安徒生童话-第108章

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　but　she　regarded　them　not。

Lights　were　shining　from　every　window；　and　there　was　a　savorysmell　of　roast　goose；　for　it　was　New…year's　eve…　yes；　she　rememberedthat。　In　a　corner；　between　two　houses；　one　of　which　projected　beyondthe　other；　she　sank　down　and　huddled　herself　together。　She　had　drawnher　little　feet　under　her；　but　she　could　not　keep　off　the　cold；　andshe　dared　not　go　home；　for　she　had　sold　no　matches；　and　could　not　takehome　even　a　penny　of　money。　Her　father　would　certainly　beat　her；besides；　it　was　almost　as　cold　at　home　as　here；　for　they　had　onlythe　roof　to　cover　them；　through　which　the　wind　howled；　although　thelargest　holes　had　been　stopped　up　with　straw　and　rags。　Her　littlehands　were　almost　frozen　with　the　cold。　Ah！　perhaps　a　burning　matchmight　be　some　good；　if　she　could　draw　it　from　the　bundle　and　strike　itagainst　the　wall；　just　to　warm　her　fingers。　She　drew　oneout…〃scratch！〃　how　it　sputtered　as　it　burnt！　It　gave　a　warm；　brightlight；　like　a　little　candle；　as　she　held　her　hand　over　it。　It　wasreally　a　wonderful　light。　It　seemed　to　the　little　girl　that　she　wassitting　by　a　large　iron　stove；　with　polished　brass　feet　and　a　brassornament。　How　the　fire　burned！　and　seemed　so　beautifully　warm　that　thechild　stretched　out　her　feet　as　if　to　warm　them；　when；　lo！　the　flameof　the　match　went　out；　the　stove　vanished；　and　she　had　only　theremains　of　the　half…burnt　match　in　her　hand。

She　rubbed　another　match　on　the　wall。　It　burst　into　a　flame；　andwhere　its　light　fell　upon　the　wall　it　became　as　transparent　as　a　veil；and　she　could　see　into　the　room。　The　table　was　covered　with　a　snowywhite　table…cloth；　on　which　stood　a　splendid　dinner　service；　and　asteaming　roast　goose；　stuffed　with　apples　and　dried　plums。　And　whatwas　still　more　wonderful；　the　goose　jumped　down　from　the　dish　andwaddled　across　the　floor；　with　a　knife　and　fork　in　its　breast；　tothe　little　girl。　Then　the　match　went　out；　and　there　remained　nothingbut　the　thick；　damp；　cold　wall　before　her。

She　lighted　another　match；　and　then　she　found　herself　sittingunder　a　beautiful　Christmas…tree。　It　was　larger　and　more　beautifullydecorated　than　the　one　which　she　had　seen　through　the　glass　door　atthe　rich　merchant's。　Thousands　of　tapers　were　burning　upon　the　greenbranches；　and　colored　pictures；　like　those　she　had　seen　in　theshow…windows；　looked　down　upon　it　all。　The　little　one　stretched　outher　hand　towards　them；　and　the　match　went　out。

The　Christmas　lights　rose　higher　and　higher；　till　they　looked　toher　like　the　stars　in　the　sky。　Then　she　saw　a　star　fall；　leavingbehind　it　a　bright　streak　of　fire。　〃Some　one　is　dying；〃　thought　thelittle　girl；　for　her　old　grandmother；　the　only　one　who　had　everloved　her；　and　who　was　now　dead；　had　told　her　that　when　a　starfalls；　a　soul　was　going　up　to　God。

She　again　rubbed　a　match　on　the　wall；　and　the　light　shone　roundher；　in　the　brightness　stood　her　old　grandmother；　clear　and　shining；yet　mild　and　loving　in　her　appearance。　〃Grandmother；〃　cried　the　littleone；　〃O　take　me　with　you；　I　know　you　will　go　away　when　the　match　burnsout；　you　will　vanish　like　the　warm　stove；　the　roast　goose；　and　thelarge；　glorious　Christmas…tree。〃　And　she　made　haste　to　light　the　wholebundle　of　matches；　for　she　wished　to　keep　her　grandmother　there。　Andthe　matches　glowed　with　a　light　that　was　brighter　than　the　noon…day；and　her　grandmother　had　never　appeared　so　large　or　so　beautiful。　Shetook　the　little　girl　in　her　arms；　and　they　both　flew　upwards　inbrightness　and　joy　far　above　the　earth；　where　there　was　neither　coldnor　hunger　nor　pain；　for　they　were　with　God。

In　the　dawn　of　morning　there　lay　the　poor　little　one；　with　palecheeks　and　smiling　mouth；　leaning　against　the　wall；　she　had　beenfrozen　to　death　on　the　last　evening　of　the　year；　and　the　New…year'ssun　rose　and　shone　upon　a　little　corpse！　The　child　still　sat；　in　thestiffness　of　death；　holding　the　matches　in　her　hand；　one　bundle　ofwhich　was　burnt。　〃She　tried　to　warm　herself；〃　said　some。　No　oneimagined　what　beautiful　things　she　had　seen；　nor　into　what　glory　shehad　entered　with　her　grandmother；　on　New…year's　day。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　　THE　LITTLE　MERMAID

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

FAR　out　in　the　ocean；　where　the　water　is　as　blue　as　theprettiest　cornflower；　and　as　clear　as　crystal；　it　is　very；　verydeep；　so　deep；　indeed；　that　no　cable　could　fathom　it：　many　churchsteeples；　piled　one　upon　another；　would　not　reach　from　the　groundbeneath　to　the　surface　of　the　water　above。　There　dwell　the　Sea　Kingand　his　subjects。　We　must　not　imagine　that　there　is　nothing　at　thebottom　of　the　sea　but　bare　yellow　sand。　No；　indeed；　the　mostsingular　flowers　and　plants　grow　there；　the　leaves　and　stems　ofwhich　are　so　pliant；　that　the　slightest　agitation　of　the　watercauses　them　to　stir　as　if　they　had　life。　Fishes；　both　large　and　small；glide　between　the　branches；　as　birds　fly　among　the　trees　here　uponland。　In　the　deepest　spot　of　all；　stands　the　castle　of　the　Sea　King。Its　walls　are　built　of　coral；　and　the　long；　gothic　windows　are　ofthe　clearest　amber。　The　roof　is　formed　of　shells；　that　open　andclose　as　the　water　flows　over　them。　Their　appearance　is　verybeautiful；　for　in　each　lies　a　glittering　pearl；　which　would　be　fit　forthe　diadem　of　a　queen。

The　Sea　King　had　been　a　widower　for　many　years；　and　his　agedmother　kept　house　for　him。　She　was　a　very　wise　woman；　andexceedingly　proud　of　her　high　birth；　on　that　account　she　wore　twelveoysters　on　her　tail；　while　others；　also　of　high　rank；　were　onlyallowed　to　wear　six。　She　was；　however；　deserving　of　very　great　praise；especially　for　her　care　of　the　little　sea…princesses；　hergrand…daughters。　They　were　six　beautiful　children；　but　the　youngestwas　the　prettiest　of　them　all；　her　skin　was　as　clear　and　delicate　as　arose…leaf；　and　her　eyes　as　blue　as　the　deepest　sea；　but；　like　allthe　others；　she　had　no　feet；　and　her　body　ended　in　a　fish's　tail。All　day　long　they　played　in　the　great　halls　of　the　castle；　or　amongthe　living　flowers　that　grew　out　of　the　walls。　The　large　amber　windowswere　open；　and　the　fish　swam　in；　just　as　the　swallows　fly　into　ourhouses　when　we　open　the　windows；　excepting　that　the　fishes　swam　upto　the　princesses；　ate　out　of　their　hands；　and　allowed　themselves　tobe　stroked。　Outside　the　castle　there　was　a　beautiful　garden；　inwhich　grew　bright　red　and　dark　blue　flowers；　and　blossoms　likeflames　of　fire；　the　fruit　glittered　like　gold；　and　the　leaves　andstems　waved　to　and　fro　continually。　The　earth　itself　was　the　finestsand；　but　blue　as　the　flame　of　burning　sulphur。　Over　everything　laya　peculiar　blue　radiance；　as　if　it　were　surrounded　by　the　air　fromabove；　through　which　the　blue　sky　shone；　instead　of　the　dark　depths　ofthe　sea。　In　calm　weather　the　sun　could　be　seen；　looking　like　apurple　flower；　with　the　light　streaming　from　the　calyx。　Each　of　theyoung　princesses　had　a　little　plot　of　ground　in　the　garden；　whereshe　might　dig　and　plant　as　she　pleased。　One　arranged　her　flower…bedinto　the　form　of　a　whale；　another　thought　it　better　to　make　herslike　the　figure　of　a　little　mermaid；　but　that　of　the　youngest　wasround　like　the　sun；　and　contained　flowers　as　red　as　his　rays　atsunset。　She　was　a　strange　child；　quiet　and　thoughtful；　and　while　hersisters　would　be　delighted　with　the　wonderful　things　which　theyobtained　from　the　wrecks　of　vessels；　she　cared　for　nothing　but　herpretty　red　flowers；　like　the　sun；　excepting　a　beautiful　marble　statue。It　was　the　representation　of　a　handsome　boy；　carved　out　of　purewhite　stone；　which　had　fallen　to　the　bottom　of　the　sea　from　a　wreck。She　planted　by　the　statue　a　rose…colored　weeping　willow。　It　grewsplendidly；　and　very　soon　hung　its　fresh　branches　over　the　statue；almost　down　to　the　blue　sands。　The　shadow　had　a　violet　tint；　and　wavedto　and　fro　like　the　branches；　it　seemed　as　if　the　crown　of　the　treeand　the　root　were　at　play；　and　trying　to　kiss　each　other。　Nothing　gaveher　so　much　pleasure　as　to　hear　about　the　world　above　the　sea。　Shemade　her　old　grandmother　tell　her　all　she　knew　of　the　ships　and　of　thetowns；　the　people　and　the　animals。　To　her　it　seemed　most　wonderful　andbeautiful　to　hear　that　the　flowers　of　the　land　should　havefragrance；　and　not　those　below　the　sea；　that　the　trees　of　the　forestshould　be　green；　and　that　the　fishes　among　the　trees　could　sing　sosweetly；　that　it　was　quite　a　pleasure　to　hear　them。　Her　grandmothercalled　the　little　birds　fishes；　or　she　would　not　have　understoodher；　for　she　had　never　seen　birds。

〃When　you　have　reached　your　fifteenth　year；〃　said　thegrand…mother；　〃you　will　have　permission　to　rise　up　out　of　the　sea；to　sit　on　the　rocks　in　the　moonlight；　while　the　great　ships　aresailing　by；　and　then　you　will　see　both　forests　and　towns。〃

In　the　following　year；　one　of　the　sisters　would　be　fifteen：　but　aseach　was　a　year　younger　than　the　other；　the　youngest　would　have　towait　five　years　before　her　turn　came　to　rise　up　from　the　bottom　of　theocean；　and　see　the　earth　as　we　do。　However；　each　promised　to　tellthe　others　what　she　saw　on　her　first　visit；　and　what　she　thought　themost　beautiful；　for　their　grandmother　could　not　tell　them　enough；there　were　so　many　things　on　which　they　wanted　information。　None　ofthem　longed　so　much　for　her　turn　to　e　as　the　youngest；　she　whohad　the　longest　time　to　wait；　and　who　was　so　quiet　and　thoughtful。Many　nights　she　stoo