Once upon a time there lived a poor father and a poor son. The father was very old, and was named Pedro. The son’s name was Juan. Although they were very poor, Juan was afraid of work.
One day the two did not have a single grain of rice in the house to eat. Juan now realized that he would have to find some work, or he and his father would starve. So he went to a neighboring town to seek a master. He at last found one in the person of Don Luzano, a fine gentleman of fortune.
Don Luzano treated Juan like a son. As time went on, Don Luzano became so confident in Juan’s honesty, that he began to intrust him with the most precious valuables in the house. [146]One morning Don Luzano went out hunting. He left Juan alone in the house, as usual. While Juan was sweeping1 and cleaning his master’s room, he caught sight of a highly polished box lying behind the post in the corner. Curious to find out what was inside, he opened the box. There appeared another box. He opened this box, and another box still was disclosed. One box appeared after another until Juan came to the seventh. This last one contained a small triangular-shaped book bound in gold and decorated with diamonds and other precious gems2. Disregarding the consequences that might follow, Juan picked up the book and opened it. Lo! at once Juan was carried by the book up into the air. And when he looked back, whom did he see? No other than Don Luzano pursuing him, with eyes full of rage. He had an enormous deadly-looking bolo in his hand.
As Don Luzano was a big man, he could fly faster than little Juan. Soon the boy was but a few yards in front of his antagonist3. It should also be known that the book had the wonderful power of changing anybody who had laid his hands on it, or who had learned by heart one of its chapters, into whatever form that person wished to assume. Juan soon found this fact out. In an instant Juan had disappeared, and in his place was a little steed galloping4 as fast as he could down the street. Again, there was Don Luzano after him in the form of a big fast mule5, with bubbling and foaming6 mouth, and eyes flashing with hate. The mule ran so fast, that every minute seemed to be bringing Juan nearer his grave.
Seeing his danger, Juan changed himself into a bird,—a pretty little bird. No sooner had he done so than he saw Don Luzano in the form of a big hawk7 about to swoop8 down on him. Then Juan suddenly leaped into a well he was flying over, and there became a little fish. Don Luzano assumed the form of a big fish, and kept up the chase; but the little fish entered a small crack in the wall of the well, where the big fish could not pursue him farther. So Don Luzano had to give up and go home in great disappointment.
The well in which Juan found himself belonged to three beautiful princesses. One morning, while they were looking into the water, they saw the little fish with its seven-colored scales, moving gracefully9 through the water. The eldest10 of the maidens11 lowered her bait, but the fish would not see it. The [147]second sister tried her skill. The fish bit the bait; but, just as it was being drawn12 out of the water, it suddenly released its hold. Now the youngest sister’s turn came. The fish allowed itself to be caught and held in the tender hands of this beautiful girl. She placed the little fish in a golden basin of water and took it to her room, where she cared for it very tenderly.
Several months later the king issued a proclamation throughout his realm and other neighboring kingdoms, saying that the youngest princess was sick. “To any one who can cure her,” he said, “I promise to give one-half of my kingdom.” The most skilful13 doctors had already done the best they could, but all their efforts were in vain. The princess seemed to grow worse and worse every day. “Ay, what foolishness!” exclaimed Don Luzano when he heard the news of the sick princess. “The sickness! Pshaw! That’s no sickness, never in the wide world!”
The following morning there was Don Luzano speaking with the king. “I promise to cure her,” said Don Luzano. “I have already cured many similar cases.”
“And your remedy will do her no harm?” asked the king after some hesitation14.
“No harm, sir, no harm. Rely on my honor.”
“Very well. And you shall have half of my kingdom if you are successful.”
“No, I thank you, your Majesty15. I, being a faithful subject, need no payment whatever for any of my poor services. As a token from you, however, I should like to have the fish that the princess keeps in her room.”
“O my faithful subject!” exclaimed the king in joy. “How good you are! Will you have nothing except a poor worthless fish?”
“No more” that’s enough.”
“Well, then,” returned the king, “prepare your remedy, and on the third day we shall apply it to the princess. You can go home now, and you may be sure that you shall have the fish.”
Don Luzano took his leave of the king, and then went home. On the third day this daring magician came back to the palace to apply his remedy to the princess. Before he began any part of the treatment, however, he requested that the fish be given to him. The king consented to his request: but as he [148]was about to dip his hand into the basin, the princess boldly stopped him. She pretended to be angry on the ground that Don Luzano would soil with his hands the golden basin of the monarch16. She told him to hold out his hands, and she would pour the fish into them. Don Luzano did as he was told: but, before the fish could reach his hands, the pretty creature jumped out. No fish now could be seen, but in its stead was a beautiful gold ring adorning17 the finger of the princess. Don Luzano tried to snatch the ring, but, as the princess jerked her hand back, the ring fell to the floor, and in its place were countless18 little mungo1 seeds scattered19 about the room. Don Luzano instantly took the form of a greedy crow, devouring20 the seeds with extraordinary speed. Juan, who was contained in one of the seeds that had rolled beneath the feet of the princess, suddenly became a cat, and, rushing out, attacked the bird. As soon as you could wink21 your eyes or snap your fingers, the crow was dead, miserably22 torn to pieces. In place of the cat stood Juan in an embroidered23 suit, looking like a gay young prince.
“This is my beloved,” confessed the princess to her father as she pointed24 to Juan. The king forgave his daughter for concealing25 from him the real condition of her life, and he gladly welcomed his new son-in-law. Prince Juan, as we shall now call our friend, was destined26 to a life of peace and joy. He was rid of his formidable antagonist; he had a beautiful princess (who was no longer sick) for a wife; and he had an excellent chance of inheriting the throne. There is no more.
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1
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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swoop
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| n.俯冲，攫取；v.抓取，突然袭击 | |
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gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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adorning
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| 修饰，装饰物 | |
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countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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miserably
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| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
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embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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