格林童话选 英文版 Grimms' Fairy Tales
格林兄弟 Brüder Grimm
IRON HANS
There was once upon a time a king who had a great forest near hispalace, full of all kinds of wild animals. One day he sent out ahuntsman to shoot him a roe, but he did not come back. 'Perhaps someaccident has befallen him,' said the king, and the next day he sentout two more huntsmen who were to search for him, but they too stayedaway. Then on the third day, he sent for all his huntsmen, and said:'Scour the whole forest through, and do not give up until you havefound all three.' But of these also, none came home again, none wereseen again. From that time forth, no one would any longer venture intothe forest, and it lay there in deep stillness and solitude, andnothing was seen of it, but sometimes an eagle or a hawk flying overit. This lasted for many years, when an unknown huntsman announcedhimself to the king as seeking a situation, and offered to go into thedangerous forest. The king, however, would not give his consent, andsaid: 'It is not safe in there; I fear it would fare with you nobetter than with the others, and you would never come out again.' Thehuntsman replied: 'Lord, I will venture it at my own risk, of fear Iknow nothing.'
The huntsman therefore betook himself with his dog to the forest. Itwas not long before the dog fell in with some game on the way, andwanted to pursue it; but hardly had the dog run two steps when itstood before a deep pool, could go no farther, and a naked armstretched itself out of the water, seized it, and drew it under. Whenthe huntsman saw that, he went back and fetched three men to come withbuckets and bale out the water. When they could see to the bottomthere lay a wild man whose body was brown like rusty iron, and whosehair hung over his face down to his knees. They bound him with cords,and led him away to the castle. There was great astonishment over thewild man; the king, however, had him put in an iron cage in hiscourtyard, and forbade the door to be opened on pain of death, and thequeen herself was to take the key into her keeping. And from this timeforth everyone could again go into the forest with safety.
The king had a son of eight years, who was once playing in thecourtyard, and while he was playing, his golden ball fell into thecage. The boy ran thither and said: 'Give me my ball out.' 'Not tillyou have opened the door for me,' answered the man. 'No,' said theboy, 'I will not do that; the king has forbidden it,' and ran away.The next day he again went and asked for his ball; the wild man said:'Open my door,' but the boy would not. On the third day the king hadridden out hunting, and the boy went once more and said: 'I cannotopen the door even if I wished, for I have not the key.' Then the wildman said: 'It lies under your mother's pillow, you can get it there.'The boy, who wanted to have his ball back, cast all thought to thewinds, and brought the key. The door opened with difficulty, and theboy pinched his fingers. When it was open the wild man stepped out,gave him the golden ball, and hurried away. The boy had become afraid;he called and cried after him: 'Oh, wild man, do not go away, or Ishall be beaten!' The wild man turned back, took him up, set him onhis shoulder, and went with hasty steps into the forest. When the kingcame home, he observed the empty cage, and asked the queen how thathad happened. She knew nothing about it, and sought the key, but itwas gone. She called the boy, but no one answered. The king sent outpeople to seek for him in the fields, but they did not find him. Thenhe could easily guess what had happened, and much grief reigned in theroyal court.
When the wild man had once more reached the dark forest, he took theboy down from his shoulder, and said to him: 'You will never see yourfather and mother again, but I will keep you with me, for you have setme free, and I have compassion on you. If you do all I bid you, youshall fare well. Of treasure and gold have I enough, and more thananyone in the world.' He made a bed of moss for the boy on which heslept, and the next morning the man took him to a well, and said:'Behold, the gold well is as bright and clear as crystal, you shallsit beside it, and take care that nothing falls into it, or it will bepolluted. I will come every evening to see if you have obeyed myorder.' The boy placed himself by the brink of the well, and often sawa golden fish or a golden snake show itself therein, and took carethat nothing fell in. As he was thus sitting, his finger hurt him soviolently that he involuntarily put it in the water. He drew itquickly out again, but saw that it was quite gilded, and whatsoeverpains he took to wash the gold off again, all was to no purpose. Inthe evening Iron Hans came back, looked at the boy, and said: 'Whathas happened to the well?' 'Nothing nothing,' he answered, and heldhis finger behind his back, that the man might not see it. But hesaid: 'You have dipped your finger into the water, this time it maypass, but take care you do not again let anything go in.' By daybreakthe boy was already sitting by the well and watching it. His fingerhurt him again and he passed it over his head, and then unhappily ahair fell down into the well. He took it quickly out, but it wasalready quite gilded. Iron Hans came, and already knew what hadhappened. 'You have let a hair fall into the well,' said he. 'I willallow you to watch by it once more, but if this happens for the thirdtime then the well is polluted and you can no longer remain with me.'
On the third day, the boy sat by the well, and did not stir hisfinger, however much it hurt him. But the time was long to him, and helooked at the reflection of his face on the surface of the water. Andas he still bent down more and more while he was doing so, and tryingto look straight into the eyes, his long hair fell down from hisshoulders into the water. He raised himself up quickly, but the wholeof the hair of his head was already golden and shone like the sun. Youcan imagine how terrified the poor boy was! He took his pocket-handkerchief and tied it round his head, in order that the man mightnot see it. When he came he already knew everything, and said: 'Takethe handkerchief off.' Then the golden hair streamed forth, and letthe boy excuse himself as he might, it was of no use. 'You have notstood the trial and can stay here no longer. Go forth into the world,there you will learn what poverty is. But as you have not a bad heart,and as I mean well by you, there is one thing I will grant you; if youfall into any difficulty, come to the forest and cry: "Iron Hans," andthen I will come and help you. My power is great, greater than youthink, and I have gold and silver in abundance.'
Then the king's son left the forest, and walked by beaten and unbeatenpaths ever onwards until at length he reached a great city. There helooked for work, but could find none, and he learnt nothing by whichhe could help himself. At length he went to the palace, and asked ifthey would take him in. The people about court did not at all knowwhat use they could make of him, but they liked him, and told him tostay. At length the cook took him into his service, and said he mightcarry wood and water, and rake the cinders together. Once when it sohappened that no one else was at hand, the cook ordered him to carrythe food to the royal table, but as he did not like to let his goldenhair be seen, he kept his little cap on. Such a thing as that hadnever yet come under the king's notice, and he said: 'When you come tothe royal table you must take your hat off.' He answered: 'Ah, Lord, Icannot; I have a bad sore place on my head.' Then the king had thecook called before him and scolded him, and asked how he could takesuch a boy as that into his service; and that he was to send him awayat once. The cook, however, had pity on him, and exchanged him for thegardener's boy.
And now the boy had to plant and water the garden, hoe and dig, andbear the wind and bad weather. Once in summer when he was workingalone in the garden, the day was so warm he took his little cap offthat the air might cool him. As the sun shone on his hair it glitteredand flashed so that the rays fell into the bedroom of the king'sdaughter, and up she sprang to see what that could be. Then she sawthe boy, and cried to him: 'Boy, bring me a wreath of flowers.' He puthis cap on with all haste, and gathered wild field-flowers and boundthem together. When he was ascending the stairs with them, thegardener met him, and said: 'How can you take the king's daughter agarland of such common flowers? Go quickly, and get another, and seekout the prettiest and rarest.' 'Oh, no,' replied the boy, 'the wildones have more scent, and will please her better.' When he got intothe room, the king's daughter said: 'Take your cap off, it is notseemly to keep it on in my presence.' He again said: 'I may not, Ihave a sore head.' She, however, caught at his cap and pulled it off,and then his golden hair rolled down on his shoulders, and it wassplendid to behold. He wanted to run out, but she held him by the arm,and gave him a handful of ducats. With these he departed, but he carednothing for the gold pieces. He took them to the gardener, and said:'I present them to your children, they can play with them.' Thefollowing day the king's daughter again called to him that he was tobring her a wreath of field-flowers, and then he went in with it, sheinstantly snatched at his cap, and wanted to take it away from him,but he held it fast with both hands. She again gave him a handful ofducats, but he would not keep them, and gave them to the gardener forplaythings for his children. On the third day things went just thesame; she could not get his cap away from him, and he would not haveher money.
Not long afterwards, the country was overrun by war. The king gatheredtogether his people, and did not know whether or not he could offerany opposition to the enemy, who was superior in strength and had amighty army. Then said the gardener's boy: 'I am grown up, and will goto the wars also, only give me a horse.' The others laughed, and said:'Seek one for yourself when we are gone, we will leave one behind usin the stable for you.' When they had gone forth, he went into thestable, and led the horse out; it was lame of one foot, and limpedhobblety jib, hobblety jib; nevertheless he mounted it, and rode awayto the dark forest. When he came to the outskirts, he called 'IronHans' three times so loudly that it echoed through the trees.Thereupon the wild man appeared immediately, and said: 'What do youdesire?' 'I want a strong steed, for I am going to the wars.' 'Thatyou shall have, and still more than you ask for.' Then the wild manwent back into the forest, and it was not long before a stable-boycame out of it, who led a horse that snorted with its nostrils, andcould hardly be restrained, and behind them followed a great troop ofwarriors entirely equipped in iron, and their swords flashed in thesun. The youth made over his three-legged horse to the stable-boy,mounted the other, and rode at the head of the soldiers. When he gotnear the battlefield a great part of the king's men had alreadyfallen, and little was wanting to make the rest give way. Then theyouth galloped thither with his iron soldiers, broke like a hurricaneover the enemy, and beat down all who opposed him. They began to flee,but the youth pursued, and never stopped, until there was not a singleman left. Instead of returning to the king, however, he conducted histroop by byways back to the forest, and called forth Iron Hans. 'Whatdo you desire?' asked the wild man. 'Take back your horse and yourtroops, and give me my three-legged horse again.' All that he askedwas done, and soon he was riding on his three-legged horse. When theking returned to his palace, his daughter went to meet him, and wishedhim joy of his victory. 'I am not the one who carried away thevictory,' said he, 'but a strange knight who came to my assistancewith his soldiers.' The daughter wanted to hear who the strange knightwas, but the king did not know, and said: 'He followed the enemy, andI did not see him again.' She inquired of the gardener where his boywas, but he smiled, and said: 'He has just come home on his three-legged horse, and the others have been mocking him, and crying: "Herecomes our hobblety jib back again!" They asked, too: "Under what hedgehave you been lying sleeping all the time?" So he said: "I did thebest of all, and it would have gone badly without me." And then he wasstill more ridiculed.'
The king said to his daughter: 'I will proclaim a great feast thatshall last for three days, and you shall throw a golden apple. Perhapsthe unknown man will show himself.' When the feast was announced, theyouth went out to the forest, and called Iron Hans. 'What do youdesire?' asked he. 'That I may catch the king's daughter's goldenapple.' 'It is as safe as if you had it already,' said Iron Hans. 'Youshall likewise have a suit of red armour for the occasion, and ride ona spirited chestnut-horse.' When the day came, the youth galloped tothe spot, took his place amongst the knights, and was recognized by noone. The king's daughter came forward, and threw a golden apple to theknights, but none of them caught it but he, only as soon as he had ithe galloped away.
On the second day Iron Hans equipped him as a white knight, and gavehim a white horse. Again he was the only one who caught the apple, andhe did not linger an instant, but galloped off with it. The king grewangry, and said: 'That is not allowed; he must appear before me andtell his name.' He gave the order that if the knight who caught theapple, should go away again they should pursue him, and if he wouldnot come back willingly, they were to cut him down and stab him.
On the third day, he received from Iron Hans a suit of black armourand a black horse, and again he caught the apple. But when he wasriding off with it, the king's attendants pursued him, and one of themgot so near him that he wounded the youth's leg with the point of hissword. The youth nevertheless escaped from them, but his horse leaptso violently that the helmet fell from the youth's head, and theycould see that he had golden hair. They rode back and announced thisto the king.
The following day the king's daughter asked the gardener about hisboy. 'He is at work in the garden; the queer creature has been at thefestival too, and only came home yesterday evening; he has likewiseshown my children three golden apples which he has won.'
The king had him summoned into his presence, and he came and again hadhis little cap on his head. But the king's daughter went up to him andtook it off, and then his golden hair fell down over his shoulders,and he was so handsome that all were amazed. 'Are you the knight whocame every day to the festival, always in different colours, and whocaught the three golden apples?' asked the king. 'Yes,' answered he,'and here the apples are,' and he took them out of his pocket, andreturned them to the king. 'If you desire further proof, you may seethe wound which your people gave me when they followed me. But I amlikewise the knight who helped you to your victory over your enemies.''If you can perform such deeds as that, you are no gardener's boy;tell me, who is your father?' 'My father is a mighty king, and goldhave I in plenty as great as I require.' 'I well see,' said the king,'that I owe my thanks to you; can I do anything to please you?' 'Yes,'answered he, 'that indeed you can. Give me your daughter to wife.' Themaiden laughed, and said: 'He does not stand much on ceremony, but Ihave already seen by his golden hair that he was no gardener's boy,'and then she went and kissed him. His father and mother came to thewedding, and were in great delight, for they had given up all hope ofever seeing their dear son again. And as they were sitting at themarriage-feast, the music suddenly stopped, the doors opened, and astately king came in with a great retinue. He went up to the youth,embraced him and said: 'I am Iron Hans, and was by enchantment a wildman, but you have set me free; all the treasures which I possess,shall be your property.'