英语故事The Bear Who Married A Peasants Daughter.docx

英语故事The Bear Who Married A Peasants Daughter.docx

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英语故事TheBearWhoMarriedAPeasantsDaughter

英语故事

TheBearWhoMarriedAPeasant’sDaughter

　　Onceuponatimetherelivedanoldpeasant.Hewasnotbadlyoffexceptthathiswifehaddiedleavinghimalonewiththeironlydaughter.

　　Now，allofthepeasant’skin，notcountingsomein-laws，livedfarawayfromhim，andoneday，makinguphismindtopayavisit，helefthisdaughterathomebyherselfanddroveaway.

　　Onandonhedroveandhestrayedofftheroadtimeandagain，foritledthroughdenseforests（theforestswerelargerinthosedaysandtherewerenohighroads），buthegottherefinally.Hiskinsfolkwereallingoodhealthandprosperousandthepeasantspentsometimewiththemandthenstartedoffforhomeagain.

　　Nightcaughthimashewaspassingthroughalargeforest，andthepeasantlosthisway.Roundandroundhecircledandatlastfoundhimselfinsodenseathicketthathefearedhewouldnevergetoutofit.Byandbyhesawabrightlightahead.Thinkingthattheremightbeahousethere，hedrovetowardit.Butwhenhehaddrivenupclosehesawbeforehimnoordinaryhousebutabeautifulpalace.Hedidnotliketoenteritatfirst，forhefearedthathe，asimplepeasant，mightnotbewelcomethere，but，rememberingthattherewasnowhereelsehecouldgo，madeforthedoor.

　　Hecameinsideandlookedineverynookandcorner，buttherewasnotasoultobeseenanywhere.

　　Allofasudden，asifoutofthinair，alargebearcamelumberingtowardhim.

　　“Whatdoyouwanthere？

”askedthebear.

　　Thepeasantwasfrightened，thinkingthathisendhadcomeandthatthebearwouldtearhimtobits，butthebearnevertouchedhim.

　　“Whatdoyouwanthere？

”heaskedagain.“IwillhelpyouifIcan.”

　　Saidthepeasant：

　　“Iwascomingbackhomefrommykinsfolk’shouseandIlostmywayintheforest，I’llneverbeabletofinditagaininthedark，socouldyoupleasetellmewhereIcouldspendthenight？

”

　　“Youcanstayinthepalace，”thebearreplied.“Thereisnooneherebutme.”

　　Seeingthathehadnothingtofearfromthebear，thepeasantagreed.

　　Thebeargavehimsomesupperandatewithhim，andthepeasantonlymarveledtoseehimgoabouteverythingjustasifhewerenotabearatallbutaman.

　　Aftersuppertheydecidedtogetsomesleep，andthebear，thepeasantfound，sleptlikeaman，too-inabed.Thepeasantwasovercomewithwonderatthesight.Thiswasastrangebear，indeed-tobelivinginahugepalaceallbyhimselfandtobedoingeverythingjustlikeaman.

　　Inthemorningthebearfedthepeasantagain.

　　“Well，whatareyougoingtodonow？

”askedhe.

　　“I’dliketogohome，”thepeasantreplied.

　　“Goahead，then.”

　　Offthepeasantsetonhisway.Hedrovethroughtheforestforalongtime，butnomatterwherehewenthefoundhimselfbackatthepalaceagaineverytime.

　　Itwastherehewaswheneveningsetin，andhecoulddonothingaboutit.

　　Soinhewenttoshethebearagainandaskhimtolethimpassthenightinthepalace.

　　Thebearlethiminashehadthenightbefore，gavehimfoodanddrink，puthimtobedandlookedafterhishorse，too.

　　Morningcame，andthepeasantsaid：

　　“Doshowmethewayhome！

”

　　“ThatIwill，”repliedthebear，“butyoumustgivemeyourdaughterinmarriageinreturn.”

　　Now，thisthepeasantdidnotliketodo.Notthathisdaughterwouldnotbewelloffinthepalace，onlyhowcouldshemarryabear！

……Itwasnottobethoughtof.

　　Therewasnothingforitbuttofindthewayoutoftheforestwithoutthebear’shelp.

　　Alldaythepeasantcircledtheforestbutwheneveningcamehefoundhimselfatthepalaceagain.

　　Whatwastheretobedonebutaskthebeartolethiminforthenightagain！

Thebearmadehimwelcomeashehadbefore.Hegavehimfoodanddrink，puthimtobedandlookedafterhishorse.

　　Morningcame，andthepeasantsaidtothebear：

　　“Doshowmethewayhome！

”

　　“ThatIwill，”thebearreplied，“butyoumustgivemeyourdaughterinmarriageinreturn.”

　　Thepeasantwasabouttoagree，but，thinkingthathisdaughterwouldn’tlikeit，resolvedtotryjustoncemoretofindthewayhomebyhimself.

　　Hecircledtheforestallday，roundandroundhedrove，butwheneveningcamefoundhimselfattheselfsamepalaceagain.Henowknewthat，likeitornot，therewasnowayoutforhimbuttopromisehisdaughterinmarriagetothebear.

　　Thebearreceivedhimwithallthepolitenessdueafather-in-lawandtriedtopleasehimneverywayhecould.Hegavehimfoodanddrink，puthimtobedandlookedafterhishorse，too.Therewasnothingthepeasantneededtodohimself.

　　Inthemorningthebearwentwiththepeasantandshowedhimthewayhome.

　　Thepeasantreturnedhomewithheavyheart，andhisdaughteratoncesawthatsomethingwasamiss.

　　“Isanyofourkindeadorgravelyill？

”askedshe.

　　Loathasthepeasantwastotellhisdaughteraboutthebear，heknewthathehadto.Sohetoldherallabouteverything，eventothepromisehehadmadethebeartogivehertohiminmarriage.Ofcourse，thebearlivedinarichpalaceandbehavedjustlikeamanbutthatstilldidnotmakehimone.

　　Thedaughterheardhimoutbutshewasnotintheleastputout.Saidshetoherfather：

　　“Thebeardidyounoharm，heevenhelpedyoutogetbackhome.Sothatmeanshe’lldomenoharm，either.”

　　Soafteratimeofftheysettogetheranddrovetothebear’spalace，andnowelcomecouldhavebeenbetterthantheonethebeargavethem.

　　Thepeasantstayedinthepalaceforthefewdaysandthenhewenthome，buthisdaughterremainedwiththebear.Theylivedtogetherinpeaceandhappiness，andbeingtherewithhimunderoneroofdayinanddayoutthemaidnoticedthatthebearhadaman’sbodyunderhisskin.Soshedecidedtowatchhimashewasmakingreadyforbed.

　　Onenightshedidnotgotobedherselfbutcreptuptothebear’sroomandpeepedinatthedoor.Andwhatdidsheseebutthebeartakeoffhisbearskinandturnintoamanwithonlyhisheadremainingabear’shead.Themaidlikedhimthatwaymorethaneverandshesaidtoherselfthatitwouldbeagoodthingtofreehimofthebearskinaltogether.

　　Once，whenthebearwasfastasleep，shetiptoedin，tooktheskinthatwaslyingathisfeetandthrewitinthestove.

　　Theskinburntquiteawaybutthebearfellgravelyill.Themaidknewwhythiswasandshewasverysorryforthebear，buttherewasnothingshecoulddotohelphim.Thebearlaythereforadayandhegrewworse.Helaythereforaseconddayandhewasworsestillandlookedasifhewereabouttodie.Theresatthemaidbesidehimonhisbedandweptbitterly，butallherwailsandsobsavailedhernothing.Thethirddaycameandthebearwasathislastgasp.Themaidtoldherselfthathewasgoingtodieandshenearlydiedofgriefherself.

　　Butthethirddaypassedandthethirdnight，too，andinthemorningthebearturnedintoaprincesohandsomethatonecouldnottakeone’seyesoffhim.Themaidwasmuchsurprisedandashappyascouldbe.Shethrewherarmsroundtheprince’sneckandbeggedhimtoforgiveherforhavingmadehimsufferso.Buttheprince，farfrombeingangry，didnotknowhowtothankherenough.For，saidhe，thedevilhimselfhadturnedhimintoabearandhisskinhadtobeburntbeforehecouldbecomeamanagain.Noonehadknownaboutituntilshehadcomeandbrokenthespell.

　　Theprinceandthepeasant’sdaughterthenheldagayweddingfeastandinvitedallandsundrytoit.Therewasenoughfoodanddrinkforeveryoneandtheguestsateanddranktotheirhearts’content.

　　Thepeasantcameandcouldnotgetoverhissurpriseatseeingthetallandhandsomeprincetherebeforehiminsteadofthebear.Hedidnotgobackhomeanymorebutstayedinthepalacewithhisdaughterandson-in-law.

　　Andforallwecantell，theymustbelivingtherestill，andifonlyweknewwheretheirpalacewaswecouldpaythemavisit.