The Golden Bird – Part A
The Golden Bird
A certain king had a beautiful garden, and in the garden stood a tree which bore golden apples. These apples were always counted, and about the time when they began to grow ripe it was found that every night one of them was gone. The king became very angry at this, and ordered the gardener to keep watch all night under the tree. The gardener set his eldest son to watch; but about twelve o’clock he fell-asleep, and in the morning another of the apples was missing. Then the second son was ordered to watch; and at midnight he too fell asleep, and in the morning another apple was gone. Then the third son offered to keep-watch; but the gardener at first would not let him, for fear some harm should come to him: however, at last he consented, and the young man laid himself under the tree to watch. As the clock struck twelve he heard a rustling noise in the air, and a bird came flying that was of pure gold; and as it was snapping at one of the apples with its beak, the gardener’s son jumped up and shot an arrow at it. But the arrow did the bird no harm; only it dropped a golden feather from its tail, and then flew away. The golden feather was brought to the king in the morning, and all the council was called together. Everyone agreed that it was worth more than all the wealth of the kingdom: but the king said, ‘One feather is of no use to me, I must have the whole bird.’Then the gardener’s eldest son set-out and thought to find the golden bird very easily; and when he had gone but a little way, he came to a wood, and by the side of the wood he saw a fox sitting; so he took his bow and made ready to shoot at it. Then the fox said, ‘Do not shoot me, for I will give you good counsel; I know what your business is, and that you want to find the golden bird. You will reach a village in the evening; and when you get there, you will see two inns opposite to each other, one of which is very pleasant and beautiful to look at: go not in there, but rest for the night in the other, though it may appear to you to be very poor and mean.’ But the son thought to himself, ‘What can such a beast as this know about the matter?’ So he shot his arrow at the fox; but he missed it, and it set up its tail above its back and ran into the wood. Then he went-his-way, and in the evening came to the village where the two inns were; and in one of these were people singing, and dancing, and feasting; but the other looked very dirty, and poor. ‘I should be very silly,’ said he, ‘if I went to that Shabby house, and left this charming place’; so he went into the smart house, and ate and drank at his ease, and forgot the bird, and his country too.Time passed on; and as the eldest son did not come back, and no tidings were heard of him, the second son set out, and the same thing happened to him. He met the fox, who gave him the good advice: but when he came to the two inns, his eldest brother was standing at the window where the merrymaking was, and called to him to come in; and he could not withstand the temptation, but went in, and forgot the golden bird and his country in the same manner.Time passed on again, and the youngest son too wished to set out into the wide world to seek for the golden bird; but his father would not listen to it for a long while, for he was very fond of his son, and was afraid that some ill-luck might happen to him also, and prevent his coming back. However, at last it was agreed he should go, for he would not rest at home; and as he came to the wood, he met the fox, and heard the same good counsel. But he was thankful to the fox, and did not attempt his life as his brothers had done; so the fox said, ‘Sit upon my tail, and you will travel faster.’ So he sat down, and the fox began to run, and away they went over stock and stone so quick that their hair whistled in the wind.When they came to the village, the son followed the fox’s counsel, and without looking about him went to the shabby inn and rested there all night at his ease. In the morning came the fox again and met him as he was beginning his journey, and said, ‘Go straight forward, till you come to a castle, before which lie a whole troop of soldiers fast-asleep and snoring: take no notice of them, but go into the castle and pass on-and-on till you come to a room, where the golden bird sits in a wooden cage; close by it stands a beautiful golden cage; but do not try to take the bird out of the shabby cage and put it into the handsome one, otherwise you will repent it.’ Then the fox stretched out his tail again, and the young man sat himself down, and away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled in the wind.Before the castle gate all was as the fox had said: so the son went in and found the chamber where the golden bird hung in a wooden cage, and below stood the golden cage, and the three golden apples that had been lost were lying close by it. Then thought he to himself, ‘It will be a very droll thing to bring-away such a fine bird in this shabby cage’; so he opened the door and took-hold of it and put it into the golden cage. But the bird set up such a loud scream that all the soldiers awoke, and they took him prisoner and carried him before the king. The next morning the court sat to judge him; and when all was heard, it sentenced him to die, unless he should bring the king the golden horse which could run as swiftly as the wind; and if he did this, he was to have the golden bird given him for his own.So he set out once more on his journey, sighing, and in great despair, when on a sudden his friend the fox met him, and said, ‘You see now what has happened on account of your not listening to my counsel. I will still, however, tell you how to find the golden horse, if you will do as I bid you. You must go straight on till you come to the castle where the horse stands in his stall: by his side will lie the groom fast asleep and snoring: take away the horse quietly, but be sure to put the old leathern saddle upon him, and not the golden one that is close by it.’ Then the son sat down on the fox’s tail, and away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled in the wind.
[To be continued………….]
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On account of (phrase) – because of, owing to, due to, as a consequence of, के कारण
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Set out (phrasal verb) – start, make a start, start out, begin one's journey
प्रस्थान करना
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Stall (verb) – obstruct, impede, interfere with, hinder, hamper,
रोकना
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Swiftly (adverb) – rapidly, quickly, fast, speedily, briskly
तेजी से
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Seek (verb) – attempt to find (something).
तलाश करना
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Ripe (adjective) – fully developed or matured and ready to be eaten or used
परिपक्व, पका हुआ
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Stretch out (phrasal verb) – extend or stretch out to a greater or the full length
बढ़ाना, फैलाना
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Prisoner (noun) – captive, convict, inmate, detainee, jailbird
कैदी
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on and on (phrase) – continuing for a long time
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Castle (noun) – palace, fortress, fort, citadel, stronghold
महल
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Despair (noun) – misery, depression, despondency, gloom, melancholy
निराशा
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Consent (verb) – Agree, comply, assent, acquiesce, concur, accede
सहमत होना
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Troop (noun) – A group of soldiers
सेना
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Temptation (noun) – lure, enticement, attraction, allurement, fascination
प्रलोभन
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Bear (verb) – (of a tree or plant) produce (fruit).
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Fall asleep (phrase) – to start to sleep
सो जाना, नींद में पड़ना
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Keep watch (phrase) – Stay on the lookout for danger or trouble.
निगरानी करना
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Lay (verb) – Recline, rest, stretch out
लिटाना
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Clock Strike (phrase) – it is used to refer to a particular time.
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Hear (verb) – listen, listened, understand, overheard
सुनाई पड़ना
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Rustling (adjective) – rustle, whispering, whisper, murmurous, swish
सरसराहट
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Snap (verb) – to try to bite somebody/something
किसी को काटने की कोशिश करना
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Beak (noun) – bill, mouth
चोंच
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Arrow (noun) – a long, thin stick, pointed at one end, that can be shot from a bow
तीर
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Drop (verb) – release, let fall
गिराना
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Feather (noun) –wing, fin, plume, pinna, sail
पंख
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Tail (noun) – a part of an animal's body, sticking out from the base of the back
पूंछ
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Worth (adjective) – having a particular value, especially in money
मूल्यवान
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Wealth (noun) – money, affluence, prosperity
संपत्ति
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Bow (noun) – a weapon for shooting arrows
धनुष
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Business (noun) – An activity that someone is engaged in.
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Inn (noun) – a small hotel or old pub, usually in the country
छोटा होटल या पुरानी मद्यशाला (प्रायः पश्चिम के ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में)
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Mean (adjective) – (especially of a place) poor in quality and appearance; shabby, Squalid, poor
तुच्छ
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Appear (verb) – seem, look
लगना
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Beast (noun) – An animal
जानवर
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Wood (noun) – an area of land that is covered with trees. A wood is smaller than a forest
छोटा जंगल
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Go someone’s way (phrase) – travel in the same direction as someone.
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Feast (verb) – Eat an elaborate meal (often accompanied by entertainment)
भोजन करना
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Silly (adjective) – stupid, foolish, dumb, ridiculous, crazy
मूर्ख
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Shabby (adjective) – looking old and in bad condition because of being used for a long time
जर्जर
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Ease (noun) – comfort, luxury
आराम
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Charming (adjective) – delightful, attractive, lovely, appealing
आकर्षक
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Tiding (noun) – news, information, message
समाचार, ख़बर
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Merrymaking (noun)– jollification, celebration, enjoyment, fun, conviviality
मौज-मस्ती
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Withstand (verb) – face, hold out, resist
सामना करना
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Long while (phrase) – a long time
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Fond (of) (adjective) – Having or displaying warmth or affection
प्रिय
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Ill luck (noun) – bad luck; misfortune
. मुसीबत/अनहोनी
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Stock (noun) – animal
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Whistle (verb) – to make a high sound by moving rapidly in the air
सीटी बजाना
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Lie (verb) – to be in or move into a flat or horizontal position (so that you are not standing or sitting)
लेटना, पड़े होना
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Fast asleep (adjective) – Sleeping, in a deep sleep.
गहरी नींद में
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Snore (verb) – make a snorting or grunting sound while asleep ; saw wood
खर्राटा लेना
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Cage (noun) – a space surrounded on all sides by bars or wire, in which birds are kept
पिंजरा
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Close by (phrase) – very near; nearby.
पास में
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Handsome (adjective) – good-looking
सुंदर
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Repent (verb) – regret, atone, be sorry, rue, feel remorse
पछताना
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Droll (adjective) – funny, amusing, comical, humorous, witty
मज़ेदार
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Bring away (phrasal verb) –to move something away from something.
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Take hold of (phrase) – to seize ; grasp
पकड़ना।
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Scream (noun) – yell, shout, holler, shriek, howl
चिल्लाहट
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Judge (verb) – come to the conclusion, decide
निर्णय करना
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Sentence (verb) – (used about a judge) to tell somebody who has been found guilty of a crime what the punishment will be
सज़ा सुनाना
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Swiftly (adverb) – rapidly, quickly, fast, speedily, briskly
तेजी से
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Bid (verb) –offer, command, direct
आदेश देना
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Groom (noun) –a person employed to take care of horses; stableman
घोड़े की देख-रेख वाला
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Leathern (adjective) –Made of leather
चमड़े का
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Saddle (noun) – a seat hooked on the back of a horse
काठी
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Prevent (verb) – stop, hinder, avert, inhibit, preclude
रोकना
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Seek (verb) – attempt to find (something).
तलाश करना
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Counsel (noun) – advice, guidance, guidelines, attorney
सलाह