orange fairy book

Chapter 12 The Soldier's Son Ian (2)

"Rest well tonight," said the big crow. "Tomorrow you will take the three daughters of the knight to the edge of the big rock, and from there return to the world below. It should be noted that you must go down first, and let them Follow you. And, before I go, give me some more tobacco."

Ian said, "Take it all, you deserve it."

"No, just give me some. You only know the past, but you don't know the future." After finishing speaking, the big crow took some tobacco in its beak and flew away.

The next morning, the jazz's youngest daughter carried all the gold and silver in the castle on a donkey, and went with Ian to the castle of the jazz's second daughter.The knight's second daughter was waiting for them, and she also had many treasures to take away on her donkey.When they came to the castle where the Sir's eldest daughter was imprisoned, they found her to be the same.Together they reached the edge of the big rock, and Ian stopped and shouted down, and the basket was pulled up.Originally, Ian should go down first and let the three sisters follow him, but he forgot the big crow's advice and let them go down first, in case something happened to them.Although all three sisters wore golden crowns on their heads, he only begged the knight's youngest daughter to leave them to him, and then helped them sit one by one into the basket, and lowered it with it.

He waited on it for a long time, but the basket didn't come up again, because the three sisters were completely immersed in the joy of regaining their freedom and completely forgot about Ian.They set foot on the ship that brought the three Ian brothers, and sailed back to Greenock Country.

Finally, Ian understood what was going on.Just when he was thinking about what to do, the big crow came to him and said seriously:

"You forgot what I said."

"Yes, that's why I was left here." Ian said with his head down.

"It's all done, and it's useless to regret it," continued the big crow. "If you don't listen to advice, you will have to reap the consequences. Tonight, you will sleep in the giant's castle. Now, you will give me some tobacco."

"Okay. But I want you to stay with me in the castle."

"It can't be done, but I'll be back tomorrow."

The next day the big crow came, and he told Ian to go to the giant's stable.There is a horse that can run both on land and at sea.

The big crow said: "When you enter the stable, you must be very careful and pay attention to the method, because the door of the stable will keep flapping back and forth, and if it touches it, you will scream in pain. I will come first and show you a bit."

Ian said, "Go ahead."

The big crow flapped its wings and jumped in, but the door hit a feather on its tail, and it cried out in pain.

So, Ian first took a few steps back, then ran a few steps forward, and then jumped—unfortunately, the door hit one of his feet, and he immediately fainted to the ground from the pain.The big crow went up at once, and brought him back to the castle with his beak and claws, and put plaster on his feet until he was fully recovered.

"Now go for a walk," said the big crow, "but be careful, and don't be curious about anything you see, and don't touch anything. Also, give me some more tobacco."

On the island, Ian saw many strange things, completely beyond his expectations.In a ravine lay the corpses of three heroes, with three spears pierced into their chests.Remembering the crow's advice, he was silent, but he drew the three spears.At this moment, the three men sat up and said to him:

"You are Ian, the son of a soldier. You have been cursed to go to the Black Fisherman's Cave with us."

So they set off together.After arriving at the cave, one of them went in first to see what was going on inside.The man saw a hideous witch sitting on a stone, but before he could speak, he was hit by the witch's magic wand and turned into a stone.The witch turned the other two into stone in the same way.Finally, Ian went in.

The witch said: "These people have been cursed, and they will never be resurrected, unless you go to the island of the giantess and bring back the water there to clean them, but you can't stay there for too long, otherwise you will die." I can't come back." Ian left with a heavy heart.

The big crow jumped up to him and said, "You didn't listen to my advice, so you are in trouble. Now you go to sleep first, and tomorrow you will ride the horse in the giant's stable to go to the island of the giantess. On the island, sixteen boys will greet you. They will offer food to the horse and want to take the saddle and bridle of the horse. Be careful not to let them touch the horse. You have to feed the horse yourself and Bring the horses into the stable and close the door. Besides, those sixteen little grooms will try to unlock the stable door, and you have to relock it every time, remember. Now, you'll give me some tobacco."

The next morning, after Ian got up, he went to the stable to lead the horse. This time, he cleverly avoided the door flapping back and forth, and rode his horse across the sea to Giantess Island.Sixteen grooms came to meet him, and each of them offered to help him lead the horse, feed it, and bring it to the stable, but Ian just said:
"I'll take it into the stable and take care of it myself." Ian did.While he was rubbing the horse's back, the horse said to him:

"They'll give you all kinds of drinks, but you don't drink anything but water and milk."

As expected, Ian heeded Ma's advice.

The sixteen little grooms saw that Ian didn't drink anything, so they drank it all by themselves, and then fell asleep at the table one by one.

This time, Ian was very proud of resisting the temptation of the little groom, but he forgot that the horse had said to him:

"Don't fall asleep, or you will lose your chance to go home again."

Because when the little grooms fell asleep, a kind of beautiful music came to Ian's ears, so he fell asleep too.

After he fell asleep, the horse came out through the stable door and kicked him awake.

"You didn't listen to my advice," it said, "I don't know if you can go back across the sea now. If you want to go back, you can only take down the sword on the wall and kill the sixteen little grooms who tempted you. "

Because he didn't listen to the advice this time, Ian felt very ashamed, so he could only get up and do what the horse said.Then he ran to the well, filled a leather bag with some water, and jumped on his horse.They crossed the sea and returned to the island, and the big crow was waiting for him.

"Lead the horse into the stable," said the crow, "and go to sleep. Tomorrow you must go and raise the three heroes and kill the witch. But be careful not to be so foolish as today. "

Ian begged the crow, "Stay with me." But the crow shook his head and flew away.

The next morning, after Ian woke up, he hurried to the old witch's cave.He beat the witch to death before she could cast a spell on him.He then sprinkled water on the three heroes, who came back to life and left the cave with Ian to meet the Raven.

The big crow said to Ian: "You can finally keep in mind the advice and do things. You already have wisdom. Now, you can return to Greenock. At that time, you will find that the eldest daughter and the second daughter of the knight will marry each other. To your two older brothers, and the youngest daughter to marry the chief of the Great Rock. You will give me her golden crown, and when you need it, just think of me and I will bring it to you. At last One more thing to remind you: if someone asks where you are from, you should answer from the back, if someone asks where you are going, you should answer that you are going to the front.”

So, Ian got on his horse, with the horse facing the sea and its back facing the beach, and then ran towards the Greenock country.At last they reached the church in Greenock Country, stopped on the grass by the well, and Ian jumped from the saddle.

The horse said to him, "Now, draw your sword and cut off my head." But Ian replied:

"You helped me a lot, and I'm so sorry for doing this."

"Actually, I was originally a girl, and the crow was the boy who pursued me. Because of the giant's spell, we became like this. You can only free me and the crow from the spell if you do what I say. .So don’t be afraid, just do as I tell you.”

So Ian drew out his sword and cut off its head as it ordered, and then walked on without looking back.On the way, he saw a woman standing in front of his house. She asked Ian where he was from, and Ian replied that he was coming from the back as the crow told him. Then she asked Ian where he was going, and Ian The answer is to go to the front.After answering the woman's question, Ian said he felt thirsty and wanted to drink some water.

"You're being rude, but I'll give you something to drink," said the woman, and she gave Ian some milk, which was all she had until her husband came home.

Ian asked, "Where did your husband go?"

The woman replied, "He is in the Sir's castle, and he is going to cast a crown of gold and silver for the Sir's youngest daughter, just like the tiaras her two sisters wear. It must be a unique shape. Look, he is back. Now we can ask him how he is doing."

While talking, the man entered the door.As soon as he saw this strange young man, he asked, "Young man, what do you do?"

Ian replied, "I'm a blacksmith." The man said happily:
"Then I am very lucky, because you can help me cast a tiara for the knight's youngest daughter."

Ian said, "Looks like you know there's nothing you can do."

The man said, "Yes, but I have to try my best, otherwise I will be hanged on a tree, so if you are willing to help me, you are doing a good deed."

Ian said: "I will do my best, and I hope I can help you. You keep the gold and silver, and lock me in the casting room tonight, and I will do some magic." So the man locked Ian in the casting room, I feel very puzzled in my heart.

As soon as the door was locked, Ian prayed for the arrival of the big crow.Sure enough, the big crow came to him with the crown in its mouth.

He said to Ian, "Chop off my head now." But Ian replied:
"Doing this is tantamount to asking me to avenge my kindness."

"No," said the big crow, "that is all you can give me in return, for if it had not been for the spell, I would be as young a lad as you are."

So Ian drew his sword and cut off the head of the big crow, and closed his eyes without looking at anything, and then lay down to sleep.At dawn the next day, the man unlocked the door and came in, shaking Ian awake.

Ian took the tiara from under the pillow, said lazily, "Here is the tiara," and fell asleep again.

When he woke up again, it was already high in the sun.At this time, he saw a tall brown-haired boy standing beside him.

Said the boy, "I am the big crow, and the spell has been lifted. Rise up and follow me."

Then they came together to where Ian had left the horse.Now, there is no horse there, only a beautiful girl.

"I am the horse, the spell has been lifted," she said, and she and the lad left together.

At this time, the blacksmith took the tiara to the castle and asked the maid to give the tiara to the knight's youngest daughter.But when the knight's youngest daughter saw the diadem, she cried out:
"He lied, and if he doesn't bring the man who actually made the crown, I'll hang him from the tree by my window."

The maid was very frightened when she heard her words, and hurried to tell the blacksmith, so he ran to find Ian, and brought Ian to the youngest daughter of the knight.At that moment, she was first speechless with surprise, and then announced that she would not marry anyone but Ian.At this time, someone invited Sir, and after listening to Ian's story, Sir announced that the youngest daughter's choice was right, and the other two daughters could not marry Ian's two older brothers, because they would not only Take the credit of others to yourself, and let the real creditors face the disaster alone.

At the wedding, the guests all thought that Sir was right, no one wanted to pay attention to Ian's two brothers, so they had to leave Greenock Country.

(End of this chapter)