22-little thumb-第1部分

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LITTLE　THUMB





THERE　was；　once　upon　a　time；　a　man　and　his　wife

fagot…makers　by　trade；　who　had　several　children；　all　boys。

The　eldest　was　but　ten　years　old；　and　the　youngest　only

seven。



They　were　very　poor；　and　their　seven　children　incommoded

them　greatly；　because　not　one　of　them　was　able　to

earn　his　bread。　That　which　gave　them　yet　more　uneasiness

was　that　the　youngest　was　of　a　very　puny　constitution；

and　scarce　ever　spoke　a　word；　which　made　them　take

that　for　stupidity　which　was　a　sign　of　good　sense。　He

was　very　little；　and　when　born　no　bigger　than　one's

thumb；　which　made　him　be　called　Little　Thumb。



The　poor　child　bore　the　blame　of　whatsoever　was　done

amiss　in　the　house；　and；　guilty　or　not；　was　always　in　the

wrong；　he　was；　notwithstanding；　more　cunning　and　had　a

far　greater　share　of　wisdom　than　all　his　brothers　put

together；　and；　if　he　spake　little；　he　heard　and　thought　the

more。



There　happened　now　to　come　a　very　bad　year；　and　the

famine　was　so　great　that　these　poor　people　resolved　to　rid

themselves　of　their　children。　One　evening；　when　they

were　all　in　bed　and　the　fagot…maker　was　sitting　with　his

wife　at　the　fire；　he　said　to　her；　with　his　heart　ready　to

burst　with　grief：



〃Thou　seest　plainly　that　we　are　not　able　to　keep　our

children；　and　I　cannot　see　them　starve　to　death　before

my　face；　I　am　resolved　to　lose　them　in　the　wood　to…morrow；

which　may　very　easily　be　done；　for；　while　they　are　busy

in　tying　up　fagots；　we　may　run　away；　and　leave　them；

without　their　taking　any　notice。〃



〃Ah！〃　cried　his　wife；　〃and　canst　thou　thyself　have　the

heart　to　take　thy　children　out　along　with　thee　on　purpose

to　lose　them？〃



In　vain　did　her　husband　represent　to　her　their　extreme

poverty：　she　would　not　consent　to　it；　she　was　indeed　poor；

but　she　was　their　mother。　However；　having　considered

what　a　grief　it　would　be　to　her　to　see　them　perish　with

hunger；　she　at　last　consented；　and　went　to　bed　all　in　tears。



Little　Thumb　heard　every　word　that　had　been　spoken；

for　observing；　as　he　lay　in　his　bed；　that　they　were　talking

very　busily；　he　got　up　softly；　and　hid　himself　under　his

father's　stool；　that　he　might　hear　what　they　said　without

being　seen。　He　went　to　bed　again；　but　did　not　sleep　a

wink　all　the　rest　of　the　night；　thinking　on　what　he　had　to

do。　He　got　up　early　in　the　morning；　and　went　to　the

river…side；　where　he　filled　his　pockets　full　of　small　white

pebbles；　and　then　returned　home。



They　all　went　abroad；　but　Little　Thumb　never　told　his

brothers　one　syllable　of　what　he　knew。　They　went　into　a

very　thick　forest；　where　they　could　not　another　at　ten

paces　distance。　The　fagot…maker　began　to　cut　wood；　and

the　children　to　gather　up　the　sticks　to　make　fagots。　Their

father　and　mother；　seeing　them　busy　at　their　work；　got

away　from　them　insensibly；　and　ran　away　from　them　all

at　once；　along　a　by…way　through　the　winding　bushes。



When　the　children　saw　they　were　left　alone；　they　began

to　cry　as　loud　as　they　could。　Little　Thumb　let　them　cry

on；　knowing　very　well　how　to　get　home　again；　for；　as　he

came；　he　took　care　to　drop　all　along　the　way　the　little

white　pebbles　he　had　in　his　pockets。　Then　he　said　to　them：



〃Be　not　afraid；　brothers；　father　and　mother　have　left

us　here；　but　I　will　lead　you　home　again；　only　follow　me。〃



They　did　so；　and　he　brought　them　home　by　the　very

same　way　they　came　into　the　forest。　They　dared　not　go

in；　but　sat　themselves　down　at　the　door；　listening　to　what

their　father　and　mother　were　saying。



The　very　moment　the　fagot…maker　and　his　wife　reached

home　the　lord　of　the　manor　sent　them　ten　crowns；　which

he　had　owed　them　a　long　while；　and　which　they　never

expected。　This　gave　them　new　life；　for　the　poor　people

were　almost　famished。　The　fagot…maker　sent　his　wife

immediately　to　the　butcher's。　As　it　was　a　long　while　since

they　had　eaten　a　bit；　she　bought　thrice　as　much　meat　as

would　sup　two　people。　When　they　had　eaten；　the　woman

said：



〃Alas！　where　are　now　our　poor　children？　they　would

make　a　good　feast　of　what　we　have　left　here；　but　it　was

you；　William；　who　had　a　mind　to　lose　them：　I　told　you　we

should　repent　of　it。　What　are　they　now　doing　in　the

forest？　Alas！　dear　God；　the　wolves　have　perhaps　already

eaten　them　up；　thou　art　very　inhuman　thus　to　have　lost

thy　children。〃



The　fagot…maker　grew　at　last　quite　out　of　patience；　for

she　repeated　it　above　twenty　times；　that　they　should　repent

of　it；　and　that　she　was　in　the　right　of　it　for　so　saying。

He　threatened　to　beat　her　if　she　did　not　hold　her　tongue。

It　was　not　that　the　fagot…maker　was　not；　perhaps；　more

vexed　than　his　wife；　but　that　she　teased　him；　and　that　he

was　of　the　humor　of　a　great　many　others；　who　love　wives　to

speak　well；　but　think　those　very　importunate　who　are

continually　doing　so。　She　was　half…drowned　in　tears；　crying　out：



〃Alas！　where　are　now　my　children；　my　poor　children？〃



She　spoke　this　so　very　loud　that　the　children；　who　were

at　the　gate；　began　to　cry　out　all　together：



〃Here　we　are！　Here　we　are！〃



She　ran　immediately　to　open　the　door；　and　said；

hugging　them：



〃I　am　glad　to　see　you；　my　dear　children；　you　are　very

hungry　and　weary；　and　my　poor　Peter；　thou　art　horribly

bemired；　come　in　and　let　me　clean　thee。〃



Now；　you　must　know　that　Peter　was　her　eldest　son；

whom　she　loved　above　all　the　rest；　because　he　was　somewhat

carroty；　as　she　herself　was。　They　sat　down　to　supper；

and　ate　with　such　a　good　appetite　as　pleased　both　father

and　mother；　whom　they　acquainted　how　frightened　they

were　in　the　forest；　speaking　almost　always　all　together。

The　good　folks　were　extremely　glad　to　see　their　children

once　more　at　home；　and　this　joy　continued　while　the　ten

crowns　lasted；　but；　when　the　money　was　all　gone；　they

fell　again　into　their　former　uneasiness；　and　resolved　to　lose

them　again；　and；　that　they　might　be　the　surer　of　doing　it；

to　carry　them　to　a　much　greater　distance　than　before。



They　could　not　talk　of　this　so　secretly　but　they　were

overheard　by　Little　Thumb；　who　made　account　to　get

out　of　this　difficulty　as　well　as　the　former；　but；　though　he

got　up　very　early　in　the　morning　to　go　and　pick　up　some

little　pebbles；　he　was　disappointed；　for　he　found　the　house…

door　double…locked；　and　was　at　a　stand　what　to　do。　When

their　father　had　given　each　of　them　a　piece　of　bread　for

their　breakfast；　Little　Thumb　fancied　he　might　make　use

of　this　instead　of　the　pebbles　by　throwing　it　in　little　bits

all　along　the　way　they　should　pass；　and　so　he　put　the

bread　in　his　pocket。



Their　father　and　mother　brought　them　into　the　thickest

and　most　obscure　part　of　the　forest；　when；　stealing　away

into　a　by…path；　they　there　left　them。　Little　Thumb　was

not　very　uneasy　at　it；　for　he　thought　he　could　easily　find

the　way　again　by　means　of　his　bread；　which　he　had　scattered

all　along　as　he　came；　but　he　was　very　much　surprised

when　he　could　not　find　so　much　as　one　crumb；　the

birds　had　come　and　had　eaten　it　up；　every　bit。　They　were

now　in　great　affliction；　for　the　farther　they　went　the　more

they　were　out　of　their　way；　and　were　more　and　more

bewildered　in　the　forest。



Night　now　came　on；　and　there　arose　a　terribly　high

wind；　which　made　them　dreadfully　afraid。　They　fancied

they　heard　on　every　side　of　them　the　howling　of　wolves

coming　to　eat　them　up。　They　scarce　dared　to　speak　or

turn　their　heads。　After　this；　it　rained　very　hard；　which

wetted　them　to　the　skin；　their　feet　slipped　at　every　step

they　took；　and　they　fell　into　the　mire；　whence　they　got

up　in　a　very　dirty　pickle；　their　hands　were　quite　benumbed。



Little　Thumb　climbed　up　to　the　top　of　a　tree；　to　see　if

he　could　discover　anything；　and　having　turned　his　head

about　on　every　side；　he　saw　at　last　a　glimmering　light；

like　that　of　a　candle；　but　a　long　way　from　the　forest。　He

came　down；　and；　when　upon　the　ground；　he　could　see　it

no　more；　which　grieved　him　sadly。　However；　having

walked　for　some　time　with　his　brothers　toward　that　side

on　which　he　had　seen　the　light；　he　perceived　it　again　as　he

came　out　of　the　wood。



They　came　at　last　to　the　house　where　this　candle　was；

not　without　an　abundance　of　fear：　for　very　often　they　lost

sight　of　it；　which　happened　every　time　they　came　into　a

bottom。　They　knocked　at　the　door；　and　a　good　woman

came　and　opened　it；　she　asked　them　what　they　would

have。



Little　Thumb　told　her　they　were　poor　children　who　had

been　lost　in　the　forest；　and　desired　to　lodge　there　for

God's　sake。



The　woman；　seeing　them　so　very　pretty；　began　to　weep；

and　said　to　them：



〃Alas！　poor　babies；　whither　are　ye　come？　Do　ye　know

that　this　house　belongs　to　a　cruel　ogre　who　eats　up　little

children？〃



〃Ah！　dear　madam；〃　answered　Little　Thumb　（who　trembled

every　joint　of　him；　as　well　as　his　brothers）；　〃what

shall　we　do？　To　be　sure　the　wolves　of　the　forest　will

devour　us　to…night　if　you　refuse　us　to　lie　here；　and　so　we

would　rather　the　gentleman　should　eat　us；　and　perhaps　he

may　take　pity　upon　us；　especially　if　you　please　to　beg　it　of

him。〃



The　Ogre's　wife；　who　believed　she　could　conceal　them

from　her　husband　till　morning；　let　them　come　in；　and

brought　them　to　warm　themselves　at　a　very　good　fire；　for

there　was　a　whole　sheep　upon　the　spit；　roasting　for　the

Ogre's　supper。



As　they　began　to　be　a　little　warm　they　heard　three　or

four　great　raps　at　the　door；　this　was　the　Ogre；　who　had

come　home。　Upon　this　she　hid　them　under　the　bed　and

went　to　open　the　door。　The　Ogre　presently　asked　if　supper

was　ready　and　the　wine　drawn；　and　then　sat　himself　down

to　table。　The　sheep　was　as　yet　all　raw　and　bloody；　but　he

liked　it　the　better　for　that。　He　sniffed　about　to　the　right

and　left；　saying：



〃I　smell　fresh　meat。〃



〃What　you　smell　so；〃　said　his　wife；　〃must　be　the　calf

which　I　have　just　now　killed　and　flayed。〃



〃I　smell　fresh　meat；　I　tell　thee　once　m