Лучшие сказки загадочной Шотландии. Уровень 1 / The Best Tales of Enchanted Scotland

He walked through their ranks. He came to the middle of the Circle. There the Knight sat at a table of red marble. He was clad in his grass-green robes. Before him, on the table, stood a wondrous emerald goblet. It was decorated with blood-red rubies.

This cup was filled with heather ale. That ale foamed up over the brim. The Knight saw Sir Gregory, and he lifted it from the table. He handed it to him with a bow. Sir Gregory was very thirsty, and drank.

He noticed that the ale in the goblet never grew less. It foamed up to the edge again. For the first time his heart misgave him. But, alas! No time for regrets. Strange numbness caught his limbs. Chill pallor crept over his face. The goblet dropped from his fingers. He fell down before the Elfin King like a dead man.

A great shout of triumph went up from all the company. That adventure filled their hearts with joy. They liked to entice some unwary mortal into their Ring and throw their uncanny spell over him. Now he will spend long years in their company.

But soon their shouts of triumphs began to die away. Their keen ears heard a sound. That sound filled their hearts with dread. It was the sound of human footsteps. The footsteps were so free that they knew at once that the stranger was untouched by any charm.

It was the brave Earl St. Clair who approached. He was fearless and strong because of the Holy Sign. He saw the charmed Ring and the eldritch dancers. He wanted to step over its magic border. But the little grizzled Goblin came and whispered to him also.

“Alas! alas!” he exclaimed, with a look of sorrow on his wrinkled face, “you come here, as your companion, to pay your toll of years to the Elfin King. Oh! if you have wife or child, I beseech you to turn back.”

“Who are you? Where are you from?” asked the Earl.

He looked kindly down at the little creature in front of him.

“I came from your country,” wailed the Goblin. “I was once a mortal man, even as you. But I crossed over the enchanted moor. The Elfin King appeared in the guise of a beauteous Knight. He looked brave, and noble, and generous. I followed him hither, and drank of his heather ale. Now I must bide here for seven long years. And your friend, too, drank of the accursed draught. He now lies at our lawful Monarch's feet. He will wake up. But it will be in such a guise as I wear.”

“Is there anything that I can do to rescue him!” cried Earl St. Clair eagerly. “I have no fear of the spell of his cruel captor. I bear the Sign of One Who is stronger than he. Speak speedily, little man.”

“Yes, there is something that you can do,” whispered the Goblin, “but it is a desperate attempt. If you fail, then not even the Power of the Blessed Sign will save you.”

“And what is that?” asked the Earl impatiently.

“You must remain motionless,” answered the old man, “in the cold and frost till dawn break. Soon they will sing Matins in the Holy Church. Then you must walk slowly nine times round the edge of the enchanted Circle. After that you must walk boldly across it to the red marble table where the Elfin King sits. On it you will see an emerald goblet with heather ale. You must carry it away. But let no word cross your lips. This enchanted ground whereon we dance may look solid to your eyes. But in reality it is not so. It is a quaking bog. There is a great lake under it. A fearsome Monster dwells there. If you utter a word, you will fall through the bog. You will perish in the waters beneath.”

The Grisly Goblin stepped back among his companions. He left Earl St. Clair alone on the outskirts of the charmed Ring.

There Earl St. Clair waited, through the long, dark hours. The grey dawn began to break over the hilltops. Then the Elfin forms before him dwindled and faded away.

Soon the sound of the Matin Bell[18] came across the moor. Earl St. Clair began his solemn walk. Round and round the Ring he paced. He walked steadily. When he finished, he stepped boldly on to the enchanted ground. Then he walked across it. All the ghostly Elves and Goblins lay frozen into tiny blocks of ice.

He approached the marble table. The hairs rose on his head at the sight of the Elfin King. In front of him lay Earl Gregory. Two black ravens sat, one on each side of the table. They guarded the emerald goblet.

Earl St. Clair lifted the precious cup. The ravens rose in the air. They circled round his head. The ravens cried with rage. They threatened to dash the cup from his hands with their claws. The frozen Elves, and even their mighty King himself stirred in their sleep, and sat up. But the Power of the Holy Sign restrained them.

Earl St. Clair heard awesome and terrible sounds around him. The ravens shrieked. The frozen Goblins screamed, too. From the lake below came the sound of the breathing of the awful Monster.

But the brave Earl heeded none of these things. He trusted in the Might of the Sign he bore. It carried him safely through all the dangers. The sound of the Matin Bell died away in the morning air. He stepped on to solid ground once more. Then he flung the enchanted goblet from him.

The frozen Elves vanished, along with their King and his marble table. Nothing was left on the rank green grass save Earl Gregory. Earl Gregory slowly woke from his enchanted slumber. He stretched himself, and stood up. He gazed vaguely round him. He scarcely remembered where he was.

Earl St. Clair ran to him. He held his friend in his arms. Then the two friends returned to the wondrous goblet. They found nothing but a piece of rough grey whinstone, with a drop of dew in a little crevice.

Упражнения

1. Who are the eldritch dancers?

1) hardworking farmers

2) brave knights

3) elves and goblins

4) a prince and a princess

5) Earl Gregory and Earl St. Clair

2. goblet = ____________________

1) plate

2) fork

3) knife

4) oven

5) cup

3. Вставьте нужный предлог:

He walked through their ranks ____________________ he came to the middle of the Circle.

1) on

2) in

3) of

4) till

5) off

4. Подберите синоним к выделенному слову:

It is not a tale for the bairns.

1) fools

2) children

3) dogs

4) peasants

5) readers

5. Come hither = ____________________

1) come here

2) go away

3) stop

4) lie down

5) shut up

Ответы:

elves and goblins, cup, till, children, come here

The Brownie of Ferne-Den

People like to write and tell stories about Brownies in Scotland. There are many famous Brownies there, for example, the Brownie of Bodsbeck or the Brownie of Blednock. But I'll tell you about the Brownie of Ferne-Den.

Ferne-Den was a farmhouse. It got its name from the glen, or “den,” on the edge of which it stood. Anyone who looked for a place to sleep stayed there. This glen was the abode of a Brownie. That Brownie never appeared to anyone in the daytime. Sometimes people saw him at night. He jumped from tree to tree. And he never did harm to anybody.

Indeed, he always helped those who needed his assistance. The farmer often said that he could not live without him. Any work at the farm the farmer and his wife left to the Brownie. When they went to bed, they put down a bowl of new milk on the doorstep for the Brownie's supper. And when they woke the next morning the bowl was empty. And the job was finished, of course.

In spite of all this, however, everyone was afraid of the Brownie. People preferred to go a couple of miles round about in the dark, when they came home from Kirk or Market. They did not want to pass through the glen and see him.

The farmer's wife was good and gentle. She was not afraid of anything on the earth. When she left the Brownie's supper outside, she always filled his bowl with the milk. Moreover, she added a good spoonful of cream to it. She said,

“He works so hard for us. He asks no wages. He deserves the best meal that we can give him!”

One night this gentle lady got ill. Everyone was afraid that she would die. Of course, her husband was greatly distressed. Her servants were shocked too. She was a very good Mistress to them. They loved her like their own mother. But they were all young. None of them knew very much about illness. Everyone decided to send off for an old woman. That woman lived about seven miles away on the other side of the river. She was a very skillful nurse.

But who will go? That was the question. It was black midnight. The way to the old woman's house lay straight through the glen. And whoever travels that road can meet the dreaded Brownie.

The farmer wanted to go. But he dare not leave his wife alone. The servants stood in groups about the kitchen. No one was ready to go.

The cause of their terror was a queer, wee, misshapen little man. That little man was all covered with hair. He had a long beard, red eyes, broad, flat feet. He had enormous long arms that touched the ground, even when he stood upright. He was within a yard or two of them. He listened to their talk, with an anxious face. He stood behind the kitchen door.

He came up as usual, from his hiding-place in the glen. He wanted to see if there was any work for him to do. Also he wanted to get his bowl of milk. He saw, from the open door and windows, that there was something wrong inside the farmhouse. He crept into the entry to find out what the matter was.

He gathered from the servants'talk that the Mistress was ill. He loved her dearly. She was very kind to him. His heart sank within him. Then he heard that the silly servants were afraid to go and call a nurse for her. His contempt and anger knew no bounds.

“Fools, idiots, dolts!” he muttered to himself.

He stamped his queer, misshapen feet on the floor.

“If they stand like this, the bonnie lady will die. So the Brownie must go himself!”

A farmer's dark cloak hung on a peg on the wall. The Brownie took it. He threw it over his head and shoulders. He wanted to hide his ungainly form. Then he hurried away to the stable. Then he saddled and bridled the horse that stood there.

After that he led it to the door and scrambled on its back.

“Now, go!” he said.

The horse understood him. It darted out into the darkness like an arrow from the bow. Soon the Brownie drew rein at the old woman's cottage.

She was in bed. She was asleep. He rapped sharply on the window. She rose and asked who was there. He bent forward and told her his errand.

“You must come with me, Goodwife, quickly!” he commanded, in his deep, harsh voice. “It's necessary to save the Lady of Ferne-Den's life. There is no one to nurse her at the farm there. She had a lot of empty-headed servant wenches.”

“But how to get there? I don't have a cart,” said the old woman anxiously.

She saw there was nothing at the door save a horse and its rider.

“You must just climb up behind me on the saddle,” replied the Brownie, shortly, “and hang on tight to my waist. I'll promise to bring you to the Ferne-Den safe and sound[19].”

His voice was masterful. The old woman dare not refuse. She dressed herself. When she was ready she unlocked her door, and mounted the horse.

Without a word, they approached the dreaded glen. Then the old woman was very afraid.

“Do you think that we can meet the Brownie there?” she asked timidly. “Folk say that he is a terrible creature.”

Her companion laughed.

“Don't be afraid,” he said, “I promise you'll see nobody uglier this night than the man whom you ride behind.”

“Oh, then, I'm fine,” replied the old woman, with a sigh of relief.

She relapsed into silence again. They passed the glen. The horse turned into the farmyard. Then the horseman slid to the ground. He lifted the old woman carefully down in his long, strong arms. As he did so the cloak slipped off him. It revealed his short, broad body and his misshapen limbs.

“Who are you?” the woman asked. “What makes your eyes so big? And what did you do to your feet?”

The queer little man laughed again.

“Waste no time, good Dame,” he replied. “Go into the house. If anyone asks you who brought you hither so quickly, tell them that there was nobody near your house, so you rode behind the Brownie Of Ferne-Den!”

Упражнения

1. Who was not afraid of the Brownies?

1) the country people

2) the old woman

3) the farmer's wife

4) the little children

5) everybody

2. Вставьте нужный глагол:

There is no one to ____________________ her at the farm there.

1) look for

2) catch

3) sell

4) nurse

5) kill

3. Какие домовые не упоминаются в сказке?

1) the Brownie of Blednock

2) the Brownie of Reverbrunn

3) the Brownie of Bodsbeck

4) the Brownie of Stary-Trom

5) the Brownie of Ferne-Den

4. Вставьте нужное существительное:

The silly ____________________ were afraid and dared not set out to fetch a nurse.

1) children

2) servants

3) Brownies

4) farmers

5) old women

5. Как переводится safe and sound?

1) целый и невредимый

2) безопасный и звучащий

3) мирный и спящий

4) толстый и здоровый

5) милый

Ответы:

the farmer's wife; nurse; the Brownie of Reverbrunn, the Brownie of Stary-Trom; servants; целый и невредимый

Farquhar Macneill

Once upon a time there was a young man named Farquhar MacNeill. One day the farmer's wife asked him to go over the hill to the house of a neighbour. She wanted to borrow flour, because she didn't have any left.

Farquhar agreed to do so. He set out at once upon his errand. The farmer's wife showed him the path to follow. She said that it was easy to find the house. So he looked for the light in the window.

Soon on his left hand he saw something that he took for the light[20]. He forgot his Mistress's instructions to follow the path right over the hill. He left it, and walked towards the light.

He thought he reached it. Suddenly his foot tripped. He fell down, down, down, into a Fairy Parlour, far under the ground. It was full of Fairies.

He saw two little elderly women, in black aprons and white mutches. They stood close by the door. They ground corn between two flat millstones. Other two Fairies, younger women, in blue print gowns and white kerchiefs, gathered up the freshly ground meal. They baked it into bannocks. Then they toasted it on a girdle over a peat fire. The fire burnt slowly in a corner.

In the centre of the large apartment many Fairies, Elves, and Sprites danced to the music of a tiny set of bagpipes. A brown-faced[21] Gnome played it. The Gnome sat on a ledge of rock far above their heads.

Farquhar came suddenly down in their midst. They all stopped, and looked at him in alarm. But then they saw that he was not hurt. They bowed gravely. Then they went on with their work and with their play.

Farquhar liked to dance very much. So he asked the Fairies to join them. They looked surprised at his request. But then they allowed him to do so. In a few minutes the young man danced with them.

As he danced a strange change came over him. He forgot about the flour. He forgot his home. He forgot everything. He only knew that he wanted to remain with the Fairies all the rest of his life[22].

And he remained with them. A magic spell was cast over him. He could be invisible and sip the dew from the grass and honey from the flowers daintily and noiselessly.

Time passed by. One night he and his merry companions set out for a long journey through the air. They started early. They intended to pay a visit to the Man in the Moon and be back again before cock-crow[23].

During the flight Farquhar fell in love with a young Fairy Maiden. He did not see a cottage that was right in his way. Suddenly he struck against the chimney. Then he stuck fast in the thatch.

His companions sped merrily on.

Farquhar glanced down the wide chimney. In the cottage kitchen he saw a lovely young woman. She had a rosy-cheeked baby in her arms. Now Farquhar was in his mortal state again. He liked children very much. A word of blessing rose to his lips. He looked at the mother and child and said,

“God shield you[24]”.

The Holy Name crossed his lips. The spell was broken. Instantly his thoughts flew to his friends at home. His thoughts flew to the Mistress and to her flour. He was sure that he was absent for some weeks. So he hurried to the farm.

He arrived in the neighbourhood. Everything seemed strange. There were woods, and walls in the neighborhood! To his amazement, he did not find his way to the farm. He expected to find his father's house. But he found a crop of rank green nettles.

What does it all mean? In great distress he looked about for someone to tell him. At last he found an old man. That man thatched the roof of a cottage.

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Примечания

1

Thomas the Rhymer – Томас-Рифмач

2

hunting-horn – охотничий рог

3

Blessed Virgin herself – сама Пресвятая Дева

4

common-sense – здравый смысл

5

save me – кроме меня

6

ravine – ущелье

7

ash-covered – покрытый пеплом

8

Page-boys – пажи

9

Get off now. – Слезай.

10

cockle-shells – ракушки

11

they found themselves – они оказались

12

mother-of-pearl – перламутр

13

Ah, woe to me! – О, горе мне!

14

as well as ever – как ни в чём не бывало

15

moor – болото

16

to go a-hunting – пойти поохотиться

17

bairn – шотл. ребёнок, дитя

18

Matin Bell – звон к заутрене

19

safe and sound – целый и невредимый

20

he saw something that he took for the light – он увидел что-то, что принял за свет

21

1 brown-faced – смуглолицый

22

all the rest of his life – на всю оставшуюся жизнь

23

3 cock-crow – пение петуха

24

God shield you. – Храни вас Бог.