登陆注册
18998000000215

第215章

One of the robbers raised his axe against him; but the young priest sprang on one side, and avoided the blow, which fell with great force on the horse's neck, so that the blood gushed forth, and the animal sunk to the ground. Then Helga seemed suddenly to awake from her long, deep reverie; she threw herself hastily upon the dying animal. The priest placed himself before her, to defend and shelter her; but one of the robbers swung his iron axe against the Christian's head with such force that it was dashed to pieces, the blood and brains were scattered about, and he fell dead upon the ground. Then the robbers seized beautiful Helga by her white arms and slender waist; but at that moment the sun went down, and as its last ray disappeared, she was changed into the form of a frog. A greenish white mouth spread half over her face; her arms became thin and slimy; while broad hands, with webbed fingers, spread themselves out like fans.

Then the robbers, in terror, let her go, and she stood among them, a hideous monster; and as is the nature of frogs to do, she hopped up as high as her own size, and disappeared in the thicket. Then the robbers knew that this must be the work of an evil spirit or some secret sorcery, and, in a terrible fright, they ran hastily from the spot.

The full moon had already risen, and was shining in all her radiant splendor over the earth, when from the thicket, in the form of a frog, crept poor Helga. She stood still by the corpse of the

Christian priest, and the carcase of the dead horse. She looked at them with eyes that seemed to weep, and from the frog's head came forth a croaking sound, as when a child bursts into tears. She threw herself first upon one, and then upon the other; brought water in her hand, which, from being webbed, was large and hollow, and poured it over them; but they were dead, and dead they would remain. She understood that at last. Soon wild animals would come and tear their dead bodies; but no, that must not happen. Then she dug up the earth, as deep as she was able, that she might prepare a grave for them. She had nothing but a branch of a tree and her two hands, between the fingers of which the webbed skin stretched, and they were torn by the work, while the blood ran down her hands. She saw at last that her work would be useless, more than she could accomplish; so she fetched more water, and washed the face of the dead, and then covered it with fresh green leaves; she also brought large boughs and spread over him, and scattered dried leaves between the branches. Then she brought the heaviest stones that she could carry, and laid them over the dead body, filling up the crevices with moss, till she thought she had fenced in his resting-place strongly enough. The difficult task had employed her the whole night; and as the sun broke forth, there stood the beautiful Helga in all her loveliness, with her bleeding hands, and, for the first time, with tears on her maiden cheeks. It was, in this transformation, as if two natures were striving together within her; her whole frame trembled, and she looked around her as if she had just awoke from a painful dream. She leaned for support against the trunk of a slender tree, and at last climbed to the topmost branches, like a cat, and seated herself firmly upon them. She remained there the whole day, sitting alone, like a frightened squirrel, in the silent solitude of the wood, where the rest and stillness is as the calm of death.

Butterflies fluttered around her, and close by were several ant-hills, each with its hundreds of busy little creatures moving quickly to and fro. In the air, danced myriads of gnats, swarm upon swarm, troops of buzzing flies, ladybirds, dragon-flies with golden wings, and other little winged creatures. The worm crawled forth from the moist ground, and the moles crept out; but, excepting these, all around had the stillness of death: but when people say this, they do not quite understand themselves what they mean. None noticed Helga but a flock of magpies, which flew chattering round the top of the tree on which she sat. These birds hopped close to her on the branches with bold curiosity. A glance from her eyes was a signal to frighten them away, and they were not clever enough to find out who she was; indeed she hardly knew herself.

When the sun was near setting, and the evening's twilight about to commence, the approaching transformation aroused her to fresh exertion. She let herself down gently from the tree, and, as the last sunbeam vanished, she stood again in the wrinkled form of a frog, with the torn, webbed skin on her hands, but her eyes now gleamed with more radiant beauty than they had ever possessed in her most beautiful form of loveliness; they were now pure, mild maidenly eyes that shone forth in the face of a frog. They showed the existence of deep feeling and a human heart, and the beauteous eyes overflowed with tears, weeping precious drops that lightened the heart.

On the raised mound which she had made as a grave for the dead priest, she found the cross made of the branches of a tree, the last work of him who now lay dead and cold beneath it. A sudden thought came to Helga, and she lifted up the cross and planted it upon the grave, between the stones that covered him and the dead horse. The sad recollection brought the tears to her eyes, and in this gentle spirit she traced the same sign in the sand round the grave; and as she formed, with both her hands, the sign of the cross, the web skin fell from them like a torn glove. She washed her hands in the water of the spring, and gazed with astonishment at their delicate whiteness.

Again she made the holy sign in the air, between herself and the dead man; her lips trembled, her tongue moved, and the name which she in her ride through the forest had so often heard spoken, rose to her lips, and she uttered the words, "Jesus Christ." Then the frog skin fell from her; she was once more a lovely maiden. Her head bent wearily, her tired limbs required rest, and then she slept.

同类推荐
  • 法相宗章疏

    法相宗章疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Mr.Standfastl

    Mr.Standfastl

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 肇论疏

    肇论疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 侯鲭录

    侯鲭录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 心相篇

    心相篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 新刃灵

    新刃灵

    高考落榜的白泉想要去当兵,阴差阳错的被一支神秘队伍选上,他平庸的一生就此改变。在人生最为艰难的时候不要放弃,因为任何人都不是天生的战士。
  • 时光那么凉

    时光那么凉

    一段爱情,凉了时光,病了心脏,也老了少年。原本紧握的幸福,在刹那支离破碎。一场以爱为名的争夺,一次以伤为情的守候。最后的最后,是空留下一句:“再相遇一定不放你走?”还是牵手白头。
  • 侠骨柔情之豪门逆女

    侠骨柔情之豪门逆女

    江湖多险滩,问丽人如何敢独闯?侠客豪气冲霄汉,同许愿,共相伴,真情可作梯,妹子敢登天!君臣恩,豪门怨,不敌三生订约一世姻缘。弱女子,泪涟涟;穷家子弟,真心比铁坚,两情相悦,意绵绵。不惧恶魔贪狠如狼,何屑登徒之子巧舌如簧,此心早已决,独哥哥可依傍。儿女情长,奈何家国恩仇;故园已破,爹娘亦双亡,此恨无涯,苦叹凄怜!妹子深情款款,何人敢承欢?
  • 嫡女有毒,别惹三小姐

    嫡女有毒,别惹三小姐

    三小姐的奇葩,远近闻名,传闻她傻,她笨,她丑……据说她六岁不识字,八岁不吟诗,十岁不认路……却偏偏得了王爷的宠,他宠她嚣张狂傲,他宠她阴狠毒辣。她从不拒绝,依然笑得潇洒坦荡,浴火重生,物竞天择,她配得上他的宠。她娇蛮跋扈,奸诈狡猾,却步步为营,因他为她一手遮天。一代奸妃问世,看她满朝翻云覆雨,人前披着羊皮,人后磨着狼爪……她本是聪明绝顶,却装作痴傻愚笨,她本有惊天才华,却装作大字不识。【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 你就是我的TFBOYS

    你就是我的TFBOYS

    悲欢离合,黑白音律交替故事,那一束鲜花……阳光下的00后的我们,00后的巨星TFBOYS,你还会记得我吗?璀璨的人生,喜剧闹翻天!19章新系列唯美文字带你走进TFBOYS四叶草时代!
  • 末世之跑出地球

    末世之跑出地球

    苏陌一张小嘴大大的张成o字型,看着被一团紫火肆虐得如同残风过境的房屋,屋顶龟裂摇摇欲坠即将崩塌,心中泪牛满面,这年头儿子都比老娘厉害了,太有损老娘威武霸气的形象辣!“宝贝,你表现的这么递害,让只比你牛逼一点的妈咪肿么扑男神!”“妈咪,这个男人只比宝贝帅那么一点点,到也算的上是上天下地宇宙第一帅了,妈咪要他当宝贝的爹地么?宝贝可以帮你迷晕他,扛到妈咪床上去。”说着对手指着的地下躺的人扑了一脸迷药,顺带“好心”的带了一把加强版春药。苏陌无语的看着儿子的动作,心中默默垂了一把泪,她是绝对不会承认儿子如此彪悍的脑回路遗传她的!
  • 长安清夏

    长安清夏

    亲爱的们,喜欢请收藏哦~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~究竟要怎么样,才能回到我们相遇的时光?——沈清夏【陆长安篇】她与他,相识于少年;从朋友到恋人,从恋人到夫妻,她一路走的顺风顺水,理所当然。一直以为自己眼光不错,一直以为他与别人不同;直到看到他们亲热的画面时才猛然清醒,原来她的婚姻早已触礁。于是她知道了,在这个世界上,有一群女人叫‘原配’;有一种生物叫‘小三’。“她手机不通,我得去找她。”“她电话没人接,我得去找她。”“她不见了,我得去找她。”“她一个人我不放心,我得去找她。”……去找她去找她,陆长安,你现在只会说这一句话了吗?!“对不起,清夏,我们离婚吧。”“求求你,清夏,我们离婚吧!”“沈清夏,你离也得离,不离也得离!!”沈清夏皱眉苦笑,自己百般迁就,千般忍让却只换来他暴跳如雷,她的付出她的改变他统统都看不见!原来,不能怪小三太高明,只能怪故人心已变……【安小琥篇】第一次遇到他,她刚刚发现陆长安的外遇,失魂落魄;第二次遇到他,她刚刚与陆长安战斗失败,狼狈至极;第三次遇到他,她喝的酩酊大醉,又说又闹,又哭又吐,形象全无。第四次、第五次、第六次……是从什么时候开始,他出现的频率越来越高,带着他可爱的小虎牙,笑得一脸阳光灿烂。“喂,不要以为你叫安小琥,就可以肆无忌惮的炫耀你的小虎牙,快点把它们收回去。”沈清夏故作严肃的说。“为什么?”茫然的眨眨眼睛,他笑得愈发放肆。“因为……”因为我会觉得很可爱,她闷闷的想,却说不出口。【许明风篇】他认识她时,她已经遇到了陆长安;她与陆长安出现危机时,她又认识了安小琥。他长得不错,家庭不错,工作不错;对她照顾有加,宠爱有加,用情也不浅。可是为什么,他总是慢人一步?为什么,她总是看不到他?为什么,他只能是路人甲?“我爱你,不是今天才开始的。”拉她入怀,他轻声的说。“我知道,不是今天才知道的。”垂下眼睑,她认真地回。
  • 爵临天下

    爵临天下

    凡人修仙,极为上乘之道。爵若修魔,极为上乘之道。仙为何物?长生不老,法术高强,善良慈悲。魔为何物?无限寿命,魔道震天,嗜血成性。本为修仙最终成魔,魔仙共修,爵临天下。
  • 极品特工王妃

    极品特工王妃

    以德报怨?呸,那是圣人干的事;以直报怨,呸,那是贤人干的事;以怨抱怨,再呸,那是凡人干的事,敢欺我者,必百倍还之,世界顶级特工重生暗夜大陆,笑傲武林,震惊朝野,暗夜大陆一时风起云涌;美男群拥而至,腹黑王爷,冷傲太子,逍遥神医,无情杀手,她的心到底花落谁家?颜可祸国,语可殃民,看谁一笑倾天下?一生戎马,指点江山,看谁主乱世沉浮?杀破狼聚,天下易主,看谁龙得水,虎归山,血染暗夜大陆?【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 夫君谋

    夫君谋

    垂髫初识,总角知约,豆蔻疏离,十八结发。我的夫君安锦,是杞国女子心目中的最佳情郎。在我不得不守着这块肥肉,与各色豺狼虎豹进行艰苦卓绝的肉肉护卫战之后,终于明白了一点:与其左防右藏,还是吃吞下腹最安全。一段腹黑女的觉悟史,一条腹黑男的淡定追妻路。数天下腹黑人物,还看此朝。