登陆注册
4713500000045

第45章

IN a village there once lived two men who had the same name.

They were both called Claus. One of them had four horses, but the other had only one; so to distinguish them, people called the owner of the four horses, "Great Claus," and he who had only one, "Little

Claus." Now we shall hear what happened to them, for this is a true story.

Through the whole week, Little Claus was obliged to plough for

Great Claus, and lend him his one horse; and once a week, on a Sunday,

Great Claus lent him all his four horses. Then how Little Claus would smack his whip over all five horses, they were as good as his own on that one day. The sun shone brightly, and the church bells were ringing merrily as the people passed by, dressed in their best clothes, with their prayer-books under their arms. They were going to hear the clergyman preach. They looked at Little Claus ploughing with his five horses, and he was so proud that he smacked his whip, and said, "Gee-up, my five horses."

"You must not say that," said Big Claus; "for only one of them belongs to you." But Little Claus soon forgot what he ought to say, and when any one passed he would call out, "Gee-up, my five horses!"

"Now I must beg you not to say that again," said Big Claus; "for if you do, I shall hit your horse on the head, so that he will drop dead on the spot, and there will be an end of him."

"I promise you I will not say it any more," said the other; but as soon as people came by, nodding to him, and wishing him "Good day," he became so pleased, and thought how grand it looked to have five horses ploughing in his field, that he cried out again, "Gee-up, all my horses!"

"I'll gee-up your horses for you," said Big Claus; and seizing a hammer, he struck the one horse of Little Claus on the head, and he fell dead instantly.

"Oh, now I have no horse at all, said Little Claus, weeping. But after a while he took off the dead horse's skin, and hung the hide to dry in the wind. Then he put the dry skin into a bag, and, placing it over his shoulder, went out into the next town to sell the horse's skin. He had a very long way to go, and had to pass through a dark, gloomy forest. Presently a storm arose, and he lost his way, and before he discovered the right path, evening came on, and it was still a long way to the town, and too far to return home before night. Near the road stood a large farmhouse. The shutters outside the windows were closed, but lights shone through the crevices at the top.

"I might get permission to stay here for the night," thought Little

Claus; so he went up to the door and knocked. The farmer's wife opened the door; but when she heard what he wanted, she told him to go away, as her husband would not allow her to admit strangers. "Then I shall be obliged to lie out here," said Little Claus to himself, as the farmer's wife shut the door in his face. Near to the farmhouse stood a large haystack, and between it and the house was a small shed, with a thatched roof. "I can lie up there," said Little Claus, as he saw the roof; "it will make a famous bed, but I hope the stork will not fly down and bite my legs;" for on it stood a living stork, whose nest was in the roof. So Little Claus climbed to the roof of the shed, and while he turned himself to get comfortable, he discovered that the wooden shutters, which were closed, did not reach to the tops of the windows of the farmhouse, so that he could see into a room, in which a large table was laid out with wine, roast meat, and a splendid fish. The farmer's wife and the sexton were sitting at the table together; and she filled his glass, and helped him plenteously to fish, which appeared to be his favorite dish. "If I could only get some, too," thought Little Claus; and then, as he stretched his neck towards the window he spied a large, beautiful pie,- indeed they had a glorious feast before them.

At this moment he heard some one riding down the road, towards the farmhouse. It was the farmer returning home. He was a good man, but still he had a very strange prejudice,- he could not bear the sight of a sexton. If one appeared before him, he would put himself in a terrible rage. In consequence of this dislike, the sexton had gone to visit the farmer's wife during her husband's absence from home, and the good woman had placed before him the best she had in the house to eat. When she heard the farmer coming she was frightened, and begged the sexton to hide himself in a large empty chest that stood in the room. He did so, for he knew her husband could not endure the sight of a sexton. The woman then quickly put away the wine, and hid all the rest of the nice things in the oven; for if her husband had seen them he would have asked what they were brought out for.

"Oh, dear," sighed Little Claus from the top of the shed, as he saw all the good things disappear.

"Is any one up there?" asked the farmer, looking up and discovering Little Claus. "Why are you lying up there? Come down, and come into the house with me." So Little Claus came down and told the farmer how he had lost his way and begged for a night's lodging.

"All right," said the farmer; "but we must have something to eat first."

The woman received them both very kindly, laid the cloth on a large table, and placed before them a dish of porridge. The farmer was very hungry, and ate his porridge with a good appetite, but Little

Claus could not help thinking of the nice roast meat, fish and pies, which he knew were in the oven. Under the table, at his feet, lay the sack containing the horse's skin, which he intended to sell at the next town. Now Little Claus did not relish the porridge at all, so he trod with his foot on the sack under the table, and the dry skin squeaked quite loud. "Hush!" said Little Claus to his sack, at the same time treading upon it again, till it squeaked louder than before.

"Hallo! what have you got in your sack!" asked the farmer.

"Oh, it is a conjuror," said Little Claus; "and he says we need not eat porridge, for he has conjured the oven full of roast meat, fish, and pie."

同类推荐
  • 上邠宁刑司徒

    上邠宁刑司徒

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 苏氏演义

    苏氏演义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 情楼迷史霞笺记

    情楼迷史霞笺记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 伤寒补例

    伤寒补例

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 洞真太上三元流珠经

    洞真太上三元流珠经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 快穿之穿梭终结者

    快穿之穿梭终结者

    林菀成了系统五年以来首个AAA级穿梭者。纯血公主?修真弟子?性向反转?那都不是事儿。在任务中赚赚钱,在现实中混混日子,本以为日子就会这么平淡地过下去,谁知一个同行突然出现,将她带入了系统的深渊……死去的故友活了、本该死透了的人在出任务、闺蜜逐渐诡异的行踪……林菀逐渐疑惑。——身边的人,究竟,都是谁?
  • 余欢败北

    余欢败北

    人生那么短,能遇到一个让自己心动也心痛的人,多不容易啊,人生那么长,什么事情都会过去的,感情也会随着时间的推移而变淡,人也会被世俗所改变。这世上,最不缺的就是遗憾与错过。路淮北对于余欢而言,可能的确是与众不同的人吧。分手后,那么久的时间里,余欢都在虚虚幻幻的光影里穿梭徘徊,她怀念,她难舍。很多的人笑她痴傻,说她不懂放下,她只笑不答。余欢只想说,路淮北,我很高兴输给你。你是我求而不得的痛,却不是我失而复得的喜。后来的后来,她听懂了刘若英的《后来》,也终于明白,有的人,一旦失去就不在。谢谢你,路淮北。曾经拥有,总好过从未遇见。再会。祝你那可爱的前途光明。
  • 烛弥

    烛弥

    遇见邢烛以后温渝弥最大的兴趣就是撩邢烛。谁料邢烛却总是无动于衷,温渝弥时常怀疑是自己的人格魅力减弱了嘛?没想到原来是因为邢烛是个闷骚!
  • 蚀骨婚事

    蚀骨婚事

    五年前,他对她说:要么离婚,要么守活寡!五年后,她对他说:这位先生,我们认识吗?结婚纪念日,她等来的是一份离婚协议以及老公亲手给他准备的生日礼物……一个没穿衣服的男人。该说她的前夫慷慨,还是体贴呢?容貌被毁,她记下了;蚀骨之痛,百倍奉还。待她华丽逆袭,复仇之路才刚刚开启。
  • 重生之激情岁月

    重生之激情岁月

    如果回到10年前,你会做什么?那个时候,QQ还没有开发出来。那个时候,淘宝也还没有成立。那个时候,妹纸们都很纯洁。那个时候,是一个升官发财泡妹纸的大好年代!
  • 最后一个契约者

    最后一个契约者

    【动漫无限流】这是一个不一样的主神空间,这是一个不一样的轮回世界,这是一个不一样的无限故事。 当空间崩溃,只剩下唯一一个契约者的时候,他将在无限的动漫世界为所欲为。 契约者、轮回者、游戏者……谁人敢与挂B一战?! ………………… 风盟2群:580391329
  • 隋唐宋元时期的霸权博弈

    隋唐宋元时期的霸权博弈

    隋唐宋元时期是中国封建历史上最特殊的时期之一,其间既有治世繁荣的盛唐,也有朝代更迭频繁的五代十国。此时,谋略成为封建政治的主角,影响甚大。然而,谋略只是一种术,终究靠人性操纵。所以,与其说是谋略在影响历史,倒不如说是人性在塑造历史。本书将这一时期人性与谋略的关系演绎得淋漓尽致……
  • 论党的建设与科学发展:鲍振东文集

    论党的建设与科学发展:鲍振东文集

    为了纪念辽宁社会科学院建院50周年,按照院党组的安排,现将作者在担任县、市领导职务期间和到辽宁社会科学院任院长、党组书记以来公开发表的部分理论文章以及到光明日报社、公安部大讲堂等单位宣讲马克思主义中国化最新成果的录音整理稿编辑成册,公开发表,以飨读者
  • 原诗

    原诗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 自导自演

    自导自演

    本书分为五辑:主要为生活随笔、散文和小说合集。第一辑:视觉滞留,主要为过往生活的人生感悟。第二辑:无声默片,主要为音乐、影视的另类评论。第三辑:渐显渐隐,散文感悟,笔触较为细腻;第四辑:见幕写手,偏小说风格,人物类的描述较多。第五辑:爵士浮华:主要写一些对于近几年生活的升华部分。