Snowdrop and Other Tales Part 29

Then he killed them and threw them out into the moat.

But no sooner had he got rid of these two cats, and was about to sit down by his fire again, than crowds of black cats and dogs swarmed out of every corner, more and more of them.

They howled horribly, and trampled on his fire, and tried to put it out.

For a time he looked quietly on, but when it grew too bad he seized his cooper's knife, and cried: 'Away with you, you rascally pack,' and let fly among them right and left. Some of them sprang away, the others he killed, and threw them out into the water.

When he came back he sc.r.a.ped the embers of his fire together again, and warmed himself. He could hardly keep his eyes open, and felt the greatest desire to go to sleep. He looked round, and in one corner he saw a big bed.

'That's the very thing,' he said, and lay down in it. As soon as he closed his eyes, the bed began to move, and soon it was tearing round and round the castle. 'Very good!' he said. 'The faster the better!'

The bed rolled on as if it were dragged by six horses; over thresholds and stairs, up and down.

Suddenly it went hop, hop, hop, and turned topsy-turvy, so that it lay upon him like a mountain. But he pitched the pillows and blankets into the air, slipped out of it, and said: 'Now any one may ride who likes.'

Then he lay down by his fire and slept till daylight.

In the morning the King came, and when he saw him lying on the floor, he thought the ghosts had killed him, and he was dead. So he said: 'It's a sad pity, for such a handsome fellow.'

But the Youth heard him, and sat up, saying: 'It has not come to that yet.'

The King was surprised and delighted, and asked him how he had got on.

'Pretty well!' he answered. 'One night is gone, I suppose I shall get through the others too.'

When the Landlord saw him he opened his eyes, and said: 'I never thought I should see you alive again. Have you learnt how to shudder now?'

'No,' he answered; 'it's all in vain. If only some one would tell me how.'

The second night came, and up he went again and sat down by the fire, and began his old song: 'Oh, if only I could learn to shudder.'

In the middle of the night a great noise and uproar began, first soft, and then growing louder; then for a short time there would be silence.

At last, with a loud scream, half the body of a man fell down the chimney in front of him.

'Hullo!' he said, 'another half is wanting here; this is too little.'

The noise began again, and, amidst shrieks and howls, the other half fell down.

'Wait a bit,' he said; 'I'll blow up the fire.'

When this was done, and he looked round, the two halves had come together, and a hideous man sat in his place.

'We didn't bargain for that,' said the Youth. 'The bench is mine.'

The man wanted to push him out of the way, but the Youth would not have it, flung him aside, and took his own seat.

Then more men fell down the chimney, one after the other, and they fetched nine human shin bones and two skulls, and began to play skittles.

The Youth felt inclined to join them, and cried: 'I say, can I play too?'

'Yes, if you've got any money.'

'Money enough,' he answered, 'but your b.a.l.l.s aren't quite round.'

Then he took the skulls and turned them on the lathe till they were quite round. 'Now they will roll better,' he said. 'Here goes! The more, the merrier!'

So he played with them, and lost some money, but when it struck twelve everything disappeared. He lay down, and was soon fast asleep.

Next morning the King came again to look after him, and said: 'Well, how did you get on this time?'

'I played skittles,' he answered, 'and lost a few coins.'

'Didn't you learn to shudder?'

'Not I. I only made merry. Oh, if I could but find out how to shudder.'

On the third night he again sat down on his bench, and said quite savagely: 'If only I could shudder!'

When it grew late, six tall men came in, carrying a bier, and he said: 'Hullo there! That must be my cousin who died a few days ago.' And he beckoned and said: 'Come along, cousin, come along.'

The men put the coffin on the floor, and he went up and took the lid off, and there lay a dead man. He felt the face, and it was as cold as ice. 'Wait,' he said; 'I will warm him.'

Then he went to the fire and warmed his hand, and laid it on his face, but the dead man remained cold. He took him out of the coffin, sat down by the fire, and took him on his knees, and rubbed his arms to make the blood circulate.

But it was all no good. Next, it came into his head that if two people were in bed together, they warmed each other. So he put the dead man in the bed, covered him up, and lay down beside him.

After a time the dead man grew warm, and began to move.

Then the Youth said: 'There, you see, cousin mine, have I not warmed you?'

But the Man rose up, and cried: 'Now, I will strangle you!'

'What!' said he, 'are those all the thanks I get? Back you go into your coffin then.' So saying, he lifted him up, threw him in, and fastened down the lid. Then the six men came back and carried the coffin away.

'I cannot shudder,' he said; 'and I shall never learn it here.'

Just then a huge Man appeared. He was frightful to look at, old, and with a long white beard.

'Oh, you miserable wight!' he cried. 'You shall soon learn what shuddering is, for you shall die.'

'Not so fast,' said the Youth. 'If I am to die, I must be present.'

'I will make short work of you,' said the old monster.

'Softly! softly! don't you boast. I am as strong as you, and very likely much stronger.'

'We shall see about that,' said the Old Man. 'If you are the stronger, I will let you go. Come; we will try.'