登陆注册
5435500000019

第19章

Then she went upstairs in the form of the queen, nursed the baby, shook up its little bed, covered it over, and then swam away again down the gutter in the shape of a duck. She came thus for two nights. On the third, she said to the scullion, go and tell the king to take his sword and swing it three times over me on the threshold. Then the scullion ran and told this to the king, who came with his sword and swung it thrice over the spirit, and at the third time, his wife stood before him strong, living, and healthy as she had been before. Thereupon the king was full of great joy, but he kept the queen hidden in a chamber until the sunday, when the baby was to be christened. And when it was christened he said, what does a person deserve who drags another out of bed and throws him in the water. The wretch deserves nothing better, answered the old woman, than to be taken and put in a barrel stuck full of nails, and rolled down hill into the water. Then, said the king, you have pronounced your own sentence. And he ordered such a barrel to be brought, and the old woman to be put into it with her daughter, and then the top was hammered on, and the barrel rolled down hill until it went into the river.

There was once a girl who was idle and would not spin, and let her mother say what she would, she could not bring her to it. At last the mother was once so overcome with anger and impatience, that she beat her, at which the girl began to weep loudly. Now at this very moment the queen drove by, and when she heard the weeping she stopped her carriage, went into the house and asked the mother why she was beating her daughter so that the cries could be heard out on the road. Then the woman was ashamed to reveal the laziness of her daughter and said, I cannot get her to leave off spinning. She insists on spinning for ever and ever, and I am poor, and cannot procure the flax. Then answered the queen, there is nothing that I like better to hear than spinning, and I am never happier than when the wheels are humming. Let me have your daughter with me in the palace. Ihave flax enough, and there she shall spin as much as she likes.

The mother was heartily satisfied with this, and the queen took the girl with her. When they had arrived at the palace, she led her up into three rooms which were filled from the bottom to the top with the finest flax. Now spin me this flax, said she, and when you have done it, you shall have my eldest son for a husband, even if you are poor. I care not for that, your untiring industry is dowry enough. The girl was secretly terrified, for she could not have spun the flax, no, not if she had lived till she was three hundred years old, and had sat at it every day from morning till night. When therefore she was alone, she began to weep, and sat thus for three days without moving a finger. On the third day came the queen, and when she saw that nothing had yet been spun, she was surprised, but the girl excused herself by saying that she had not been able to begin because of her great distress at leaving her mother's house. The queen was satisfied with this, but said when she was going away, tomorrow you must begin to work.

When the girl was alone again, she did not know what to do, and in her distress went to the window. Then she saw three women coming towards her, the first of whom had a broad flat foot, the second had such a great underlip that it hung down over her chin, and the third had a broad thumb. They remained standing before the window, looked up, and asked the girl what was amiss with her. She complained of her trouble, and then they offered her their help and said, if you will invite us to the wedding, not be ashamed of us, and will call us your aunts, and likewise will place us at your table, we will spin up the flax for you, and that in a very short time. With all my heart, she replied, do but come in and begin the work at once. Then she let in the three strange women, and cleared a place in the first room, where they seated themselves and began their spinning. The one drew the thread and trod the wheel, the other wetted the thread, the third twisted it, and struck the table with her finger, and as often as she struck it, a skein of thread fell to the ground that was spun in the finest manner possible. The girl concealed the three spinners from the queen, and showed her whenever she came the great quantity of spun thread, until the latter could not praise her enough. When the first room was empty she went to the second, and at last to the third, and that too was quickly cleared. Then the three women took leave and said to the girl, do not forget what you have promised us - it will make your fortune.

When the maiden showed the queen the empty rooms, and the great heap of yarn, she gave orders for the wedding, and the bridegroom rejoiced that he was to have such a clever and industrious wife, and praised her mightily. I have three aunts, said the girl, and as they have been very kind to me, I should not like to forget them in my good fortune, allow me to invite them to the wedding, and let them sit with us at table. The queen and the bridegroom said, why should we not allow that. Therefore when the feast began, the three women entered in strange apparel, and the bride said, welcome, dear aunts. Ah, said the bridegroom, how do you come by these odious friends. Thereupon he went to the one with the broad flat foot, and said, how do you come by such a broad foot. By treading, she answered, by treading. Then the bridegroom went to the second, and said, how do you come by your falling lip. By licking, she answered, by licking. Then he asked the third, how do you come by your broad thumb. By twisting the thread, she answered, by twisting the thread. On this the king's son was alarmed and said, neither now nor ever shall my beautiful bride touch a spinning-wheel. And thus she got rid of the hateful flax-spinning.

同类推荐
  • 葬书

    葬书

    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。
  • 济颠大师醉菩提全传

    济颠大师醉菩提全传

    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。
  • 芳谷集

    芳谷集

    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。
  • The Three Taverns

    The Three Taverns

    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。
  • 狱中杂记

    狱中杂记

    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。
热门推荐
  • 让男人乖乖听话:女王进化论

    让男人乖乖听话:女王进化论

    她,是有名的律师,黑色紧身西装,一步裙下双腿修长,外套一件米色双排扣军装式风衣。记住,请叫她女王,这个称号非她莫属。女王是怎么炼成的?普通女生要经历懵懂初开——少女梦幻——惨遭欺骗——自欺欺人——恍然大悟——发愤图强——自我升华直到最后到达终点。感情,今天是虚幻的人间,明天是地狱,后天可能会是天堂。但是大部分人死在明天。什么?你问我怎么才能到达天堂?眉毛挑一挑,很简单啊。变成女王就可以!
  • 如意书

    如意书

    人人都说,谢六小姐清溪的人生就是一本如意书。她祖父是当朝吏部尚书,她父亲探花郎出身,前途一片光明。她母亲是永安侯府的嫡次女,得丈夫爱重,一连生了三个嫡子。至于她自己,出生时便因龙凤胎的关系,引起不小的轰动,待越长大后,这张脸也是越发地不得了……可当她遇到某人时,才明白,有些人天生就是来克她的。即便是人生赢家,也不好写这如意书啊!
  • 气死夫君不偿命:冷宫皇后乐逍遥

    气死夫君不偿命:冷宫皇后乐逍遥

    想把她贬入冷宫就贬?想恢复她的皇后身份她就得感激涕零,乖乖跟他回去?否定否定还是否定。她的命运,才不要系在一个专制的男人身上。逃出宫去,天地之间,任我逍遥。妨碍她逃跑?别怪她气得他双脚跳。皇后要出墙,皇帝很后悔。后悔?晚了。
  • 和双录

    和双录

    【故事的开始。《影刃录》前传。】二十一世纪初期,世界局势变化,二战后民间组织如雨后春笋般成长起来。不断林立的组织渐渐壮大,逐渐成为超越宗教,国家的国际组织。“双流”就是一个附庸于世界第三大组织WorldKismet.的少年组织,然而事情远没有那么简单,不断变化的局势之下,“双流”应该如何激流勇进?少年少女们又该何去何从?跟随和双,沈时筱,江宇,齐以瞳,木锦去探索世界的秘密。敬请关注《和双录》。和氏·和双。飘零少年最先成长史。看着少年长大,心也跟着成长。(PS:第一卷是回忆,想要悬念就可以跳过第一卷看第二卷啦)作者:写书不易,喜欢的话就加个书架看看咯,有票就打赏给我一点吧,谢谢支持。
  • 西游之暗黑世界

    西游之暗黑世界

    悟空:若这天容不下我,那我便捅破这天!我若成佛,则这世间无魔!我若成魔,便要杀尽那诸佛!
  • 靠谱的男孩

    靠谱的男孩

    以前我们一无所有,却穷的很开心,现在我身价千万,却没有你在身旁。为你所争取到的所有一切,却换不来再次与你相守。
  • 剑御九重天

    剑御九重天

    身具尤蒙魔族能力的人族少年木羽无意间加入贫穷寒酸的落尘派,这个连打劫大哥都不愿意浪费时间的门派之中却藏龙卧虎,隐藏着天大的秘密!你看不起我的门派?那只是你目光太狭隘!
  • 道迹灵仙记

    道迹灵仙记

    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。
  • 碧云騢

    碧云騢

    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。
  • 我国体育无形资产法律保护的研究

    我国体育无形资产法律保护的研究

    《我国体育无形资产法律保护的研究》是为了适应知识经济时代和体育产业发展条件下体育无形资产开发与保护的需要,本研究着眼于对社会各界越来越重视的体育无形资产问题,特别是对其中一些极具体育特色的特殊问题,进行专门的法学理论阐释和法制应用指导,力图对一些基本性和关键性问题的研究有所深化和贡献。《我国体育无形资产法律保护的研究》选择了四个在体育无形资产保护方面最具体育行业与专业特殊性的问题――体育标志权、体育赛事转播权、体育明星形象权、体育专有技术权来进行研究,力图从理论本源上进行深入的挖掘,填补一些理论空白,澄清一些模糊认识,进行创新性的学术探索,并且对现有的一些理论观点进行思辩与挑战。