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the crimson fairy book-第49章

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d。 Butbutit was the sheep; which; bebefore my very eyes; were carried straight upup into the air。 I stood watching them as if I was turned to stone; but there kept ringing in my ears the sound of the bells on the ram which led them。'

'That is nothing but a lie from beginning to end;' said the herdsman。

'No; it is as true as that there is a sun in heaven;' answered the young man。

'Then give me a proof of it;' cried his master。

'Well; come with me;' said the youth。 By this time it was evening and the dusk was falling。 The young man brought the herdsman to the foot of the great rock; but it was so dark you could hardly see。  Still the sound of sheep bells rang softly from above; and the herdsman knew them to be those he had hung on the horns of his ram。

'Do you hear?' asked the youth。

'Yes; I hear; you have spoken the truth; and I cannot blame you for what has happened。 I must bear the loss as best as I can。'

He turned and went home; followed by the young man; who felt highly pleased with his own cleverness。

'I should not be surprised if the tasks I set you were too difficult; and that you were tired of them;' said the herdsman next morning; 'but to…day I have something quite easy for you to do。 You must look after forty oxen; and be sure you are very careful; for one of them has gold…tipped horns and hoofs; and the king reckons it among his greatest treasures。'

The young man drove out the oxen into the meadow; and no sooner had they got there than; like the sheep and the pigs; they began to scamper in all directions; the precious bull being the wildest of all。  As the youth stood watching them; not knowing what to do next; it came into his head that his father's cow was put out to grass at no great distance; and he forthwith made such a noise that he quite frightened the oxen; who were easily persuaded to take the path he wished。 When they heard the cow lowing they galloped all the faster; and soon they all arrived at his father's house。

The old man was standing before the door of his hut when the great herd of animals dashed round a corner of the road; with his son and his own cow at their head。

'Whose cattle are these; and why are they here?' he asked; and his son told him the story。

'Take them back to your master as soon as you can;' said the old man; but the son only laughed; and said:

'No; no; they are a present to you! They will make you fat!'

For a long while the old man refused to have anything to do with such a wicked scheme; but his son talked him over in the end; and they killed the oxen as they had killed the sheep and the pigs。 Last of all they came to the king's cherished ox。

The son had a rope ready to cast round its horns; and throw it to the ground; but the ox was stronger than the rope; and soon tore it in pieces。 Then it dashed away to the wood; the youth following; over hedges and ditches they both went; till they reached the rocky pass which bordered the herdsman's land。 Here the ox; thinking itself safe; stopped to rest; and thus gave the young man a chance to come up with it。 Not knowing how to catch it; he collected all the wood he could find and made a circle of fire round the ox; who by this time had fallen asleep; and did not wake till the fire had caught its head; and it was too late for it to escape。 Then the young man; who had been watching; ran home to his master。

'You have been away a long while;' said the herdsman。 'Where are the cattle?'

The young man gasped; and seemed as if he was unable to speak。  At last he answered:

'It is always the same story! The oxen aregonegone!'

'G…g…gone?' cried the herdsman。 'Scoundrel; you lie!'

'I am telling you the exact truth;' answered the young man。  'Directly we came to the meadow they grew so wild that I could not keep them together。 Then the big ox broke away; and the others followed till they all disappeared down a deep hole into the earth。  It seemed to me that I heard sounds of bellowing; and I thought I recognised the voice of the golden horned ox; but when I got to the place from which the sounds had come; I could neither see nor hear anything in the hole itself; though there were traces of a fire all round it。'

'Wretch!' cried the herdsman; when he had heard this story; 'even if you did not lie before; you are lying now。'

'No; master; I am speaking the truth。 Come and see for yourself。'

'If I find you have deceived me; you are a dead man; said the herdsman; and they went out together。

'What do you call that?' asked the youth。 And the herdsman looked and saw the traces of a fire; which seemed to have sprung up from under the earth。

'Wonder upon wonder;' he exclaimed; 'so you really did speak the truth after all!  Well; I cannot reproach you; though I shall have to pay heavily to my royal master for the value of that ox。 But come; let us go home!  I will never set you to herd cattle again; henceforward I will give you something easier to do。'

'I have thought of exactly the thing for you;' said the herdsman as they walked along; ' and it is so simple that you cannot make a mistake。 Just make me ten scythes; one for every man; for I want the grass mown in one of my meadows to…morrow。'

At these words the youth's heart sank; for he had never been trained either as a smith or a joiner。 However; he dared not say no; but smiled and nodded。

Slowly and sadly he went to bed; but he could not sleep; for wondering how the scythes were to be made。 All the skill and cunning he had shown before was of no use to him now; and after thinking about the scythes for many hours; there seemed only one way open to him。 So; listening to make sure that all was still; he stole away to his parents; and told them the whole story。 When they had heard everything; they hid him where no one could find him。

Time passed away; and the young man stayed at home doing all his parents bade him; and showing himself very different from what he had been before he went out to see the world; but one day he said to his father that he should like to marry; and have a house of his own。

'When I served the king's chief herdsman;' added he; 'I saw his daughter; and I am resolved to try if I cannot win her for my wife。'

'It will cost you your life; if you do;' answered the father; shaking his head。

'Well; I will do my best;' replied his son; 'but first give me the sword which hangs over your bed!'

The old man did not understand what good the sword would do; however he took it down; and the young man went his way。

Late in the evening he arrived at the house of the herdsman; and knocked at the door; which was opened by a little boy。

'I want to speak to your master;' said he。

'So it is you?' cried the herdsman; when he had received the message。 'Well; you can sleep here to…night if you wish。'

'I have come for something else besides a bed;' replied the young man; drawing his sword; 'and if you do not promise to give me your youngest daughter as my wife I will stab you through the heart。'

What could the poor man do but promise? And he fetched his youngest daughter; who seemed quite pleased at the proposed match; and gave the youth her hand。

Then the young man went home to his parents; and bade them
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