The Three Little Pigs / Три поросенка и другие сказки

So he dismounted and went up to him and said, “What is the matter, my good man?” And the man said, “Well, your honour,[20 - your honour – ваша часть] the fact is, I have five children already, and now the sixth one comes, a little girl, and where to get the bread from to fill their mouths, that’s more than I can say.”

“Don’t cry, my dear man,” said the Baron. “If that’s your trouble, I can help you. I’ll take away the last little one, and you won’t have to bother about her.”

“Thank you kindly, sir,” said the man; and he went in and brought out the little girl and gave her to the Baron, who mounted his horse and rode away with her.

And when he got by the bank of the river, he threw the little girl into the river, and rode off to his castle.

But the little girl didn’t sink; her clothes kept her up for a time,[21 - kept her up for a time – держали её некоторое время на плаву] and she floated, and she floated, till she was cast ashore just in front of a fisherman’s hut.

There the fisherman found her, and took pity on the poor little girl and took her into his house, and she lived there till she was fifteen years old. So she became a fine handsome girl.

One day it happened that the Baron went out hunting[22 - went out hunting – отправился на охоту] with some companions along the banks of the river, and stopped at the fisherman’s hut to get a drink, and the girl came out to give it to them.

They all noticed her beauty, and one of them said to the Baron, “You can read fates, Baron, whom will she marry, how do you think?”

“Oh! that’s easy to guess,” said the Baron; “some farmer or other. But I’ll cast her horoscope. Come here, girl, and tell me on what day you were born.”

“I don’t know, sir,” said the girl, “I was picked up just here. The river brought me down[23 - the river brought me down – река вынесла меня] about fifteen years ago.

”

Then the Baron knew who she was, and when they went away, he rode back and said to the girl, “Listen to me, girl, I will make your fortune. Take this letter to my brother, and you will be settled for life.” And the girl took the letter and said she would go. Now this is what he had written in the letter:

“Dear brother,

Take the bearer and put her to death immediately.”

So soon after the girl left, and slept for the night at a little inn.