出海时的那座码头已经能隐隐约约地望见了,船长劝巴奇钦喝酒,他喝啊喝啊,最后喝得烂醉,倒在地上。船长对国王的女儿说:“不要告诉你的父亲是那个酒鬼救了你!你应该说是我救了你,因为我是这艘船的船长,而那个酒鬼只是我的一个伙计,他做的一切都是我吩咐的。”
国王的女儿没有说好也没有说不好,只是回答:“我知道该说什么。”船长于是想着要除掉巴奇钦·特里波尔多,一了百了。当天深夜,他们抬起烂醉如泥的巴奇钦,把他扔进了大海。黎明时分,大船靠近了码头,并用旗语通知岸上,他们把国王的女儿平安地救回来了。码头上,乐队奏起了凯旋乐,国王和宫廷全体人员都来了。
国王的女儿与船长的婚礼已经定下来了。婚礼那天,码头上的水手看见从海里钻出来一个人,从头到脚披着绿色的海草,衣服的口袋和被撕破的口子往外蹦着小鱼、小蟹。这个人正是巴奇钦·特里波尔多,他全身上下遮满了海草,头上挂着,身上披着,脚下还拖着,上了岸,走向城中心。就在这时,婚礼的队伍迎面过来了,看见一个身披绿色水草的男人挡在前边,队伍停了下来。“什么人在那里?把他抓起来!”国王命令道。侍卫走上前刚要捉人,这时巴奇钦·特里波尔多抬起一只手,只见一枚钻石戒指在阳光下熠熠发光。
“我女儿的戒指!”国王高喊。
“对,这个人才是我的救命恩人,他才是我的新郎。”国王的女儿说。
巴奇钦·特里波尔多把自己的遭遇从头至尾讲述了一遍。船长被抓了起来。巴奇钦就这样一身绿色的海草走近穿着一身白色衣裙的新娘,和她举行了婚礼。
TheManWreathedinSeaweed
Akinghadhiscrierannounceinthetownsquaresthatwhoeverfoundhismissingdaughterwouldberewardedwithafortune.Buttheannouncementbroughtnoresults,sincenoonehadanyideaofthegirlswhereabouts.Shehadbeenkidnappedonenight,andtheyhadalreadylookedtheworldoverforher.
Aseacaptainsuddenlyhadthethoughtthatsinceshewasntonlandshemightwellbeonthesea,sohegotashipreadytogooutinsearchofher.Butwhenthetimecametosignupthecrew,notonesailorsteppedforward,sincenoonewantedtogoonadangerousexpeditionthatwouldlastnotellinghowlong.
Thecaptainwaitedonthepier,butfearfulofbeingthefirsttoembark,nooneapproachedhisship.AlsoonthepierwasSamphireStarboard,areputedtrampandtippler,whomnoshipcaptainwaseverwillingtosignon.
"Listen,"saidourcaptain,"howwouldyouliketosailwithme?"
"Idliketoverymuch."
"Comeaboard,then."
"SoSamphireStarboardwasthefirsttoembark.Afterthat,othersailorstookheartandboardedtheship.
Oncehewasontheship,SamphireStarboarddidnothingbutstandaroundalldaylongwithhishandsinhispocketsanddreamaboutthetavernshehadleftbehind.Theothersailorscursedhimbecausetherewasnoknowingwhenthevoyagewouldend,provisionswerescarce,andhedidnothingtoearnhiskeep.Thecaptaindecidedtogetridofhim."Seethatlittleisland?"heasked,pointingtoanisolatedreefinthemiddleofthesea."Getintoarowboatandgoexploreit.Wellbecruisingrightaroundhere."
SamphireStarboardsteppedintotherowboat,andtheshipsailedawayatfullspeed,leavinghimstrandedinthemiddleofthesea.Heapproachedthereef,spiedacave,andwentin.Tiedupinsidewasaverybeautifulmaiden,whowasnoneotherthanthekingsdaughter.
"Howdidyoumanagetofindme?"sheasked.
"Iwasfishingforoctopi,"explainedSamphire.
"Iwaskidnappedbyahugeoctopus,whoseprisonerInowam,"saidthekingsdaughter."Fleebeforeitreturns.Butnotethatforthreehoursadayitchangesintoaredmulletandcanbecaught.Butyourhavetokillthemulletatonce,oritwillchangeintoaseagullandflyaway."
SamphireStarboardhidhisboatandwaitedoutofsightonthereef.Fromtheseaemergedtheoctopus,whichwassolargethatitcouldreachcleararoundtheislandwithitstentacles.Allitssuckersshook,havingsmelledamanonthereef.Butthehourarrivedwhenithadtochangeintoafish,andsuddenlyitbecamearedmulletanddisappearedintothesea.SamphireStarboardloweredfishingnetsandpulledthembackupfullofgurnard,sturgeon,anddentex.Thelasthaulproducedtheredmullet,shakinglikealeaf.Samphireraisedhisoartokillit,butinsteadoftheredmullethestrucktheseagullflyingoutofthenetandbrokeitswing.Thegullthenchangedbackintoanoctopus,whosewoundedtentaclesspurteddarkredblood.Samphirewasuponitinstantlyandbeatittodeathwiththeoar.Thekingsdaughtergavehimadiamondringasatokenofthegratitudeshewouldalwaysfeeltowardhim.
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