Oldal 30 [30]
10 GRIMM’S FAIRY TALES.
she ran, took up a mug, and saying, " Here’s to me !” took a
good draught. . “ One good drink deserves another,” she said
“and it should not be cut short ;” so she took another hearty
draught. ‘Then she went and put the fowls down to the fire
again, and, basting them with butter, she turned the spit
briskly round. And now they began to smell so good that
Grethel saying, "I must find out whether they really are all
right,” licked her fingers, and then cried, " Well, I never! the
fowls are good; it’s a sin and a shame that no one is here to
eat them !”
So she ran to the window to see if her master and his
guest were coming, but as she could see nobody she went
back to her fowls. ‘‘ Why, one of the wings is burning!” she
cried presently, "I had better eat it and get it out of the way.”
So she cut it off and ate it up, and it tasted good, and then she
thought,
‘‘T had better cut off the other too, in case the master
should miss anything.” And when both wings had been dis¬
posed of she went and looked for the master, but still he did
not come.
‘Who knows,” said she, " whether they are coming or not ?
they may have put up at an inn.” And after a pause she
said again, ‘‘ Come, I may as well make myself happy, and first
I will make sure of a good drink and then of a good meal,
and when all is done I shall be easy; the gifts of the gods are
not to be despised.” So first she ran down into the cellar and
had a famous drink, and ate up one of the fowls with great
relish. And when that was done, and still the master did not
come, Grethel eyed the other fowl, saying, “ What one is the
other must be, the two belong to each other, it is only fair that
they should be both treated alike; perhaps, when I have had
another drink, I shall be able to manage it.” So she took
another hearty drink, and then the second fowl went the way
of the first.
Just as she was in the middle of it the master came back.
‘Make haste, Grethel,’ cried he, “the guest is coming
directly!” ‘Very well, master,” she answered, "it will soon
be ready.” ‘The master went to see that the table was properly
laid, and, taking the great carving knife with which he meant
to carve the fowls, he sharpened it upon the step. Presently