安徒生童话-第118章

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be　prepared…　that　was　a　difficulty　they　could　notovere。　At　last　it　was　decided　that　help　could　only　e　from　theprincess　herself；　whose　whole　soul　was　wrapped　up　in　her　father；especially　as　a　plan　had　been　adopted　by　her　to　enable　her　to　obtain　aremedy。

More　than　a　year　had　passed　since　the　princess　had　set　out　atnight；　when　the　light　of　the　young　moon　was　soon　lost　beneath　thehorizon。　She　had　gone　to　the　marble　sphinx　in　the　desert；　shakingthe　sand　from　her　sandals；　and　then　passed　through　the　long　passage；which　leads　to　the　centre　of　one　of　the　great　pyramids；　where　themighty　kings　of　antiquity；　surrounded　with　pomp　and　splendor；　lieveiled　in　the　form　of　mummies。　She　had　been　told　by　the　wise　men；　thatif　she　laid　her　head　on　the　breast　of　one　of　them；　from　the　head　shewould　learn　where　to　find　life　and　recovery　for　her　father。　She　hadperformed　all　this；　and　in　a　dream　had　learnt　that　she　must　bring　hometo　her　father　the　lotus　flower；　which　grows　in　the　deep　sea；　nearthe　moors　and　heath　in　the　Danish　land。　The　very　place　and　situationhad　been　pointed　out　to　her；　and　she　was　told　that　the　flower　wouldrestore　her　father　to　health　and　strength。　And；　therefore；　she　hadgone　forth　from　the　land　of　Egypt；　flying　over　to　the　open　marsh　andthe　wild　moor　in　the　plumage　of　a　swan。

The　papa　and　mamma　storks　knew　all　this；　and　we　also　know　itnow。　We　know；　too；　that　the　Marsh　King　has　drawn　her　down　tohimself；　and　that　to　the　loved　ones　at　home　she　is　forever　dead。　Oneof　the　wisest　of　them　said；　as　the　stork…mamma　also　said；　〃That　insome　way　she　would；　after　all；　manage　to　succeed；〃　and　so　at　last　theyforted　themselves　with　this　hope；　and　would　wait　patiently；　infact；　they　could　do　nothing　better。

〃I　should　like　to　get　away　the　swan's　feathers　from　those　twotreacherous　princesses；〃　said　the　papa　stork；　〃then；　at　least；　theywould　not　be　able　to　fly　over　again　to　the　wild　moor；　and　do　morewickedness。　I　can　hide　the　two　suits　of　feathers　over　yonder；　tillwe　find　some　use　for　them。〃

〃But　where　will　you　put　them？〃　asked　the　mamma　stork。

〃In　our　nest　on　the　moor。　I　and　the　young　ones　will　carry　themby　turns　during　our　flight　across；　and　as　we　return；　should　they　provetoo　heavy　for　us；　we　shall　be　sure　to　find　plenty　of　places　on　the　wayin　which　we　can　conceal　them　till　our　next　journey。　Certainly　one　suitof　swan's　feathers　would　be　enough　for　the　princess；　but　two　arealways　better。　In　those　northern　countries　no　one　can　have　too　manytravelling　wrappers。〃

〃No　one　will　thank　you　for　it；〃　said　stork…mamma；　〃but　you　aremaster；　and；　excepting　at　breeding　time；　I　have　nothing　to　say。〃

In　the　Viking's　castle　on　the　wild　moor；　to　which　the　storksdirected　their　flight　in　the　following　spring；　the　little　maiden　stillremained。　They　had　named　her　Helga；　which　was　rather　too　soft　a　namefor　a　child　with　a　temper　like　hers；　although　her　form　was　stillbeautiful。　Every　month　this　temper　showed　itself　in　sharperoutlines；　and　in　the　course　of　years；　while　the　storks　still　madethe　same　journeys　in　autumn　to　the　hill；　and　in　spring　to　the　moors；the　child　grew　to　be　almost　a　woman；　and　before　any　one　seemed　awareof　it；　she　was　a　wonderfully　beautiful　maiden　of　sixteen。　The　casketwas　splendid；　but　the　contents　were　worthless。　She　was；　indeed；　wildand　savage　even　in　those　hard；　uncultivated　times。　It　was　a　pleasureto　her　to　splash　about　with　her　white　hands　in　the　warm　blood　of　thehorse　which　had　been　slain　for　sacrifice。　In　one　of　her　wild　moods　shebit　off　the　head　of　the　black　cock；　which　the　priest　was　about　to　slayfor　the　sacrifice。　To　her　foster…father　she　said　one　day；　〃If　thineenemy　were　to　pull　down　thine　house　about　thy　ears；　and　thou　shouldestbe　sleeping　in　unconscious　security；　I　would　not　wake　thee；　even　ifI　had　the　power　I　would　never　do　it；　for　my　ears　still　tingle　with　theblow　that　thou　gavest　me　years　ago。　I　have　never　forgotten　it。〃　Butthe　Viking　treated　her　words　as　a　joke；　he　was；　like　every　one　else；bewitched　with　her　beauty；　and　knew　nothing　of　the　change　in　theform　and　temper　of　Helga　at　night。　Without　a　saddle；　she　would　siton　a　horse　as　if　she　were　a　part　of　it；　while　it　rushed　along　atfull　speed；　nor　would　she　spring　from　its　back；　even　when　itquarrelled　with　other　horses　and　bit　them。　She　would　often　leap　fromthe　high　shore　into　the　sea　with　all　her　clothes　on；　and　swim　tomeet　the　Viking；　when　his　boat　was　steering　home　towards　the　shore。She　once　cut　off　a　long　lock　of　her　beautiful　hair；　and　twisted　itinto　a　string　for　her　bow。　〃If　a　thing　is　to　be　done　well；〃　saidshe；　〃I　must　do　it　myself。

The　Viking's　wife　was；　for　the　time　in　which　she　lived；　a　woman　ofstrong　character　and　will；　but；　pared　to　her　daughter；　she　was　agentle；　timid　woman；　and　she　knew　that　a　wicked　sorcerer　had　theterrible　child　in　his　power。　It　was　sometimes　as　if　Helga　acted　fromsheer　wickedness；　for　often　when　her　mother　stood　on　the　thresholdof　the　door；　or　stepped　into　the　yard；　she　would　seat　herself　on　thebrink　of　the　well；　wave　her　arms　and　legs　in　the　air；　and　suddenlyfall　right　in。　Here　she　was　able；　from　her　frog　nature；　to　dip　anddive　about　in　the　water　of　the　deep　well；　until　at　last　she　wouldclimb　forth　like　a　cat；　and　e　back　into　the　hall　dripping　withwater；　so　that　the　green　leaves　that　were　strewed　on　the　floor　werewhirled　round；　and　carried　away　by　the　streams　that　flowed　from　her。

But　there　was　one　time　of　the　day　which　placed　a　check　upon　Helga。It　was　the　evening　twilight；　when　this　hour　arrived　she　became　quietand　thoughtful；　and　allowed　herself　to　be　advised　and　led；　then　also　asecret　feeling　seemed　to　draw　her　towards　her　mother。　And　as　usual；when　the　sun　set；　and　the　transformation　took　place；　both　in　bodyand　mind；　inwards　and　outwards；　she　would　remain　quiet　and　mournful；with　her　form　shrunk　together　in　the　shape　of　a　frog。　Her　body　wasmuch　larger　than　those　animals　ever　are；　and　on　this　account　it　wasmuch　more　hideous　in　appearance；　for　she　looked　like　a　wretched　dwarf；with　a　frog's　head；　and　webbed　fingers。　Her　eyes　had　a　most　piteousexpression；　she　was　without　a　voice；　excepting　a　hollow；　croakingsound；　like　the　smothered　sobs　of　a　dreaming　child。

Then　the　Viking's　wife　took　her　on　her　lap；　and　forgot　the　uglyform；　as　she　looked　into　the　mournful　eyes；　and　often　said；　〃I　couldwish　that　thou　wouldst　always　remain　my　dumb　frog　child；　for　thouart　too　terrible　when　thou　art　clothed　in　a　form　of　beauty。〃　And　theViking　woman　wrote　Runic　characters　against　sorcery　and　spells　ofsickness；　and　threw　them　over　the　wretched　child；　but　they　did　nogood。

〃One　can　scarcely　believe　that　she　was　ever　small　enough　to　lie　inthe　cup　of　the　water…lily；〃　said　the　papa　stork；　〃and　now　she　is　grownup；　and　the　image　of　her　Egyptian　mother；　especially　about　the　eyes。Ah；　we　shall　never　see　her　again；　perhaps　she　has　not　discovered　howto　help　herself；　as　you　and　the　wise　men　said　she　would。　Year　afteryear　have　I　flown　across　and　across　the　moor；　but　there　was　no　sign　ofher　being　still　alive。　Yes；　and　I　may　as　well　tell　you　that　you　thateach　year；　when　I　arrived　a　few　days　before　you　to　repair　the　nest；and　put　everything　in　its　place；　I　have　spent　a　whole　night　flyinghere　and　there　over　the　marshy　lake；　as　if　I　had　been　an　owl　or　a　bat；but　all　to　no　purpose。　The　two　suit　of　swan's　plumage；　which　I　and　theyoung　ones　dragged　over　here　from　the　land　of　the　Nile；　are　of　no　use；trouble　enough　it　was　to　us　to　bring　them　here　in　three　journeys；and　now　they　are　lying　at　the　bottom　of　the　nest；　and　if　a　fire　shouldhappen　to　break　out；　and　the　wooden　house　be　burnt　down；　they　would　bedestroyed。〃

〃And　our　good　nest　would　be　destroyed；　too；〃　said　the　mamma　stork；〃but　you　think　less　of　that　than　of　your　plumage　stuff　and　yourmoor…princess。　Go　and　stay　with　her　in　the　marsh　if　you　like。　Youare　a　bad　father　to　your　own　children；　as　I　have　told　you　already；when　I　hatched　my　first　brood。　I　only　hope　neither　we　nor　our　childrenmay　have　an　arrow　sent　through　our　wings；　owing　to　that　wild　girl。Helga　does　not　know　in　the　least　what　she　is　about。　We　have　lived　inthis　house　longer　than　she　has；　she　should　think　of　that；　and　wehave　never　forgotten　our　duty。　We　have　paid　every　year　our　toll　of　afeather；　an　egg；　and　a　young　one；　as　it　is　only　right　we　should　do。You　don't　suppose　I　can　wander　about　the　court…yard；　or　goeverywhere　as　I　used　to　do　in　old　times。　I　can　do　it　in　Egypt；　where　Ican　be　a　panion　of　the　people；　without　forgetting　myself。　Buthere　I　cannot　go　and　peep　into　the　pots　and　kettles　as　I　do　there。　No；I　can　only　sit　up　here　and　feel　angry　with　that　girl；　the　littlewretch；　and　I　am　angry　with　you；　too；　you　should　have　left　her　lyingin　the　water　lily；　then　no　one　would　have　known　anything　about　her。〃

〃You　are　far　better　than　your　conversation；〃　said　the　papastork；　〃I　know　you　better　than　you　know　yourself。〃　And　with　that　hegave　a　hop；　and　flapped　his　wings　twice；　proudly；　then　he　stretchedhis　neck　and　flew；　or　rather　soared　away；　without　moving　his　outspreadwings。　He　went　on　for　some　distance；　and　then　he　gave　a　great　flapwith　his　wings　and　flew　on　his　course　at　a　rapid　rate；　his　head　andneck　bending　proudly　before　him；　while　the　sun's　rays　fell　on　hisglossy　plumage。

〃He　is　the　handsomest　of　them　all；〃　said　the　mamma　stork；　as　shewatched　him；　〃but　I　won't　tell　him