When all was thus arranged, the lad and the toad went down into the garden that lay around the house, and came to a large bush, of a kind that the youth had never before seen. The toad then said: "It shall be your job to cut a branch of this bush every day when the sun is in the heavens. You must do it on Sunday as well as on Monday, on Yule-day as well as on Midsummer-day; but you must cut only branch each day." The boy promised to obey her wishes in all things. The toad then led him up to a chamber, and said: "Here you may henceforward sleep and live. On this table you will always find meat and drink, when you are hungry. This bed you shall find ready whenever you wish to rest, and in every respect you shall enjoy perfect liberty. Only be faithful in what is required of you." When she had thus spoken they separated, and the toad hopped away. The lad then went down into the garden, and cut a branch from the bush, and so was at liberty for that day. On the following morning he did the same, and so on throughout the whole year. He fared well in the palace, enjoying an abundance of everything he could wish. Nevertheless, his time seemed long; for the day came and the day went, and he never saw nor heard a human being.

When a year had expired, and the youth had cut the last branch of the bush, the toad came hopping to him, thanked him for his faithful services, and asked him what reward he wished. The lad answered that he had done very little that deserved a reward, and would be quite satisfied with whatever his mistress would be pleased to give him.

The toad then said: "I know well enough what you would like as payment. Your brothers are gone to earn cloths to spread on their father's table on Yule-eve. But I will give you a cloth, the like of which they will hardly find, even if they search over twelve kingdoms." With these words she gave the youth a tablecloth whiter than snow, and so fine that it could not be matched. The lad was now overjoyed, thanked his mistress in many expressions of gratitude, bade her farewell, and prepared, with great joy of heart, to return home to his father.

The youth now set out on his journey, and travelled the whole day without meeting with any adventure. Late in the evening he perceived a light, towards which he bent his course, in expectation of finding shelter for the night. On reaching the spot he at once recognized the alehouse in which he had left his brothers, and on entering, lo! there sat his two brothers in the midst of cups and jugs, eating and drinking, and making merry. As the lad no longer remembered the wrong he had suffered at their hands, he felt glad to meet with his brothers, and went and greeted them affectionately. He then asked how they had done since they last saw each other, and whether they had succeeded in getting a cloth to lay upon their father's Yule-table. The brothers answered yes, and said that all had turned out well. Each then produced his cloths, but the cloths were both torn and worn. "Now," said the lad, "wait, and you shall see another sort of thing." He then spread out the cloth given him by the toad, and all the guests in the alehouse admired the fineness of the texture. But the two brothers were not content that their youngest brother should possess so costly a thing. They therefore took the beautiful cloth from him by force, and gave him their old ones in return. All the three then returned home to their father. When Yule-eve came, and the youths spread their cloth on the table, the old man was delighted, and could not rejoice enough at their good fortune. The two brothers then began to praise themselves, and talked largely of all the great things they had performed. But the youngest lad said very little. He was neither heard nor believed, say what he might.
关键字:魔蟾
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