安徒生童话-第107章

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enly　bee　a　charming　young　girl；　but　herdress　was　still　of　the　same　green　material；　covered　with　whiteblossoms；　as　the　elder…tree　mother　had　worn；　she　had　a　real　elderblossom　on　her　bosom；　and　a　wreath　of　the　same　flowers　was　wound　roundher　curly　golden　hair；　her　eyes　were　so　large　and　so　blue　that　itwas　wonderful　to　look　at　them。　She　and　the　boy　kissed　each　other；and　then　they　were　of　the　same　age　and　felt　the　same　joys。　They　walkedhand　in　hand　out　of　the　bower；　and　now　stood　at　home　in　a　beautifulflower　garden。　Near　the　green　lawn　the　father's　walking…stick　was　tiedto　a　post。　There　was　life　in　this　stick　for　the　little　ones；　for　assoon　as　they　seated　themselves　upon　it　the　polished　knob　turned　into　aneighing　horse's　head；　a　long　black　mane　was　fluttering　in　the　wind；and　four　strong　slender　legs　grew　out。　The　animal　was　fiery　andspirited；　they　galloped　round　the　lawn。　〃Hooray！　now　we　shall　ride　faraway；　many　miles！〃　said　the　boy；　〃we　shall　ride　to　the　nobleman'sestate　where　we　were　last　year。〃　And　they　rode　round　the　lawn　again；and　the　little　girl；　who；　as　we　know；　was　no　other　than　the　littleelder…tree　mother；　continually　cried；　〃Now　we　are　in　the　country！　Doyou　see　the　farmhouse　there；　with　the　large　baking　stove；　whichprojects　like　a　gigantic　egg　out　of　the　wall　into　the　road？　Theelder…tree　spreads　its　branches　over　it；　and　the　cock　struts　about　andscratches　for　the　hens。　Look　how　proud　he　is！　Now　we　are　near　thechurch；　it　stands　on　a　high　hill；　under　the　spreading　oak　trees；　oneof　them　is　half　dead！　Now　we　are　at　the　smithy；　where　the　fire　roarsand　the　half…naked　men　beat　with　their　hammers　so　that　the　sparksfly　far　and　wide。　Let's　be　off　to　the　beautiful　farm！〃　And　they　passedby　everything　the　little　girl；　who　was　sitting　behind　on　the　stick；described；　and　the　boy　saw　it；　and　yet　they　only　went　round　thelawn。　Then　they　played　in　a　side…walk；　and　marked　out　a　littlegarden　on　the　ground；　she　took　elder…blossoms　out　of　her　hair　andplanted　them；　and　they　grew　exactly　like　those　the　old　peopleplanted　when　they　were　children；　as　we　have　heard　before。　Theywalked　about　hand　in　hand；　just　as　the　old　couple　had　done　when　theywere　little；　but　they　did　not　go　to　the　round　tower　nor　to　theFredericksburg　garden。　No；　the　little　girl　seized　the　boy　round　thewaist；　and　then　they　flew　far　into　the　country。　It　was　spring　and　itbecame　summer；　it　was　autumn　and　it　became　winter；　and　thousands　ofpictures　reflected　themselves　in　the　boy's　eyes　and　heart；　and　thelittle　girl　always　sang　again；　〃You　will　never　forget　that！〃　Andduring　their　whole　flight　the　elder…tree　smelt　so　sweetly；　henoticed　the　roses　and　the　fresh　beeches；　but　the　elder…tree　smelt　muchstronger；　for　the　flowers　were　fixed　on　the　little　girl's　bosom；against　which　the　boy　often　rested　his　head　during　the　flight。

〃It　is　beautiful　here　in　spring；〃　said　the　little　girl；　and　theywere　again　in　the　green　beechwood；　where　the　thyme　breathed　forthsweet　fragrance　at　their　feet；　and　the　pink　anemones　looked　lovelyin　the　green　moss。　〃Oh！　that　it　were　always　spring　in　the　fragrantbeechwood！〃

〃Here　it　is　splendid　in　summer！〃　she　said；　and　they　passed　byold　castles　of　the　age　of　chivalry。　The　high　walls　and　indentedbattlements　were　reflected　in　the　water　of　the　ditches；　on　which　swanswere　swimming　and　peering　into　the　old　shady　avenues。　The　corn　wavedin　the　field　like　a　yellow　sea。　Red　and　yellow　flowers　grew　in　theditches；　wild　hops　and　convolvuli　in　full　bloom　in　the　hedges。　Inthe　evening　the　moon　rose；　large　and　round；　and　the　hayricks　in　themeadows　smelt　sweetly。　〃One　can　never　forget　it！〃

〃Here　it　is　beautiful　in　autumn！〃　said　the　little　girl；　and　theatmosphere　seemed　twice　as　high　and　blue；　while　the　wood　shone　withcrimson；　green；　and　gold。　The　hounds　were　running　off；　flocks　ofwild　fowl　flew　screaming　over　the　barrows；　while　the　bramble　bushestwined　round　the　old　stones。　The　dark…blue　sea　was　covered　withwhite…sailed　ships；　and　in　the　barns　sat　old　women；　girls；　andchildren　picking　hops　into　a　large　tub；　the　young　ones　sang　songs；　andthe　old　people　told　fairy　tales　about　goblins　and　sorcerers。　Itcould　not　be　more　pleasant　anywhere。

〃Here　it's　agreeable　in　winter！〃　said　the　little　girl；　and　all　thetrees　were　covered　with　hoar…frost；　so　that　they　looked　like　whitecoral。　The　snow　creaked　under　one's　feet；　as　if　one　had　new　bootson。　One　shooting　star　after　another　traversed　the　sky。　In　the　room　theChristmas　tree　was　lit；　and　there　were　song　and　merriment。　In　thepeasant's　cottage　the　violin　sounded；　and　games　were　played　forapple　quarters；　even　the　poorest　child　said；　〃It　is　beautiful　inwinter！〃

And　indeed　it　was　beautiful！　And　the　little　girl　showed　everythingto　the　boy；　and　the　elder…tree　continued　to　breathe　forth　sweetperfume；　while　the　red　flag　with　the　white　cross　was　streaming　inthe　wind；　it　was　the　flag　under　which　the　old　sailor　had　served。　Theboy　became　a　youth；　he　was　to　go　out　into　the　wide　world；　far　awayto　the　countries　where　the　coffee　grows。　But　at　parting　the　littlegirl　took　an　elder…blossom　from　her　breast　and　gave　it　to　him　as　akeepsake。　He　placed　it　in　his　prayer…book；　and　when　he　opened　it　indistant　lands　it　was　always　at　the　place　where　the　flower　ofremembrance　was　lying；　and　the　more　he　looked　at　it　the　fresher　itbecame；　so　that　he　could　almost　smell　the　fragrance　of　the　woods　athome。　He　distinctly　saw　the　little　girl；　with　her　bright　blue　eyes；peeping　out　from　behind　the　petals；　and　heard　her　whispering；　〃Here　itis　beautiful　in　spring；　in　summer；　in　autumn；　and　in　winter；〃　andhundreds　of　pictures　passed　through　his　mind。

Thus　many　years　rolled　by。　He　had　now　bee　an　old　man；　and　wassitting；　with　his　old　wife；　under　an　elder…tree　in　full　bloom。　Theyheld　each　other　by　the　hand　exactly　as　the　great…grandfather　and　thegreat…grandmother　had　done　outside；　and；　like　them；　they　talkedabout　bygone　days　and　of　their　golden　wedding。　The　little　girl　withthe　blue　eyes　and　elder…blossoms　in　her　hair　was　sitting　high　up　inthe　tree；　and　nodded　to　them；　saying；　〃To…day　is　the　goldenwedding！〃　And　then　she　took　two　flowers　out　of　her　wreath　and　kissedthem。　They　glittered　at　first　like　silver；　then　like　gold；　and　whenshe　placed　them　on　the　heads　of　the　old　people　each　flower　became　agolden　crown。　There　they　both　sat　like　a　king　and　queen　under　thesweet…smelling　tree；　which　looked　exactly　like　an　elder…tree；　and　hetold　his　wife　the　story　of　the　elder…tree　mother　as　it　had　been　toldhim　when　he　was　a　little　boy。　They　were　both　of　opinion　that　the　storycontained　many　points　like　their　own；　and　these　similarities　theyliked　best。

〃Yes；　so　it　is；〃　said　the　little　girl　in　the　tree。　〃Some　call　meLittle　Elder…tree　Mother；　others　a　Dryad；　but　my　real　name　is'Remembrance。'　It　is　I　who　sit　in　the　tree　which　grows　and　grows。　Ican　remember　things　and　tell　stories！　But　let's　see　if　you　havestill　got　your　flower。〃

And　the　old　man　opened　his　prayer…book；　the　elder…blossom　wasstill　in　it；　and　as　fresh　as　if　it　had　only　just　been　put　in。Remembrance　nodded；　and　the　two　old　people；　with　the　golden　crownson　their　heads；　sat　in　the　glowing　evening　sun。　They　closed　their　eyesand…　and…

Well；　now　the　story　is　ended！　The　little　boy　in　bed　did　not　knowwhether　he　had　dreamt　it　or　heard　it　told；　the　teapot　stood　on　thetable；　but　no　elder…tree　was　growing　out　of　it；　and　the　old　man　whohad　told　the　story　was　on　the　point　of　leaving　the　room；　and　he　did　goout。

〃How　beautiful　it　was！〃　said　the　little　boy。　〃Mother；　I　havebeen　to　warm　countries！〃

〃I　believe　you；〃　said　the　mother；　〃if　one　takes　two　cups　of　hotelder…tea　it　is　quite　natural　that　one　gets　into　warm　countries！〃And　she　covered　him　up　well；　so　that　he　might　not　take　cold。　〃You　haveslept　soundly　while　I　was　arguing　with　the　old　man　whether　it　was　astory　or　a　fairy　tale！〃

〃And　what　has　bee　of　the　little　elder…tree　mother？〃　asked　theboy。

〃She　is　in　the　teapot；〃　said　the　mother；　〃and　there　she　mayremain。〃

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

THE　LITTLE　MATCH…SELLER

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

IT　was　terribly　cold　and　nearly　dark　on　the　last　evening　of　theold　year；　and　the　snow　was　falling　fast。　In　the　cold　and　the　darkness；a　poor　little　girl；　with　bare　head　and　naked　feet；　roamed　throughthe　streets。　It　is　true　she　had　on　a　pair　of　slippers　when　she　lefthome；　but　they　were　not　of　much　use。　They　were　very　large；　so　large；indeed；　that　they　had　belonged　to　her　mother；　and　the　poor　littlecreature　had　lost　them　in　running　across　the　street　to　avoid　twocarriages　that　were　rolling　along　at　a　terrible　rate。　One　of　theslippers　she　could　not　find；　and　a　boy　seized　upon　the　other　and　ranaway　with　it；　saying　that　he　could　use　it　as　a　cradle；　when　he　hadchildren　of　his　own。　So　the　little　girl　went　on　with　her　littlenaked　feet；　which　were　quite　red　and　blue　with　the　cold。　In　an　oldapron　she　carried　a　number　of　matches；　and　had　a　bundle　of　them　in　herhands。　No　one　had　bought　anything　of　her　the　whole　day；　nor　had　anyone　given　here　even　a　penny。　Shivering　with　cold　and　hunger；　she　creptalong；　poor　little　child；　she　looked　the　picture　of　misery。　Thesnowflakes　fell　on　her　long；　fair　hair；　which　hung　in　curls　on　hershoulders；　but　she　regarded　them　not。

Lights　were　shining　from　every　window；　and　there　was　a　savorysmell　of