愛薇塔樂學英文

Poor john was greatly troubled, because his father was very ill and could not recover. Except for th

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Poor john was greatly troubled, because his father was very ill and could not recover. Except for these two, there was no one in their small room. The lamp on the table had almost burned out, for it was quite late at night.

You have been a good son, John," his dying father said, "and the Lord will help you along in the world." He looked at his son with earnest, gentle eyes, sighed deeply, and fell dead as if he were falling asleep.

John cried bitterly, for now he had no one in all the world, neither father nor mother, sister nor brother. Poor John! He knelt at the bedside, and kissed his dead father's hand. He cried many salty tears, until at last his eyes closed, and he fell asleep with his head resting against the hard bed-stead.

Then he had a strange dream. He saw the sun and the moon bow down to him. He saw his father well again and strong, and heard him laughing as he always laughed when he was happy. A beautiful girl, with a crown of gold on her lovely long hair, stretched out her hand to John, and his father said, "See what a bride you have won. She is the loveliest girl in the world." Then he awoke, and all these fine things were gone. His father lay cold and dead on the bed, and there was no one with them. Poor John!

The following week the dead man was buried. John walked close behind the coffin; he could no longer see his kind father, who had loved him so. He heard how they threw the earth down upon the coffin, and watched the last corner of it until a shovel of earth hid even that. He was so sad that he felt as if his heart were breaking in pieces. Then those around him sang a psalm which sounded so lovely that tears came to his eyes. He cried, and that did him good in his grief. The sun shone in its splendor down on the green trees, as if to say, "John, you must not be so unhappy. Look up and see how fair and blue the sky is. Your father is there, praying to the good Lord that things will always go well with you."

"I'll always be good," John said. "Then I shall go to join my father in heaven. How happy we shall be to see each other again! How much I shall have to tell him, and how much he will have to show me and to teach me about the joys of heaven, just as he used to teach me here on earth. Oh, what joy that will be!"

He could see it all so clearly that he smiled, even though tears were rolling down his cheeks. The little birds up in the chestnut trees twittered, "Chirp, chirp! Chirp, chirp!" They were so happy and gay, for although they had attended a funeral they knew very well that the dead man had gone to heaven, where he now wore wings even larger and lovelier than theirs. They knew that he was happy now, because here on earth he had been a good man, and this made them glad.

John saw them fly from the green trees far out into the world, and he felt a great desire to follow them. But first he carved a large wooden cross to mark his father's grave. When he took it there in the evening he found the grave neatly covered with sand and flowers. Strangers had done this, for they had loved the good man who now was dead.

Early the next morning, John packed his little bundle and tucked his whole inheritance into a money belt. All that he had was fifty dollars and a few pieces of silver, but with this he meant to set off into the world. But first he went to the churchyard, where he knelt and repeated the Lord's Prayer over his father's grave. Then he said, "Farewell, father dear! Ill always be good, so you may safely pray to our Lord that things will go well with me."

The fields through which he passed were full of lovely flowers that flourished in the sunshine and nodded in the breeze, as if to say, "Welcome to the green pastures! Isn't it nice here?" But John turned round for one more look at the old church where as a baby he had been baptised, and where he had gone with his father every Sunday to sing the hymns. High up, in one of the belfry windows, he saw the little church goblin with his pointed red cap, raising one arm to keep the sun out of his eyes. John nodded good-by to him, and the little goblin waved his red cap, put his hand on his heart, and kissed his finger tips to him again and again, to show that he wished John well and hoped that he would have a good journey.

As John thought of all the splendid things he would see in the fine big world ahead of him, he walked on and on - farther away than he had ever gone before. He did not even know the towns through which he passed, nor the people whom he met. He was far away among strangers.

The first night he slept under a haystack in the fields, for he had no other bed. But he thought it very comfortable, and the king himself could have no better. The whole field, the brook, the haystack, and the blue sky overhead, made a glorious bedroom. The green grass patterned with red and white flowers was his carpet. The elder bushes and hedges of wild roses were bouquets of flowers, and for his wash bowl he had the whole brook full of clear fresh water. The reeds nodded their heads to wish him both "Good night," and "Good morning." The moon was really a huge night lamp, high up in the blue ceiling where there was no danger of its setting fire to the bed curtains. John could sleep peacefully, and sleep he did, never once waking until the sun rose and all the little birds around him began singing, "Good morning! Good morning! Aren't you up yet?"

The church bells rang, for it was Sunday. People went to hear the preacher, and John went with them. As he sang a hymn and listened to God's Word, he felt just as if he were in the same old church where he had been baptised, and where he had sung the hymns with his father.

There were many, many graves in the churchyard, and some were overgrown with high grass. Then John thought of his own father's grave and of how it too would come to look like these, now that he could no longer weed and tend it. So he knelt down to weed out the high grass. He straightened the wooden crosses that had fallen, and replaced the wreaths that the wind had blown from the graves. "Perhaps," he thought, "someone will do the same for my fathers grave, now that I cannot take care of it."

Outside the churchyard gate stood an old beggar, leaning on his crutch and John gave him the few pieces of silver that he had. Happy and high-spirited, John went farther on - out into the wide world. Toward nightfall the weather turned dreadfully stormy. John hurried along as - fast as he could to find shelter, but it soon grew dark. At last he came to a little church which stood very lonely upon a hill. Fortunately the door was ajar, and he slipped inside to stay until the storm abated.

"I'll sit down here in the corner," he said, "for I am very tired and need a little rest." So he sat down, put his hands together, and said his evening prayer. Before he knew it he was fast asleep and dreaming, while it thundered and lightened outside.

When he woke up it was midnight. The storm had passed, and the moon shone upon him through the window. In the middle of the church stood an open coffin and in it lay a dead man, awaiting burial. John was not at all frightened. His conscience was clear, and he was sure that the dead do not harm anyone. It is the living who do harm, and two such harmful living men stood beside the dead one, who had been put here in the church until he could be buried. They had a vile scheme to keep him from resting quietly in his coffin. They intended to throw his body out of the church - the helpless dead man's body.

Why do you want to do such a thing?" John asked. "It is a sin and a shame. In Heaven's name, let the man rest."

"Stuff and nonsense!" the two evil men exclaimed. "He cheated us. He owed us money which he could not pay, and now that he has cheated us by dying we shall not get a penny of it. So we intend to revenge ourselves. Like a dog he shall lie outside the church door."

"I have only fifty dollars," John cried. "It is my whole inheritance, but I'll give it to you gladly if you will solemnly promise to let the poor dead man rest in peace. I can do without the money. I have my healthy, strong arms, and Heaven will always help me."

"Why certainly," the villainous fellows agreed. "If you are willing to pay his debt, we won't lay a hand on him, you can count on that."

They took the money he gave them and went away roaring with laughter at his simplicity. John laid the body straight again in its coffin, folded its hands, and took his leave. He went away through the great forest, very well pleased.

All around him, wherever moonlight fell between the trees, he saw little elves playing merrily. They weren't disturbed when he came along because they knew he was a good and innocent fellow. It is only the wicked people who never are allowed to see the elves. Some of the elves were no taller than your finger, and their long yellow hair was done up with golden combs. Two by two, they seesawed on the big raindrops, which lay thick on the leaves and tall grass. Sometimes the drops rolled from under them, and then they tumbled down between the grass blades. The little manikins would laugh and made a great to-do about it, for it was a very funny sight. They sang, and John knew all their pretty little songs, which had been taught him when he was a small boy.

Big spotted spiders, wearing silver crowns, were kept busy spinning long bridges and palaces from one bush to another, and as the tiny dewdrops formed on these webs they sparkled like glass in the moonlight. All this went on until sunrise, when the little elves hid in the buds of flowers. Then the wind struck the bridges and palaces, which were swept away like cobwebs.

John had just come out of the forest, when behind him a man's strong voice called out, "Ho there, comrade! Where are you bound?

"I'm bound for the wide world," John told him. "I have neither father nor mother. I am a poor boy, but I am sure the Lord will look after me."

"I am off to the wide world, too," the stranger said. "Shall we keep each other company?"

"Yes indeed," John replied. So they strode along together.

They got to like each other very much, for both of them were kindly. But John soon found that he was not nearly so wise as the stranger, who had seen most of the world, and knew how to tell about almost everything.

The sun was high in the heavens when they sat down under a big tree to eat their breakfast. Just then an old woman came hobbling along. Oh! she was so old that she bent almost double and walked with a crutch. On her back was a load of firewood she had gotten from the forest. Her apron was tied up and John could see these big bunches of fern fronds and willow switches sticking out. As she came near the two travelers, her foot slipped. She fell down, and screamed aloud, for the poor old woman had broken her leg.

John suggested that they carry the woman to her home right away, but the stranger opened up his knapsack and took out a little jar of salve, which he said would mend her leg completely and at once, so that she could walk straight home as well as if her leg had never been broken. But in return he asked for the three bunches of switches that she carried in her apron.

"That's a very high price!" The old woman dubiously nodded her head. She did not want to give up the switches, but it was not very pleasant to lie there with a broken leg, so she let him have the three bunches. No sooner had he rubbed her with the salve than the old woman got to her feet and walked off much better than she had come - all this the salve could do. Obviously it was not the sort of thing you can buy from the apothecary.

"What on earth do you want with those bunches of switches?" John asked his companion.

"Oh, they are three nice bundles of herbs," he said. "They just happened to strike my fancy, because I'm an odd sort of fellow."

When they had gone on for quite a distance, John remarked, "See how dark the sky has grown. Those are dreadfully dense clouds."

"No," his comrade said, "those are not clouds. They are mountains - splendid high mountains, where you can get clear above the clouds into perfectly fresh air. It is glorious, believe me. Tomorrow we shall certainly be far up in the world."

But they were not so near as they seemed to be. It took a whole day to reach the mountains, where the dark forests rose right up to the skies, and where the boulders were almost as large as a whole town. To climb over all of them would be heavy going indeed, so John and his companion went to an inn to rest and strengthen themselves for tomorrow's journey.

Down in the big tap-room at the inn were many people, because a showman was there with a puppet-show. He had just set up his little theatre, and the people sat there waiting to see the play. Down in front, a burly old butcher had taken a seat, the very best one too, and his big bulldog - how vicious it looked - sat beside him, with his eyes popping as wide as everyone else's.

Then the play started. It was a very pleasant play, all about a king and a queen who sat on a velvet throne. They wore gold crowns on their heads and long trains to their costumes, all of which they could very well afford. The prettiest little wooden dolls, with glass eyes and big mustaches, stood by to open and shut all the doors so that fresh air might come into the room. It was a very pleasant play, it wasn't sad at all. But just as the queen rose and swept across the stage - heaven only knows what possessed the big bulldog to do it - as the fat butcher was not holding him, the dog made a jump right on to the stage, snatched up the queen by her slender waist, and crunched her until she cracked in pieces. It was quite tragic!

The poor showman was badly frightened, and quite upset about the queen; for she was his prettiest little puppet, and the ugly bulldog had bitten off her head. But after a while, when the audience had gone, the stranger who had come with John said that he could soon mend her. He produced his little jar, and rubbed the puppet with some of the ointment that had cured the poor old woman who had broken her leg. The moment the salve was applied to the puppet, she was as good as new - nay, better. She could even move by herself, and there was no longer any need to pull her strings. Except hat she could not speak, the puppet was just like a live woman. The showman was delighted that he didn't have to pull strings for this puppet, who could dance by herself. None of the others could do that.

In the night, after everyone in the inn had gone to bed, someone was heard sighing so terribly, and the sighs went on for so long, that everybody got up to see who it could be. The showman went straight to his little theatre, because the sighs seemed to come from there. All the wooden puppets were in a heap, with the king and his attendants mixed all together, and it was they who sighed so profoundly. They looked so pleading with their big glass eyes, and all of them wanted to be rubbed a little, just as the queen had been, so that they too would be able to move by themselves. The queen went down on her knees and held out her lovely golden crown as if to say: "Take even this from me, if you will only rub my king and his courtiers."

The poor showman felt so sorry for them that he could not keep back his tears. Immediately he promised the traveling companion to give him all the money he would take in at the next performance, if only he would anoint four or five of the nicest puppets. But the traveling companion said he would not take any payment, except the big sword that hung at the showman's side. On receiving it he anointed six of the puppets, who began to dance so well that all the girls, the real live girls who were watching, began to dance too. The coachman danced with the cook, and the waiter with the chambermaid. All the guests joined the dance, and the shovel and tongs did too, but these fell down as soon as they took their first step. It was a lively night indeed!

Next morning, John and his companion set off up the lofty mountainside and through the vast pine forests. They climbed so high that at last the church towers down below looked like little red berries among all that greenery. They could see in the distance, many and many a mile away, places where neither of them had ever been. Never before had John seen so many of the glories of this lovely world at once. The sun shone bright in the clear blue air, and along the mountainside he could also hear the hunters sounding their horns. It was all so fair and sweet that tears came into his eyes, and he could not help crying out, "Almighty God, I could kiss your footsteps in thankfulness for all the splendors that you have given us in this world."

His traveling companion also folded his hands and looked out over the woods and towns that lay before them in the warm sunlight. Just then they heard a wonderful sound overhead. They looked up, and saw a large white swan sweeping above them and singing as they had never before heard any bird sing. But the song became fainter and fainter, until the bird bowed his head and dropped slowly down dead at their feet - the lovely bird!

"Two such glorious wings!" said the traveling companion. "Wings so large and white as these are worth a good deal of money. I'll take them with me. You can see now what a good thing it was that I got a sword." With one stroke he cut off both wings of the dead swan, for he wanted to keep them.

They journeyed many and many a mile over the mountains, until at last they saw a great town rise before them, with more than a hundred towers that shone like silver in the sun. In the midst of the town there was a magnificent marble palace, with a roof of red gold. That was where the King lived.

John and his companion did not want to enter the town at once. They stopped at a wayside inn outside the town to put on fresh clothes, for they wanted to look presentable when they walked through the streets. The innkeeper told them what the King was a good man who never harmed anyone. But as for his daughter - Heaven help us - she was a bad Princess.

She was pretty enough. No one could be more lovely or more entertaining than she - but what good did that do? She was a wicked witch, who was responsible for many handsome Princes' losing their lives. She had decreed that any man might come to woo her. Anybody might come, whether he were Prince or beggar, it made no difference to her, but he must guess the answer to three questions that she asked him. If he knew the answers, she would marry him and he would be King over all the land when her father died. But if he could not guess the right answers, she either had him hanged or had his head chopped off. That was how bad and wicked the beautiful Princess was.

The old King, her father, was terribly distressed about it, but he could not keep her from being so wicked, because he had once told her that he would never concern himself with her suitors - she could do as she liked with them. Whenever a Prince had come to win the Princess's hand by making three guesses, he had failed. Then he was either hanged or beheaded, for each suitor was warned beforehand, when he was still free to abandon his courtship. The old King was so distressed by all this trouble and grief that for one entire day every year he and all his soldiers went down on their knees to pray that the Princess might reform; but she never would. As a sign of mourning, old women who drank schnapps would dye it black before they quaffed it - so deeply - did they mourn - and more than that they couldn't do.

"That abominable Princess," John said, "ought to be flogged. It would be just the thing for her, and if I were the old King I'd have her whipped till her blood ran."

"Hurrah!" they heard people shout outside the inn. The Princess was passing by, and she was so very beautiful that everyone who saw her forgot how wicked she was, and everyone shouted "Hurrah." Twelve lovely maidens, all dressed in white silk and carrying golden tulips, rode beside her on twelve coal-black horses. The Princess herself rode a snow-white horse, decorated with diamonds and rubies. Her riding costume was of pure gold, and the whip that she carried looked like a ray of sunlight. The gold crown on her head twinkled like the stars of heaven, and her cloak was made from thousands of bright butterfly wings. But she herself it; was far lovelier than all these things.

When John first set eyes on her, his face turned red - as red as blood - and he could hardly speak a single word. The Princess was the living image of the lovely girl with the golden crown, of whom he had dreamed on the night when his father died. He found the Princess so fair that he could not help falling in love with her.

"Surely," he thought, "it can't be true that she is a wicked witch who has people hanged or beheaded when they can't guess what she asks them. Anyone at all may ask for her hand, even though he is the poorest beggar, so I really will go to the palace, for I cannot help doing it!

Everyone told him he ought not to try it, lest he meet with the same fate that had befallen the others. His traveling companion also tried to persuade him not to go, but John felt sure he would succeed. He brushed his shoes and his coat, washed his face and his hands, and combed his handsome blond hair. Then, all alone, he went through the town to the palace.

"Come in," the old King said when John came knocking at his door. As John opened it the old King advanced to meet him, wearing a dressing gown and a pair of embroidered slippers. He had his crown on his head, his sceptre in one hand, and his orb in the other. "Just a minute," he said, tucking the orb under his arm so that he could offer a hand to John. But the moment he heard that John had come as a suitor, he fell to sobbing so hard that both the orb and sceptre dropped to the floor, and he had to use his dressing gown to wipe his eyes. The poor old King!

"Don't try it!" he said. "You will fare badly like all the others. Come, let me show them to you."

Then he led John into the Princess's pleasure garden, where he saw a fearful thing. From every tree hung three or four Kings' sons who had been suitors of the Princess but had not been able to answer the questions she put to them. The skeletons rattled so in every breeze that they terrified the little birds, who never dared come to the garden. All the flowers were tied to human bones, and human skulls grinned up from every flower pot. What a charming garden for a Princess!

"There!" said the old King, "you see. It will happen to you as it happened to all these you see here. Please don't try it. You would make me awfully unhappy, for I take these things deeply to heart.

John kissed the good old King's hand, and said he was sure everything would go well; for he was infatuated with the Princess's beauty. Just then the Princess and all of her ladies rode into the palace yard, so they went over to wish her good morning. She was lovely to look at, and when she held out her hand to John he fell in love more deeply than ever. How could she be such a wicked witch as all the people called her?

The whole party went to the palace hall, where little pages served them jam and gingerbread. But the old King was so miserable that he couldn't eat anything at all. Besides, the gingerbread was too hard for his teeth.

It was arranged that John was to visit the palace again the following morning, when the judges and the full council would be assembled to hear how he made out with his answer. If he made out well he would have to come back two more times, but as yet no one had ever answered the first question, so they had forfeited their lives in the first attempt.

However, John was not at all afraid of his trial. Far from it! he was jubilant, and thought only of how lovely the Princess was. He felt sure that help would come to him, though he didn't know how it would come, and he preferred not to think about it. He fairly danced along the road when he returned to the inn, where his comrade awaited him. John could not stop telling him how nicely the Princess had treated him, and how lovely she was. He said that he could hardly wait for tomorrow to come, when he would go to the palace and try his luck in guessing. But his comrade shook his head, and was very sad.

"I am so fond of you," he said, "and we might have been comrades together for a long while to come, but now I am apt to lose you soon, poor, dear John! I feel like crying, but I won't spoil your happiness this evening, which is perhaps the last one we shall ever spend together. We shall be as merry as merry can be, and tomorrow, when you are gone, I'll have time enough for my tears."

Everyone in the town had heard at once that the Princess had a new suitor, and therefore everyone grieved. The theatre was closed; the women who sold cakes tied crape around their sugar pigs; the King and the preachers knelt in the churches; and there was widespread lamentation. For they were all sure that John's fate would be no better than that of all those others.

Late that evening, the traveling companion made a large bowl of punch, and said to John, "Now we must be merry and drink to the health of the Princess." But when John had drunk two glasses of the punch he felt so sleepy that he couldn't hold his eyes open, and he fell sound asleep. His comrade quietly lifted him from the chair and put him to bed. As soon as it was entirely dark he took the two large wings he had cut off the swan, and fastened them to his own shoulders. Then he put into his pocket the biggest bunch of switches that had been given him by the old woman who had: fallen and broken her leg. He opened the window and flew straight over the house tops to the palace, where he sat down in a corner under the window which looked into the Princess's bedroom.

All was quiet in the town until the clock struck a quarter to twelve. Then the window opened and the Princess flew out of it, cloaked in white and wearing long black wings. She soared over the town to a high mountain, but the traveling companion had made himself invisible, so that she could not see him as he flew after her and lashed her so hard with his switch that he drew blood wherever he struck. Ah, how she fled through the air! The wind caught her cloak, which billowed out from her like a sail, and the moonlight shone through it.

"How it hails! how it hails!" the Princess cried at each blow, but it was no more than she deserved.

At last she came to the mountain and knocked on it. With a thunderous rumbling, the mountainside opened and the Princess went in. No one saw the traveling companion go in after her, for he had made himself completely invisible. They went down a big, long passage where the walls were lighted in a peculiar fashion. Thousands of glittering spiders ran along he walls and gave off a fiery glow. Then they entered a vast hall, built of silver and gold. Red and blue blossoms the size of sunflowers covered the walls, but no one could pick them, for the stems were ugly poisonous snakes, and the flowers were flames darting out between their fangs. The ceiling was alive with glittering glow-worms, and sky-blue bats that zapped their transparent wings. The place looked really terrible! A throne in the center of the floor was held up by four horse skeletons in a harness of fiery red spiders. The throne itself was of milk-colored glass, and its cushions consisted of little black mice biting each other's tails. The canopy above it was made of rose-red spider webs, speckled with charming little green flies that sparkled like emeralds.

On the throne sat an old sorcerer, with a crown on his hideous head and a sceptre in his hand. He kissed the Princess on her forehead, and made her sit with him on the costly throne as the music struck up. Big black grasshoppers played upon mouth-harps, and the owl beat upon his own stomach, because he had no drum. It was a most fantastic concert! Many tiny goblins, with will-o'-the-wisps stuck in their little caps, capered around the hall. Nobody could see the traveling companion, who had placed himself behind the throne, where he could see and hear everything. The courtiers who now appeared seemed imposing and stately enough, but any-one with an observing eye could soon see what it all meant. They were mere cabbage heads stuck upon broomsticks, which the sorcerer had dressed in embroidered clothes and conjured into liveliness. But that didn't matter, for they were only needed to keep up appearances.

After the dance had gone on for a while, the Princess told the sorcerer that she had a new suitor, and she asked what question she should put to him when he came to the palace tomorrow.

"Listen to me," said the sorcerer, "I'll tell you what; you must think of something commonplace and then he will never guess what it is. Think of one of your shoes. He won't guess that. Then off with his head, and when you come tomorrow night remember to fetch me his eyes, so that I may eat them."

The Princess made a low curtsey, and promised not to forget about the eyes. The sorcerer opened the mountain for her, and she flew homeward. But the traveling companion flew behind her and thrashed her so hard with his switch that she bitterly complained of the fearful hailstorm, and made all the haste she could to get back through the open window of her bedroom. The traveling companion flew back to the inn, where John was still asleep. Taking off the wings he tumbled into bed, for he had good reason to feel tired.

It was very early the next morning when John awoke. When his comrade arose he told John of a very strange dream he had had about the Princess and one of her shoes. He begged him to ask the Princess if she didn't have one of her shoes in mind. This, of course, was what he had overheard the sorcerer say in the mountain, but he didn't tell John about that. He merely told him to be sure to guess that the Princess had her shoe in mind.

"I may as well ask about that as anything else," John agreed. "Maybe your dream was true, for I have always thought that God would look after me. However, I'll be saying good-by, because if I guess wrong I shall never see you again."

They embraced, and John went straight through the town and up to the palace. The whole hall was packed with people. The judges sat in their armchairs, with eiderdown pillows behind their heads because they had so much to think about, and the old King stood there wiping his eyes with a white handkerchief. Then the Princess entered. She was even lovelier than she was the day before, and she bowed to everyone in the most agreeable fashion. To John she held out her hand and wished him, "Good morning to you."

John was required to guess what she had in mind. She looked at him most charmingly until she heard him say the one word "shoe." Her face turned chalk-white and she trembled from head to foot. But there was nothing she could do about it. His guess was right.

Merciful Heavens! How glad the old King was. He turned heels over head for joy, and everyone applauded both his performance and that of John, who had guessed rightly the first time.

The traveling companion beamed with delight when he heard how well things had gone. But John clasped his hands together and thanked God, who he was sure would help him through the two remaining trials. The following day he was to guess again.

That evening went by just like the previous one. As soon as John was asleep, his comrade flew behind the Princess to the mountain and thrashed her even harder than before, for this time he had taken two scourges of switches. No one saw him, but he heard all that was said. The Princess was to think of her glove, and he told this to John as if he had dreamed it.

Naturally, John had no trouble in guessing correctly, and there was unbounded rejoicing in the palace. The whole court turned heels over head as they had seen the King do on the first occasion. But the Princess lay on her sofa, without a word to say. Now everything depended on John's answer to the third question. If it was right, he would get the lovely Princess and inherit the whole kingdom after the old King died. But if he guessed wrong, he would forfeit his life, and the wizard would eat his beautiful blue eyes.

That evening John said his prayers, went to bed early, and fell serenely asleep. But his comrade tied the wings to his back, buckled the sword to his side, took all three scourges of switches, and flew off to the palace.

The night was pitch black. A gale blew so hard that it swept tiles from the roofs. In the garden where the skeletons dangled, the trees bent before the blast like reeds. Lightning flashed every moment, and thunder kept up one unbroken roar the whole night through. The window was flung open, and out flew the Princess. She was deathly pale, but she laughed at the weather and thought it was not bad enough. Her white cloak lashed about in the wind like the sail of a ship, and the traveling companion thrashed her with his three switches until blood dripped to the ground. She could scarcely fly any farther, but at last she came to the mountain.

"How it hails and blows!" she said. "I have never been out in such weather."

"One may get too much of a good thing," the sorcerer agreed.

Now she told him how John had guessed right a second time, and if he succeeded again tomorrow, then he won, and never again could she come out to him in the mountains. Never again could she perform such tricks of magic as before, and therefore she felt very badly about it.

"He won't guess it this time," said the sorcerer. "I shall hit upon something that he will never guess unless he's a greater magician than I am. But first let's have our fun.

He took the Princess by both hands, and they danced around with all the little goblins and will-o'-the-wisps that were in the hall. The red spiders spun merrily up and down the walls, the fiery flowers seemed to throw off sparks, the owl beat the drum, the crickets piped, and the black grasshoppers played on mouth organs. It was an extremely lively ball.

After they had danced a while the Princess had to start home, for fear that she might be missed at the castle. The sorcerer said he would go with her, to enjoy that much more of her company.

Away they flew through the storm, and the traveling companion wore out all three scourges on their backs. Never had the sorcerer felt such a hailstorm. As he said good-by to the Princess outside the palace, he whispered to her, "Think of my head."

But the traveling companion overheard it, and just at the moment when the Princess slipped in through her window and the sorcerer was turning around, he caught him by his long black beard, and with the sword he cut the sorcerer's ugly head off, right at the shoulders, so that the sorcerer himself didn't even see it. He threw the body into the sea for the fishes to eat, but the head he only dipped in the water, wrapped it in his silk handkerchief, and took it back to the inn, where he lay down to sleep.

Next morning he gave John the handkerchief but told him not to open it until the Princess asked him to guess what she had thought about.

The hall was so full of people that they were packed together as closely as radishes tied together in a bundle. The judges sat in their chairs with the soft pillows. The old King had put on his new clothes, and his crown and sceptre had been polished to look their best. But the Princess was deathly pale, and she wore black, as if she were attending a funeral.

"Of what have I thought?" she asked John. He at once untied the handkerchief, and was quite frightened himself when he saw the sorcerer's hideous head roll out of it. Everyone there shuddered at this terrible sight, but the Princess sat like stone, without a word to say. Finally she got up and gave John her hand, for his guess was good. She looked no one in the face, but sighed and said:

"You are my master now. Our wedding will be held this evening."

"I like that!" the old King shouted. "This is as things should be."

All the people shouted "Hurrah!" The military band played in the streets, the bells rang out, and the cake women took the crape off their sugar pigs, now that everyone was celebrating. Three entire oxen stuffed with ducks and chickens were roasted whole in the center of the market square, and everyone could cut himself a piece of them. The fountains spurted up the best of wine. Whoever bought a penny bun at the bakery got six large buns thrown in for good measure, and all the buns had raisins in them.

That evening the entire town was illuminated. The soldiers fired their cannon, and the boys set off firecrackers. At the palace there was eating and drinking, dancing and the clinking of glasses. All the lordly gentlemen and all the lovely ladies danced together. For a long way off you could hear them sing:

    "Here are many pretty girls, and don't they love to dance!
    See them hop and swing around whenever they've a chance.
    Dance! my pretty maid, anew, till the sole flies of your shoe.

But the Princess was still a witch, and she had no love for John at all. His comrade kept this in mind, and gave him three feathers from the swan's wings, and a little bottle with a few drops of liquid in it. He said that John must put a large tub of water beside the Princess's bed, and just as she was about to get in bed he must give her a little push, so that she would tumble into the tub. There he must dip her three times, after he had thrown the feathers and the drops of liquid into the water. That would free her from the spell of sorcery, and make her love him dearly.

John did everything his companion had advised him to do, though the Princess shrieked as he dipped her into the water, and struggled as he held her in the shape of a large black swan with flashing eyes. The second time, she came out of the water as a swan entirely white except for a black ring around its neck. John prayed hard, and as he forced the bird under the water once more it changed into the beautiful Princess. She was fairer than ever, and she thanked him with tears in her beautiful eyes for having set her free from the sorcerer's spell.

In the morning the old King came with all his court, and congratulations lasted all through the day. Last of all came John's traveling companion; he had his stick in his hand and the knapsack on his back. John embraced him time and again, and said that he must not leave-them. He must stay here with John, who owed all his happiness to him. But the traveling companion shook his head. Gently and kindly he said:

"No, my time is now up. I have done no more than pay my debt to you. Do you remember the dead man whom the wicked men wanted to harm? You gave all that you had so that he might have rest in his grave. I am that dead man." And at once he disappeared.

The wedding celebration lasted a whole month. John and his Princess loved each other dearly, and the old King lived on for many a happy day to let their little children ride astride his knee and play with his sceptre. But it was John who was King over all the land.

可憐的約翰是很大的困擾，因為他的父親得了重病，無法恢復。除日

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可憐的約翰是很大的困擾，因為他的父親得了重病，無法恢復。除了這兩個，有沒有人在自己的小房間。桌子上的燈幾乎燃燒殆盡，因為它是相當深夜。

你是一個好兒子，約翰，“他垂死的父親說，”上帝會幫助你一起在世界上。“他看著他的兒子與認真，溫柔的眼神，深深地嘆了一口氣，伏屍，猶如彼為下降睡著了。

約翰痛哭起來，現在他已經沒有人在這個世界，沒有父母，姐妹，又不是兄弟。可憐的約翰！他跪在床邊，並親吻他死去的父親的手。他哭了很多鹹味的淚水，直到最後他的眼睛閉上了，他睡著了，他的頭靠在硬床，代之而起。

然後，他做了一個奇怪的夢。他看到太陽和月亮向他下拜。他看到他的父親以及再強，聽見他笑，因為他總是笑的時候，他很高興。一個漂亮的女孩，用金對她的可愛的長發冠，伸出她的手，約翰，和他的父親說：“看看你已經贏得了新娘，她是最可愛的女孩，在世界上。” 然後，他醒了過來，而所有這些美好的事物都消失了。他的父親躺在冷死在床上，沒有人與他們。可憐的約翰！

接下來的一周死者被埋葬。約翰走到靠近的棺材後面，他再也無法看到他慈祥的父親，誰愛他如此。他聽說他們如何扔在地上看不起的棺材，看著它的最後一個彎道，直到地上的一把鐵鍬甚至躲到了。他是如此的難過，他覺得好像他的心臟被打破的碎片。然後，他周圍的人唱起了讚美詩這聽起來太美了，淚水湧上了眼睛。他哭了，並做了他在他的悲傷好。陽光照在它的輝煌倒在綠色的樹木，彷彿在說，“約翰，你可千萬別這麼不開心。查一查，看看如何公平和藍色的天​​空，你的父親是那裡，祈求好耶那事情總是會和你一起去好。“

“我將永遠是好，”約翰說。“然後，我會去參加我的父親在天堂。多麼幸福，我們要作再相見！多少錢我得告訴他，他多少都會有給我看，並教我關於天堂的樂趣，就像他曾經在這裡教我在地球上。哦，什麼歡樂，這將是！“

他可以把一切看得很清楚，他笑了，雖然眼淚滾滾而下他的臉頰。小鳥在板栗樹上吱吱喳喳地叫，“唧唧，唧唧！啁啾，唧唧！” 他們是如此快樂，快樂，因為他們雖然已經參加了葬禮，他們清楚地知道，死的人已經去了天堂，在那裡，他現在穿的翅膀，甚至比他們更大，更可愛。他們知道，他很高興了，因為在地球上他是一個好人，這使他們感到高興。

約翰看見他們從綠樹遠走高飛外面的世界，他覺得一個偉大的願望，跟隨他們。但首先，他刻了巨大的木製十字架，以紀念他父親的墳墓。當他把在那裡的晚上，他發現整齊地覆蓋著沙子和鮮花的墳墓。陌生人已經做到了這一點，因為他們曾愛過的好人誰現在已經死了。

第二天一早，約翰擠滿了他的小捆，並夾著他的整個繼承到錢的腰帶。所有他有五十美元和幾兩銀子，但他的意思來襯托世界的。但首先，他去了墓地，在那裡他跪下來重複主禱文在他父親的墳墓。然後他說，“別了，親愛的爸爸！生病總是好的，所以你可以放心地祈求我們的上帝，事情會順利和我在一起。”

通過他傳遞的信息都充滿了可愛的花朵，在陽光下蓬勃發展，在微風中點頭，好像在說，“歡迎來到青草地！是不是很漂亮嗎？” 但約翰扭過頭一多看看老教堂在那裡作為一個嬰兒，他已經受洗，並在他走後，他父親每個星期天唱讚美詩。高了，在鐘樓視窗之一，他看到小教堂妖精與他的紅色尖帽，舉起一隻手臂，以保持太陽在他的眼睛。John點點頭再見他，這個小妖精揮舞著他的紅色帽子，把他的手放在他的心臟，並一次又一次地親吻著他的指尖給他，以示他希望約翰很好，希望他能有一個良好的旅程。

正如約翰想到了所有他會在精細大世界看到他之前的輝煌的事情，他走著走著就和 - 遠超過他前所未有的進展。他甚至不知道通過它，他通過了城鎮，也沒有他遇見的人。他是遙遠的陌生人之間。

第一天晚上，他下在田裡幹草堆睡，因為他沒有其他的床。但他認為這很舒服，和王自己也沒有更好的。整場，小溪，草堆，和頭頂藍天，取得了輝煌的臥室。綠草圖案的紅色和白色的花朵是他的地毯上。野生玫瑰的老灌木和樹籬鮮花花束，並為他洗的碗，他整過小河滿清楚的淡水。蘆葦“早上好。”低下頭來祝他既“晚安”，並月亮真是一個巨大的小夜燈，高高的藍色天花板，那裡有它的設置火到了床上窗簾沒有危險。John能安然入睡，睡他做到了，一次也沒有醒來，直到太陽升起和他周圍所有的小鳥兒開始歌唱，“早上好！早上好！你不是了嗎？”

教堂的鐘聲響起，因為是星期天。人去聽了牧師和約翰他們同去。當他唱起了讚歌，聽神的話，他覺得就好像他是在同一個古老的教堂，他已經受洗，並在他唱的讚美詩與他的父親。

有很多很多的墳墓在墓地，有的呈長滿高草。那時，約翰以為它是如何過會來看看這些像自己父親的墳墓和，現在他再也雜草，往往它。於是，他跪下來淘汰的高草。他直起腰倒下的木十字架，和替換的風已經從墳墓吹花圈。“也許，”他想，“有人會做同樣的我父親的墳墓，現在，我不能照顧它。”

外面教堂門口站著一個老乞丐，拄著他的拐杖和約翰給了他幾兩銀子，他有。快樂和意氣風發，約翰去更遠的 - 外面的廣闊世界。朝夜幕降臨，天氣轉為不堪暴風雨。約翰急忙沿著作為 - 快，他可以找到庇護所，但它很快就天黑。最後，他來到一個小教堂裡面放著很寂寞在一座小山上。幸運的是，門是虛掩著的，他溜了進去住，直到風暴消退。

“我會坐下來在這裡的角落裡，”他說，“因為我很累，需要休息一下了。” 於是，他坐了下來，把他的雙手，並說他的晚禱。之前，他知道這是他快睡著了，在做夢，而打雷和減輕之外。

當他醒來的時候已經是半夜了。暴風雨已經過去了，月亮照在他通過這個窗口。在教堂的中間放著一個打開的棺材，並在其中放置一個死人，準備下葬。約翰是不是在所有的害怕。他的良心是清楚的，而且他確信​​死者不傷害任何人。這是誰害的生活，和兩個這樣的有害生物男子站在旁邊的死一個，誰已經把這裡的教堂，直到他可能被埋沒。他們有一個卑鄙的計劃，以阻止他在他的棺材靜靜地休息。他們打算扔掉他的身體出了教堂 - 無助的死者的屍體。

你為什麼想要做這樣的事？“約翰問，”這是一種罪過，一種恥辱。在天堂的名字，讓男人休息。“

“瞎說！” 這兩個邪惡的人驚呼。“他欺騙了我們。他欠我們的錢，他無法支付，而現在，他已經奄奄一息所騙我們，我們將無法得到它的一分錢，所以我們打算報復自己，像一隻狗一樣，他睡的教堂門外“。

“我只有50塊錢，”約翰喊道。“這是我的全部繼承，但我要把它送給你樂意，如果你將鄭重承諾，讓可憐的死者安息，我沒有錢可以做，我有我的健康，強壯的手臂，天無絕幫幫我吧。“

“為什麼肯定”的流氓研究員同意。“如果你願意支付他的債務，我們不會下手害他，你能指望它。”

他們把他給了他們錢，就走了歡笑在他的咆哮簡單。約翰在其棺材奠定了身體又直，折其雙手，將他的假。他走了過大森林，非常好高興。

在他的周圍，樹木之間的地方月光下跌，他看到小精靈歡快地玩耍。他們不被打擾的時候，他來了，因為他們知道他是一個很好的和無辜的同胞。它是唯一從來沒有誰被允許看到精靈的邪惡的人。一些精靈們並不比你的手指高，而他們的長頭髮發黃做了金色的梳子。兩個兩個，他們反覆的大雨滴，這厚厚的躺在樹葉和草叢。有時滴下他們捲起，然後他們滾下了草葉之間。小矮人會笑，並做出了巨大的待辦這件事，因為這是一個很有趣的景象。他們唱著，和約翰知道他們的所有漂亮的小歌，這已經教給他時，他是一個小男孩。

大花斑蜘蛛，穿著銀冠，被不停地忙碌著紡長的橋樑和宮殿從一個灌木叢到另一個，和形成於這些網都燦爛如玻璃在月光下的小露珠。所有這一切一直持續到日出，當小精靈藏在花的花蕾。然後風來襲橋樑和宮殿，其中被洪水沖走像蜘蛛網。

約翰剛剛走出森林，當他一個人的強有力的聲音叫了身後，“何有，同志！您上哪去？

“我一定為廣大的世界，”約翰告訴他。“我沒有父母，我是一個可憐的孩子，但我相信上帝會照顧我的。”

“我關到廣闊的世界了，”陌生人說。“我們要保持對方的公司嗎？”

“是真的，”John回答。於是，他們一起沿著大步。

他們得到了喜歡對方非常多，他們兩人都是好心。但約翰很快發現，他幾乎沒有這麼聰明的陌生人，誰見過世界上大多數國家，並知道如何告訴幾乎所有的東西。

太陽高高的天空，當他們在大樹下坐下吃他們的早餐。就在這時，一位老婦人步履蹣跚來到沿。哦！年紀太大了，她彎下腰近一倍，並用拐杖走路。在她的背上是一擔柴，她從森林已經得到。她的圍裙被捆綁起來，約翰看見蕨葉和柳樹開關露在外面的這些大束。當她來到這兩個旅客近，她腳下一滑。她摔了下來，並大聲尖叫，為可憐的老女人打破了她的腿。

約翰認為，他們攜帶的女人到她家的時候了，但這位陌生人打開了自己的背包，拿出藥膏的小罐子，這是他說的話完全修補她的腿和一次，這樣她就可以走直線的家，以及彷彿她的腿從來沒有被打破。但作為回報，他要求交換機，她在她的圍裙進行的三個串。

“這是一個非常高的價格！” 老婦人半信半疑地點了點頭。她不想放棄交換機，但它是不是很愉快的斷腿躺在那裡，所以她讓他有三串。不早了，他揉了揉比老婦人站起身來的藥膏，然後走開了好多比她來了 - 這一切的藥膏可以做。顯然，這不是諸如此類的事情，你可以從藥劑師購買。

“究竟你想用交換機那些串？” 約翰問他的同伴。

“哦，他們是草藥三個漂亮的包，”他說。“他們就這樣發生了罷工我的幻想，因為我是一個奇怪的傢夥。”

他們走後上還有一定的距離，約翰說：“你看多麼黑暗的天空中不斷壯大，這些都是可怕濃密雲層。”

“不，”他的同伴說，“這些都不是浮雲，他們是山 - 燦爛的高山，在那​​裡你可以得到清晰的雲層之上到完全新鮮的空氣，是光榮的，相信我明天就一定遠在。這個世界。“

但他們沒有那麼近，因為他們似乎是。花了一整天的時間到達山上，黑暗的森林上漲一直到天空，那裡的巨石幾乎大如整個城市。翻越所有的人都將是沉重的東西著實讓約翰和他的同伴去了一家旅店休息，加強自身建設為明天的旅程。

倒在大抽頭間客房的旅館有許多人，因為一個藝人在那裡有一個木偶表演。他剛剛成立了自己的小劇場，和人民群眾坐在那裡等著看戲。下來在前面，一個身材魁梧的老屠夫採取了一個座位，最好的一個了，和他的大猛犬 - 如何惡毒它看起來 - 坐在他身邊，他的眼睛突然出現一樣寬，其他人的。

然後開始播放。這是一個非常快樂的遊戲，所有關於國王和王后誰坐在天鵝絨寶座。他們戴著金冠冕在他們的頭和長的火車來他們的服裝，所有這些，他們很可能買得起。最漂亮的小木頭娃娃，玻璃的眼睛和大鬍子，站在打開和關閉所有的門，使新鮮空氣可以進入房間。這是一個非常快樂的遊戲，這不是悲傷的。但是，正如女王上升，席捲了整個舞臺 - 只有天知道是什麼附體的大牛頭犬做 - 因為胖屠夫不是抱著他，狗做了一個正確的跳躍上了舞臺，搶走了女王被她纖細的腰，嘎吱嘎吱她，直到她在片破裂。那是相當的慘烈！

可憐的藝人是驚弓之鳥，挺不高興的女王，因為她是他最漂亮的小木偶，和醜陋的牛頭犬咬過了她的頭。但經過一段時間，當觀眾走後，誰曾來與約翰陌生人說，他可能很快修補了她。他製作了他的小罐子，揉傀儡與一些已經治好了可憐的老女人誰打破了她的腿的藥膏。該藥膏應用於傀儡的那一刻，她是完好如新 - 不，效果更好。她甚至可以由她自己移動，沒有必要再拉她字串。除了帽子，她說不出話，傀儡就像一個活的女人。該藝人感到很高興，他沒有拉這個傀儡弦，誰也跳了自己。沒有任何其他人能做到這一點。

在黑夜裡，經過大家的客棧已經上床睡覺，有人聽到嘆息如此可怕，而嘆息持續了這麼長時間，大家都站了起來，看看誰可能有關係。該藝人直奔他的小劇場，因為嘆息似乎從那裡來的。所有的木偶是在一個堆，與國王和他的侍從都混在一起，這是他們誰嘆了口氣如此深刻。他們看起來與他們的大玻璃眼睛如此懇求，和所有的人都希望被擦了一下，就像女王一直是，讓他們也將能夠自行移動。女王走到了她的膝蓋，伸出她那可愛的金色皇冠，好像在說：“從我就拿即使這一點，如果你只會擦我的國王和他的臣子”

可憐的藝人覺得很對不起他們，他不能讓自己的眼淚。他立刻答應了旅伴給他所有的錢，他將參加在接下來的表現，如果只有他一個人會抹四五的最好的傀儡。但旅伴說，他不會採取任何款項，但掛在藝人身邊的大劍。在接受它，他用膏膏六木偶，誰開始跳舞這麼好，所有的女孩，誰看著活生生的女孩，開始跳舞了的。車夫跳舞的廚師，並與女僕服務員。所有的客人加入了舞蹈，鏟和鉗子做太多，但這些倒了下去，盡快為他們採取了他們的第一個步驟。那是一個熱鬧的夜生活確實是！

第二天早上，約翰和他的同伴掀起了崇高的山腰，並通過廣闊的松樹林。他們爬到那麼高，在去年的教堂塔樓向下跌破看起來像在所有的綠色植物的小紅果。他們可以在遠處看到，很多，很多一英里之遙，那裡既沒有人曾經去過的地方。從來沒有過約翰見過這麼多的這個可愛的世界的輝煌的一次。太陽在湛藍的空中閃爍著光亮，並且沿著山腰，他也聽到了獵人按喇叭。這一切都是那麼公平和甜蜜的淚水走進了他的眼睛，他忍不住哭了出來，“全能的上帝，我可以吻你的腳步聲在感恩所有的輝煌，你已經給了我們在這個世界上。”

他的旅伴也折了他的手，看著出了樹林和城鎮之前，他們在溫暖的陽光下躺著。就在這時，他們聽到美妙的聲音開銷。他們抬頭一看，只見一大片白色的天鵝掃在他們之上和歌唱，因為他們從來沒有聽說過任何鳥兒唱歌。但是，這首歌成了暗淡和微弱，直到鳥耷拉著腦袋，慢慢地掉了下來死在他們的腳下 - 可愛的鳥！

“兩個這樣光榮的翅膀！” 說的旅伴。“翅膀如此之大，白色，因為這些都值得了大量的錢，我會帶他們和我在一起。現在你可以看到什麼好東西這是我得到了一把劍。” 一舉，他切斷了死天鵝的兩個翅膀，因為他想留住他們。

起行一對多和多對一一英里翻山越嶺，直到最後，他們看到一個偉大的城市崛起在他們之前，有超過百塔那潔如銀在陽光下。在鎮中間有一個宏偉的大理石宮殿，與紅金屋頂。這是那裡的國王居住的地方。

約翰和他的同伴不想進入城鎮的一次。他們停在鎮外的路邊店換上新的衣服，因為他們想看看像樣的，當他們在街上走著。旅店老闆告訴他們什麼樣的國王是個好人誰從來沒有傷害過任何人。但對於他的女兒 - 天堂幫助我們 - 她是一個壞公主。

她不夠漂亮。沒有人可以更可愛，或比她更有趣的 - 但什麼都好了嗎？她是一個邪惡的巫婆，誰負責眾多帥哥王子失去了他們的生活。她曾頒布法令，任何人不妨來討好她。任何人都可能來，他到底是王子還是乞丐，這並未影響到她，但他必須猜出答案的三個問題，她問他。如果他知道了答案，她會嫁給他，他會在國王所有，當她的父親去世了土地。但是，如果他不能猜出正確答案，她要麼把他吊死或已他的頭砍了下來。這是多麼糟糕的和邪惡的美麗公主。

老國王，她的父親，是可怕的苦惱，但他不能讓她被這麼缺德，因為他曾經告訴她，他絕對不會關心自己和她的追求者 - 她可以做，因為她跟他們很喜歡。每當一個王子來了通過使猜三次贏得了公主的手，他失敗了。然後，他被絞死或者砍頭或為每個求婚被事先警告，當他仍然​​可以自由地放棄他的求愛。老國王是如此這一切的煩惱和悲傷心疼了一整天的每一年，他和他的士兵們又跪地祈禱，公主會改革，但她永遠不會。作為哀悼的標誌，老年婦女誰喝烈酒將它們染成它一飲而盡它的黑色前 - 如此之深 - 沒有他們哀悼 - 並不止於此，他們不能這樣做。

“那可惡的公主，”約翰說，“應該被鞭打，這將是剛才的事情對她來說，如果我是老國王我不得不鞭打她，直到她的血跑了。”

“烏拉！” 他們聽到有人喊了客棧外面。公主經過，以及她是那麼很漂亮，大家誰看見她忘了她是多麼可惡，大家高喊“烏拉”。十二個可愛的少女，都穿著白色的絲綢和攜帶黃金鬱金香，她身邊騎著12煤黑的馬。公主她自己騎著雪白的馬，飾以鑽石和紅寶石。她騎的服裝是純金的，而她所攜帶的鞭子看起來像一縷陽光。黃金冠在她的頭上閃爍著像天上的星，她的斗篷是由成千上萬的明亮蝴蝶翅膀製成的。但她自己也;遠比這些東西更可愛。

當約翰第一次看到她時，他的臉一下子紅 - 紅如血 - 他幾乎說不出話一個字。公主是可愛的女孩，金色皇冠，他身上曾夢想上時，他的父親去世當晚的生活圖像。他發現公主那麼公平，他忍不住與她墜入愛河。

“當然，”他想，“這不可能是真的，她是一個邪惡的巫婆誰已經人忌用或斬首時，他們無​​法猜出她問他們。任何人都可以問她的手，即使他是最窮的乞丐，所以我真的會去皇宮，為我不禁這樣做！

每個人都告訴他，他不應該來試試吧，免得他用一種剛剛降臨別人同樣的命運相遇。他的旅伴也都勸他不要去，但約翰覺得肯定他會成功。他刷他的鞋子和他的外套，洗他的臉，他的手，和精梳他英俊的金發。然後，獨自一人，他就通過鎮宮殿。

“進來吧，”老國王說，當約翰來了，敲他的門。正如約翰打開了它的老國王走上去迎接他，穿著睡袍和一雙繡花拖鞋。他有他的冠冕戴在他頭上，他一手拿權杖，以及他在其他天體。“等一下，”他說，每天進食在他手臂上的寶珠，以便他能提供手約翰。但他聽見約翰來了一個求婚的那一刻，他倒抽泣這麼辛苦，無論是球體和權杖掉在了地上，他不得不用自己的晨衣擦​​他的眼睛。可憐的老國王！

“別想了！” 他說。“你會嚴重票價像所有其他人。來吧，讓我拿給你。”

然後，他帶領約翰到公主的快樂花園，在那裡，他看到了可怕的事情。從每一棵樹掛三個或四個國王的兒子，誰曾經是公主的追求者，但一直沒能回答她向他們提出的問題。骷髏在每一個他們嚇壞了的小鳥，誰從來不敢走到花園裡的微風叮叮噹當如此。所有的花朵都綁在人體骨骼，和人類的頭骨從每一個花盆咧嘴笑了起來。多麼迷人的花園的公主！

“有！” 說老國王，“你看，它會發生在你身上，因為它發生在你身上看到這裡所有的這些，請不要嘗試它，你會讓我非常不開心，因為我把這些東西深深地心臟。

約翰吻了良好的老國王的手，並說他相信一切都會順利，因為他很迷戀公主的美麗。就在這時，公主和她的淑女騎馬進了王宮的院子裡，所以他們走過去，祝她早上好。她很可愛來看待，當她伸出手約翰他愛上了比以往任何時候都更加深刻。她怎麼能這麼邪惡的巫婆，因為所有的人叫她？

全黨走到殿堂，這裡有點頁伺候他們果醬和薑餅。但老國王是如此的痛苦，因此他不能吃任何東西。此外，薑餅是太難為他的牙齒。

它被安排約翰是到第二天早上再次訪問王宮，當法官和全體議會將組裝聽聽他是怎麼做出來的，他的答案。如果他做出來的好，他會要回來兩次，但至今沒有人曾經回答了第一個問題，所以他們已經喪失了生命中的第一次嘗試。

然而，約翰是一點都不怕他的審判。遠非如此！他是興高采烈的，只有公主多麼可愛是思想。他肯定意識到幫助將來找他，雖然他不知道它會怎麼來的，他不願去想它。他還算沿路跳舞時，他回到了客棧，在那裡他的戰友等著他。約翰忍不住告訴他如何很好的公主對待了他，她是多麼的可愛。他說，他幾乎不能等到明天來的時候他會去皇宮，並嘗試他的運氣在猜測。但他的同志搖了搖頭，很是傷心。

“我很喜歡你，”他說，“我們可能已經戰友在一起很長一段時間來，但現在我很容易很快失去你，可憐的，親愛的約翰！我想哭，但我贏了'T破壞你的幸福今天晚上，這也許就是我們要永遠一起度過，我們應盡可能快樂的快樂就可以了，明天，當你走了，我將有足夠的時間為我的眼淚是最後一個。“

每個人都在鎮上聽說過，在一次公主有了新的追求者，因此，每個人都悲痛。該劇院是封閉的，誰賣餅的婦女綁黑紗圍繞他們的糖豬，國王和傳道人跪在教堂，並有廣泛的哀歌。因為他們都相信約翰的命運不會比所有其他人的更好。

那天晚上，在旅行的同伴做了一個大碗裡沖床，以及對約翰說，“現在我們必須快樂和飲料公主的身體健康。”但是，當約翰醉兩杯衝頭的他覺得很困，他再也抑制不住他的眼睛開了，他倒呼呼大睡。他的戰友悄悄把他從椅子，讓他上床睡覺。當它是完全黑暗的他帶著兩個大翅膀，他切斷了天鵝，並把它們固定在了自己的肩上。然後他放進他的口袋交換機的最大一堆已經給他的老女人誰了：下降，打破了她的腿。他打開窗戶飛去，直滿屋子頂部的宮殿，在那裡他在一個角落裡的看著公主的臥室窗下坐了下來。

一切都很安靜的小鎮，直到鐘敲十一點三刻。那麼窗口打開，公主立​​馬出來，披著白色的，穿著長長的黑色翅膀。她飆過鎮一座高山，但旅伴已經使自己無形的，讓她看不到他，因為他後，她立馬和抨擊她這麼辛苦與他交換，他抽血的地方，他擊中。啊，她在空中如何逃離！風抓住了她的斗篷，這從她直衝出像船帆，並通過它的月光照。

“它是如何歡呼！如何冰雹！” 公主哭了每個打擊，但它並沒有比她更實至名歸。

最後，她來到了山上，敲門就可以了。隨著雷鳴般的隆隆聲，山腰打開，公主走了進去，沒有人看見的旅伴進去後，她的，因為他使自己完全不可見。他們去了那裡的牆壁被點亮一個奇特時尚大了，長的通道。成千上萬的閃閃發光的蜘蛛跑了，他沿著牆壁散發出火熱的光芒。然後，他們進入了一個巨大的大廳，建銀和金的。紅色和藍色花朵向日葵的尺寸覆蓋的牆壁，但沒有人能接他們，為莖被醜陋的毒蛇，和鮮花火焰迸濺出自己的獠牙之間。天花板還活著，有閃閃發光的螢火蟲，和天藍色的蝙蝠手段傳給他們的透明的翅膀。這個地方看起來真的很可怕！在地板的中間一個寶座舉行由四匹骷髏在火紅蜘蛛線束。王位本身是乳色玻璃，它的坐墊由小黑鼠咬對方的尾巴。其上方的簷篷製成的玫瑰紅色蜘蛛網，散著迷人的小綠蒼蠅燦爛如綠寶石。

寶座上坐著一個老巫師，在他的醜陋的頭冠，並在他的手中權杖。他吻了公主在她的額頭，並讓她與他坐在昂貴的寶座在音樂結下不解之緣。黑色大蚱蜢奏著口豎琴，和貓頭鷹撞著了自己的胃，因為他沒有鼓。這是一個最美妙的演唱會！許多小妖精，與意志鬼火的最鬼火停留在他們的小帽子，capered周圍的大廳。沒有人能看到的旅伴，誰已經把自己的王位之後，他在那裡可以看到和聽到的一切。誰現在看來似乎氣勢和足夠的莊嚴，但任何一用眼睛觀察的臣子可能很快就會看到它所有的意思。他們被困在掃帚，其中巫師曾穿著繡花衣服，喚出成活潑單純的白菜頭。但是，這並不重要，因為他們只需要擺譜。

之後，舞蹈走後就一會兒，公主告訴記者，她有一個新的追求者的巫師，她問她應該向他提出什麼問題時，他來到了宮殿的明天。

“聽我說，”巫師“我會告訴你什麼;。你必須想些司空見慣，那麼他將永遠不會猜到它是什麼想想你的鞋子之一，他不會猜到然後關閉。他的頭，當你來到明天晚上記得來接我他的眼睛，讓我可以吃了。“

公主由低屈膝禮，並承諾不會忘了眼睛。巫師打開了山的她，她立馬回家去。但旅伴飛到她身後，她的慘敗這麼辛苦與他交換，她恨恨地抱怨可怕的冰雹，並作出一切過於匆忙，她可以取回通過她的臥室打開的窗口。該旅伴飛回客棧，約翰還在睡覺。脫下他翻滾到床的翅膀，因為他有充分的理由感到疲勞。

這是非常早期的第二天早晨，當約翰醒來。當他的同伴起身，他告訴一個很奇怪的夢，他曾經有過關於公主和她的一隻鞋子約翰。他懇求他問公主，如果她沒有她的鞋子一記。這當然是他所聽到的巫師說，中山路，但他沒有告訴John說。他只是告訴他一定要猜測，公主有她的鞋的初衷。

“我也不妨請教一下，作為別的，”約翰答應了。“也許你的夢想是真實的，因為我一直認為上帝會照顧我，不過，我會說再見，因為如果我想錯了，我再也看不到你了。”

他們擁抱，和約翰徑直穿鎮而過了皇宮。整個大廳裡擠滿了人。法官坐在自己的椅子，背後有他們的頭羽絨枕頭，因為他們有這麼多想了，老國王站在那裡擦著眼睛用白手帕。然後公主進入。她更可愛比她前一天，她鞠躬向大家在最稱心如意的時尚。約翰她伸出她的手，祝願他，“早上好。”

約翰被要求猜測她的想法。她看著他最迷人的，直到她聽見他說了一個字“鞋”。她的臉一下子粉筆白，她顫抖著從頭部到腳。但有沒有她能做些什麼。他的猜測是正確的。

仁慈的上帝！老國王是多麼高興。他把高跟鞋在頭上的喜悅，和大家一起鼓掌無論他的表現和約翰，誰正確地在第一時間已經猜到的。

該旅伴橫梁與喜悅，當他聽到多麼好東西去了。但約翰緊握著他的雙手合十，感謝上帝，他肯定會幫助他度過剩下的兩個審判誰。第二天，他再次猜測。

那天晚上過去了，就像前一個。當約翰是睡著了，他的戰友立馬公主背後的山和捶打她更難比以前，這一次他採取了開關兩個禍害。沒有人看見他，但他聽到所有的一切說。公主是覺得她的手套，他告訴約翰，彷彿他夢到它。

當然，約翰曾在正確的猜測沒有問題，並且有在皇宮無限欣喜。整個法院駁回高跟鞋在頭上，因為他們已經看到了國王做的第一次。但公主躺在她的沙發上，一言不發地說。現在，一切都取決於約翰的回答第三個問題。如果它是正確的，他會得到可愛的公主，繼承整個王國後，老國王死了。但如果他猜錯了，他會放棄他的生命，而精靈會吃他的美麗的藍眼睛。

那天晚上，約翰說他的祈禱，早早就上床了，摔了安詳睡著了。但他的戰友綁翅膀在他背上，沉著應戰劍到他的身邊，把交換機的所有三個禍害，並飛走了皇宮。

晚上一片漆黑。一場大風吹起這麼辛苦，它席捲瓦片從屋頂。在花園裡的骷髏垂下，樹上的爆炸像蘆葦前彎曲。閃電閃過的每一刻，並通過雷聲保持了1不間斷的轟鳴聲了整整一夜。窗戶被推開，進出飛到了公主。她面色慘白，但她笑的天氣，並認為這還不夠壞。她的白色斗篷抨擊有關在風中像船的帆，和旅伴痛打她與他的三個開關，直到鮮血滴在地上。她幾乎飛得更遠任何，但最後她來到了山上。

“怎麼了冰雹和打擊！” 她說。“我從來沒有在這樣的天氣。”

“有人可能會得到太多的好東西，”巫師答應了。

現在，她告訴他如何約翰猜對了第二次，如果他明天再得手，隨後他贏了，也再沒有可能她出來他在山上。再也沒有可以執行她的魔術把戲，例如像以前一樣，因此，她覺得很內疚，所以。

“他不會猜到這一次，說：”魔法師。“我會想出的東西，他永遠不會猜到，除非他是一個魔術師更大比我。但首先，讓我們有我們的樂趣。

他把公主雙手，和他們跳舞周圍所有的小妖精和意志鬼火的最鬼火的人在大廳裡。歡快紡上下壁的紅蜘蛛，火熱的花朵似乎甩開火花，貓頭鷹擊鼓，蟋蟀管道，而黑色蝗蟲演奏口琴。這是一個非常熱鬧的球。

之後他們跳起了一段公主不得不開始回家，怕她可能在城堡被錯過。該巫師說，他將和她一起去，享受那得多她的公司。

客場他們經歷風雨飛過，和旅伴穿出來在他們的後面三個禍害。從未有過的巫師感到這樣的冰雹。正如他說再見了皇宮外的公主，他低聲對她說：“想想我的頭。”

但旅伴聽到它，就在當公主滑倒在通過她的窗口和巫師在轉身的那一刻，他就拉住他的長長的黑鬍子，用劍他砍了魔法師的醜陋的腦袋，就在肩膀，讓巫師本人甚至沒有看到它。他把身體入海的吃的魚，但他的頭只浸在水中，它包裹在他的絲綢手帕，並把它帶回客棧，在那裡他躺下睡覺。

第二天早晨，他給了約翰的手帕，但告訴他不要打開它，直到公主問他猜出她曾想過。

大廳是如此充滿了，他們擠在一起作為密切蘿蔔打成一個包的人。法官坐在自己的椅子與柔軟的枕頭。老國王已經把他的新衣服，他的王冠和權杖已打磨看看他們的最好。但公主是死一般的蒼白，她穿著黑色的，好像她正在參加一個葬禮。

“什麼都我想？” 她問約翰。他馬上解開手帕，是相當嚇壞自己，當他看到魔法師的猙獰的腦袋搖出它。每個人都打了一個寒顫存在在這個可怕的景象，但公主坐在石頭一樣，沒有一個字說。最後，她站起來，給約翰她的手，對他的猜測是不錯的。她看著沒人的臉，但嘆了口氣，說：

“你是我的主人現在，我們的婚禮將於今晚舉行。”

“我喜歡！” 老國王喊道。“這是因為事情應該是。”

所有的人都喊著“烏拉！” 發揮街道軍樂隊，鐘聲響起，和蛋糕女人花的黑紗，他們的糖豬，現在每個人都在慶祝。釀鴨子和雞三全牛正烤全在集市廣場的中心，每個人都可以自己切了一塊他們。該噴泉噴出了最好的酒。誰買了包子一分錢在麵包店得到了六個大饅頭扔在良好的措施，所有的包子在其中有葡萄乾。

那天晚上，整個城鎮被照亮。士兵們開了他們的大砲，和孩子們燃放鞭炮。在宮殿有吃喝，跳舞和眼鏡的無比。所有的紳士氣派和所有可愛的女士們一起跳舞。對於很長的路要走，你可以聽到他們唱：

    “這裡有很多漂亮的女孩子，而且他們不喜歡跳舞！
    看到他們跳和左右擺動時，他們已經有機會。
    舞！我漂亮的姑娘，重新，直到你的鞋子的鞋底蒼蠅。

但公主仍然是一個女巫，她有在所有的約翰沒有愛。他的同伴保持這一點，並給了他從天鵝的翅膀三根羽毛，和一個小瓶子，在它幾滴液體。他說，約翰必須把水的大浴缸公主的床邊，而就在她正要在床上，他必須給她輕輕一推，讓她翻滾進浴缸。在那裡，他一定沾了她三次，此前他曾拋出的羽毛和液體滴在水裡。這將釋放她從巫術的咒語，讓她深深地愛著他。

約翰所做的一切，他的同伴曾建議他做，雖然公主尖叫，他她蘸入水中，並努力為他舉行了她在一個大的黑天鵝，眼睛閃閃發光的形狀。第二次，她出來的水的天鵝全白，除了圍繞其脖子上的黑色戒指。約翰硬禱告，因為他被迫在水中的鳥再一次它變成了美麗的公主。她比以往任何時候都更公平，她感謝父親，淚水在她美麗的眼睛已經將她擺脫魔法師的咒語。

在上午的老國王帶著他所有的法院，恭喜持續一整天。最後所有來到約翰的旅伴，他有他的手裡拿著棍子在他的背上的背包。約翰擁抱了他一次又一次，並說他不​​能離開 - 他們。他必須留在這兒與約翰，誰欠了他所有的幸福給他。但旅伴搖了搖頭。輕輕地，親切地說：

“不，我的時間就是現在了，我已經做沒有更多的我的恩情比支付給你。你還記得死者的人的邪惡的人想傷害？你一切所有的都給你了，這樣他可能有休息在他的墳墓，我是死定了。“ 並在一旦他消失了。

婚禮慶典持續了整整一個月。約翰和他的公主蠻好的，和老國王住在了許多快樂的日子，讓他們的小孩騎跨在他的膝蓋，他的權杖玩。但它是約翰·誰是國王對所有的土地。