格林童话选 英文版 Grimms' Fairy Tales
格林兄弟 Brüder Grimm
THE STORY OF THE YOUTH WHO WENT FORTH TO LEARN WHAT FEAR WAS
A certain father had two sons, the elder of who was smart andsensible, and could do everything, but the younger was stupid andcould neither learn nor understand anything, and when people saw himthey said: 'There's a fellow who will give his father some trouble!'When anything had to be done, it was always the elder who was forcedto do it; but if his father bade him fetch anything when it was late,or in the night-time, and the way led through the churchyard, or anyother dismal place, he answered: 'Oh, no father, I'll not go there, itmakes me shudder!' for he was afraid. Or when stories were told by thefire at night which made the flesh creep, the listeners sometimessaid: 'Oh, it makes us shudder!' The younger sat in a corner andlistened with the rest of them, and could not imagine what they couldmean. 'They are always saying: "It makes me shudder, it makes meshudder!" It does not make me shudder,' thought he. 'That, too, mustbe an art of which I understand nothing!'
Now it came to pass that his father said to him one day: 'Hearken tome, you fellow in the corner there, you are growing tall and strong,and you too must learn something by which you can earn your bread.Look how your brother works, but you do not even earn your salt.''Well, father,' he replied, 'I am quite willing to learn something--indeed, if it could but be managed, I should like to learn how toshudder. I don't understand that at all yet.' The elder brother smiledwhen he heard that, and thought to himself: 'Goodness, what ablockhead that brother of mine is! He will never be good for anythingas long as he lives! He who wants to be a sickle must bend himselfbetimes.'
The father sighed, and answered him: 'You shall soon learn what it isto shudder, but you will not earn your bread by that.'
Soon after this the sexton came to the house on a visit, and thefather bewailed his trouble, and told him how his younger son was sobackward in every respect that he knew nothing and learnt nothing.'Just think,' said he, 'when I asked him how he was going to earn hisbread, he actually wanted to learn to shudder.' 'If that be all,'replied the sexton, 'he can learn that with me. Send him to me, and Iwill soon polish him.' The father was glad to do it, for he thought:'It will train the boy a little.' The sexton therefore took him intohis house, and he had to ring the church bell. After a day or two, thesexton awoke him at midnight, and bade him arise and go up into thechurch tower and ring the bell. 'You shall soon learn what shudderingis,' thought he, and secretly went there before him; and when the boywas at the top of the tower and turned round, and was just going totake hold of the bell rope, he saw a white figure standing on thestairs opposite the sounding hole. 'Who is there?' cried he, but thefigure made no reply, and did not move or stir. 'Give an answer,'cried the boy, 'or take yourself off, you have no business here atnight.'
The sexton, however, remained standing motionless that the boy mightthink he was a ghost. The boy cried a second time: 'What do you wanthere?--speak if you are an honest fellow, or I will throw you down thesteps!' The sexton thought: 'He can't mean to be as bad as his words,'uttered no sound and stood as if he were made of stone. Then the boycalled to him for the third time, and as that was also to no purpose,he ran against him and pushed the ghost down the stairs, so that itfell down the ten steps and remained lying there in a corner.Thereupon he rang the bell, went home, and without saying a word wentto bed, and fell asleep. The sexton's wife waited a long time for herhusband, but he did not come back. At length she became uneasy, andwakened the boy, and asked: 'Do you know where my husband is? Heclimbed up the tower before you did.' 'No, I don't know,' replied theboy, 'but someone was standing by the sounding hole on the other sideof the steps, and as he would neither gave an answer nor go away, Itook him for a scoundrel, and threw him downstairs. Just go there andyou will see if it was he. I should be sorry if it were.' The womanran away and found her husband, who was lying moaning in the corner,and had broken his leg.
She carried him down, and then with loud screams she hastened to theboy's father, 'Your boy,' cried she, 'has been the cause of a greatmisfortune! He has thrown my husband down the steps so that he brokehis leg. Take the good-for-nothing fellow out of our house.' Thefather was terrified, and ran thither and scolded the boy. 'Whatwicked tricks are these?' said he. 'The devil must have put them intoyour head.' 'Father,' he replied, 'do listen to me. I am quiteinnocent. He was standing there by night like one intent on doingevil. I did not know who it was, and I entreated him three timeseither to speak or to go away.' 'Ah,' said the father, 'I have nothingbut unhappiness with you. Go out of my sight. I will see you no more.'
'Yes, father, right willingly, wait only until it is day. Then will Igo forth and learn how to shudder, and then I shall, at any rate,understand one art which will support me.' 'Learn what you will,'spoke the father, 'it is all the same to me. Here are fifty talers foryou. Take these and go into the wide world, and tell no one fromwhence you come, and who is your father, for I have reason to beashamed of you.' 'Yes, father, it shall be as you will. If you desirenothing more than that, I can easily keep it in mind.'
When the day dawned, therefore, the boy put his fifty talers into hispocket, and went forth on the great highway, and continually said tohimself: 'If I could but shudder! If I could but shudder!' Then a manapproached who heard this conversation which the youth was holdingwith himself, and when they had walked a little farther to where theycould see the gallows, the man said to him: 'Look, there is the treewhere seven men have married the ropemaker's daughter, and are nowlearning how to fly. Sit down beneath it, and wait till night comes,and you will soon learn how to shudder.' 'If that is all that iswanted,' answered the youth, 'it is easily done; but if I learn how toshudder as fast as that, you shall have my fifty talers. Just comeback to me early in the morning.' Then the youth went to the gallows,sat down beneath it, and waited till evening came. And as he was cold,he lighted himself a fire, but at midnight the wind blew so sharplythat in spite of his fire, he could not get warm. And as the windknocked the hanged men against each other, and they moved backwardsand forwards, he thought to himself: 'If you shiver below by the fire,how those up above must freeze and suffer!' And as he felt pity forthem, he raised the ladder, and climbed up, unbound one of them afterthe other, and brought down all seven. Then he stoked the fire, blewit, and set them all round it to warm themselves. But they sat thereand did not stir, and the fire caught their clothes. So he said: 'Takecare, or I will hang you up again.' The dead men, however, did nothear, but were quite silent, and let their rags go on burning. At thishe grew angry, and said: 'If you will not take care, I cannot helpyou, I will not be burnt with you,' and he hung them up again each inhis turn. Then he sat down by his fire and fell asleep, and the nextmorning the man came to him and wanted to have the fifty talers, andsaid: 'Well do you know how to shudder?' 'No,' answered he, 'howshould I know? Those fellows up there did not open their mouths, andwere so stupid that they let the few old rags which they had on theirbodies get burnt.' Then the man saw that he would not get the fiftytalers that day, and went away saying: 'Such a youth has never come myway before.'
The youth likewise went his way, and once more began to mutter tohimself: 'Ah, if I could but shudder! Ah, if I could but shudder!' Awaggoner who was striding behind him heard this and asked: 'Who areyou?' 'I don't know,' answered the youth. Then the waggoner asked:'From whence do you come?' 'I know not.' 'Who is your father?' 'That Imay not tell you.' 'What is it that you are always muttering betweenyour teeth?' 'Ah,' replied the youth, 'I do so wish I could shudder,but no one can teach me how.' 'Enough of your foolish chatter,' saidthe waggoner. 'Come, go with me, I will see about a place for you.'The youth went with the waggoner, and in the evening they arrived atan inn where they wished to pass the night. Then at the entrance ofthe parlour the youth again said quite loudly: 'If I could butshudder! If I could but shudder!' The host who heard this, laughed andsaid: 'If that is your desire, there ought to be a good opportunityfor you here.' 'Ah, be silent,' said the hostess, 'so many pryingpersons have already lost their lives, it would be a pity and a shameif such beautiful eyes as these should never see the daylight again.'
But the youth said: 'However difficult it may be, I will learn it. Forthis purpose indeed have I journeyed forth.' He let the host have norest, until the latter told him, that not far from thence stood ahaunted castle where anyone could very easily learn what shudderingwas, if he would but watch in it for three nights. The king hadpromised that he who would venture should have his daughter to wife,and she was the most beautiful maiden the sun shone on. Likewise inthe castle lay great treasures, which were guarded by evil spirits,and these treasures would then be freed, and would make a poor manrich enough. Already many men had gone into the castle, but as yetnone had come out again. Then the youth went next morning to the king,and said: 'If it be allowed, I will willingly watch three nights inthe haunted castle.'
The king looked at him, and as the youth pleased him, he said: 'Youmay ask for three things to take into the castle with you, but theymust be things without life.' Then he answered: 'Then I ask for afire, a turning lathe, and a cutting-board with the knife.'
The king had these things carried into the castle for him during theday. When night was drawing near, the youth went up and made himself abright fire in one of the rooms, placed the cutting-board and knifebeside it, and seated himself by the turning-lathe. 'Ah, if I couldbut shudder!' said he, 'but I shall not learn it here either.' Towardsmidnight he was about to poke his fire, and as he was blowing it,something cried suddenly from one corner: 'Au, miau! how cold we are!''You fools!' cried he, 'what are you crying about? If you are cold,come and take a seat by the fire and warm yourselves.' And when he hadsaid that, two great black cats came with one tremendous leap and satdown on each side of him, and looked savagely at him with their fieryeyes. After a short time, when they had warmed themselves, they said:'Comrade, shall we have a game of cards?' 'Why not?' he replied, 'butjust show me your paws.' Then they stretched out their claws. 'Oh,'said he, 'what long nails you have! Wait, I must first cut them foryou.' Thereupon he seized them by the throats, put them on thecutting-board and screwed their feet fast. 'I have looked at yourfingers,' said he, 'and my fancy for card-playing has gone,' and hestruck them dead and threw them out into the water. But when he hadmade away with these two, and was about to sit down again by his fire,out from every hole and corner came black cats and black dogs withred-hot chains, and more and more of them came until he could nolonger move, and they yelled horribly, and got on his fire, pulled itto pieces, and tried to put it out. He watched them for a whilequietly, but at last when they were going too far, he seized hiscutting-knife, and cried: 'Away with you, vermin,' and began to cutthem down. Some of them ran away, the others he killed, and threw outinto the fish-pond. When he came back he fanned the embers of his fireagain and warmed himself. And as he thus sat, his eyes would keep openno longer, and he felt a desire to sleep. Then he looked round and sawa great bed in the corner. 'That is the very thing for me,' said he,and got into it. When he was just going to shut his eyes, however, thebed began to move of its own accord, and went over the whole of thecastle. 'That's right,' said he, 'but go faster.' Then the bed rolledon as if six horses were harnessed to it, up and down, over thresholdsand stairs, but suddenly hop, hop, it turned over upside down, and layon him like a mountain. But he threw quilts and pillows up in the air,got out and said: 'Now anyone who likes, may drive,' and lay down byhis fire, and slept till it was day. In the morning the king came, andwhen he saw him lying there on the ground, he thought the evil spiritshad killed him and he was dead. Then said he: 'After all it is apity,--for so handsome a man.' The youth heard it, got up, and said:'It has not come to that yet.' Then the king was astonished, but veryglad, and asked how he had fared. 'Very well indeed,' answered he;'one night is past, the two others will pass likewise.' Then he wentto the innkeeper, who opened his eyes very wide, and said: 'I neverexpected to see you alive again! Have you learnt how to shudder yet?''No,' said he, 'it is all in vain. If someone would but tell me!'
The second night he again went up into the old castle, sat down by thefire, and once more began his old song: 'If I could but shudder!' Whenmidnight came, an uproar and noise of tumbling about was heard; atfirst it was low, but it grew louder and louder. Then it was quiet fora while, and at length with a loud scream, half a man came down thechimney and fell before him. 'Hullo!' cried he, 'another half belongsto this. This is not enough!' Then the uproar began again, there was aroaring and howling, and the other half fell down likewise. 'Wait,'said he, 'I will just stoke up the fire a little for you.' When he haddone that and looked round again, the two pieces were joined together,and a hideous man was sitting in his place. 'That is no part of ourbargain,' said the youth, 'the bench is mine.' The man wanted to pushhim away; the youth, however, would not allow that, but thrust him offwith all his strength, and seated himself again in his own place. Thenstill more men fell down, one after the other; they brought nine deadmen's legs and two skulls, and set them up and played at nine-pinswith them. The youth also wanted to play and said: 'Listen you, can Ijoin you?' 'Yes, if you have any money.' 'Money enough,' replied he,'but your balls are not quite round.' Then he took the skulls and putthem in the lathe and turned them till they were round. 'There, nowthey will roll better!' said he. 'Hurrah! now we'll have fun!' Heplayed with them and lost some of his money, but when it strucktwelve, everything vanished from his sight. He lay down and quietlyfell asleep. Next morning the king came to inquire after him. 'How hasit fared with you this time?' asked he. 'I have been playing at nine-pins,' he answered, 'and have lost a couple of farthings.' 'Have younot shuddered then?' 'What?' said he, 'I have had a wonderful time! IfI did but know what it was to shudder!'
The third night he sat down again on his bench and said quite sadly:'If I could but shudder.' When it grew late, six tall men came in andbrought a coffin. Then he said: 'Ha, ha, that is certainly my littlecousin, who died only a few days ago,' and he beckoned with hisfinger, and cried: 'Come, little cousin, come.' They placed the coffinon the ground, but he went to it and took the lid off, and a dead manlay therein. He felt his face, but it was cold as ice. 'Wait,' saidhe, 'I will warm you a little,' and went to the fire and warmed hishand and laid it on the dead man's face, but he remained cold. Then hetook him out, and sat down by the fire and laid him on his breast andrubbed his arms that the blood might circulate again. As this also didno good, he thought to himself: 'When two people lie in bed together,they warm each other,' and carried him to the bed, covered him overand lay down by him. After a short time the dead man became warm too,and began to move. Then said the youth, 'See, little cousin, have Inot warmed you?' The dead man, however, got up and cried: 'Now will Istrangle you.'
'What!' said he, 'is that the way you thank me? You shall at once gointo your coffin again,' and he took him up, threw him into it, andshut the lid. Then came the six men and carried him away again. 'Icannot manage to shudder,' said he. 'I shall never learn it here aslong as I live.'
Then a man entered who was taller than all others, and lookedterrible. He was old, however, and had a long white beard. 'Youwretch,' cried he, 'you shall soon learn what it is to shudder, foryou shall die.' 'Not so fast,' replied the youth. 'If I am to die, Ishall have to have a say in it.' 'I will soon seize you,' said thefiend. 'Softly, softly, do not talk so big. I am as strong as you are,and perhaps even stronger.' 'We shall see,' said the old man. 'If youare stronger, I will let you go--come, we will try.' Then he led himby dark passages to a smith's forge, took an axe, and with one blowstruck an anvil into the ground. 'I can do better than that,' said theyouth, and went to the other anvil. The old man placed himself nearand wanted to look on, and his white beard hung down. Then the youthseized the axe, split the anvil with one blow, and in it caught theold man's beard. 'Now I have you,' said the youth. 'Now it is yourturn to die.' Then he seized an iron bar and beat the old man till hemoaned and entreated him to stop, when he would give him great riches.The youth drew out the axe and let him go. The old man led him backinto the castle, and in a cellar showed him three chests full of gold.'Of these,' said he, 'one part is for the poor, the other for theking, the third yours.' In the meantime it struck twelve, and thespirit disappeared, so that the youth stood in darkness. 'I shallstill be able to find my way out,' said he, and felt about, found theway into the room, and slept there by his fire. Next morning the kingcame and said: 'Now you must have learnt what shuddering is?' 'No,' heanswered; 'what can it be? My dead cousin was here, and a bearded mancame and showed me a great deal of money down below, but no one toldme what it was to shudder.' 'Then,' said the king, 'you have saved thecastle, and shall marry my daughter.' 'That is all very well,' saidhe, 'but still I do not know what it is to shudder!'
Then the gold was brought up and the wedding celebrated; but howsoevermuch the young king loved his wife, and however happy he was, he stillsaid always: 'If I could but shudder--if I could but shudder.' Andthis at last angered her. Her waiting-maid said: 'I will find a curefor him; he shall soon learn what it is to shudder.' She went out tothe stream which flowed through the garden, and had a whole bucketfulof gudgeons brought to her. At night when the young king was sleeping,his wife was to draw the clothes off him and empty the bucket full ofcold water with the gudgeons in it over him, so that the little fisheswould sprawl about him. Then he woke up and cried: 'Oh, what makes meshudder so?-- what makes me shudder so, dear wife? Ah! now I know whatit is to shudder!'