[新版]格林童话英文版1.thefrog-king,orironhenry

2024年3月25日发(作者：许克祥)

格林童话英文版1. The Frog-King, or Iron Henry

1. The Frog-King, or Iron Henry

In old times when wishing still helped one, there lived a king

who daughters were all beautiful, but the youngest was so

beautiful that the sun itlf, which has en so much, was

astonished whenever it shone in her face. Clo by the King's

castle lay a great dark forest, and under an old lime-tree in

the forest was a well, and when the day was very warm, the King's

child went out into the forest and sat down by the side of the

cool fountain, and when she was dull she took a golden ball,

and threw it up on high and caught it, and this ball was her

favorite plaything.

Now it so happened that on one occasion the princess's golden

ball did not fall into the little hand which she was holding

up for it, but on to the ground beyond, and rolled straight into

the water. The King's daughter followed it with her eyes, but

it vanished, and the well was deep, so deep that the bottom could

not be en. On this she began to cry, and cried louder and

louder, and could not be comforted. And as she thus lamented

some one said to her, "What ails thee, King's daughter? Thou

weepest so that even a stone would show pity." She looked round

to the side from whence the voice came, and saw a frog stretching

forth its thick, ugly head from the water. "Ah! old

water-splasher, is it thou?" said she; "I am weeping for my

golden ball, which has fallen into the well."

"Be quiet, and do not weep," answered the frog, "I can help thee,

but what wilt thou give me if I bring thy plaything up again?"

"Whatever thou wilt have, dear frog," said she -- "My clothes,

my pearls and jewels, and even the golden crown which I am

wearing."

The frog answered, "I do not care for thy clothes, thy pearls

and jewels, or thy golden crown, but if thou wilt love me and

let me be thy companion and play-fellow, and sit by thee at thy

little table, and eat off thy little golden plate, and drink

out of thy little cup, and sleep in thy little bed -- if thou

wilt promi me this I will go down below, and bring thee thy

golden ball up again."

"Oh yes," said she, "I promi thee all thou wishest, if thou

wilt but bring me my ball back again." She, however, thought,

"How the silly frog does talk! He lives in the water with the

other frogs, and croaks, and can be no companion to any human

being!"

But the frog when he had received this promi, put his head

into the water and sank down, and in a short while came swimmming

up again with the ball in his mouth, and threw it on the grass.

The King's daughter was delighted to e her pretty plaything

once more, and picked it up, and ran away with it. "Wait, wait,"

said the frog. "Take me with thee. I can't run as thou canst."

But what did it avail him to scream his croak, croak, after her,

as loudly as he could? She did not listen to it, but ran home

and soon forgot the poor frog, who was forced to go back into

his well again.

The next day when she had ated herlf at table with the King

and all the courtiers, and was eating from her little golden

plate, something came creeping splish splash, splish splash,

up the marble stairca, and when it had got to the top, it

knocked at the door and cried, "Princess, youngest princess,

open the door for me." She ran to e who was outside, but when

she opened the door, there sat the frog in front of it. Then

she slammed the door to, in great haste, sat down to dinner again,

and was quite frightened. The King saw plainly that her heart

was beating violently, and said, "My child, what art thou so

afraid of? Is there perchance a giant outside who wants to carry

thee away?" "Ah, no," replied she. "It is no giant but a

disgusting frog."

"What does a frog want with thee?" "Ah, dear father, yesterday

as I was in the forest sitting by the well, playing, my golden

ball fell into the water. And becau I cried so, the frog

brought it out again for me, and becau he so insisted, I

promid him he should be my companion, but I never thought he

would be able to come out of his water! And now he is outside

there, and wants to come in to me."

In the meantime it knocked a cond time, and cried,

"Princess! youngest princess!Open the door for me!

Dost thou not know what thou saidst to mePrincess, youngest princess!Open the door for me!"

Yesterday by the cool waters of the fountain?

Then said the King, "That which thou hast promid must thou

perform. Go and let him in." She went and opened the door, and

the frog hopped in and followed her, step by step, to her chair.

There he sat and cried, "Lift me up beside thee." She delayed,

until at last the King commanded her to do it. When the frog

was once on the chair he wanted to be on the table, and when

he was on the table he said, "Now, push thy little golden plate

nearer to me that we may eat together." She did this, but it

was easy to e that she did not do it willingly. The frog

enjoyed what he ate, but almost every mouthful she took choked

her. At length he said, "I have eaten and am satisfied; now I

am tired, carry me into thy little room and make thy little

silken bed ready, and we will both lie down and go to sleep."

The King's daughter began to cry, for she was afraid of the cold

frog which she did not like to touch, and which was now to sleep

in her pretty, clean little bed. But the King grew angry and

said, "He who helped thee when thou wert in trouble ought not

afterwards to be despid by thee." So she took hold of the frog

with two fingers, carried him upstairs, and put him in a corner.

But when she was in bed he crept to her and said, "I am tired,

I want to sleep as well as thou, lift me up or I will tell thy

father." Then she was terribly angry, and took him up and threw

him with all her might against the wall. "Now, thou wilt be quiet,

odious frog," said she. But when he fell down he was no frog

but a King's son with beautiful kind eyes. He by her father's

will was now her dear companion and husband. Then he told her

how he had been bewitched by a wicked witch, and how no one could

have delivered him from the well but herlf, and that to-morrow

they would go together into his kingdom. Then they went to sleep,

and next morning when the sun awoke them, a carriage came

driving up with eight white hors, which had white ostrich

feathers on their heads, and were harnesd with golden chains,

and behind stood the young King's rvant Faithful Henry.

Faithful Henry had been so unhappy when his master was changed

into a frog, that he had caud three iron bands to be laid round

his heart, lest it should burst with grief and sadness. The

carriage was to conduct the young King into his Kingdom.

Faithful Henry helped them both in, and placed himlf behind

again, and was full of joy becau of this deliverance. And when

they had driven a part of the way the King's son heard a cracking

behind him as if something had broken. So he turned round and

cried, "Henry, the carriage is breaking."

"No, master, it is not the carriage. It is a band from my heart,

which was put there in my great pain when you were a frog and

imprisoned in the well." Again and once again while they were

on their way something cracked, and each time the King's son

thought the carriage was breaking; but it was only the bands

which were springing from the heart of faithful Henry becau

his master was t free and was happy.