英语童话故事TheTerribleHead.docx

英语童话故事TheTerribleHead.docx

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英语童话故事TheTerribleHead

英语童话故事：

TheTerribleHead

Onceuponatime...

Therewasakingwhoseonlychildwasagirl.NowtheKinghadbeenveryanxioustohaveason,oratleastagrandson,tocomeafterhim,buthewastoldbyaprophetwhomheconsultedthathisowndaughter'ssonshouldkillhim.Thisnewsterrifiedhimsomuchthathedeterminednevertolethisdaughterbemarried,forhethoughtitwasbettertohavenograndsonatallthantobekilledbyhisgrandson.Hethereforecalledhisworkmentogether,andbadethemdigadeeproundholeintheearth,andthenhehadaprisonofbrassbuiltinthehole,andthen,whenitwasfinished,helockeduphisdaughter.

Nomaneversawher,andsheneversaweventhefieldsandthesea,butonlytheskyandthesun,fortherewasawideopenwindowintheroofofthehouseofbrass.SothePrincesswouldsitlookingupatthesky,andwatchingthecloudsfloatacross,andwonderingwhethersheshouldevergetoutofherprison.Nowonedayitseemedtoherthattheskyopenedaboveher,andagreatshowerofshininggoldfellthroughthewindowintheroof,andlayglitteringinherroom.Notverylongafter,thePrincesshadababy,alittleboy,butwhentheKingherfatherheardofithewasveryangryandafraid,fornowthechildwasbornthatshouldbehisdeath.Yet,cowardlyashewas,hehadnotquitethehearttokillthePrincessandherbabyoutright,buthehadthemputinahugebrass-boundchestandthrustouttosea,thattheymighteitherbedrownedorstarved,orperhapscometoacountrywheretheywouldbeoutofhisway.

SothePrincessandthebabyfloatedanddriftedinthechestontheseaalldayandnight,butthebabywasnotafraidofthewavesnorofthewind,forhedidnotknowthattheycouldhurthim,andhesleptquitesoundly.AndthePrincesssangasongoverhim,andthiswashersong：

"Child,mychild,howsoundyousleep!

Thoughyourmother'scareisdeep,YoucanliewithheartatrestInthenarrowbrass-boundchest;InthestarlessnightanddrearYoucansleep,andneverhearBillowsbreaking,andthecryOfthenight-windwanderingby;InsoftpurplemantlesleepingWithyourlittlefaceonmine,HearingnotyourmotherweepingAndthebreakingofthebrine."

Well,thedaylightcameatlast,andthegreatchestwasdrivenbythewavesagainsttheshoreofanisland.Therethebrass-boundchestlay,withthePrincessandherbabyinit,tillamanofthatcountrycamepast,andsawit,anddraggeditontothebeach,andwhenhehadbrokenitopen,behold!

therewasabeautifulladyandalittleboy.Sohetookthemhome,andwasverykindtothem,andbroughtuptheboytillhewasayoungman.NowwhentheboyhadcometohisfullstrengththeKingofthatcountryfellinlovewithhismother,andwantedtomarryher,butheknewthatshewouldneverpartfromherboy.Sohethou

ghtofaplantogetridoftheboy,andthiswashisplan：

AgreatQueenofacountrynotfaroffwasgoingtobemarried,andthiskingsaidthatallhissubjectsmustbringhimweddingpresentstogiveher.Andhemadeafeasttowhichheinvitedthemall,andtheyallbroughttheirpresents;somebroughtgoldcups,andsomebroughtnecklaces

ofgoldandamber,andsomebroughtbeautifulhorses;buttheboyhadnothing,thoughhewasthesonofaprincess,forhismotherhadnothingtogivehim.Thentherestofthecompanybegantolaughathim,andtheKingsaid：

"Ifyouhave

nothingelsetogive,atleastyoumightgoandfetchtheTerribleHead."

Theboywasproud,andspokewithoutthinking：

"ThenIswearthatIwillbringtheTerribleHead,ifitmaybebroughtbyalivingman.ButofwhatheadyouspeakIknownot."

Thentheytoldhimthatsomewhere,alongwayoff,theredweltthreedreadfulsisters,monstrousogrishwomen,withgoldenwingsandclawsofbrass,andwithserpentsgrowingontheirheadsinsteadofhair.Nowthesewomenweresoawfultolookonthatwhoeversawthemwasturnedatonceintostone.Andtwoofthemcouldnotbeputtodeath,buttheyoungest,whosefacewasverybeautiful,couldbekilled,anditwasherheadthattheboyhadpromisedtobring.Youmayimagineitwasnoeasyadventure.

WhenheheardallthishewasperhapssorrythathehadsworntobringtheTerribleHead,buthewasdeterminedtokeephisoath.Sohewentoutfromthefeast,wheretheyallsatdrinkingandmakingmerry,andhewalkedalonebesidetheseaintheduskoftheevening,attheplacewherethegreatchest,withhimselfandhismotherinit,hadbeencastashore.

Therehewentandsatdownonarock,lookingtowardthesea,andwonderinghowheshouldbegintofulfilhisvow.

Thenhefeltsomeonetouchhimontheshoulder;andheturned,andsawayoungmanlikeaking'sson,havingwithhimatallandbeautifullady,whoseblueeyesshonelikestars.Theyweretallerthanmortalmen,andtheyoungmanhadastaffinhishandwithgoldenwingsonit,andtwogoldenserpentstwistedroundit,andhehadwingsonhiscapandonhisshoes.Hespoketotheboy,andaskedhimwhyhewassounhappy;andtheboytoldhimhowhehadsworntobringtheTerribleHead,andknewnothowtobegintosetabouttheadventure.

Thenthebeautifulladyalsospoke,andsaidthat"itwasafoolishoathandahasty,butitmightbekeptifabravemanhadswornit."Thentheboyansweredthathewasnotafraid,ifonlyheknewtheway.

Thentheladysaidthattokillthedreadfulwomanwiththegoldenwingsandthebrassclaws,andtocutoffherhead,heneededthreethings：

first,aCapofDarkness,whichwouldmakehiminvisiblewhenheworeit;next,aSwordofSharpness,whichwouldcleaveironatoneblow;andlast,theShoesofSwiftness

withwhichhemightflyintheair.

Theboyansweredthatheknewnotwheresuchthingsweretobeprocured,andthat,wantingthem,hecouldonlytryandfail.Thentheyoungman,takingoffhisownshoes,said"First,youshallusetheseshoestillyouhavetakentheTerribleHead,andthenyoumustgivethembacktome.Andwiththeseshoesyouwillflyasfleetasabird,orathought,overthelandoroverthewavesofthesea,wherevertheshoesknowtheway.Buttherearewayswhichtheydonotknow,roadsbeyondthebordersoftheworld.Andtheseroadshaveyoutotravel.NowfirstyoumustgototheThreeGraySisters,wholivefaroffinthenorth,andaresoverycoldthattheyhaveonlyoneeyeandonetoothamongthethree.Youmustcreepupclosetothem,andasoneofthempassestheeyetotheotheryoumustseizeit,andrefusetogiveituptilltheyhavetoldyouthewaytotheThreeFairiesoftheGarden,andTHEYwillgiveyoutheCapofDarknessandtheSwordofSharpness,andshowyouhowtowingbeyondthisworldtothelandoftheTerribleHead."

Thenthebeautifulladysaid：

"Goforthatonce,anddo

notreturntosaygood-bytoyourmother,forthesethingsmustbedonequickly,andtheShoesofSwiftnessthemselveswillcarryyoutothelandoftheThreeGraySisters--fortheyknowthemeasureofthatway."

Sotheboythankedher,andhefastenedontheShoesofSwiftness,andturnedtosaygood-bytotheyoungmanandthelady.But,behold!

theyhadvanished,heknewnothoworwhere!

ThenheleapedintheairtotrytheShoesofSwiftness,andtheycarriedhimmoreswiftlythanthewind,overthewarmbluesea,overthehappylandsofthesouth,overthenorthernpeopleswhodrankmare'smilkandlivedingreatwagons,wanderingaftertheirflocks.Acrossthewiderivers,wherethewildfowlroseandfledbeforehim,andovertheplainsandthecoldNorthSeahewent,overthefieldsofsnowandthehillsofice,toaplacewheretheworldends,andallwaterisfrozen,andtherearenomen,norbeasts,noranygreengrass.ThereinabluecaveoftheicehefoundtheThreeGraySisters,theoldestoflivingthings.Theirhairwasaswhiteasthesnow,andtheirflesh

ofanicyblue,andtheymumbledandnoddedinakindofdream,andtheirfrozenbreathhungroundthemlikeacloud.Nowtheopeningofthecaveintheicewasnarrow,anditwasnoteasytopassinwithouttouchingoneoftheGraySisters.But,floatingontheShoesofSwiftness,theboyjustmanagedtostealin,andwaitedtilloneofthesisterssaidtoanother,whohadtheironeeye：

"Sister,whatdoyousee?

doyouseeoldtimescomingback?

"

"No,sister."

"ThengiveMEtheeye,forperhapsIcanseefartherthanyou."

Thenthefirstsisterpassedtheeyetothesecond,but

asthesecondgropedforittheboycaughti

tcleverlyoutofherhand.

"Whereistheeye,sister?

"saidthesecondgreywoman.

"Youhavetakenityourself,sister,"saidthefirstgreywoman.

"Haveyoulosttheeye,sister?

haveyoulosttheeye?

"saidthethirdgreywoman;"shallweNEVERfinditagain,andseeoldtimescomingback?

"

Thentheboyslippedfrombehindthemoutofthecoldcaveintotheair,andhelaughedaloud.

Whenthegreywomenheardthatlaughtheybegantoweep,fornowtheyknewthatastrangerhadrobbedthem,andthattheycouldnothelpthemselves,andtheirtearsfrozeasthey

fellfromthehollowswherenoeyeswere,andrattledontheicygroundofthecave.Thentheybegantoimploretheboytogivethemtheireyebackagain,andhecouldnothelpbeingsorryforthem,theyweresopitiful.ButhesaidhewouldnevergivethemtheeyetilltheytoldhimthewaytotheFairiesoftheGarden.

Thentheywrungtheirhandsmiserably,fortheyguessedwhyhehadcome,andhowhewasgoingtotrytowintheTerribleHead.NowtheDreadfulWomenwereakintotheThreeGraySisters,anditwashardforthemtotelltheboytheway.Butatlasttheytoldhimtokeepalwayssouth,andwiththelandonhisleftandtheseaonhisright,tillhereachedtheIslan