Hans, the Mermaid's Son Hans, el hijo de la sirena

In a village there once lived a smith called Basmus, who was in a very poor way. He was still a young man, and a strong handsome fellow to boot, but he had many little children and there was little to be earned by his trade. Byl to ještě mladý muž, navíc silný a pohledný, ale měl mnoho malých dětí a jeho řemeslo mu vydělávalo jen málo. He was, however, a diligent and hard-working man, and when he had no work in the smithy he was out at sea fishing, or gathering wreckage on the shore. Byl to však pilný a pracovitý muž, a když neměl práci v kovárně, lovil na moři nebo sbíral trosky na pobřeží.

It happened one time that he had gone out to fish in good weather, all alone in a little boat, but he did not come home that day, nor the following one, so that all believed he had perished out at sea. Jednou se stalo, že za dobrého počasí vyrazil na ryby, úplně sám na malé loďce, ale ten den se nevrátil domů, ani ten následující, takže si všichni mysleli, že na moři zahynul. On the third day, however, Basmus came to shore again and had his boat full of fish, so big and fat that no one had ever seen their like. Třetího dne však Basmus opět připlul ke břehu a měl loď plnou ryb, tak velkých a tučných, že je nikdo nikdy neviděl. There was nothing the matter with him, and he complained neither of hunger or thirst. Nic mu nebylo a nestěžoval si ani na hlad, ani na žízeň. He had got into a fog, he said, and could not find land again. Řekl, že se dostal do mlhy a nemůže najít pevninu. What he did not tell, however, was where he had been all the time; that only came out six years later, when people got to know that he had been caught by a mermaid out on the deep sea, and had been her guest during the three days that he was missing. Neřekl však, kde celou dobu byl; to vyšlo najevo až o šest let později, když se lidé dozvěděli, že ho na mořských hlubinách ulovila mořská panna a on byl po tři dny, kdy byl nezvěstný, jejím hostem. From that time forth he went out no more to fish; nor, indeed, did he require to do so, for whenever he went down to the shore it never failed that some wreckage was washed up, and in it all kinds of valuable things. Od té doby už nevyplouval na moře lovit ryby; ostatně to ani nepotřeboval, protože kdykoli se vydal ke břehu, nikdy se mu nestalo, že by vyplaval nějaký vrak a v něm nejrůznější cenné věci. In those days everyone took what they found and got leave to keep it, so that the smith grew more prosperous day by day. Tehdy si každý vzal, co našel, a dostal povolení si to ponechat, takže kovář den ode dne prosperoval.

When seven years had passed since the smith went out to sea, it happened one morning, as he stood in the smithy, mending a plough, that a handsome young lad came in to him and said, 'Good-day, father; my mother the mermaid sends her greetings, and says that she has had me for six years now, and you can keep me for as long.' Když uplynulo sedm let od chvíle, kdy kovář vyplul na moře, stalo se jednoho rána, že když stál v kovárně a opravoval pluh, přišel k němu pohledný mladík a řekl: "Dobrý den, otče; pozdravuje tě moje matka mořská panna a říká, že mě má už šest let a že si mě můžeš nechat stejně dlouho. He was a strange enough boy to be six years old, for he looked as if he were eighteen, and was even bigger and stronger than lads commonly are at that age. Byl to dost zvláštní chlapec na to, že mu bylo šest let, protože vypadal, jako by mu bylo osmnáct, a byl ještě větší a silnější, než bývají chlapci v tomto věku.

'Will you have a bite of bread?' "Dáte si kousek chleba? said the smith. řekl kovář.

'Oh, yes,' said Hans, for that was his name. "Ach ano," řekl Hans, protože tak se jmenoval. The smith then told his wife to cut a piece of bread for him. Kovář pak řekl své ženě, aby mu ukrojila kus chleba. She did so, and the boy swallowed it at one mouthful and went out again to the smithy to his father. Učinila tak, chlapec ji zhltl na jedno sousto a vydal se opět do kovárny za svým otcem.

'Have you got all you can eat?' "Máš všechno, co můžeš sníst? said the smith. řekl kovář.

'No,' said Hans, 'that was just a little bit.' "Ne," řekl Hans, "to bylo jen trochu. The smith went into the house and took a whole loaf, which he cut into two slices and put butter and cheese between them, and this he gave to Hans. Kovář vešel do domu a vzal celý bochník, který rozkrojil na dva plátky, mezi ně dal máslo a sýr a dal ho Hansovi. In a while the boy came out to the smithy again. Za chvíli vyšel chlapec do kovárny znovu.

'Well, have you got as much as you can eat?' "Tak co, už máš tolik, kolik můžeš sníst? said the smith. řekl kovář.

'No, not nearly,' said Hans; 'I must try to find a better place than this, for I can see that I shall never get my fill here.' "Ne, ani zdaleka," řekl Hans, "musím si najít lepší místo než tohle, protože vidím, že tady se nikdy nenasytím. Hans wished to set off at once, as soon as his father would make a staff for him of such a kind as he wanted. Hans se chtěl vydat na cestu hned, jakmile mu otec vyrobí hůl, jakou si přál.

'It must be of iron,' said he, 'and one that can hold out.' "Musí být ze železa," řekl, "a musí vydržet. The smith brought him an iron rod as thick as an ordinary staff, but Hans took it and twisted it round his finger, so that wouldn't do. Kovář mu přinesl železnou tyč silnou jako obyčejná hůl, ale Hans ji vzal a omotal si ji kolem prstu, takže to nešlo. Then the smith came dragging one as thick as a waggon-pole, but Hans bent it over his knee and broke it like a straw. Pak přišel kovář a táhl jednu tlustou jako tyč od vozu, ale Hans ji ohnul přes koleno a zlomil ji jako slámu. The smith then had to collect all the iron he had, and Hans held it while his father forged for him a staff, which was heavier than the anvil. Kovář pak musel sebrat všechno železo, které měl, a Hans ho držel, zatímco mu otec koval hůl, která byla těžší než kovadlina. When Hans had got this he said, 'Many thanks, father; now I have got my inheritance.' Když to Hans dostal, řekl: "Mnohokrát děkuji, otče, teď jsem dostal své dědictví. With this he set off into the country, and the smith was very pleased to be rid of that son, before he ate him out of house and home. S tím se vydal na venkov a kovář byl velmi rád, že se toho syna zbavil, než ho vyžral z domu i z bytu.

Hans first arrived at a large estate, and it so happened that the squire himself was standing outside the farmyard. Hans nejprve dorazil na velký statek a stalo se, že před dvorem stál sám statkář.

'Where are you going?' said the squire. řekl panoš.

'I am looking for a place,' said Hans, 'where they have need of strong fellows, and can give them plenty to eat.' "Hledám místo," řekl Hans, "kde potřebují silné muže a kde jim mohou dát dostatek jídla. 'Well,' said the squire, 'I generally have twenty-four men at this time of the year, but I have only twelve just now, so I can easily take you on.' "No," řekl panoš, "v tomto ročním období mívám obvykle čtyřiadvacet mužů, ale teď jich mám jen dvanáct, takže vás mohu snadno přijmout. 'Very well,' said Hans, 'I shall easily do twelve men's work, but then I must also have as much to eat as the twelve would.' "Dobrá," řekl Hans, "snadno udělám práci za dvanáct lidí, ale pak musím mít také tolik jídla, kolik by ho snědlo těch dvanáct. All this was agreed to, and the squire took Hans into the kitchen, and told the servant girls that the new man was to have as much food as the other twelve. To vše bylo odsouhlaseno a panoš odvedl Hanse do kuchyně a řekl služebným, že nový muž dostane tolik jídla jako ostatních dvanáct. It was arranged that he should have a pot to himself, and he could then use the ladle to take his food with. Bylo domluveno, že bude mít hrnec sám pro sebe, a pak si bude moci jídlo vzít naběračkou.

It was in the evening that Hans arrived there, so he did nothing more that day than eat his supper—a big pot of buck-wheat porridge, which he cleaned to the bottom and was then so far satisfied that he said he could sleep on that, so he went off to bed. Hans tam dorazil večer, takže toho dne nedělal nic jiného, než že snědl večeři - velký hrnec pohankové kaše, kterou vyčistil až do dna, a pak byl tak spokojený, že si řekl, že u toho může spát, a šel si lehnout. He slept both well and long, and all the rest were up and at their work while he was still sleeping soundly. Spal dobře a dlouho a všichni ostatní byli vzhůru a pracovali, zatímco on ještě tvrdě spal. The squire was also on foot, for he was curious to see how the new man would behave who was both to eat and work for twelve. Panoš šel také pěšky, protože byl zvědavý, jak se bude chovat nový člověk, který měl jíst i pracovat za dvanáct.

But as yet there was no Hans to be seen, and the sun was already high in the heavens, so the squire himself went and called on him. Zatím však nebylo Hanse vidět a slunce už bylo vysoko na obloze, a tak se k němu panoš vydal sám a zavolal ho.

'Get up, Hans,' he cried; 'you are sleeping too long.' "Vstávej, Hansi," zvolal, "spíš příliš dlouho. Hans woke up and rubbed his eyes. Hans se probudil a protřel si oči. 'Yes, that's true,' he said, 'I must get up and have my breakfast.' "Ano, to je pravda," řekl, "musím vstát a nasnídat se. So he rose and dressed himself, and went into the kitchen, where he got his pot of porridge; he swallowed all of this, and then asked what work he was to have. Vstal tedy, oblékl se a šel do kuchyně, kde dostal hrnec kaše; všechno to zhltl a pak se zeptal, jakou práci bude mít.

He was to thresh that day, said the squire; the other twelve men were already busy at it. Ten den měl mlátit, řekl panoš; ostatních dvanáct mužů už se tím zabývalo. There were twelve threshing-floors, and the twelve men were at work on six of them—two on each. Bylo tam dvanáct mlatů a dvanáct mužů pracovalo na šesti z nich - po dvou na každém. Hans must thresh by himself all that was lying upon the other six floors. Všechno, co leželo v dalších šesti patrech, musel Hans vymlátit sám. He went out to the barn and got hold of a flail. Vyšel do stodoly a vzal si mlátku. Then he looked to see how the others did it and did the same, but at hte first stroke he smashed the flail in pieces. Pak se podíval, jak to dělají ostatní, a udělal totéž, ale hned při prvním úderu mávátko rozbil na kusy. There were several flails hanging there, and Hans took the one after the other, but they all went the same way, every one flying in splinters at the first stroke. Viselo tam několik mávátek a Hans bral jedno po druhém, ale všechna šla stejným směrem, každé se rozletělo na třísky hned při prvním úderu. He then looked round for something else to work with, and found a pair of strong beams lying near. Pak se rozhlédl po něčem jiném, s čím by mohl pracovat, a našel pár silných trámů, které ležely poblíž. Next he caught sight of a horse-hide nailed up on the barn-door. Pak si všiml koňské kůže přibité na dveřích stodoly. With the beams he made a flail, using the skin to tie them together. Z trámů vytvořil mávátko a kůží je svázal k sobě. The one beam he used as a handle, and the other to strike with, and now that was all right. Jeden trám používal jako rukojeť a druhým udeřil, a to už bylo v pořádku. But the barn was too low, there was no room to swing the flail, and the floors were too small. Ale stodola byla příliš nízká, nebylo v ní místo na mlátičku a podlahy byly příliš malé. Hans, however, found a remedy for this—he simply lifted the whole roof off the barn, and set it down in the field beside. Hans však našel řešení - jednoduše sundal celou střechu ze stodoly a položil ji na vedlejší pole. He then emptied down all the corn that he could lay his hands on and threshed away. Pak vysypal všechno obilí, které se mu dostalo do rukou, a vymlátil je. He went through one lot after another, and it was ll the same to him what he got hold of, so before midday he had threshed all the squire's grain, his rye and wheat and barley and oats, all mixed through each other. Procházel jednu várku za druhou, a co se mu dostalo do rukou, bylo mu jedno, takže do poledne vymlátil všechno statkářovo obilí, žito, pšenici, ječmen a oves, všechno smíchané dohromady. When he was finished with this, he lifted the roof up on the barn again, like setting a lid on a box, and went in and told the squire that the job was done. Když byl hotov, zvedl střechu stodoly, jako když se nasazuje víko na krabici, vešel dovnitř a řekl panošovi, že je práce hotová.

The squire opened his eyes at this announcement; and came out to see if it was really true. Panoš při tomto oznámení otevřel oči a vyšel ven, aby se přesvědčil, zda je to skutečně pravda. It was true, sure enough, but he was scarcely delighted with the mixed grain that he got from all his crops. To byla pravda, ale sotva ho potěšilo smíšené obilí, které získal ze všech svých plodin. However, when he saw the flail that Hans had used, and learned how he had made room for himself to swing it, he was so afraid of the strong fellow, that he dared not say anything, except that it was a good thing he had got it threshed; but it had still to be cleaned. Když však uviděl mlátku, kterou Hans použil, a dozvěděl se, jak si udělal místo, aby se s ní mohl ohánět, měl z toho silného chlapíka takový strach, že se neodvážil říct nic jiného než to, že je dobře, že ji nechal vymlátit, ale že ji musí ještě vyčistit.

'What does that mean?' "Co to znamená? asked Hans.

It was explained to him that the corn and the chaff had to be separated; as yet both were lying in one heap, right up to the roof. Bylo mu vysvětleno, že obilí a plevy musí být odděleny; zatím ležely na jedné hromadě až po střechu. Hans began to take up a little and sift it in his hands, but he soon saw that this would never do. Hans si začal trochu nabírat a prosévat ji v rukou, ale brzy pochopil, že to nepůjde. He soon thought of a plan, however; he opened both barn-doors, and then lay down at one end and blew, so that all the chaff flew out and lay like a sand-bank at the other end of the barn, and the grain was as clean as it could be. Brzy však vymyslel plán: otevřel obě vrata stodoly, lehl si na jeden konec a foukl, takže všechny plevy vylétly ven a ležely jako písek na druhém konci stodoly a obilí bylo tak čisté, jak jen mohlo být. Then he reported to the squire that that job also was done. Pak panošovi oznámil, že i tato práce je hotová. The squire said that that was well; there was nothing more for him to do that day. Panoš řekl, že to je dobře, že ten den už nemá co dělat. Off went Hans to the kitchen, and got as much as he could eat; then he went and took a midday nap which lasted till supper-time. Hans odešel do kuchyně, kde si vzal tolik jídla, kolik mohl sníst, a pak si šel dát poledního šlofíka, který trval až do večeře.

Meanwhile the squire was quite miserable, and made his moan to his wife, saying that she must help him to find some means to getting rid of this strong fellow, for he durst not give him his leave. Mezitím byl statkář docela nešťastný a naříkal své ženě, že mu musí pomoci najít nějaký způsob, jak se toho siláka zbavit, protože mu nedá volno. She sent for the steward, and it was arranged that next day all the men should go to the forest for fire-wood, and that they should make a bargain among them, that the one who came home last with his load should be hanged. Poslala pro správce a domluvili se, že příštího dne půjdou všichni muži do lesa pro dříví a že se mezi sebou dohodnou, že ten, kdo se vrátí s nákladem poslední, bude oběšen. They thought they could easily manage that it would be Hans who would lose his life, for the others would be early on the road, while Hans would certainly oversleep himself. Mysleli si, že se jim snadno podaří, aby to byl Hans, kdo přijde o život, protože ostatní budou na cestě brzy, zatímco Hans by určitě zaspal. In the evening, therefore, the men sat and talked together, saying that next morning they must set out early to the forest, and as they had a hard day's work and a long journey before them, they would, for their amusement, make a compact, that whichever of them came home last with his load should lose his life on the gallows. Večer si tedy muži sedli a povídali si, že příštího rána musí brzy vyrazit do lesa, a protože je čeká náročný den a dlouhá cesta, uzavřou pro pobavení dohodu, že ten z nich, který se vrátí s nákladem domů jako poslední, přijde o život na šibenici. So Hans had no objections to make. Hans tedy neměl žádné námitky.

Long before the sun was up next morning, all the twelve men were on foot. Dlouho předtím, než druhý den ráno vyšlo slunce, bylo všech dvanáct mužů na nohou. They took all the best horses and carts, and drove off to the forest. Vzali všechny nejlepší koně a vozy a odjeli do lesa. Hans, however, lay and slept on, and the squire said, 'Just let him lie.' Hans však ležel a spal dál a panoš řekl: "Jen ho nech ležet. At last, Hans thought it was time to have his breakfast, so he got up and put on his clothes. Hans si konečně řekl, že je čas na snídani, a tak vstal a oblékl se. He took plenty of time to his breakfast, and then went out to get his horse and cart ready. Na snídani si udělal dost času a pak se vydal připravit koně a vůz. The others had taken everything that was any good, so that he had a difficulty in scraping together four wheels of different sizes and fixing them to an old cart, and he could find no other horses than a pair of old hacks. Ostatní mu sebrali všechno, co se dalo, takže měl problém sehnat čtyři různě velká kola a připevnit je na starý vůz, a nemohl najít jiné koně než pár starých hřebců. He did not know where it lay, but he followed the track of the other carts, and in that way came to it all right. Nevěděl, kde leží, ale šel po stopách ostatních vozů, a tak k němu dojel. On coming to the gate leading into the forest, he was unfortunate enough to break it in pieces, so he took a huge stone that was lying on the field, seven ells long, and seven ells broad, and set this in the gap, then he went on and joined the others. Když přišel k bráně vedoucí do lesa, nešťastně ji rozbil na kusy, a tak vzal obrovský kámen, který ležel na poli, sedm arů dlouhý a sedm arů široký, a zasadil ho do mezery, pak šel dál a připojil se k ostatním. These laughed at him heartily, for they had laboured as hard as they could since daybreak, and had helped each other to fell trees and put them on the carts, so that all of these were now loaded except one. Ti se mu od srdce vysmáli, protože od rozbřesku pracovali, jak jen mohli, a navzájem si pomáhali kácet stromy a nakládat je na vozy, takže až na jeden byly všechny naložené.

Hans got hold of a woodman's axe and proceeded to fell a tree, but he destroyed the edge and broke the shaft at the first blow. Hans se chopil dřevorubecké sekery a chtěl porazit strom, ale hned prvním úderem zničil ostří a zlomil násadu. He therefore laid down the axe, put his arms round the tree, and pulled it up by the roots. Odložil tedy sekeru, objal strom rukama a vytáhl ho za kořeny. This he threw upon his cart, and then another and another, and thus he went on while all the others forgot their work, and stood with open mouths, gazing at this strange woodcraft. Tu hodil na svůj vůz, pak další a další, a tak pokračoval, zatímco ostatní zapomněli na svou práci, stáli s otevřenými ústy a zírali na to podivné dřevěné dílo. All at once they began to hurry; the last cart was loaded, and they whipped up their horses, so as to be the first to arrive home. Najednou začali spěchat, naložili poslední vůz a pobídli koně, aby byli doma první.

When Hans had finished his work, he again put his old hacks into the cart, but they could not move it from the spot. Když Hans dokončil svou práci, znovu naložil do vozu své staré háky, ale nemohli s ním z místa pohnout. He was annoyed at this, and took them out again, twisted a rope round the cart, and all the trees, lifted the whole affair on his back, and set off home, leading the horses behind him by the rein. To ho rozčílilo, a tak je zase vytáhl, omotal provaz kolem vozu a všech stromů, zvedl celou věc na záda a vydal se domů, koně vedl za sebou za uzdu. When he reached the gate, he found the whole row of carts standing there, unable to get any further for the stone which lay in the gap. Když dojel k bráně, zjistil, že tam stojí celá řada vozů, které se nemohly dostat dál kvůli kameni, který ležel v mezeře.

'What!' said Hans, 'can twelve men not move that stone?' řekl Hans, "nemůže dvanáct mužů pohnout tím kamenem? With that he lifted it and threw it out of hte way, and went on with his burden on his back, and the horses behind him, and arrived at the farm long before any of the others. Zvedl ho, odhodil z cesty a vydal se s břemenem na zádech a s koňmi za sebou dál, až dorazil na statek dlouho před ostatními. The squire was walking about there, looking and looking, for he was very curious to know what had happened. Panoš se tam procházel, díval se a hledal, protože byl velmi zvědavý, co se stalo. Finally, he caught sight of Hans coming along in this fashion, and was so frightened that he did not know what to do, but he shut the gate and put on the bar. Nakonec spatřil Hanse, jak se takto blíží, a tak se vyděsil, že nevěděl, co má dělat, ale zavřel bránu a nasadil závoru. When Hans reached the gate of the courtyard, he laid down the trees and hammered at it, but no one came to open it. Když Hans dorazil k bráně do dvora, položil stromy a bušil na ni, ale nikdo nepřišel otevřít. He then took the trees and tossed them over the barn into the yard, and the cart after them, so that every wheel flew off in a different direction. Pak vzal stromy a hodil je přes stodolu na dvůr a za nimi vůz, takže každé kolo odletělo jiným směrem.

When the squire saw this, he thought to himself, 'The horses will come the same way if I don't open the door,' so he did this. Když to panoš uviděl, pomyslel si: "Koně přijdou stejnou cestou, když neotevřu dveře," a tak to udělal. 'Good day, master,' said Hans, and put the horses into the stable, and went into the kitchen, to get something to eat. "Dobrý den, pane," řekl Hans, odvedl koně do stáje a šel do kuchyně pro něco k jídlu. At length the other men came home with their loads. Nakonec se domů vrátili i ostatní muži se svým nákladem. When they came in, Hans said to them, 'Do you remember the bargain we made last night? Když přišli, Hans jim řekl: "Vzpomínáte si na dohodu, kterou jsme uzavřeli včera večer? Which of you is it that's going to be hanged?' Kdo z vás bude oběšen? 'Oh,' said they, 'that was only a joke; it didn't mean anything.' "Ach," řekli, "to byl jen vtip, nic to neznamenalo. 'Oh well, it doesn't matter, 'said Hans, and there was no more about it. "No, to je jedno," řekl Hans a víc se o tom nemluvilo. The squire, however, and his wife and the steward, had much to say to each other about the terrible man they had got, and all were agreed that they must get rid of him in some way or other. Panoš, jeho žena a správce si však měli co říct o tom, jak hrozného muže dostali, a všichni se shodli, že se ho musí nějakým způsobem zbavit. The steward said that he would manage this all right. Správce řekl, že to zvládne. Next morning they were to clean the well, and they would use of that opportunity. Příštího rána měli vyčistit studnu a využít této příležitosti. They would get him down into the well, and then have a big mill-stone ready to throw down on top of him—that would settle him. Dostali ho dolů do studny a pak měli připravený velký mlýnský kámen, který na něj hodili - tím se uklidnil. After that they could just fill in the well, and then escape being at any expense for his funeral. Pak už mohli jen zasypat studnu a vyhnout se jakýmkoli nákladům na jeho pohřeb. Both the squire and his wife thought this a splendid idea, and went about rejoicing at the thought that now they would get rid of Hans. Panoš i jeho žena to považovali za skvělý nápad a radovali se z toho, že se teď Hanse zbaví.

But Hans was hard to kill, as we shall see. Jak uvidíme, Hanse bylo těžké zabít. He slept long next morning, as he always did, and finally, as he would not waken by himself, the squire had to go and call him. Druhý den ráno spal dlouho, jako vždy, a protože se nakonec sám neprobudil, musel ho panoš jít zavolat. 'Get up, Hans, you are sleeping too long,' he cried. "Vstávej, Hansi, spíš příliš dlouho," zvolal. Hans woke up and rubbed his eyes. Hans se probudil a protřel si oči. 'That's so,' said he, 'I shall rise and have my breakfast.' "To je pravda," řekl, "vstanu a nasnídám se. He got up then and dressed himself, while the breakfast stood waiting for him. Pak vstal a oblékl se, zatímco na něj čekala snídaně. When he had finished the whole of this, he asked what he was to do that day. Když to všechno dopověděl, zeptal se, co má ten den dělat. He was told to help the other men to clean out the well. Bylo mu řečeno, aby pomohl ostatním mužům vyčistit studnu. That was all right, and he went out and found the other men waiting for him. To bylo v pořádku, vyšel ven a našel ostatní muže, kteří na něj čekali. To these he said that they could choose whichever task they liked—either to go down into the well and fill the buckets while he pulled them up, or pull them up, and he alone would go down to the bottom of the well. Těm řekl, že si mohou vybrat, jaký úkol se jim líbí - buď sestoupit do studny a naplnit vědra, zatímco on je bude vytahovat, nebo je vytáhnout a on sám sestoupí na dno studny. They answered that they would rather stay above-ground, as there would be no room for so many of them down in the well. Odpověděli, že by raději zůstali na povrchu, protože dole ve studni by jich tolik nebylo.

Hans therefore went down alone, and began to clean out the well, but the men had arranged how they were to act, and immediately each of them seized a stone from a heap of huge blocks, and threw them down above him, thinking to kill him with these. Hans tedy sešel dolů sám a začal studnu čistit, ale muži se domluvili, jak budou postupovat, a hned každý z nich popadl kámen z hromady obrovských kvádrů a hodil je nad něj dolů v úmyslu ho jimi zabít. Hans, however, gave no more heed to this than to shout up to them, to keep the hens away from the well, for they were scraping gravel down on the top of him. Hans tomu však nevěnoval víc pozornosti, než že na ně křičel, aby slepice od studny odehnali, protože na něj shazovaly štěrk.

They then saw that they could not kill him with little stones, but they had still the big one left. Pak viděli, že ho malými kameny nezabijí, ale ještě jim zbyl ten velký. The whole twelve of them set to work with poles and rollers and rolled the big mill-stone to the brink of the well. Celá dvanáctka se pustila do práce s tyčemi a válečky a odvalila velký mlýnský kámen na okraj studny. It was with the greatest difficulty that they got it thrown down there, and now they had no doubt that he had got all that he wanted. S největšími obtížemi se jim ho podařilo shodit dolů a teď už nepochybovali, že má vše, co chtěl. But the stone happened to fall so luckily that his head went right through the hole in the middle of the mill-stone, so that it sat round his neck like a priest's collar. Kámen však spadl tak šťastně, že jeho hlava prošla přímo otvorem uprostřed mlýnského kamene, takže mu seděla kolem krku jako kněžský límec. At this, Hans would stay down no longer. Hans se už nechtěl déle držet při zemi. He came out of the well, with the mill-stone round his neck, ad went straight to the squire and complained that the other men were trying to make a fool of him. Vylezl ze studny s mlýnským kamenem na krku, šel rovnou za panošem a stěžoval si, že si z něj ostatní dělají legraci. He would not be their priest, he said; he had too little learning for that. Nechtěl být jejich knězem, řekl, na to měl příliš málo vzdělání. Saying this, he bent down his head and shook the stone off, so that it crushed one of the squire's big toes. Při těch slovech sklonil hlavu a setřásl kámen tak, že panošovi rozdrtil jeden palec. The squire went limping in to his wife, and the steward was sent for. Panoš šel kulhavě za svou ženou a poslal pro správce. He was told that he must devise some plan for getting rid of this terrible person. Bylo mu řečeno, že musí vymyslet nějaký plán, jak se této hrozné osoby zbavit. The scheme he had devised before had been of no use, and now good counsel was scarce. Plán, který vymyslel předtím, byl k ničemu a nyní bylo dobrých rad málo.

'Oh, no' said the steward, 'there are good enough ways yet. "Ale ne," řekl správce, "ještě je dost dobrých cest. The squire can send him this evening to fish in Devilmoss Lake: he will never escape alive from there, for no one can go there by night for Old Eric.' Panoš ho dnes večer může poslat na ryby do jezera Devilmoss, odkud živý neuteče, protože v noci se tam pro starého Erika nikdo nedostane. That was a grand idea, both the squire and his wife thought, and so he limped out again to Hans, and said that he would punish his men for having tried to make a fool of him. To byl skvělý nápad, pomyslel si panoš i jeho žena, a tak se znovu odkulhal k Hansovi a řekl, že své muže potrestá za to, že se z něj pokusili udělat hlupáka. Meanwhile, Hans could do a little job where he would be free from these rascals. Mezitím mohl Hans dělat nějakou práci, kde by měl od těch darebáků pokoj. He should go out on the lake and fish there that night, and would then be free from all work on the following day. Ten večer měl vyrazit na jezero a rybařit tam, aby byl následující den volný od veškeré práce.

'All right,' said Hans; 'I am well content with that, but I must have something with me to eat—a baking of bread, a cask of butter, a barrel of ale, and a keg of brandy. "Dobrá," řekl Hans, "s tím jsem spokojen, ale musím mít s sebou něco k jídlu - chleba, sud másla, sud piva a soudek brandy. I can't do with less than that.' Méně než to mi nestačí. The squire said that he could easily get all that, so Hans got all of these tied up together, hung them over his shoulder on his good staff, and tramped away to Devilmoss Lake. Panoš řekl, že to všechno snadno sežene, a tak je Hans všechny svázal dohromady, pověsil si je přes rameno na svou dobrou hůl a odšlapal k jezeru Devilmoss.

There he got into the boat, rowed out upon the lake, and got everything ready to fish. Tam nasedl do člunu, vyplul na jezero a připravil vše k rybolovu. As he now lay out there in the middle of the lake, and it was pretty late in the evening, he thought he would have something to eat first, before starting to work. Protože teď ležel uprostřed jezera a bylo už dost pozdě večer, řekl si, že se nejdřív nají, než začne pracovat. Just as he was at his busiest with this, Old Eric rose out of the lake, caught him by the cuff of the neck, whipped him out of the boat, and dragged him down to the bottom. Zrovna když se tím nejvíc zabýval, vynořil se z jezera starý Erik, chytil ho za krk, vytáhl ho z lodi a stáhl ho na dno. It was a lucky thing that Hans had his walking-stick with him that day, and had just time to catch hold of it when he felt Old Eric's claws in his neck, so when they got down to the bottom he said, 'Stop now, just wait a little; here is solid ground.' Ještě štěstí, že Hans měl toho dne u sebe hůl a stačil se jí chytit, když ucítil na krku drápy starého Erika, takže když se dostali na dno, řekl: "Zastavte, počkejte chvíli, tady je pevná půda. With that he caught Old Eric by the back of the neck with one hand, and hammered away on his back with the staff, till he beat him out as flat as a pancake. Jednou rukou chytil starého Erika zezadu za krk a mlátil ho holí po zádech, až ho rozbil na placku. Old Eric then began to lament and howl, begging him just to let him go, and he would never come back to the lake again. Starý Erik pak začal naříkat a kvílet a prosil ho, aby ho nechal jít, že už se k jezeru nikdy nevrátí.

'No, my good fellow,' said Hans, 'you won't get off until you promise to bring all the fish in the lake up to the squire's courtyard, before to-morrow morning.' "Ne, můj dobrý příteli," řekl Hans, "nepustí tě, dokud neslíbíš, že do zítřejšího rána přineseš všechny ryby z jezera na panský dvůr. Old Eric eagerly promised this, if Hans would only let him go; so Hans rowed ashore, ate up the rest of his provisions, and went home to bed. Starý Erik mu to ochotně slíbil, pokud ho Hans pustí, a tak Hans dopádloval ke břehu, snědl zbytek zásob a šel domů spát.

Next morning, when the squire rose and opened his front door, the fish came tumbling into the porch, and the whole yard was crammed full of them. Druhý den ráno, když statkář vstal a otevřel domovní dveře, se ryby vyhrnuly na verandu a celý dvůr jich byl plný. He ran in again to his wife, for he could never devise anything himself, and said to her, 'What shall we do with him now? Znovu přiběhl ke své ženě, protože sám nikdy nedokázal nic vymyslet, a řekl jí: "Co s ním teď uděláme? Old Eric hasn't taken him. Starý Erik si ho nevzal. I am certain that all the fish are out of the lake, for the yard is just filled with them.' Jsem si jistý, že všechny ryby jsou z jezera pryč, protože dvůr je jich plný. 'Yes, that's a bad business,' said she; 'you must see if you can't get him sent to Purgatory, to demand tribute.' "Ano, to je špatná věc," řekla, "musíš se podívat, jestli ho nemůžeš poslat do očistce, aby si vyžádal daň. The squire therefore made his way to the men's quarters, to speak to Hans, and it took him all his time to push his way along the walls, under the eaves, on account of the fish that filled the yard. Panoš se tedy vydal do mužských pokojů, aby si promluvil s Hansem, a kvůli rybám, které zaplnily dvůr, mu trvalo, než se protlačil podél stěn a pod okapem. He thanked Hans for having fished so well, and said that now he had an errand for him, which he could only give to a trusty servant, and that was to journey to Purgatory, and demand three years tribute, which, he said, was owing to him from that quarter. Poděkoval Hansovi za to, že tak dobře lovil, a řekl, že teď má pro něj úkol, který může svěřit jen věrnému sluhovi, a to vypravit se do Očistce a vyžádat si od něj tříletou daň, kterou mu prý odtamtud dluží.

'Willingly,' said Hans; 'but what road do I go, to get there?' "Rád," řekl Hans, "ale kudy se tam dostanu? The squire stood, and did not know what to say, and had first to go in to his wife to ask her. Panoš zůstal stát a nevěděl, co má říct, a tak musel nejprve jít za svou ženou, aby se jí zeptal.

'Oh, what a fool you are!' "Ty jsi ale blázen! said she, 'can't you direct him straight forward, south through the wood? řekla, "nemůžeš ho nasměrovat rovně, na jih přes les? Whether he gets there or not, we shall be quit of him.' Ať už se tam dostane, nebo ne, my s ním skončíme. Out goes the squire again to Hans. Panoš opět odchází k Hansovi.

'The way lies straight forward, south through the wood,' said he. "Cesta vede přímo na jih lesem," řekl. Hans then must have his provisions for the journey; two bakings of bread, two casks of butter, two barrels of ale, and two kegs of brandy. Hans tedy musí mít zásoby na cestu: dva pekáče chleba, dva sudy másla, dva sudy piva a dva sudy pálenky. He tied all these up together, and got them on his shoulder hanging on his good walking-stick, and off he tramped southward. Všechny je svázal dohromady, dal si je na rameno zavěšené na své dobré holi a vyrazil na jih.

After he had got through the wood, there was more than one road, and he was in doubt which of them was the right one, so he sat down and opened up his bundle of provisions. Když prošel lesem, bylo tam více cest a on byl na pochybách, která z nich je ta správná, a tak se posadil a otevřel svůj svazek zásob. He found he had left his knife at home, but by good chance, there was a plough lying close at hand, so he took the coulter of this to cut the bread with. Zjistil, že si doma zapomněl nůž, ale shodou okolností ležel kousek od něj pluh, a tak si vzal radlici, aby s ní nakrájel chleba. As he sat there and took his bite, a man came riding past him. Když tam seděl a ukusoval, projel kolem něj nějaký muž.

'Where are you from?' said Hans.

'From Purgatory,' said the man. 'Then stop and wait a little,' said Hans; but the man was in a hurry, and would not stop, so Hans ran after him and caught the horse by the tail. "Tak zastav a chvíli počkej," řekl Hans, ale muž spěchal a nechtěl zastavit, a tak se Hans rozběhl za ním a chytil koně za ocas. This brought it down on its hind legs, and the man went flying over its head into a ditch. To ho srazilo na zadní nohy a muž přeletěl přes jeho hlavu do příkopu. 'Just wait a little,' said Hans; 'I am going the same way.' "Jen chvilku počkej," řekl Hans, "já jdu stejnou cestou. He got his provisions tied up again, and laid them on the horse's back; then he took hold of the reins and said to the man, 'We two can go along together on foot.' Znovu svázal zásoby a položil je koni na hřbet, pak se chopil otěží a řekl muži: "My dva můžeme jít spolu pěšky. As they went on their way Hans told the stranger both about the errand he had on hand and the fun he had had with Old Eric. Když se vydali na cestu, Hans cizinci vyprávěl o své pochůzce i o zábavě, kterou zažil se starým Erikem. The other said but little but he was well acquainted with the way, and it was no long time before they arrived at the gate. Druhý z nich řekl jen málo, ale cestu dobře znal, a tak netrvalo dlouho, než dorazili k bráně. There both horse and rider disappeared, and Hans was left alone outside. Kůň i jezdec zmizeli a Hans zůstal venku sám. 'They will come and let me in presently,' he thought to himself; but no one came. "Za chvíli přijdou a pustí mě dovnitř," pomyslel si, ale nikdo nepřišel. He hammered at the gate; still no one appeared. Zabušil na bránu, ale nikdo se neobjevil. Then he got tired of waiting, and smashed at the gate with his staff until he knocked it in pieces and got inside. Pak ho přestalo bavit čekat, udeřil holí do brány, až ji rozbil na kusy a dostal se dovnitř. A whole troop of little demons came down upon him and asked what he wanted. Snesl se na něj celý oddíl malých démonů a ptal se, co chce. His master's compliments, said Hans, and he wanted three years' tribute. Jeho pán mu složil poklonu, řekl Hans, a chtěl za to tři roky. At this they howled at him, and were about to lay hold of him and drag him off; but when they had got some raps from his walking-stick they let go again, howled still louder than before, and ran in to Old Eric, who was still in bed, after his adventure in the lake. Vtom na něj zavyli a chtěli ho chytit a odtáhnout, ale když dostali pár ran holí, zase ho pustili, zavyli ještě hlasitěji než předtím a běželi ke starému Erikovi, který ještě ležel v posteli po svém dobrodružství v jezeře. They told him that a messenger had come from the squire at Devilmoss to demand three years' tribute. Řekli mu, že přišel posel od statkáře z Devilmossu a žádá tříletý poplatek. He had knocked the gate to pieces and bruised their arms and legs with his iron staff. Rozbil bránu na kusy a železnou holí jim pohmoždil ruce a nohy.

'Give him three years'! "Dejte mu tři roky! give him ten!' dejte mu deset! shouted Old Eric, 'only don't let him come near me.' "Jen ať se ke mně nepřibližuje," vykřikl starý Erik. So all the little demons came dragging so much silver and gold that it was something awful. A tak všichni ti malí démoni přišli a táhli tolik stříbra a zlata, že to bylo něco strašného. Hans filled his bundle with gold and silver coins, put it on his neck, and tramped back to his master, who was scared beyond all measure at seeing him again. Hans naplnil svůj svazek zlatými a stříbrnými mincemi, nasadil si ho na krk a odšlapal zpátky ke svému pánovi, který byl nadmíru vyděšený, že ho zase vidí.

But Hans was also tired of service now. Ale Hans už byl také unavený ze služby. Of all the gold and silver he brought with him he let the squire keep one half, and he was glad enough, both for the money and at getting rid of Hans. Ze všeho zlata a stříbra, které si přinesl, nechal panošovi polovinu a ten byl rád, že se zbavil Hanse i peněz. The other half he took home to his father the smith in Furreby. Druhou polovinu odvezl domů svému otci kováři do Furreby. To him also he said, 'Farewell;' he was now tired of living on shore among mortal men, and preferred to go home again to his mother. I jemu řekl: "Sbohem!" Už ho nebavilo žít na břehu mezi smrtelníky a raději se vrátil domů ke své matce. Since that time no one has ever seen Hans, the Mermaid's son. Od té doby nikdo nikdy neviděl Hanse, syna Mořské panny.