The Grey Fairy Book. Various

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      Now there was a chest in the room, where Dschemila kept her clothes. And she made Dschemil get into it, and lie at the bottom, and told him to keep very still.

      He was only hidden just in time, for the lid was hardly closed when the ogre’s heavy tread was heard on the stairs. He flung open the door, bringing men’s flesh for himself and lamb’s flesh for the maiden. ‘I smell the smell of a man!’ he thundered. ‘What is he doing here?’

      ‘How could any one have come to this desert place?’ asked the girl, and burst into tears.

      ‘Do not cry,’ said the ogre; ‘perhaps a raven has dropped some scraps from his claws.’

      ‘Ah, yes, I was forgetting,’ answered she. ‘One did drop some bones about.’

      ‘Well, burn them to powder,’ replied the ogre, ‘so that I may swallow it.’

      So the maiden took some bones and burned them, and gave them to the ogre, saying, ‘Here is the powder, swallow it.’

      And when he had swallowed the powder the ogre stretched himself out and went to sleep.

      In a little while the man’s flesh, which the maiden was cooking for the ogre’s supper, called out and said:

      ‘Hist! Hist!

       A man lies in the kist!’

      And the lamb’s flesh answered:

      ‘He is your brother,

       And cousin of the other.’

      The ogre moved sleepily, and asked, ‘What did the meat say, Dschemila?’

      ‘Only that I must be sure to add salt.’

      ‘Well, add salt.’

      ‘Yes, I have done so,’ said she.

      The ogre was soon sound asleep again, when the man’s flesh called out a second time:

      ‘Hist! Hist!

       A man lies in the kist!’

      And the lamb’s flesh answered:

      ‘He is your brother,

       And cousin of the other.’

      ‘What did it say, Dschemila?’ asked the ogre.

      ‘Only that I must add pepper.’

      ‘Well, add pepper.’

      ‘Yes, I have done so,’ said she.

      The ogre had had a long day’s hunting, and could not keep himself awake. In a moment his eyes were tight shut, and then the man’s flesh called out for the third time:

      ‘Hist! Hist

       A man lies in the kist,’

      And the lamb’s flesh answered:

      ‘He is your brother,

       And cousin of the other.’

      ‘What did it say, Dschemila?’ asked the ogre.

      ‘Only that it was ready, and that I had better take it off the fire.’

      ‘Then if it is ready, bring it to me, and I will eat it.’

      So she brought it to him, and while he was eating she supped off the lamb’s flesh herself, and managed to put some aside for her cousin.

      When the ogre had finished, and had washed his hands, he said to Dschemila: ‘Make my bed, for I am tired.’

      So she made his bed, and put a nice soft pillow for his head, and tucked him up.

      ‘Father,’ she said suddenly.

      ‘Well, what is it?’

      ‘Dear father, if you are really asleep, why are your eyes always open?’

      ‘Why do you ask that, Dschemila? Do you want to deal treacherously with me?’

      ‘No, of course not, father. How could I, and what would be the use of it?’

      ‘Well, why do you want to know?’

      ‘Because last night I woke up and saw the whole place shining in a red light, which frightened me.’

      ‘That happens when I am fast asleep.’

      ‘And what is the good of the pin you always keep here so carefully?’

      ‘If I throw that pin in front of me, it turns into an iron mountain.’

      ‘And this darning needle?’

      ‘That becomes a sea.’

      ‘And this hatchet?’

      ‘That becomes a thorn hedge, which no one can pass through. But why do you ask all these questions? I am sure you have something in your head.’

      ‘Oh, I just wanted to know; and how could anyone find me out here?’ and she began to cry.

      ‘Oh, don’t cry, I was only in fun,’ said the ogre.

      He was soon asleep again, and a yellow light shone through the castle.

      ‘Come quick!’ called Dschemil from the chest; ‘we must fly now while the ogre is asleep.’

      ‘Not yet,’ she said, ‘there is a yellow light shining. I don’t think he is asleep.’

      So they waited for an hour. Then Dschemil whispered again: ‘Wake up! There is no time to lose!’

      ‘Let me see if he is asleep,’ said she, and she peeped in, and saw a red light shining. Then she stole back to her cousin, and asked, ‘But how are we to get out?’

      ‘Get the rope, and I will let you down.’

      So she fetched the rope, the hatchet, and the pin and the needles, and said, ‘Take them, and put them in the pocket of your cloak, and be sure not to lose them.’

      Dschemil put them carefully in his pocket, and tied the rope round her, and let her down over the wall.

      ‘Are you safe?’ he asked.

      ‘Yes, quite.’

      ‘Then untie the rope, so that I may draw it up.’

      And Dschemila did as she was told, and in a few minutes he stood beside her.

      Now all this time the СКАЧАТЬ