31-minnikin-第3章

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Then　he　took　the　cable　and　tied　one　end　of　it　round　his　body。

‘Now　I　must　go　to　the　bottom；'　he　said；　‘but　when　I　give　a　good

jerk　to　the　cable　and　want　to　come　up　again；　you　must　all　pull

like　one　man；　or　there　will　be　an　end　of　all　life　both　for　you　and

for　me。'　So　saying　he　sprang　into　the　water；　and　yellow　bubbles

rose　up　all　around　him。　He　sank　lower　and　lower；　and　at　last　he

came　to　the　bottom。　There　he　saw　a　large　hill　with　a　door　in　it；

and　in　he　went。　When　he　had　got　inside　he　found　the　other

Princess　sitting　sewing；　but　when　she　saw　Minnikin　she　clapped

her　hands。



‘Ah；　heaven　be　praised！'　she　cried；　‘I　have　not　seen　a

Christian　man　since　I　came　here。'



‘I　have　come　for　you；'　said　Minnikin。



‘Alas！　you　will　not　be　able　to　get　me；'　said　the　King's　daughter。

‘It　is　no　use　even　to　think　of　that；　if　the　Troll　catches　sight　of

you　he　will　take　your　life。'



‘You　had　better　tell　me　about　him；'　said　Minnikin。　‘Where　is

he　gone？　It　would　be　amusing　to　see　him。'



So　the　King's　daughter　told　Minnikin　that　the　Troll　was　out

trying　to　get　hold　of　someone　who　could　brew　a　hundred　lasts　of

malt　at　one　brewing；　for　there　was　to　be　a　feast　at　the　Troll's；　at

which　less　than　that　would　not　be　drunk。



‘I　can　do　that；'　said　Minnikin。



‘Ah！　if　only　the　Troll　were　not　so　quick…tempered　I　might　have

told　him　that；'　answered　the　Princess；　‘but　he　is　so　ill…natured

that　he　will　tear　you　to　pieces；　I　fear；　as　soon　as　he　comes　in。　But

I　will　try　to　find　some　way　of　doing　it。　Can　you　hide　yourself

here　in　the　cupboard？　and　then　we　will　see　what　happens。'



Minnikin　did　this；　and　almost　before　he　had　crept　into　the　cupboard

and　hidden　himself；　came　the　Troll。



‘Huf！　What　a　smell　of　Christian　man's　blood！'　said　the　Troll。



‘Yes；　a　bird　flew　over　the　roof　with　a　Christian　man's　bone　in

his　bill；　and　let　it　fall　down　our　chimney；'　answered　the　Princess。

‘I　made　haste　enough　to　get　it　away　again；　but　it　must　be　that

which　smells　so；　notwithstanding。'



‘Yes；　it　must　be　that；'　said　the　Troll。



Then　the　Princess　asked　if　he　had　got　hold　of　anyone　who　could

brew　a　hundred　lasts　of　malt　at　one　brewing。



‘No；　there　is　no　one　who　can　do　it；'　said　the　Troll。



‘A　short　time　since　there　was　a　man　here　who　said　he　could　do

it；'　said　the　King's　daughter。



‘How　clever　you　always　are！'　said　the　Troll。　‘How　could

you　let　him　go　away？　You　must　have　known　that　I　was　just

wanting　a　man　of　that　kind。'



‘Well；　but　I　didn't　let　him　go；　after　all；'　said　the　Princess；

‘but　father　is　so　quick…tempered；　so　I　hid　him　in　the　cupboard；　but

if　father　has　not　found　any　one　then　the　man　is　still　here。'



‘Let　him　come　in；'　said　the　Troll。



When　Minnikin　came；　the　Troll　asked　if　it　were　true　that　he

could　brew　a　hundred　lasts　of　malt　at　one　brewing。



‘Yes；'　said　Minnikin；　‘it　is。'



‘It　is　well　then　that　I　have　lighted　on　thee；'　said　the　Troll。

‘Fall　to　work　this　very　minute；　but　Heaven　help　thee　if　thou　dost

not　brew　the　ale　strong。'



‘Oh；　it　shall　taste　well；'　said　Minnikin；　and　at　once　set　himself

to　work　to　brew。



‘But　I　must　have　more　trolls　to　help　to　carry　what　is　wanted；'

said　Minnikin；　‘these　that　I　have　are　good　for　nothing。'



So　he　got　more　and　so　many　that　there　was　a　swarm　of　them；

and　then　the　brewing　went　on。　When　the　sweet…wort　was　ready

they　were　all；　as　a　matter　of　course；　anxious　to　taste　it；　first　the

Troll　himself　and　then　the　others；　but　Minnikin　had　brewed　the

wort　so　strong　that　they　all　fell　down　dead　like　so　many　flies　as

soon　as　they　had　drunk　any　of　it。　At　last　there　was　no　one　left

but　one　wretched　old　hag　who　was　lying　behind　the　stove。



‘Oh；　poor　old　creature！'　said　Minnikin；　‘you　shall　have　a　taste

of　the　wort　too　like　the　rest。'　So　he　went　away　and　scooped　up　a

little　from　the　bottom　of　the　brewing　vat　in　a　milk　pan；　and　gave

it　to　her；　and　then　he　was　quit　of　the　whole　of　them。



While　Minnikin　was　now　standing　there　looking　about　him；　he

cast　his　eye　on　a　large　chest。　This　he　took　and　filled　it　with　gold

and　silver；　and　then　he　tied　the　cable　round　himself　and　the

Princess　and　the　chest；　and　tugged　at　the　rope　with　all　his　might；

whereupon　his　men　drew　them　up　safe　and　sound。



As　soon　as　Minnikin　had　got　safely　on　his　ship　again；　he　said：

‘Now　go　over　salt　water　and　fresh　water；　over　hill　and　dale；　and　do

not　stop　until　thou　comest　unto　the　King's　palace。'　And　in　a

moment　the　ship　went　off　so　fast　that　the　yellow　foam　rose　up　all

round　about　it。



When　those　who　were　in　the　King's　palace　saw　the　ship；　they

lost　no　time　in　going　to　meet　him　with　song　and　music；　and　thus

they　marched　up　towards　Minnikin　with　great　rejoicings；　but

the　gladdest　of　all　was　the　King；　for　now　he　had　got　his　other

daughter　back　again。



But　now　Minnikin　was　not　happy；　for　both　the　Princesses

wanted　to　have　him；　and　he　wanted　to　have　none　other　than　the

one　whom　he　had　first　saved；　and　she　was　the　younger。　For　this

cause　he　was　continually　walking　backwards　and　forwards；　thinking

how　he　could　contrive　to　get　her；　and　yet　do　nothing　that　was　unkind

to　her　sister。　One　day　when　he　was　walking　about　and　thinking

of　this；　it　came　into　his　mind　that　if　he　only　had　his　brother；　King

Pippin；　with　him；　who　was　so　like　himself　that　no　one　could

distinguish　the　one　from　the　other；　he　could　let　him　have　the　elder

Princess　and　half　the　kingdom；　as　for　himself；　he　thought；　the

other　half　was　quite　enough。　As　soon　as　this　thought　occurred　to

him　he　went　outside　the　palace　and　called　for　King　Pippin；　but　no

one　came。　So　he　called　a　second　time；　and　a　little　louder；　but　no！

still　no　one　came。　So　Minnikin　called　for　the　third　time；　and　with

all　his　might；　and　there　stood　his　brother　by　his　side。



‘I　told　you　that　you　were　not　to　call　me　unless　you　were　in　the

utmost　need；'　he　said　to　Minnikin；　‘and　there　is　not　even　so　much

as　a　midge　here　who　can　do　you　any　harm！'　and　with　that　he

gave　Minnikin　such　a　blow　that　he　rolled　over　on　the　grass。



‘Shame　on　you　to　strike　me！'　said　Minnikin。　‘First　have　I　won

one　Princess　and　half　the　kingdom；　and　then　the　other　Princess

and　the　other　half　of　the　kingdom；　and　now；　when　I　was　just　thinking

that　I　would　give　you　one　of　the　Princesses　and　one　of　the

halves　of　the　kingdom；　do　you　think　you　have　any　reason　to　give

me　such　a　blow？'



When　King　Pippin　heard　that　he　begged　his　brother's　pardon；

and　they　were　reconciled　at　once　and　became　good　friends。



‘Now；　as　you　know；'　said　Minnikin；　‘we　are　so　like　each　other

that　no　one　can　tell　one　of　us　from　the　other；　so　just　change　clothes

with　me　and　go　up　to　the　palace；　and　then　the　Princesses　will　think

that　I　am　coming　in；　and　the　one　who　kisses　you　first　shall　be

yours；　and　I　will　have　the　other。'　For　he　knew　that　the　elder

Princess　was　the　stronger；　so　he　could　very　well　guess　how　things

would　go。



King　Pippin　at　once　agreed　to　this。　He　changed　clothes　with

his　brother；　and　went　into　the　palace。　When　he　entered　the

Princess's　apartments　they　believed　that　he　was　Minnikin；　and

both　of　them　ran　up　to　him　at　once；　but　the　elder；　who　was　bigger

and　stronger；　pushed　her　sister　aside；　and　threw　her　arms　round

King　Pippin's　neck　and　kissed　him；　so　he　got　her　to　wife；　and

Minnikin　the　younger　sister。　It　will　be　easy　to　understand　that

two　weddings　took　place；　and　they　were　so　magnificent　that　they

were　heard　of　and　talked　about　all　over　seven　kingdoms。＇27＇



＇27＇　From　J。　Moe。