green fairy tale book

Chapter 43 The Magical Swan

Once upon a time there were three brothers, the eldest named Jacob, the second named Frederick, and the youngest named Peter.Peter was always made a laughingstock by his two older brothers.They often humiliated him.Whatever they did wrong, Peter took the blame and made it right for them.Peter had to take their abuse because he was too thin and small to stand up to his stronger brothers.Poor Peter lived this difficult life every day, thinking how to get out of it day and night.One day, as he was gathering sticks in the forest and weeping sadly, a little old woman came up to him and asked him what had happened.So he told her what had happened to him.

"Cheer up, good boy," said the old woman. "Isn't there a great world? Why don't you leave here and try your luck elsewhere?"

Peter took her words to heart.So one morning he left his father's house, determined to follow the old woman's advice, and try his luck out in the open country.Still, he was very sad at the thought of leaving home, the place where he was born, where at least he had had a brief but happy childhood.He sat on a hill and once again looked at his hometown affectionately.Suddenly the little old woman appeared in front of him again.She patted Peter on the shoulder lightly and said, "So far so good. But what are you going to do next?"

Peter was at a loss, not knowing how to answer.He always felt that luck would fall into his mouth like a ripe cherry.The old woman guessed what he was thinking, she smiled kindly, and said to him: "I will tell you what you must do, because I like you very much, and I believe that when you are lucky, you will not forget mine."

Peter assured her of his sincerity, and then the old woman went on:
"There's a pear tree growing at the crossroads over there. You're going to get there tonight at sunset. You'll find a man lying sleeping under the tree, with a swan by his side, tied to the tree by a string. You must Be careful not to wake the person, but you must untie the swan and take it away. After that, you will find that everyone will fall in love with its beautiful feathers. Whoever tries to pluck the swan A feather, you have to let him do that. But as soon as the swan feels someone's finger on its body, it will scream, and then you have to say: 'Swan, hold on!' At this time, no matter who When he touches a swan, his hand will be clamped like a pincer, and nothing can help him free it, unless you touch his hand with this little stick-I will give it to you as a gift. After you've caught a lot of people this way, you'll head the party straight to a big city where a princess who never smiles lives. If you can make her laugh, your luck will come At that time, please don't forget your old friend!"

Peter promised again that he would not forget the old woman.He arrived at the pear tree mentioned by the old woman at sunset.Sure enough, there lay a sleeping man, and beside him was a big and beautiful swan tied to a tree by a red rope.Peter secretly untied the rope, and then took the swan away, without waking up the swan's owner.

After walking with the swan for a while, he came to a construction site where several people were working in full swing.They were all fascinated by the beautiful feathers of the swan.One of the young men, covered from head to toe with mud, came forward and cried out, "Oh! How happy I should be to have such a beautiful feather!"

"Then just pull one out!" Peter said kindly.Then the young man grabbed a feather from the swan's tail.The swan immediately screamed.Peter cried, "Swan, hurry up!"

The young man tried various methods but could not withdraw his hand.The more anxiously the young man shouted, the louder his companions laughed.A girl doing laundry by the river stood up to see what had happened.When she found that the poor young man was glued to the swan, she couldn't help but feel pity.She reached out, trying to pull the young man's hand out.Then the swan cried.

"Swan, hurry up!" cried Peter.So the girl was also caught.

Peter left with his two captives.They hadn't gone far before they met a chimney-sweeping sweeper, who laughed at the strange procession Peter was leading, and asked the Laundry Girl what was the matter.

"Oh, my dearest John," said the maiden, "get me out of the hands of this damned young man!"

"If you need to do this, I will," said the chimney sweep, and he took the girl's hand.The swan cried.

"Swan, hurry up!" said Peter.And just like that, the black chimney sweep joined them.

Soon they came to a village.It was market day, and a traveling circus was performing at the market.The circus clown was just about to start his tricks when he opened his eyes wide in surprise at the funny trio waddling behind the swans.

"Are you crazy, blackie?" he asked, laughing.

"It's not a laughable thing at all," replied the cleaner. "This country girl is holding on to me as if I've been glued to her. You've got to be a good clown and put me on Get out. Someday I'll help you too."

The clown grabbed the cleaner's outstretched hand without hesitation.The swan cried.

"Swan, hurry up!" cried Peter.In this way, the clown became the fourth person in the line.

On this day, the village head, who is widely respected and loved in the village, also came to watch the circus performance.He sat in the first row of the auditorium.He sniffed at what had just happened, thinking it was just another silly trick by the Joker.He impatiently grabs the Joker's hand, trying to pull him away and hand him over to the police.Then the swan cried.Peter cried: "Swan, hurry up!" This time, the majestic mayor was as bad as they were.

And what about the village chief's wife?The woman, tall and thin as a cornstalk, was furious at the insult her husband had suffered.She grabbed the village chief's arm and tried to pull him out with all her strength, but the only result was that she had to join the team.After that, no one dared to try to join them again.

Before long, Peter could already see the towers of the capital.Just when they were about to enter the city, a gleaming carriage drove out of the city, and a girl as beautiful as a fairy was sitting in the carriage.But this beautiful girl has a serious and indifferent expression.But she, like her servants and handmaidens, could not help laughing when she saw the motley procession being dragged dejectedly and helplessly by a swan.

"The princess finally laughed!" the attendants shouted happily.

She got off the carriage and watched this strange scene closely.She couldn't stop laughing at the way the poor captives swayed and hopped about.She ordered her carriage to turn around, and drove back to the city slowly along with Peter's team, her eyes never leaving Peter and his team along the way.

The king was overjoyed when he heard that her daughter had finally laughed.He called Peter and the hilarious procession before him, and the king almost laughed himself out when he saw it.

"My good friend," he said to Peter, "I once promised a rich bounty to anyone who could make my daughter laugh. Do you know what the bounty I promised?"

"No, I don't know," said Peter.

"Then I will tell you," said the King, "a thousand gold pieces or a piece of land. Which would you choose?"

Peter chose the land.Then he touched the young man, the laundress, the chimney sweeper, the jester, the mayor, and the mayor's wife with the stick the old woman gave him, and they were all set free.They ran away towards home as if there was a fire burning their asses behind them.The way they galloped once again made people laugh up and down.

The princess wanted to touch the swan very much, and she also liked its feathers very much, when the swan cried.

"Swan, hurry up!" cried Peter, and in this way he won the Princess as his bride.

Then the swan took to the air and soon disappeared over the blue horizon.As a gift Peter received a fief from the king, and he became a very great man.But he had not forgotten the old woman who had brought him all the good fortune.Peter appointed her as the chief steward of himself and his princess, and from then on, the old woman lived happily with Peter and his wife in their magnificent castle.

(End of this chapter)