老汉伦克朗


Old Rinkrank


从前有个国王,他有一个女儿。 他下令造了一座玻璃山,并宣布:"谁能走过此山而不跌倒,我就把女儿嫁给谁。"有个年轻人爱慕公主,他去问国王是否能娶他的女儿。 "噢,当然可以,只要你能走过此山,你就可以娶她。"国王答道。 公主说她会跟着他一起去翻山,如果他要摔倒她也可以扶他一把,于是他们一同跑去了。 到了半山腰,公主脚一滑,掉了下去,玻璃山裂开了,公主被关在了里面,此刻她的心上人看不见她到哪去了,因为山又随即合上了,便放声大哭,悲痛不已;国王也是心如刀绞,并叫人把山挖开,以为这样可以把公主救出来,可手下人谁也弄不清她是在什么地方失踪的。
公主掉得很深,最后落到了下面的一大洞中。 一个白胡子老头跑上来说,如果她肯做他的女仆并听他的吩咐,她就可以活命,否则她只有死路一条。 她没法子,只得按他的吩咐行事。 早上老头从袋子里掏出梯子,把它架在山上,顺着梯子爬上山顶,然后又把梯子收了起来。 公主必须给他做饭、铺被、做一切杂活。 老头回来时总是扛着一袋金银珠宝之类的东西。 公主就这样住在那儿,过了许多年,她的岁数渐渐大起来了,这白胡子老头就管她叫"曼丝萝大娘",公主则管他叫"伦克朗老汉"。 有一次,伦克朗老汉去取乐,曼丝萝大娘叠了床洗好碗就匆匆把所有的门窗都关上了,只留一扇小窗透光。 这时,伦克朗老头回来了,边敲门边嚷嚷,"曼丝萝大娘,快给我开门。""不开,"曼丝萝大娘答道,"伦克朗老汉,我不会给你开门的。"于是他说:
"可怜的老汉伦克朗,
站在十七条长腿上,
腿儿站得又累又酸,
快给我洗盘子,曼丝萝大娘。 "
她说:"你的盘子已洗好了。"他又说:
"可怜的老汉伦克朗,
站在十七条长腿上,
腿儿站得又累又酸,
快给我铺床,曼丝萝大娘。 "
她说:"你的床已铺好了。"他又说:
"可怜的老汉伦克朗,
站在十七条长腿上,
腿儿站得又累又酸,
快给我开开门,曼丝萝大娘。 "
喊完他就围着房子跑。 跑着跑着他看到了那个开着的小窗,心想:"我可以从这儿瞅瞅她倒底在干什么,她为什么不给我开门呢?"他尽力从窗口往里望去,可他的胡子太长,头又伸不进去,于是就把胡子先从窗户塞进去。 他的胡子刚塞进来,曼丝萝大娘一眼就看见了,便把预先挂在窗户上的绳子猛地一拉把窗拉下来了,老头的胡子给卡在里面拉不出了。 伦克朗老汉一下哭了起来,样子很可怜,因为那太痛了。 他不停地肯求曼丝萝大娘饶了他,可大娘怎么也不肯,最后要他交出那架爬山的梯子。 无论是愿意也好,不愿意也好,他只得告诉曼丝萝大娘梯子在哪里。 曼丝萝大娘于是将一根长长的绳子拴在窗户上,搭起梯子向山上攀去,等她到达了从前跌落的地方,她松开了窗户。 她回来到父王的跟前,告诉了他发生的一切,国王真是喜出望外。 她的心上人仍在那里,他们便一起去挖开那玻璃山,找到了伦克朗老汉和他所有的金银财宝。 国王最后下令杀掉了老汉,取走了他的所有财宝。
公主与自己的心上人也结为伉俪,从此生活幸福美满。
There was once on a time a King who had a daughter, and he caused a glass mountain to be made, and said that whosoever could cross to the other side of it without falling should have his daughter to wife. Then there was one who loved the King's daughter, and he asked the King if he might have her. "Yes," said the King; "if you can cross the mountain without falling, you shall have her." And the princess said she would go over it with him, and would hold him if he were about to fall. So they set out together to go over it, and when they were half way up the princess slipped and fell, and the glass-mountain opened and shut her up inside it, and her betrothed could not see where she had gone, for the mountain closed immediately. Then he wept and lamented much, and the King was miserable too, and had the mountain broken open where she had been lost, and though the would be able to get her out again, but they could not find the place into which she had fallen. Meanwhile the King's daughter had fallen quite deep down into the earth into a great cave. An old fellow with a very long gray beard came to meet her, and told her that if she would be his servant and do everything he bade her, she might live, if not he would kill her. So she did all he bade her. In the mornings he took his ladder out of his pocket, and set it up against the mountain and climbed to the top by its help, and then he drew up the ladder after him. The princess had to cook his dinner, make his bed, and do all his work, and when he came home again he always brought with him a heap of gold and silver. When she had lived with him for many years, and had grown quite old, he called her Mother Mansrot, and she had to call him Old Rinkrank. Then once when he was out, and she had made his bed and washed his dishes, she shut the doors and windows all fast, and there was one little window through which the light shone in, and this she left open. When Old Rinkrank came home, he knocked at his door, and cried, "Mother Mansrot, open the door for me." - "No," said she, "Old Rinkrank, I will not open the door for thee." Then he said,
"Here stand I, poor Rinkrank,
On my seventeen long shanks,
On my weary, worn-out foot,
Wash my dishes, Mother Mansrot."
"I have washed thy dishes already," said she. Then again he said,
"Here stand I, poor Rinkrank,
On my seventeen long shanks,
On my weary, worn-out foot,
Make me my bed, Mother Mansrot."
"I have made thy bed already," said she. Then again he said,
"Here stand I, poor Rinkrank,
On my seventeen long shanks,
On my weary, worn-out foot,
Open the door, Mother Mansrot."
Then he ran all round his house, and saw that the little window was open, and thought, "I will look in and see what she can be about, and why she will not open the door for me." He tried to peep in, but could not get his head through because of his long beard. So he first put his beard through the open window, but just as he had got it through, Mother Mansrot came by and pulled the window down with a cord which she had tied to it, and his beard was shut fast in it. Then he began to cry most piteously, for it hurt him very much, and to entreat her to release him again. But she said not until he gave her the ladder with which he ascended the mountain. Then, whether he would or not, he had to tell her where the ladder was. And she fastened a very long ribbon to the window, and then she set up the ladder, and ascended the mountain, and when she was at the top of it she opened the window. She went to her father, and told him all that had happened to her. The King rejoiced greatly, and her betrothed was still there, and they went and dug up the mountain, and found Old Rinkrank inside it with all his gold and silver. Then the King had Old Rinkrank put to death, and took all his gold and silver. The princess married her betrothed, and lived right happily in great magnificence and joy.