安徒生童话-第139章

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leeks；　this　was　thekitchen　garden。　The　other　elephant；　which　contained　a　beautifulgeranium；　they　called　their　flower　garden。　On　the　wall　hung　a　largecolored　print；　representing　the　congress　of　Vienna；　and　all　thekings　and　emperors　at　once。　A　clock；　with　heavy　weights；　hung　on　thewall　and　went　〃tick；　tick；〃　steadily　enough；　yet　it　was　alwaysrather　too　fast；　which；　however；　the　old　people　said　was　better　thanbeing　too　slow。　They　were　now　eating　their　supper；　while　the　oldstreet　lamp；　as　we　have　heard；　lay　in　the　grandfather's　arm…chair　nearthe　stove。　It　seemed　to　the　lamp　as　if　the　whole　world　had　turnedround；　but　after　a　while　the　old　watchman　looked　at　the　lamp；　andspoke　of　what　they　had　both　gone　through　together；…　in　rain　and　infog；　during　the　short　bright　nights　of　summer；　or　in　the　long　winternights；　through　the　drifting　snow…storms；　when　he　longed　to　be　at　homein　the　cellar。　Then　the　lamp　felt　it　was　all　right　again。　He　saweverything　that　had　happened　quite　clearly；　as　if　it　were　passingbefore　him。　Surely　the　wind　had　given　him　an　excellent　gift。　The　oldpeople　were　very　active　and　industrious；　they　were　never　idle　for　evena　single　hour。　On　Sunday　afternoons　they　would　bring　out　some　books；generally　a　book　of　travels　which　they　were　very　fond　of。　The　oldman　would　read　aloud　about　Africa；　with　its　great　forests　and　the　wildelephants；　while　his　wife　would　listen　attentively；　stealing　aglance　now　and　then　at　the　clay　elephants；　which　served　asflower…pots。

〃I　can　almost　imagine　I　am　seeing　it　all；〃　she　said；　and　thenhow　the　lamp　wished　for　a　wax　taper　to　be　lighted　in　him；　for　then　theold　woman　would　have　seen　the　smallest　detail　as　clearly　as　he　didhimself。　The　lofty　trees；　with　their　thickly　entwined　branches；　thenaked　negroes　on　horseback；　and　whole　herds　of　elephants　treading　downbamboo　thickets　with　their　broad；　heavy　feet。

〃What　is　the　use　of　all　my　capabilities；〃　sighed　the　old　lamp；〃when　I　cannot　obtain　any　wax　lights；　they　have　only　oil　and　tallowhere；　and　these　will　not　do。〃　One　day　a　great　heap　of　wax…candleends　found　their　way　into　the　cellar。　The　larger　pieces　were　burnt；and　the　smaller　ones　the　old　woman　kept　for　waxing　her　thread。　Sothere　were　now　candles　enough；　but　it　never　occurred　to　any　one　to　puta　little　piece　in　the　lamp。

〃Here　I　am　now　with　my　rare　powers；〃　thought　the　lamp；　〃I　havefaculties　within　me；　but　I　cannot　share　them；　they　do　not　know　thatI　could　cover　these　white　walls　with　beautiful　tapestry；　or　changethem　into　noble　forests；　or；　indeed；　to　anything　else　they　mightwish　for。〃　The　lamp；　however；　was　always　kept　clean　and　shining　in　acorner　where　it　attracted　all　eyes。　Strangers　looked　upon　it　aslumber；　but　the　old　people　did　not　care　for　that；　they　loved　the　lamp。One　day…　it　was　the　watchman's　birthday…　the　old　woman　approachedthe　lamp；　smiling　to　herself；　and　said；　〃I　will　have　an　illuminationto…day　in　honor　of　my　old　man。〃　And　the　lamp　rattled　in　his　metalframe；　for　he　thought；　〃Now　at　last　I　shall　have　a　light　within　me；〃but　after　all　no　wax　light　was　placed　in　the　lamp；　but　oil　as　usual。The　lamp　burned　through　the　whole　evening；　and　began　to　perceive　tooclearly　that　the　gift　of　the　stars　would　remain　a　hidden　treasureall　his　life。　Then　he　had　a　dream；　for；　to　one　with　his　faculties；dreaming　was　no　difficulty。　It　appeared　to　him　that　the　old　peoplewere　dead；　and　that　he　had　been　taken　to　the　iron　foundry　to　be　melteddown。　It　caused　him　quite　as　much　anxiety　as　on　the　day　when　he　hadbeen　called　upon　to　appear　before　the　mayor　and　the　council　at　thetown…hall。　But　though　he　had　been　endowed　with　the　power　of　fallinginto　decay　from　rust　when　he　pleased；　he　did　not　make　use　of　it。　Hewas　therefore　put　into　the　melting…furnace　and　changed　into　as　elegantan　iron　candlestick　as　you　could　wish　to　see；　one　intended　to　hold　awax　taper。　The　candlestick　was　in　the　form　of　an　angel　holding　anosegay；　in　the　centre　of　which　the　wax　taper　was　to　be　placed。　It　wasto　stand　on　a　green　writing　table；　in　a　very　pleasant　room；　many　bookswere　scattered　about；　and　splendid　paintings　hung　on　the　walls。　Theowner　of　the　room　was　a　poet；　and　a　man　of　intellect；　everything　hethought　or　wrote　was　pictured　around　him。　Nature　showed　herself　to　himsometimes　in　the　dark　forests；　at　others　in　cheerful　meadows　where　thestorks　were　strutting　about；　or　on　the　deck　of　a　ship　sailing　acrossthe　foaming　sea　with　the　clear；　blue　sky　above；　or　at　night　theglittering　stars。　〃What　powers　I　possess！〃　said　the　lamp；　awaking　fromhis　dream；　〃I　could　almost　wish　to　be　melted　down；　but　no；　that　mustnot　be　while　the　old　people　live。　They　love　me　for　myself　alone；they　keep　me　bright；　and　supply　me　with　oil。　I　am　as　well　off　as　thepicture　of　the　congress；　in　which　they　take　so　much　pleasure。〃　Andfrom　that　time　he　felt　at　rest　in　himself；　and　not　more　so　than　suchan　honorable　old　lamp　really　deserved　to　be。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

THE　PEA　BLOSSOM

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

THERE　were　once　five　peas　in　one　shell；　they　were　green；　the　shellwas　green；　and　so　they　believed　that　the　whole　world　must　be　greenalso；　which　was　a　very　natural　conclusion。　The　shell　grew；　and　thepeas　grew；　they　acmodated　themselves　to　their　position；　and　sat　allin　a　row。　The　sun　shone　without　and　warmed　the　shell；　and　the　rainmade　it　clear　and　transparent；　it　was　mild　and　agreeable　in　broaddaylight；　and　dark　at　night；　as　it　generally　is；　and　the　peas　asthey　sat　there　grew　bigger　and　bigger；　and　more　thoughtful　as　theymused；　for　they　felt　there　must　be　something　else　for　them　to　do。

〃Are　we　to　sit　here　forever？〃　asked　one；　〃shall　we　not　bee　hardby　sitting　so　long？　It　seems　to　me　there　must　be　something　outside；and　I　feel　sure　of　it。〃

And　as　weeks　passed　by；　the　peas　became　yellow；　and　the　shellbecame　yellow。

〃All　the　world　is　turning　yellow；　I　suppose；〃　said　they；…　andperhaps　they　were　right。

Suddenly　they　felt　a　pull　at　the　shell；　it　was　torn　off；　andheld　in　human　hands；　then　slipped　into　the　pocket　of　a　jacket　inpany　with　other　full　pods。

〃Now　we　shall　soon　be　opened；〃　said　one；…　just　what　they　allwanted。

〃I　should　like　to　know　which　of　us　will　travel　furthest；〃　said　thesmallest　of　the　five；　〃we　shall　soon　see　now。〃

〃What　is　to　happen　will　happen；〃　said　the　largest　pea。

〃Crack〃　went　the　shell　as　it　burst；　and　the　five　peas　rolled　outinto　the　bright　sunshine。　There　they　lay　in　a　child's　hand。　A　littleboy　was　holding　them　tightly；　and　said　they　were　fine　peas　for　hispea…shooter。　And　immediately　he　put　one　in　and　shot　it　out。

〃Now　I　am　flying　out　into　the　wide　world；〃　said　he；　〃catch　me　ifyou　can；〃　and　he　was　gone　in　a　moment。

〃I；〃　said　the　second；　〃intend　to　fly　straight　to　the　sun；　thatis　a　shell　that　lets　itself　be　seen；　and　it　will　suit　me　exactly；〃　andaway　he　went。

〃We　will　go　to　sleep　wherever　we　find　ourselves；〃　said　the　twonext；　〃we　shall　still　be　rolling　onwards；〃　and　they　did　certainly　fallon　the　floor；　and　roll　about　before　they　got　into　the　pea…shooter；　butthey　were　put　in　for　all　that。　〃We　shall　go　farther　than　theothers；〃　said　they。

〃What　is　to　happen　will　happen；〃　exclaimed　the　last；　as　he　wasshot　out　of　the　pea…shooter；　and　as　he　spoke　he　flew　up　against　an　oldboard　under　a　garret…window；　and　fell　into　a　little　crevice；　which　wasalmost　filled　up　with　moss　and　soft　earth。　The　moss　closed　itselfround　him；　and　there　he　lay；　a　captive　indeed；　but　not　unnoticed　byGod。

〃What　is　to　happen　will　happen；〃　said　he　to　himself。

Within　the　little　garret　lived　a　poor　woman；　who　went　out　to　cleanstoves；　chop　wood　into　small　pieces　and　perform　such…like　hard　work；for　she　was　strong　and　industrious。　Yet　she　remained　always　poor；and　at　home　in　the　garret　lay　her　only　daughter；　not　quite　grown　up；and　very　delicate　and　weak。　For　a　whole　year　she　had　kept　her　bed；　andit　seemed　as　if　she　could　neither　live　nor　die。

〃She　is　going　to　her　little　sister；〃　said　the　woman；　〃I　had　butthe　two　children；　and　it　was　not　an　easy　thing　to　support　both　ofthem；　but　the　good　God　helped　me　in　my　work；　and　took　one　of　them　toHimself　and　provided　for　her。　Now　I　would　gladly　keep　the　other　thatwas　left　to　me；　but　I　suppose　they　are　not　to　be　separated；　and　mysick　girl　will　very　soon　go　to　her　sister　above。〃　But　the　sick　girlstill　remained　where　she　was；　quietly　and　patiently　she　lay　all　theday　long；　while　her　mother　was　away　from　home　at　her　work。

Spring　came；　and　one　morning　early　the　sun　shone　brightlythrough　the　little　window；　and　threw　its　rays　over　the　floor　of　theroom。　just　as　the　mother　was　going　to　her　work；　the　sick　girl　fixedher　gaze　on　the　lowest　pane　of　the　window…　〃Mother；〃　she　exclaimed；〃what　can　that　little　green　thing　be　that　peeps　in　at　the　window？　Itis　moving　in　the　wind。〃

The　mother　stepped　to　the　window　and　half　opened　it。　〃Oh！〃　shesaid；　there　is　actually　a　little　pea　which　has　taken　root　and　isputting　out　its　green　leaves。　How　could　it　have　got　into　this　crack？Well　now；　here　is　a　little　garden　for　you　to　amuse　yourself　with。〃So　the　bed　of　the　sick　girl　was　drawn　nearer　to　the　window；　that　shemight　see　the　budding　plant；　and　the　mother　went　out　to　her　work。

〃Mother；　I　believe　I　shall　get　well；〃　said　the　sick　child　in　theevening；　〃the　sun　has　shone　in　here　so　brightly　and　warmly　to…day