Kuštrava nevesta

Prevod

Once upon a time there was a widower who had a son and a daughter by his first wife. They were both good children, and dearly loved one another. After a while the man married again, taking a widow who had a daughter by her first husband. This daughter was both ugly and wicked, and so was her mother. From the day the new wife came into the house, the man’s children could find no peace in any nook or corner, so the boy thought it best to go out into the world and try to earn his own bread. After travelling for a time, he came to the king’s palace, where he found work under the master of the stables. He was so diligent and capable that the horses in his care grew sleek and fat, with coats that shone.

But his sister, who had stayed at home, had a dreadful life. Both her stepmother and the woman’s daughter were forever at her heels, scolding and railing wherever she went, and she never had an hour’s peace. She had to do all the heaviest work, was given harsh words morning and night, and little food besides.

One day they sent her to the brook to fetch water. Then an ugly, hideous head rose above the water. “Wash me!” said the head. “Yes, I’ll gladly wash you,” said the man’s daughter, and began to rub and wash the ugly face;

but she thought it dreadful work. When she had finished, another head rose out of the water, uglier still. “Brush me!” said the head. “Yes, I’ll gladly brush you!” said the girl, and set to work on its tangled hair, though you may be sure it was no pleasant task. When she had done, a still more hideous and ugly head rose out of the water. “Kiss me!” said the head. “Yes, I’ll kiss you,” said the man’s daughter, and so she did, though she thought it the worst task she had ever had in her life. Then the heads spoke to one another, asking what they should do for someone so kind.

“Let her become the fairest maiden alive, with a complexion as bright as day,” said the first head. “Let gold fall from her hair whenever she brushes it,” said the second. “Let gold fall from her mouth whenever she speaks,” said the third head. When the man’s daughter came home as beautiful and fair as the day, her stepmother and stepsister grew angrier than ever, and worse still when she spoke and they saw gold coins fall from her mouth. The stepmother flew into such a rage that she drove the man’s daughter out to the pigsty. There she could stay with all her golden finery, but she was not allowed to set foot inside the house.

It was not long before the mother sent her own daughter to the brook to fetch water. When she arrived with her buckets, the first head rose out of the water. “Wash me!” it said. “Let the devil wash you!” answered the woman’s own daughter.

Then the second rose up. “Brush me!” said the head. “Let the devil brush you!” said the woman’s daughter. Down it sank, and up came the third head. “Kiss me!” said the head. “Let the devil kiss you, you great snout!” said the girl. Then the heads spoke to one another again, asking what they should do to someone so ill-natured. They agreed that she should have a nose four ells long, a mouth that jutted out three ells, and a pine bush in the middle of her head, and that ashes should fall from her mouth whenever she spoke.

When she came home to the door with her water buckets, she called in to her mother. “Open the door!” she said. “Open it yourself, my own dear daughter!” said her mother. “I can’t reach past my nose,” said the daughter. When her mother came out and saw her, you can well imagine how she felt, and how she screamed and carried on; but neither nose nor mouth grew any smaller for that.

The brother of the man’s daughter, who served at the king’s palace, had painted a portrait of his sister and brought it with him. Every morning and evening he knelt before the portrait and prayed to Our Lord for his sister, so dearly did he love her. The other stableboys had heard him, so they peeped through the keyhole into his room and saw him kneeling before a picture.

Then they spread the story that every morning and evening the boy knelt and prayed to an idol he kept, and at last they went to the king himself and asked him to look through the boy’s keyhole and see for himself. The king would not believe it, but at length they persuaded him, and he crept on tiptoe to the door and peeped inside. Sure enough, he saw the boy kneeling, with his hands clasped, before the picture on the wall.

“Open the door!” shouted the king, but the boy did not hear. The king called a second time, but the boy was praying so earnestly that he still heard nothing. “Open the door, I say!” shouted the king again. “It is I who wish to come in.” At that the boy sprang to the door and unlocked it, and in his haste forgot to hide the portrait. When the king came in and saw it, he stood as though spellbound, unable to stir from the spot, so beautiful did he find the picture. “There cannot be such a lovely woman in all the world,” said the king. But the boy told him that it was his sister he had painted, and if she was no prettier, she was certainly no uglier. “Well, if she is so beautiful, I will have her for my queen,” said the king, and ordered the boy to set off that very instant and fetch her, and on no account to linger on the way. The boy promised to hurry as fast as he could, and left the palace.

When the brother came home to fetch his sister, the stepmother and her own daughter insisted on coming too. So they all set out together, and the man’s daughter brought a little chest in which she kept her gold, and a dog called Lille Kaværn;

those two things were all she had inherited from her mother. After they had travelled for a while, they had to cross a lake. The brother sat at the helm, while the mother and the two stepsisters sat in the bow, and they sailed on for a long, long time.

At last they could see a shore. “Where you see that white shore, we shall land,” said the brother, pointing across the lake. “What is my brother saying?” asked the man’s daughter.

“He says you must throw your chest into the water,” answered the stepmother. “Well, if my brother says so, I suppose I must,” said the man’s daughter, and she threw the chest overboard.

When they had sailed on for a while, the brother pointed across the lake again. “There you can see the palace we are going to,” he said. “What is my brother saying?” asked the man’s daughter.

“Now he says you must throw your dog into the lake,” answered the stepmother. The man’s daughter wept and grieved, for Lille Kaværn was the dearest thing she had in the world, but at last she threw him overboard.

“If my brother says so, I must do it, but God knows how unwillingly I throw you into the water, Lille Kaværn!” she said. Then they sailed a good way farther. “There you can see the king coming out to welcome you,” said the brother, pointing towards the shore.

“What is my brother saying?” his sister asked again. “Now he says you must hurry and throw yourself into the water,” answered the stepmother. She lamented and wept, but since her brother said so, she felt she must obey, and she leapt into the lake.

When they reached the palace and the king saw the hideous bride, with her nose four ells long, her mouth jutting out three ells, and a bush in the middle of her head, he was quite horrified. But everything was ready for the wedding, the brewing and baking were done, and the wedding guests sat waiting, so the king had to take her as she was. Angry he was, though, and no one could blame him; and so he had the boy thrown into the pit of serpents.

On the first Thursday evening after this, a beautiful woman came into the palace kitchen and very politely asked the kitchen maid, who slept there, to lend her a brush. The maid gave her one, and she brushed her hair until gold rained down. A little dog had come with her, and she said to him, “Go out, Lille Kaværn, and see whether day is coming soon!” She said this three times, and the third time she sent the dog out, the first grey light of dawn was appearing. Then she had to leave, but as she went she said:

“Shame on you, ugly Bush Bride! You shall lie in the king’s arms, while I lie in gravel and sand, and my brother in the pit of serpents, with no tears shed. Now I shall come twice more, and then never again.” In the morning the kitchen maid told what she had seen and heard, and the king said that the following Thursday evening he would keep watch in the kitchen himself to see whether it was true. As soon as darkness began to fall, he came out to join the maid in the kitchen.

But however much he rubbed his eyes and tried to stay awake, it was no use, for the Bush Bride hummed and sang until his eyes closed, and when the beautiful woman came, he was snoring fast asleep. Just as before, she borrowed a brush and brushed her hair until gold rained down. Then she sent the dog out three times, and when dawn broke, she left.

As she went, she said the same words as before. “Now I shall come once more, and then never again,” she said at last. On the third Thursday evening the king was determined to keep watch again. He had two men support him, one under each arm, and told them to shake and pinch him whenever he began to fall asleep. He also set two men to guard the Bush Bride. But as the evening wore on, the Bush Bride began to hum and sing again, until the king’s eyes began to close and his head drooped to one side. Then the beautiful woman came, borrowed the brush, and brushed her hair until gold rained down;

afterwards she sent little Kavern out to see whether day was coming soon, and this she did three times. The third time, dawn was breaking, and she said:

“Shame on you, ugly Bush Bride! You shall lie in the king’s arms, while I lie in gravel and sand, and my brother in the pit of serpents, with no tears shed. Now I shall never come again,” she said, and made to leave. But the two men supporting the king seized his hands and pressed the knife into his fist, and so he managed to cut her little finger deeply enough to draw blood and break the spell. Then the true bride was freed, and the king awoke. She told him all that had happened, and how her stepmother and the woman’s own daughter had betrayed her. Her brother was at once brought out of the pit of serpents—the serpents had not done him the slightest harm—and the stepmother and her own daughter were thrown down there instead. But no one can tell how happy the king was to be rid of the ugly Bush Bride and to have in her place a queen as beautiful and bright as day itself. Now the true wedding was held, and such a wedding it was that it was heard of and talked of throughout seven kingdoms. The king and his bride drove to church, and little Kavern sat in the carriage too.

When the marriage service was over, they drove home again, but after that I stayed with them no longer.

Izvirnik

Der var engang en Enkemand, som havde en Søn og en Datter efter den første Konen sin. Begge vare de snilde Børn og begge holdt de hjertelig af hverandre. Om en Tid giftede Manden sig igjen, da fik han en Enke, som havde en Datter efter sin første Mand, hun var baade styg og slem og det var Moderen ogsaa. Fra den Tid den nye Kone kom i Huset, var der ikke Fred at faae for Mandbørnene i nogen Ro eller Krog, og saa tænkte Gutten, at det var bedst, at drage ud i Verden og prøve at fortjene sit Brød selv. Da han havde vandret en Tid, kom han til Kongsgaarden, der fik han Tjeneste hos Staldmesteren, og flittig og flink var han, saa Hestene, han stelte, vare saa fede og blanke at det skinnede i dem.

Men Søsteren, som var igjen hjemme, havde det værre end ondt: baade Stedmoderen og Kjærringdatteren var efter hende, hvor hun gik og stod, og skjældte og smældte, og aldrig havde hun en Times Fred. Alt det tyngste Arbeide maatte hun gjøre, Vondord fik hun seent og tidlig, og liden Mad til. En Dag havde de sendt hende til Bækken at bære hjem Vand. Saa kom der et stygt fælt Hoved op over Vandskorpen. „Vask mig, du!“ sagde Hovedet. „Ja, jeg skal gjerne vaske dig,“ sagde Manddatteren, og begyndte at gnide og vaske det stygge Ansigtet; men et fælt Arbeide syntes hun det var. Da hun vel havde gjort det, kom der et andet Hoved op i Vandskorpen, det var endda fælere. „Børst mig, du!“ sagde Hovedet. „Ja jeg skal gjerne

børste dig!“ sagde Pigen, og gav sig i Kast med Haartotterne, men noget morsomt Arbeide kan du nok vide det ikke var. Da hun havde gjort det fra sig, kom der et endda fælere og styggere Hoved op i Vandskorpen. „Kys mig, du!“ sagde Hovedet. „Ja jeg skal kysse dig,“ sagde Manddatteren, og det gjorde hun ogsaa, men hun syntes, det var det værste Arbeide hun havde havt i sit Liv. Saa snakkede det ene Hoved til det andet, og de spurgte hverandre, hvad de skulde gjøre med den, som var saa godviis.

„At hun bli’er den fineste Gjente som til er, og saa hvidlet som den lyse Dag,“ sagde det første Hoved. „At der drysser Guld af Haaret, hver Gang hun børster sig,“ sagde det andet. „At der falder Guld af Munden paa hende, hver Gang hun taler,“ sagde det tredie Hoved. Da nu Manddatteren kom hjem saa deilig og lyslet som Dagen, blev Stedmoderen og hendes Datter endda argere, og endda værre blev det, da hun talte, og de saae, at der faldt Guldpenge af Munden hendes. Stedmoderen blev saa flyvende gal, at hun jagede Manddatteren til Grisehuset, der skulde hun være med Guldstadsen sin, men inde i Stuen fik hun ikke Lov at sætte sin Fod.

Det varede nu heller ikke længe, før Moderen vilde have Rettedatteren til Bækken at bære Vand hjem. Da hun kom der med Bøtterne sine, kom det første Hoved op i Vandskorpen. „Vask mig, du!“ sagde det. „Fanden vaske dig!“ svarede Rettedatteren. Saa kom det andet op. „Børst mig, du!“ sagde Hovedet. „Fanden børste dig!“ sagde Rettedatteren. Saa det til Bunds og det tredie Hoved op. „Kys mig, du!“ sagde Hovedet. „Fanden kysse dig, din Muletrut!“ sagde Gjenten. Saa snakkede Hovederne igjen til hverandre og spurgte, hvad de skulde gjøre ved den, som var saa vrangviis; og saa bleve de enige om, at hun skulde have fire Alens Næse og tre Alens Trut og en Tolbuske midt i Skallen, og hver Gang hun snakkede, skulde der falde Aske ud af Munden

hendes. Da hun kom hjem til Stuedøren med Vandbøtterne, raabte hun ind til Moderen — „Luk op!“ sagde hun. „Luk op selv, Rettedatteren min!“ sagde Moderen. „Jeg naaer ikke frem for Næsen min,“ sagde Datteren. Da Moderen kom ud og fik see hende, kan En nok vide, hvorledes hun blev til Mode, og hvorledes hun skreg og bar sig; men Næsen og Truten blev ikke mindre for det.

Manddatterens Broder, som tjente i Kongsgaarden, havde skildret Søsteren af, det Skilderi havde han med sig, og hver Morgen og Aften laa han paa Knæ foran Skilderiet og bad til vor Herre for Søsteren, saa kjær havde han hende. De andre Stalddrengene havde hørt dette, saa kigede de gjennem Nøglehullet ind paa Kammeret hans og saae at han laa paa Knæ for et Skilderi der.

De satte da ud, at Gutten hver Morgen og Aften laa og bad til et Afgudsbillede han havde, og tilsidst gik de til Kongen selv, og bad at han skulde kige gjennem Nøglehullet ind til Gutten, saa skulde han faae see. Kongen vilde ikke troe det, men langt om længe fik de ham overtalt, og han listede sig paa Tæerne bort til Døren og skottede. Jo, han saae Gutten ligge paa Knæ, og Billedet hang paa Væggen, og Hænderne holdt han sammen.

„Luk op!“ raabte Kongen, men Gutten hørte ikke. Saa raabte Kongen anden Gang, men Gutten bad saa hjertelig, at han ikke hørte det endda. „Luk op, siger jeg!“ raabte Kongen igjen. „Det er mig, som vil ind.“— Ja, saa sprang Gutten til Døren, og læste op, og i Hastigheden glemte han at gjemme Skilderiet. Da Kongen kom ind og fik see det, blev han staaende som han var fjettret og kunde ikke røre sig af Flekken, saa deiligt syntes han Billedet var. „Saa vakkert et Fruentimmer gives der ikke i Verden,“ sagde Kongen. Men Gutten fortalte, at det var Søster hans, som han havde skildret, og var hun ikke vakkrere, saa var hun slet ikke styggere, sagde han. „Ja er hun saa smuk, saa vil jeg have hende til min Dronning,“ sagde Kongen, og befalede

Gutten, at han skulde reise hjem efter hende paa flyvende Timen, og endelig ikke være længe om Veien. Gutten lovede, at han skulde skynde sig alt han kunde, og reiste afsted fra Kongsgaarden. Da Broderen kom hjem og skulde hente sin Søster, vilde Stedmoderen og Rettedatteren hendes ogsaa være med. De reiste da allesammen, og Manddatteren havde med sig et Skriin, som hun havde Guldet sit i, og en Hund, som hedte Lille Kaværn; de to Ting var hele Modersarven hendes. Da de hande reist en Stund, skulde de over Søen, og Broderen satte sig bag ved Roret og Moderen og begge Stedsøstrene sad fremme i Baaden, og saa seilede de baade langt og længe.

Om en Tid kunde de see en Strand. „Der I see den hvide Stranden, skal vi i Land,“ sagde Broderen og pegte ud over Søen. „Hvad er det, min Broder siger?“ spurgte Manddatteren. „Han siger, at du skal kaste Skrinet dit ud i,“ svarede Stedmoderen. „Ja, naar min Broder siger det, faaer jeg vel gjøre det,“ sagde Manddatteren, og saa kastede hun Skrinet. Da de nu havde seilet en Stund igjen, pegte Broderen igjen bort over Søen. „Der seer I Slottet, vi skal til,“ sagde han.

„Hvad er det, min Broder siger?“ spurgte Manddatteren. „Nu siger han, at du skal kaste Hunden din i Søen,“ svarede Stedmoderen. Manddatteren græd og var bedrøvet, for Lille Kaværn var det Kjæreste hun havde i Verden, men endelig kastede hun den -over Bord. „Naar min Broder siger det, faaer jeg gjøre det, men Gud skal vide, hvor nødig jeg kaster dig ud, Lille Kaværn!“ sagde hun.

Saa seilede de atter et godt Stykke. „Der seer du Kongen kommer ud forat tage imod dig,“ sagde Broderen og pegte imod Stranden. „Hvad er det, min Broder siger?“ spurgte hans Søster igjen. „Nu siger han, du skal skynde dig og kaste dig selv ud i,“ svarede Stedmoderen. Hun jamrede sig og græd, men naar hendes Broder sagde det, syntes hun, at hun maatte gjøre det, og saa hoppede hun ud i Søen.

Da de nu kom til Kongsgaarden, og Kongen fik see den fæle Bruden med fire Alens Næse og tre Alens Trut og en Buske midt i Skallen, blev han reent forskrækket; men Brylluppet var færdigt baade med Brygning og Bagning og Bryllupdfolkene sad og ventede, og saa maatte Kongen tage hende, slig hun var. Men vred var han, det kan Ingen fortænke ham i, og derfor lod han Gutten kaste i Ormegaarden.

Første Torsdagskvelden efter kom der et deiligt Fruentimmer ind i Kjøkkenet i Kongsgaarden, og bad Kokkegjenten, som laa der, saa vakkert at faae laant en Børste. Den fik hun og saa børstede hun sit Haar, saa Guldet dryppede. En liden Hund fulgte med hende, og til den sagde hun: „Gaa ud, Lille Kaværn! og see om det snart er Dagen!“ Det sagde hun tre Gange, og den tredie Gang hun sendte Hunden ud, var det ved de Tider, at det begyndte at graane. Da maatte hun bort, men med det samme hun gik, sagde hun: „Hut! du stygge Buskebrur!

Som skal ligge i Kongens Arm, Jeg i Gruus og Sand, Og min Bro’r i Ormegaarden, foruden Graad. Nu kommer jeg igjen to Gange til, og saa aldrig meer.“ Om Morgenen fortalte Kokkegjenten det hun havde seet og hørt, og saa sagde Kongen, at næste Torsdagskveld vilde han selv vaage i Kjøkkenet og see om det var sandt, og da det vel havde begyndt at mørkne, saa kom han ud i Kjøkkenet til Gjenten.

Men alt han gned Øinene og prøvede at holde sig vaagen, saa hjalp det ikke; thi Buskebruden trallede og sang saa at Øinene paa ham faldt sammen, og da det deilige Fruentimmeret kom, sov han, saa han snorkede. Ligesom forrige Gang fik hun laant en Børste, og børstede Haaret sit med, saa Guldet dryppede, og saa sendte hun ud Hunden tre Gange, og da det lysnede, gik hun.

Med det samme hun gik, sagde hun de samme Ord som Gangen før. „Nu kommer jeg igjen een Gang, og saa aldrig meer,“ sagde hun tilsidst. Den tredie Torsdagskveld vilde Kongen igjen vaage. Da satte han to Mand til at holde sig, en under hver Arm, de skulde ryste ham og nappe i ham, hver Gang han vilde til at falde i Søvn, og to Mand satte han Vagt over Buskebruden. Men da det led ud paa Kvelden begyndte Buskebruden igjen at tralle og synge, saa at Øinene begyndte at lukke sig paa Kongen og Hovedet hang ned til den ene Siden. Saa kom det deilige Fruentimmer og fik Børsten og børstede sit Haar, saa Guldet dryppede; derefter sendte hun lille Kavern ud for at see om det snart

var Dagen, og det gjorde hun tre Gange. Tredie Gang begyndte det at lysne, da sagde hun: „Hut! du stygge Buskebrur, Som skal ligge i Kongens Arm, Jeg i Gruus og Sand, Og min Bro’er i Ormegaarden, foruden Graad. Nu kommer jeg aldrig igjen mere,“ sagde hun, og saa vilde hun gaae. Men de to Mand, som holdt Kongen under Armene, greb over Hænderne hans og klemte Kniven ind i Næven paa ham, og saa fik han skaaret hende i Veslefingeren saa meget at hun blev blodvækt. Da var den rette Brud frelst og Kongen vaagnede; hun fortalte ham, hvorledes Alt var gaaet til, og hvorledes

Stedmoderen og Rettedatteren havde sveget hende. Strax blev hendes Broder taget ud af Ormegaarden — ham havde Ormene ikke gjort det mindste Skade — og Stedmoderen og Rettedatteren hendes bleve kastede derned i Stedet. Men Ingen kan fortælle, hvor glad Kongen var, da han blev af med den stygge Buskebruden og fik igjen en Dronning, som var saa deilig og lys som selve Dagen. Nu blev det rette Bryllup gjort, og det saa det blev hørt og spurgt over syv Kongeriger; Kongen og Bruden hans kjørte til Kirke og lille Kavern sad ogsaa i Vognen.

Da Vielsen var forbi, kjørte de hjem igjen, men siden var jeg ikke længer med dem.

Prevod

Izvirnik

Morda ti bo všeč tudi