Chapter 1 The Seven Sw（1 / 2）

Chapter 1 The Seven Swabians

2018-04-15 作者： 外研社编译组

Chapter 1 The Seven Swabians

Www.Pinwenba.Com 吧by Brother Green

Seven Swabians were once together.The first was Master Schulz; the second, Jackli; the third, Marli; the fourth, Jergli; the fifth, Michal; the sixth, Hans; the seventh, Veitli: all seven had made up their minds to travel about the world to seek adventures, and perform great deeds.But in order that they might go in security and with arms in their hands, they thought it would be advisable that they should have one solitary, but very strong, and very long spear made for them.This spear all seven of them took in their hands at once; in front walked the boldest and bravest, and that was Master Schulz; all the others followed in a row, and Veitli was the last.Then it came to pass one day in the hay-making month (July), when they had walked a long distance, and still had a long way to go before they reached the village where they were to pass the night, that as they were in a meadow in the twilight a great beetle or hornet flew by them from behind a bush, and hummed in a menacing manner.

Master Schulz was so terrified that he all but dropped the spear, and a cold perspiration broke out over his whole body.“Hark! hark!” cried he to his comrades, “Good heavens! I hear a drum.”Jackli, who was behind him holding the spear, and who perceived some kind of a smell, said, “Something is most certainly going on, for I taste powder and matches.”At these words Master Schulz began to take to flight, and in a trice jumped over a hedge, but as he just happened to jump on to the teeth of a rake which had been left lying there after the hay-making.

the handle of it struck against his face and gave him a tremendous blow.“Oh dear! Oh dear!” screamed Master Schulz.“Take me prisoner; I surrender! I surrender!”The other six all leapt over, one on the top of the other, crying, “If you surrender, I surrender too!If you surrender, I surrender too!”At length, as no enemy was there to bind and take them away, they saw that they had been mistaken, and in order that the story might not be known, and they be treated as fools and ridiculed, they all swore to each other to hold their peace about it until one of them accidentally spoke of it.Then they journeyed onwards.The second danger which they survived cannot be compared with the first.Some days afterwards, their path led them through a fallow-field where a hare was sitting sleeping in the sun.

Her ears were standing straight up, and her great glassy eyes were wide open.All of them were alarmed at the sight of the horrible wild beast, and they consulted together as to what it would be the least dangerous to do.For if they were to run away, they knew that the monster would pursue and swallow them whole.So they said, “We must go through a great and dangerous struggle.Boldly ventured, is half won,” and all seven grasped the spear, Master Schulz in front, and Veitli behind.Master Schulz was always trying to keep the spear back, but Veitli had become quite brave while behind, and wanted to dash forward and cried,

“Strike home, in every Swabian’s name, or else I wish ye may be lame.”

But Hans knew how to meet this, and said,

“Thunder and lightning, it’s fine to prate, but for dragon-hunting thou’rt aye too late.”

Michal cried,

“Nothing is wanting, not even a hair, be sure the Devil himself is there.”