Then the eldest son said, 'I will soon find it': and he went to the sick king, and begged that he might go in search of the Water of Life, as it was the only thing that could save him. beg[他動詞]請い願う
'No,' said the king. 'I had rather die than place you in such great danger as you must meet with in your journey.' place[他動詞]置く
But he begged so hard that the king let him go; and the prince thought to himself, 'If I bring my father this water, he will make me sole heir to his kingdom.' sole[形容詞]唯一の, heir[名詞]相続人
Then he set out: and when he had gone on his way some time he came to a deep valley, overhung with rocks and woods; and as he looked around, he saw standing above him on one of the rocks a little ugly dwarf, with a sugarloaf cap and a scarlet cloak; and the dwarf called to him and said, 'Prince, whither so fast?' 'What is that to thee, you ugly imp?' said the prince haughtily, and rode on. set out:出発する, overhang[他動詞]突き出る(過去分詞overhung), ugly[形容詞]醜い, dwarf[名詞]小人, sugarloaf[形容詞]円錐形の, scarlet[形容詞]緋色(深紅色),cloak[名詞]マント, call to:声をかける, whither[副詞]どこへ, thee[代名詞]そなた, limp[名詞]小僧,haughtily[副詞]傲慢に,横柄に
But the dwarf was enraged at his behaviour, and laid a fairy spell of ill-luck upon him; so that as he rode on the mountain pass became narrower and narrower, and at last the way was so straitened that he could not go to step forward: and when he thought to have turned his horse round and go back the way he came, he heard a loud laugh ringing round him, and found that the path was closed behind him, so that he was shut in all round. enraged[形容詞]激怒した, fairy[形容詞]妖精の, ill-luck:不幸, laid a fairy spell of ill-luck:呪いの呪文をとなえた, straiten[他動詞]狭める,
He next tried to get off his horse and make his way on foot, but again the laugh rang in his ears, and he found himself unable to move a step, and thus he was forced to abide spellbound. abide[自動詞]とどまる, spellbound[形容詞]呪文で縛られた
Meantime the old king was lingering on in daily hope of his son's return, till at last the second son said, 'Father, I will go in search of the Water of Life.' meantime[副詞]一方, lingering[形容詞]いつまでも残る
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息子は馬から降りて歩いて進もうとしたが、笑い声が耳に響いて歩けなくなり、やむなく呪文に縛られたままになった。
息子が強く願うので王は許した。息子は、自分がこの水を持ってきたら自分が王国の唯一の後継者になれうだろうと思った。
王はいつまでも息子の帰りを待っていたが、2番目の息子が、私は命の水を探しに行きますと言った。
最年長の息子が深い谷にさしかかったとき、小人が声をかけたが息子は横柄に答えて馬に乗り続けた。
最年長の息子が自分が探すと言って、命の水を探しに行かせてくれと願った。
小人は息子の態度に激怒して呪文を書いたので、息子が進んでいくと道が狭くなり進むことも戻ることもできなくなった。
王は、息子を危険な場所に行けせるくらいなら死んだ方がましだ言った。
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