36-the story of big klaus-第2章

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him。



'Now　what　can　he　want　with　it？'　thought　Big　Klaus；　and　he　smeared

some　tar　at　the　bottom；　so　that　of　whatever　was　measured　a　little

should　remain　in　it。　　And　this　is　just　what　happened；　for　when　he

got　his　measure　back；　three　new　silver　five…shilling　pieces　were

sticking　to　it。



What　does　this　mean？'　said　Big　Klaus；　and　he　ran　off　at　once　to

Little　Klaus。



'Where　did　you　get　so　much　money　from？'



'Oh；　that　was　from　my　horse…skin。　　I　sold　it　yesterday　evening。'



'That's　certainly　a　good　price！'　said　Big　Klaus；　and　running　home

in　great　haste；　he　took　an　axe；　knocked　all　his　four　horses　on

the　head；　skinned　them；　and　went　into　the　town。



'Skins！　　skins！　　Who　will　buy　skins？'　he　cried　through　the

streets。



All　the　shoemakers　and　tanners　came　running　to　ask　him　what　he

wanted　for　them。　　'A　bushel　of　money　for　each；'　said　Big　Klaus。



'Are　you　mad？'　they　all　exclaimed。　　'Do　you　think　we　have　money

by　the　bushel？'



'Skins！　　skins！　　Who　will　buy　skins？'　he　cried　again；　and　to　all

who　asked　him　what　they　cost；　he　answered；　'A　bushel　of　money。'



'He　is　making　game　of　us；'　they　said；　and　the　shoemakers　seized

their　yard　measures　and　the　tanners　their　leathern　aprons　and

they　gave　Big　Klaus　a　good　beating。　　'Skins！　　skins！'　they　cried

mockingly；　yes；　we　will　tan　YOUR　skin　for　you！　　Out　of　the　town

with　him！'　they　shouted；　and　Big　Klaus　had　to　hurry　off　as

quickly　as　he　could；　if　he　wanted　to　save　his　life。



'Aha！'　said　he　when　he　came　home；　'Little　Klaus　shall　pay　dearly

for　this。　　I　will　kill　him！'



Little　Klaus'　grandmother　had　just　died。　　Though　she　had　been

very　unkind　to　him；　he　was　very　much　distressed；　and　he　took　the

dead　woman　and　laid　her　in　his　warm　bed　to　try　if　he　could　not

bring　her　back　to　life。　　There　she　lay　the　whole　night；　while　he

sat　in　the　corner　and　slept　on　a　chair；　which　he　had　often　done

before。　　And　in　the　night　as　he　sat　there　the　door　opened；　and

Big　Klaus　came　in　with　his　axe。　　He　knew　quite　well　where　Little

Klaus's　bed　stood；　and　going　up　to　it　he　struck　the　grandmother

on　the　head　just　where　he　thought　Little　Klaus　would　be。　

'There！'　said　he。　　'Now　you　won't　get　the　best　of　me　again！'　　And

he　went　home。



'What　a　very　wicked　man！'　thought　Little　Klaus。　　'He　was　going　to

kill　me！　　It　was　a　good　thing　for　my　grandmother　that　she　was

dead　already；　or　else　he　would　have　killed　her！'



Then　he　dressed　his　grandmother　in　her　Sunday　clothes；　borrowed　a

horse　from　his　neighbour；　harnessed　the　cart　to　it；　sat　his

grandmother　on　the　back　seat　so　that　she　could　not　fall　out　when

he　drove；　and　away　they　went。　　When　the　sun　rose　they　were　in

front　of　a　large　inn。　　Little　Klaus　got　down；　and　went　in　to　get

something　to　drink。　　The　host　was　very　rich。　　He　was　a　very

worthy　but　hot…tempered　man。



'Good　morning！'　said　he　to　Little　Klaus。　　'You　are　early　on　the

road。'



'Yes；'　said　Little　Klaus。　　'I　am　going　to　the　town　with　my

grandmother。　　She　is　sitting　outside　in　the　cart；　I　cannot　bring

her　in。　　Will　you　not　give　her　a　glass　of　mead？　　But　you　will

have　to　speak　loud；　for　she　is　very　hard　of　hearing。'



'Oh　yes；　certainly　I　will！'　said　the　host；　and；　pouring　out　a

large　glass　of　mead；　he　took　it　out　to　the　dead　grandmother；　who

was　sitting　upright　in　the　cart。



'Here　is　a　glass　of　mead　from　your　son；'　said　the　host。　　But　the

dead　woman　did　not　answer　a　word；　and　sat　still。　　'Don't　you

hear？'　cried　the　host　as　loud　as　he　could。　　'Here　is　a　glass　of

mead　from　your　son！'



Then　he　shouted　the　same　thing　again；　and　yet　again；　but　she

never　moved　in　her　place；　and　at　last　he　grew　angry；　threw　the

glass　in　her　face；　so　that　she　fell　back　into　the　cart；　for　she

was　not　tied　in　her　place。



'Hullo！'　cried　Little　Klaus；　running　out　of　the　door；　and　seizing

the　host　by　the　throat。　　'You　have　killed　my　grandmother！　　Look！　

there　is　a　great　hole　in　her　forehead！'



'Oh；　what　a　misfortune！'　cried　the　host；　wringing　his　hands。　　'It

all　comes　from　my　hot　temper！　　Dear　Little　Klaus！　　I　will　give

you　a　bushel　of　money；　and　will　bury　your　grandmother　as　if　she

were　my　own；　only　don't　tell　about　it；　or　I　shall　have　my　head

cut　off；　and　that　would　be　very　uncomfortable。'



So　Little　Klaus　got　a　bushel　of　money；　and　the　host　buried　his

grandmother　as　if　she　had　been　his　own。



Now　when　Little　Klaus　again　reached　home　with　so　much　money　he

sent　his　boy　to　Big　Klaus　to　borrow　his　bushel　measure。



'What's　this？'　said　Big　Klaus。　　'Didn't　I　kill　him？　　I　must　see

to　this　myself！'



So　he　went　himself　to　Little　Klaus　with　the　measure。



'Well；　now；　where　did　you　get　all　this　money？'　asked　he；　opening

his　eyes　at　the　heap。



'You　killed　my　grandmothernot　me；'　said　Little　Klaus。　　'I　sold

her；　and　got　a　bushel　of　money　for　her。'



'That　is　indeed　a　good　price！'　said　Big　Klaus；　and；　hurrying

home；　he　took　an　axe　and　killed　his　grandmother；　laid　her　in　the

cart；　and　drove　off　to　the　apothecary's；　and　asked　whether　he

wanted　to　buy　a　dead　body。



'Who　is　it；　and　how　did　you　get　it？'　asked　the　apothecary。



'It　is　my　grandmother；'　said　Big　Klaus。　　'I　killed　her　in　order

to　get　a　bushel　of　money。'



'You　are　mad！'　said　the　apothecary。　　'Don't　mention　such　things；

or　you　will　lose　your　head！'　　And　he　began　to　tell　him　what　a

dreadful　thing　he　had　done；　and　what　a　wicked　man　he　was；　and

that　he　ought　to　be　punished；　till　Big　Klaus　was　so　frightened

that　he　jumped　into　the　cart　and　drove　home　as　hard　as　he　could。　

The　apothecary　and　all　the　people　thought　he　must　be　mad；　so　they

let　him　go。



'You　shall　pay　for　this！'　said　Big　Klaus　as　he　drove　home。　　'You

shall　pay　for　this　dearly；　Little　Klaus！'



So　as　soon　as　he　got　home　he　took　the　largest　sack　he　could　find；

and　went　to　Little　Klaus　and　said：　'You　have　fooled　me　again！　

First　I　killed　my　horses；　then　my　grandmother！　　It　is　all　your

fault；　but　you　sha'n't　do　it　again！'　　And　he　seized　Little　Klaus；

pushed　him　in　the　sack；　threw　it　over　his　shoulder；　crying　out

'Now　I　am　going　to　drown　you！'



He　had　to　go　a　long　way　before　he　came　to　the　river；　and　Little

Klaus　was　not　very　light。　　The　road　passed　by　the　church；　the

organ　was　sounding；　and　the　people　were　singing　most　beautifully。



Big　Klaus　put　down　the　sack　with　Little　Klaus　in　it　by　the

church…door；　and　thought　that　he　might　as　well　go　in　and　hear　a

psalm　before　going　on　farther。　　Little　Klaus　could　not　get　out；

and　everybody　was　in　church；　so　he　went　in。



'Oh；　dear！　　oh；　dear！'　groaned　Little　Klaus　in　the　sack；　twisting

and　turning　himself。　　But　he　could　not　undo　the　string。



There　came　by　an　old；　old　shepherd；　with　snow…white　hair　and　a

long　staff　in　his　hand。　　He　was　driving　a　herd　of　cows　and　oxen。　

These　pushed　against　the　sack　so　that　it　was　overturned。　



'Alas！'　moaned　Little　Klans；　'I　am　so　young　and　yet　I　must　die！'



'And　I；　poor　man；'　said　the　cattle…driver；　'I　am　so　old　and　yet　I

cannot　die！'



'Open　the　sack；'　called　out　Little　Klaus；　'creep　in　here　instead

of　me；　and　you　will　die　in　a　moment！'



'I　will　gladly　do　that；'　said　the　cattle…driver；　and　he　opened

the　sack；　and　Little　Klaus　struggled　out　at　once。



'You　will　take　care　of　the　cattle；　won't　you？'　asked　the　old　man；

creeping　into　the　sack；　which　Little　Klaus　fastened　up　and　then

went　on　with　the　cows　and　oxen。　　Soon　after　Big　Klaus　came　out　of

the　church；　and　taking　up　the　sack　on　his　shoulders　it　seemed　to

him　as　if　it　had　become　lighter；　for　the　old　cattle…driver　was

not　half　as　heavy　as　Little　Klaus。　



'How　easy　he　is　to　carry　now！　　That　must　be　because　I　heard　part

of　the　service。'



So　he　went　to　the　river；　which　was　deep　and　broad；　threw　in　the

sack　with　the　old　driver；　and　called　after　it；　for　he　thought

Little　Klaus　was　inside：



'Down　you　go！　　You　won't　mock　me　any　more　now！'



Then　he　went　home；　but　when　he　came　to　the　cross…roads；　there　he

met　Little　Klaus；　who　was　driving　his　cattle。



'What's　this？'　said　Big　Klaus。　　'Haven't　I　drowned　you？'



'Yes；'　replied　Little　Klaus；　'you　threw　me　into　the　river　a　good

half…hour　ago！'



'But　how　did　you　get　those　splendid　cattle？'　asked　Big　Klaus。



'They　are　sea…cattle！'　said　Little　Klaus。　　'I　will　tell　you　the

whole　story；　and　I　thank　you　for　having　drowned　me；　because　now　I

am　on　dry　land　and　really　rich！　　How　frightened　I　was　when　I　was

in　the　sack！　　How　the　wind　whistled　in　my　ears　as　you　threw　me

from　the　bridge　into　the　cold　water！　　I　sank　at　once　to　the

bottom；　but　I　did　not　hurt　myself　for　underneath　was　growing　the

most　beautiful　soft　grass。　　I　fell　on　this；　and　immediately　the

sack　opened；　the　loveliest　maiden　in　snow…white　garments；　with　a

green　garland　round　her　wet　hair；　took　me　by　the　hand；　and　said！　

''Are　you　Little　Klaus？　　Here　are　some　cattle　for　you　to　begin

with；　and　a　mile　farther　down　the　road　there　is　another　herd；

which　I　will　give　you　as　a　present！''　Now　I　saw　that　the　river

was　a　great　high…road　for　the　sea…people。　　Along　it　they　travel

underneath　from　the　sea　to　the　land　till　the　river　ends。　　It　was

so　beautiful；　full　of　flowers　and　fresh　grass；　the　fishes　which

were　swimming　in　the　water　shot　past　my　ears　as　the　birds　do　here

in　the　air。　　What　lovely　people　there　were；　and　what　fine　cattle

were　grazing　in　the　ditches　and　dykes！'



'But　why　did　you　come　up　to　us　again？'　asked　Big　Klaus。　　'I

should　not　have　done　so；　if　it　is　so　beautiful　down　below！'



'Oh！'　said　Little　Klaus；　'that　was　just　so　politic　of　me。　　You

heard　what　I　told　you；　that　the　sea…maiden　said　to　me　a　mile

farther　along　the　roadand　by　the　road　she　meant　the　river；　for

she　can　go　by　no　other　waythere　was　another　herd　of　cattle

waiting　for　me。　　But　I　know　what　windings　the　river　makes；　now

here；　now　there；　so　that　it　is　a　long　way　round。　　Therefore　it

makes　it　much　shorter　if　one　comes　on　the　land　and　drives　across

the　field　to　the　river。　　Thus　I　have　spared　myself　quite　half　a

mile；　and　have　come　much　quicker　to　my　sea…cattle！'



'Oh；　you're　a　lucky　fellow！'　said　Big　Klaus。　　'Do　you　think　I

should　also　get　some　cattle　if　I　went　to　the　bottom　of　the

river？'



'Oh；　yes！　　I　think　so；'　said　Little　Klaus。　　'But　I　can't　carry

you　in　a　sack　to　the　river；　you　are　too　heavy　for　me！　　If　you

like　to　go　there　yourself　and　then　creep　into　the　sack；　I　will

throw　you　in　with　the　greatest　of　pleasure。'



'Thank　you；'　said　Big　Klaus；　'but　if　I　don't　get　any　sea…cattle

when　I　come　there；　you　will　have　a　good　hiding；　mind！'



'Oh；　no！　　Don't　be　so　hard　on　me！'　　Then　they　went　to　the　river。　

When　the　cattle；　which　were　thirsty；　caught　sight　of　the　water；

they　ran　as　quickly　as　they　could　to　drink。



'Look　how　they　are　running！'　said　Little　Klaus。　　'They　want　to　go

to　the　bottom　again！'



'Yes；　but　help　me　first；'　said　Big　Klaus；　'or　else　you　shall　have

a　beating！'



And　so