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The Pink Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, The Princess in the Chest

The Princess in the Chest

There were once a king and a queen who lived in a beautiful castle, and had a large, and fair, and rich, and happy land to rule over. From the very first they loved each other greatly, and lived very happily together, but they had no heir.

They had been married for seven years, but had neither son nor daughter, and that was a great grief to both of them. More than once it happened that when the king was in a bad temper, he let it out on the poor queen, and said that here they were now, getting old, and neither they nor the kingdom had an heir, and it was all her fault. This was hard to listen to, and she went and cried and vexed herself.

Finally, the king said to her one day, 'This can't be borne any longer. I go about childless, and it's your fault. I am going on a journey and shall be away for a year. If you have a child when I come back again, all will be well, and I shall love you beyond all measure, and never more say an angry word to you. But if the nest is just as empty when I come home, then I must part with you.' After the king had set out on his journey, the queen went about in her loneliness, and sorrowed and vexed herself more than ever. At last her maid said to her one day, 'I think that some help could be found, if your majesty would seek it.' Then she told about a wise old woman in that country, who had helped many in troubles of the same kind, and could no doubt help the queen as well, if she would send for her. The queen did so, and the wise woman came, and to her she confided her sorrow, that she, was childless, and the king and his kingdom had no heir.

The wise woman knew help for this. 'Out in the king's garden,' said she, 'under the great oak that stands on the left hand, just as one goes out from the castle, is a little bush, rather brown than green, with hairy leaves and long spikes. On that bush there are just at this moment three buds. If your majesty goes out there alone, fasting, before sunrise, and takes the middle one of the three buds, and eats it, then in six months you will bring a princess into the world. As soon as she is born, she must have a nurse, whom I shall provide, and this nurse must live with the child in a secluded part of the palace; no other person must visit the child; neither the king nor the queen must see it until it is fourteen years old, for that would cause great sorrow and misfortune.' The queen rewarded the old woman richly, and next morning, before the sun rose, she was down in the garden, found at once the little bush with the three buds, plucked the middle one and ate it. It was sweet to taste, but afterwards was as bitter as gall. Six months after this, she brought into the world a little girl. There was a nurse in readiness, whom the wise woman had provided, and preparations were made for her living with the child, quite alone, in a secluded wing of the castle, looking out on the pleasure-park. The queen did as the wise woman had told her; she gave up the child immediately, and the nurse took it and lived with it there.

When the king came home and heard that a daughter had been born to him, he was of course very pleased and happy, and wanted to see her at once.

The queen had then to tell him this much of the story, that it had been foretold that it would cause great sorrow and misfortune if either he or she got a sight of the child until it had completed its fourteenth year.

This was a long time to wait. The king longed so much to get a sight of his daughter, and the queen no less than he, but she knew that it was not like other children, for it could speak immediately after it was born, and was as wise as older folk. This the nurse had told her, for with her the queen had a talk now and again, but there was no one who had ever seen the princess. The queen had also seen what the wise woman could do, so she insisted strongly that her warning should be obeyed. The king often lost his patience, and was determined to see his daughter, but the queen always put him off the idea, and so things went on, until the very day before the princess completed her fourteenth year.

The king and the queen were out in the garden then, and the king said, 'Now I can't and I won't wait any longer. I must see my daughter at once. A few hours, more or less, can't make any difference.' The queen begged him to have patience till the morning. When they had waited so long, they could surely wait a single day more. But the king was quite unreasonable. 'No nonsense,' said he; 'she is just as much mine as yours, and I will see her,' and with that he went straight up to her room. He burst the door open, and pushed aside the nurse, who tried to stop him, and there he saw his daughter. She was the loveliest young princess, red and white, like milk and blood, with clear blue eyes and golden hair, but right in the middle of her forehead there was a little tuft of brown hair.

The princess went to meet her father, fell on his neck and kissed him, but with that she said, 'O father, father! what have you done now? to-morrow I must die, and you must choose one of three things: either the land must be smitten with the black pestilence, or you must have a long and bloody war, or you must as soon as I am dead, lay me in a plain wooden chest, and set it in the church, and for a whole year place a sentinel beside it every night.' The king was frightened indeed, and thought she was raving, but in order to please her, he said, 'Well, of these three things I shall choose the last; if you die, I shall lay you at once in a plain wooden chest, and have it set in the church, and every night I shall place a sentinel beside it. But you shall not die, even if you are ill now.' He immediately summoned all the best doctors in the country, and they came with all their prescriptions and their medicine bottles, but next day the princess was stiff and cold in death. All the doctors could certify to that and they all put their names to this and appended their seals, and then they had done all they could.

The king kept his promise. The princess's body was lain the same day in a plain wooden chest, and set in the chapel of the castle, and on that night and every night after it, a sentinel was posted in the church, to keep watch over the chest. The first morning when they came to let the sentinel out, there was no sentinel there. They thought he had just got frightened and run away, and next evening a new one was posted in the church. In the morning he was also gone. So it went every night. When they came in the morning to let the sentinel out, there was no one there, and it was impossible to discover which way he had gone if he had run away. And what should they run away for, every one of them, so that nothing more was over heard or seen of them, from the hour that they were set on guard beside the princess's chest? It became now a general belief that the princess's ghost walked, and ate up all those who were to guard her chest, and very soon there was no one left who would be placed on this duty, and the king's soldiers deserted the service, before their turn came to be her bodyguard. The king then promised a large reward to the soldier who would volunteer for the post. This did for some time, as there were found a few reckless fellows, who wished to earn this good payment. But they never got it, for in the morning, they too had disappeared like the rest.

So it had gone on for something like a whole year; every night a sentinel had been placed beside the chest, either by compulsion or of his own free will, but not a single one of the sentinels was to be seen, either on the following day or any time thereafter. And so it had also gone with one, on the night before a certain day, when a merry young smith came wandering to the town where the king's castle stood. It was the capital of the country, and people of every king came to it to get work. This smith, whose name was Christian, had come for that same purpose. There was no work for him in the place he belonged to, and he wanted now to seek a place in the capital.

There he entered an inn where he sat down in the public room, and got something to eat. Some under-officers were sitting there, who were out to try to get some one enlisted to stand sentry. They had to go in this way, day after day, and hitherto they had always succeeded in finding one or other reckless fellow. But on this day they had, as yet, found no one. It was too well known how all the sentinels disappeared, who were set on that post, and all that they had got hold of had refused with thanks. These sat down beside Christian, and ordered drinks, and drank along with him. Now Christian was a merry fellow who liked good company; he could both drink and sing, and talk and boast as well, when he got a little drop in his head. He told these under-officers that he was one of that kind of folk who never are afraid of anything. Then he was just the kind of man they liked, said they, and he might easily earn a good penny, before he was a day older, for the king paid a hundred dollars to anyone who would stand as sentinel in the church all night, beside his daughter's chest. Christian was not afraid of that he wasn't afraid of anything, so they drank another bottle of wine on this, and Christian went with them up to the colonel, where he was put into uniform with musket, and all the rest, and was then shut up in the church, to stand as sentinel that night. It was eight o'clock when he took up his post, and for the first hour he was quite proud of his courage; during the second hour he was well pleased with the large reward that he would get, but in the third hour, when it was getting near eleven, the effects of the wine passed off, and he began to get uncomfortable, for he had heard about this post; that no one had ever escapeed alive from it, so far as was known. But neither did anyone know what had become of all the sentinels. The thought of this ran in his head so much, after the wine was out of it, that he searched about everywhere for a way of escape, and finally, at eleven o'clock, he found a little postern in the steeple which was not locked, and out at this he crept, intending to run away. At the same moment as he put his foot outside the church door, he saw standing before him a little man, who said, 'Good evening, Christian, where are you going?' With that he felt as if he were rooted to the spot and could not move.

'Nowhere,' said he. 'Oh, yes,' said the little man, 'You were just about to run away, but you have taken upon you to stand sentinel in the church to-night, and there you must stay.' Christian said, very humbly, that he dared not, and therefore wanted to get away, and begged to be let go.

'No,' said the little one, 'you must remain at your post, but I shall give you a piece of good advice; you shall go up into the pulpit, and remain standing there. You need never mind what you see or hear, it will not be able to do you any harm, if you remain in your place until you hear the lid of the chest slam down again behind the dead; then all danger is past, and you can go about the church, wherever you please.' The little man then pushed him in at the door again, and locked it after him. Christian made haste to get up into the pulpit, and stood there, without noticing anything, until the clock struck twelve. Then the lid of the princess's chest sprang up, and out of it there came something like the princess, dressed as you see in the picture. It shrieked and howled, 'Sentry, where are you? Sentry, where are you? If you don't come, you shall get the most cruel death anyone had ever got.' It went all round the church, and when it finally caught sight of the smith, up in the pulpit, it came rushing thither and mounted the steps. But it could not get up the whole way, and for all that it stretched and strained, it could not touch Christian, who meanwhile stood and trembled up in the pulpit. When the clock struck one, the appearance had to go back into the chest again, and Christian heard the lid slam after it. After this there was dead silence in the church. He lay down where he was and fell asleep, and did not awake before it was bright daylight, and he heard steps outside, and the noise of the key being put into the lock. Then he came down from the pulpit, and stood with his musket in front of the princess's chest. It was the colonel himself who came with the patrol, and he was not a little surprised when he found the recruit safe and sound. He wanted to have a report, but Christian would give him none, so he took him straight up to the king, and announced for the first time that here was the sentinel who had stood guard in the church over-night. The king immediately got out of bed, and laid the hundred dollars for him on the table, and then wanted to question him. 'Have you seen anything?' said he.

'Have you seen my daughter?' 'I have stood at my post,' said the young smith, 'and that is quite enough; I undertook nothing more.' He was not sure whether he dared tell what he had seen and heard, and besides he was also a little conceited because he had done what no other man had been able to do, or had had courage for. The king professed to be quite satisfied, and asked him whether he would engage himself to stand on guard again the following night. 'No, thank you,' said Christian, 'I will have no more of that!' 'As you please,' said the king, 'you have behaved like a brave fellow, and now you shall have your breakfast. You must be needing something to strengthen you after that turn.' The king had breakfast laid for him, and sat down at the table with him in person; he kept constantly filling his glass for him and praising him, and drinking his health. Christian needed no pressing, but did full justice both to the food and drink, and not least to the latter. Finally he grew bold, and said that if the king would give him two hundred dollars for it, he was his man to stand sentry next night as well.

When this was arranged, Christian bade him 'Good-day,' and went down among the guards, and then out into the town along with other soldiers and under-officers. He had his pocket full of money, and treated them, and drank with them and boasted and made game of the good-for-nothings who were afraid to stand on guard, because they were frightened that the dead princess would eat them. See whether she had eaten him! So the day passed in mirth and glee, but when eight o'clock came, Christian was again shut up in the church, all alone. Before he had been there two hours, he got tired of it, and thought only of getting away. He found a little door behind the altar which was not locked, and at ten o'clock he slipped out at it, and took to his heels and made for the beach. He had got half-way thither, when all at once the same little man stood in front of him and said, 'Good evening, Christian, where are you going?' 'I've leave to go where I please,' said the smith, but at the same time he noticed that he could not move a foot. 'No, you have undertaken to keep guard to-night as well,' said the little man, 'and you must attend to that.' He then took hold of him, and however unwilling he was, Christian had to go with him right back to the same little door that he had crept out at. When they got there, the little man said to him, 'Go in front of the altar now, and take in your hand the book that is lying there. There you shall stay till you hear the lid of the chest slam down over the dead. In that way you will come to no harm.' With that the little man shoved him in at the door, and locked it. Christian then immediately went in front of the altar, and took the book in his hand, and stood thus until the clock struck twelve, and the appearance sprang out of the chest. 'Sentry, where are you? Sentry, where are you?' it shrieked, and then rushed to the pulpit, and right up into it. But there was no one there that night. Then it howled and shrieked again,

My father has set no sentry in,

War and Pest this night begin.

At the same moment, it noticed the smith standing in front of the altar, and came rushing towards him. 'Are you there?' it screamed; 'now I'll catch you.' But it could not come up over the step in front of the altar, and there it continued to howl, and scream, and threaten, until the clock struck one, when it had to go into the chest again, and Christian heard the lid slam above it. That night, however, it had not the same appearance as on the previous one; it was less ugly.

When all was quiet in the church, the smith lay down before the altar and slept calmly till the following morning, when the colonel came to fetch him. He was taken up to the king again, and things went on as the day before. He got his money, but would give no explanation whether he had seen the king's daughter, and he would not take the post again, he said. But after he had got a good breakfast, and tasted well of the king's wines, he undertook to go on guard again the third night, but he would not do it for less than the half of the kingdom, he said, for it was a dangerous post, and the king had to agree, and promise him this. The remainder of the day went like the previous one. He played the boastful soldier, and the merry smith, and he had comrades and boon-companions in plenty. At eight o'clock he had to put on his uniform again, and was shut up in the church. He had not been there for an hour before he had come to his senses, and thought, 'It's best to stop now, while the game is going well.' The third night, he was sure, would be the worst; he had been drunk when he promised it, and the half of the kingdom, the king could never have been in earnest about that! So he decided to leave, without waiting so long as on the previous nights. In that way he would escape the little man who had watched him before. All the doors and posterns were locked, but he finally though of creeping up to a window, and opening that, and as the clock struck nine, he crept out there. It was fairly high in the wall, but he got to the ground with no bones broken, and started to run. He got down to the shore without meeting anyone, and there he got into a boat, and pushed off from land. He laughed immensely to himself at the thought of how cleverly he had managed and how he had cheated the little man. Just then he heard a voice from the shore, 'Good evening, Christian, where are you going?' He gave no answer. 'To-night your legs will be too short,' he thought, and pulled at the oars. But he then felt something lay hold of the boat, and drag it straight in to shore, for all that he sat and struggled with the oars.

The man then laid hold of him, and said, 'You must remain at your post, as you have promised,' and whether he liked it or not, Christian had just to go back with him the whole way to the church. He could never get in at that window again, Christian said; it was far too high up.

'You must go in there, and you shall go in there,' said the little man, and with that he lifted him up on to the window-sill. Then he said to him: 'Notice well now what you have to do. This evening you must stretch yourself out on the left-hand side of her chest. The lid opens to the right, and she comes out to the left. When she has got out of the chest and passed over you, you must get into it and lie there, and that in a hurry, without her seeing you. There you must remain lying until day dawns, and whether she threatens you or entreats you, you must not come out of it, or give her any answer. Then she has no power over you, and both you and she are freed.' The smith then had to go in at the window, just as he came out, and went and laid himself all his length on the left side of the princess's chest, close up to it, and there he lay stiff as a rock until the clock struck twelve. Then the lid sprang up to the right, and the princess came out, straight over him, and rushed round the church, howling and shrieking 'Sentry, where are you? Sentry, where are you?' She went towards the altar, and right up to it, but there was no one there; then she screamed again,

My father has set no sentry in,

War and Pest will now begin.

Then she went round the whole church, both up and down, sighing and weeping,

My father has set no sentry in,

War and Pest will now begin.

Then she went away again, and at the same moment the clock in the tower struck one.

Then the smith heard in the church a soft music, which grew louder and louder, and soon filled the whole building. He heard also a multitude of footsteps, as if the church was being filled with people. He heard the priest go through the service in front of the altar, and there was singing more beautiful than he had ever heard before. Then he also heard the priest offer up a prayer of thanksgiving because the land had been freed from war and pestilence, and from all misfortune, and the king's daughter delivered from the evil one. Many voices joined in, and a hymn of praise was sung; then he heard the priest again, and heard his own name and that of the princess, and thought that he was being wedded to her. The church was packed full, but he could see nothing. Then he heard again the many footsteps as ol' folk leaving the church, while the music sounded fainter and fainter, until it altogether died away. When it was silent, the light of day began to break in through the windows.

The smith sprang up out of the chest and fell on his knees and thanked God. The church was empty, but up in front of the altar lay the princess, white and red, like a human being, but sobbing and crying, and shaking with cold in her white shroud. The smith took his sentry coat and wrapped it round her; then she dried her tears, and took his hand and thanked him, and said that he had now freed her from all the sorcery that had been in her from her birth, and which had come over her again when her father broke the command against seeing her until she had completed her fourteenth year.

She said further, that if he who had delivered her would take her in marriage, she would be his. If not, she would go into a nunnery, and he could marry no other as long as she lived, for he was wedded to her with the service of the dead, which he had heard.

She was now the most beautiful young princess that anyone could wish to see, and he was now lord of half the kingdom, which had been promised him for standing on guard the third nigh. So they agreed that they would have each other, and love each other all their days.

With the first sunbeam the watch came and opened the church, and not only was the colonel there, but the king in person, come to see what had happened to the sentinel. He found them both sitting hand in hand on the step in front of the altar, and immediately knew his daughter again, and took her in his arms, thanking God and her deliverer. He made no objections to what they had arranged, and so Christian the smith held his wedding with the princess, and got half the kingdom at once, and the whole of it when the king died.

As for the other sentries, with so many doors and windows open, no doubt they had run away, and gone into the Prussian service. And as for what Christian said he saw, he had been drinking more wine than was good for him.


The Princess in the Chest Princezna v truhle La princesa en el cofre A princesa no baú Принцесса в сундуке

There were once a king and a queen who lived in a beautiful castle, and had a large, and fair, and rich, and happy land to rule over. Byl jednou jeden král a jedna královna, kteří žili na krásném hradě a měli velkou, krásnou, bohatou a šťastnou zemi, které vládli. From the very first they loved each other greatly, and lived very happily together, but they had no heir. Od samého počátku se velmi milovali a žili spolu velmi šťastně, ale neměli dědice.

They had been married for seven years, but had neither son nor daughter, and that was a great grief to both of them. Byli manželé sedm let, ale neměli syna ani dceru, což je oba velmi trápilo. More than once it happened that when the king was in a bad temper, he let it out on the poor queen, and said that here they were now, getting old, and neither they nor the kingdom had an heir, and it was all her fault. Nejednou se stalo, že když měl král špatnou náladu, vylil si ji na ubohé královně a řekl, že už jsou tady, stárnou a ani oni, ani království nemají dědice, a že je to všechno její vina. This was hard to listen to, and she went and cried and vexed herself. Bylo těžké to poslouchat, a tak se rozplakala a rozčilovala se.

Finally, the king said to her one day, 'This can't be borne any longer. Nakonec jí král jednoho dne řekl: "Tohle už se nedá vydržet. I go about childless, and it's your fault. Chodím bezdětná a je to tvoje vina. I am going on a journey and shall be away for a year. Odjíždím na cestu a budu pryč celý rok. If you have a child when I come back again, all will be well, and I shall love you beyond all measure, and never more say an angry word to you. Jestli budeš mít dítě, až se vrátím, bude všechno v pořádku a já tě budu milovat nade všechno a už nikdy ti neřeknu ani slovo hněvu. But if the nest is just as empty when I come home, then I must part with you.' Ale pokud bude hnízdo stejně prázdné, až se vrátím domů, musím se s tebou rozloučit. Ama yuva eve geldiğimde o kadar boşsa, o zaman senden ayrılmalıyım. ' After the king had set out on his journey, the queen went about in her loneliness, and sorrowed and vexed herself more than ever. Poté, co se král vydal na cestu, královna se ve své samotě trápila a trápila se víc než kdy jindy. Kral yolculuğuna çıktıktan sonra, kraliçe yalnızlığı içinde dolaştı ve her zamankinden daha çok üzüldü ve kendini kızdırdı. At last her maid said to her one day, 'I think that some help could be found, if your majesty would seek it.' Nakonec jí její služebná jednoho dne řekla: "Myslím, že by se dala najít nějaká pomoc, kdyby ji Vaše Veličenstvo hledalo. Sonunda hizmetçisi bir gün ona, "Majesteleri ararsa biraz yardım bulunabileceğini düşünüyorum" dedi. Then she told about a wise old woman in that country, who had helped many in troubles of the same kind, and could no doubt help the queen as well, if she would send for her. Pak vyprávěla o moudré stařeně v té zemi, která už pomohla mnoha lidem v podobných nesnázích a nepochybně by mohla pomoci i královně, kdyby pro ni poslala. Sonra o ülkedeki bilge yaşlı bir kadından bahsetti, aynı türden sıkıntılarda birçok kişiye yardım etmişti ve onu çağırırsa kraliçeye de hiç şüphesiz yardım edebilirdi. The queen did so, and the wise woman came, and to her she confided her sorrow, that she, was childless, and the king and his kingdom had no heir. Královna tak učinila, a když přišla moudrá žena, svěřila se jí se svým zármutkem, že je bezdětná a že král a jeho království nemají dědice. Kraliçe öyle yaptı ve bilge kadın geldi ve ona kederini, çocuksuz olduğunu ve kral ile krallığının varisi olmadığını söyledi.

The wise woman knew help for this. Moudrá žena znala pomoc. 'Out in the king's garden,' said she, 'under the great oak that stands on the left hand, just as one goes out from the castle, is a little bush, rather brown than green, with hairy leaves and long spikes. "V královské zahradě," řekla, "pod velkým dubem, který stojí po levé straně, hned jak se vyjde z hradu, je malý keřík, spíš hnědý než zelený, s chlupatými listy a dlouhými trny. On that bush there are just at this moment three buds. Na tomto keři jsou právě v tuto chvíli tři pupeny. If your majesty goes out there alone, fasting, before sunrise, and takes the middle one of the three buds, and eats it, then in six months you will bring a princess into the world. Pokud se tam Vaše Veličenstvo vydá samo, postí se, před východem slunce, vezme prostřední ze tří pupenů a sní ho, pak za šest měsíců přivede na svět princeznu. As soon as she is born, she must have a nurse, whom I shall provide, and this nurse must live with the child in a secluded part of the palace; no other person must visit the child; neither the king nor the queen must see it until it is fourteen years old, for that would cause great sorrow and misfortune.' Jakmile se narodí, musí mít chůvu, kterou jí zajistím, a ta musí žít s dítětem v odlehlé části paláce; nikdo jiný nesmí dítě navštěvovat; král ani královna ho nesmí vidět, dokud mu nebude čtrnáct let, protože by to způsobilo velký smutek a neštěstí. The queen rewarded the old woman richly, and next morning, before the sun rose, she was down in the garden, found at once the little bush with the three buds, plucked the middle one and ate it. Královna se stařence bohatě odměnila a příštího rána, ještě než vyšlo slunce, byla dole v zahradě, hned našla keřík se třemi poupaty, utrhla prostřední a snědla ho. It was sweet to taste, but afterwards was as bitter as gall. Chuť byla sladká, ale potom hořká jako žluč. Six months after this, she brought into the world a little girl. Půl roku poté přivedla na svět holčičku. There was a nurse in readiness, whom the wise woman had provided, and preparations were made for her living with the child, quite alone, in a secluded wing of the castle, looking out on the pleasure-park. Byla připravena chůva, kterou moudrá žena opatřila, a bylo připraveno, že bude s dítětem žít zcela sama v odlehlém křídle hradu s výhledem na zábavní park. The queen did as the wise woman had told her; she gave up the child immediately, and the nurse took it and lived with it there. Královna udělala, co jí moudrá žena řekla, dítěte se ihned vzdala a chůva se ho ujala a žila s ním tam.

When the king came home and heard that a daughter had been born to him, he was of course very pleased and happy, and wanted to see her at once. Když se král vrátil domů a dozvěděl se, že se mu narodila dcera, měl samozřejmě velkou radost a chtěl ji ihned vidět.

The queen had then to tell him this much of the story, that it had been foretold that it would cause great sorrow and misfortune if either he or she got a sight of the child until it had completed its fourteenth year. Královna mu pak musela říct tolik z příběhu, že bylo předpovězeno, že způsobí velký zármutek a neštěstí, pokud on nebo ona spatří dítě, dokud nedovrší čtrnáctý rok.

This was a long time to wait. To bylo dlouhé čekání. The king longed so much to get a sight of his daughter, and the queen no less than he, but she knew that it was not like other children, for it could speak immediately after it was born, and was as wise as older folk. Král tolik toužil spatřit svou dceru a královna neméně než on, ale věděla, že není jako ostatní děti, protože umí mluvit hned po narození a je stejně moudrá jako starší lidé. This the nurse had told her, for with her the queen had a talk now and again, but there was no one who had ever seen the princess. To jí řekla chůva, protože s ní královna občas mluvila, ale nikdo princeznu nikdy neviděl. The queen had also seen what the wise woman could do, so she insisted strongly that her warning should be obeyed. Královna také viděla, co moudrá žena dokáže, a tak důrazně trvala na tom, aby se její varování uposlechlo. The king often lost his patience, and was determined to see his daughter, but the queen always put him off the idea, and so things went on, until the very day before the princess completed her fourteenth year. Král často ztrácel trpělivost a byl odhodlán svou dceru vidět, ale královna ho vždy odradila, a tak to šlo dál, až do dne, kdy princezna dovršila čtrnáctý rok života.

The king and the queen were out in the garden then, and the king said, 'Now I can't and I won't wait any longer. Král a královna byli tehdy venku v zahradě a král řekl: "Teď už nemohu a nechci čekat. I must see my daughter at once. Musím okamžitě navštívit svou dceru. A few hours, more or less, can't make any difference.' Několik hodin, více či méně, nemůže nic změnit. The queen begged him to have patience till the morning. Královna ho prosila, aby měl do rána trpělivost. When they had waited so long, they could surely wait a single day more. Když už čekali tak dlouho, jistě by mohli čekat ještě jeden den. But the king was quite unreasonable. Král byl však zcela nerozumný. 'No nonsense,' said he; 'she is just as much mine as yours, and I will see her,' and with that he went straight up to her room. "Žádný nesmysl," řekl, "je stejně moje jako tvoje a já se na ni podívám." A s tím odešel rovnou do jejího pokoje. He burst the door open, and pushed aside the nurse, who tried to stop him, and there he saw his daughter. Rozrazil dveře, odstrčil sestru, která se ho snažila zastavit, a uviděl svou dceru. She was the loveliest young princess, red and white, like milk and blood, with clear blue eyes and golden hair, but right in the middle of her forehead there was a little tuft of brown hair. Byla to ta nejkrásnější mladá princezna, rudá a bílá jako mléko a krev, s jasně modrýma očima a zlatými vlasy, ale přímo uprostřed čela měla malý chomáček hnědých vlasů.

The princess went to meet her father, fell on his neck and kissed him, but with that she said, 'O father, father! Princezna šla otci naproti, padla mu na krk a políbila ho, ale přitom řekla: "Ó otče, otče! what have you done now? co jsi udělal teď? to-morrow I must die, and you must choose one of three things: either the land must be smitten with the black pestilence, or you must have a long and bloody war, or you must as soon as I am dead, lay me in a plain wooden chest, and set it in the church, and for a whole year place a sentinel beside it every night.' zítra musím zemřít a ty si musíš vybrat jednu ze tří věcí: buď musí být země zasažena černým morem, nebo musíš vést dlouhou a krvavou válku, nebo mě musíš hned po mé smrti uložit do prosté dřevěné truhly, postavit ji do kostela a po celý rok u ní každou noc postavit stráž. The king was frightened indeed, and thought she was raving, but in order to please her, he said, 'Well, of these three things I shall choose the last; if you die, I shall lay you at once in a plain wooden chest, and have it set in the church, and every night I shall place a sentinel beside it. Král se opravdu vyděsil a myslel si, že blouzní, ale aby ji potěšil, řekl: "Dobrá, z těchto tří věcí si vyberu tu poslední; pokud zemřeš, uložím tě ihned do prosté dřevěné truhly, dám ji postavit do kostela a každou noc k ní postavím strážce. But you shall not die, even if you are ill now.' Ty však nezemřeš, i když jsi teď nemocný. He immediately summoned all the best doctors in the country, and they came with all their prescriptions and their medicine bottles, but next day the princess was stiff and cold in death. Okamžitě svolal všechny nejlepší lékaře v zemi a ti přijeli se všemi recepty a lahvičkami s léky, ale druhý den princezna zemřela ztuhlá a prochladlá. All the doctors could certify to that and they all put their names to this and appended their seals, and then they had done all they could. Všichni lékaři to mohli potvrdit a všichni se k tomu připojili svými jmény a pečetěmi, a pak udělali vše, co mohli. Bütün doktorlar bunu onaylayabilirdi ve hepsi buna isimlerini koyup mühürlerini eklediler ve sonra ellerinden geleni yaptılar.

The king kept his promise. Král svůj slib dodržel. The princess's body was lain the same day in a plain wooden chest, and set in the chapel of the castle, and on that night and every night after it, a sentinel was posted in the church, to keep watch over the chest. Tělo princezny bylo ještě téhož dne uloženo do prosté dřevěné truhly a postaveno do hradní kaple.Té noci a každou další noc byla v kostele postavena stráž, která truhlu hlídala. The first morning when they came to let the sentinel out, there was no sentinel there. První ráno, když přišli vypustit hlídku, tam žádná hlídka nebyla. Nöbetçiyi dışarı çıkarmak için geldikleri ilk sabah, orada nöbetçi yoktu. They thought he had just got frightened and run away, and next evening a new one was posted in the church. Mysleli si, že se jen lekl a utekl, a příští večer byl v kostele vyvěšen nový. In the morning he was also gone. Ráno byl také pryč. So it went every night. Tak to šlo každý večer. When they came in the morning to let the sentinel out, there was no one there, and it was impossible to discover which way he had gone if he had run away. Když ráno přišli hlídače vypustit, nikdo tam nebyl a nebylo možné zjistit, kudy odešel, pokud utekl. Sabah nöbetçiyi dışarı çıkarmak için geldiklerinde, orada kimse yoktu ve eğer kaçmış olsaydı hangi yöne gittiğini anlamak imkansızdı. And what should they run away for, every one of them, so that nothing more was over heard or seen of them, from the hour that they were set on guard beside the princess's chest? A proč by měli utíkat, každý z nich, aby o nich od té hodiny, kdy byli postaveni na stráž u princezniny truhly, už nebylo slyšet ani je nikdo neviděl? It became now a general belief that the princess's ghost walked, and ate up all those who were to guard her chest, and very soon there was no one left who would be placed on this duty, and the king's soldiers deserted the service, before their turn came to be her bodyguard. Začalo se všeobecně věřit, že princeznin duch chodí a požírá všechny, kdo mají střežit její truhlu, a brzy nezbyl nikdo, kdo by tuto službu vykonával, a královští vojáci opustili službu, než na ně přišla řada jako na její osobní strážce. Artık prensesin hayaletinin yürüdüğü ve göğsünü koruyacak herkesi yediğine dair genel bir inanç haline geldi ve çok geçmeden bu göreve atanacak kimse kalmadı ve kralın askerleri, onların yerine onun koruması oldu. The king then promised a large reward to the soldier who would volunteer for the post. Král pak slíbil velkou odměnu tomu vojákovi, který se na tento post přihlásí. This did for some time, as there were found a few reckless fellows, who wished to earn this good payment. To se nějakou dobu dařilo, protože se našlo několik lehkomyslných chlapíků, kteří si chtěli tuto dobrou odměnu zasloužit. But they never got it, for in the morning, they too had disappeared like the rest. Nikdy se ho však nedočkali, protože ráno zmizeli stejně jako ostatní.

So it had gone on for something like a whole year; every night a sentinel had been placed beside the chest, either by compulsion or of his own free will, but not a single one of the sentinels was to be seen, either on the following day or any time thereafter. Tak to šlo snad celý rok; každou noc byl u truhly umístěn strážný, ať už z donucení, nebo z vlastní vůle, ale ani následující den, ani kdykoli později nebyl žádný ze strážných spatřen. And so it had also gone with one, on the night before a certain day, when a merry young smith came wandering to the town where the king's castle stood. A tak se to stalo i jednomu, když v noci před jedním dnem přišel do města, kde stál královský hrad, veselý mladý kovář. Ve bu yüzden, belirli bir günden önceki gece, kralın kalesinin bulunduğu kasabaya neşeli genç bir demirci geldiği zaman da bir tanesiyle gitmişti. It was the capital of the country, and people of every king came to it to get work. Bylo to hlavní město země a za prací do něj přijížděli lidé všech králů. Ülkenin başkentiydi ve her kralın insanı iş bulmaya gelirdi. This smith, whose name was Christian, had come for that same purpose. Tento kovář, který se jmenoval Kristián, přišel za stejným účelem. There was no work for him in the place he belonged to, and he wanted now to seek a place in the capital. V místě, kam patřil, pro něj nebyla práce, a tak si chtěl najít místo v hlavním městě. Ait olduğu yerde ona göre iş yoktu ve şimdi başkentte bir yer aramak istiyordu.

There he entered an inn where he sat down in the public room, and got something to eat. Tam vstoupil do hostince, kde se posadil ve veřejné místnosti a dal si něco k jídlu. Some under-officers were sitting there, who were out to try to get some one enlisted to stand sentry. Sedělo tam několik poddůstojníků, kteří se snažili sehnat někoho odvedeného na stráž. Orada oturan bazı subaylar nöbetçi olarak askere alınacak birini almaya çalışıyorlardı. They had to go in this way, day after day, and hitherto they had always succeeded in finding one or other reckless fellow. Takto museli jít den co den a dosud se jim vždy podařilo najít jednoho nebo druhého bezohledného člověka. Gün be gün bu şekilde gitmek zorundaydılar ve şimdiye kadar her zaman bir ya da diğer pervasız arkadaş bulmayı başarmışlardı. But on this day they had, as yet, found no one. Toho dne však zatím nikoho nenašli. It was too well known how all the sentinels disappeared, who were set on that post, and all that they had got hold of had refused with thanks. Bylo příliš dobře známo, jak zmizeli všichni strážní, kteří byli na tento post postaveni, a všichni, které sehnali, s díky odmítli. These sat down beside Christian, and ordered drinks, and drank along with him. Ti se posadili vedle Kristiána, objednali si pití a pili s ním. Bunlar Christian'ın yanına oturdular ve içki ısmarladılar ve onunla birlikte içtiler. Now Christian was a merry fellow who liked good company; he could both drink and sing, and talk and boast as well, when he got a little drop in his head. Kristián byl veselý chlapík, který měl rád dobrou společnost; uměl pít i zpívat, mluvit a chlubit se, když se mu do hlavy dostala malá kapka. Şimdi Christian iyi arkadaşlıkları seven neşeli bir adamdı; Kafasına küçük bir damla düştüğü zaman hem içer, hem şarkı söyler, hem konuşur hem de böbürlenirdi. He told these under-officers that he was one of that kind of folk who never are afraid of anything. Těmto poddůstojníkům řekl, že patří k těm lidem, kteří se nikdy ničeho nebojí. Then he was just the kind of man they liked, said they, and he might easily earn a good penny, before he was a day older, for the king paid a hundred dollars to anyone who would stand as sentinel in the church all night, beside his daughter's chest. Říkali, že je to přesně ten typ muže, který se jim líbí, a že si snadno vydělá pěkný peníz, než bude o den starší, protože král platil sto dolarů každému, kdo bude celou noc stát na stráži v kostele vedle truhly jeho dcery. O zaman tam da sevdikleri türden bir adamdı dediler ve kral bütün gece kilisede nöbetçi olarak duran herkese yüz dolar ödediği için, bir gün daha büyük olmadan kolayca iyi bir kuruş kazanabilirdi. kızının göğsünün yanında. Christian was not afraid of that he wasn't afraid of anything, so they drank another bottle of wine on this, and Christian went with them up to the colonel, where he was put into uniform with musket, and all the rest, and was then shut up in the church, to stand as sentinel that night. Kristián se toho nebál, nebál se ničeho, a tak na to vypili další láhev vína a Kristián s nimi šel nahoru k plukovníkovi, kde ho oblékli do uniformy s mušketou a vším ostatním, a pak ho zavřeli do kostela, aby tu noc stál na stráži. It was eight o'clock when he took up his post, and for the first hour he was quite proud of his courage; during the second hour he was well pleased with the large reward that he would get, but in the third hour, when it was getting near eleven, the effects of the wine passed off, and he began to get uncomfortable, for he had heard about this post; that no one had ever escapeed alive from it, so far as was known. Bylo osm hodin, když nastoupil na stanoviště, a první hodinu byl na svou odvahu docela pyšný; druhou hodinu se těšil z velké odměny, kterou dostane, ale třetí hodinu, když se blížila jedenáctá, účinky vína pominuly a on začal být nesvůj, protože o tomto stanovišti slyšel, že z něj, pokud je známo, ještě nikdo živý neutekl. But neither did anyone know what had become of all the sentinels. Nikdo však nevěděl, co se stalo se všemi strážci. The thought of this ran in his head so much, after the wine was out of it, that he searched about everywhere for a way of escape, and finally, at eleven o'clock, he found a little postern in the steeple which was not locked, and out at this he crept, intending to run away. Myšlenka na to se mu honila hlavou tak dlouho, až z ní víno vyprchalo, že všude hledal způsob útěku, až nakonec v jedenáct hodin našel ve věži malou poličku, která nebyla zamčená, a tou se vyplížil ven s úmyslem utéct. At the same moment as he put his foot outside the church door, he saw standing before him a little man, who said, 'Good evening, Christian, where are you going?' Ve chvíli, kdy vkročil za dveře kostela, uviděl před sebou stát malého muže, který se ho zeptal: "Dobrý večer, křesťane, kam jdeš?" "Dobrý večer," odpověděl mu. With that he felt as if he were rooted to the spot and could not move. V tu chvíli měl pocit, jako by zůstal stát na místě a nemohl se pohnout.

'Nowhere,' said he. "Nikde," řekl. 'Oh, yes,' said the little man, 'You were just about to run away, but you have taken upon you to stand sentinel in the church to-night, and there you must stay.' "Ach ano," řekl mužíček, "právě jsi chtěl utéct, ale vzal sis za úkol stát dnes večer na stráži v kostele a tam musíš zůstat. Christian said, very humbly, that he dared not, and therefore wanted to get away, and begged to be let go. Christian velmi pokorně řekl, že si netroufá, a proto chce odejít, a prosil, aby ho pustili.

'No,' said the little one, 'you must remain at your post, but I shall give you a piece of good advice; you shall go up into the pulpit, and remain standing there. "Ne," řekl ten malý, "musíš zůstat na svém místě, ale dám ti jednu dobrou radu: vylez na kazatelnu a zůstaň tam stát. You need never mind what you see or hear, it will not be able to do you any harm, if you remain in your place until you hear the lid of the chest slam down again behind the dead; then all danger is past, and you can go about the church, wherever you please.' Nemusíš si dávat pozor na to, co vidíš nebo slyšíš, nemůže ti to ublížit, pokud zůstaneš na svém místě, dokud neuslyšíš, jak se víko truhly za mrtvým opět zabouchne; pak je všechno nebezpečí pryč a můžeš se procházet po kostele, kam se ti zlíbí. The little man then pushed him in at the door again, and locked it after him. Mužík ho pak znovu strčil do dveří a zamkl za ním. Christian made haste to get up into the pulpit, and stood there, without noticing anything, until the clock struck twelve. Christian si pospíšil na kazatelnu a stál tam, aniž by si čehokoli všiml, dokud hodiny neodbily dvanáct. Then the lid of the princess's chest sprang up, and out of it there came something like the princess, dressed as you see in the picture. Pak se víko princezniny truhly zvedlo a vylezlo z ní něco jako princezna, oblečená tak, jak vidíte na obrázku. It shrieked and howled, 'Sentry, where are you? Vřískalo a ječelo: "Strážníku, kde jsi? Sentry, where are you? Sentry, kde jsi? If you don't come, you shall get the most cruel death anyone had ever got.' Pokud nepřijdeš, čeká tě ta nejkrutější smrt, jakou kdy kdo dostal. It went all round the church, and when it finally caught sight of the smith, up in the pulpit, it came rushing thither and mounted the steps. Obešlo celý kostel, a když konečně zahlédlo kováře na kazatelně, vrhlo se k němu a vystoupalo po schodech. But it could not get up the whole way, and for all that it stretched and strained, it could not touch Christian, who meanwhile stood and trembled up in the pulpit. Nemohla se však dostat nahoru celá a přes všechnu námahu se nemohla dotknout Kristiána, který mezitím stál a třásl se na kazatelně. When the clock struck one, the appearance had to go back into the chest again, and Christian heard the lid slam after it. Když hodiny odbily jednu, musel se vzhled opět vrátit do truhly a Christian slyšel, jak se za ním zabouchlo víko. After this there was dead silence in the church. Poté se v kostele rozhostilo hrobové ticho. He lay down where he was and fell asleep, and did not awake before it was bright daylight, and he heard steps outside, and the noise of the key being put into the lock. Lehl si na místo, usnul a probudil se, až když se rozednilo a venku uslyšel kroky a zvuk klíče zasouvaného do zámku. Then he came down from the pulpit, and stood with his musket in front of the princess's chest. Pak sestoupil z kazatelny a postavil se s mušketou před princezninu hruď. It was the colonel himself who came with the patrol, and he was not a little surprised when he found the recruit safe and sound. Byl to sám plukovník, kdo přišel s hlídkou, a byl nemile překvapen, když našel rekruta v pořádku. He wanted to have a report, but Christian would give him none, so he took him straight up to the king, and announced for the first time that here was the sentinel who had stood guard in the church over-night. Chtěl o tom vědět, ale Kristián mu nic neřekl, a tak ho vzal rovnou ke králi a poprvé mu oznámil, že tady je strážný, který přes noc hlídal v kostele. The king immediately got out of bed, and laid the hundred dollars for him on the table, and then wanted to question him. Král okamžitě vstal z postele, položil mu na stůl sto dolarů a pak ho chtěl vyslechnout. 'Have you seen anything?' "Neviděl jsi něco? said he.

'Have you seen my daughter?' "Neviděl jsi mou dceru? 'I have stood at my post,' said the young smith, 'and that is quite enough; I undertook nothing more.' "Stál jsem na svém místě," řekl mladý kovář, "a to stačí, nic víc jsem si nezavázal. He was not sure whether he dared tell what he had seen and heard, and besides he was also a little conceited because he had done what no other man had been able to do, or had had courage for. Nebyl si jistý, zda se odváží vyprávět, co viděl a slyšel, a kromě toho byl také trochu domýšlivý, protože dokázal to, co nikdo jiný nedokázal a na co neměl odvahu. The king professed to be quite satisfied, and asked him whether he would engage himself to stand on guard again the following night. Král prohlásil, že je zcela spokojen, a zeptal se ho, zda by se příští noc opět ujal stráže. 'No, thank you,' said Christian, 'I will have no more of that!' "Ne, děkuji," řekl Christian, "tohle už si nedám! 'As you please,' said the king, 'you have behaved like a brave fellow, and now you shall have your breakfast. "Jak si přeješ," řekl král, "zachoval ses jako statečný chlapík a teď se nasnídáš. You must be needing something to strengthen you after that turn.' Určitě potřebuješ něco, co by tě po tom obratu posílilo. The king had breakfast laid for him, and sat down at the table with him in person; he kept constantly filling his glass for him and praising him, and drinking his health. Král mu připravil snídani a osobně s ním zasedl ke stolu; neustále mu doléval sklenici, chválil ho a pil na jeho zdraví. Christian needed no pressing, but did full justice both to the food and drink, and not least to the latter. Kristián nepotřeboval žádný nátlak, ale plně se věnoval jídlu i pití a v neposlední řadě i tomu druhému. Finally he grew bold, and said that if the king would give him two hundred dollars for it, he was his man to stand sentry next night as well. Nakonec se osmělil a prohlásil, že pokud mu za to král dá dvě stě dolarů, bude jeho mužem i příští noc na stráži.

When this was arranged, Christian bade him 'Good-day,' and went down among the guards, and then out into the town along with other soldiers and under-officers. Když to bylo zařízeno, Kristián mu popřál "Dobrý den", sešel dolů mezi stráže a spolu s ostatními vojáky a poddůstojníky vyšel do města. He had his pocket full of money, and treated them, and drank with them and boasted and made game of the good-for-nothings who were afraid to stand on guard, because they were frightened that the dead princess would eat them. Měl plné kapsy peněz, léčil je, popíjel s nimi, chlubil se a dělal si legraci z budižkničemů, kteří se báli stát na stráži, protože se báli, že je mrtvá princezna sežere. See whether she had eaten him! Podívejte se, jestli ho snědla! So the day passed in mirth and glee, but when eight o'clock came, Christian was again shut up in the church, all alone. Den tak ubíhal ve veselí a radosti, ale když přišla osmá hodina, Christian byl opět zavřený v kostele, úplně sám. Before he had been there two hours, he got tired of it, and thought only of getting away. Než tam strávil dvě hodiny, přestalo ho to bavit a myslel jen na to, jak se dostat pryč. He found a little door behind the altar which was not locked, and at ten o'clock he slipped out at it, and took to his heels and made for the beach. Za oltářem našel malá dvířka, která nebyla zamčená, a v deset hodin jimi vyklouzl ven, vzal nohy na ramena a zamířil na pláž. He had got half-way thither, when all at once the same little man stood in front of him and said, 'Good evening, Christian, where are you going?' Došel do poloviny cesty, když se před něj najednou postavil stejný mužík a řekl: "Dobrý večer, Christiane, kam jdeš? 'I've leave to go where I please,' said the smith, but at the same time he noticed that he could not move a foot. "Mám dovoleno jít, kam chci," řekl kovář, ale zároveň si všiml, že nemůže pohnout ani nohou. 'No, you have undertaken to keep guard to-night as well,' said the little man, 'and you must attend to that.' "Ne, zavázal ses, že budeš hlídat i dnes v noci," řekl mužík, "a to musíš udělat. He then took hold of him, and however unwilling he was, Christian had to go with him right back to the same little door that he had crept out at. Pak ho popadl, a i když se mu nechtělo, musel s ním Christian jít zpátky k těm samým dveřím, kterými se vyplížil ven. When they got there, the little man said to him, 'Go in front of the altar now, and take in your hand the book that is lying there. Když tam přišli, řekl mu mužíček: "Jdi teď před oltář a vezmi do ruky knihu, která tam leží. There you shall stay till you hear the lid of the chest slam down over the dead. Tam zůstaneš, dokud neuslyšíš, jak se víko truhly zabouchne nad mrtvými. In that way you will come to no harm.' Tímto způsobem nepřijdete k žádné újmě. With that the little man shoved him in at the door, and locked it. S tím ho mužíček strčil do dveří a zamkl je. Christian then immediately went in front of the altar, and took the book in his hand, and stood thus until the clock struck twelve, and the appearance sprang out of the chest. Kristián pak ihned přistoupil k oltáři, vzal knihu do ruky a zůstal tak stát, dokud hodiny neodbily dvanáct a zjevení nevyskočilo z truhly. 'Sentry, where are you? "Strážníku, kde jsi? Sentry, where are you?' it shrieked, and then rushed to the pulpit, and right up into it. vykřikla a pak se vrhla ke kazatelně a přímo na ni. But there was no one there that night. Ale ten večer tam nikdo nebyl. Then it howled and shrieked again, Pak znovu zavyl a zavřískal,

My father has set no sentry in, Můj otec tam žádnou hlídku nepostavil,

War and Pest this night begin. Tato noc začíná válkou a pelestí.

At the same moment, it noticed the smith standing in front of the altar, and came rushing towards him. Ve stejném okamžiku si všiml kováře stojícího před oltářem a vyrazil k němu. 'Are you there?' "Jste tam? it screamed; 'now I'll catch you.' křičelo; "teď tě chytím. But it could not come up over the step in front of the altar, and there it continued to howl, and scream, and threaten, until the clock struck one, when it had to go into the chest again, and Christian heard the lid slam above it. Nemohlo však přejít přes schod před oltářem, a tak tam dál vylo, křičelo a vyhrožovalo, dokud hodiny neodbily jednu, kdy muselo znovu vlézt do truhly a Kristián slyšel, jak se nad ním zabouchlo víko. That night, however, it had not the same appearance as on the previous one; it was less ugly. Té noci však neměla stejný vzhled jako předchozí; byla méně ošklivá.

When all was quiet in the church, the smith lay down before the altar and slept calmly till the following morning, when the colonel came to fetch him. Když v kostele vše utichlo, kovář si lehl před oltář a klidně spal až do rána, kdy si pro něj přišel plukovník. He was taken up to the king again, and things went on as the day before. Znovu ho odvedli ke králi a vše pokračovalo jako předchozího dne. He got his money, but would give no explanation whether he had seen the king's daughter, and he would not take the post again, he said. Dostal peníze, ale nechtěl podat vysvětlení, zda viděl královu dceru, a řekl, že už tuto funkci nepřijme. But after he had got a good breakfast, and tasted well of the king's wines, he undertook to go on guard again the third night, but he would not do it for less than the half of the kingdom, he said, for it was a dangerous post, and the king had to agree, and promise him this. Když se však dobře nasnídal a ochutnal králova vína, zavázal se, že třetí noc půjde znovu na stráž, ale prý to neudělá za méně než polovinu království, protože je to nebezpečné místo, a král s tím musel souhlasit a slíbit mu to. The remainder of the day went like the previous one. Zbytek dne probíhal stejně jako ten předchozí. He played the boastful soldier, and the merry smith, and he had comrades and boon-companions in plenty. Hrál si na chlubivého vojáka a veselého kováře a měl spoustu kamarádů a společníků. At eight o'clock he had to put on his uniform again, and was shut up in the church. V osm hodin si musel znovu obléct uniformu a byl zavřen v kostele. He had not been there for an hour before he had come to his senses, and thought, 'It's best to stop now, while the game is going well.' Nebyl tam ani hodinu, než se vzpamatoval a pomyslel si: "Nejlepší bude přestat, dokud se hra daří. The third night, he was sure, would be the worst; he had been drunk when he promised it, and the half of the kingdom, the king could never have been in earnest about that! Třetí noc, tím si byl jistý, bude nejhorší; byl opilý, když to sliboval, a polovina království, to král nemohl myslet vážně! So he decided to leave, without waiting so long as on the previous nights. Rozhodl se tedy odejít, aniž by čekal tak dlouho jako předchozí noci. In that way he would escape the little man who had watched him before. Tak by unikl tomu malému muži, který ho předtím sledoval. All the doors and posterns were locked, but he finally though of creeping up to a window, and opening that, and as the clock struck nine, he crept out there. Všechny dveře a vývěsky byly zamčené, ale nakonec ho napadlo připlížit se k oknu, otevřít ho, a když hodiny odbily devět, vyplížil se ven. It was fairly high in the wall, but he got to the ground with no bones broken, and started to run. Byl poměrně vysoko ve zdi, ale dostal se na zem bez zlomených kostí a dal se na útěk. He got down to the shore without meeting anyone, and there he got into a boat, and pushed off from land. Aniž by někoho potkal, dostal se na břeh, kde nasedl do člunu a odplul od pevniny. He laughed immensely to himself at the thought of how cleverly he had managed and how he had cheated the little man. Sám pro sebe se nesmírně zasmál při pomyšlení, jak chytře si poradil a jak malého muže podvedl. Just then he heard a voice from the shore, 'Good evening, Christian, where are you going?' Vtom uslyšel z břehu hlas: "Dobrý večer, Christiane, kam jdeš? He gave no answer. Neodpověděl. 'To-night your legs will be too short,' he thought, and pulled at the oars. "Dnes v noci budeš mít příliš krátké nohy," pomyslel si a zatáhl za vesla. But he then felt something lay hold of the boat, and drag it straight in to shore, for all that he sat and struggled with the oars. Pak ale ucítil, jak se člunu cosi zmocnilo a táhne ho přímo ke břehu, a přesto všechno seděl a zápasil s vesly.

The man then laid hold of him, and said, 'You must remain at your post, as you have promised,' and whether he liked it or not, Christian had just to go back with him the whole way to the church. Muž ho pak chytil a řekl: "Musíš zůstat na svém místě, jak jsi slíbil," a ať se mu to líbilo, nebo ne, musel se s ním Kristián vrátit celou cestu do kostela. He could never get in at that window again, Christian said; it was far too high up. Tím oknem už se nikdy nedostane dovnitř, řekl Christian; bylo příliš vysoko.

'You must go in there, and you shall go in there,' said the little man, and with that he lifted him up on to the window-sill. "Musíš jít tam a půjdeš tam," řekl mužíček a zvedl ho na okenní parapet. Then he said to him: 'Notice well now what you have to do. Pak mu řekl: "Dobře si teď všimni, co máš udělat. This evening you must stretch yourself out on the left-hand side of her chest. Dnes večer se musíte natáhnout na levou stranu jejího hrudníku. The lid opens to the right, and she comes out to the left. Víko se otevře napravo a ona vyjde nalevo. When she has got out of the chest and passed over you, you must get into it and lie there, and that in a hurry, without her seeing you. Až vyleze z truhly a přejde přes vás, musíte do ní vlézt a lehnout si tam, a to ve spěchu, aniž by vás viděla. There you must remain lying until day dawns, and whether she threatens you or entreats you, you must not come out of it, or give her any answer. Tam musíš zůstat ležet až do rozbřesku, a ať už ti vyhrožuje, nebo tě prosí, nesmíš z toho vyjít, ani jí dát žádnou odpověď. Then she has no power over you, and both you and she are freed.' Pak nad tebou nebude mít žádnou moc a ty i ona budete osvobozeni. The smith then had to go in at the window, just as he came out, and went and laid himself all his length on the left side of the princess's chest, close up to it, and there he lay stiff as a rock until the clock struck twelve. Kovář pak musel jít oknem dovnitř, zrovna když vyšel ven, a šel a položil se celou svou délkou na levou stranu princezniny hrudi, těsně k ní, a tam ležel ztuhlý jako kámen, dokud hodiny neodbily dvanáct. Then the lid sprang up to the right, and the princess came out, straight over him, and rushed round the church, howling and shrieking 'Sentry, where are you? Vtom víko vyskočilo doprava a princezna se vynořila, přímo nad ním, a rozběhla se kolem kostela, vyje a ječíc: "Strážníku, kde jsi? Sentry, where are you?' She went towards the altar, and right up to it, but there was no one there; then she screamed again, Šla k oltáři, až k němu, ale nikdo tam nebyl; pak znovu vykřikla,

My father has set no sentry in, Můj otec tam žádnou hlídku nepostavil,

War and Pest will now begin. Nyní začne válka a škůdce.

Then she went round the whole church, both up and down, sighing and weeping, Pak obešla celý kostel, nahoru i dolů, vzdychala a plakala,

My father has set no sentry in, Můj otec tam žádnou hlídku nepostavil,

War and Pest will now begin. Nyní začne válka a škůdce.

Then she went away again, and at the same moment the clock in the tower struck one. Pak opět odešla a ve stejnou chvíli hodiny na věži odbily jednu hodinu.

Then the smith heard in the church a soft music, which grew louder and louder, and soon filled the whole building. Pak kovář uslyšel v kostele tichou hudbu, která se stávala hlasitější a hlasitější a brzy naplnila celou budovu. He heard also a multitude of footsteps, as if the church was being filled with people. Slyšel také množství kroků, jako by se kostel plnil lidmi. He heard the priest go through the service in front of the altar, and there was singing more beautiful than he had ever heard before. Slyšel, jak kněz prochází bohoslužbou před oltářem, a ozýval se zpěv krásnější, než kdy předtím slyšel. Then he also heard the priest offer up a prayer of thanksgiving because the land had been freed from war and pestilence, and from all misfortune, and the king's daughter delivered from the evil one. Pak také slyšel, jak kněz pronáší děkovnou modlitbu za to, že země byla zbavena války a moru a všeho neštěstí a královská dcera byla vysvobozena od zlého. Many voices joined in, and a hymn of praise was sung; then he heard the priest again, and heard his own name and that of the princess, and thought that he was being wedded to her. Mnoho hlasů se přidalo a zazněl chvalozpěv; pak znovu uslyšel kněze, slyšel své jméno a jméno princezny a myslel si, že je s ní oddán. The church was packed full, but he could see nothing. Kostel byl plný lidí, ale on nic neviděl. Then he heard again the many footsteps as ol' folk leaving the church, while the music sounded fainter and fainter, until it altogether died away. Pak znovu uslyšel spoustu kroků, jak staří lidé opouštějí kostel, zatímco hudba zněla stále slaběji, až úplně utichla. When it was silent, the light of day began to break in through the windows. Když bylo ticho, začalo okny pronikat denní světlo.

The smith sprang up out of the chest and fell on his knees and thanked God. Kovář vyskočil z truhly, padl na kolena a děkoval Bohu. The church was empty, but up in front of the altar lay the princess, white and red, like a human being, but sobbing and crying, and shaking with cold in her white shroud. Kostel byl prázdný, ale nahoře před oltářem ležela princezna, bíločervená jako člověk, ale vzlykala a plakala a třásla se zimou v bílém rubáši. The smith took his sentry coat and wrapped it round her; then she dried her tears, and took his hand and thanked him, and said that he had now freed her from all the sorcery that had been in her from her birth, and which had come over her again when her father broke the command against seeing her until she had completed her fourteenth year. Kovář si vzal svůj strážní plášť a ovinul ji jím; pak si osušila slzy, vzala ho za ruku, poděkovala mu a řekla, že ji nyní osvobodil od všeho čarodějnictví, které v ní bylo od narození a které se na ni znovu sneslo, když její otec porušil příkaz, že se s ní nesmí stýkat, dokud nedovrší čtrnáctý rok.

She said further, that if he who had delivered her would take her in marriage, she would be his. Dále řekla, že pokud si ji ten, kdo ji vysvobodil, vezme za ženu, bude jeho. If not, she would go into a nunnery, and he could marry no other as long as she lived, for he was wedded to her with the service of the dead, which he had heard. Kdyby ne, šla by do kláštera a on by se nemohl oženit s jinou, dokud by žila, protože s ní byl oddán službou mrtvým, o níž slyšel.

She was now the most beautiful young princess that anyone could wish to see, and he was now lord of half the kingdom, which had been promised him for standing on guard the third nigh. Nyní byla nejkrásnější mladou princeznou, jakou si kdo mohl přát, a on byl nyní pánem poloviny království, kterou mu slíbili za to, že bude stát na stráži třetí noci. So they agreed that they would have each other, and love each other all their days. Dohodli se tedy, že se budou mít rádi po všechny dny.

With the first sunbeam the watch came and opened the church, and not only was the colonel there, but the king in person, come to see what had happened to the sentinel. S prvním slunečním paprskem přišla hlídka a otevřela kostel, kde byl nejen plukovník, ale i král osobně, který se přišel podívat, co se stalo strážnému. He found them both sitting hand in hand on the step in front of the altar, and immediately knew his daughter again, and took her in his arms, thanking God and her deliverer. Našel je oba sedět ruku v ruce na stupínku před oltářem, okamžitě svou dceru opět poznal, vzal ji do náruče a děkoval Bohu a jejímu vysvoboditeli. İkisini de sunağın önündeki basamakta el ele otururken buldu ve kızını hemen tekrar tanıdı ve Tanrı'ya ve kurtarıcısına şükrederek onu kollarına aldı. He made no objections to what they had arranged, and so Christian the smith held his wedding with the princess, and got half the kingdom at once, and the whole of it when the king died. Ten nic nenamítal proti tomu, co si domluvili, a tak se kovář Kristián s princeznou oženil a získal polovinu království najednou a po králově smrti celé.

As for the other sentries, with so many doors and windows open, no doubt they had run away, and gone into the Prussian service. Pokud jde o ostatní strážce, ti při tolika otevřených dveřích a oknech nepochybně utekli a dali se do pruských služeb. And as for what Christian said he saw, he had been drinking more wine than was good for him. A pokud jde o to, co Kristián řekl, že viděl, pil víc vína, než bylo dobré. Christian'ın gördüğünü söylediği şeye gelince, kendisi için yarardan çok şarap içiyordu.