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"Hi! you cobbler-lad, don't be in such a hurry!" cried the soldier. "Nothi ng will take place till I arrive, but if you will just run over to where I have been living and fetch me my tinder box, you shall have five copper pieces; but you must go as quickly as your legs will carry you." The cobbler's lad wante d the money very much, so off he ran for the tinder box, gave it to the soldier, and-yes, now you shall hear something! Outside the town a large gallows had been erected, and round about it stood the soldiers and t housands of people. The King and Queen sat on a beautiful throne right opposite the Judge and the whole Council. The soldier already stood on the ladder, but just as they were about to throw the co rd round his neck, he observed that it had always been the custom for a criminal to be granted one innocent wish before he suffered death. He would so much like, he said, to smoke a pipe of tobacco-it was, after all, the last pipe he would ever smoke in this world! The King did not like to say "No" to that, and so the soldier took out his tinder box and struck a light-once-twice-and thrice. And there came all the dogs, th e one with eyes as big as teacups, the one with eyes as big as mill-wheels, and the one with eyes as big as towers. | 「嗨！你这个制鞋的家伙，你不要急呀！」士兵对他说。 「在我还没有到刑场以前，没有什么好看的呀！不过，如果你跑到我住的地方去把我的火绒盒拿来，我可以给你四块钱。但是你得使劲地跑快一点才行。」 那鞋匠的学徒很想得到那四块钱，所以提起脚用力的跑，把火绒盒拿来交给了士兵。同时──是的，我们马上就可以知道发生什么事情了。 在城外，一架高大的绞刑台已经竖起来了。它的四周站着许多士兵和成千上万的老百姓。 国王和王后面对着审判官和全部陪审的人员，坐在一个豪华的座位上面。 那个士兵已经站到梯子上来了。不过，当人们正要把绞绳套进他脖子上时，他说，一个罪人在接受审判以前，可以有一个无罪的要求，人们应该让他得到满足。 他说他非常想抽一口烟，而且这可说是他在这世上所抽的最后一口烟了。 对于这要求，国王不想说一个「不」字。所以士兵就拿出了他的火绒盒，擦了几下。一──二──三！ 忽然三只狗儿全都跳出来了，一只有茶杯那么大的眼睛，一只有石磨轮那么大的眼睛，还有一只的眼睛几乎有「圆塔」那么大。 |
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