安徒生童话-第174章

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；　for　they　had　a　long　journey　before　them。　The　youngstorks　performed　their　part　so　well　that　they　received　a　mark　ofhonor；　with　frogs　and　snakes　as　a　present。　These　presents　were　thebest　part　of　the　affair；　for　they　could　eat　the　frogs　and　snakes；which　they　very　quickly　did。

〃Now　let　us　have　our　revenge；〃　they　cried。

〃Yes；　certainly；〃　cried　the　mother　stork。　〃I　have　thought　upon　thebest　way　to　be　revenged。　I　know　the　pond　in　which　all　the　littlechildren　lie；　waiting　till　the　storks　e　to　take　them　to　theirparents。　The　prettiest　little　babies　lie　there　dreaming　more　sweetlythan　they　will　ever　dream　in　the　time　to　e。　All　parents　are　glad　tohave　a　little　child；　and　children　are　so　pleased　with　a　little　brotheror　sister。　Now　we　will　fly　to　the　pond　and　fetch　a　little　baby　foreach　of　the　children　who　did　not　sing　that　naughty　song　to　make　gameof　the　storks。〃

〃But　the　naughty　boy；　who　began　the　song　first；　what　shall　we　doto　him？〃　cried　the　young　storks。

〃There　lies　in　the　pond　a　little　dead　baby　who　has　dreameditself　to　death；〃　said　the　mother。　〃We　will　take　it　to　the　naughtyboy；　and　he　will　cry　because　we　have　brought　him　a　little　deadbrother。　But　you　have　not　forgotten　the　good　boy　who　said　it　was　ashame　to　laugh　at　animals：　we　will　take　him　a　little　brother　andsister　too；　because　he　was　good。　He　is　called　Peter；　and　you　shall　allbe　called　Peter　in　future。〃

So　they　all　did　what　their　mother　had　arranged；　and　from　that　day；even　till　now；　all　the　storks　have　been　called　Peter。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　THE　STORM　SHAKES　THE　SHIELD

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

IN　the　old　days；　when　grandpapa　was　quite　a　little　boy；　and　ranabout　in　little　red　breeches　and　a　red　coat；　and　a　feather　in　his　cap…for　that's　the　costume　the　little　boys　wore　in　his　time　when　they　weredressed　in　their　best…　many　things　were　very　different　from　whatthey　are　now。　There　was　often　a　good　deal　of　show　in　the　streets…　showthat　we　don't　see　nowadays；　because　it　has　been　abolished　as　tooold…fashioned。　Still；　it　is　very　interesting　to　hear　grandfathertell　about　it。

It　must　really　have　been　a　gorgeous　sight　to　behold；　in　thosedays；　when　the　shoemaker　brought　over　the　shield；　when　the　court…housewas　changed。　The　silken　flag　waved　to　and　fro；　on　the　shield　itselfa　double　eagle　was　displayed；　and　a　big　boot；　the　youngest　ladscarried　the　〃wele；〃　and　the　chest　of　the　workmen's　guild；　and　theirshirt…sleeves　were　adorned　with　red　and　white　ribbons；　the　elderones　carried　drawn　swords；　each　with　a　lemon　stuck　on　its　point。　Therewas　a　full　band　of　music；　and　the　most　splendid　of　all　the　instrumentswas　the　〃bird；〃　as　grandfather　called　the　big　stick　with　thecrescent　on　the　top；　and　all　manner　of　dingle…dangles　hanging　to　it…　aperfect　Turkish　clatter　of　music。　The　stick　was　lifted　high　in　theair；　and　swung　up　and　down　till　it　jingled　again；　and　quite　dazzledone's　eyes　when　the　sun　shone　on　all　its　glory　of　gold；　and　silver；and　brass。

In　front　of　the　procession　ran　the　Harlequin；　dressed　in　clothesmade　of　all　kinds　of　colored　patches　artfully　sewn　together；　with　ablack　face；　and　bells　on　his　head　like　a　sledge　horse。　He　beat　thepeople　with　his　bat；　which　made　a　great　clattering　without　hurtingthem；　and　the　people　would　crowd　together　and　fall　back；　only　toadvance　again　the　next　moment。　Little　boys　and　girls　fell　over　theirown　toes　into　the　gutter；　old　women　dispensed　digs　with　theirelbows；　and　looked　sour；　and　took　snuff。　One　laughed；　another　chatted；the　people　thronged　the　windows　and　door…steps；　and　even　all　theroofs。　The　sun　shone；　and　although　they　had　a　little　rain　too；　thatwas　good　for　the　farmer；　and　when　they　got　wetted　thoroughly；　theyonly　thought　what　a　blessing　it　was　for　the　country。

And　what　stories　grandpapa　could　tell！　As　a　little　boy　he　had　seenall　these　fine　doings　in　their　greatest　pomp。　The　oldest　of　thepolicemen　used　to　make　a　speech　from　the　platform　on　which　theshield　was　hung　up；　and　the　speech　was　in　verse；　as　if　it　had　beenmade　by　a　poet；　as；　indeed　it　had；　for　three　people　had　concocted　ittogether；　and　they　had　first　drunk　a　good　bowl　of　punch；　so　that　thespeech　might　turn　out　well。

And　the　people　gave　a　cheer　for　the　speech；　but　they　shoutedmuch　louder　for　the　Harlequin；　when　he　appeared　in　front　of　theplatform；　and　made　a　grimace　at　them。

The　fools　played　the　fool　most　admirably；　and　drank　mead　out　ofspirit…glasses；　which　they　then　flung　among　the　crowd；　by　whom　theywere　caught　up。　Grandfather　was　the　possessor　of　one　of　these　glasses；which　had　been　given　him　by　a　working　mason；　who　had　managed　tocatch　it。　Such　a　scene　was　really　very　pleasant；　and　the　shield　on　thenew　court…house　was　hung　with　flowers　and　green　wreaths。

〃One　never　forgets　a　feast　like　that；　however　old　one　may　grow；〃said　grandfather。　Nor　did　he　forget　it；　though　he　saw　many　other　grandspectacles　in　his　time；　and　could　tell　about　them　too；　but　it　was　mostpleasant　of　all　to　hear　him　tell　about　the　shield　that　was　broughtin　the　town　from　the　old　to　the　new　court…house。

Once；　when　he　was　a　little　boy；　grandpapa　had　gone　with　hisparents　to　see　this　festivity。　He　had　never　yet　been　in　the　metropolisof　the　country。　There　were　so　many　people　in　the　streets；　that　hethought　that　the　shield　was　being　carried。　There　were　many　shieldsto　be　seen；　a　hundred　rooms　might　have　been　filled　with　pictures；　ifthey　had　been　hung　up　inside　and　outside。　At　the　tailor's　werepictures　of　all　kinds　of　clothing；　to　show　that　he　could　stitch　uppeople　from　the　coarsest　to　the　finest；　at　the　tobacanufacturer's　were　pictures　of　the　most　charming　little　boys；　smokingcigars；　just　as　they　do　in　reality；　there　were　signs　with　paintedbutter；　and　herring；　clerical　collars；　and　coffins；　and　inscriptionsand　announcements　into　the　bargain。　A　person　could　walk　up　and　downfor　a　whole　day　through　the　streets；　and　tire　himself　out　with　lookingat　the　pictures；　and　then　he　would　know　all　about　what　people　lived　inthe　houses；　for　they　had　hung　out　their　shields　or　signs；　and；　asgrandfather　said；　it　was　a　very　instructive　thing；　in　a　great　town；　toknow　at　once　who　the　inhabitants　were。

And　this　is　what　happened　with　these　shields；　when　grandpapacame　to　the　town。　He　told　it　me　himself；　and　he　hadn't　〃a　rogue　on　hisback；〃　as　mother　used　to　tell　me　he　had　when　he　wanted　to　make　mebelieve　something　outrageous；　for　now　he　looked　quite　trustworthy。

The　first　night　after　he　came　to　the　town　had　been　signalized　bythe　most　terrible　gale　ever　recorded　in　the　newspapers…　a　gale　such　asnone　of　the　inhabitants　had　ever　before　experienced。　The　air　wasdark　with　flying　tiles；　old　wood…work　crashed　and　fell；　and　awheelbarrow　ran　up　the　streets　all　alone；　only　to　get　out　of　theway。　There　was　a　groaning　in　the　air；　and　a　howling　and　a　shrieking；and　altogether　it　was　a　terrible　storm。　The　water　in　the　canal　roseover　the　banks；　for　it　did　not　know　where　to　run。　The　storm　swept　overthe　town；　carrying　plenty　of　chimneys　with　it；　and　more　than　one　proudweathercock　on　a　church　tower　had　to　bow；　and　has　never　got　over　itfrom　that　time。

There　was　a　kind　of　sentry…house；　where　dwelt　the　venerable　oldsuperintendent　of　the　fire　brigade；　who　always　arrived　with　the　lastengine。　The　storm　would　not　leave　this　little　sentry…house　alone；but　must　needs　tear　it　from　its　fastenings；　and　roll　it　down　thestreet；　and；　wonderfully　enough；　it　stopped　opposite　to　the　door　ofthe　dirty　journeyman　plasterer；　who　had　saved　three　lives　at　thelast　fire；　but　the　sentry…house　thought　nothing　of　that。

The　barber's　shield；　the　great　brazen　dish；　was　carried　away；and　hurled　straight　into　the　embrasure　of　the　councillor　of　justice；and　the　whole　neighborhood　said　this　looked　almost　like　malice；inasmuch　as　they；　and　nearly　all　the　friends　of　the　councillor's　wife；used　to　call　that　lady　〃the　Razor〃　for　she　was　so　sharp　that　sheknew　more　about　other　people's　business　than　they　knew　about　itthemselves。

A　shield　with　a　dried　salt　fish　painted　on　it　flew　exactly　infront　of　the　door　of　a　house　where　dwelt　a　man　who　wrote　anewspaper。　That　was　a　very　poor　joke　perpetrated　by　the　gale；　whichseemed　to　have　forgotten　that　a　man　who　writes　in　a　paper　is　not　thekind　of　person　to　understand　any　liberty　taken　with　him；　for　he　is　aking　in　his　own　newspaper；　and　likewise　in　his　own　opinion。

The　weathercock　flew　to　the　opposite　house；　where　he　perched；looking　the　picture　of　malice…　so　the　neighbors　said。

The　cooper's　tub　stuck　itself　up　under　the　head　of　〃ladies'costumes。〃

The　eating…house　keeper's　bill　of　fare；　which　had　hung　at　his　doorin　a　heavy　frame；　was　posted　by　the　storm　over　the　entrance　to　thetheatre；　where　nobody　went。　〃It　was　a　ridiculous　list…　horse…radish；soup；　and　stuffed　cabbage。〃　And　now　people　came　in　plenty。

The　fox's　skin；　the　honorable　sign　of　the　furrier；　was　foundfastened　to　the　bell…pull　of　a　young　man　who　always　went　to　earlylecture；　and　looked　like　a　furled　umbrella。　He　said　he　was　strivingafter　truth；　and　was　considered　by　his　aunt　〃a　model　and　an　example。〃

The　inscription　〃Institution　for　Superior　Education〃　was　foundnear　the　billiard　club；　which　place　of　resort　was　further　adorned　withthe　words；　〃Children　brought　up　by　hand。〃　Now；　this　was　not　at　allwitty；　but；　you　see；　the　storm