle.immediatelyaspiritascendedfromit,andbegantogrowandgrewsofastthatinaveryfewmomentshestoodbeforetheboy,aterriblefellowasbigashalfthetree.“doyouknow,”hecriedinanawfulvoice,“whatyourrewardisforhavingletmeout?”“no,”repliedtheboyfearlessly,“howshouldiknowthat?”“theniwilltellyou,”criedthespirit;“imuststrangleyouforit.”“youshouldhavetoldmethatsooner,”saidtheboy,“forishouldthenhaveleftyoushutup,butmyheadshallstandfastforallyoucando;morepersonsthanonemustbeconsultedaboutthat.”“morepersonshere,morepersonsthere,”saidthespirit.“youshallhavetherewardyouhaveearned.doyouthinkthatiwasshutupthereforsuchalongtimeasafavour?no,itwasapunishmentforme.iamthemightymercurius.whoreleasesme,himmustistrangle.”“slowly,”answeredtheboy,“notsofast.imustfirstknowthatyoureallywereshutupinthatlittlebottle,andthatyouaretherightspirit.if,indeed,youcangetinagain,iwillbelieve,andthenyoumaydoasyouwillwithme.”thespiritsaidhaughtily:“thatisaverytriflingfeat,”drewhimselftogether,andmadehimselfassmallandslenderashehadbeenatfirst,sothathecreptthroughthesameopening,andrightthroughtheneckofthebottleinagain.scarcelywashewithinthantheboythrustthecorkhehaddrawnbackintothebottle,andthrewitamongtherootsoftheoakintoitsoldplace,andthespiritwasdeceived.

andnowtheschoolboywasabouttoreturntohisfather,butthespiritcriedverypiteously:“ah,doletmeout!ah,doletmeout!”“no,”answeredtheboy,“notasecondtime!hewhohasoncetriedtotakemylifeshallnotbesetfreebyme,nowthatihavecaughthimagain.”“ifyouwillsetmefree,”saidthespirit,“iwillgiveyousomuchthatyouwillhaveplentyallthedaysofyourlife.”“no,”answeredtheboy,“youwouldcheatmeasyoudidthefirsttime.”“youarespurningyourowngoodluck.”saidthespirit;“iwilldoyounoharm,butwillrewardyourichly.”theboythought:“iwillventureit,perhapshewillkeephisword,andanyhowheshallnotgetthebetterofme.”thenhetookoutthecork,andthespiritroseupfromthebottleashehaddonebefore,stretchedhimselfoutandbecameasbigasagiant“nowyoushallhaveyourreward,”saidhe,andhandedtheboyalittleragjustlikesticking-plaster,andsaid:“ifyouspreadoneendofthisoverawounditwillheal,andifyourubsteelorironwiththeotherenditwillbechangedintosilver.”“imustjusttrythat,”saidtheboy,andwenttoatree,toreoffthebarkwithhisaxe,andrubbeditwithoneendoftheplaster.itimmediatelyclosedtogetherandwashealed.“now,itisallright,”hesaidtothespirit,“andwecanpart.”thespiritthankedhimforhisrelease,andtheboythankedthespiritforhispresent,andwentbacktohisfather.

“wherehaveyoubeenracingabout?”saidthefather;“whyhaveyouforgottenyourwork?ialwayssaidthatyouwouldnevercometoanything.”“beeasy,father,iwillmakeitup.”“makeitupindeed,”saidthefatherangrily,“that'snouse.”“takecare,father,iwillsoonhewthattreethere,sothatitwillsplit.”thenhetookhisplaster,rubbedtheaxewithit,anddealtamightyblow,butastheironhadchangedintosilver,theedgebent:“hi,father,justlookwhatabadaxeyou'vegivenme,ithasbecomequitecrooked.”thefatherwasshockedandsaid:“ah,whathaveyoudone?nowishallhavetopayforthat,andhavenotthewherewithal,andthatisallthegoodihavegotbyyourwork.”“don'tgetangry,”saidtheson,“iwillsoonpayfortheaxe.”“oh,youblockhead,”criedthefather,“wherewithwillyoupayforit?youhavenothingbutwhatigiveyou.thesearestudents'tricksthatarestickinginyourhead,youhavenoideaofwoodcutting.”afterawhiletheboysaid:“father,icanreallyworknomore,wehadbettertakeaholiday.”“eh,what!”answeredhe.“doyouthinkiwillsitwithmyhandslyinginmylaplikeyou?imustgoonworking,butyoumaytakeyourselfoffhome.”“father,iamhereinthiswoodforthefirsttime,idon'tknowmywayalone.dogowithme.”ashisangerhadnowabated,thefatheratlastlethimselfbepersuadedandwenthomewithhim.thenhesaidtotheson:“goandsellyourdamagedaxe,andseewhatyoucangetforit,andimustearnthedifference,inordertopaytheneighbour.”thesontooktheaxe,andcarrieditintotowntoagoldsmith,whotestedit,laiditinthescales,andsaid:“itisworthfourhundredtalers,ihavenotsomuchasthatbyme.”thesonsaid:“givemewhatyouhave,iwilllendyoutherest.”thegoldsmithgavehimthreehundredtalers,andremainedahundredinhisdebt.thesonthereuponwenthomeandsaid:“father,ihavegotthemoney,goandasktheneighbourwhathewantsfortheaxe.”“iknowthatalready,”answeredtheoldman,“onetaler,sixgroschen.”“thengivehimtwotalers,twelve,groschen,thatisdoubleandenough;see,ihavemoneyinplenty,”andhegavethefatherahundredtalers,andsaid:“youshallneverknowwant,liveascomfortablyasyoulike,”“goodheavens!”saidthefather,“howhaveyoucomebytheseriches?”theboythentoldhowallhadcometopass,andhowhe,trustinginhisluck,hadmadesuchapacket.butwiththemoneythatwasleft,hewentbacktothehighschoolandwentonlearningmore,andashecouldhealallwoundswithhisplasterhebecamethemostfamousdoctorinthewholeworld.