Prince Iain 王子的故事-1

Once upon a time there was a King and a Queen, and they had one son. But the Queen died, and the King married another wife. The name of the first Queen's son was Iain. He was handsome and a good hunter. No bird could escape his arrow, and he could bring venison home any day he went out hunting.

But one day he was unlucky for the first time. He saw no deer, and when he shot an arrow at a Blue Falcon, he knocked a feather out of her wing. Putting the feather into his bag, he went home.

"What did you kill today?" said his stepmother.

Iain took the Blue Falcon's feather from his bag and gave it to her.

"I'm putting a spell on you," said his stepmother. "The water will run into your shoes and out again, and your feet will be cold and wet with brown bog water, till you bring me the bird this feather is from."

"I'm putting a spell on you," said Prince Iain to the Queen, his stepmother. "Till I come back, you will stand with one foot on that house, and your other foot on that castle and suffer every tempest and every wind that blows."

Prince Iain went off as fast as he could, leaving his step mother with one foot on the house and her other foot on the castle. (She was much colder than he was with his wet feet.)

Prince Iain walked all day over waste land, looking for the Blue Falcon. As night fell, the little birds flew off to roost in the trees and bushes. When it was dark, Iain sheltered under a briar bush, when who should pass but Gillie Martin the Fox.

"No wonder you're down in the mouth, Prince Iain," said he. "You've come on a bad night. All I've got to eat is a sheep's leg and cheek. We'll have to do with that."

So they lit a fire and roasted the scraps of mutton. After their scanty supper, they slept side by side under the briar bush till morning.

"Prince Iain," said the Fox, "the Blue Falcon you're looking for belongs to the Big Giant with Five Heads. I'll show you where his house is, and my advice to you is this, become his servant. Tell him you can feed birds and swine, or look after cows, goats and sheep. Be quick to do everything he asks you, and be very good to his birds. In time he may trust you to feed his Blue Falcon. When this happens, be very kind to the bird and when the Giant is not at home, carry her off. But, take care that not one feather touches anything in the Giant's house. If this happens, you'll be in trouble."

"I'll be careful," said Prince Iain.

He went to the Giant's house and knocked on the door.

"Who's there?" shouted the Giant.

"It's me," said Iain. "I've come to see if you need a servant."

"What are you good at?" asked the Giant.

"I can feed birds and swine. I can feed and milk a cow, or goats or sheep."

"It's a lad like you I want," said the Giant, coming out of his house.