In a certain village there once lived a man and his wife, and the wife was so idle that she would never work at anything; whatever her husband gave her to spin, she did not get done, and what she did spin she did not wind, but let it all remain entangled in a heap. If the man scolded her, she was always ready with her tongue, and said, "Well, how should I wind it, when I have no reel? Just you go into the forest and get me one." - "If that is all," said the man, "then I will go into the forest, and get some wood for making reels." Then the woman was afraid that if he had the wood he would make her a reel of it, and she would have to wind her yarn off, and then begin to spin again. She bethought herself a little, and then a lucky idea occurred to her, and she secretly followed the man into the forest, and when he had climbed into a tree to choose and cut the wood, she crept into the thicket below where he could not see her, and cried,
"He who cuts wood for reels shall die,
And he who winds, shall perish."
The man listened, laid down his axe for a moment, and began to consider what that could mean. "Hollo," he said at last, "what can that have been; my ears must have been singing, I won't alarm myself for nothing." So he again seized the axe, and began to hew, then again there came a cry from below:
And he who winds, shall perish."
The man listened, laid down his axe for a moment, and began to consider what that could mean. "Hollo," he said at last, "what can that have been; my ears must have been singing, I won't alarm myself for nothing." So he again seized the axe, and began to hew, then again there came a cry from below:
"He who cuts wood for reels shall die,
And he who winds, shall perish."
He stopped, and felt afraid and alarmed, and pondered over the circumstance. But when a few moments had passed, he took heart again, and a third time he stretched out his hand for the axe, and began to cut. But some one called out a third time, and said loudly,
And he who winds, shall perish."
He stopped, and felt afraid and alarmed, and pondered over the circumstance. But when a few moments had passed, he took heart again, and a third time he stretched out his hand for the axe, and began to cut. But some one called out a third time, and said loudly,
"He who cuts wood for reels shall die,
And he who winds, shall perish."
That was enough for him, and all inclination had departed from him, so he hastily descended the tree, and set out on his way home. The woman ran as fast as she could by by-ways so as to get home first. So when he entered the parlour, she put on an innocent look as if nothing had happened, and said, "Well, have you brought a nice piece of wood for reels?" - "No," said he, "I see very well that winding won't do," and told her what had happened to him in the forest, and from that time forth left her in peace about it. Neverthless after some time, the man again began to complain of the disorder in the house. "Wife," said he, "it is really a shame that the spun yarn should lie there all entangled!" - "I'll tell you what," said she, "as we still don't come by any reel, go you up into the loft, and I will stand down below, and will throw the yarn up to you, and you will throw it down to me, and so we shall get a skein after all." - "Yes, that will do," said the man. So they did that, and when it was done, he said, "The yarn is in skeins, now it must be boiled." The woman was again distressed; She certainly said, "Yes, we will boil it next morning early." but she was secretly contriving another trick.
Early in the morning she got up, lighted a fire, and put the kettle on, only instead of the yarn, she put in a lump of tow, and let it boil. After that she went to the man who was still lying in bed, and said to him, "I must just go out, you must get up and look after the yarn which is in the kettle on the fire, but you must be at hand at once; mind that, for if the cock should happen to crow, and you are not attending to the yarn, it will become tow." The man was willing and took good care not to loiter. He got up as quickly as he could, and went into the kitchen. But when he reached the kettle and peeped in, he saw, to his horror, nothing but a lump of tow. Then the poor man was as still as a mouse, thinking he had neglected it, and was to blame, and in future said no more about yarn and spinning. But you yourself must own she was an odious woman!
And he who winds, shall perish."
That was enough for him, and all inclination had departed from him, so he hastily descended the tree, and set out on his way home. The woman ran as fast as she could by by-ways so as to get home first. So when he entered the parlour, she put on an innocent look as if nothing had happened, and said, "Well, have you brought a nice piece of wood for reels?" - "No," said he, "I see very well that winding won't do," and told her what had happened to him in the forest, and from that time forth left her in peace about it. Neverthless after some time, the man again began to complain of the disorder in the house. "Wife," said he, "it is really a shame that the spun yarn should lie there all entangled!" - "I'll tell you what," said she, "as we still don't come by any reel, go you up into the loft, and I will stand down below, and will throw the yarn up to you, and you will throw it down to me, and so we shall get a skein after all." - "Yes, that will do," said the man. So they did that, and when it was done, he said, "The yarn is in skeins, now it must be boiled." The woman was again distressed; She certainly said, "Yes, we will boil it next morning early." but she was secretly contriving another trick.
Early in the morning she got up, lighted a fire, and put the kettle on, only instead of the yarn, she put in a lump of tow, and let it boil. After that she went to the man who was still lying in bed, and said to him, "I must just go out, you must get up and look after the yarn which is in the kettle on the fire, but you must be at hand at once; mind that, for if the cock should happen to crow, and you are not attending to the yarn, it will become tow." The man was willing and took good care not to loiter. He got up as quickly as he could, and went into the kitchen. But when he reached the kettle and peeped in, he saw, to his horror, nothing but a lump of tow. Then the poor man was as still as a mouse, thinking he had neglected it, and was to blame, and in future said no more about yarn and spinning. But you yourself must own she was an odious woman!
Жил-был в одной деревне муж со своею женой, и была жена такая ленивая, что делать ничего никогда не хотела.
Даст ей муж что напрясть, бывало, а она пряжу не кончит. А если и напрядет, то не намотает, а оставит всю пряжу на гребне. Выбранит ее муж за это, а она спуску ему не даст и начнет говорить:
- Ой, да как же мне наматывать пряжу, если нет у меня мотовила! Ступай-ка сначала в лес да сделай мне мотовило.
- Ежели дело только за этим стало, - говорит муж, - я пойду в лес и принесу дерево для мотовила.
Испугалась жена, что если будет у мужа дерево, чтоб сделать из него мотовило, придется ей пряжу разматывать и начинать пряжу заново. Подумала она, пораздумала, кое-что надумала и побежала тайком в лес вслед за мужем.
Вот взобрался муж на дерево, чтоб выбрать и срубить подходящий кусок, а она спряталась внизу в кустах, где он заметить ее не мог, и как крикнет оттуда:
Кто дерево для мотовила рубит -
Умрет, а кто мотает - тот себя погубит.
Услыхал это муж, опустил топор и стал раздумывать, что бы это могло значить. "Э, да что там, - молвил он, наконец, - что может случиться? Это мне только послышалось, нечего на себя страх напускать". Взялся он снова за топор, хотел было начать рубить, а снизу опять как закричит:
Кто дерево для мотовила рубит -
Умрет, а кто мотает - тот себя погубит.
Он бросил рубить, стало ему жутко и страшно. Начал он раздумывать, что бы это могло значить. Прошло немного времени, он опять успокоился и взялся третий раз за топор, хотел было рубить. Но и в третий раз опять кто-то громко закричал:
Кто дерево для мотовила рубит -
Умрет, а кто мотает - тот себя погубит.
Этого было достаточно, чтобы он потерял всякую охоту рубить; и он поспешил спуститься с дерева и отправиться домой. А жена кинулась опрометью окольной дорогой, чтоб вернуться домой раньше мужа. Вот входит муж в комнату, а она прикинулась, будто ничего не было, и спрашивает:
- Ну что, принес подходящее дерево для мотовила?
- Нет, - говорит он, - вижу, что дело с мотаньем пряжи не выйдет, - и он рассказал ей о том, что случилось в лесу, и с той поры оставил жену с этим делом в покое.
Но вскоре начал муж сердиться опять на то, что в доме у них непорядок.
- Жена, - говорит он, - стыдно тебе, что готовая пряжа лежит на гребне.
- Знаешь что, - сказала жена, - так как нам не достать мотовила, то стань ты вот тут, а я нагнусь и буду гребень тебе подбрасывать, а ты будешь его бросать мне вниз, вот и получится у нас по крайней мере веревка.
- Да, пожалуй, - сказал муж.
Так они и сделали; и когда с работой покончили, говорит ей муж:
- Ну, вот мы пряжу и смотали, а теперь надо будет ее проварить.
Испугалась жена и говорит:
- Уж мы проварим ее завтра утром пораньше, - а сама опять кое-что надумала.
Поднялась она раным-рано, растопила печь и поставила на огонь котел, но вместо пряжи положила в него ворох пакли и начала ее варить. Потом подошла она к мужу, тот лежал еще в постели, и говорит ему:
- Мне надо отлучиться по делу, а ты вставай да за пряжей присмотри; она лежит в котле и вываривается. За ней надо вовремя присмотреть, ты поглядывай повнимательней, а то когда запоет петух, а ты не досмотришь, обратится пряжа в паклю.
Начал муж подыматься, решил времени не терять, быстро схватился и направился на кухню. Подошел он к котлу, глянул в него и, к ужасу своему, увидел в нем один лишь сплошной комок пакли. Промолчал бедный муж, ничего не сказал и подумал, что он прозевал, видно, и сам виноват в этом, и с той поры никогда уже больше не заговаривал он ни о прядеве, ни о пряже. Ну, скажи мне теперь сам, не скверная ли была у него хозяйка?