40-the blue mountains-第2章

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a　glance　over　his　shoulder　not　a　trace　of　the　fair…haired　lad　was

left。



Being　thus　left　all　alone；　he　thought　of　going　into　the　room

where　all　the　men　were　lying　asleep；　and　there　among　the　rest　he

found　his　two　comrades　who　had　deserted　along　with　him。　　Then　he

remembered　what　the　Princess　had　told　himthat　he　had　only　to

touch　them　with　the　rod　she　had　given　him　and　they　would　all

awake；　and　the　first　he　touched　were　his　own　comrades。　　They

started　to　their　feet　at　once；　and　he　gave　them　as　much　silver

and　gold　as　they　could　carry　when　they　went　away。　　There　was

plenty　to　do　before　he　got　all　the　others　wakened；　for　the　two

doors　of　the　castle　were　crowded　with　them　all　the　day　long。



The　loss　of　the　Princess；　however；　kept　rankling　in　his　mind　day

and　night；　till　finally　he　thought　he　would　go　about　the　world　to

see　if　he　could　find　anyone　to　give　him　news　of　her。　　So　he　took

the　best　horse　in　the　stable　and　set　out。　　Three　years　he　spent

travelling　through　forests　and　wildernesses；　but　could　find　no

one　able　to　tell　him　anything　of　the　Princess。　　At　last　he　fell

into　so　great　despair　that　he　thought　he　would　put　an　end　to　his

own　life；　and　for　this　purpose　laid　hold　of　the　sword　that　she

had　given　him　by　the　hands　of　the　fair…haired　lad；　but　on　drawing

it　from　its　sheath　he　noticed　that　there　was　some　writing　on　one

side　of　the　blade。　　He　looked　at　this；　and　read　there；　'You　will

find　me　in　the　Blue　Mountains。'　　This　made　him　take　heart　again；

and　he　gave　up　the　idea　of　killing　himself；　thinking　that　he

would　go　on　in　hope　of　meeting　some　one　who　could　tell　him　where

the　Blue　Mountains　were。　　After　he　had　gone　a　long　way　without

thinking　where　he　was　going；　he　saw　at　last　a　light　far　away；　and

made　straight　for　it。　　On　reaching　it　he　found　it　came　from　a

little　house；　and　as　soon　as　the　man　inside　heard　the　noise　of

the　horse's　feet　he　came　out　to　see　who　was　there。　　Seeing　a

stranger　on　horseback；　he　asked　what　brought　him　there　and　where

he　was　going。



'I　have　lived　here；'　said　he；　'for　three　hundred　years；　and　all

that　time　I　have　not　seen　a　single　human　being　but　yourself。'



'I　have　been　going　about　for　the　last　three　years；'　said　the

Irishman；　'to　see　if　I　could　find　anyone　who　can　tell　me　where

the　Blue　Mountains　are。'



'Come　in；'　said　the　old　man；　'and　stay　with　me　all　night。　　I　have

a　book　which　contains　the　history　of　the　world；　which　I　shall　go

through　to…night；　and　if　there　is　such　a　place　as　the　Blue

Mountains　in　it　we　shall　find　it　out。'



The　Irishman　stayed　there　all　night；　and　as　soon　as　morning　came

rose　to　go。　　The　old　man　said　he　had　not　gone　to　sleep　all　night

for　going　through　the　book；　but　there　was　not　a　word　about　the

Blue　Mountains　in　it。　　'But　I'll　tell　you　what；'　he　said；　'if

there　is　such　a　place　on　earth　at　all；　I　have　a　brother　who　lives

nine　hundred　miles　from　here；　and　he　is　sure　to　know　where　they

are；　if　anyone　in　this　world　does。'　　The　Irishman　answered　that

he　could　never　go　these　nine　hundred　miles；　for　his　horse　was

giving　in　already。　　'That　doesn't　matter；'　said　the　old　man；　'I

can　do　better　than　that。　　I　have　only　to　blow　my　whistle　and　you

will　be　at　my　brother's　house　before　nightfall。'



So　he　blew　the　whistle；　and　the　Irishman　did　not　know　where　on

earth　he　was　until　he　found　himself　at　the　other　old　man's　door；

who　also　told　him　that　it　was　three　hundred　years　since　he　had

seen　anyone；　and　asked　him　where　he　was　going。



'I　am　going　to　see　if　I　can　find　anyone　that　can　tell　me　where

the　Blue　Mountains　are；'　he　said。



'If　you　will　stay　with　me　to…night；'　said　the　old　man；　'I　have　a

book　of　the　history　of　the　world；　and　I　shall　know　where　they　are

before　daylight；　if　there　is　such　a　place　in　it　at　all。'



He　stayed　there　all　night；　but　there　was　not　a　word　in　the　book

about　the　Blue　Mountains。　　Seeing　that　he　was　rather　cast　down；

the　old　man　told　him　that　he　had　a　brother　nine　hundred　miles

away；　and　that　if　information　could　be　got　about　them　from　anyone

it　would　be　from　him；　'and　I　will　enable　you；'　he　said；　'to　reach

the　place　where　he　lives　before　night。'　　So　he　blew　his　whistle；

and　the　Irishman　landed　at　the　brother's　house　before　nightfall。　

When　the　old　man　saw　him　he　said　he　had　not　seen　a　single　man　for

three　hundred　years；　and　was　very　much　surprised　to　see　anyone

come　to　him　now。



'Where　are　you　going　to？'　he　said。



'I　am　going　about　asking　for　the　Blue　Mountains；'　said　the

Irishman。



'The　Blue　Mountains？'　said　the　old　man。



'Yes；'　said　the　Irishman。



'I　never　heard　the　name　before；　but　if　they　do　exist　I　shall　find

them　out。　　I　am　master　of　all　the　birds　in　the　world；　and　have

only　to　blow　my　whistle　and　every　one　will　come　to　me。　　I　shall

then　ask　each　of　them　to　tell　where　it　came　from；　and　if　there　is

any　way　of　finding　out　the　Blue　Mountains　that　is　it。'



So　he　blew　his　whistle；　and　when　he　blew　it　then　all　the　birds　of

the　world　began　to　gather。　　The　old　man　questioned　each　of　them

as　to　where　they　had　come　from；　but　there　was　not　one　of　them

that　had　come　from　the　Blue　Mountains。　　After　he　had　run　over

them　all；　however；　he　missed　a　big　Eagle　that　was　wanting；　and

wondered　that　it　had　not　come。　　Soon　afterwards　he　saw　something

big　coming　towards　him；　darkening　the　sky。　　It　kept　coming　nearer

and　growing　bigger；　and　what　was　this　after　all　but　the　Eagle？　

When　she　arrived　the　old　man　scolded　her；　and　asked　what　had　kept

her　so　long　behind。



'I　couldn't　help　it；'　she　said；　'I　had　more　than　twenty　times

further　to　come　than　any　bird　that　has　come　here　to…day。'



'Where　have　you　come　from；　then？'　said　the　old　man。



'From　the　Blue　Mountains；'　said　she。



'Indeed！'　said　the　old　man；　and　what　are　they　doing　there？'



'They　are　making　ready　this　very　day；'　said　the　Eagle；　'for　the

marriage　of　the　daughter　of　the　King　of　the　Blue　Mountains。　　For

three　years　now　she　has　refused　to　marry　anyone　whatsoever；　until

she　should　give　up　all　hope　of　the　coming　of　the　man　who　released

her　from　the　spell。　　Now　she　can　wait　no　longer；　for　three　years

is　the　time　that　she　agreed　with　her　father　to　remain　without

marrying。'



The　Irishman　knew　that　it　was　for　himself　she　had　been　waiting　so

long；　but　he　was　unable　to　make　any　better　of　it；　for　he　had　no

hope　of　reaching　the　Blue　Mountains　all　his　life。　　The　old　man

noticed　how　sad　he　grew；　and　asked　the　Eagle　what　she　would　take

for　carrying　this　man　on　her　back　to　the　Blue　Mountains。



'I　must　have　threescore　cattle　killed；'　said　she；　'and　cut　up

into　quarters；　and　every　time　I　look　over　my　shoulder　he　must

throw　one　of　them　into　my　mouth。'



As　soon　as　the　Irishman　and　the　old　man　heard　her　demand　they

went　out　hunting；　and　before　evening　they　had　killed　three…score

cattle。　　They　made　quarters　of　them；　as　the　Eagle　told　them；　and

then　the　old　man　asked　her　to　lie　down；　till　they　would　get　it

all　heaped　up　on　her　back。　　First　of　all；　though；　they　had　to　get

a　ladder　of　fourteen　steps；　to　enable　them　to　get　on　to　the

Eagle's　back；　and　there　they　piled　up　the　meat　as　well　as　they

could。　　Then　the　old　man　told　the　Irishman　to　mount；　and　to

remember　to　throw　a　quarter　of　beef　to　her　every　time　she　looked

round。　　He　went　up；　and　the　old　man　gave　the　Eagle　the　word　to　be

off；　which　she　instantly　obeyed；　and　every　time　she　turned　her

head　the　Irishman　threw　a　quarter　of　beef　into　her　mouth。



As　they　came　near　the　borders　of　the　kingdom　of　the　Blue

Mountains；　however；　the　beef　was　done；　and；　when　the　Eagle　looked

over　her　shoulder；　what　was　the　Irishman　at　but　throwing　the

stone　between　her　tail　and　her　neck！　　At　this　she　turned　a

complete　somersault；　and　threw　the　Irishman　off　into　the　sea；

where　he　fell　into　the　bay　that　was　right　in　front　of　the　King's

Palace。　　Fortunately　the　points　of　his　toes　just　touched　the

bottom；　and　he　managed　to　get　ashore。



When　he　went　up　into　the　town　all　the　streets　were　gleaming　with

light；　and　the　wedding　of　the　Princess　was　just　about　to　begin。　

He　went　into　the　first　house　he　came　to；　and　this　happened　to　be

the　house　of　the　King's　hen…wife。　　He　asked　the　old　woman　what

was　causing　all　the　noise　and　light　in　the　town。



'The　Princess；'　said　she；　'is　going　to　be　married　to…night

against　her　will；　for　she　has　been　expecting　every　day　that　the

man　who　freed　her　from　the　spell　would　come。'



'There　is　a　guinea　for　you；'　said　he；　'go　and　bring　her　here。'



The　old　woman　went；　and　soon　returned　along　with　the　Princess。　

She　and　the　Irishman　recognised　each　other；　and　were　married；　and

had　a　great　wedding　that　lasted　for　a　year　and　a　day。