第 37 节
作者:沸点123      更新:2021-02-27 02:03      字数:9322
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  goats to   pasture;  and   sat down   by  them。 About   noon he   heard   a   kind   of
  roaring from the wood; and out rushed a giant with two heads; spitting fire
  out of his two mouths。
  〃Oh!   my   fine    fellow;〃   says   he   to  Billy;  〃you   are  too   big  for   one
  swallow and not big enough for two; how would you like to die; then? By
  a cut with the sword; a blow with the fist or a swing by the back?〃
  〃That is as may be;〃 says Billy; 〃but I'll fight you。〃 And he buckled on
  his hide belt and swung his stick three times round his head; to give him
  the strength of a thousand men besides   his own; and went for the   giant。
  And at the first grapple Billy Beg lifted the giant up and sunk him in the
  ground; to his armpits。
  〃Oh; mercy! mercy! Spare my life!〃 cried the giant。
  〃I think not;〃 said Billy; and he cut off his heads。
  That night; when the cows and the goats were driven home; they gave
  so much milk that all the dishes in the house were filled and the milk ran
  over and made a little brook in the yard。
  〃This   is   very   queer;〃   said   the   old   gentleman;   〃they   never   gave   any
  milk before。 Did you see nothing in the pasture?〃
  〃Nothing worse than myself;〃 said Billy。 And next morning he drove
  the six cows; six horses; six donkeys; and six goats to pasture again。
  Just before noon he heard a terrific roar; and out of the wood came a
  giant with six heads。
  〃You killed my brother;〃 he roared; fire coming out of his six mouths;
  〃and I'll very soon have your blood! Will you die by a cut of the sword; or
  a swing by the back?〃
  〃I'll fight you;〃 said Billy。 And buckling on his belt and swinging his
  stick three times round his head; he ran in and grappled the giant。 At the
  first hold; he sunk the giant up to the shoulders in the ground。
  〃Mercy; mercy; kind gentleman!〃 cried the giant。 〃Spare my life!〃
  〃I think not;〃 said Billy; and cut off his heads。
  That night the cattle gave so much milk that it ran out of the house and
  made   a   stream;   and   turned   a   mill   wheel   which   had   not   been   turned   for
  seven years!
  〃It's  certainly    very   queer;〃    said  the   old  gentleman;      〃did   you   see
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  nothing in the pasture; Billy?〃
  〃Nothing worse than myself;〃 said Billy。
  And the next morning the gentleman said; 〃Billy; do you know; I only
  heard one of the giants roaring in the night; and the night before only two。
  What can ail them; at all?〃
  〃Oh; maybe they are sick or something;〃 says Billy; and with that he
  drove the six cows; six horses; six donkeys; and six goats to pasture。
  At about ten o'clock there was a roar like a dozen bulls; and the brother
  of the two giants came out of the wood; with twelve heads on him; and fire
  spouting from every one of them。
  〃I'll have you; my fine boy;〃 cries he; 〃how will you die; then?〃
  〃We'll see;〃 says Billy; 〃come on!〃
  And   swinging   his   stick   round   his   head;   he   made   for   the   giant;   and
  drove him up to his twelve necks in the ground。 All twelve of the heads
  began begging for mercy; but Billy soon out them short。 Then he drove the
  beasts home。
  And that night the milk overflowed the mill… stream and made a lake;
  nine   miles   long;   nine   miles   broad;   and   nine   miles   deep;   and   there   are
  salmon and whitefish there to this day。
  〃You are a fine boy;〃 said the gentleman; 〃and I'll give you wages。〃
  So Billy was herd。
  The next day; his master told him to look after the house while he went
  up to the king's town; to see a great sight。 〃What will it be?〃 said Billy。
  〃The   king's   daughter   is   to   be   eaten   by   a   fiery   dragon;〃   said   his   master;
  〃unless   the   champion   fighter   they've   been   feed…   ing   for   six   weeks   on
  purpose kills the dragon。〃 〃Oh;〃 said Billy。
  After he was left alone; there were people passing on horses and afoot;
  in coaches and chaises; in carriages and in wheelbarrows; all going to see
  the great sight。 And all asked Billy why he was not on his way。 But Billy
  said he didn't care about going。
  When the last passer…by was out of sight; Billy ran and dressed himself
  in his master's best suit of clothes; took the brown mare from the stable;
  and was off to the king's town。
  When he came there; he saw a big round place with great high seats
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  built up around it; and all the people sitting there。 Down in the midst was
  the champion; walking up and down proudly; with two men behind him to
  carry his heavy sword。 And up in the centre of the seats was the princess;
  with her maidens; she was looking very pretty; but nervous。
  The fight was about to begin when Billy got there; and the herald was
  crying   out   how   the   champion   would   fight   the   dragon   for   the   princess's
  sake;   when   suddenly   there   was   heard   a   fearsome   great   roaring;   and   the
  people shouted; 〃Here he is now; the dragon!〃
  The dragon had more heads than the biggest of the giants; and fire and
  smoke   came   from   every   one   of   them。 And   when   the   champion   saw   the
  creature; he never waited even to take his sword;he turned and ran; and
  he never stopped till he came to a deep well; where he jumped in and hid
  himself; up to the neck。
  When      the  princess    saw    that  her   champion      was   gone;    she   began
  wringing   her   hands;   and   crying;   〃Oh;   please;   kind   gentlemen;   fight   the
  dragon; some of you; and keep me from being eaten! Will no one fight the
  dragon for me?〃 But no one stepped up; at all。 And the dragon made to eat
  the princess。
  Just   then;   out   stepped   Billy   from   the   crowd;   with   his   fine   suit   of
  clothes    and   his   hide   belt  on  him。    〃I'll  fight  the  beast;〃  he   says;   and
  swinging his stick three times round his head; to give him the strength of a
  thousand men besides his own; he walked up to the dragon; with easy gait。
  The princess and all the people were  looking; you may be sure; and   the
  dragon raged at Billy with all his mouths; and they at it and fought。 It was
  a terrible fight; but in the end Billy Beg had the dragon down; and he cut
  off his heads with the sword。
  There was great shouting; then; and crying that the strange champion
  must come to the king to be made prince; and to the princess; to be seen。
  But in the midst of the hullabaloo Billy Begs slips on the brown mare and
  is off and away before anyone has seen his face。 But; quick as he was; he
  was not so quick but that the princess caught hold of him as he jumped on
  his horse; and he got away with one shoe left in her hand。 And home he
  rode; to his master's house; and had his old clothes on and the mare in the
  stable before his master came back。
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  When   his   master   came   back;   he   had   a   great   tale   for   Billy;   how   the
  princess's   champion   had   run   from   the   dragon;   and   a   strange   knight   had
  come   out   of   the   clouds   and   killed   the   dragon;   and   before   anyone   could
  stop him had disappeared in the sky。 〃Wasn't it wonderful?〃 said the old
  gentleman to Billy。 〃I should say so;〃 said Billy to him。
  Soon there was proclamation made that the man who killed the dragon
  was   to   be   found;   and   to   be   made   son   of   the   king   and   husband   of   the
  princess; for that; everyone should come up to the king's town and try on
  the   shoe   which   the   princess   had   pulled   from   off   the   foot   of   the   strange
  champion; that he whom it fitted should be known to be the man。 On the
  day    set;  there   was    passing    of  coaches     and   chaises;   of  carriages    and
  wheelbarrows; people on horseback and afoot; and Billy's master was the
  first to go。
  While Billy was watching; at last came along a raggedy man。
  〃Will you change clothes with me; and I'll give you boot?〃 said Billy
  to him。
  〃Shame to you to mock a poor raggedy man!〃 said the raggedy man to
  Billy。
  〃It's   no   mock;〃   said   Billy;   and   he   changed   clothes   with   the   raggedy
  man; and gave him boot。
  When Billy came to the king's town; in his dre