Аннотация 17 страница

57 Sean Ruadh went out with the king's cows on the third day, and drove them to the third giant's land, who came out and fought a more desperate battle than either of the other two; but the cow-boy pushed him down among the gray rocks to his shoulders and killed him.

58 At the castle of the third giant he was received with gladness by the housekeeper, who showed him the treasures and gave him the keys; but he left the keys with her till he should need them. That evening the king's cows had more milk than ever before.

59 On the fourth day Sean Ruadh went out with the cows, but stopped at the first giant's castle. The housekeeper at his command brought out the dress of the giant, which was all black. He put on the giant's apparel, black as night, and girded on his sword of light. Then he mounted the black-haired steed, which overtook the wind before, and outstripped the wind behind; and rushing on between earth and sky, he never stopped till he came to the beach, where he saw hundreds upon hundreds of kings' sons, and champions, who were anxious to save the king's daughter, but were so frightened at the terrible urfeist that they would not go near her.

60 When he had seen the princess and the trembling champions, Sean Ruadh turned his black steed to the castle. Presently the king saw, riding between earth and sky, a splendid stranger, who stopped before him.

61 "What is that I see on the shore?" asked the stranger. "Is it a fair, or some great meeting?"

62 "Haven't you heard," asked the king, "that a monster is coming to destroy my daughter today?"

63 "No, I haven't heard anything," answered the stranger, who turned away and disappeared.

64 Soon the black horseman was before the princess, who was sitting alone on a rock near the sea. As she looked at the stranger, she thought he was the finest man on earth, and her heart was cheered.

65 "Have you no one to save you?" he asked.

66 "No one."

67 "Will you let me lay my head on your lap till the urfeist comes? Then rouse me."

68 He put his head on her lap and fell asleep. While he slept, the princess took three hairs from his head and hid them in her bosom. As soon as she had hidden the hairs, she saw the urfeist coming on the sea, great as an island, and throwing up water to the sky as he moved. She roused the stranger, who sprang up to defend her.

69 The urfeist came upon shore, and was advancing on the princess with mouth open and wide as a bridge, when the stranger stood before him and said,

70 "This woman is mine, not yours!"

71 Then drawing his sword of light, he swept off the monster's head with a blow; but the head rushed back to its place, and grew on again.

72 In a twinkle the urfeist turned and went back to the sea; but as he went, he said, "I'll be here again tomorrow, and swallow the whole world before me as I come."

73 "Well," answered the stranger, "maybe another will come to meet you."

74 Sean Ruadh mounted his black steed, and was gone before the princess could stop him. Sad was her heart when she saw him rush off between the earth and sky more swiftly than any wind.

75 Sean Ruadh went to the first giant's castle and put away his horse, clothes, and sword. Then he slept on the giant's bed till evening, when the housekeeper woke him, and he drove home the cows. Meeting the king, he asked, "Well, how has your daughter fared today?"

76 "Oh! the urfeist came out of the sea to carry her away; but a wonderful black champion came riding between earth and sky and saved her."

77 "Who was he?"

78 "Oh! there is many a man who says he did it. But my daughter isn't saved yet, for the urfeist said he'd come tomorrow."

79 "Well, never fear; perhaps another champion will come tomorrow."

80 Next morning Sean Ruadh drove the king's cows to the land of the second giant, where he left them feeding, and then went to the castle, where the housekeeper met him and said, "You are welcome. I'm here before you, and all is well."

81 "Let the brown horse be brought; let the giant's apparel and sword be ready for me," said Sean Ruadh.

82 The apparel was brought, the beautiful blue dress of the second giant, and his sword of light. Sean Ruadh put on the apparel, took the sword, mounted the brown steed, and sped away between earth and air three times more swiftly than the day before.

83 He rode first to the seashore, saw the king's daughter sitting on the rock alone, and the princes and champions far away, trembling in dread of the urfeist. Then he rode to the king, enquired about the crowd on the seashore, and received the same answer as before. "But is there no man to save her?" asked Sean Ruadh.

84 "Oh! there are men enough," said the king, "who promise to save her, and say they are brave; but there is no man of them who will stand to his word and face the urfeist when he rises from the sea."

85 Sean Ruadh was away before the king knew it, and rode to the princess in his suit of blue, bearing his sword of light. "Is there no one to save you?" asked he.

86 "No one."

87 "Let me lay my head on your lap, and when the urfeist comes, rouse me."

88 He put his head on her lap, and while he slept she took out the three hairs, compared them with his hair, and said to herself: "You are the man who was here yesterday."

89 When the urfeist appeared, coming over the sea, the princess roused the stranger, who sprang up and hurried to the beach.

90 The monster, moving at a greater speed, and raising more water than on the day before, came with open mouth to land. Again Sean Ruadh stood in his way, and with one blow of the giant's sword made two halves of the urfeist. But the two halves rushed together, and were one as before.

91 Then the urfeist turned to the sea again, and said as he went: "All the champions on earth won't save her from me tomorrow!"

92 Sean Ruadh sprang to his steed aud back to the castle. He went, leaving the princess in despair at his going. She tore her hair and wept for the loss of the blue champion, the one man who had dared to save her.

93 Sean Ruadh put on his old clothes, and drove home the cows as usual. The king said, "A strange champion, all dressed in blue, saved my daughter today; but she is grieving her life away because he is gone."

94 "Well, that is a small matter, since her life is safe," said Sean Ruadh.

95 There was a feast for the whole world that night at the king's castle, and gladness was on every face that the king's daughter was safe again.

96 Next day Sean Ruadh drove the cows to the third giant's pasture, went to the castle, and told the housekeeper to bring the giant's sword and apparel, and have the red steed led to the door. The third giant's dress had as many colours as there are in the sky, and his boots were of blue glass.

97 Sean Ruadh, dressed and mounted on his red steed, was the most beautiful man in the world. When ready to start, the housekeeper said to him:

98 "The beast will be so enraged this time that no arms can stop him; he will rise from the sea with three great swords coming out of his mouth, and he could cut to pieces and swallow the whole world if it stood before him in battle. There is only one way to conquer the urfeist, and I will show it to you. Take this brown apple, put it in your bosom, and when he comes rushing from the sea with open mouth, do you throw the apple down his throat, and the great urfeist will melt away and die on the strand."

99 Sean Ruadh went on the red steed between earth and sky, with thrice the speed of the day before. He saw the maiden sitting on the rock alone, saw the trembling kings' sons in the distance watching to know what would happen, and saw the king hoping for some one to save his daughter; then he went to the princess, and put his head on her lap; when he had fallen asleep, she took the three hairs from her bosom, and looking at them, said, "You are the man who saved me yesterday."

100 The urfeist was not long in coming. The princess roused Sean Ruadh, who sprang to his feet and went to the sea. The urfeist came up enormous, terrible to look at, with a mouth big enough to swallow the world, and three sharp swords coming out of it. When he saw Sean Ruadh, he sprang at him with a roar; but Sean Ruadh threw the apple into his mouth, and the beast fell helpless on the strand, flattened out and melted away to a dirty jelly on the shore.

101 Then Sean Ruadh went towards the princess and said, "That urfeist will never trouble man or woman again."

102 The princess ran and tried to cling to him; but he was on the red steed, rushing away bеtween earth and sky, before she could stop him. She held, however, so firmly to one of the blue glass boots that Sean Ruadh had to leave it in her hands.

103 When he drove home the cows that night, the king came out, and Sean Ruadh asked,

104 "What news from the urfeist?"

105 "Oh," said the king, "I've had the luck since you came to me. A champion wearing all the colours of the sky, and riding a red steed between earth and air, destroyed the urfeist today. My daughter is safe forever; but she is ready to kill herself because she hasn't the man that saved her."

106 That night there was a feast in the king's castle such as no one had ever seen before.

107 The halls were filled with princes and champions, and each one said, "I am the man that saved the princess!"

108 The king sent for the old blind sage, and asked, what should he do to find the man who saved his daughter. The old blind sage said,

109 "Send out word to all the world that the man whose foot the blue glass boot will fit is the champion who killed the urfeist, and you'll give him your daughter in marriage."

110 The king sent out word to the world to come to try on the boot. It was too large for some, too small for others. When all had failed, the old sage said,

111 "All have tried the boot but the cowboy."

112 "Oh! he is always out with the cows; what use in his trying," said the king.

113 "No matter," answered the old blind sage; "let twenty men go and bring down the cowboy."

114 The king sent up twenty men, who found the cowboy sleeping in the shadow of a stone wall. They began to make a hay rope to bind him; but he woke up, and had twenty ropes ready before they had one. Then he jumped at them, tied the twenty in a bundle, and fastened the bundle to the wall.

115 They waited and waited at the castle for the twenty men and the cowboy, till at last the king sent twenty men more, with swords, to know what was the delay.

116 When they came, this twenty began to make a hay rope to tie the cowboy; but he had twenty ropes made before their one, and no matter how they fought, the cowboy tied the twenty in a bundle, and the bundle to the other twenty men.

117 When neither party came back the old blind sage said to the king,

118 "Go up now, and throw yourself down before the cowboy, for he has tied the forty men in two bundles, and the bundles to each other."

119 The king went and threw himself down before the cowboy, who raised him up and said,

120 "What is this for?"

121 "Come down now and try on the glass boot," said the king.

122 "How can I go, when I have work to do here?"

123 "Oh! never mind; you'll come back soon enough to do the work."

124 The cowboy untied the forty men and went down with the king. When he stood in front of the castle, he saw the princess sitting in her upper chamber, and the glass boot on the window-sill before her.

125 That moment the boot sprang from the window through the air to him, and went on his foot of itself. The princess was downstairs in a twinkle, and in the arms of Sean Ruadh.

126 The whole place was crowded with kings' sons and champions, who claimed that they had saved the princess.

127 "What are these men here for?" asked Sean Ruadh.

128 "Oh! they have been trying to put on the boot," said the king.

129 With that Sean Ruadh drew his sword of light, swept the heads off every man of them, and threw heads and bodies on the dirt-heap behind the castle.

130 Then the king sent ships with messengers to all the kings and queens of the world, - to the kings of Spain, France, Greece, and Lochlin, and to Diarmuid, son of the monarch of light, - to come to the wedding of his daughter and Sean Ruadh.

131 Sean Ruadh, after the wedding, went with his wife to live in the kingdom of the giants, and left his father-in-law on his own land.

Shaking-Head

1 THERE was once a king of a province in Erin who had an only son. The king was very careful (заботливый) of this son, and sent him to school for good instruction (для хорошего обучения).

2 The other three kings of provinces in Erin had three sons at the same school and the three sent word by this one to his father, that if he didn't put his son to death (если не убьет; death - смерть) they would put both father and son to death themselves.

3 When the young man came home with this word to his father and mother, they were grieved when they heard it. But the king's son said that he would go out into the world to seek his fortune, and settle the trouble (разрешит проблему) in that way (таким образом). So away he went, taking with him only five pounds in money for his support (для поддержки = пропитания).

4 The young man travelled on till he came to a grave-yard (кладбище), where he saw four men fighting over a coffin (над гробом). Then he went up to the four, and saw that two of them were trying to put the coffin down into a grave (в могилу), and the other two preventing them (мешали им; to prevent – предотвращать [prı`vent]) and keeping the coffin above ground (на поверхности: «над землей»). When the king's son came near the men, he asked, "Why do you fight in such a place as this, and why do you keep the coffin above ground?"

5 Two of the men answered, and said, "The body of our brother is in this coffin, and these two men won't let us bury it (похоронить [`berı])."

6 The other two then said, "We have a debt of five pounds on the dead man (у нас долг пять фунтов на мертвеце = он нам остался должен пять фунтов), and we won't let his body be buried till the debt is paid."

7 The king's son said, "Do you let these men bury their brother, and I will pay what you ask."

8 Then the two let the brothers of the dead man bury him. The king's son paid the five pounds, and went away empty-handed (с пустыми руками), and, except the clothes on his back (кроме одежды «на спине» = на нем), he had no more than on the day he was born (чем в тот день, когда родился). After he had gone on his way a while and the grave-yard was out of sight he turned and saw a sprightly (бойкого, веселого) red-haired man [fear ruadh] hurrying after him. When he came up, the stranger asked, "Don't you want a serving man (слугу)?"

9 "I do not," answered the king's son, "I have nothing to support myself with, let alone (не говоря уж) a serving man."

10 "Well, never mind that," said the red-haired man; "I'll be with you wherever you go (куда бы ты ни пошел), whether you have anything or not (/независимо от того,/ есть ли у тебя что-нибудь или нет /ничего/)."

11 "What is your name?" asked the king's son.

12 "Shaking-head (трясущаяся голова)," answered the red man.

13 When they had gone on a piece of the way together the king's son stopped and asked,

14 "Where shall we be tonight?"

15 "We shall be in a giant's castle where there will be small welcome for us (где нас примут не очень доброжелательно)," said Shaking-head.

16 When evening came they found themselves in front of a castle. In they went and saw no one inside only a tall old hag (ведьму). But they were not long in the place till they heard a loud, rushing noise outside, and a blow on the castle. The giant came; and the first words he let out of his mouth were:

17 "I'm glad to have an Erinach (ирландец) on my supper-table to eat tonight." Then turning to the two he said, "What brought you here this evening; what do you want in my castle?"

18 "All the champions and heroes of Erin are going to take your property (собственность) from you and destroy yourself; we have come to warn you (предостеречь), and there is nobody to save you from them but us," said Shaking-head.

19 When the giant heard these words he changed his treatment entirely (полностью изменил свое обращение; to treat somebody – обращаться, обходиться). He gave the king's son and Shaking-head a hearty welcome and a kindly greeting (cердечно и любезно приветствовал). When he understood the news they brought (когда он понял, какие новости они принесли), he washed them with the tears of his eyes, dried them with kisses (высушил их поцелуями), and gave them a good supper and a soft bed that night.

20 Next morning the giant was up at an early hour, and he went to the bed-side of each man and told him to rise and have breakfast. Shaking-head asked his reward (вознаграждение) of the giant for telling him of the champions of Erin and the danger (опасность) he was in.

21 "Well," said the giant, "there's a pot (горшок) of gold over there under my bed; take as much out of it as ever you wish, and welcome."

22 "It isn't gold I want for my service," said Shaking-head, "you have a gift (дар, подарок) which suits me better (который мне больше подходит)."

23 "What gift is that?" asked the giant.

24 "The light black steed in your stable."

25 "That's a gift I won't give you," said the giant, "for when any one comes to trouble or attack me, all I have to do is to throw my leg over that steed, and away he carries me out of sight of every enemy (любого врага)."

26 "Well," said Shaking~head, "if you don't give me that steed I'll bring all the kingdom of Erin against you, and you'II be destroyed with all you have."

27 The giant stopped a moment, and said, "I believe you'd do that thing, so you may take the steed." Then Shaking-head took the steed of the giant, gave him to the king's son, and away they went.

28 At sunset Shaking-head said, "We are near the castle of another giant, the next brother to the one who entertained us last night (принимал, угощал [ent∂`teın]). He hasn't much welcome for us either; but he will treat us well (будет обращаться с нами хорошо) when he is threatened (когда будет напуган, если ему пригрозить; to threaten [θretn] – грозить, угрожать)."

29 The second giant was going to eat the king's son for supper, but when Shaking-head told him about the forces of Erin he changed his manner and entertained them well.

30 Next morning after breakfast, Shaking-head said,

31 "You must give me a present for my services in warning you."

32 "There is a pot of gold under my bed," said the giant; "take all you want of it."

33 "I don't want your gold," said Shaking-head, "but you have a gift which suits me well."

34 "What is that?" asked the giant.

35 "The two-handed black sword that never fails a blow."

36 "You won't get that gift from me," said the giant; "and I can't spare it; for if a whole army were to come against me, as soon as I'd have my two hands on the hilt (на рукояти) of that sword, I'd let no man near me without sweeping the head off him."

37 "Well," said Shaking-head, "I have been keeping back your enemies this long time; but I'll let them at you now, and I'll raise up more. I'll put the whole kingdom of Erin against you."

38 The giant stopped a moment, and said, "I believe you'd do that if it served you." So he took the sword off his belt (с пояса) and handed it to his guest. Shaking-head gave it to the king's son, who mounted his steed, and they both went away.

39 When they had gone some distance from the giant's castle Shaking-head said to the king's son, "Where shall we be tonight? - you have more knowledge (знания) than I."

40 "Indeed then I have not," said the king's son; "I have no knowledge at all of where we are going; it is you who have the knowledge."

41 "Well," said Shaking-head, "we'II be at the third and youngest giant's castle tonight, and at first he'll treat us far worse (гораздо хуже) and more harshly (резко; жестоко), but still we'll take this night's lodging (жилье, ночевку) of him, and a good gift in the morning."

42 Soon after sunset they came to the castle where they met the worst reception (самый худший прием) and the harshest they had found on the road. The giant was going to eat them both for supper; but when Shaking-head told him of the champions of Erin, he became as kind as his two brothers, and gave good entertainment to both.

43 Next morning after breakfast, Shaking-head asked for a present in return (в обмен; return – возврат) for his services.

44 "Do you see the pot of gold in the corner there under my bed? - take all you want and welcome," said the giant.

45 "It's not gold I want," said Shaking-head, "but the cloak of darkness."

46 "Oh," said the giant, "you'll not get that cloak of me, for I want it myself. If any man were to come against me, all I'd have to do would be to put that cloak on my shoulders, and no one in the world could see me, or know where I'd be."

47 "Well," said Shaking-head, "it's long enough that I am keeping your enemies away; and if you don't give me that cloak now I'll raise all the kingdom of Erin and still more forces (силы = войска) to destroy you, and it's not long you'II last (выдержишь, продержишься) after they come."

48 The giant thought a moment, and then said, "I believe you'd do what you say. There's the black cloak hanging on the wall before you; take it."

49 Shaking-head took the cloak, and the two went away together, the king's son riding on the light (на легком) black steed, and having the double-handed sword at his back. When out of sight of the giant, Shaking-head put on the cloak, and wasn't to be seen (/его/ нельзя было увидеть), and no other man could have been seen in his place (и никто другой не мог бы быть увиден /будь он/ на его месте). Then the king's son looked around, and began to call and search for his man, - he was lonely (одинок) without him and grieved not to see him. Shaking-head, glad to see the affection (любовь, привязанность, теплые чувства) of the king's son, took off the cloak and was at his side again.

50 "Where are we going now?" asked the king's son.

51 "We are going on a long journey to Ri Chuil an Or [King Behind the Gold], to ask his daughter of him."

52 The two travelled on, till they came to the castle of King Behind the Gold. Then Shaking-head said, "Go in you, and ask his daughter of the king, and I'll stay here outside with the cloak on me." So he went in and spoke to the king, and the answer he got was this: - "I am willing (согласен) to give you my daughter, but you won't get her unless you do what she will ask of you. And I must tell you now that three hundred kings' sons, lacking one (кроме одного; to lack – недоставать, отсутствовать), have come to ask for my daughter, and in the garden behind my castle are three hundred iron spikes, and every spike of them but one is covered with the head of a king's son who couldn't do what my daughter wanted of him, and I'm greatly in dread that your own head will be put on the one spike that is left uncovered (на колышке, который остался непокрытым)."

53 "Well," said the king's son, "I'll do my best (постараюсь изо всех сил: «сделаю мое лучшее») to keep my head where it is at present."

54 "Stay (останься, остановись) here in my castle," said the king, "and you'll have good entertainment till we know can you do what will be asked of you."

55 At night when the king's son was going to bed, the princess gave him a thimble (наперсток), and said, "Have this for me in the morning."

56 He put the thimble on his finger; and she thought it could be easily taken away, if he would sleep. So she came to him in the night, with a drink, and said, "I give you this in hopes (в надежде) I'll gain (приобрету, выиграю) more drink by you." He swallowed the liquor (напиток [`lık∂]), and the princess went away with the empty cup. Then the king's son put the thimble in his mouth between his cheek and his teeth (между щекой и зубами) for safe keeping (чтобы надежнее сохранить), and was soon asleep.

57 When the princess came to her own chamber, she struck her maid with a slat an draoichta [a rod of enchantment (жезлом колдовства = волшебным жезлом)] and turned her into a rat (и превратила ее в крысу); then she made such music of fifes (дудками) and trumpets (трубами) to sound throughout the castle, that every soul in it fell asleep. That minute, she sent the rat to where the king's son was sleeping, and the rat put her tail into the nostrils (сунула свой хвост в ноздри) of the young man, tickled his nose so that he sneezed (чихнул) and blew (выдул; to blow) the thimble out of his mouth. The rat caught it (поймала его; to catch) and ran away to the princess, who struck her (ударила; to strike) with the rod of enchantment and turned her into a maid again.

58 Then the princess and the maid set out for the eastern world, taking the thimble with them. Shaking-head, who was watching with his cloak on, unseen by all, had seen everything, and now followed at their heels (следовал по пятам). In the eastern world, at the sea-side was a rock. The princess tapped it (слегка постучала) with her finger, and the rock opened; there was a great house inside, and in the house a giant. The princess greeted him and gave him the thimble, saying, "You're to keep this so no man can get it."

59 "Oh," said the giant, taking the thimble and throwing it aside, "you need have no fear (тебе не нужно бояться); no man can find me in this place."

60 Shaking-head caught the thimble from the ground and put it in his pocket. When she had finished conversation with the giant, the princess kissed him, and hurried away. Shaking-head followed her step for step (шаг за шагом), till they came at break of day to the castle of King Behind the Gold. Shaking-head went to the king's son and asked,

61 "Was anything given you to keep last night?"

62 "Yes, before I came to this chamber the princess gave me her thimble, and told me to have it for her in the morning."

63 "Have you it now?" asked Shaking-head.

64 "It is not in my mouth where I put it last night, it is not in the bed; I'm afraid my head is lost," said the king's son.

65 "Well, look at this," said Shaking-head, taking the thimble out of his pocket and giving it to him. "The whole kingdom is moving today to see your death. All the people have heard that you are here asking for the princess, and they think your head'll be put on the last spike in the garden, with the heads of the other kings' sons. Rise up now, mount your light black steed, ride to the summer-house of the princess and her father, and give her the thimble."

66 The king's son did as Shaking-head told him. When he gave up the thimble, the king said, "You have won one third of my daughter." But the princess was bitterly angry («горько сердита, рассержена») and vexed to the heart (обижена до глубины души), that any man on earth should know that she had dealings (имеет дела, отношения) with the giant; she cared more for that than anything else (ее больше волновало это, чем что-либо другое).

67 When the second day had passed, and the king's son was going to bed, the princess gave him a comb (гребень [k∂um]) to keep, and said, "If you don't have this for me in the morning, your head will be put on the spike that's left in my father's garden."

68 The king's son took the comb with him, wrapped it in a handkerchief (завернул его в платок), and tied it to his head.