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The Lute Player
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Once upon a time there was a king and queen who lived happily and comfortably together. They were very fond of each other and had nothing to worry them, but at last the king grew restless. He longed to go out into the world, to try his strength in battle against some enemy and to win all kinds of honour and glory.

So he called his army together and gave orders to start for a distant country where a heathen king ruled who ill-treated or tormented1 everyone he could lay his hands on. The king then gave his parting orders and wise advice to his ministers, took a tender leave of his wife, and set off with his army across the seas.

I cannot say whether the voyage was short or long; but at last he reached the country of the heathen king and marched on, defeating all who came in his way. But this did not last long, for in time he came to a mountain pass, where a large army was waiting for him, who put his soldiers to flight, and took the king himself prisoner.

He was carried off to the prison where the heathen king kept his captives3, and now our poor friend had a very bad time indeed. All night long the prisoners were chained up, and in the morning they were yoked4 together like oxen and had to plough the land till it grew dark.

This state of things went on for three years before the king found any means of sending news of himself to his dear queen, but at last he contrived5 to send this letter: ‘Sell all our castles and palaces, and put all our treasures in pawn6 and come and deliver me out of this horrible prison.’

The queen received the letter, read it, and wept bitterly as she said to herself, ‘How can I deliver my dearest husband? If I go myself and the heathen king sees me he will just take me to be one of his wives. If I were to send one of the ministers! — but I hardly know if I can depend on them.’

She thought, and thought, and at last an idea came into her head.

She cut off all her beautiful long brown hair and dressed herself in boy’s clothes. Then she took her lute7 and, without saying anything to anyone, she went forth8 into the wide world.

She travelled through many lands and saw many cities, and went through many hardships before she got to the town where the heathen king lived. When she got there she walked all round the palace and at the back she saw the prison. Then she went into the great court in front of the palace, and taking her lute in her hand, she began to play so beautifully that one felt as though one could never hear enough.

After she had played for some time she began to sing, and her voice was sweeter than the lark’s:

‘I come from my own country far
Into this foreign land,
Of all I own I take alone
My sweet lute in my hand.

‘Oh! who will thank me for my song,
Reward my simple lay?
Like lover’s sighs it still shall rise
To greet thee day by day.

‘I sing of blooming flowers
Made sweet by sun and rain;
Of all the bliss9 of love’s first kiss,
And parting’s cruel pain.

‘Of the sad captive’s longing10
Within his prison wall,
Of hearts that sigh when none are nigh
To answer to their call.

‘My song begs for your pity,
And gifts from out your store,
And as I play my gentle lay
I linger11 near your door.

‘And if you hear my singing
Within your palace, sire,
Oh! give, I pray, this happy day,
To me my heart’s desire.’

No sooner had the heathen king heard this touching12 song sung by such a lovely voice, than he had the singer brought before him.

‘Welcome, O lute player,’ said he. ‘Where do you come from?’

‘My country, sire, is far away across many seas. For years I have been wandering about the world and gaining my living by my music.’

‘Stay here then a few days, and when you wish to leave I will give you what you ask for in your song — your heart’s desire.’

So the lute player stayed on in the palace and sang and played almost all day long to the king, who could never tire of listening and almost forgot to eat or drink or to torment2 people.

He cared for nothing but the music, and nodded his head as he declared, ‘That’s something like playing and singing. It makes me feel as if some gentle hand had lifted every care and sorrow from me.’

After three days the lute player came to take leave of the king.

‘Well,’ said the king, ‘what do you desire as your reward?’

‘Sire, give me one of your prisoners. You have so many in your prison, and I should be glad of a companion on my journeys. When I hear his happy voice as I travel along I shall think of you and thank you.’

‘Come along then,’ said the king, ‘choose whom you will.’ And he took the lute player through the prison himself.

The queen walked about amongst the prisoners, and at length she picked out her husband and took him with her on her journey. They were long on their way, but he never found out who she was, and she led him nearer and nearer to his own country.

When they reached the frontier the prisoner said:

‘Let me go now, kind lad; I am no common prisoner, but the king of this country. Let me go free and ask what you will as your reward.’

‘Do not speak of reward,’ answered the lute player. ‘Go in peace.’

‘Then come with me, dear boy, and be my guest.’

‘When the proper time comes I shall be at your palace,’ was the reply, and so they parted.

The queen took a short way home, got there before the king and changed her dress.

An hour later all the people in the palace were running to and fro and crying out: ‘Our king has come back! Our king has returned to us.’

The king greeted every one very kindly13, but he would not so much as look at the queen.

Then he called all his council and ministers together and said to them:

‘See what sort of a wife I have. Here she is falling on my neck, but when I was pining in prison and sent her word of it she did nothing to help me.’

And his council answered with one voice, ‘Sire, when news was brought from you the queen disappeared and no one knew where she went. She only returned to-day.’

Then the king was very angry and cried, ‘Judge my faithless wife!

Never would you have seen your king again, if a young lute player had not delivered him. I shall remember him with love and gratitude14 as long as I live.’

Whilst15 the king was sitting with his council, the queen found time to disguise16 herself. She took her lute, and slipping into the court in front of the palace she sang, clear and sweet:

‘I sing the captive’s longing
Within his prison wall,
Of hearts that sigh when none are nigh
To answer to their call.

‘My song begs for your pity,
And gifts from out your store,
And as I play my gentle lay
I linger near your door.

‘And if you hear my singing
Within your palace, sire,
Oh! give, I pray, this happy day,
To me my heart’s desire.’

As soon as the king heard this song he ran out to meet the lute player, took him by the hand and led him into the palace.

‘Here,’ he cried, ‘is the boy who released me from my prison. And now, my true friend, I will indeed give you your heart’s desire.’

‘I am sure you will not be less generous than the heathen king was, sire. I ask of you what I asked and obtained from him. But this time I don’t mean to give up what I get. I want YOU— yourself!’

And as she spoke17 she threw off her long cloak18 and everyone saw it was the queen.

Who can tell how happy the king was? In the joy of his heart he gave a great feast19 to the whole world, and the whole world came and rejoiced20 with him for a whole week.

I was there too, and ate and drank many good things. I sha’n’t forget that feast as long as I live.

[From the Russian.]

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 tormented b017cc8a8957c07bc6b20230800888d0     
饱受折磨的
参考例句:
  • The knowledge of his guilt tormented him. 知道了自己的罪责使他非常痛苦。
  • He had lain awake all night, tormented by jealousy. 他彻夜未眠,深受嫉妒的折磨。
2 torment gJXzd     
n.折磨;令人痛苦的东西(人);vt.折磨;纠缠
参考例句:
  • He has never suffered the torment of rejection.他从未经受过遭人拒绝的痛苦。
  • Now nothing aggravates me more than when people torment each other.没有什么东西比人们的互相折磨更使我愤怒。
3 captives 7841692b8725d37b4f08cf180c85a824     
战俘,俘虏( captive的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The rebels cut off the heads of their captives. 叛乱者砍掉了俘虏的脑袋。
  • The captives are wearing chains. 俘虏们带着镣铐。
4 yoked 3cf9b4d6cb0a697dfb2940ae671ca4f2     
结合(yoke的过去式形式)
参考例句:
  • The farmer yoked the oxen. 那个农夫给牛加上轭。
  • He was yoked to an disinclined partner. 他不得不与一位不情愿的伙伴合作。
5 contrived ivBzmO     
adj.不自然的,做作的;虚构的
参考例句:
  • There was nothing contrived or calculated about what he said.他说的话里没有任何蓄意捏造的成分。
  • The plot seems contrived.情节看起来不真实。
6 pawn 8ixyq     
n.典当,抵押,小人物,走卒;v.典当,抵押
参考例句:
  • He is contemplating pawning his watch.他正在考虑抵押他的手表。
  • It looks as though he is being used as a political pawn by the President.看起来他似乎被总统当作了政治卒子。
7 lute moCzqe     
n.琵琶,鲁特琴
参考例句:
  • He idly plucked the strings of the lute.他漫不经心地拨弄着鲁特琴的琴弦。
  • He knows how to play the Chinese lute.他会弹琵琶。
8 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
9 bliss JtXz4     
n.狂喜,福佑,天赐的福
参考例句:
  • It's sheer bliss to be able to spend the day in bed.整天都可以躺在床上真是幸福。
  • He's in bliss that he's won the Nobel Prize.他非常高兴,因为获得了诺贝尔奖金。
10 longing 98bzd     
n.(for)渴望
参考例句:
  • Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
  • His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。
11 linger e8dzz     
vt.消磨,无所事事;vi.逗留,消磨,徘徊,漫步
参考例句:
  • Don't linger away your holidays,try to find something useful to do.不要虚度假日,尽量找些有意义的事做。
  • His last words still linger in our ears.他的临终嘱咐仍萦绕在我们耳际。
12 touching sg6zQ9     
adj.动人的,使人感伤的
参考例句:
  • It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
  • His letter was touching.他的信很感人。
13 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地
参考例句:
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
14 gratitude p6wyS     
adj.感激,感谢
参考例句:
  • I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
  • She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。
15 whilst 6ftyw     
conj.一边...一边,当...的时候,同时,时时
参考例句:
  • She sang whilst she worked.她边干活边唱歌。
  • There was dead silence in the court,whilst the white rabbit read out these verses.当白兔子念诗的时候,法庭上鸦雀无声。
16 disguise 9lbzE     
vt.把...假扮起来;n.伪装物,假装,伪装
参考例句:
  • He went about in the disguise of a sailor.他伪装成海员到处流窜。
  • It is impossible to disguise the fact that business is bad.生意不好这件事无法隐瞒。
17 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
18 cloak cqmz9     
n.斗蓬,披风,掩饰,幌子;vt.掩盖,掩饰
参考例句:
  • The snow covered up the fields with a white cloak.积雪给田野盖上了一件白色的外衣。
  • She threw a heavy woollen cloak over her shoulders.她把一件厚重的羊毛斗篷披在肩上。
19 feast tkixp     
n.盛宴,筵席,节日
参考例句:
  • After the feast she spent a week dieting to salve her conscience.大吃了一顿之后,她花了一周时间节食以安慰自己。
  • You shouldn't have troubled yourself to prepare such a feast!你不该准备这样丰盛的饭菜,这样太麻烦你了!
20 rejoiced bfe9194dff3f33d8cd8afc18ead0568b     
(使)欣喜[高兴,快乐]( rejoice的过去式和过去分词 ); 非常高兴; 深感欣喜
参考例句:
  • He rejoiced that all the work was after all finished in time. 他很高兴,全部的工作最终还是按时完成了。
  • The news of victory rejoiced the heart of the whole nation. 胜利的喜悦使全国人民欢欣鼓舞。


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