安徒生童话-第142章

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he　world？　He　observed　that　the　wreath　which　rightly　belonged　to　thebeautiful　was　often　given　the　hideous；　that　the　good　was　oftenpassed　by　unnoticed；　while　mediocrity　was　applauded；　when　it　shouldhave　been　hissed。　People　look　at　the　dress；　not　at　the　wearer；　thoughtmore　of　a　name　than　of　doing　their　duty；　and　trusted　more　toreputation　than　to　real　service。　It　was　everywhere　the　same。

〃I　see　I　must　make　a　regular　attack　on　these　things；〃　said　he；　andhe　accordingly　did　not　spare　them。　But　while　looking　for　the　truth；came　the　evil　one；　the　father　of　lies；　to　intercept　him。　Gladlywould　the　fiend　have　plucked　out　the　eyes　of　this　Seer；　but　that　wouldhave　been　a　too　straightforward　path　for　him；　he　works　more　cunningly。He　allowed　the　young　man　to　seek　for；　and　discover；　the　beautifuland　the　good；　but　while　he　was　contemplating　them；　the　evil　spiritblew　one　mote　after　another　into　each　of　his　eyes；　and　such　aproceeding　would　injure　the　strongest　sight。　Then　he　blew　upon　themotes；　and　they　became　beams；　so　that　the　clearness　of　his　sight　wasgone；　and　the　Seer　was　like　a　blind　man　in　the　world；　and　had　nolonger　any　faith　in　it。　He　had　lost　his　good　opinion　of　the　world；as　well　as　of　himself；　and　when　a　man　gives　up　the　world；　andhimself　too；　it　is　all　over　with　him。

〃All　over；〃　said　the　wild　swan；　who　flew　across　the　sea　to　theeast。

〃All　over；〃　twittered　the　swallows；　who　were　also　flyingeastward　towards　the　Tree　of　the　Sun。　It　was　no　good　news　which　theycarried　home。

〃I　think　the　Seer　has　been　badly　served；〃　said　the　second　brother；〃but　the　Hearer　may　be　more　successful。〃

This　one　possessed　the　sense　of　hearing　to　a　very　high　degree：so　acute　was　this　sense；　that　it　was　said　he　could　hear　the　grassgrow。　He　took　a　fond　leave　of　all　at　home；　and　rode　away；　providedwith　good　abilities　and　good　intentions。　The　swallows　escorted　him；and　he　followed　the　swans　till　he　found　himself　out　in　the　world；and　far　away　from　home。　But　he　soon　discovered　that　one　may　have　toomuch　of　a　good　thing。　His　hearing　was　too　fine。　He　not　only　heardthe　grass　grow；　but　could　hear　every　man's　heart　beat；　whether　insorrow　or　in　joy。　The　whole　world　was　to　him　like　a　clockmaker's　greatworkshop；　in　which　all　the　clocks　were　going　〃tick；　tick；〃　and　all　theturret　clocks　striking　〃ding；　dong。〃　It　was　unbearable。　For　a　longtime　his　ears　endured　it；　but　at　last　all　the　noise　and　tumultbecame　too　much　for　one　man　to　bear。

There　were　rascally　boys　of　sixty　years　old…　for　years　do　notalone　make　a　man…　who　raised　a　tumult；　which　might　have　made　theHearer　laugh；　but　for　the　applause　which　followed；　echoing　throughevery　street　and　house；　and　was　even　heard　in　country　roads。　Falsehoodthrust　itself　forward　and　played　the　hypocrite；　the　bells　on　thefool's　cap　jingled；　and　declared　they　were　church…bells；　and　the　noisebecame　so　bad　for　the　Hearer　that　he　thrust　his　fingers　into　his　ears。Still；　he　could　hear　false　notes　and　bad　singing；　gossip　and　idlewords；　scandal　and　slander；　groaning　and　moaning；　without　andwithin。　〃Heaven　help　us！〃　He　thrust　his　fingers　farther　and　fartherinto　his　ears；　till　at　last　the　drums　burst。　And　now　he　could　hearnothing　more　of　the　true；　the　beautiful；　and　the　good；　for　his　hearingwas　to　have　been　the　means　by　which　he　hoped　to　acquire　his　knowledge。He　became　silent　and　suspicious；　and　at　last　trusted　no　one；　noteven　himself；　and　no　longer　hoping　to　find　and　bring　home　the　costlyjewel；　he　gave　it　up；　and　gave　himself　up　too；　which　was　worse　thanall。

The　birds　in　their　flight　towards　the　east；　carried　the　tidings；and　the　news　reached　the　castle　in　the　Tree　of　the　Sun。

〃I　will　try　now；〃　said　the　third　brother；　〃I　have　a　keen　nose。〃Now　that　was　not　a　very　elegant　expression；　but　it　was　his　way；　and　wemust　take　him　as　he　was。　He　had　a　cheerful　temper；　and　was；　besides；　areal　poet；　he　could　make　many　things　appear　poetical；　by　the　way　inwhich　he　spoke　of　them；　and　ideas　struck　him　long　before　they　occurredto　the　minds　of　others。　〃I　can　smell；〃　he　would　say；　and　he　attributedto　the　sense　of　smelling；　which　he　possessed　in　a　high　degree；　a　greatpower　in　the　region　of　the　beautiful。　〃I　can　smell；〃　he　would　say；〃and　many　places　are　fragrant　or　beautiful　according　to　the　taste　ofthe　frequenters。　One　man　feels　at　home　in　the　atmosphere　of　thetavern；　among　the　flaring　tallow　candles；　and　when　the　smell　ofspirits　mingles　with　the　fumes　of　bad　tobacco。　Another　prefers　sittingamidst　the　overpowering　scent　of　jasmine；　or　perfuming　himself　withscented　olive　oil。　This　man　seeks　the　fresh　sea　breeze；　while　that　oneclimbs　the　lofty　mountain…top；　to　look　down　upon　the　busy　life　inminiature　beneath　him。〃

As　he　spoke　in　this　way；　it　seemed　as　if　he　had　already　been　outin　the　world；　as　if　he　had　already　known　and　associated　with　man。But　this　experience　was　intuitive…　it　was　the　poetry　within　him；　agift　from　Heaven　bestowed　on　him　in　his　cradle。　He　bade　farewell　tohis　parental　roof　in　the　Tree　of　the　Sun；　and　departed　on　foot；　fromthe　pleasant　scenes　that　surrounded　his　home。　Arrived　at　its　confines；he　mounted　on　the　back　of　an　ostrich；　which　runs　faster　than　ahorse；　and　afterwards；　when　he　fell　in　with　the　wild　swans；　he　swunghimself　on　the　strongest　of　them；　for　he　loved　change；　and　away　heflew　over　the　sea　to　distant　lands；　where　there　were　great　forests；deep　lakes；　lofty　mountains；　and　proud　cities。　Wherever　he　came　itseemed　as　if　sunshine　travelled　with　him　across　the　fields；　forevery　flower；　every　bush；　exhaled　a　renewed　fragrance；　as　if　consciousthat　a　friend　and　protector　was　near；　one　who　understood　them；　andknew　their　value。　The　stunted　rose…bush　shot　forth　twigs；　unfolded　itsleaves；　and　bore　the　most　beautiful　roses；　every　one　could　see　it；　andeven　the　black；　slimy　wood…snail　noticed　its　beauty。　〃I　will　give　myseal　to　the　flower；〃　said　the　snail；　〃I　have　trailed　my　slime　upon　it；I　can　do　no　more。

〃Thus　it　always　fares　with　the　beautiful　in　this　world；〃　saidthe　poet。　And　he　made　a　song　upon　it；　and　sung　it　after　his　ownfashion；　but　nobody　listened。　Then　he　gave　a　drummer　twopence　and　apeacock's　feather；　and　posed　a　song　for　the　drum；　and　the　drummerbeat　it　through　the　streets　of　the　town；　and　when　the　people　heardit　they　said；　〃That　is　a　capital　tune。〃　The　poet　wrote　many　songsabout　the　true；　the　beautiful；　and　the　good。　His　songs　were　listenedto　in　the　tavern；　where　the　tallow　candles　flared；　in　the　fresh　cloverfield；　in　the　forest；　and　on　the　high…seas；　and　it　appeared　as　if　thisbrother　was　to　be　more　fortunate　than　the　other　two。

But　the　evil　spirit　was　angry　at　this；　so　he　set　to　work　with　sootand　incense；　which　he　can　mix　so　artfully　as　to　confuse　an　angel；and　how　much　more　easily　a　poor　poet。　The　evil　one　knew　how　tomanage　such　people。　He　so　pletely　surrounded　the　poet　withincense　that　the　man　lost　his　head；　forgot　his　mission　and　his　home；and　at　last　lost　himself　and　vanished　in　smoke。

But　when　the　little　birds　heard　of　it；　they　mourned；　and　for　threedays　they　sang　not　one　song。　The　black　wood…snail　became　blackerstill；　not　for　grief；　but　for　envy。　〃They　should　have　offered　meincense；〃　he　said；　〃for　it　was　I　who　gave　him　the　idea　of　the　mostfamous　of　his　songs…　the　drum　song　of　'The　Way　of　the　World；'　and　itwas　I　who　spat　at　the　rose；　I　can　bring　a　witness　to　that　fact。〃

But　no　tidings　of　all　this　reached　the　poet's　home　in　India。　Thebirds　had　all　been　silent　for　three　days；　and　when　the　time　ofmourning　was　over；　so　deep　had　been　their　grief；　that　they　hadforgotten　for　whom　they　wept。　Such　is　the　way　of　the　world。

〃Now　I　must　go　out　into　the　world；　and　disappear　like　the　rest；〃said　the　fourth　brother。　He　was　as　good…tempered　as　the　third；　butno　poet；　though　he　could　be　witty。

The　two　eldest　had　filled　the　castle　with　joyfulness；　and　nowthe　last　brightness　was　going　away。　Sight　and　hearing　have　always　beenconsidered　two　of　the　chief　senses　among　men；　and　those　which　theywish　to　keep　bright；　the　other　senses　are　looked　upon　as　of　lessimportance。

But　the　younger　son　had　a　different　opinion；　he　had　cultivated　histaste　in　every　way；　and　taste　is　very　powerful。　It　rules　over　whatgoes　into　the　mouth；　as　well　as　over　all　which　is　presented　to　themind；　and；　consequently；　this　brother　took　upon　himself　to　tasteeverything　stored　up　in　bottles　or　jars；　this　he　called　the　rough　partof　his　work。　Every　man's　mind　was　to　him　as　a　vessel　in　whichsomething　was　concocting；　every　land　a　kind　of　mental　kitchen。〃There　are　no　delicacies　here；〃　he　said；　so　he　wished　to　go　out　intothe　world　to　find　something　delicate　to　suit　his　taste。　〃Perhapsfortune　may　be　more　favorable　to　me　than　it　was　to　my　brothers。　Ishall　start　on　my　travels；　but　what　conveyance　shall　I　choose？　Are　airballoons　invented　yet？〃　he　asked　of　his　father；　who　knew　of　allinventions　that　had　been　made；　or　would　be　made。

Air　balloons　had　not　then　been　invented；　nor　steam…ships；　norrailways。

〃Good；〃　said　he；　〃then　I　shall　choose　an　air　balloon；　my　fatherknows　how　they　are　to　be　made　and　guided。　Nobody　has　invented　one　yet；and　the　people　will　believe　that　it　is　an　aerial　phantom。　When　Ihave　done　with　the　balloon　I　shall　burn　it；　and　for　this　purpose；you　must　give　me　a　few　pieces　of　another　invention；　which　will　enext；　I　mean　a　few　chemical　matches。〃

He　obtained　what　he　wanted；　a