书城文学欧洲的传说
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第18章 THE WITTY QUEEN(2)

Wondering at her wit, he said:“I would like to marry you。”

She said:“I am willing to marry you。”

Then the Emperor said:“But on one condition-that whatever judgment I pass, right or wrong, you must not interfere and put me to shame。”

“I agree to it,”said the girl; and so when all the Boyars and all the great men had been called to the Court, they made a splendid wedding。

A month after the Emperor had married the Chamberlain’s daughter a big fair was held。The Emperor also went to the fair, and left his wife at home。On the morrow, looking out of the window, she saw a peasant who was driving a cow and a calf。In the evening she saw the same peasant coming back; this time he had only the cow with him, and not the calf, and he was crying。The Queen sent for him。

When the peasant had come before her, she asked:“Why are you crying?”

“Why should I not cry?”he replied。“Some Turks down by the lake have robbed me of my calf which I had with me, and they said that the calf belonged to them。They said it was a foal of their mare’s。”

“But was not the Emperor there,”she asked,“to judge in your case?”

“He was there, your Majesty, but he gave the judgment in their favour。”

When the Queen heard it she told him to come next morning, and to ask the Emperor to judge the case which he would lay before him。He was expected to return that evening from the fair, and she added,“I shall be sitting beside the Emperor,”and she told him what to do。

The next morning at break of day the peasant appeared at Court and asked to see the Emperor。The Emperor called him into his chamber。

“Good-morning, your Majesty,”he said, coming in。

“Thank you,”replied the Emperor。“What news are you bringing?”

“This is my case。I have a small meadow close to a little river。My sheep are grazing on that field。One day a carp came out of the river and swallowed my sheep。”

“What are you talking about?”asked the Emperor。“Are you off your head? Are your oxen not at home? Who has ever heard of a carp eating sheep?”

“Well, your Majesty, how could my calf be the foal of the Turk’s mare?”

When the Emperor heard his answer, he asked him:“Who has advised you to bring such a case before me?”

The peasant hesitated and tried to get out of the answer。The Emperor said:“Either you give me a direct answer, or where your feet stand your head will be。”When he saw how the matter lay, that there was no escape for him, he confessed that the Empress had advised him and told him what to do。

When he heard it the Emperor got furious, called the Empress, and said to her:“You must leave this house; you have broken the agreement。How could you dare to upset my judgment?”

“If you so wish it I will leave; but before I go I want you to make a big banquet, and then we shall see what we shall see。”

The Emperor consented to fulfil her wish, and he ordered them to prepare a big banquet。When they had finished eating, the Queen rose up, took a cup of wine in her hand, and said to the Emperor:“With your leave, your Majesty, will you grant me permission, when I go, to take with me out of this palace whatever is most precious and dear to me?”

The Emperor said to her:“Take whatever you like。”

When the Queen heard these words she plied him with wine freely, and after a while he was lying helpless with his head upon the table。When he was in that state, she ordered the attendants to lift him up gently and to put him into a carriage which she had kept ready for that purpose; then she drove him to her father’s house。