36-the story of big klaus- 第2部分

that　he　isn't　in　there　still？'



Little　Klaus　gave　the　farmer　his　sack　with　the　dry　skin；　and　got

instead　a　good　bushelful　of　money。　　The　farmer　also　gave　him　a

wheelbarrow　to　carry　away　his　money　and　the　chest。　　'Farewell；'

said　Little　Klaus；　and　away　he　went　with　his　money　and　the　big

chest；　wherein　sat　the　sexton。



On　the　other　side　of　the　wood　was　a　large　deep　river。　　The　water

flowed　so　rapidly　that　you　could　scarcely　swim　against　the

stream。



A　great　new　bridge　had　been　built　over　it；　on　the　middle　of　which

Little　Klaus　stopped；　and　said　aloud　so　that　the　sexton　might

hear：



'Now；　what　am　I　to　do　with　this　stupid　chest？　　It　is　as　heavy　as

if　it　were　filled　with　stones！　　I　shall　only　be　tired；　dragging

it　along；　I　will　throw　it　into　the　river。　　If　it　swims　home　to

me；　well　and　good；　and　if　it　doesn't；　it's　no　matter。'



Then　he　took　the　chest　with　one　hand　and　lifted　it　up　a　little；

as　if　he　were　going　to　throw　it　into　the　water。　



'No；　don't　do　that！'　called　out　the　sexton　in　the　chest。　　'Let　me

get　out　first！'



'Oh；　oh！'　said　Little　Klaus；　pretending　that　he　was　afraid。　　'He

is　still　in　there！　　I　must　throw　him　quickly　into　the　water　to

drown　him！'



'Oh！　　no；　no！'　cried　the　sexton。　　'I　will　give　you　a　whole

bushelful　of　money　if　you　will　let　me　go！'



'Ah；　that's　quite　another　thing！'　said　Little　Klaus；　opening　the

chest。　　The　sexton　crept　out　very　quickly；　pushed　the　empty　chest

into　the　water　and　went　to　his　house；　where　he　gave　Little　Klaus

a　bushel　of　money。　　One　he　had　had　already　from　the　farmer；　and

now　he　had　his　wheelbarrow　full　of　money。



'Well；　I　have　got　a　good　price　for　the　horse！'　said　he　to　himself

when　he　shook　all　his　money　out　in　a　heap　in　his　room。　　'This

will　put　Big　Klaus　in　a　rage　when　he　hears　how　rich　I　have　become

through　my　one　horse；　but　I　won't　tell　him　just　yet！'



So　he　sent　a　boy　to　Big　Klaus　to　borrow　a　bushel　measure　from

him。



'Now　what　can　he　want　with　it？'　thought　Big　Klaus；　and　he　smeared

some　tar　at　the　bottom；　so　that　of　whatever　was　measured　a　little

should　remain　in　it。　　And　this　is　just　what　happened；　for　when　he

got　his　measure　back；　three　new　silver　five…shilling　pieces　were

sticking　to　it。



What　does　this　mean？'　said　Big　Klaus；　and　he　ran　off　at　once　to

Little　Klaus。



'Where　did　you　get　so　much　money　from？'



'Oh；　that　was　from　my　horse…skin。　　I　sold　it　yesterday　evening。'



'That's　certainly　a　good　price！'　said　Big　Klaus；　and　running　home

in　great　haste；　he　took　an　axe；　knocked　all　his　four　horses　on

the　head；　skinned　them；　and　went　into　the　town。



'Skins！　　skins！　　Who　will　buy　skins？'　he　cried　through　the

streets。



All　the　shoemakers　and　tanners　came　running　to　ask　him　what　he

wanted　for　them。　　'A　bushel　of　money　for　each；'　said　Big　Klaus。



'Are　you　mad？'　they　all　exclaimed。　　'Do　you　think　we　have　money

by　the　bushel？'



'Skins！　　skins！　　Who　will　buy　skins？'　he　cried　again；　and　to　all

who　asked　him　what　they　cost；　he　answered；　'A　bushel　of　money。'



'He　is　making　game　of　us；'　they　said；　and　the　shoemakers　seized

their　yard　measures　and　the　tanners　their　leathern　aprons　and

they　gave　Big　Klaus　a　good　beating。　　'Skins！　　skins！'　they　cried

mockingly；　yes；　we　will　tan　YOUR　skin　for　you！　　Out　of　the　town

with　him！'　they　shouted；　and　Big　Klaus　had　to　hurry　off　as

quickly　as　he　could；　if　he　wanted　to　save　his　life。



'Aha！'　said　he　when　he　came　home；　'Little　Klaus　shall　pay　dearly

for　this。　　I　will　kill　him！'



Little　Klaus'　grandmother　had　just　died。　　Though　she　had　been

very　unkind　to　him；　he　was　very　much　distressed；　and　he　took　the

dead　woman　and　laid　her　in　his　warm　bed　to　try　if　he　could　not

bring　her　back　to　life。　　There　she　lay　the　whole　night；　while　he

sat　in　the　corner　and　slept　on　a　chair；　which　he　had　often　done

before。　　And　in　the　night　as　he　sat　there　the　door　opened；　and

Big　Klaus　came　in　with　his　axe。　　He　knew　quite　well　where　Little

Klaus's　bed　stood；　and　going　up　to　it　he　struck　the　grandmother

on　the　head　just　where　he　thought　Little　Klaus　would　be。　

'There！'　said　he。　　'Now　you　won't　get　the　best　of　me　again！'　　And

he　went　home。



'What　a　very　wicked　man！'　thought　Little　Klaus。　　'He　was　going　to

kill　me！　　It　was　a　good　thing　for　my　grandmother　that　she　was

dead　already；　or　else　he　would　have　killed　her！'



Then　he　dressed　his　grandmother　in　her　Sunday　clothes；　borrowed　a

horse　from　his　neighbour；　harnessed　the　cart　to　it；　sat　his

grandmother　on　the　back　seat　so　that　she　could　not　fall　out　when

he　drove；　and　away　they　went。　　When　the　sun　rose　they　were　in

front　of　a　large　inn。　　Little　Klaus　got　down；　and　went　in　to　get

something　to　drink。　　The　host　was　very　rich。　　He　was　a　very

worthy　but　hot…tempered　man。



'Good　morning！'　said　he　to　Little　Klaus。　　'You　are　early　on　the

road。'



'Yes；'　said　Little　Klaus。　　'I　am　going　to　the　town　with　my

grandmother。　　She　is　sitting　outside　in　the　cart；　I　cannot　bring

her　in。　　Will　you　not　give　her　a　glass　of　mead？　　But　you　will

have　to　speak　loud；　for　she　is　very　hard　of　hearing。'



'Oh　yes；　certainly　I　will！'　said　the　host；　and；　pouring　out　a

large　glass　of　mead；　he　took　it　out　to　the　dead　grandmother；　who

was　sitting　upright　in　the　cart。



'Here　is　a　glass　of　mead　from　your　son；'　said　the　host。　　But　the

dead　woman　did　not　answer　a　word；　and　sat　still。　　'Don't　you

hear？'　cried　the　host　as　loud　as　he　could。　　'Here　is　a　glass　of

mead　from　your　son！'



Then　he　shouted　the　same　thing　again；　and　yet　again；　but　she

never　moved　in　her　place；　and　at　last　he　grew　angry；　threw　the

glass　in　her　face；　so　that　she　fell　back　into　the　cart；　for　she

was　not　tied　in　her　place。



'Hullo！'　cried　Little　Klaus；　running　out　of　the　door；　and　seizing

the　host　by　the　throat。　　'You　have　killed　my　grandmother！　　Look！　

there　is　a　great　hole　in　her　forehead！'



'Oh；　what　a　misfortune！'　cried　the　host；　wringing　his　hands。　　'It

all　comes　from　my　hot　temper！　　Dear　Little　Klaus！　　I　will　give

you　a　bushel　of　money；　and　will　bury　your　grandmother　as　if　she

were　my　own；　only　don't　tell　about　it；　or　I　shall　have　my　head

cut　off；　and　that　would　be　very　uncomfortable。'



So　Little　Klaus　got　a　bushel　of　money；　and　the　host　buried　his

grandmother　as　if　she　had　been　his　own。



Now　when　Little　Klaus　again　reached　home　with　so　much　money　he

sent　his　boy　to　Big　Klaus　to　borrow　his　bushel　measure。



'What's　this？'　said　Big　Klaus。　　'Didn't　I　kill　him？　　I　must　see

to　this　myself！'



So　he　went　himself　to　Little　Klaus　with　the　measure。



'Well；　now；　where　did　you　get　all　this　money？'　asked　he；　opening

his　eyes　at　the　heap。



'You　killed　my　grandmothernot　me；'　said　Little　Klaus。　　'I　sold

her；　and　got　a　bushel　of　money　for　her。'



'That　is　indeed　a　good　price！'　said　Big　Klaus；　and；　hurrying

home；　he　took　an　axe　and　killed　his　grandmother；　laid　her　in　the

cart；　and　drove　off　to　the　apothecary's；　and　asked　whether　he

wanted　to　buy　a　dead　body。



'Who　is　it；　and　how　did　you　get　it？'　asked　the　apothecary。



'It　is　my　grandmother；'　said　Big　Klaus。　　'I　killed　her　in　order

to　get　a　bushel　of　money。'



'You　are　mad！'　said　the　apothecary。　　'Don't　mention　such　things；

or　you　will　lose　your　head！'　　And　he　began　to　tell　him　what　a

dreadful　thing　he　had　done；　and　what　a　wicked　man　he　was；　and

that　he　ought　to　be　punished；　till　Big　Klaus　was　so　frightened

that　he　jumped　into　the　cart　and　drove　home　as　hard　as　he　could。　

The　apothecary　and　all　the　people　thought　he　must　be　mad；　so　they

let　him　go。



'You　shall　pay　for　this！'　said　Big　Klaus　as　he　drove　home。　　'You

shall　pay　for　this　dearly；　Little　Klaus！'



So　as　soon　as　he　got　home　he　took　the　largest　sack　he　could　find；

and　went　to　Little　Klaus　and　said：　'You　have　fooled　me　again！　

First　I　killed　my　horses；　then　my　grandmother！　　It　is　all　your

fault；　but　you　sha'n't　do　it　again！'　　And　he　seized　Little　Klaus；

pushed　him　in　the　sack；　threw　it　over　his　shoulder；　crying　out

'Now　I　am　going　to　drown　you！'



He　had　to　go　a　long　way　before　he　came　to　the　river；　and　Little

Klaus　was　not　very　light。　　The　road　passed　by　the　church；　the

organ　was　sounding；　and　the　people　were　singing　most　beautifully。



Big　Klaus　put　down　the　sack　with　Little　Klaus　in　it　by　the

church…door；　and　thought　that　he　might　as　well　go　in　and　hear　a

psalm　before　going　on　farther。　　Little　Klaus　could　not　get　out；

and　everybody　was　in　church；　so　he　went　in。



'Oh；　dear！　　oh；　dear！'　groaned　Little　Klaus　in　the　sack；　twisting

and　turning　himself。　　But　he　could　not　undo　the　string。



There　came　by　an　old；　old　shepherd；　with　snow…white　hair　and　a

long　staff　in　his　hand。　　He　was　driving　a　herd　of　cows　and　oxen。　

These　pushed　against　the　sack　so　that　it　was　overturned。　



'Alas！'　moaned　Little　Klans；　'I　am　so　young　and　yet　I　must　die！'



'And　I；　poor　man；'　said　the　cattle…driver；　'I　am　so　old　and　yet　I

cannot　die！'