40-the blue mountains-第2部分

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Princess　came　to　see　if　he　was　still　alive；　she　found　him　lying

on　the　floor　as　if　dead。　　She　tried　to　see　if　there　was　breath　in

him；　but　could　not　quite　make　it　out。　　Then　she　put　her　hand　on

his　pulse；　and　found　a　faint　movement　in　it。　　Accordingly　she

poured　what　was　in　the　bottle　on　him；　and　before　long　he　rose　up

on　his　feet；　and　was　as　well　as　ever　he　was。　　So　that　business

was　finished；　and　the　Princess　was　freed　from　the　spell。



The　Princess　then　told　the　Irishman　that　she　must　go　away　for　the

present；　but　would　return　for　him　in　a　few　days　in　a　carriage

drawn　by　four　grey　horses。　　He　told　her　to　'be　aisy；'　and　not

speak　like　that　to　him。　　'I　have　paid　dear　for　you　for　the　last

three　nights；'　he　said；　'if　I　have　to　part　with　you　now；'　but　in

the　twinkling　of　an　eye　she　had　disappeared。　　He　did　not　know

what　to　do　with　himself　when　he　saw　that　she　was　gone；　but　before

she　went　she　had　given　him　a　little　rod；　with　which　he　could；

when　he　pleased；　waken　the　men　who　had　been　sleeping　there；　some

of　them　for　sixteen　years。



After　being　thus　left　alone；　he　went　in　and　stretched　himself　on

three　chairs　that　were　in　the　room；　when　what　does　he　see　coming

in　at　the　door　but　a　little　fair…haired　lad。



'Where　did　you　come　from；　my　lad？'　said　the　Irishman。



'I　came　to　make　ready　your　food　for　you；'　said　he。



'Who　told　you　to　do　that？'　said　the　Irishman。



'My　mistress；'　answered　the　lad'the　Princess　that　was　under　the

spell　and　is　now　free。'



By　this　the　Irishman　knew　that　she　had　sent　the　lad　to　wait　on

him。　　The　lad　also　told　him　that　his　mistress　wished　him　to　be

ready　next　morning　at　nine　o'clock；　when　she　would　come　for　him

with　the　carriage；　as　she　had　promised。　　He　was　greatly　pleased

at　this；　and　next　morning；　when　the　time　was　drawing　near；　went

out　into　the　garden；　but　the　little　fair…haired　lad　took　a　big

pin　out　of　his　pocket；　and　stuck　it　into　the　back　of　the

Irishman's　coat　without　his　noticing　it；　whereupon　he　fell　sound

asleep。



Before　long　the　Princess　came　with　the　carriage　and　four　horses；

and　asked　the　lad　whether　his　master　was　awake。　　He　said　that　he

wasn't。　　'It　is　bad　for　him；'　said　she；　'when　the　night　is　not

long　enough　for　him　to　sleep。　　Tell　him　that　if　he　doesn't　meet

me　at　this　time　to…morrow　it　is　not　likely　that　he　will　ever　see

me　again　all　his　life。'



As　soon　as　she　was　gone　the　lad　took　the　pin　out　of　　his　master's

coat；　who　instantly　awoke。　　The　first　word　he　said　to　the　lad

was；　'Have　you　seen　her？'



'Yes；'　said　he；　'and　she　bade　me　tell　you　that　if　you　don't　meet

her　at　nine　o'clock　to…morrow　you　will　never　see　her　again。'



He　was　very　sorry　when　he　heard　this；　and　could　not　understand

why　the　sleep　should　have　fallen　upon　him　just　when　she　was

coming。　　He　decided；　however；　to　go　early　to　bed　that　night；　in

order　to　rise　in　time　nest　morning；　and　so　he　did。　　When　it　was

getting　near　nine　o'clock　he　went　out　to　the　garden　to　wait　till

she　came；　and　the　fair…haired　lad　along　with　him；　but　as　soon　as

the　lad　got　the　chance　he　stuck　the　pin　into　his　master's　coat

again　and　he　fell　asleep　as　before。　　Precisely　at　nine　o'clock

came　the　Princess　in　the　carriage　with　four　horses；　and　asked　the

lad　if　his　master　had　got　up　yet；　but　he　said　'No；　he　was　asleep；

just　as　he　was　the　day　before。'　　'Dear！　　dear！'　said　the

Princess；　'I　am　sorry　for　him。　　Was　the　sleep　he　had　last　night

not　enough　for　him？　　Tell　him　that　he　will　never　see　me　here

again；　and　here　is　a　sword　that　you　will　give　him　in　my　name；　and

my　blessing　along　with　it。'



With　this　she　went　off；　and　as　soon　as　she　had　gone　the　lad　took

the　pin　out　of　his　master's　coat。　　He　awoke　instantly；　and　the

first　word　he　said　was；　'Have　you　seen　her？'　The　lad　said　that　he

had；　and　there　was　the　sword　she　had　left　for　him。　　The　Irishman

was　ready　to　kill　the　lad　out　of　sheer　vexation；　but　when　he　gave

a　glance　over　his　shoulder　not　a　trace　of　the　fair…haired　lad　was

left。



Being　thus　left　all　alone；　he　thought　of　going　into　the　room

where　all　the　men　were　lying　asleep；　and　there　among　the　rest　he

found　his　two　comrades　who　had　deserted　along　with　him。　　Then　he

remembered　what　the　Princess　had　told　himthat　he　had　only　to

touch　them　with　the　rod　she　had　given　him　and　they　would　all

awake；　and　the　first　he　touched　were　his　own　comrades。　　They

started　to　their　feet　at　once；　and　he　gave　them　as　much　silver

and　gold　as　they　could　carry　when　they　went　away。　　There　was

plenty　to　do　before　he　got　all　the　others　wakened；　for　the　two

doors　of　the　castle　were　crowded　with　them　all　the　day　long。



The　loss　of　the　Princess；　however；　kept　rankling　in　his　mind　day

and　night；　till　finally　he　thought　he　would　go　about　the　world　to

see　if　he　could　find　anyone　to　give　him　news　of　her。　　So　he　took

the　best　horse　in　the　stable　and　set　out。　　Three　years　he　spent

travelling　through　forests　and　wildernesses；　but　could　find　no

one　able　to　tell　him　anything　of　the　Princess。　　At　last　he　fell

into　so　great　despair　that　he　thought　he　would　put　an　end　to　his

own　life；　and　for　this　purpose　laid　hold　of　the　sword　that　she

had　given　him　by　the　hands　of　the　fair…haired　lad；　but　on　drawing

it　from　its　sheath　he　noticed　that　there　was　some　writing　on　one

side　of　the　blade。　　He　looked　at　this；　and　read　there；　'You　will

find　me　in　the　Blue　Mountains。'　　This　made　him　take　heart　again；

and　he　gave　up　the　idea　of　killing　himself；　thinking　that　he

would　go　on　in　hope　of　meeting　some　one　who　could　tell　him　where

the　Blue　Mountains　were。　　After　he　had　gone　a　long　way　without

thinking　where　he　was　going；　he　saw　at　last　a　light　far　away；　and

made　straight　for　it。　　On　reaching　it　he　found　it　came　from　a

little　house；　and　as　soon　as　the　man　inside　heard　the　noise　of

the　horse's　feet　he　came　out　to　see　who　was　there。　　Seeing　a

stranger　on　horseback；　he　asked　what　brought　him　there　and　where

he　was　going。



'I　have　lived　here；'　said　he；　'for　three　hundred　years；　and　all

that　time　I　have　not　seen　a　single　human　being　but　yourself。'



'I　have　been　going　about　for　the　last　three　years；'　said　the

Irishman；　'to　see　if　I　could　find　anyone　who　can　tell　me　where

the　Blue　Mountains　are。'



'Come　in；'　said　the　old　man；　'and　stay　with　me　all　night。　　I　have

a　book　which　contains　the　history　of　the　world；　which　I　shall　go

through　to…night；　and　if　there　is　such　a　place　as　the　Blue

Mountains　in　it　we　shall　find　it　out。'



The　Irishman　stayed　there　all　night；　and　as　soon　as　morning　came

rose　to　go。　　The　old　man　said　he　had　not　gone　to　sleep　all　night

for　going　through　the　book；　but　there　was　not　a　word　about　the

Blue　Mountains　in　it。　　'But　I'll　tell　you　what；'　he　said；　'if

there　is　such　a　place　on　earth　at　all；　I　have　a　brother　who　lives

nine　hundred　miles　from　here；　and　he　is　sure　to　know　where　they

are；　if　anyone　in　this　world　does。'　　The　Irishman　answered　that

he　could　never　go　these　nine　hundred　miles；　for　his　horse　was

giving　in　a