East of the Sun and West of the Moon.docx

East of the Sun and West of the Moon.docx

《East of the Sun and West of the Moon.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《East of the Sun and West of the Moon.docx（8页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

EastoftheSunandWestoftheMoon

EastoftheSunandWestoftheMoon

EastoftheSunandWestoftheMoon

Onceuponatime...

Therewasapoorhusbandmanwhohadmanychildrenandlittletogivetheminthewayeitheroffoodorclothing.Theywereallpretty,buttheprettiestofallwastheyoungestdaughter,whowassobeautifulthattherewerenoboundstoherbeauty.

Soonce--itwaslateonaThursdayeveninginautumn,andwildweatheroutside,terriblydark,andrainingsoheavilyandblowingsohardthatthewallsofthecottageshookagain--theywereallsittingtogetherbythefireside,eachofthembusywithsomethingorother,whensuddenlysomeonerappedthreetimesagainstthewindow-pane.Themanwentouttoseewhatcouldbethematter,andwhenhegotouttherestoodagreatbigwhitebear.

"Good-eveningtoyou,"saidtheWhiteBear.

"Good-evening,"saidtheman.

"Willyougivemeyouryoungestdaughter?

"saidtheWhiteBear;"ifyouwill,youshallbeasrichasyouarenowpoor.

Trulythemanwouldhavehadnoobjectiontoberich,buthethoughttohimself:

"Imustfirstaskmydaughteraboutthis,"sohewentinandtoldthemthattherewasagreatwhitebearoutsidewhohadfaithfullypromisedtomakethemallrichifhemightbuthavetheyoungestdaughter.

Shesaidno,andwouldnothearofit;sothemanwentoutagain,andsettledwiththeWhiteBearthatheshouldcomeagainnextThursdayevening,andgetheranswer.Thenthemanpersuadedher,andtalkedsomuchtoheraboutthewealththattheywouldhave,andwhatagoodthingitwouldbeforherself,thatatlastshemadeuphermindtogo,andwashedandmendedallherrags,madeherselfassmartasshecould,andheldherselfinreadinesstosetout.Littleenoughhadshetotakeawaywithher.

NextThursdayeveningtheWhiteBearcametofetchher.Sheseatedherselfonhisbackwithherbundle,andthustheydeparted.Whentheyhadgoneagreatpartoftheway,theWhiteBearsaid:

"Areyouafraid?

"

"No,thatIamnot,"saidshe.

"Keeptightholdofmyfur,andthenthereisnodanger,"saidhe.

Andthussherodefar,faraway,untiltheycametoagreatmountain.ThentheWhiteBearknockedonit,andadooropened,andtheywentintoacastlewherethereweremanybrilliantlylightedroomswhichshonewithgoldandsilver,likewisealargehallinwhichtherewasawell-spreadtable,anditwassomagnificentthatitwouldbehardtomakeanyoneunderstandhowsplendiditwas.TheWhiteBeargaveherasilverbell,andtoldherthatwhensheneededanythingshehadbuttoringthisbell,andwhatshewantedwouldappear.Soaftershehadeaten,andnightwasdrawingnear,shegrewsleepyafterherjourney,andthoughtshewouldliketogotobed.Sherangthebell,andscarcelyhadshetoucheditbeforeshefoundherselfinachamb

erwhereabedstoodreadymadeforher,whichwasasprettyasanyonecouldwishtosleepin.Ithadpillowsofsilk,andcurtainsofsilkfringedwithgold,andeverythingthatwasintheroomwasofgoldorsilver,butwhenshehadlaindownandputoutthelightamancameandlaydownbesideher,andbeholditwastheWhiteBear,whocastofftheformofabeastduringthenight.Sheneversawhim,however,forhealwayscameaftershehadputoutherlight,andwentawaybeforedaylightappeared.

Soallwentwellandhappilyforatime,butthenshebegantobeverysadandsorrowful,foralldaylongshehadtogoaboutalone;andshedidsowishtogohometoherfatherandmotherandbrothersandsisters.ThentheWhiteBearaskedwhatitwasthatshewanted,andshetoldhimthatitwassodullthereinthemountain,andthatshehadtogoaboutallalone,andthatinherparents'houseathometherewereallherbrothersandsisters,anditwasbecauseshecouldnotgotothemthatshewassosorrowful.

"Theremightbeacureforthat,"saidtheWhiteBear,"ifyouwouldbutpromisemenevertotalkwithyourmotheralone,butonlywhentheothersaretheretoo;forshewilltakeholdofyourhand,"hesaid,"andwillwanttoleadyouintoaroomtotalkwithyoualone;butthatyoumustbynomeansdo,oryouwillbringgreatmiseryonbothofus."

SooneSundaytheWhiteBearcameandsaidthattheycouldnowsetouttoseeherfatherandmother,andtheyjourneyedthither,shesittingonhisback,andtheywentalong,longway,andittookalong,longtime;butatlasttheycametoalargewhitefarmhouse,andherbrothersandsisterswererunningaboutoutsideit,playing,anditwassoprettythatitwasapleasuretolookatit.

"Yourparentsdwellherenow,"saidtheWhiteBear;"butdonotforgetwhatIsaidtoyou,oryouwilldomuchharmbothtoyourselfandme."

"No,indeed,"saidshe,"Ishallneverforget;"andassoonasshewasathometheWhiteBearturnedroundandwentbackagain.

Thereweresuchrejoicingswhenshewentintoherparentsthatitseemedasiftheywouldnevercometoanend.Everyonethoughtthathecouldneverbesufficientlygratefultoherforallshehaddoneforthemall.Nowtheyhadeverythingthattheywanted,andeverythingwasasgoodasitcouldbe.Theyallaskedherhowshewasgettingonwhereshewas.Allwaswellwithhertoo,shesaid;andshehadeverythingthatshecouldwant.WhatotheranswersshegaveIcannotsay,butIamprettysurethattheydidnotlearnmuchfromher.Butintheafternoon,aftertheyhaddinedatmidday,allhappenedjustastheWhiteBearhadsaid.Hermotherwantedtotalkwithheraloneinherownchamber.ButsherememberedwhattheWhiteBearhadsaid,andwouldonnoaccountgo."Whatwehavetosaycanbesai

datanytime,"sheanswered.Butsomehoworotherhermotheratlastpersuadedher,andshewasforcedtotellthewholestory.Soshetoldhoweverynightamancameandlaydownbesideherwhenthelightswereallputout,andhowsheneversawhim,becausehealwayswentawaybeforeitgrewlightinthemorning,andhowshecontinuallywentaboutinsadness,thinkinghowhappyshewouldbeifshecouldbutseehim,andhowalldaylongshehadtogoaboutalone,anditwassodullandsolitary."Oh!

"criedthemother,inhorror,"youareverylikelysleepingwithatroll!

ButIwillteachyouawaytoseehim.Youshallhaveabitofoneofmycandles,whichyoucantakeawaywithyouhiddeninyourbreast.Lookathimwiththatwhenheisasleep,buttakecarenottoletanytallowdropuponhim."

Soshetookthecandle,andhiditinherbreast,andwheneveningdrewneartheWhiteBearcametofetchheraway.Whentheyhadgonesomedistanceontheirway,theWhiteBearaskedherifeverythinghadnothappenedjustashehadforetold,andshecouldnotbutownthatithad."Then,ifyouhavedonewhatyourmotherwished,"saidhe,"youhavebroughtgreatmiseryonbothofus.""No,"shesaid,"Ihavenotdoneanythingatall."Sowhenshehadreachedhomeandhadgonetobeditwasjustthesameasithadbeenbefore,andamancameandlaydownbesideher,andlateatnight,whenshecouldhearthathewassleeping,shegotupandkindledalight,lithercandle,letherlightshineonhim,andsawhim,andhewasthehandsomestprincethateyeshadeverbeheld,andshelovedhimsomuchthatitseemedtoherthatshemustdieifshedidnotkisshimthatverymoment.Soshedidkisshim;butwhileshewasdoingitsheletthreedropsofhottallowfalluponhisshirt,andheawoke."Whathaveyoudonenow?

"saidhe;"youhavebroughtmiseryonbothofus.IfyouhadbutheldoutforthespaceofoneyearIshouldhavebeenfree.Ihaveastep-motherwhohasbewitchedmesothatIamawhitebearbydayandamanbynight;butnowallisatanendbetweenyouandme,andImustleaveyou,andgotoher.Shelivesinacastlewhichlieseastofthesunandwestofthemoon,andtheretooisaprincesswithanosewhichisthreeellslong,andshenowistheonewhomImustmarry."

Sheweptandlamented,butallinvain,forgohemust.Thensheaskedhimifshecouldnotgowithhim.Butno,thatcouldnotbe."Canyoutellmethewaythen,andIwillseekyou--thatImaysurelybeallowedtodo!

"

"Yes,youmaydothat,"saidhe;"butthereisnowaythither.Itlieseastofthesunandwestofthemoon,andneverwouldyoufindyourwaythere."

WhensheawokeinthemorningboththePrinceandthecastleweregone,andshewaslyingonasmallgreenpatchinthemidstofadark,th

ickwood.Byhersidelaytheself-samebundleofragswhichshehadbroughtwithherfromherownhome.Sowhenshehadrubbedthesleepoutofhereyes,andwepttillshewasweary,shesetoutonherway,andthusshewalkedformanyandmanyalongday,untilatlastshecametoagreatmountain.Outsideitanagedwomanwassitting,playingwithagoldenapple.ThegirlaskedherifsheknewthewaytothePrincewholivedwithhisstepmotherinthecastlewhichlayeastofthesunandwestofthemoon,andwhowastomarryaprincesswithanosewhichwasthreeellslong."Howdoyouhappentoknowabouthim?

"inquiredtheoldwoman;"maybeyouareshewhooughttohavehadhim.""Yes,indeed,Iam,"shesaid."Soitisyou,then?

"saidtheoldwoman;"Iknownothingabouthimbutthathedwellsinacastlewhichiseastofthesunandwestofthemoon.Youwillbealongtimeingettingtoit,ifeveryougettoitatall;butyoushallhavetheloanofmyhorse,andthenEastoftheSunandWestoftheMoon

youcanrideonittoanoldwomanwhoisaneighbourofmine:

perhapsshecantellyouabouthim.Whenyouhavegotthereyoumustjuststrikethehorsebeneaththeleftearandbiditgohomeagain;butyoumaytakethegoldenapplewithyou."

Sothegirlseatedherselfonthehorse,androdeforalong,longway,andatlastshecametothemountain,wher