登陆注册
5409200000003

第3章 The Tinder-Box(3)

The soldier longed very much to see the princess once more,so he sent for the dog again in the night to fetch her,and to run with her as fast as ever he could.But the old lady put on water boots,and ran after him as quickly as he did,and found that he carried the princess into a large house.She thought it would help her to remember the place if she made a large cross on the door with a piece of chalk.Then she went home to bed,and the dog presently returned with the princess.But when he saw that a cross had been made on the door of the house,where the soldier lived,he took another piece of chalk and made crosses on all the doors in the town,so that the lady-in-waiting might not be able to find out the right door.

Early the next morning the king and queen accompanied the lady and all the officers of the household,to see where the princess had been.

“Here it is,”said the king,when they came to the first door with a cross on it.

“No,my dear husband,it must be that one,”said the queen,pointing to a second door having a cross also.

“And here is one,and there is another!”they all exclaimed;for there were crosses on all the doors in every direction.

So they felt it would be useless to search any farther.But the queen was a very clever woman;she could do a great deal more than merely ride in a carriage.She took her large gold scissors,cut a piece of silk into squares,and made a neat little bag.This bag she filled with buckwheat flour,and tied it round the princess's neck;and then she cut a small hole in the bag,so that the flour might be scattered on the ground as the princess went along.During the night,the dog came again and carried the princess on his back,and ran with her to the soldier,who loved her very much,and wished that he had been a prince,so that he might have her for a wife.The dog did not observe how the flour ran out of the bag all the way from the castle wall to the soldier's house,and even up to the window,where he had climbed with the princess.Therefore in the morning the king and queen found out where their daughter had been,and the soldier was taken up and put in prison.Oh,how dark and disagreeable it was as he sat there,and the people said to him,“To-morrow you will be hanged.”It was not very pleasant news,and besides,he had left the tinder-box at the inn.In the morning he could see through the iron grating of the little window how the people were hastening out of the town to see him hanged;he heard the drums beating,and saw the soldiers marching.Every one ran out to look at them.and a shoemaker's boy,with a leather apron and slippers on,galloped by so fast,that one of his slippers flew off and struck against the wall where the soldier sat looking through the iron grating.“Hallo,you shoemaker's boy,you need not be in such a hurry,”cried the soldier to him.“There will be nothing to see till I come;but if you will run to the house where I have been living,and bring me my tinder-box,you shall have four shillings,but you must put your best foot foremost.”

The shoemaker's boy liked the idea of getting the four shillings,so he ran very fast and fetched the tinder-box,and gave it to the soldier.And now we shall see what happened.Outside the town a large gibbet had been erected,round which stood the soldiers and several thousands of people.The king and the queen sat on splendid thrones opposite to the judges and the whole council.The soldier already stood on the ladder;but as they were about to place the rope around his neck,he said that an innocent request was often granted to a poor criminal before he suffered death.He wished very much to smoke a pipe,as it would be the last pipe he should ever smoke in the world.The king could not refuse this request,so the soldier took his tinder-box,and struck fire,once,twice,thrice,—and there in a moment stood all the dogs;—the one with eyes as big as teacups,the one with eyes as large as mill-wheels,and the third,whose eyes were like towers.“Help me now,that I may not be hanged,”cried the soldier.

And the dogs fell upon the judges and all the councillors;seized one by the legs,and another by the nose,and tossed them many feet high in the air,so that they fell down and were dashed to pieces.

“I will not be touched,”said the king.But the largest dog seized him,as well as the queen,and threw them after the others.Then the soldiers and all the people were afraid,and cried,“Good soldier,you shall be our king,and you shall marry the beautiful princess.”

So they placed the soldier in the king's carriage,and the three dogs ran on in front and cried “Hurrah!”and the little boys whistled through their fingers,and the soldiers presented arms.The princess came out of the copper castle,and became queen,which was very pleasing to her.The wedding festivities lasted a whole week,and the dogs sat at the table,and stared with all their eyes.

同类推荐
  • 用英语介绍中国这里是广州

    用英语介绍中国这里是广州

    外国人面前,你能否用一口流利的英文介绍自己所在的城市呢?走出国门,你是否能够让更多的外国人了解广州灿烂悠久的文化?本书为读者奉上原汁原味的人文阅读精华,详细介绍了人们最感兴趣的广州历史文化、城市风景、广州生活、名人逸事等,带您全方位地了解广州。读者在学习英语的同时,又能品味这座南方文化名城的独特魅力。
  • 曼斯菲尔德庄园(纯爱·英文馆)

    曼斯菲尔德庄园(纯爱·英文馆)

    主要讲述了以男女青年的恋爱婚姻为题材。但是,比较而言,本书情节更为复杂,突发性事件更加集中,社会讽刺意味也更加浓重。
  • 爱玛(纯爱·英文馆)

    爱玛(纯爱·英文馆)

    主人公爱玛是个美丽、聪慧而富有的姑娘,同时也是一位不折不扣的幻想家。她热心关注身边的浪漫故事,却又固执地认为自己永远不会陷入其中。她自作主张为孤女哈丽埃特导演了一次又一次的恋爱。当哈丽埃特误以为自己爱上了地方官奈特利先生时,爱玛才惊觉原来自己也在爱着奈特利先生。这虽与她一开始就宣布的终身不嫁的誓言有悖,但坠入情网的她不得不放弃自己天真的誓言。
  • 365天日常口语放口袋

    365天日常口语放口袋

    《365天日常口语放口袋》以简单、实用作为选材标准,内容取材十分广泛,均以生活中真实发生的实景为蓝本。以句型为基础,将各个单元主题中常见的句型进行归纳和讲解。
  • 美国佬都是骗子:英汉双语对照(双语译林)

    美国佬都是骗子:英汉双语对照(双语译林)

    《美国佬都是骗子》是一部现代短篇小说集,共收录短篇小说作品十一篇,分别出自英国和爱尔兰现当代文坛上的九位著名作家之手,时间跨度大致从十九世纪下半叶到二十世纪二十年代。一书在手,即能欣赏到诸多年代、诸多成名作家的传世之作,这可说是本书的一个特色;除译文之外,还附上了英文原文,便于有兴趣的读者直接欣赏英语语言之美,这也是本书的另一特色。
热门推荐
  • 超级神笔

    超级神笔

    还记得那一段青葱岁月吗?还记得那暗恋过的可望不可即的优秀女生吗?还记得李雷和韩梅梅以及让你脸红心跳过的美丽的女老师吗?如果重生到初中时代,你想做什么?想学习第一?想淘金发财?ok,重生加神笔,一切皆有可能!这是一个80后重生到98年初中时代改变历史的故事!神笔小介:500年后的高科技产品,有七大功能,第一个是医疗功能,有了神笔没有医师执照我同样是神医,其他功能内详。
  • 祭先生的名门暖妻

    祭先生的名门暖妻

    哐当!厚重的铁门打开,两名狱警站在铁门旁边,将身后的人请出大门。“暧姐,走好!”姒暧朝两个狱警点点头,淡淡艳唇轻启,“谢谢!”两狱警乐呵一笑,摆摆手,又客套了几句,便将铁门关上回自己岗位去了。姒暧转身,高挂的烈阳有些刺眼,姒暧眯了眯眼,等适应了阳光后,才踢踏着拖鞋,往大马路的对面走去。监狱有进城的专线小面包车,开车的是个老伯,上了年纪,穿着朴素。……
  • 三七四十一

    三七四十一

    大家随便看看,作者随缘更新不定时更新——作为有史以来的负分第一人,容辞被灰团子赶着做任务。本来想撩小姐姐,结果反被小哥哥撩了……?!容辞抬头望苍天,世事无常啊!1v1(求求别吞简介,大哥!)
  • 洪荒使者

    洪荒使者

    一个没有几万载岁月前世的青年天宇,一生与劫数灾难相伴,从未见过自己的父母。冥冥之中,却巧遇一步古老的穴位神技,独自磨炼,不仅创立了自己的绝学神通,也开始透彻到古老的神秘面纱。
  • 小子大任

    小子大任

    一场地陷灾难,一个爱哭少年:天降混沌灵力,铲除邪恶心愿:拯救深坑百姓,夺回曾经家园。修道还得多读书,才成为智勇双全小神仙。
  • 影响你一生的世界名人:最具影响力的艺术大师(下)

    影响你一生的世界名人:最具影响力的艺术大师(下)

    在我们人类历史发展的进程中,涌现了许多可歌可泣、光芒万丈的人间精英,他们用巨擘的手、挥毫的笔、超人的智慧、卓越的才能书写着世界,改变着历史,描绘着未来,不断创造者人类历史的暂新篇章,不断推动着人类文明的飞速发展,为我们留下了许多宝贵的精神财富和物质财富。他们是人间的英杰,不朽的灵魂,是我们人类的自豪和骄傲。
  • 海洋中无处不在的科学(认识海洋系列丛书)

    海洋中无处不在的科学(认识海洋系列丛书)

    海洋中发生的自然过程,按照内秉属性,大体上可分为物理过程、化学过程、地质过程和生物过程四类,每一类又是由许多个别过程所组成的系统。对这四类过程的研究,相应地形成了海洋科学中相对独立的四个基础分支学科:海洋物理学、海洋化学、海洋地质学和海洋生物学。
  • 傲妃休王爷

    傲妃休王爷

    [皓月亭·永恒社]“滚开,我要休了你。”“我是王爷啊。”他委屈锁眉。“休的就是王爷。”
  • 专情首席不爱我

    专情首席不爱我

    她,相貌平平,他,赫赫有名的珠宝世家继承人,才貌双全,平凡女却对他一见钟情,从此扛上首席绝不罢手!
  • 萌娃要翻天之我的追爱之旅

    萌娃要翻天之我的追爱之旅

    现在的生活太烦太无聊,呵,你是没有见过作为一个铁骨铮铮的汉子是如何翻车的?你有没有想过在给你一次重来的机会,对,就从小时候,做个什么少儿神童?走上人生巅峰!可以,非常好。但是,我一个17的如花美少女,幼儿园非得去吗?好吧!带领一群小小人?也行?不过,为了不被抓去做研究,我还是低调一点就好。重来的青春,同在一片天空,可是是你无法想象的另一种完全不同的人生,你准备好了吗?我的青春,才刚开始。