安徒生童话-第156章

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　not　spoilt？〃　he　said；　and；　loudly　laughing；ran　away。　What　a　naughty　boy　to　shoot　the　old　poet　like　that；　whohad　taken　him　into　his　warm　room；　had　been　so　good　to　him；　and　hadgiven　him　the　nicest　wine　and　the　best　apple！

The　good　old　man　lay　upon　the　floor　crying；　he　was　really　shotin　the　heart。　〃Oh！〃　he　cried；　〃what　a　naughty　boy　this　Cupid　is！　Ishall　tell　all　the　good　children　about　this；　so　that　they　take　carenever　to　play　with　him；　lest　he　hurt　them。〃

And　all　good　children；　both　girls　and　boys；　whom　he　told　aboutthis；　were　on　their　guard　against　wicked　Cupid；　but　he　deceives　themall　the　same；　for　he　is　very　deep。　When　the　students　e　out　ofclass；　he　walks　beside　them　with　a　book　under　his　arm；　and　wearing　ablack　coat。　They　cannot　recognize　him。　And　then；　if　they　take　him　bythe　arm；　believing　him　to　be　a　student　too；　he　sticks　an　arrow　intotheir　chest。　And　when　the　girls　go　to　church　to　be　confirmed；　he　isamongst　them　too。　In　fact；　he　is　always　after　people。　He　sits　in　thelarge　chandelier　in　the　theatre　and　blazes　away；　so　that　peoplethink　it　is　a　lamp；　but　they　soon　find　out　their　mistake。　He　walksabout　in　the　castle　garden　and　on　the　promenades。　Yes；　once　he　shotyour　father　and　your　mother　in　the　heart　too。　Just　ask　them；　and　youwill　hear　what　they　say。　Oh！　he　is　a　bad　boy；　this　Cupid；　and　you　mustnever　have　anything　to　do　with　him；　for　he　is　after　every　one。　Justthink；　he　even　shot　an　arrow　at　old　grandmother；　but　that　was　a　longtime　ago。　The　wound　has　long　been　healed；　but　such　things　are　neverforgotten。

Now　you　know　what　a　bad　boy　this　wicked　Cupid　is。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　　THE　SHADOW

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

IN　very　hot　climates；　where　the　heat　of　the　sun　has　great　power；people　are　usually　as　brown　as　mahogany；　and　in　the　hottestcountries　they　are　negroes；　with　black　skins。　A　learned　man　oncetravelled　into　one　of　these　warm　climates；　from　the　cold　regions　ofthe　north；　and　thought　he　would　roam　about　as　he　did　at　home；　but　hesoon　had　to　change　his　opinion。　He　found　that；　like　all　sensiblepeople；　he　must　remain　in　the　house　during　the　whole　day；　with　everywindow　and　door　closed；　so　that　it　looked　as　if　all　in　the　housewere　asleep　or　absent。　The　houses　of　the　narrow　street　in　which　helived　were　so　lofty　that　the　sun　shone　upon　them　from　morning　tillevening；　and　it　became　quite　unbearable。　This　learned　man　from　thecold　regions　was　young　as　well　as　clever；　but　it　seemed　to　him　as　ifhe　were　sitting　in　an　oven；　and　he　became　quite　exhausted　and　weak；and　grew　so　thin　that　his　shadow　shrivelled　up；　and　became　muchsmaller　than　it　had　been　at　home。　The　sun　took　away　even　what　was　leftof　it；　and　he　saw　nothing　of　it　till　the　evening；　after　sunset。　It　wasreally　a　pleasure；　as　soon　as　the　lights　were　brought　into　the　room；to　see　the　shadow　stretch　itself　against　the　wall；　even　to　theceiling；　so　tall　was　it；　and　it　really　wanted　a　good　stretch　torecover　its　strength。　The　learned　man　would　sometimes　go　out　intothe　balcony　to　stretch　himself　also；　and　as　soon　as　the　stars　cameforth　in　the　clear；　beautiful　sky；　he　felt　revived。　People　at　thishour　began　to　make　their　appearance　in　all　the　balconies　in　thestreet；　for　in　warm　climates　every　window　has　a　balcony；　in　which　theycan　breathe　the　fresh　evening　air；　which　is　very　necessary；　even　tothose　who　are　used　to　a　heat　that　makes　them　as　brown　as　mahogany；so　that　the　street　presented　a　very　lively　appearance。　Here　wereshoemakers；　and　tailors；　and　all　sorts　of　people　sitting。　In　thestreet　beneath；　they　brought　out　tables　and　chairs；　lighted　candles　byhundreds；　talked　and　sang；　and　were　very　merry。　There　were　peoplewalking；　carriages　driving；　and　mules　trotting　along；　with　their　bellson　the　harness；　〃tingle；　tingle；〃　as　they　went。　Then　the　dead　werecarried　to　the　grave　with　the　sound　of　solemn　music；　and　the　tollingof　the　church　bells。　It　was　indeed　a　scene　of　varied　life　in　thestreet。　One　house　only；　which　was　just　opposite　to　the　one　in　whichthe　foreign　learned　man　lived；　formed　a　contrast　to　all　this；　for　itwas　quite　still；　and　yet　somebody　dwelt　there；　for　flowers　stood　inthe　balcony；　blooming　beautifully　in　the　hot　sun；　and　this　could　nothave　been　unless　they　had　been　watered　carefully。　Therefore　some　onemust　be　in　the　house　to　do　this。　The　doors　leading　to　the　balcony　werehalf　opened　in　the　evening；　and　although　in　the　front　room　all　wasdark；　music　could　be　heard　from　the　interior　of　the　house。　The　foreignlearned　man　considered　this　music　very　delightful；　but　perhaps　hefancied　it；　for　everything　in　these　warm　countries　pleased　him；excepting　the　heat　of　the　sun。　The　foreign　landlord　said　he　did　notknow　who　had　taken　the　opposite　house…　nobody　was　to　be　seen　there；and　as　to　the　music；　he　thought　it　seemed　very　tedious；　to　him　mostunmonly　so。

〃It　is　just　as　if　some　one　was　practising　a　piece　that　he　couldnot　manage；　it　is　always　the　same　piece。　He　thinks；　I　suppose；　that　hewill　be　able　to　manage　it　at　last；　but　I　do　not　think　so；　however　longhe　may　play　it。〃

Once　the　foreigner　woke　in　the　night。　He　slept　with　the　dooropen　which　led　to　the　balcony；　the　wind　had　raised　the　curtainbefore　it；　and　there　appeared　a　wonderful　brightness　over　all　in　thebalcony　of　the　opposite　house。　The　flowers　seemed　like　flames　of　themost　gorgeous　colors；　and　among　the　flowers　stood　a　beautifulslender　maiden。　It　was　to　him　as　if　light　streamed　from　her；　anddazzled　his　eyes；　but　then　he　had　only　just　opened　them；　as　he　awokefrom　his　sleep。　With　one　spring　he　was　out　of　bed；　and　crept　softlybehind　the　curtain。　But　she　was　gone…　the　brightness　haddisappeared；　the　flowers　no　longer　appeared　like　flames；　althoughstill　as　beautiful　as　ever。　The　door　stood　ajar；　and　from　an　innerroom　sounded　music　so　sweet　and　so　lovely；　that　it　produced　the　mostenchanting　thoughts；　and　acted　on　the　senses　with　magic　power。　Whocould　live　there？　Where　was　the　real　entrance？　for；　both　in　the　streetand　in　the　lane　at　the　side；　the　whole　ground　floor　was　a　continuationof　shops；　and　people　could　not　always　be　passing　through　them。

One　evening　the　foreigner　sat　in　the　balcony。　A　light　wasburning　in　his　own　room；　just　behind　him。　It　was　quite　natural；therefore；　that　his　shadow　should　fall　on　the　wall　of　the　oppositehouse；　so　that；　as　he　sat　amongst　the　flowers　on　his　balcony；　whenhe　moved；　his　shadow　moved　also。

〃I　think　my　shadow　is　the　only　living　thing　to　be　seenopposite；〃　said　the　learned　man；　〃see　how　pleasantly　it　sits　among　theflowers。　The　door　is　only　ajar；　the　shadow　ought　to　be　clever　enoughto　step　in　and　look　about　him；　and　then　to　e　back　and　tell　mewhat　he　has　seen。　You　could　make　yourself　useful　in　this　way；〃　saidhe；　jokingly；　〃be　so　good　as　to　step　in　now；　will　you？〃　and　then　henodded　to　the　shadow；　and　the　shadow　nodded　in　return。　〃Now　go；　butdon't　stay　away　altogether。〃

Then　the　foreigner　stood　up；　and　the　shadow　on　the　oppositebalcony　stood　up　also；　the　foreigner　turned　round；　the　shadowturned；　and　if　any　one　had　observed；　they　might　have　seen　it　gostraight　into　the　half…opened　door　of　the　opposite　balcony；　as　thelearned　man　re…entered　his　own　room；　and　let　the　curtain　fall。　Thenext　morning　he　went　out　to　take　his　coffee　and　read　the　newspapers。

〃How　is　this？〃　he　exclaimed；　as　he　stood　in　the　sunshine。　〃Ihave　lost　my　shadow。　So　it　really　did　go　away　yesterday　evening；　andit　has　not　returned。　This　is　very　annoying。〃

And　it　certainly　did　vex　him；　not　so　much　because　the　shadow　wasgone；　but　because　he　knew　there　was　a　story　of　a　man　without　a　shadow。All　the　people　at　home；　in　his　country；　knew　this　story；　and　when　hereturned；　and　related　his　own　adventures；　they　would　say　it　was　onlyan　imitation；　and　he　had　no　desire　for　such　things　to　be　said　ofhim。　So　he　decided　not　to　speak　of　it　at　all；　which　was　a　verysensible　determination。

In　the　evening　he　went　out　again　on　his　balcony；　taking　care　toplace　the　light　behind　him；　for　he　knew　that　a　shadow　always　wants　hismaster　for　a　screen；　but　he　could　not　entice　him　out。　He　madehimself　little；　and　he　made　himself　tall；　but　there　was　no　shadow；　andno　shadow　came。　He　said；　〃Hem；　a…hem；〃　but　it　was　all　useless。　Thatwas　very　vexatious；　but　in　warm　countries　everything　grows　veryquickly；　and；　after　a　week　had　passed；　he　saw；　to　his　great　joy；that　a　new　shadow　was　growing　from　his　feet；　when　he　walked　in　thesunshine；　so　that　the　root　must　have　remained。　After　three　weeks；　hehad　quite　a　respectable　shadow；　which；　during　his　return　journey　tonorthern　lands；　continued　to　grow；　and　became　at　last　so　large　that　hemight　very　well　have　spared　half　of　it。　When　this　learned　manarrived　at　home；　he　wrote　books　about　the　true；　the　good；　and　thebeautiful；　which　are　to　be　found　in　this　world；　and　so　days　andyears　passed…　many；　many　years。

One　evening；　as　he　sat　in　his　study；　a　very　gentle　tap　was　heardat　the　door。　〃e　in；〃　said　he；　but　no　one　came。　He　opened　thedoor；　and　there　stood　before　him　a　man　so　remarkably　thin　that　he　feltseriously　troubled　at　his　appearance。　He　was；　however；　very　welldressed；　and　looked　like　a　gentleman。　〃To　whom　have　I　the　honor　ofspeaking？〃　said　he。

〃Ah；　I　hoped　you　would　recognize　me；〃　said　the　elegant　stranger；〃I　have　gained　so　much　that　I　have　a　body　of　flesh；　and　clothes　towear。　You　never