安徒生童话-第194章

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Then　he　flew　to　the　water；　and　swam　towards　the　beautiful　swans。The　moment　they　espied　the　stranger；　they　rushed　to　meet　him　withoutstretched　wings。

〃Kill　me；〃　said　the　poor　bird；　and　he　bent　his　head　down　to　thesurface　of　the　water；　and　awaited　death。

But　what　did　he　see　in　the　clear　stream　below？　His　own　image；　nolonger　a　dark；　gray　bird；　ugly　and　disagreeable　to　look　at；　but　agraceful　and　beautiful　swan。　To　be　born　in　a　duck's　nest；　in　afarmyard；　is　of　no　consequence　to　a　bird；　if　it　is　hatched　from　aswan's　egg。　He　now　felt　glad　at　having　suffered　sorrow　and　trouble；because　it　enabled　him　to　enjoy　so　much　better　all　the　pleasure　andhappiness　around　him；　for　the　great　swans　swam　round　the　new…er；and　stroked　his　neck　with　their　beaks；　as　a　wele。

Into　the　garden　presently　came　some　little　children；　and　threwbread　and　cake　into　the　water。

〃See；〃　cried　the　youngest；　〃there　is　a　new　one；〃　and　the　rest　weredelighted；　and　ran　to　their　father　and　mother；　dancing　and　clappingtheir　hands；　and　shouting　joyously；　〃There　is　another　swan　e；　a　newone　has　arrived。〃

Then　they　threw　more　bread　and　cake　into　the　water；　and　said；　〃Thenew　one　is　the　most　beautiful　of　all；　he　is　so　young　and　pretty。〃And　the　old　swans　bowed　their　heads　before　him。

Then　he　felt　quite　ashamed；　and　hid　his　head　under　his　wing；　forhe　did　not　know　what　to　do；　he　was　so　happy；　and　yet　not　at　all　proud。He　had　been　persecuted　and　despised　for　his　ugliness；　and　now　he　heardthem　say　he　was　the　most　beautiful　of　all　the　birds。　Even　theelder…tree　bent　down　its　bows　into　the　water　before　him；　and　the　sunshone　warm　and　bright。　Then　he　rustled　his　feathers；　curved　hisslender　neck；　and　cried　joyfully；　from　the　depths　of　his　heart；　〃Inever　dreamed　of　such　happiness　as　this；　while　I　was　an　uglyduckling。〃

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　　THE　WICKED　PRINCE

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

THERE　lived　once　upon　a　time　a　wicked　prince　whose　heart　andmind　were　set　upon　conquering　all　the　countries　of　the　world；　and　onfrightening　the　people；　he　devastated　their　countries　with　fire　andsword；　and　his　soldiers　trod　down　the　crops　in　the　fields　anddestroyed　the　peasants'　huts　by　fire；　so　that　the　flames　licked　thegreen　leaves　off　the　branches；　and　the　fruit　hung　dried　up　on　thesinged　black　trees。　Many　a　poor　mother　fled；　her　naked　baby　in　herarms；　behind　the　still　smoking　walls　of　her　cottage；　but　also　therethe　soldiers　followed　her；　and　when　they　found　her；　she　served　asnew　nourishment　to　their　diabolical　enjoyments；　demons　could　notpossibly　have　done　worse　things　than　these　soldiers！　The　prince　was　ofopinion　that　all　this　was　right；　and　that　it　was　only　the　naturalcourse　which　things　ought　to　take。　His　power　increased　day　by　day；　hisname　was　feared　by　all；　and　fortune　favoured　his　deeds。

He　brought　enormous　wealth　home　from　the　conquered　towns；　andgradually　accumulated　in　his　residence　riches　which　could　nowhere　beequalled。　He　erected　magnificent　palaces；　churches；　and　halls；　and　allwho　saw　these　splendid　buildings　and　great　treasures　exclaimedadmiringly：　〃What　a　mighty　prince！〃　But　they　did　not　know　what　endlessmisery　he　had　brought　upon　other　countries；　nor　did　they　hear　thesighs　and　lamentations　which　rose　up　from　the　debris　of　thedestroyed　cities。

The　prince　often　looked　with　delight　upon　his　gold　and　hismagnificent　edifices；　and　thought；　like　the　crowd：　〃What　a　mightyprince！　But　I　must　have　more…　much　more。　No　power　on　earth　mustequal　mine；　far　less　exceed　it。〃

He　made　war　with　all　his　neighbours；　and　defeated　them。　Theconquered　kings　were　chained　up　with　golden　fetters　to　his　chariotwhen　he　drove　through　the　streets　of　his　city。　These　kings　had　tokneel　at　his　and　his　courtiers'　feet　when　they　sat　at　table；　andlive　on　the　morsels　which　they　left。　At　last　the　prince　had　his　ownstatue　erected　on　the　public　places　and　fixed　on　the　royal　palaces；nay；　he　even　wished　it　to　be　placed　in　the　churches；　on　the　altars；but　in　this　the　priests　opposed　him；　saying：　〃Prince；　you　are　mightyindeed；　but　God's　power　is　much　greater　than　yours；　we　dare　not　obeyyour　orders。〃

〃Well；〃　said　the　prince。　〃Then　I　will　conquer　God　too。〃　And　in　hishaughtiness　and　foolish　presumption　he　ordered　a　magnificent　ship　tobe　constructed；　with　which　he　could　sail　through　the　air；　it　wasgorgeously　fitted　out　and　of　many　colours；　like　the　tail　of　a　peacock；it　was　covered　with　thousands　of　eyes；　but　each　eye　was　the　barrelof　a　gun。　The　prince　sat　in　the　centre　of　the　ship；　and　had　only　totouch　a　spring　in　order　to　make　thousands　of　bullets　fly　out　in　alldirections；　while　the　guns　were　at　once　loaded　again。　Hundreds　ofeagles　were　attached　to　this　ship；　and　it　rose　with　the　swiftness　ofan　arrow　up　towards　the　sun。　The　earth　was　soon　left　far　below；　andlooked；　with　its　mountains　and　woods；　like　a　cornfield　where　theplough　had　made　furrows　which　separated　green　meadows；　soon　itlooked　only　like　a　map　with　indistinct　lines　upon　it；　and　at　last　itentirely　disappeared　in　mist　and　clouds。　Higher　and　higher　rose　theeagles　up　into　the　air；　then　God　sent　one　of　his　numberless　angelsagainst　the　ship。　The　wicked　prince　showered　thousands　of　bullets　uponhim；　but　they　rebounded　from　his　shining　wings　and　fell　down　likeordinary　hailstones。　One　drop　of　blood；　one　single　drop；　came　out　ofthe　white　feathers　of　the　angel's　wings　and　fell　upon　the　ship　inwhich　the　prince　sat；　burnt　into　it；　and　weighed　upon　it　likethousands　of　hundredweights；　dragging　it　rapidly　down　to　the　earthagain；　the　strong　wings　of　the　eagles　gave　way；　the　wind　roaredround　the　prince's　head；　and　the　clouds　around…　were　they　formed　bythe　smoke　rising　up　from　the　burnt　cities？…　took　strange　shapes；like　crabs　many；　many　miles　long；　which　stretched　their　claws　outafter　him；　and　rose　up　like　enormous　rocks；　from　which　rollingmasses　dashed　down；　and　became　fire…spitting　dragons。

The　prince　was　lying　half…dead　in　his　ship；　when　it　sank　at　lastwith　a　terrible　shock　into　the　branches　of　a　large　tree　in　the　wood。

〃I　will　conquer　God！〃　said　the　prince。　〃I　have　sworn　it：　my　willmust　be　done！〃

And　he　spent　seven　years　in　the　construction　of　wonderful　ships　tosail　through　the　air；　and　had　darts　cast　from　the　hardest　steel　tobreak　the　walls　of　heaven　with。　He　gathered　warriors　from　allcountries；　so　many　that　when　they　were　placed　side　by　side　theycovered　the　space　of　several　miles。　They　entered　the　ships　and　theprince　was　approaching　his　own；　when　God　sent　a　swarm　of　gnats…　oneswarm　of　little　gnats。　They　buzzed　round　the　prince　and　stung　his　faceand　hands；　angrily　he　drew　his　sword　and　brandished　it；　but　he　onlytouched　the　air　and　did　not　hit　the　gnats。　Then　he　ordered　hisservants　to　bring　costly　coverings　and　wrap　him　in　them；　that　thegnats　might　no　longer　be　able　to　reach　him。　The　servants　carried　outhis　orders；　but　one　single　gnat　had　placed　itself　inside　one　of　thecoverings；　crept　into　the　prince's　ear　and　stung　him。　The　placeburnt　like　fire；　and　the　poison　entered　into　his　blood。　Mad　with　pain；he　tore　off　the　coverings　and　his　clothes　too；　flinging　them　far　away；and　danced　about　before　the　eyes　of　his　ferocious　soldiers；　who　nowmocked　at　him；　the　mad　prince；　who　wished　to　make　war　with　God；　andwas　overe　by　a　single　little　gnat。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　THE　WILD　SWANS

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

FAR　away　in　the　land　to　which　the　swallows　fly　when　it　iswinter；　dwelt　a　king　who　had　eleven　sons；　and　one　daughter；　namedEliza。　The　eleven　brothers　were　princes；　and　each　went　to　schoolwith　a　star　on　his　breast；　and　a　sword　by　his　side。　They　wrote　withdiamond　pencils　on　gold　slates；　and　learnt　their　lessons　so　quicklyand　read　so　easily　that　every　one　might　know　they　were　princes。Their　sister　Eliza　sat　on　a　little　stool　of　plate…glass；　and　had　abook　full　of　pictures；　which　had　cost　as　much　as　half　a　kingdom。　Oh；these　children　were　indeed　happy；　but　it　was　not　to　remain　soalways。　Their　father；　who　was　king　of　the　country；　married　a　verywicked　queen；　who　did　not　love　the　poor　children　at　all。　They　knewthis　from　the　very　first　day　after　the　wedding。　In　the　palace　therewere　great　festivities；　and　the　children　played　at　receivingpany；　but　instead　of　having；　as　usual；　all　the　cakes　and　applesthat　were　left；　she　gave　them　some　sand　in　a　tea…cup；　and　told　them　topretend　it　was　cake。　The　week　after；　she　sent　little　Eliza　into　thecountry　to　a　peasant　and　his　wife；　and　then　she　told　the　king　somany　untrue　things　about　the　young　princes；　that　he　gave　himself　nomore　trouble　respecting　them。

〃Go　out　into　the　world　and　get　your　own　living；〃　said　the　queen。〃Fly　like　great　birds；　who　have　no　voice。〃　But　she　could　not　make　themugly　as　she　wished；　for　they　were　turned　into　eleven　beautiful　wildswans。　Then；　with　a　strange　cry；　they　flew　through　the　windows　ofthe　palace；　over　the　park；　to　the　forest　beyond。　It　was　earlymorning　when　they　passed　the　peasant's　cottage；　where　their　sisterEliza　lay　asleep　in　her　room。　They　hovered　over　the　roof；　twistedtheir　long　necks　and　flapped　their　wings；　but　no　one　heard　them　or　sawthem；　so　they　were　at　last　obliged　to　fly　away；　high　up　in　the　clouds；and　over　the　wide　world　they　flew　till　they　came　to　a　thick；　darkwood；　which　stretched　far　away　to　the　seas