36-the story of big klaus- 第1部分

THE　STORY　OF　BIG　KLAUS　AND　LITTLE　KLAUS



In　a　certain　village　there　lived　two　people　who　had　both　the　same

name。　　Both　were　called　Klaus；　but　one　owned　four　horses　and　the

other　only　one。　　In　order　to　distinguish　the　one　from　the　other；

the　one　who　had　four　horses　was　called　Big　Klaus；　and　the　one　who

had　only　one　horse；　Little　Klaus。　　Now　you　shall　hear　what　befell

them　both；　for　this　is　a　true　story。



The　whole　week　through　Little　Klaus　had　to　plough　for　Big　Klaus；

and　lend　him　his　one　horse；　then　Big　Klaus　lent　him　his　four

horses；　but　only　once　a　week；　and　that　was　on　Sunday。　　Hurrah！　

how　loudly　Little　Klaus　cracked　his　whip　over　all　the　five

horses！　　for　they　were　indeed　as　good　as　his　on　this　one　day。　

The　sun　shone　brightly；　and　all　the　bells　in　the　church…towers

were　pealing；　the　people　were　dressed　in　their　best　clothes；　and

were　going　to　church；　with　their　hymn　books　under　their　arms；　to

hear　the　minister　preach。　　They　saw　Little　Klaus　ploughing　with

the　five　horses；　but　he　was　so　happy　that　he　kept　on　cracking　his

whip；　and　calling　out　'Gee…up；　my　five　horses！'



'You　mustn't　say　that；'　said　Big　Klaus。　　'Only　one　horse　is

yours。'



But　as　soon　as　someone　else　was　going　by　Little　Klaus　forgot　that

he　must　not　say　it；　and　called　out　'Gee…up；　my　five　horses！'



'Now　you　had　better　stop　that；'　said　Big　Klaus；　'for　if　you　say

it　once　more　I　will　give　your　horse　such　a　crack　on　the　head　that

it　will　drop　down　dead　on　the　spot！'



'I　really　won't　say　it　again！'　said　Little　Klaus。　　But　as　soon　as

more　people　passed　by；　and　nodded　him　good…morning；　he　became　so

happy　in　thinking　how　well　it　looked　to　have　five　horses

ploughing　his　field　that；　cracking　his　whip；　he　called　out

'Gee…up；　my　five　horses！'



'I'll　see　to　your　horses！'　said　Big　Klaus；　and；　seizing　an　iron

bar；　he　struck　Little　Klaus'　one　horse　such　a　blow　on　the　head

that　it　fell　down　and　died　on　the　spot。



'Alas！　　Now　I　have　no　horse！'　said　Little　Klaus；　beginning　to

cry。　　Then　he　flayed　the　skin　off　his　horse；　dried　it；　and　put　it

in　a　sack；　which　he　threw　over　his　shoulder；　and　went　into　the

town　to　sell　it。　　He　had　a　long　way　to　go；　and　had　to　pass

through　a　great　dark　forest。　　A　dreadful　storm　came　on；　in　which

he　lost　his　way；　and　before　he　could　get　on　to　the　right　road

night　came　on；　and　it　was　impossible　to　reach　the　town　that

evening。



Right　in　front　of　him　was　a　large　farm…house。　　The

window…shutters　were　closed；　but　the　light　came　through　the

chinks。　　'I　should　very　much　like　to　be　allowed　to　spend　the

night　there；'　thought　Little　Klaus；　and　he　went　and　knocked　at

the　door。　　The　farmer's　wife　opened　it；　but　when　she　heard　what

he　wanted　she　told　him　to　go　away；　her　husband　was　not　at　home；

and　she　took　in　no　strangers。



'Well；　I　must　lie　down　outside；'　said　Little　Klaus；　and　the

farmer's　wife　shut　the　door　in　his　face。　　Close　by　stood　a　large

haystack；　and　between　it　and　the　house　a　little　out…house；

covered　with　a　flat　thatched　roof。



'I　can　lie　down　there；'　thought　Little　Klaus；　looking　at　the

roof；　'it　will　make　a　splendid　bed；　if　only　the　stork　won't　fly

down　and　bite　my　legs。'　　For　a　live　stork　was　standing　on　the

roof；　where　it　had　its　nest。　　So　Little　Klaus　crept　up　into　the

out…house；　where　he　lay　down；　and　made　himself　comfortable　for

the　night。　　The　wooden　shutters　over　the　windows　were　not　shut　at

the　top；　and　he　could　just　see　into　the　room。



There　stood　a　large　table；　spread　with　wine　and　roast　meat　and　a

beautiful　fish。　　The　farmer's　wife　and　the　sexton　sat　at　the

table；　but　there　was　no　one　else。　　She　was　filling　up　his　glass；

while　he　stuck　his　fork　into　the　fish　which　was　his　favourite

dish。



'If　one　could　only　get　some　of　that！'　thought　Little　Klaus；

stretching　his　head　towards　the　window。　　Ah；　what　delicious　cakes

he　saw　standing　there！　　It　WAS　a　feast！



Then　he　heard　someone　riding　along　the　road　towards　the　house。　

It　was　the　farmer　coming　home。　　He　was　a　very　worthy　man；　but　he

had　one　great　peculiaritynamely；　that　he　could　not　bear　to　see

a　sexton。　　If　he　saw　one　he　was　made　quite　mad。　　That　was　why　the

sexton　had　gone　to　say　good…day　to　the　farmer's　wife　when　he　knew

that　her　husband　was　not　at　home；　and　the　good　woman　therefore

put　in　front　of　him　the　best　food　she　had。　　But　when　they　heard

the　farmer　coming　they　were　frightened；　and　the　farmer's　wife

begged　the　sexton　to　creep　into　a　great　empty　chest。　　He　did　so；

as　he　knew　the　poor　man　could　not　bear　to　see　a　sexton。　　The　wife

hastily　hid　all　the　beautiful　food　and　the　wine　in　her　oven；　for

if　her　husband　had　seen　it；　he　would　have　been　sure　to　ask　what

it　all　meant。



'Oh；　dear！　　oh；　dear！'　groaned　Little　Klaus　up　in　the　shed；　when

he　saw　the　good　food　disappearing。



'Is　anybody　up　there？'　asked　the　farmer；　catching　sight　of　Little

Klaus。　　'Why　are　you　lying　there？　　Come　with　me　into　the　house。'



Then　Little　Klaus　told　him　how　he　had　lost　his　way；　and　begged　to

be　allowed　to　spend　the　night　there。



'Yes；　certainly；'　said　the　farmer；　'but　we　must　first　have

something　to　eat！'



The　wife　received　them　both　very　kindly；　spread　a　long　table；　and

gave　them　a　large　plate　of　porridge。　　The　farmer　was　hungry；　and

ate　with　a　good　appetite；　but　Little　Klaus　could　not　help

thinking　of　the　delicious　dishes　of　fish　and　roast　meats　and

cakes　which　he　knew　were　in　the　oven。　　Under　the　table　at　his

feet　he　had　laid　the　sack　with　the　horse…skin　in　it；　for；　as　we

know；　he　was　going　to　the　town　to　sell　it。　　The　porridge　did　not

taste　good　to　him；　so　he　trod　upon　his　sack；　and　the　dry　skin　in

the　sack　squeaked　loudly。



'Hush！'　said　Little　Klaus　to　his　sack；　at　the　same　time　treading

on　it　again　so　that　it　squeaked　even　louder　than　before。



'Hallo！　　what　have　you　got　in　your　sack？'　asked　the　farmer。



'Oh；　it　is　a　wizard！'　said　Little　Klaus。　　'He　says　we　should　not

eat　porridge；　for　he　has　conjured　the　whole　oven　full　of　roast

meats　and　fish　and　cakes。'



'Goodness　me！'　said　the　farmer；　and　opening　the　oven　he　saw　all

the　delicious；　tempting　dishes　his　wife　had　hidden　there；　but

which　he　now　believed　the　wizard　in　the　sack　had　conjured　up　for

them。　　The　wife　could　say　nothing；　but　she　put　the　food　at　once

on　the　table；　and　they　ate　the　fish；　the　roast　meat；　and　the

cakes。　　Little　Klaus　now　trod　again　on　his　sack；　so　that　the　skin

squeaked。



'What　does　he　say　now？'　asked　the　farmer。



'He　says；'　replied　Little　Klans；　'that　he　has　also　conjured　up

for　us　three　bottles　of　wine；　they　are　standing　in　the　corner　by

the　oven！'



The　wife　had　to　fetch　the　wine　which　she　had　hidden；　and　the

farmer　drank　and　grew　very　merry。　　He　would　very　much　like　to

have　had　such　a　wizard　as　Little　Klaus　had　in　the　sack。



'Can　he　conjure　up　the　Devil？'　asked　the　farmer。　　'I　should　like

to　see　him　very　much；　for　I　feel　just　now　in　very　good　spirits！'



'Yes；'　said　Little　Klaus；　'my　wizard　can　do　everything　that　I

ask。　　Isn't　that　true？'　he　asked；　treading　on　the　sack　so　that　it

squeaked。　　'Do　you　hear？　　He　says　''Yes；''　but　that　the　Devil

looks　so　ugly　that　we　should　not　like　to　see　him。'



'Oh！　　I'm　not　at　all　afraid。　　What　does　he　look　like？'



'He　will　show　himself　in　the　shape　of　a　sexton！'



'I　say！'　said　the　farmer；　'he　must　be　ugly！　　You　must　know　that　I

can't　bear　to　look　at　a　sexton！　　But　it　doesn't　matter。　　I　know

that　it　is　the　Devil；　and　I　sha'n't　mind！　　I　feel　up　to　it　now。　

But　he　must　not　come　too　near　me！'



'I　must　ask　my　wizard；'　said　Little　Klaus；　treading　on　the　sack

and　putting　his　ear　to　it。



'What　does　he　say？'



'He　says　you　can　open　the　chest　in　the　corner　there；　and　you　will

see　the　Devil　squatting　inside　it；　but　you　must　hold　the　lid　so

that　he　shall　not　escape。'



'Will　you　help　me　to　hold　him？'　begged　the　farmer；　going　towards

the　chest　where　his　wife　had　hidden　the　real　sexton；　who　was

sitting　inside　in　a　terrible　fright。　　The　farmer　opened　the　lid　a

little　way；　and　saw　him　inside。



'Ugh！'　he　shrieked；　springing　back。　　'Yes；　now　I　have　seen　him；

he　looked　just　like　our　sexton。　　Oh；　it　was　horrid！'



So　he　had　to　drink　again；　and　they　drank　till　far　on　into　the

night。



'You　MUST　sell　me　the　wizard；'　said　the　farmer。　　'Ask　anything

you　like！　　I　will　pay　you　down　a　bushelful　of　money　on　the　spot。'



'No；　I　really　can't；'　said　Little　Klans。　　'Just　think　how　many

things　I　can　get　from　this　wizard！'



'Ah！　　I　should　like　to　have　him　so　much！'　said　the　farmer；

begging　very　hard。



'Well！'　said　Little　Klaus　at　last；　'as　you　have　been　so　good　as

to　give　me　shelter　to…night；　I　will　sell　him。　　You　shall　have　the

wizard　for　a　bushel　of　money；　but　I　must　have　full　measure。'



'That　you　shall；'　said　the　farmer。　　'But　you　must　take　the　chest

with　you。　　I　won't　keep　it　another　hour　in　the　house。　　Who　knows

that　he　isn't　in　there　still？'



Little　Kl