登陆注册
15316000000019

第19章 The Boy Who Could Keep A Secret(3)

'Go to bed as usual,' replied he, 'and when you wake, tell your father that you have dreamed that the canes must be placed in warm water.After a little while one will sink to the bottom; that is the one that grows nearest the root.The one which neither sinks nor comes to the surface is the cane that is cut from the middle; and the one that floats is from the top.'

So, the next morning, the princess told her father of her dream, and by her advice he cut notches in each of the canes when he took them out of the water, so that he might make no mistake when he handed them back to the messenger.The Sultan could not imagine how he had found out, but he did not declare war.

The following year the Sultan again wanted to pick a quarrel with the king of the Magyars, so he sent another messenger to him with three foals, begging him to say which of the animals was born in the morning, which at noon, and which in the evening.If an answer was not ready in three days, war would be declared at once.The king's heart sank when he read the letter.He could not expect his daughter to be lucky enough to dream rightly a second time, and as a plague had been raging through the country, and had carried off many of his soldiers, his army was even weaker than before.At this thought his face became so gloomy that his daughter noticed it, and inquired what was the matter.

'I have had another letter from the Sultan,' replied the king, 'and he says that if I cannot tell him which of three foals was born in the morning, which at noon, and which in the evening, he will declare war at once.'

'Oh, don't be cast down,' said she, 'something is sure to happen'; and she ran down to the tower to consult the youth.

'Go home, idol of my heart, and when night comes, pretend to scream out in your sleep, so that your father hears you.Then tell him that you have dreamt that he was just being carried off by the Turks because he could not answer the question about the foals, when the lad whom he had shut up in the tower ran up and told them which was foaled in the morning, which at noon, and which in the evening.'

So the princess did exactly as the youth had bidden her; and no sooner had she spoken than the king ordered the tower to be pulled down, and the prisoner brought before him.

'I did not think that you could have lived so long without food,' said he, 'and as you have had plenty of time to repent your wicked conduct, I will grant you pardon, on condition that you help me in a sore strait.Read this letter from the Sultan; you will see that if Ifail to answer his question about the foals, a dreadful war will be the result.'

The youth took the letter and read it through.'Yes, I can help you,'

replied he; 'but first you must bring me three troughs, all exactly alike.Into one you must put oats, into another wheat, and into the third barley.The foal which eats the oats is that which was foaled in the morning; the foal which eats the wheat is that which was foaled at noon; and the foal which eats the barley is that which was foaled at night.' The king followed the youth's directions, and, marking the foals, sent them back to Turkey, and there was no war that year.

Now the Sultan was very angry that both his plots to get possession of Hungary had been such total failures, and he sent for his aunt, who was a witch, to consult her as to what he should do next.

'It is not the king who has answered your questions,' observed the aunt, when he had told his story.'He is far too stupid ever to have done that! The person who has found out the puzzle is the son of a poor woman, who, if he lives, will become King of Hungary.

Therefore, if you want the crown yourself, you must get him here and kill him.'

After this conversation another letter was written to the Court of Hungary, saying that if the youth, now in the palace, was not sent to Turkey within three days, a large army would cross the border.

The king's heart was sorrowful as he read, for he was grateful to the lad for what he had done to help him; but the boy only laughed, and bade the king fear nothing, but to search the town instantly for two youths just like each other, and he would paint himself a mask that was just like them.And the sword at his side clanked loudly.

After a long search twin brothers were found, so exactly resembling each other that even their own mother could not tell the difference.

同类推荐
  • 虚空孕菩萨经

    虚空孕菩萨经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 大毗卢遮那成佛经疏

    大毗卢遮那成佛经疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Zanoni

    Zanoni

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 本草经解

    本草经解

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 孝诗

    孝诗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 荒古吞天

    荒古吞天

    分魂期大修士萧尘,报仇无望自爆身亡,当他醒来时却发现自己竟然回到了千年之前!带着绝世功法《吞天决》,踏上了守护与复仇之路。本书暂时境界划分:蜕凡、凝神、入窍、分魂、大乘(散仙),每个大境界有十层,大乘十层或者散仙四层之后可打破界限,走出荒古大陆。
  • 至尊毒后:庶女重生压三国

    至尊毒后:庶女重生压三国

    西蜀慕容大将军养女慕容倾城,重生在北齐慕容侍郎的一个庶女慕容倾城身上。在牢房中,受尽折磨。为了报复灭门的仇恨,慕容倾城依附于野心勃勃的楚三公子,成为他的一枚棋子,卧底与北齐皇宫。为了达到复仇的目的,慕容倾城一面周旋与楚三公子,一面寻找自己结盟的对象。一个边缘的皇四子—拓跋珪。慕容倾城一步步把拓跋珪扶上王位,成为北齐国的王妃,发起了对西蜀国的战争。阶梯下看仇人俯首,至尊毒后慕容倾城终如所愿报得大仇。【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 足球gogogo

    足球gogogo

    他只是一个普通孩子,他爸只是一个对足球热情但是却没有天赋踢不上主力的人,空有对足球的热爱,他爸带着他冲向足球的道路,与自己初恋,兄弟,踏上职业联赛,家人的离去从堕落到成长被国家队征召,留洋踢球邂逅曾经,这不是一条普普通通的路,你永远不会知道这条路上有多少泥泞。我会努力更新。邮箱1091870401@qq.com希望大家给意见
  • 雙子中學亂來記

    雙子中學亂來記

    在日本的東京市,有一間名滿天下學校,名為"雙子中學"。那裡的高材生和優等生多不勝數。而那裡的學生幾乎都是貴族出身,家裡都是千萬以上。而中學有兩個"活招牌"校花校草-----鈴和連。由於兩人長得極像而又是青梅竹馬(所以中學命名為雙子中學),被誤會為姐弟。由於平時關係暖味,非常容易被人誤以為姐弟戀…可是女主很開心,男主較煩惱。而得罪他們的人,會無端消失,再也不會出現這個世界上……
  • 欺身

    欺身

    大概是大学时期看见苑朝一第一眼开始的,让那个国民男神许亦沦陷。“许亦,我想和你睡觉!”“那就睡呗”“朝一,我想亲亲你”“好”“许亦,我喜欢你”“我爱你”
  • 金融审计

    金融审计

    本书以现代审计理论为基础全面地阐述金融审计的基本理论与实务,涉及金融审计程序、方法和证据,金融会计审计,资产业务审计等。
  • 树梢上的花瓣

    树梢上的花瓣

    也许我们离幸福仅仅只差一步的距离,我心中有个故事,至今我没有放下,我放不下的事很多,我想人都这样,遗憾在心的都能在心中空出一方角落,偶尔想起不管好坏,无法丢弃。
  • 恶魔校草霸上门1001次强吻

    恶魔校草霸上门1001次强吻

    开学第一天,她把班主任给揍了,开学第二天,她把宿舍给烧了,开学第三天,她把校草给吻了……停!tmd明明是那个老师先动手的,还有宿舍那火明明就是一场意外啊,什么她把校草吻了?明明是他自己靠过来的,可为毛还是没人信?都解释了不是故意的怎么那不要脸的小杂草硬是要靠过来?“喂,你到底滚不滚?”某男贼兮兮地道:“我不会滚,不过如果是和你滚床单的话,我尽量学学……”他和她被迫入学,他对她起了兴趣,以为不过玩玩,却没想到,从此将心遗落于她。
  • 无形资本再造

    无形资本再造

    知识经济和全球化背景下,国有企业提高无形资本的数量和质量是提高自身竞争力的必由之路。那么,如何提高无形资本的数量和质量呢?作者从国有企业的无形资本现状出发进行了分析,提出了国有企业进行无形资本再造的概念,提出对国有企业从理念到机制、从人员到组织、从生产到营销进行全方位的再造,以培育无形资本理念,完善无形资本创新机制,从根本上提高国有企业无形资本的数量和质量。该书结合历史与现实,思路清晰,内容充实,语言生动,研究结论比较符合中国国有企业改革的实际,是一本具有较高参考价值的好书。
  • 侠客之风云再起

    侠客之风云再起

    这故事,真真,假假,你听了便知。江湖人,哪有一个是傻的?