74 lines
4.5 KiB
Text
74 lines
4.5 KiB
Text
Simeli Mountain
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There were once two brothers, the one rich, the other poor. The rich
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one, however, gave nothing to the poor one, and he gained a scanty
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living by trading in corn, and often did so badly that he had no bread
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for his wife and children. Once when he was wheeling a barrow through
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the forest he saw, on one side of him, a great, bare, naked-looking
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mountain, and as he had never seen it before, he stood still and stared
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at it with amazement.
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While he was thus standing he saw twelve great, wild men coming towards
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him, and as he believed they were robbers he pushed his barrow into the
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thicket, climbed up a tree, and waited to see what would happen. The
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twelve men, however, went to the mountain and cried, "Semsi mountain,
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Semsi mountain, open," and immediately the barren mountain opened down
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the middle, and the twelve went into it, and as soon as they were
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within, it shut. After a short time, however, it opened again, and the
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men came forth carrying heavy sacks on their shoulders, and when they
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were all once more in the daylight they said, "Semsi mountain, Semsi
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mountain, shut thyself;" then the mountain closed together, and there
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was no longer any entrance to be seen to it, and the twelve went away.
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When they were quite out of sight the poor man got down from the tree,
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and was curious to know what really was secretly hidden in the
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mountain. So he went up to it and said, "Semsi mountain, Semsi
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mountain, open," and the mountain opened to him also. The he went
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inside, and the whole mountain was a cavern full of silver and gold,
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and behind lay great piles of pearls and sparkling jewels, heaped up
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like corn. The poor man hardly knew what to do, and whether he might
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take any of these treasures for himself or not; but at last he filled
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his pockets with gold, but he left the pearls and precious stones where
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they were. When he came out again he also said, "Semsi mountain, Semsi
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mountain, shut thyself;" and the mountain closed itself, and he went
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home with his barrow.
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And now he had no more cause for anxiety, but could buy bread for his
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wife and children with his gold, and wine into the bargain. He lived
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joyously and uprightly, gave help to the poor, and did good to every
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one. When, however, the money came to an end he went to his brother,
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borrowed a measure that held a bushel, and brought himself some more,
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but did not touch any of the most valuable things. When for the third
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time he wanted to fetch something, he again borrowed the measure of his
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brother. The rich man had, however, long been envious of his brother's
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possessions, and of the handsome way of living which he had set on
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foot, and could not understand from whence the riches came, and what
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his brother wanted with the measure. Then he thought of a cunning
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trick, and covered the bottom of the measure with pitch, and when he
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got the measure back a piece of money was sticking in it. He at once
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went to his brother and asked him, "What hast thou been measuring in
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the bushel measure?" "Corn and barley," said the other. Then he showed
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him the piece of money, and threatened that if he did not tell the
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truth he would accuse him before a court of justice. The poor man then
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told him everything, just as it happened. The rich man, however,
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ordered his carriage to be made ready, and drove away, resolved to use
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the opportunity better than his brother had done, and to bring back
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with him quite different treasures.
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When he came to the mountain he cried, "Semsi mountain, Semsi mountain,
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open." The mountain opened, and he went inside it. There lay the
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treasures all before him, and for a long time he did not know which to
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clutch at first. At length he loaded himself with as many precious
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stones as he could carry. He wished to carry his burden outside, but,
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as his heart and soul were entirely full of the treasures, he had
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forgotten the name of the mountain, and cried, "Simeli mountain, Simeli
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mountain, open." That, however, was not the right name, and the
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mountain never stirred, but remained shut. Then he was alarmed, but the
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longer he thought about it the more his thoughts confused themselves,
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and his treasures were no more of any use to him. In the evening the
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mountain opened, and the twelve robbers came in, and when they saw him
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they laughed, and cried out, "Bird, have we caught thee at last! Didst
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thou think we had never noticed that thou hadst been in here twice? We
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could not catch thee then; this third time thou shalt not get out
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again!" Then he cried, "It was not I, it was my brother," but let him
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beg for his life and say what he would, they cut his head off.
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