The Best English Fairy Tales / Лучшие английские сказки

“But where are you?” asked they.

“Look about on the ground,” answered he.

At last the thieves found him out, and lifted him up in their hands.

“You’re so small!” they said, “what can you do for us?”

“I can get into the house, and throw you out whatever you want.”

“Hm,” said the thieves; “yes, you can help us, come along.”

When they came to the rich man’s house, Tom slipped through the window-bars into the room. And then he cried loudly, “Will you have all that is here?”

The thieves were frightened, because Tom was very loud. He said, “Quiet! They may wake up!” But Tom cried out again,

“How much will you have? Shall I throw it all out?”

The cook woke up in the next room and listened. The thieves were frightened, but they said, “Stop making jokes, throw us out some money.”

Then Tom cried out as loud as he could, “Very well! Hold your hands! Here it comes.”

The cook heard it, so she jumped out of bed, and ran to open the door. The thieves ran off as if a wolf was at their tails. The cook found nothing, and she went to bed. She thought she had a dream with her eyes open.

The little man found a nice place in the hay to finish his night’s rest. He wanted to have a good sleep and then find his way home to his father and mother.

The cook woke up early to feed the cows and took a large bundle of hay[25], with the little man in the middle of it. He still slept on, and woke up only when he was in the mouth of the cow.

“It is very dark,” said he; “they forgot to build windows in this room to let the sun in.”

He was already in the cow’s stomach, and more and more hay was always coming down. And he didn’t have enough space, it became smaller and smaller. At last he cried out as loud as he could, “Don’t bring me any more hay! Don’t bring me any more hay!”

The cook heard someone speak. She was sure it was the same voice that she had heard in the night. She was so frightened that she ran off as fast as she could to her master, and said,

“Sir, sir, the cow is talking!”

But the master said, “Woman, you’re mad!”

However, he went with her into the cow-house, to see what was the matter.

At the moment they came in, Tom cried out, “Don’t bring me any more hay!”

The master was very frightened. And thinking the cow went mad he told his man to kill her. So the cow was killed, and thrown out upon a dunghill.

Tom tried to get out from the cow’s stomach, but that at that moment a hungry wolf jumped out, and swallowed up the whole stomach, with Tom in it and ran away.

Tom cried out, “My good friend, I can show you where you can eat well.”

“Where’s that?” said the wolf.

“In the house of a woodman,” said Tom, describing his father’s house. “You can get into the kitchen and then into the pantry. There you will find cakes, ham, beef, cold chicken, pig, apple-dumplings[26], and everything that your heart can wish.”

The wolf did not want to be asked twice[27]. So that very night he went to the house and got into the kitchen, and then into the pantry[28]. He ate and drank there a lot to the moment when he could not move.

This was just what Tom wanted. He began to cry and shout, making all the noise he could.

“Quiet!” said the wolf, “you’ll wake everybody up in the house.”

“What’s that to me?” said the little man; “you have eaten well, now I want be merry myself”; and he began, singing and shouting as loud as he could.

The woodman and his wife woke up and came closer to the pantry. They saw a wolf was there, and the woodman ran for his axe, and gave his wife a big knife.

“Stay behind,” said the woodman, “and when I have knocked him on the head you must rip him up with the knife.”

Tom heard all this, and cried out, “Father, father! I am here, the wolf has swallowed me.”

And his father said, “Heaven be praised! We have found our dear child again”. The woodman hit the wolf on the head, and killed him on the spot. They cut his body, and set Tom free.

“Ah!” said the father, “what fears we have had for you![29]”

“Yes, father,” answered he, “I have travelled all over the world, I think, in one way or other, since we parted; and now I am very glad to come home and get fresh air again.”

“Why, where have you been?” said his father.

“I have been in a mouse-hole, and in a snail-shell, and down a cow’s stomach, and in the wolf’s belly. And now here I am again, safe and sound[30].”

“Well,” said they, “You came back and we will not sell you again for all the riches in the world.”

Then they hugged and kissed their dear little son. They gave him a lot to eat and drink, because he was very hungry. So Master Thumb stayed at home with his father and mother. He was a traveler, and had done and seen so many fine things, and liked telling the whole story. He always agreed that, after all, there’s no place like HOME!

The Nightingale and yhe Rose

O. Wilde

“She said that she would dance with me if I brought her red roses,” cried the young Student; “but in all my garden there is no red rose.”

From her nest in the oak tree the Nightingale heard him. She looked out through the leaves, and wondered.

“No red rose in all my garden!” he cried, and his beautiful eyes filled with tears. “I have read all the books, and I know all the secrets of philosophy. But it is only the red rose that matters.”

“He is a true lover,” said the Nightingale. “Every night I sing songs about love and lovers and now I can see one of them. His hair is dark, and his lips are red, his face is pale.”

“The Prince gives a ball tomorrow night,” said the young Student, “and my love will be there. If I bring her a red rose she will dance with me. If I bring her a red rose, I will hold her in my arms. But there is no red rose in my garden, so I will sit lonely, and she will pass me by. And my heart will break.”

“He is the true lover,” said the Nightingale. “What is joy to me, to him is pain. Surely Love is a wonderful thing. It is dearer than fine opals.”

“The musicians will play their instruments,” said the young Student, “and my love will dance to the sound of the harp and the violin. But no, she will not dance, because I have no red rose to give her”; and he closed his eyes with his hands and cried and cried.

“Why is he crying?” asked a little Green Lizard.

“Why, indeed?” said a Butterfly.

“Why, indeed?” whispered a Daisy.

“He is crying for a red rose,” said the Nightingale.

“For a red rose?” they cried; “how very ridiculous!”

But the Nightingale understood the secret of the Student’s sadness. She sat in the oak-tree, and thought about the mystery of Love.

Suddenly she spread her wings, and flew to the garden.

There was a beautiful Rose-tree, and when she saw it she flew over to it.

“Give me a red rose,” she cried, “and I will sing you my sweetest song.”

But the Tree shook its head.

“My roses are white,” it answered; “as white as the snow upon the mountain. But go to my brother who grows near the river, and maybe he will give you what you want.”

So the Nightingale flew over to the Rose-tree.

“Give me a red rose,” she cried, “and I will sing you my sweetest song.”

But the Tree shook its head.

“My roses are yellow,” it answered; “as yellow as the flowers on the field. But go to my brother who grows near the Student’s window, and maybe he will give you what you want.”

So the Nightingale flew over to the Rose-tree that was growing near the Student’s window.

“Give me a red rose,” she cried, “and I will sing you my sweetest song.”

But the Tree shook its head.

“My roses are red,” it answered, “as red as the coral. But the storm has broken my branches, and I will have no roses at all this year.”

“One red rose is all I want,” cried the Nightingale, “only one red rose! Is there no way by which I can get it?”

“There is a way,” answered the Tree; “but it is so terrible that I can’t tell it to you.”

“Tell it to me,” said the Nightingale, “I am not afraid.”

“If you want a red rose,” said the Tree, “you must create it out of music by moonlight, and stain it with your own heart’s-blood. All night long you must sing to me, and the thorn must pierce your heart. Your life-blood must flow into my veins, and become mine.”

“I will die to pay a price for a red rose,” cried the Nightingale, “I love Life. I love sitting in the green wood, and to watch the Sun and the Moon. But Love is better than Life, and what is the heart of a bird compared to[31] the heart of a man?”

So she spread her wings and flew to the Student.

The young Student was still lying on the grass and crying.

“Be happy,” cried the Nightingale, “be happy! You will have your red rose. I will create it out of music by moonlight, and stain it with my own heart’s-blood. All that I ask of you is that you will be a true lover. Love is wiser than Philosophy.”

The Student looked up, and listened, but he could not understand what the Nightingale was saying to him. He only knew the things from the books.

The Oak-tree understood, and felt sad. He loved the little Nightingale.

“Sing me one last song,” he whispered; “I will feel very lonely when you are gone.”

So the Nightingale sang to the Oak-tree, and her voice was wonderful.

“She sings well,” the Student said to himself, “but has she got feeling? I am afraid not. She thinks only about music, she has some beautiful notes in her voice. What a pity[32] it is that they do not mean anything.” And he went into his room, and lay down on his little bed, and began to think of his love. After a time, he fell asleep.

When the Nightingale saw the Moon in the sky, she flew to the Rose-tree, and set her breast against the thorn. All night long she sang with her heart against the thorn. All night long she sang, and the thorn went deeper and deeper into her breast.

She sang first about love in the heart of a boy and a girl. And there came a wonderful rose on the top of the Rose-tree. The rose was pale.

The Tree cried to the Nightingale, “Press closer, little Nightingale or the Day will come before the rose is finished.”

So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and sang louder and louder. She sang about love in the soul of a man and a woman.

The rose was now pink, like the lips of a girl.

And the Tree cried to the Nightingale, “Press closer, little Nightingale, or the Day will come before the rose is finished.”

So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and the thorn touched her heart. She was in pain, and wilder and wilder grew her song about Love and Death.

And the wonderful rose became crimson, like the rose of the eastern sky. But the Nightingale’s voice grew weaker, and her little wings began to beat. Then she gave one last burst of music. The red rose heard it, and opened its petals to the cold morning air.

“Look, look!” cried the Tree, “the rose is finished now”; but the Nightingale made no answer. She was lying dead in the long grass, with the thorn in her heart.

And the Student opened his window and looked out.

“Oh!” he cried; “here is a red rose! I have never seen any rose like it in all my life. It is so beautiful that I am sure it has a long Latin name!”

He plucked it and ran up to the Professor’s house with the rose in his hand.

The daughter of the Professor was sitting next to the window, and her little dog was lying at her feet.

“You said that you would dance with me if I brought you a red rose,” cried the Student. “Here is the reddest rose in all the world. You will wear it tonight next your heart, and as we dance together it will tell you how I love you.”

But the girl was not satisfied.

“I am afraid it will not go with my dress,” she answered; “and, besides, the Officer’s nephew has sent me some real jewels. Everybody knows that jewels cost far more than flowers.”

“Well, upon my word, you are very ungrateful,” said the Student angrily. He threw the rose into the street, where it fell into the gutter, and a cart-wheel went over it.

“Ungrateful!” said the girl. “And you are very rude. Who are you? Only a Student. Why, I don’t believe you have even got silver buckles to your shoes as the Officer’s nephew has!”

She got up from her chair and went into the house.

“What a silly thing Love is,” said the Student as he walked away. “It does not prove anything, I will go back to Philosophy and study Metaphysics.”

So he returned to his room and pulled out a dusty book, and began to read.

The Daughter of the Skies

J. F. Campbell

There was a farmer, and he had daughters. He also had cattle and sheep. One day they all disappeared, and he couldn’t find them. Suddenly he saw a dog next to the house.

“What will you give me,” said the dog, “if I find your cattle and sheep?”

“I don’t know myself”, answered the farmer.

“Will you let me marry your daughter?” asked the dog.

“I will give her to you,” said he, “if she agrees.”

They went home. The farmer asked his daughters to marry the dog. The eldest daughter and the second daughter said they would not take the dog. He asked the youngest one. And she said, that she would marry him. They married, and her sisters were making fun of her.

He took her with him home, where he grew into a splendid man. They lived together for a time. Soon she said she wanted to see her father. He agreed, but she could stay there until her child was born. He gave her a horse.

She did as he asked her. She was not long at her father’s house when she fell ill. And her child was born. That night men were together at the fire to watch. Music came in the night, putting everyone else to sleep, and a man came in and took her child and went away. The music stopped, everyone woke up but they couldn’t find the child.

The woman took her horse and came back home. Her husband said nothing to her.

After some time she said again, “I want see my father.”

He said that she couldn’t stay there for a long time. She took the horse and went to her father’s place.

That very night a child was born. He came as he did before, with music; every one slept, and he took with him the child. When the music stopped they all woke up. Her father was very angry, because his daughter didn’t want to tell him anything. When she felt better, she took herself away home. When she arrived he said nothing. After some time she said again, “I want to see my father.”

“Do,” said he, “but be careful.”

She reached her father’s house, and that very night a child was born. The music came as was usual, and the man took the child away. Her father was very angry. He was going to kill her, if she would not tell what was happening to the children. She told everything to him. When she felt better, she wanted to go home, but she couldn’t find her horse. She went out on foot. At home she found only an old woman, his mother.

“Be quick and you will find him,” said she.

She started her journey. After some time she saw a house. When she went in, she saw a woman. “Come up,” said the housewife, “I know everything. But he is going to marry the daughter of the King of the Skies.”

“He is!” said she.

The housewife gave her something to eat, and let her sleep. In the morning she said, “You will be in the house of my middle sister tonight.” And she gave her the scissors.

She was going, and going, till the night came on her. She saw a house. When she went in the house, the housewife was spinning at the end of the fire. “Come up,” said the housewife.

She made meat for her, she set on water, she washed her feet, and she let her sleep. In the morning the housewife said “You will be in the house of my youngest sister tonight,” said she. And she gave her the needle.

She was going, and going. She saw a house. When she went in, the housewife was spinning at the end of the fire.

“Come up,” said she. She made meat for her, she set on water, she washed her feet, and she let her sleep. In the morning she gave her some thread. The thread would go into the needle by itself and as the shears would cut, and the needle sew.

“You will be in the town tonight,” said the housewife.

She reached the town in the evening. She went into the house of the king’s hen wife, she was warming herself at the fire. She asked the old woman to give her work. The woman said:

“The king’s daughter is marrying the next day and no one is working.”

She gave her shirts to make; she took the shears from her pocket, and she set it to work; she set the needle to work after it; as the shears would cut, the needle would sew, and the thread would go into the needle by itself.

A royal serving-maid saw and told the king’s daughter.

“Well,” said the king’s daughter, “ask her, what she will take for the shears.”

In the morning she went over, and she said to her that the king’s daughter was asking what would she take for the shears. “Nothing I asked,” said she, “but to sleep in your bedroom.”

“Go,” said the king’s daughter, “and say to her that she will get that.”

She gave the shears to the king’s daughter. When they were going to sleep, the king’s daughter gave him a sleep drink. He did not wake for the whole night. The king’s daughter came in the morning to throw her out.

Later the woman was working with the needle, and cutting with other shears. The king’s daughter sent her maid servant over, and she asked “what would she take for the needle?”

She said she would sleep in her bedroom again. The maid servant told this to the king’s daughter.

“She will get that,” said the king’s daughter. The maid servant told that she would get that, and she got the needle. When they were going to sleep, the king’s daughter gave him a sleep drink, and he did not wake that night. The eldest son he had was lying in a bed beside them. He heard how she said to him that she was the mother of his three children.

Later his son told everything to his father. This day the king’s daughter sent the servant maid to ask what she would take for the clue of thread. And she said she would sleep in her bedroom.

“She will get that,” said the king’s daughter.

This night when the man got the sleep drink, he did not drink it at all. The woman said to him that he was the father of her three sons. In the morning, they went away to go home. They came home; the spells went off him, they planted together and I left them, and they left me.

Princess Finola and the Dwarf

E. Leamy

A long, long time ago there lived in a little house an old woman and a young girl. The house was in the lonely moor. The old woman was ugly and dumb. The young girl was pretty and sweet.

In the centre of the house, there was a fire. There were two beds. A wooden bed was for the old woman, the other was Finola’s. It was of oak, very beautiful with flowers and birds. This bed was for a princess, and a princess Finola was. But she did not know it herself.

The only other person beside the old woman Finola ever saw was a dumb dwarf. He came once a month to the house, bringing with him corn for the old woman and Finola. He couldn’t speak to her, but Finola was always happy to see the dwarf and his old horse. The dwarf was in love with her.

One day he came and she did not come out to greet him. He made signs to the old woman, but she took up a stick and hit him, and drove him away. But then he saw Finola at the door of the house, and saw that she was crying. He was very sad about it and couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Suddenly he heard a voice: “It is time for you to come.”

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Примечания

1

The Ugly Duckling – Гадкий утенок

2

I hope you are all hatched – Надеюсь, вы все вылупились.

3

take my word for it – помяни моё слово

4

A duckling turns his toes way out – Утенок должен выворачивать лапки наружу

5

It’s a pity you can’t hatch him again – Жаль, что его уже не переделать

6

Shots rang in the air, and these two geese fell dead – Раздались выстрелы, и два гуся упали замертво

7

I never dreamed I could be so happy, when I was the ugly duckling – О таком счастье я и не мечтал, когда был гадким утенком!

8

The Well of the World’s End – Колодец на краю света

9

the stepmother thought to get rid of her – мачеха задумала избавиться от нее.

10

Girls must keep their promises – Девочки должны сдерживать свои обещания

11

knew everything that would come to pass – знал всё, что произойдёт

12

the Book of Fate – Книга Судеб

13

a lowly maid – девушка из низшего сословия

14

your honour – ваша часть

15

kept her up for a time – держали её некоторое время на плаву

16

went out hunting – отправился на охоту

17

The river brought me down – Река вынесла меня

18

Now that very night – И как раз в ту самую ночь

19

that very day – в тот же день

20

she begged hard for her life – она молила пощадить её жизнь

21

and he let her go – и он отпустил её

22

Tom Thumb – Мальчик-с-пальчик

23

The horse went on just as well as if the woodman had driven it himself into the wood – Лошадь шла почти также хорошо, как если бы ею управлял сам дровосек.

24

I’m off – Я вне игры!

25

bundle of hay – вязанка сена

26

apple-dumplings – яблоки, запеченные в тесте

27

The wolf did not want to be asked twice – Волка не надо было просить дважды.

28

pantry – кладовая для продуктов

29

what fears we have had for you! – Мы так боялись за тебя

30

safe and sound – целый и невредимый

31

compared to – в сравнении с

32

What a pity – Какая жалость