安徒生童话-第173章

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　guest　from　one　noble　landed　proprietor　toanother；　like　a　flower　in　a　glass　of　water；　a　flower　in　rhymed　verses！Summer　fool；　winter　fool；　fun　and　folly…　but　the　first；　the　only；the　fresh　young　Danish　poet　of　those　days。　Yes；　thou　shalt　remain　as　atoken　in　the　book；　thou　little　snowdrop：　thou　hast　been　put　there　witha　meaning。〃

And　so　the　Snowdrop　was　put　back　into　the　book；　and　felt　equallyhonored　and　pleased　to　know　that　it　was　a　token　in　the　glorious　bookof　songs；　and　that　he　who　was　the　first　to　sing　and　to　write　hadbeen　also　a　snowdrop；　had　been　a　summer　gauk；　and　had　been　looked　uponin　the　winter…time　as　a　fool。　The　Flower　understood　this；　in　herway；　as　we　interpret　everything　in　our　way。

That　is　the　story　of　the　Snowdrop。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　　THE　STORKS

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

ON　the　last　house　in　a　little　village　the　storks　had　built　a　nest；and　the　mother　stork　sat　in　it　with　her　four　young　ones；　who　stretchedout　their　necks　and　pointed　their　black　beaks；　which　had　not　yetturned　red　like　those　of　the　parent　birds。　A　little　way　off；　on　theedge　of　the　roof；　stood　the　father　stork；　quite　upright　and　stiff；　notliking　to　be　quite　idle；　he　drew　up　one　leg；　and　stood　on　the　other；so　still　that　it　seemed　almost　as　if　he　were　carved　in　wood。　〃Itmust　look　very　grand；〃　thought　he；　〃for　my　wife　to　have　a　sentryguarding　her　nest。　They　do　not　know　that　I　am　her　husband；　they　willthink　I　have　been　manded　to　stand　here；　which　is　quitearistocratic；〃　and　so　he　continued　standing　on　one　leg。

In　the　street　below　were　a　number　of　children　at　play；　and　whenthey　caught　sight　of　the　storks；　one　of　the　boldest　amongst　the　boysbegan　to　sing　a　song　about　them；　and　very　soon　he　was　joined　by　therest。　These　are　the　words　of　the　song；　but　each　only　sang　what　hecould　remember　of　them　in　his　own　way。

　　〃Stork；　stork；　fly　away；

　　Stand　not　on　one　leg；　I　pray；

　　See　your　wife　is　in　her　nest；

　　With　her　little　ones　at　rest。

　　They　will　hang　one；

　　And　fry　another；

　　They　will　shoot　a　third；

　　And　roast　his　brother。〃

〃Just　hear　what　those　boys　are　singing；〃　said　the　young　storks；〃they　say　we　shall　be　hanged　and　roasted。〃

〃Never　mind　what　they　say；　you　need　not　listen；〃　said　themother。　〃They　can　do　no　harm。〃

But　the　boys　went　on　singing　and　pointing　at　the　storks；　andmocking　at　them；　excepting　one　of　the　boys　whose　name　was　Peter；　hesaid　it　was　a　shame　to　make　fun　of　animals；　and　would　not　join　withthem　at　all。　The　mother　stork　forted　her　young　ones；　and　toldthem　not　to　mind。　〃See；〃　she　said；　〃How　quiet　your　father　stands；although　he　is　only　on　one　leg。〃

〃But　we　are　very　much　frightened；〃　said　the　young　storks；　and　theydrew　back　their　heads　into　the　nests。

The　next　day　when　the　children　were　playing　together；　and　sawthe　storks；　they　sang　the　song　again…

　　　〃They　will　hang　one；

And　roast　another。〃

〃Shall　we　be　hanged　and　roasted？〃　asked　the　young　storks。

〃No；　certainly　not；〃　said　the　mother。　〃I　will　teach　you　to　fly；and　when　you　have　learnt；　we　will　fly　into　the　meadows；　and　pay　avisit　to　the　frogs；　who　will　bow　themselves　to　us　in　the　water；　andcry　'Croak；　croak；'　and　then　we　shall　eat　them　up；　that　will　be　fun。〃

〃And　what　next？〃　asked　the　young　storks。

〃Then；〃　replied　the　mother；　〃all　the　storks　in　the　country　willassemble　together；　and　go　through　their　autumn　manoeuvres；　so　thatit　is　very　important　for　every　one　to　know　how　to　fly　properly。　Ifthey　do　not；　the　general　will　thrust　them　through　with　his　beak；　andkill　them。　Therefore　you　must　take　pains　and　learn；　so　as　to　beready　when　the　drilling　begins。〃

〃Then　we　may　be　killed　after　all；　as　the　boys　say；　and　hark！they　are　singing　again。〃

〃Listen　to　me；　and　not　to　them；〃　said　the　mother　stork。　〃After　thegreat　review　is　over；　we　shall　fly　away　to　warm　countries　far　fromhence；　where　there　are　mountains　and　forests。　To　Egypt；　where　we　shallsee　three…cornered　houses　built　of　stone；　with　pointed　tops　that　reachnearly　to　the　clouds。　They　are　called　Pyramids；　and　are　older　than　astork　could　imagine；　and　in　that　country；　there　is　a　river　thatoverflows　its　banks；　and　then　goes　back；　leaving　nothing　but　mire；there　we　can　walk　about；　and　eat　frogs　in　abundance。〃

〃Oh；　o…　h！〃　cried　the　young　storks。

〃Yes；　it　is　a　delightful　place；　there　is　nothing　to　do　all　daylong　but　eat；　and　while　we　are　so　well　off　out　there；　in　thiscountry　there　will　not　be　a　single　green　leaf　on　the　trees；　and　theweather　will　be　so　cold　that　the　clouds　will　freeze；　and　fall　on　theearth　in　little　white　rags。〃　The　stork　meant　snow；　but　she　could　notexplain　it　in　any　other　way。

〃Will　the　naughty　boys　freeze　and　fall　in　pieces？〃　asked　the　youngstorks。

〃No；　they　will　not　freeze　and　fall　into　pieces；〃　said　themother；　〃but　they　will　be　very　cold；　and　be　obliged　to　sit　all　dayin　a　dark；　gloomy　room；　while　we　shall　be　flying　about　in　foreignlands；　where　there　are　blooming　flowers　and　warm　sunshine。〃

Time　passed　on；　and　the　young　storks　grew　so　large　that　they　couldstand　upright　in　the　nest　and　look　about　them。　The　father　broughtthem；　every　day；　beautiful　frogs；　little　snakes；　and　all　kinds　ofstork…dainties　that　he　could　find。　And　then；　how　funny　it　was　to　seethe　tricks　he　would　perform　to　amuse　them。　He　would　lay　his　head　quiteround　over　his　tail；　and　clatter　with　his　beak；　as　if　it　had　been　arattle；　and　then　he　would　tell　them　stories　all　about　the　marshesand　fens。

〃e；〃　said　the　mother　one　day；　〃Now　you　must　learn　to　fly。〃And　all　the　four　young　ones　were　obliged　to　e　out　on　the　top　of　theroof。　Oh；　how　they　tottered　at　first；　and　were　obliged　to　balancethemselves　with　their　wings；　or　they　would　have　fallen　to　the　groundbelow。

〃Look　at　me；〃　said　the　mother；　〃you　must　hold　your　heads　in　thisway；　and　place　your　feet　so。　Once；　twice；　once；　twice…　that　is　it。　Nowyou　will　be　able　to　take　care　of　yourselves　in　the　world。〃

Then　she　flew　a　little　distance　from　them；　and　the　young　ones　madea　spring　to　follow　her；　but　down　they　fell　plump；　for　their　bodieswere　still　too　heavy。

〃I　don't　want　to　fly；〃　said　one　of　the　young　storks；　creeping　backinto　the　nest。　〃I　don't　care　about　going　to　warm　countries。〃

〃Would　you　like　to　stay　here　and　freeze　when　the　winter　es？〃said　the　mother；　〃or　till　the　boys　es　to　hang　you；　or　to　roastyou？…　Well　then；　I'll　call　them。〃

〃Oh　no；　no；〃　said　the　young　stork；　jumping　out　on　the　roof　withthe　others；　and　now　they　were　all　attentive；　and　by　the　third　daycould　fly　a　little。　Then　they　began　to　fancy　they　could　soar；　sothey　tried　to　do　so；　resting　on　their　wings；　but　they　soon　foundthemselves　falling；　and　had　to　flap　their　wings　as　quickly　aspossible。　The　boys　came　again　in　the　street　singing　their　song：…

〃Stork；　stork；　fly　away。〃

〃Shall　we　fly　down；　and　pick　their　eyes　out？〃　asked　the　youngstorks。

〃No；　leave　them　alone；〃　said　the　mother。　〃Listen　to　me；　that　ismuch　more　important。　Now　then。　One…two…three。　Now　to　the　right。One…two…three。　Now　to　the　left；　round　the　chimney。　There　now；　that　wasvery　good。　That　last　flap　of　the　wings　was　so　easy　and　graceful；that　I　shall　give　you　permission　to　fly　with　me　to…morrow　to　themarshes。　There　will　be　a　number　of　very　superior　storks　there　withtheir　families；　and　I　expect　you　to　show　them　that　my　children　are　thebest　brought　up　of　any　who　may　be　present。　You　must　strut　aboutproudly…　it　will　look　well　and　make　you　respected。〃

〃But　may　we　not　punish　those　naughty　boys？〃　asked　the　youngstorks。

〃No；　let　them　scream　away　as　much　as　they　like。　You　can　fly　fromthem　now　up　high　amid　the　clouds；　and　will　be　in　the　land　of　thepyramids　when　they　are　freezing；　and　have　not　a　green　leaf　on　thetrees　or　an　apple　to　eat。〃

〃We　will　revenge　ourselves；〃　whispered　the　young　storks　to　eachother；　as　they　again　joined　the　exercising。

Of　all　the　boys　in　the　street　who　sang　the　mocking　song　aboutthe　storks；　not　one　was　so　determined　to　go　on　with　it　as　he　who　firstbegan　it。　Yet　he　was　a　little　fellow　not　more　than　six　years　old。　Tothe　young　storks　he　appeared　at　least　a　hundred；　for　he　was　so　muchbigger　than　their　father　and　mother。　To　be　sure；　storks　cannot　beexpected　to　know　how　old　children　and　grown…up　people　are。　So　theydetermined　to　have　their　revenge　on　this　boy；　because　he　began　thesong　first　and　would　keep　on　with　it。　The　young　storks　were　veryangry；　and　grew　worse　as　they　grew　older；　so　at　last　their　motherwas　obliged　to　promise　that　they　should　be　revenged；　but　not　until　theday　of　their　departure。

〃We　must　see　first；　how　you　acquit　yourselves　at　the　grandreview；〃　said　she。　〃If　you　get　on　badly　there；　the　general　will　thrusthis　beak　through　you；　and　you　will　be　killed；　as　the　boys　said；　thoughnot　exactly　in　the　same　manner。　So　we　must　wait　and　see。〃

〃You　shall　see；〃　said　the　young　birds；　and　then　they　took　suchpains　and　practised　so　well　every　day；　that　at　last　it　was　quite　apleasure　to　see　them　fly　so　lightly　and　prettily。　As　soon　as　theautumn　arrived；　all　the　storks　began　to　assemble　together　beforetaking　their　departure　for　warm　countries　during　the　winter。　Thenthe　review　menced。　They　flew　over　forests　and　villages　to　show　whatthey　could　do；　for　they　had　a　long　journey　before　them。　The　youngstorks　performed　their　part　so　well　that　they　re