19-drakestail-第1章

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DRAKESTAIL



DRAKESTAIL　was　very　little；　that　is　why　he　was　called　Drakestail；

but　tiny　as　he　was　he　had　brains；　and　he　knew　what　he

was　about；　for　having　begun　with　nothing　he　ended　by　amassing　a

hundred　crowns。　Now　the　King　of　the　country；　who　was　very

extravagant　and　never　kept　any　money；　having　heard　that　Drakestail

had　some；　went　one　day　in　his　own　person　to　borrow　his　hoard；　and；

my　word；　in　those　days　Drakestail　was　not　a　little　proud　of　having

lent　money　to　the　King。　But　after　the　first　and　second　year；　seeing

that　they　never　even　dreamed　of　paying　the　interest；　he　became

uneasy；　so　much　so　that　at　last　he　resolved　to　go　and　see　His　Majesty

himself；　and　get　repaid。　So　one　fine　morning　Drakestail；　very　spruce

and　fresh；　takes　the　road；　singing：　‘Quack；　quack；　quack；　when　shall

I　get　my　money　back？'



He　had　not　gone　far　when　he　met　friend　Fox；　on　his　rounds

that　way。



‘Good…morning；　neighbour；'　says　the　friend；　‘where　are　you　off

to　so　early？'



‘I　am　going　to　the　King　for　what　he　owes　me。'



‘Oh！　take　me　with　thee！'



Drakestail　said　to　himself：　‘One　can't　have　too　many　friends。'

。　。　。　‘I　will；'　says　he；　‘but　going　on　all…fours　you　will　soon　be　tired。

Make　yourself　quite　small；　get　into　my　throatgo　into　my　gizzard

and　I　will　carry　you。'



‘Happy　thought！'　says　friend　Fox。



He　takes　bag　and　baggage；　and；　presto！　is　gone　like　a　letter　into

the　post。



And　Drakestail　is　off　again；　all　spruce　and　fresh；　still　singing：

‘Quack；　quack；　quack；　when　shall　I　have　my　money　back？'



He　had　not　gone　far　when　he　met　his　lady…friend　Ladder；

leaning　on　her　wall。



‘Good　morning；　my　duckling；'　says　the　lady　friend；　‘whither

away　so　bold？'



‘I　am　going　to　the　King　for　what　he　owes　me。'



‘Oh！　take　me　with　thee！'



Drakestail　said　to　himself：　‘One　can't　have　too　many　friends。'

。　。　。　‘I　will；'　says　he；　‘but　with　your　wooden　legs　you　will　soon　be

tired。　Make　yourself　quite　small；　get　into　my　throatgo　into　my

gizzard　and　I　will　carry　you。'



‘Happy　thought！'　says　my　friend　Ladder；　and　nimble；　bag　and

baggage；　goes　to　keep　company　with　friend　Fox。



And　‘Quack；　quack；　quack。'　Drakestail　is　off　again；　singing　and

spruce　as　before。　A　little　farther　he　meets　his　sweetheart；　my　friend

River；　wandering　quietly　in　the　sunshine。



‘Thou；　my　cherub；'　says　she；　‘whither　so　lonesome；　with　arching

tail；　on　this　muddy　road？'



‘I　am　going　to　the　King；　you　know；　for　what　he　owes　me。'



‘Oh！　take　me　with　thee！'



Drakestail　said　to　himself：　‘We　can't　be　too　many　friends。'　。　。　。　‘I

will；'　says　he；　‘but　you　who　sleep　while　you　walk　will　soon　be　tired。

Make　yourself　quite　small；　get　into　my　throatgo　into　my　gizzard

and　I　will　carry　you。'



‘Ah！　happy　thought！'　says　my　friend　River。



She　takes　bag　and　baggage；　and　glou；　glou；　glou；　she　takes　her

place　between　friend　Fox　and　my　friend　Ladder。



And　‘Quack；　quack；　quack。'　Drakestail　is　off　again　singing。



A　little　farther　on　he　meets　comrade　Wasp's…nest；　manoeuvring

his　wasps。



‘Well；　good…morning；　friend　Drakestail；'　said　comrade　Wasp's…

nest；　‘where　are　we　bound　for　so　spruce　and　fresh？'



‘I　am　going　to　the　King　for　what　he　owes　me。'



‘Oh！　take　me　with　thee！'



Drakestail　said　to　himself；　‘One　can't　have　too　many　friends。'　。　。　。

‘I　will；'　says　he；　‘but　with　your　battalion　to　drag　along；　you　will　soon

be　tired。　Make　yourself　quite　small；　go　into　my　throatget　into　my

gizzard　and　I　will　carry　you。'



‘By　Jove　I　that's　a　good　idea！'　says　comrade　Wasp's…nest。



And　left　file！　he　takes　the　same　road　to　join　the　others　with　all

his　party。　There　was　not　much　more　room；　but　by　closing　up　a　bit

they　managed。　。　。　。　And　Drakestail　is　off　again　singing。



He　arrived　thus　at　the　capital；　and　threaded　his　way　straight　up

the　High　Street；　still　running　and　singing　‘Quack；　quack；　quack；

when　shall　I　get　my　money　back？'　to　the　great　astonishment　of　the

good　folks；　till　he　came　to　the　King's　palace。



He　strikes　with　the　knocker：　‘Toc！　toc！'



‘Who　is　there？'　asks　the　porter；　putting　his　head　out　of　the

wicket。



‘　'Tis　I；　Drakestail。　I　wish　to　speak　to　the　King。'



‘Speak　to　the　King！　。　。　。　That's　easily　said。　The　King　is

dining；　and　will　not　be　disturbed。'



‘Tell　him　that　it　is　I；　and　I　have　come　he　well　knows　why。'



The　porter　shuts　his　wicket　and　goes　up　to　say　it　to　the　King；

who　was　just　sitting　down　to　dinner　with　a　napkin　round　his　neck；

and　all　his　ministers。



‘Good；　good！'　said　the　King　laughing。　‘I　know　what　it　is！

Make　him　come　in；　and　put　him　with　the　turkeys　and　chickens。'



The　porter　descends。



‘Have　the　goodness　to　enter。'



‘Good！'　says　Drakestail　to　himself；　‘I　shall　now　see　how　they

eat　at　court。'



‘This　way；　this　way；'　says　the　porter。　‘One　step　further。　。　。　。

There；　there　you　are。'



‘How？　what？　in　the　poultry　yard？'



Fancy　how　vexed　Drakestail　was！



‘Ah！　so　that's　it；'　says　he。　‘Wait！　I　will　compel　you　to　receive

me。　Quack；　quack；　quack；　when　shall　I　get　my　money　back？'

But　turkeys　and　chickens　are　creatures　who　don't　like　people　that

are　not　as　themselves。　When　they　saw　the　new…comer　and　how　he

was　made；　and　when　they　heard　him　crying　too；　they　began　to　look

black　at　him。



‘What　is　it？　what　does　he　want？'



Finally　they　rushed　at　him　all　together；　to　overwhelm　him　with

pecks。



‘I　am　lost！'　said　Drakestail　to　himself；　when　by　good　luck　he

remembers　his　comrade　friend　Fox；　and　he　cries：



‘Reynard；　Reynard；　come　out　of　your　earth；

Or　Drakestail's　life　is　of　little　worth。'



Then　friend　Fox；　who　was　only　waiting　for　these　words；　hastens

out；　throws　himself　on　the　wicked　fowls；　and　quick！　quack！　he　tears

them　to　pieces；　so　much　so　that　at　the　end　of　five　minutes　there

was　not　one　left　alive。　And　Drakestail；　quite　content；　began　to　sing

again；　‘Quack；　quack；　quack；　when　shall　I　get　my　money　back？'



When　the　King　who　was　still　at　table　heard　this　refrain；　and　the

poultry　woman　came　to　tell　him　what　had　been　going　on　in　the　yard；

he　was　terribly　annoyed。



He　ordered　them　to　throw　this　tail　of　a　drake　into　the　well；　to

make　an　end　of　him。



And　it　was　done　as　he　commanded。　Drakestail　was　in　despair

of　getting　himself　out　of　such　a　deep　hole；　when　he　remembered　his

lady　friend；　the　Ladder。





‘Ladder；　Ladder；　come　out　of　thy　hold；

Or　Drakestail's　days　will　soon　be　told。'





My　friend　Ladder；　who　was　only　waiting　for　these　words；　hastens

out；　leans　her　two　arms　on　the　edge　of　the　well；　then　Drakestail

climbs　nimbly　on　her　back；　and　hop！　he　is　in　the　yard；　where　he

begins　to　sing　louder　than　ever。



When　the　King；　who　was　still　at　table　and　laughing　at　the　good

trick　he　had　played　his　creditor；　heard　him　again　reclaiming　his

money；　he　became　livid　with　rage。



He　commanded　that　the　furnace　should　be　heated；　and　this

tail　of　a　drake　thrown　into　it；　because　he　must　be　a　sorcerer。



The　furnace　was　soon　hot；　but　this　time　Drakestail　was　not　so

afraid；　he　counted　on　his　sweetheart；　my　friend　River。





‘River；　River；　outward　flow；

Or　to　death　Drakestail　must　go。'





My　friend　River　hastens　out；　and　errouf！　throws　herself　into　the

furnace；　which　she　floods；　with　all　the　people　who　had　lighted　it；

after　which　she　flowed　growling　into　the　hall　of　the　palace　to　the

height　of　more　than　four　feet。



And　Drakestail；　quite　content；　begins　to　swim；　singing　deafeningly；

‘Quack；　quack；　quack；　when　shall　I　get　my　money　back？'



The　King　was　still　at　table；　and　thought　himself　quite　sure　of　his

game；　but　when　he　heard　Drakestail　singing　again；　and　when　they

told　him　all　that　had　passed；　he　became　furious　and　got　up　from

table　brandishing　his　fists。



‘Bring　him　here；　and　I'll　cut　his　throat！　bring　him　here　quick！'

cried　he。



And　quickly　two　footmen　ran　to　fetch　Drakestail。



‘At　last；'　said　the　poor　chap；　going　up　the　great　stairs；　‘they

have　decided　to　receive　me。'



Imagine　his　terror　when　on　entering　he　sees　the　King　as　red　as

a　turkey　cock；　and　all　his　ministers　attending　him　standing　sword

in　hand。　He　thought　this　time　it　was　all　up　with　him。　Happily；

he　remembered　that　there　was　still　one　remaining　friend；　and　he

cried　with　dying　accents：



‘Wasp's…nest；　Wasp's…nest；　make　a　sally；

Or　Drakestail　nevermore　may　rally。'





Hereupon　the　scene　changes。



‘Bs；　bs；　bayonet　them！　‘The　brave　Wasp's…nest　rushes　out

with　all　his　wasps。　They　threw　themselves　on　the　infuriated　King

and　his　ministers；　and　stung　them　so　fiercely　in　the　face　that　they

lost　their　heads；　and　not　knowing　where　to　hide　themselves　they　all

jumped　pell…mell　from　the　window　and　broke　their　necks　on　the

pavement。



Behold　Drakestail　much　astonished；　all　alone　in　the　big　saloon

and　master　of　the　field。　He　could　not　get　over　it。



Nevertheless；　he　remembered　shortly　what　he　had　come　for　to

the　palace；　and　improving　the　occasion；　he　set　to　work　to　hunt　for

his　dear　money。　But　in　vain　he　rummaged　in　all　the　drawers；　he

found　nothing；　all　had　been　spent。



And　ferreting　thus　from　room　to　room　he　came　at　last　to　the　one

with　the　throne　in　it；　and　feeling　fatigued；　he　sat　himself　down　on　it

to　think　over　his　adventure。　In　the　meanwhile　the　people　had　found

their　King　and　his　ministers　with　their　feet　in　the　air　on　the　pavement；

and　they　had　gone　into　the　palace　to　know　how　it　had　occurred。

On　entering　the　throne…room；　when　the　crowd　saw　that　there　was

already　someone　on　the　royal　seat；　they　broke　out　in　cries　of　surprise

and　joy：





‘The　King　is　dead；　long　live　the　King！

　　Heaven　has　sent　us　down　this　thing。'





Drakestail；　who　was　no　longer　surprised　at　anything；　received　the

acclamations　of　the　people　as　if　he　had　never　done　anything　else　all

his　life。



A　few　of　them　certainly　murmured　that　a　Drakestail　would　make

a　fine　King；　those　who　knew　him　replied　that　a　knowing　Drakestail

was　a　more　worthy　King　than　a　spendthrift　like　him　who　was　lying

on　the　pavement。　In　short；　they　ran　and　took　the　crown　off　the

head　of　the　deceased；　and　placed　it　on　that　of　Drakestail；　whom　it

fitted　like　wax。



Thus　he　became　King。



‘And　now；'　said　he　after　the　ceremony；；　ladies　and　gentlemen；

let's　go　to　supper。　I　am　so　hungry！'＇15＇



＇15＇　Contes　of　Ch。　Marelles。