17-the six sillies-第1部分
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THE SIX SILLIES
ONCE upon a time there was a young girl who reached the age of
thirty…seven without ever having had a lover； for she was so
foolish that no one wanted to marry her。
One day； however； a young man arrived to pay his addresses to
her； and her mother； beaming with joy； sent her daughter down to
the cellar to draw a jug of beer。
As the girl never came back the mother went down to see what
had become of her； and found her sitting on the stairs； her head in
her hands； while by her side the beer was running all over the floor；
as she had forgotten to close the tap。 ‘What are you doing there？'
asked the mother。
‘I was thinking what I shall call my first child after I am
married to that young man。 All the names in the calendar are
taken already。'
The mother sat down on the staircase beside her daughter and
said； ‘I will think about it with you； my dear。'
The father who had stayed upstairs with the young man was
surprised that neither his wife nor his daughter came back； and in
his turn went down to look for them。 He found them both sitting
on the stairs； while beside them the beer was running all over the
ground from the tap； which was wide open。
‘What are you doing there？ The beer is running all over the
cellar。'
‘We were thinking what we should call the children that our
daughter will have when she marries that young man。 All the
names in the calendar are taken already。'
‘Well；' said the father； ‘I will think about it with you。'
As neither mother nor daughter nor father came upstairs again；
the lover grew impatient； and went down into the cellar to see
what they could all be doing。 He found them all three sitting on
the stairs； while beside them the beer was running all over the
ground from the tap； which was wide open。
‘What in the world are you all doing that you don't come
upstairs； and that you let the beer run all over the cellar？'
‘Yes； I know； my boy；' said the father； ‘but if you marry our
daughter what shall you call your children？ All the names in the
calendar are taken。'
When the young man heard this answer he replied：
‘Well！ good…bye； I am going away。 When I shall have found
three people sillier than you I will come back and marry your
daughter。'
So he continued his journey； and after walking a long way he
reached an orchard。 Then he saw some people knocking down
walnuts； and trying to throw them into a cart with a fork。
‘What are you doing there？' he asked。
‘We want to load the cart with our walnuts； but we can't
manage to do it。'
The lover advised them to get a basket and to put the walnuts
in it； so as to turn them into the cart。
‘Well；' he said to himself； ‘I have already found someone more
foolish than those three。'
So he went on his way； and by…and…by he came to a wood。
There he saw a man who wanted to give his pig some acorns to
eat； and was trying with all his might to make him climb up the
oak…tree。
‘What are you doing； my good man？' asked he。
‘I want to make my pig eat some acorns； and I can't get him
to go up the tree。'
‘If you were to climb up and shake down the acorns the pig
would pick them up。'
‘Oh； I never thought of that。'
‘Here is the second idiot；' said the lover to himself。
Some way farther along the road he came upon a man who
had never worn any trousers； and who was trying to put on a pair。
So he had fastened them to a tree and was jumping with all his
might up in the air so that he should hit the two legs of the trousers
as he came down。
‘It would be much better if you held them in your hands；' said
the young man； ‘and then put your legs one after the other in each
hole。'
‘Dear me to be sure！ You are sharper than I am； for that
never occurred to me。'
And having found three people more foolish than his bride； or
her father or her mother； the lover went back to marry the young
lady。
And in course of time they had a great many children。
Story from Hainaut。
（M。 Lemoine。 La Tradition。 No； 34；）
