Сергей Матвеев - Самые лучшие английские сказки

“All right,” said Jack; and away he went to his bed. He said his prayers quietly, and slept till it was near eight o’clock. He had hardly any time to think what he was to do, till suddenly he remembered about the little golden box that his father gave him. And he said to himself, “Well, well, I never was so near my death as I am now;” and then he felt in his pocket, and drew the little box out.

When he opened it, out there hopped [148]three little red men, and asked Jack, “What is your will with us? [149]”

“Well,” said Jack, “I want a great lake and the biggest ships in the world before this mansion. And one of the largest ships must fire a royal salute, and the last round must break one of the legs of the bed where this young lady is sleeping.”

“All right,” said the little men; “go to sleep.”

It struck eight o’clock, when Jack jumped out of bed to look through the window. He saw the biggest ships in the world! It was a wonderful sight for him to see, after being so long [150]with his father and mother living in a wood. Bang! Bang! he heard the largest ships fire a royal salute. The last round broke one of the legs of the bed where the young lady was sleeping.

By this time Jack dressed himself, and said his prayers, and came down laughing. He was proud, he was, because the thing was done so well. [151]The gentleman comes to him, and says to him, “Well, my young man, I must say that you are very clever indeed. Come and have some breakfast.”

And the gentleman tells him, “Now there are two more things you have to do, and then you shall have my daughter in marriage. [152]” Jack gets his breakfast, and has a good squint at the young lady, and also she at him.

The other thing that the gentleman told him to do was to fell all the great trees for miles around by eight o’clock in the morning.

“All right,” said Jack; and away he went to his bed. He said his prayers quietly, and slept till it was near eight o’clock. He remembered about the little golden box that his father gave him. And he said to himself, “Well, well, I never was so near my death as I am now;” and then he felt in his pocket, and drew the little box out.

When he opened it, out there hopped three little red men, and asked Jack, “What is your will with us?” “Well,” said Jack, “I want to fell all the great trees for miles around.”

“All right,” said the little men; “go to sleep.”

It struck eight o’clock, when Jack jumped out of bed to look through the window. He saw that everything was done, and it pleased the gentleman well. The gentleman said to him, “The other thing you have to do”—(and it was the last thing)—“you must get me a great castle standing on twelve golden pillars. And there must come regiments of soldiers and go through their drill. At eight o’clock the commanding officer must say, ‘Shoulder up! [153]’”

“All right,” said Jack; and away he went to his bed. He said his prayers quietly, and slept till it was near eight o’clock again. He remembered about the little golden box that his father gave him. And he said to himself, “Well, well, I never was so near my death as I am now;” and then he felt in his pocket, and drew the little box out.

When he opened it, out there hopped three little red men, and asked Jack, “What is your will with us?” “Well,” said Jack, “You must get me a great castle standing on twelve golden pillars. And there must come regiments of soldiers and go through their drill. At eight o’clock the commanding officer must say, ‘Shoulder up!’”

“All right,” said the little men; “go to sleep.”

It struck eight o’clock, when Jack jumped out of bed to look through the window. He saw the great castle standing on twelve golden pillars. And there came regiments of soldiers and went through their drill. At eight o’clock the commanding officer said, ‘Shoulder up!’ So Jack had the young daughter in marriage.

But, oh dear! [154]Bad things happen.

The gentleman now makes a large hunting party, and invites all the gentlemen around the country to it, and to see the castle as well. And by this time Jack has a beautiful horse and a scarlet dress to go with them. On that morning his servant, when putting Jack’s clothes by, after changing them to go a hunting, put his hand in one of Jack’s waistcoat-pockets, and pulled out the little golden snuff-box.

That man opened the little box, and there hopped the three little red men out, and asked him what he wanted with them. “Well,” said the servant to them, “I want this castle to be moved from this place far and far across the sea.” “All right,” said the little red men to him; “do you wish to go with it?” “Yes,” said he. “Well, get up,” said they to him; and away they went far and far over the great sea.

Now the grand hunting party comes back, and the castle upon the twelve golden pillars had disappeared, to the great disappointment of those gentlemen as did not see it before. Jack’s father-in-law is threatening poor silly Jack to take his beautiful young wife from him. But the gentleman at last made an agreement with him: Jack would have twelve months and a day to look for it. And off he goes [155]with a good horse and money in his pocket.

Now poor Jack goes in search of his missing castle, over hills, dales, valleys, and mountains, through woolly woods and forests. Until at last he comes up to the place where lives the King of all the little mice in the world. There was one of the little mice on sentry [156]at the front gate going up to the palace, and did try to stop Jack from going in. He asked the little mouse, “Where does the King live? I want to see him.”

The little mouse sent another mouse with Jack to show him the place. When the King saw Jack, he began to question him, and asked him where he was going that way. Well, Jack told him all the truth, that he had lost the great castle, and was going to look for it, and he had a whole twelve months and a day to find it out. And Jack asked him whether he knew anything about it; and the King said, “No, but I am the King of all the little mice in the world, and I will call them all up in the morning, [157]and maybe they have seen something of it.”

Then Jack got a good meal and bed, and in the morning he and the King went on to the fields. The King called all the mice together, and asked them whether they had seen the great beautiful castle standing on golden pillars. And all the little mice said, No, nobody had seen it.

The old King said to him that he had a brother, “My brother is the King of all the frogs. And if you go there, maybe he knows something about the missing castle.” The King said to him, “Leave your horse here with me till you come back, and take one of my best horses under you, and give this cake to my brother; he will know then who you got it from. [158]” And then the King and Jack shook hands together.

And when Jack was going through the gates, the little mouse told him, “I will go with you; maybe I shall do some good to you some time. [159]” “Jump up, then.” And the little mouse ran up the horse’s leg, and Jack put the mouse in his pocket.

Now Jack continued his way. At last he found the place; and there was one of the frogs on sentry, and gun upon his shoulder. When Jack said to him that he wanted to see the King, he allowed him to pass; and Jack made up to the door. The King came out, and asked him his business; and Jack told him all from beginning to end. “Well, well, come in.” He gets good entertainment that night; and in the morning the King collected all the frogs in the world. And he asked them, if they knew anything of a castle that stood upon twelve golden pillars. All the frogs made a curious sound, Kro-kro, kro-kro, and said, No.