Kitabı oku: «Страшные сказки / Scary stories», sayfa 6

“Cut her hands off, or else I cannot get her!”

The miller was shocked and answered,

“How can I cut off my own child’s hands?”

Then the devil threatened him and said,

“If you do not do it, you are mine, and I will take you instead!”

The father became alarmed, and promised to obey him. So he went to the girl and said,

“My child, if I do not cut off both your hands, the devil will carry me away. In my terror I promised to do it. Help me in my need, and forgive me the harm”.

She replied,

“Dear father, do with me what you will, I am your child”.

Thereupon she laid down both her hands, and her father cut them off. The devil came for the third time, but she wept so long and so much on the stumps, that after all they were quite clean.

Then the devilgave in¹⁰, and lost all power over her.

The miller said to the girl,

“Thanks to you, I received such great wealth. I will keep you most delicately as long as you live”.

But she replied,

“Here I cannot stay, I will go forth, compassionate people will give me as much as I require”.

Thereupon she asked to tie her arms to her back, and by sunrise she set out on her way. She walked the whole day until night fell. Then she came to a royal garden. She saw that trees are covered with beautiful fruits, but she could not enter, for there was much water round about it. And as she was very tired, and hunger tormented her, she thought,

“Ah, I wantto find myself¹¹ inside and eat the fruit! Or I’ll die of hunger!”

Then she knelt down, called on the Lord, and prayed. And suddenly an angel came towards her, who made a dam in the water. The moat became dry and she could walk through it.

She went into the garden and the angel went with her. She saw a tree with beautiful pears. Then she went to them, and ate one with her mouth from the tree. The gardener watched it; but as the angel was nearby, he was afraid and thought the maiden was a spirit, and was silent. He dare not to cry out, or to speak to the spirit.

When the girl ate the pear, she was satisfied. She went and concealed herself among the bushes. The King to whom the garden belonged, came down to it next morning, and counted. He saw that one of the pearswas missing¹². The King asked the gardener about the pear. The gardener answered,

“Last night, a spirit came in, who had no hands, and ate off one of the pears with its mouth”.

The King said,

“How did the spirit get over the water? Where did it go after that?”

The gardener answered,

“Someone came in a snow-white garment from heaven who made a dam, and kept back the water. So the spirit walked through the moat. And as it was an angel, I was afraid, and asked no questions, and did not cry out. When the spirit ate the pear, it went back again”.

The King said,

“If it is so as you say, I will watch with you tonight”.

When it grew dark the King came into the garden and brought a priest with him. All three seated themselves beneath the tree and watched. At midnight the maiden came out of the thicket, went to the tree, and again ate one pear off it with her mouth. Beside her stood the angel in white garments. Then the priest went out to them and said,