THE GRATEFUL BEASTS.docx

THE GRATEFUL BEASTS.docx

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THEGRATEFULBEASTS

THEGRATEFULBEASTS[11]

[11]FromtheHungarian.Kletke.

Therewasonceuponatimeamanandwomanwhohadthree

fine-lookingsons,buttheyweresopoorthattheyhadhardly

enoughfoodforthemselves,letalonetheirchildren.Sothe

sonsdeterminedtosetoutintotheworldandtotrytheirluck.

Beforestartingtheirmothergavethemeachaloafofbreadand

herblessing,andhavingtakenatenderfarewellofherandtheir

fatherthethreesetforthontheirtravels.

Theyoungestofthethreebrothers,whosenamewasFerko,wasa

beautifulyouth,withasplendidfigure,blueeyes,fairhair,

andacomplexionlikemilkandroses.Histwobrotherswereas

jealousofhimastheycouldbe,fortheythoughtthatwithhis

goodlookshewouldbesuretobemorefortunatethantheywould

everbe.

Onedayallthethreeweresittingrestingunderatree,forthe

sunwashotandtheyweretiredofwalking.Ferkofellfast

asleep,buttheothertworemainedawake,andtheeldestsaidto

thesecondbrother,'WhatdoyousaytodoingourbrotherFerko

someharm?

Heissobeautifulthateveryonetakesafancyto

him,whichismorethantheydotous.Ifwecouldonlygethim

outofthewaywemightsucceedbetter.'

'Iquiteagreewithyou,'answeredthesecondbrother,'andmy

adviceistoeatuphisloafofbread,andthentorefusetogive

himabitofoursuntilhehaspromisedtoletusputouthis

eyesorbreakhislegs.'

Hiseldestbrotherwasdelightedwiththisproposal,andthetwo

wickedwretchesseizedFerko'sloafandateitallup,whilethe

poorboywasstillasleep.

Whenhedidawakehefeltveryhungryandturnedtoeathis

bread,buthisbrotherscriedout,'Youateyourloafinyour

sleep,youglutton,andyoumaystarveaslongasyoulike,but

youwon'tgetascrapofours.'

Ferkowasatalosstounderstandhowhecouldhaveeateninhis

sleep,buthesaidnothing,andfastedallthatdayandthenext

night.Butonthefollowingmorninghewassohungrythathe

burstintotears,andimploredhisbrotherstogivehimalittle

bitoftheirbread.Thenthecruelcreatureslaughed,and

repeatedwhattheyhadsaidthedaybefore;butwhenFerko

continuedtobegandbeseechthem,theeldestsaidatlast,'If

youwillletusputoutoneofyoureyesandbreakoneofyour

legs,thenwewillgiveyouabitofourbread.'

AtthesewordspoorFerkoweptmorebitterlythanbefore,and

borethetormentsofhungertillthesunwashighintheheavens;

thenhecouldstanditnolonger,andheconsentedtoallowhis

lefteyetobeputoutandhisleftlegtobebroken.Whenthis

wasdonehestretchedouthishandeagerlyforthepieceof

bread,buthisbrothersgavehimsuchatinyscrapthatthe

starvingyouthfinisheditinamomentandbesoughtthemfora

secondbit.

ButthemoreFerkoweptandtoldhisbrothersthathewasdying

ofhunger,themoretheylaughedandscoldedhimforhisgreed.

Soheenduredthepangsofstarvationallthatday,butwhen

nightcamehisendurancegaveway,andhelethisrighteyebe

putoutandhisrightlegbrokenforasecondpieceofbread.

Afterhisbrothershadthussuccessfullymaimedanddisfigured

himforlife,theylefthimgroaningonthegroundandcontinued

theirjourneywithouthim.

PoorFerkoateupthescrapofbreadtheyhadlefthimandwept

bitterly,butnooneheardhimorcametohishelp.Nightcame

on,andthepoorblindyouthhadnoeyestoclose,andcouldonly

crawlalongtheground,notknowingintheleastwherehewas

going.Butwhenthesunwasoncemorehighintheheavens,Ferko

felttheblazingheatscorchhim,andsoughtforsomecoolshady

placetoresthisachinglimbs.Heclimbedtothetopofahill

andlaydowninthegrass,andashethoughtundertheshadowof

abigtree.Butitwasnotreeheleantagainst,butagallows

onwhichtworavenswereseated.Theonewassayingtotheother

asthewearyyouthlaydown,'Isthereanythingtheleast

wonderfulorremarkableaboutthisneighbourhood?

'

'Ishouldjustthinktherewas,'repliedtheother;'manythings

thatdon'texistanywhereelseintheworld.Thereisalake

downtherebelowus,andanyonewhobathesinit,thoughhewere

atdeath'sdoor,becomessoundandwellonthespot,andthose

whowashtheireyeswiththedewonthishillbecomeas

sharp-sightedastheeagle,eveniftheyhavebeenblindfrom

theiryouth.'

'Well,'answeredthefirstraven,'myeyesareinnowantofthis

healingbath,for,Heavenbepraised,theyareasgoodasever

theywere;butmywinghasbeenveryfeebleandweakeversince

itwasshotbyanarrowmanyyearsago,soletusflyatonceto

thelakethatImayberestoredtohealthandstrengthagain.'

Andsotheyflewaway.

TheirwordsrejoicedFerko'sheart,andhewaitedimpatiently

tilleveningshouldcomeandhecouldrubthepreciousdewonhis

sightlesseyes.

Atlastitbegantogrowdusk,andthesunsankbehindthe

mountains;graduallyitbecamecooleronthehill,andthegrass

grewwetwithdew.ThenFerkoburiedhisfaceinthegroundtill

hiseyesweredampwithdewdrops,andinamomenthesawclearer

thanhehadeverdoneinhislifebefore.Themoonwasshining

brightly,andlightedhimtothelakewherehecouldbathehis

poorbrokenlegs.

ThenFerkocrawledtotheedgeofthelakeanddippedhislimbs

inthewater.Nosoonerhadhedonesothanhislegsfeltas

soundandstrongastheyhadbeenbefore,andFerkothankedthe

kindfatethathadledhimtothehillwherehehadoverheardthe

ravens'conversation.Hefilledabottlewiththehealingwater,

andthencontinuedhisjourneyinthebestofspirits.

Hehadnotgonefarbeforehemetawolf,whowaslimping

disconsolatelyalongonthreelegs,andwhoonperceivingFerko

begantohowldismally.

'Mygoodfriend,'saidtheyouth,'beofgoodcheer,forIcan

soonhealyourleg,'andwiththesewordshepouredsomeofthe

preciouswateroverthewolf'spaw,andinaminutetheanimal

wasspringingaboutsoundandwellonallfours.Thegrateful

creaturethankedhisbenefactorwarmly,andpromisedFerkotodo

himagoodturnifheshouldeverneedit.

Ferkocontinuedhiswaytillhecametoaploughedfield.Here

henoticedalittlemousecreepingwearilyalongonitshind

paws,foritsfrontpawshadbothbeenbrokeninatrap.

Ferkofeltsosorryforthelittlebeastthathespoketoitin

themostfriendlymanner,andwasheditssmallpawswiththe

healingwater.Inamomentthemousewassoundandwhole,and

afterthankingthekindphysicianitscamperedawayoverthe

ploughedfurrows.

Ferkoagainproceededonhisjourney,buthehadn'tgonefar

beforeaqueenbeeflewagainsthim,trailingonewingbehind

her,whichhadbeencruellytornintwobyabigbird.Ferko

wasnolesswillingtohelpherthanhehadbeentohelpthewolf

andthemouse,sohepouredsomehealingdropsoverthewounded

wing.Onthespotthequeenbeewascured,andturningtoFerko

shesaid,'Iammostgratefulforyourkindness,andshallreward

yousomeday.'Andwiththesewordssheflewawayhumming,

gaily.

ThenFerkowanderedonformanyalongday,andatlengthreached

astrangekingdom.Here,hethoughttohimself,hemightaswell

gostraighttothepalaceandofferhisservicestotheKingof

thecountry,forhehadheardthattheKing'sdaughterwasas

beautifulastheday.

Sohewenttotheroyalpalace,andasheenteredthedoorthe

firstpeoplehesawwerehistwobrotherswhohadsoshamefully

ill-treatedhim.TheyhadmanagedtoobtainplacesintheKing's

service,andwhentheyrecognisedFerkowithhiseyesandlegs

soundandwelltheywerefrightenedtodeath,fortheyfearedhe

wouldtelltheKingoftheirconduct,andthattheywouldbe

hung.

NosoonerhadFerkoenteredthepalacethanalleyeswereturned

onthehandsomeyouth,andtheKing'sdaughterherselfwaslost

inadmiration,forshehadneverseenanyonesohandsomeinher

lifebefore.Hisbrothersnoticedthis,andenvyandjealousy

wereaddedtotheirfear,somuchsothattheydeterminedonce

moretodestroyhim.TheywenttotheKingandtoldhimthat

Ferkowasawickedmagician,whohadcometothepalacewiththe

intentionofcarryingoffthePrincess.

ThentheKinghadFerkobroughtbeforehim,andsaid,'Youare

accusedofbeingamagicianwhowishestorobmeofmydaughter,

andIcondemnyoutodeath;butifyoucanfulfilthreetasks

whichIshallsetyoutodoyourlifeshallbespared,on

conditionyouleavethecountry;butifyoucannotperformwhatI

demandyoushallbehungonthenearesttree.'

Andturningtothetwowickedbrothershesaid,'Suggest

somethingforhimtodo;nomatterhowdifficult,hemustsucceed

initordie.'

Theydidnotthinklong,butreplied,'LethimbuildyourMajesty

inonedayamorebeautifulpalacethanthis,andifhefailsin

theattemptlethimbehung.'

TheKingwaspleasedwiththisproposal,andcommandedFerkoto

settoworkonthefollowingday.Thetwobrotherswere

delighted,fortheythoughttheyhadnowgotridofFerkofor

ever.Thepooryouthhimselfwasheart-broken,andcursedthe

hourhehadcrossedtheboundaryoftheKing'sdomain.Ashewas

wanderingdisconsolatelyaboutthemeadowsroundthepalace,

wonderinghowhecouldescapebeingputtodeath,alittlebee

flewpast,andsettlingonhisshoulderwhisperedinhisear,

'Whatistroublingyou,mykindbenefactor?

CanIbeofanyhelp

toyou?

Iamthebeewhosewingyouhealed,andwouldliketo

showmygratitudeinsomeway.'

Ferkorecognisedthequeenbee,andsaid,'Alas!

howcouldyou

helpme?

forIhavebeensettodoa