《安徒生童话英文版》第369章

　　It was quite amusing to see how he capered about. Allthe people clapped their hands, both on his account and John's, whohad guessed rightly the first time. His fellow-traveller was gladalso, when he heard how successful John had been. But John foldedhis hands, and thanked God, who, he felt quite sure, would help himagain; and he knew he had to guess twice more. The evening passedpleasantly like the one preceding. While John slept, his companionflew behind the princess to the mountain, and flogged her evenharder than before; this time he had taken two rods with him. No onesaw him go in with her, and he heard all that was said. The princessthis time was to think of a glove, and he told John as if he had againheard it in a dream. The next day, therefore, he was able to guesscorrectly the second time, and it caused great rejoicing at thepalace. The whole court jumped about as they had seen the king dothe day before, but the princess lay on the sofa, and would not saya single word. All now depended upon John. If he only guessedrightly the third time, he would marry the princess, and reign overthe kingdom after the death of the old king: but if he failed, hewould lose his life, and the magician would have his beautiful blueeyes. That evening John said his prayers and went to bed very early,and soon fell asleep calmly. But his companion tied on his wings tohis shoulders, took three rods, and, with his sword at his side,flew to the palace. It was a very dark night, and so stormy that thetiles flew from the roofs of the houses, and the trees in the gardenupon which the skeletons hung bent themselves like reeds before thewind. The lightning flashed, and the thunder rolled in onelong-continued peal all night. The window of the castle opened, andthe princess flew out. She was pale as death, but she laughed at thestorm as if it were not bad enough. Her white mantle fluttered inthe wind like a large sail, and the traveller flogged her with thethree rods till the blood trickled down, and at last she couldscarcely fly; she contrived, however, to reach the mountain. "What ahail-storm!" she said, as she entered; "I have never been out insuch weather as this."

　　"Yes, there may be too much of a good thing sometimes," said themagician.

　　Then the princess told him that John had guessed rightly thesecond time, and if he succeeded the next morning, he would win, andshe could never come to the mountain again, or practice magic as shehad done, and therefore she was quite unhappy. "I will find outsomething for you to think of which he will never guess, unless heis a greater conjuror than myself. But now let us be merry."

　　Then he took the princess by both hands, and they danced withall the little goblins and Jack-o'-lanterns in the room. The redspiders sprang here and there on the walls quite as merrily, and theflowers of fire appeared as if they were throwing out sparks. Theowl beat the drum, the crickets whistled and the grasshoppers playedthe mouth-organ. It was a very ridiculous ball. After they haddanced enough, the princess was obliged to go home, for fear sheshould be missed at the palace. The magician offered to go with her,that they might be company to each other on the way. Then they flewaway through the bad weather, and the traveller followed them, andbroke his three rods across their shoulders. The magician had neverbeen out in such a hail-storm as this. Just by the palace the magicianstopped to wish the princess farewell, and to whisper in her ear,"To-morrow think of my head."

　　But the traveller heard it, and just as the princess slippedthrough the window into her bedroom, and the magician turned roundto fly back to the mountain, he seized him by the long black beard,and with his sabre cut off the wicked conjuror's head just behindthe shoulders, so that he could not even see who it was. He threwthe body into the sea to the fishes, and after dipping the head intothe water, he tied it up in a silk handkerchief, took it with him tothe inn, and then went to bed. The next morning he gave John thehandkerchief, and told him not to untie it till the princess asked himwhat she was thinking of. There were so many people in the greathall of the palace that they stood as thick as radishes tiedtogether in a bundle. The council sat in their arm-chairs with thewhite cushions. The old king wore new robes, and the golden crownand sceptre had been polished up so that he looked quite smart. Butthe princess was very pale, and wore a black dress as if she weregoing to a funeral.

　　"What have I thought of?"