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E-Books (english-e-reader), The Ghosty Bridegroom (3)

The Ghosty Bridegroom (3)

Part three

The news of the count's death at the hands of robbers shocked everyone in the castle. The baron locked himself away in his room. His guests, who'd come to celebrate with him, couldn't think of leaving him now in his time of trouble. They walked around the castle or met in the hall in groups, talking and shaking their heads. And they ate and drank more than ever, to try and make themselves feel more cheerful.

But for the bride things were even worse. Just think of losing the man of your dreams before you've even taken him in your arms - and what a man he had been!

'The ghost of him was so polite and so fine-looking,' she said to herself. 'And I'm sure when he was alive, he was even politer and finer than that!'

She filled the castle with her moans and sighs. On the second night after she'd met - and lost - the love of her life, she went to her room. One of her aunts - the fatter one - went with her. She didn't want the girl to sleep alone. This aunt, who was one of the best tellers of ghost stories in Germany, was telling one of her longest stories when she fell asleep in the middle of it.

The room looked out on a garden.

Lying in bed, the young woman watched the moon shining on the leaves of the tree that stood outside her window.

As she listened, the bell of the castle clock sounded twelve times. It was midnight!

Suddenly she heard soft guitar music coming from the garden. She left her bed and went to the window. A tall figure stood below, among the shadows of the trees. It looked up at her and just then, the silvery light of the moon shone down on it. She recognized the face. It was her ghostly bridegroom!

Suddenly she heard a loud scream in her ear, and her aunt - who'd woken up and followed her niece to the window - fell into her arms. When she looked down at the garden again, the ghost had disappeared.

It was now the aunt that needed the most looking after. She was really terrified. The young woman, on the other hand, felt that there was something even in the ghost of her lover that touched her heart. He seemed to her so manly. And - although the shadow of a man is not really enough to please a girl who's sick with love - a manly ghost is better than no man at all.

The aunt said, 'I'm never want to sleep in this room again.'

The niece answered, 'And I'll never sleep in any other room in the castle except this one.'

So the niece decided to sleep in the room alone.

'Promise me faithfully you won't tell anyone about the ghost,' she asked her aunt.

'I promise,' the aunt replied.

The niece didn't want to lose the only happiness she had in the world. She didn't want to leave the room near that garden which her lover's ghost haunted at night.

I'm not sure if the aunt kept her promise or not. She loved telling stories, and it's fun to be the first person who learns about a piece of news and can then inform others. People say she kept her promise for over six days, but she didn't have to keep things secret for longer than that.

While she was sitting at the breakfast table on the seventh day, a servant came in, saying, 'Nobody can find the young lady. Her room's empty, she hasn't slept in her bed, and her window's open. She's gone!'

Everyone at the breakfast table was shocked at the news. Even the poorer relatives stopped eating for a moment. Then the fat aunt - who could say nothing when she first heard the news - suddenly began telling the story of what she'd seen in the garden, adding, 'The goblin's taken her!'

Two of the servants added, 'It's true! We heard a horse hurrying down the mountain road at about midnight. It was surely the ghostly bridegroom on his black horse, taking his bride away to the grave!'

All strongly believed what they said was true because awful things like this often happen in Germany, as you'll see if you read all the reports about them.

What a terrible thing to happen to the baron! Both as a father and as part of the great Katzenellenbogen family it was unspeakably awful.

'Has a ghost taken my only daughter to the grave, or am I going to have a wild hunter as a son-in-law, or maybe half-goblin grandchildren?'

As usual he began running around worriedly and everyone in the castle became nervous.

He gave orders to his men, 'Take your horses and ride through the Odenwald forest at once. Look for my daughter on every hill, in every valley, and along every road.'

The baron himself had just pulled on his boots and was ready to get on his horse's back when he saw something that made him stop.

A young lady was riding towards the castle on a white horse, and a young man on a black horse was riding beside her.

She rode up to the gate and jumped down from the horse. At once she fell at the baron's feet and put her arms round his legs. It was his lost daughter, and her friend was - the ghostly bridegroom!

The baron was very surprised. He looked first at his daughter and then at the ghost and almost couldn't believe his eyes.

The ghost seemed in much better health since his visit to the land of the dead. His clothes were rich and fine, and he looked strong and manly in them. He was no longer white-faced and miserable. His face was pink and full of life, and happiness shone from his large brown eyes.

The mystery was at an end. The young man (as I'm sure you've guessed already) introduced himself to the baron as Herman von Starkenfaust.

He explained about his adventure with the young count, and told of how he'd hurried to the castle to bring the sad news, but that the baron had stopped him speaking again and again.

'When I saw the bride, she won my heart,' he went on, 'So I decided to stay for a while as the count in order to spend a few hours at her side. I was thinking about how I could say goodbye and go when suddenly your story about the goblin, Baron, gave me the idea for the strange way in which I left. Because you and my father are enemies, I knew later visits of mine wouldn't meet with your approval,' he added. 'So I came back in secret, haunting the garden below your daughter's window. There I met her, talked to her, won her heart, and carried her off with me to church where we've just celebrated our wedding.'

Normally the baron was a hard man. He liked his daughter to obey him, and his ancestors' enemies were his enemies, too. But he also loved his daughter, and he'd believed he would never see her again. Now he was happy to see her alive. And, although her husband was the son of his enemy, at least he wasn't a goblin!

'Young man,' he began, 'I have to say there's something not quite honest and true about the way you told me you were dead.'

But one of his friends, who was an old army man, said, 'Everything's fair in the name of love.'

Another old soldier added, 'Von Starkenfaust has recently been in the army, and what he's done needs to be seen in a different light because of that.'

So everything ended happily. The baron told his daughter and son-in-law there and then, 'I'm ready to forget what's happened and to welcome you both into my home with open arms.'

Everyone in the castle began celebrating again. The poor relatives made the young man's ears burn red with all the nice things they said to him:

'You're so brave.'

'You're so kind.'

And so rich!'

The aunts, it was true, were a little shocked at the way their niece had forgotten so quickly everything that they'd tried to teach her.

'It was a serious mistake not to have metal bars put across her window,' said the thinner of the two, and her sister agreed.

The fatter aunt was very annoyed.

'I can't tell my wonderful story of the ghost in the garden any more,' she thought. 'Because the only ghost I've ever seen wasn't real after all.'

But the niece seemed very happy indeed to find out that her ghostly bridegroom was in fact a living husband in the end.

- THE END -

The Ghosty Bridegroom (3) العريس الشبح (3) Der geisterhafte Bräutigam (3) El novio fantasma (3) L'époux fantôme (3) 幽霊の花婿 (3) 유령 신랑 (3) Upiorny oblubieniec (3) O noivo fantasma (3)

Part three Parte três

The news of the count's death at the hands of robbers shocked everyone in the castle. A notícia da morte do conde nas mãos dos assaltantes chocou a todos no castelo. The baron locked himself away in his room. O barão se trancou em seu quarto. His guests, who'd come to celebrate with him, couldn't think of leaving him now in his time of trouble. Seus convidados, que tinham vindo para celebrar com ele, não conseguiam pensar em deixá-lo agora em seu momento de dificuldade. Його гості, які прийшли святкувати разом з ним, не могли й подумати про те, щоб залишити його в скрутний для нього час. They walked around the castle or met in the hall in groups, talking and shaking their heads. Eles andavam pelo castelo ou se encontravam no salão em grupos, conversando e balançando a cabeça. And they ate and drank more than ever, to try and make themselves feel more cheerful. E comiam e bebiam mais do que nunca, tentando se sentir mais alegres.

But for the bride things were even worse. Mas para a noiva as coisas estavam ainda piores. Just think of losing the man of your dreams before you've even taken him in your arms - and what a man he had been! Apenas pense em perder o homem dos seus sonhos antes mesmo de tê-lo nos braços - e que homem ele havia sido! Тільки уявіть, що ви втратили чоловіка своєї мрії ще до того, як взяли його на руки - а яким він був чоловіком!

'The ghost of him was so polite and so fine-looking,' she said to herself. 'O fantasma dele era tão educado e tão bonito', ela disse para si mesma. 'And I'm sure when he was alive, he was even politer and finer than that!' 'E tenho certeza de que quando ele estava vivo, ele era ainda mais educado e fino do que isso!'

She filled the castle with her moans and sighs. Ela encheu o castelo com seus gemidos e suspiros. On the second night after she'd met - and lost - the love of her life, she went to her room. Na segunda noite depois que ela conheceu - e perdeu - o amor de sua vida, ela foi para o seu quarto. One of her aunts - the fatter one - went with her. Uma de suas tias - a mais gorda - foi com ela. She didn't want the girl to sleep alone. Ela não queria que a menina dormisse sozinha. Вона не хотіла, щоб дівчинка спала сама. This aunt, who was one of the best tellers of ghost stories in Germany, was telling one of her longest stories when she fell asleep in the middle of it. Essa tia, que era uma das melhores contadoras de histórias de fantasmas na Alemanha, estava contando uma de suas histórias mais longas quando adormeceu no meio dela.

The room looked out on a garden. O quarto dava para um jardim.

Lying in bed, the young woman watched the moon shining on the leaves of the tree that stood outside her window. Deitada na cama, a jovem assistia a lua brilhando nas folhas da árvore que ficava do lado de fora de sua janela.

As she listened, the bell of the castle clock sounded twelve times. Enquanto escutava, o sino do relógio do castelo soou doze vezes. It was midnight! Era meia-noite!

Suddenly she heard soft guitar music coming from the garden. De repente, ela ouviu música suave de violão vindo do jardim. She left her bed and went to the window. Ela saiu da cama e foi até a janela. A tall figure stood below, among the shadows of the trees. Uma figura alta estava abaixo, entre as sombras das árvores. It looked up at her and just then, the silvery light of the moon shone down on it. Olhou para cima para ela e, naquele momento, a luz prateada da lua brilhou sobre ele. She recognized the face. Ela reconheceu o rosto. It was her ghostly bridegroom! Era seu noivo fantasma!

Suddenly she heard a loud scream in her ear, and her aunt - who'd woken up and followed her niece to the window - fell into her arms. De repente, ela ouviu um grito alto em seu ouvido, e sua tia - que havia acordado e seguido sua sobrinha até a janela - caiu em seus braços. When she looked down at the garden again, the ghost had disappeared. Quando olhou para baixo novamente para o jardim, o fantasma tinha desaparecido.

It was now the aunt that needed the most looking after. Jetzt war es die Tante, um die man sich am meisten kümmern musste. Agora era a tia que precisava de cuidados especiais. She was really terrified. Sie war wirklich entsetzt. Ela estava realmente aterrorizada. The young woman, on the other hand, felt that there was something even in the ghost of her lover that touched her heart. A jovem, por outro lado, sentia que até mesmo o fantasma de seu amado tocava seu coração. З іншого боку, молода жінка відчула, що навіть у примарі коханого є щось, що торкається її серця. He seemed to her so manly. Ele parecia tão viril para ela. Він здався їй таким мужнім. And - although the shadow of a man is not really enough to please a girl who's sick with love - a manly ghost is better than no man at all. E, embora a sombra de um homem não seja realmente suficiente para agradar uma garota doente de amor, um fantasma viril é melhor do que nenhum homem.

The aunt said, 'I'm never want to sleep in this room again.' A tia disse: 'Nunca mais quero dormir neste quarto'.

The niece answered, 'And I'll never sleep in any other room in the castle except this one.' A sobrinha respondeu: 'E eu nunca vou dormir em nenhum outro quarto no castelo além deste.'

So the niece decided to sleep in the room alone. Então a sobrinha decidiu dormir sozinha no quarto.

'Promise me faithfully you won't tell anyone about the ghost,' she asked her aunt. 'Prometa-me fielmente que você não contará a ninguém sobre o fantasma', ela pediu a sua tia.

'I promise,' the aunt replied.

The niece didn't want to lose the only happiness she had in the world. A sobrinha não queria perder a única felicidade que tinha no mundo. She didn't want to leave the room near that garden which her lover's ghost haunted at night. Ela não queria deixar o quarto perto daquele jardim que era assombrado pelo fantasma de seu amante à noite.

I'm not sure if the aunt kept her promise or not. Não tenho certeza se a tia manteve sua promessa ou não. She loved telling stories, and it's fun to be the first person who learns about a piece of news and can then inform others. Ela adorava contar histórias, e é divertido ser a primeira pessoa a saber de uma notícia e depois poder informar os outros. People say she kept her promise for over six days, but she didn't have to keep things secret for longer than that. As pessoas dizem que ela manteve sua promessa por mais de seis dias, mas não precisava manter segredos por mais do que isso.

While she was sitting at the breakfast table on the seventh day, a servant came in, saying, 'Nobody can find the young lady. Enquanto ela estava sentada à mesa do café da manhã no sétimo dia, um servo entrou, dizendo: 'Ninguém consegue encontrar a jovem senhora.' Her room's empty, she hasn't slept in her bed, and her window's open. O quarto dela está vazio, ela não dormiu na cama dela e a janela está aberta. She's gone!' Ela se foi!

Everyone at the breakfast table was shocked at the news. Todos na mesa do café da manhã ficaram chocados com a notícia. Even the poorer relatives stopped eating for a moment. Até os parentes mais pobres pararam de comer por um momento. Then the fat aunt - who could say nothing when she first heard the news - suddenly began telling the story of what she'd seen in the garden, adding, 'The goblin's taken her!' Então, a tia gorda - que não conseguiu dizer nada quando ouviu a notícia pela primeira vez - de repente começou a contar a história do que viu no jardim, acrescentando: 'O duende a levou!'

Two of the servants added, 'It's true! Dois dos criados acrescentaram: 'É verdade!' We heard a horse hurrying down the mountain road at about midnight. Ouvimos um cavalo correndo pela estrada da montanha por volta da meia-noite. It was surely the ghostly bridegroom on his black horse, taking his bride away to the grave!' Certamente era o noivo fantasmagórico em seu cavalo negro, levando sua noiva para o túmulo!

All strongly believed what they said was true because awful things like this often happen in Germany, as you'll see if you read all the reports about them. Todos acreditavam fortemente que o que diziam era verdade porque coisas terríveis como essa frequentemente acontecem na Alemanha, como você verá se ler todos os relatos sobre elas.

What a terrible thing to happen to the baron! Que coisa terrível de acontecer ao barão! Both as a father and as part of the great Katzenellenbogen family it was unspeakably awful. Tanto como pai quanto como parte da grande família Katzenellenbogen foi indescritivelmente terrível. І як для батька, і як для члена великої родини Катценелленбогенів це було невимовно жахливо.

'Has a ghost taken my only daughter to the grave, or am I going to have a wild hunter as a son-in-law, or maybe half-goblin grandchildren?' 'Um fantasma levou minha única filha para o túmulo, ou vou ter um caçador selvagem como genro, ou talvez meio-netos goblin?'

As usual he began running around worriedly and everyone in the castle became nervous. Como de costume, ele começou a correr preocupado e todos no castelo ficaram nervosos.

He gave orders to his men, 'Take your horses and ride through the Odenwald forest at once. Ele deu ordens aos seus homens, 'Peguem seus cavalos e cavalguem imediatamente pela floresta de Odenwald. Look for my daughter on every hill, in every valley, and along every road.' Procurem por minha filha em cada colina, em cada vale e ao longo de cada estrada.'

The baron himself had just pulled on his boots and was ready to get on his horse's back when he saw something that made him stop. O barão mesmo havia acabado de calçar suas botas e estava pronto para montar em seu cavalo quando viu algo que o fez parar.

A young lady was riding towards the castle on a white horse, and a young man on a black horse was riding beside her. Uma jovem lady estava cavalgando em direção ao castelo em um cavalo branco, e um jovem em um cavalo preto estava cavalgando ao lado dela.

She rode up to the gate and jumped down from the horse. Ela chegou até o portão e desmontou do cavalo. Вона під'їхала до воріт і зістрибнула з коня. At once she fell at the baron's feet and put her arms round his legs. Imediatamente ela caiu aos pés do barão e colocou os braços em volta de suas pernas. It was his lost daughter, and her friend was - the ghostly bridegroom! Era sua filha perdida, e seu amigo era - o noivo fantasmagórico!

The baron was very surprised. O barão ficou muito surpreso. He looked first at his daughter and then at the ghost and almost couldn't believe his eyes.

The ghost seemed in much better health since his visit to the land of the dead. O fantasma parecia em muito melhor saúde desde sua visita à terra dos mortos. His clothes were rich and fine, and he looked strong and manly in them. Suas roupas eram ricas e finas, e ele parecia forte e viril nelas. He was no longer white-faced and miserable. Ele não estava mais pálido e miserável. His face was pink and full of life, and happiness shone from his large brown eyes. Seu rosto estava rosado e cheio de vida, e a felicidade brilhava em seus grandes olhos castanhos.

The mystery was at an end. O mistério chegou ao fim. The young man (as I'm sure you've guessed already) introduced himself to the baron as Herman von Starkenfaust. O jovem (como tenho certeza de que você já adivinhou) se apresentou ao barão como Herman von Starkenfaust.

He explained about his adventure with the young count, and told of how he'd hurried to the castle to bring the sad news, but that the baron had stopped him speaking again and again. Ele explicou sobre sua aventura com o jovem conde e contou como ele se apressou para o castelo para trazer a triste notícia, mas que o barão o impediu de falar repetidamente.

'When I saw the bride, she won my heart,' he went on, 'So I decided to stay for a while as the count in order to spend a few hours at her side. 'Quando vi a noiva, conquistou meu coração,' continuou ele, 'Então decidi ficar por um tempo como o conde para passar algumas horas ao lado dela. "Коли я побачив наречену, вона підкорила моє серце, - продовжив він, - тому я вирішив залишитися на деякий час графом, щоб провести кілька годин поруч з нею. I was thinking about how I could say goodbye and go when suddenly your story about the goblin, Baron, gave me the idea for the strange way in which I left. Eu estava pensando em como poderia me despedir e ir embora quando de repente sua história sobre o duende, Barão, me deu a ideia para a maneira estranha como parti. Because you and my father are enemies, I knew later visits of mine wouldn't meet with your approval,' he added. Porque você e meu pai são inimigos, eu sabia que visitas posteriores minhas não encontrariam sua aprovação," ele acrescentou. Оскільки ви з моїм батьком ворогуєте, я знав, що мої подальші візити не зустрінуть вашого схвалення", - додав він. 'So I came back in secret, haunting the garden below your daughter's window. "Então eu voltei em segredo, assombrando o jardim abaixo da janela de sua filha. There I met her, talked to her, won her heart, and carried her off with me to church where we've just celebrated our wedding.' Lá eu a encontrei, conversei com ela, conquistei seu coração e a levei comigo para a igreja, onde acabamos de celebrar nosso casamento." Там я зустрів її, поговорив з нею, завоював її серце і повів до церкви, де ми щойно відсвяткували наше весілля".

Normally the baron was a hard man. He liked his daughter to obey him, and his ancestors' enemies were his enemies, too. Ele gostava que a filha obedecesse a ele, e os inimigos de seus ancestrais também eram seus inimigos. But he also loved his daughter, and he'd believed he would never see her again. Mas ele também amava sua filha, e acreditava que nunca mais a veria. Now he was happy to see her alive. Agora ele estava feliz em vê-la viva. And, although her husband was the son of his enemy, at least he wasn't a goblin! E, embora seu marido fosse filho de seu inimigo, pelo menos ele não era um goblin!

'Young man,' he began, 'I have to say there's something not quite honest and true about the way you told me you were dead.' 'Jovem,' ele começou, 'tenho que dizer que há algo não muito honesto e verdadeiro sobre a maneira como você me disse que estava morto.' "Юначе, - почав він, - мушу сказати, що в тому, як ти повідомив мені про свою смерть, є щось не зовсім чесне і правдиве".

But one of his friends, who was an old army man, said, 'Everything's fair in the name of love.' Mas um de seus amigos, que era um velho homem do exército, disse, 'Tudo é justo em nome do amor.' Але один з його друзів, старий військовий, сказав: "В ім'я любові все справедливо".

Another old soldier added, 'Von Starkenfaust has recently been in the army, and what he's done needs to be seen in a different light because of that.' Ein anderer alter Soldat fügte hinzu: "Von Starkenfaust ist erst seit kurzem bei der Armee, und was er getan hat, muss deshalb in einem anderen Licht gesehen werden. Outro velho soldado acrescentou: 'Von Starkenfaust esteve recentemente no exército, e o que ele fez precisa ser visto sob uma luz diferente por causa disso.' Інший старий солдат додав: "Фон Старкенфауст нещодавно служив в армії, і тому на його вчинки потрібно дивитися в іншому світлі".

So everything ended happily. Então, tudo acabou felizmente. The baron told his daughter and son-in-law there and then, 'I'm ready to forget what's happened and to welcome you both into my home with open arms.' O barão disse à sua filha e genro naquele momento: 'Estou pronto para esquecer o que aconteceu e recebê-los de braços abertos em minha casa.'

Everyone in the castle began celebrating again. The poor relatives made the young man's ears burn red with all the nice things they said to him: Os parentes pobres fizeram as orelhas do jovem queimar de vermelho com todas as coisas boas que disseram a ele:

'You're so brave.' 'Você é tão corajoso.'

'You're so kind.' 'Você é tão gentil.'

And so rich!' E tão rica!'

The aunts, it was true, were a little shocked at the way their niece had forgotten so quickly everything that they'd tried to teach her. As tias, era verdade, ficaram um pouco chocadas com a rapidez com que a sobrinha esquecera tudo o que tentaram ensiná-la.

'It was a serious mistake not to have metal bars put across her window,' said the thinner of the two, and her sister agreed. 'Foi um erro sério não ter grades de metal colocadas na janela dela,' disse a mais magra das duas, e sua irmã concordou.

The fatter aunt was very annoyed. A tia mais gorda estava muito irritada.

'I can't tell my wonderful story of the ghost in the garden any more,' she thought. 'Já não posso contar mais a minha maravilhosa história do fantasma no jardim,' pensou ela. 'Because the only ghost I've ever seen wasn't real after all.' 'Porque o único fantasma que já vi não era real afinal.'

But the niece seemed very happy indeed to find out that her ghostly bridegroom was in fact a living husband in the end. Mas a sobrinha parecia muito feliz mesmo ao descobrir que seu noivo fantasma era, na verdade, um marido vivo no final. Але племінниця виглядала дуже щасливою, коли дізналася, що її примарний наречений насправді виявився живим чоловіком.

- THE END - - FIM -