安徒生童话-第207章

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hered　away。Nobody　thought　of　what　was　in　the　ground…　the　blessing…　the　potato。Yes；　we　have　endured　and　suffered；　that　is　to　say；　our　forefathershave；　they　and　we；　it　is　all　one。〃

What　a　story　it　was！

〃Well；　and　that　will　do；〃　said　the　woman。　〃Now　look　at　the　sloebush。〃

〃We　have　also　some　near　relations　in　the　home　of　the　potatoes；　buthigher　towards　the　north　than　they　grew；〃　said　the　Sloes。　〃Therewere　Northmen；　from　Norway；　who　steered　westward　through　mist　andstorm　to　an　unknown　land；　where；　behind　ice　and　snow；　they　foundplants　and　green　meadows；　and　bushes　with　blue…black　grapes…　sloebushes。　The　grapes　were　ripened　by　the　frost　just　as　we　are。　Andthey　called　the　land　'wine…land；'　that　is；　'Groenland；'　or'Sloeland。'〃

〃That　is　quite　a　romantic　story；〃　said　the　young　man。

〃Yes；　certainly。　But　now　e　with　me；〃　said　the　wise　woman；　andshe　led　him　to　the　bee…hive。

He　looked　into　it。　What　life　and　labor！　There　were　bees　standingin　all　the　passages；　waving　their　wings；　so　that　a　wholesome　draughtof　air　might　blow　through　the　great　manufactory；　that　was　theirbusiness。　Then　there　came　in　bees　from　without；　who　had　been　born　withlittle　baskets　on　their　feet；　they　brought　flower…dust；　which　waspoured　out；　sorted；　and　manufactured　into　honey　and　wax。　They　flewin　and　out。　The　queen…bee　wanted　to　fly　out；　but　then　all　the　otherbees　must　have　gone　with　her。　It　was　not　yet　the　time　for　that；　butstill　she　wanted　to　fly　out；　so　the　others　bit　off　her　majesty'swings；　and　she　had　to　stay　where　she　was。

〃Now　get　upon　the　earth　bank；〃　said　the　wise　woman。　〃e　and　lookout　over　the　highway；　where　you　can　see　the　people。〃

〃What　a　crowd　it　is！〃　said　the　young　man。　〃One　story　afteranother。　It　whirls　and　whirls！　It's　quite　a　confusion　before　myeyes。　I　shall　go　out　at　the　back。〃

〃No；　go　straight　forward；〃　said　the　woman。　〃Go　straight　into　thecrowd　of　people；　look　at　them　in　the　right　way。　Have　an　ear　to　hearand　the　right　heart　to　feel；　and　you　will　soon　invent　something。But；　before　you　go　away；　you　must　give　me　my　spectacles　and　myear…trumpet　again。〃

And　so　saying；　she　took　both　from　him。

〃Now　I　do　not　see　the　smallest　thing；〃　said　the　young　man；　〃andnow　I　don't　hear　anything　more。〃

〃Why；　then；　you　can't　be　a　poet　by　Easter；〃　said　the　wise　woman。

〃But；　by　what　time　can　I　be　one？〃　asked　he。

〃Neither　by　Easter　nor　by　Whitsuntide！　You　will　not　learn　how　toinvent　anything。〃

〃What　must　I　do　to　earn　my　bread　by　poetry？〃

〃You　can　do　that　before　Shrove　Tuesday。　Hunt　the　poets！　Kill　theirwritings　and　thus　you　will　kill　them。　Don't　be　put　out　of　countenance。Strike　at　them　boldly；　and　you'll　have　carnival　cake；　on　which　you　cansupport　yourself　and　your　wife　too。〃

〃What　one　can　invent！〃　cried　the　young　man。　And　so　he　hit　outboldly　at　every　second　poet；　because　he　could　not　be　a　poet　himself。

We　have　it　from　the　wise　woman。　She　knows　WHAT　ONE　CAN　INVENT。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　　WHAT　THE　MOON　SAW

　　　by　Hans　Christian　AndersenINTRODUCTION

　　INTRODUCTION

IT　is　a　strange　thing；　when　I　feel　most　fervently　and　most　deeply；my　hands　and　my　tongue　seem　alike　tied；　so　that　I　cannot　rightlydescribe　or　accurately　portray　the　thoughts　that　are　rising　within　me；and　yet　I　am　a　painter；　my　eye　tells　me　as　much　as　that；　and　all　myfriends　who　have　seen　my　sketches　and　fancies　say　the　same。

I　am　a　poor　lad；　and　live　in　one　of　the　narrowest　of　lanes；　butI　do　not　want　for　light；　as　my　room　is　high　up　in　the　house；　with　anextensive　prospect　over　the　neighbouring　roofs。　During　the　first　fewdays　I　went　to　live　in　the　town；　I　felt　low…spirited　and　solitaryenough。　Instead　of　the　forest　and　the　green　hills　of　former　days；　Ihad　here　only　a　forest　of　chimney…pots　to　look　out　upon。　And　then　Ihad　not　a　single　friend；　not　one　familiar　face　greeted　me。

So　one　evening　I　sat　at　the　window；　in　a　desponding　mood；　andpresently　I　opened　the　casement　and　looked　out。　Oh；　how　my　heartleaped　up　with　joy！　Here　was　a　well…known　face　at　last…　a　round；friendly　countenance；　the　face　of　a　good　friend　I　had　known　at　home。In；　fact；　it　was　the　MOON　that　looked　in　upon　me。　He　was　quiteunchanged；　the　dear　old　Moon；　and　had　the　same　face　exactly　that　heused　to　show　when　he　peered　down　upon　me　through　the　willow　trees　onthe　moor。　I　kissed　my　hand　to　him　over　and　over　again；　as　he　shone　farinto　my　little　room；　and　he；　for　his　part；　promised　me　that　everyevening；　when　he　came　abroad；　he　would　look　in　upon　me　for　a　fewmoments。　This　promise　he　has　faithfully　kept。　It　is　a　pity　that　he　canonly　stay　such　a　short　time　when　he　es。　Whenever　he　appears；　hetells　me　of　one　thing　or　another　that　he　has　seen　on　the　previousnight；　or　on　that　same　evening。　〃Just　paint　the　scenes　I　describe　toyou〃…　this　is　what　he　said　to　me…　〃and　you　will　have　a　very　prettypicture…book。〃　I　have　followed　his　injunction　for　many　evenings。　Icould　make　up　a　new　〃Thousand　and　One　Nights；〃　in　my　own　way；　out　ofthese　pictures；　but　the　number　might　be　too　great；　after　all。　Thepictures　I　have　here　given　have　not　been　chosen　at　random；　butfollow　in　their　proper　order；　just　as　they　were　described　to　me。Some　great　gifted　painter；　or　some　poet　or　musician；　may　makesomething　more　of　them　if　he　likes；　what　I　have　given　here　are　onlyhasty　sketches；　hurriedly　put　upon　the　paper；　with　some　of　my　ownthoughts；　interspersed；　for　the　Moon　did　not　e　to　me　every　evening…a　cloud　sometimes　hid　his　face　from　me。

　FIRST　EVENING

〃Last　night〃…　I　am　quoting　the　Moon's　own　words…　〃last　night　I　wasgliding　through　the　cloudless　Indian　sky。　My　face　was　mirrored　inthe　waters　of　the　Ganges；　and　my　beams　strove　to　pierce　through　thethick　intertwining　boughs　of　the　bananas；　arching　beneath　me　likethe　tortoise's　shell。　Forth　from　the　thicket　tripped　a　Hindoo　maid；light　as　a　gazelle；　beautiful　as　Eve。　Airy　and　etherial　as　a　vision；and　yet　sharply　defined　amid　the　surrounding　shadows；　stood　thisdaughter　of　Hindostan：　I　could　read　on　her　delicate　brow　the　thoughtthat　had　brought　her　hither。　The　thorny　creeping　plants　tore　hersandals；　but　for　all　that　she　came　rapidly　forward。　The　deer　thathad　e　down　to　the　river　to　quench　her　thirst；　sprang　by　with　astartled　bound；　for　in　her　hand　the　maiden　bore　a　lighted　lamp。　Icould　see　the　blood　in　her　delicate　finger　tips；　as　she　spread　themfor　a　screen　before　the　dancing　flame。　She　came　down　to　the　stream；and　set　the　lamp　upon　the　water；　and　let　it　float　away。　The　flameflickered　to　and　fro；　and　seemed　ready　to　expire；　but　still　the　lampburned　on；　and　the　girl's　black　sparkling　eyes；　half　veiled　behindtheir　long　silken　lashes；　followed　it　with　a　gaze　of　earnestintensity。　She　knew　that　if　the　lamp　continued　to　burn　so　long　asshe　could　keep　it　in　sight；　her　betrothed　was　still　alive；　but　ifthe　lamp　was　suddenly　extinguished；　he　was　dead。　And　the　lamp　burnedbravely　on；　and　she　fell　on　her　knees；　and　prayed。　Near　her　in　thegrass　lay　a　speckled　snake；　but　she　heeded　it　not…　she　thought　only　ofBramah　and　of　her　betrothed。　'He　lives！'　she　shouted　joyfully；　'helives！'　And　from　the　mountains　the　echo　came　back　upon　her；　'helives！〃

　SECOND　EVENING

〃Yesterday；〃　said　the　Moon　to　me；　〃I　looked　down　upon　a　smallcourtyard　surrounded　on　all　sides　by　houses。　In　the　courtyard　sat　aclucking　hen　with　eleven　chickens；　and　a　pretty　little　girl　wasrunning　and　jumping　around　them。　The　hen　was　frightened；　and　screamed；and　spread　out　her　wings　over　the　little　brood。　Then　the　girl's　fathercame　out　and　scolded　her；　and　I　glided　away　and　thought　no　more　of　thematter。

〃But　this　evening；　only　a　few　minutes　ago；　I　looked　down　intothe　same　courtyard。　Everything　was　quiet。　But　presently　the　littlegirl　came　forth　again；　crept　quietly　to　the　hen…house；　pushed　back　thebolt；　and　slipped　into　the　apartment　of　the　hen　and　chickens。　Theycried　out　loudly；　and　came　fluttering　down　from　their　perches；　and　ranabout　in　dismay；　and　the　little　girl　ran　after　them。　I　saw　it　quiteplainly；　for　I　looked　through　a　hole　in　the　hen…house　wall。　I　wasangry　with　the　willful　child；　and　felt　glad　when　her　father　came　outand　scolded　her　more　violently　than　yesterday；　holding　her　roughlyby　the　arm；　she　held　down　her　head；　and　her　blue　eyes　were　full　oflarge　tears。　'What　are　you　about　here？'　he　asked。　She　wept　and　said；'I　wanted　to　kiss　the　hen　and　beg　her　pardon　for　frightening　heryesterday；　but　I　was　afraid　to　tell　you。'

〃And　the　father　kissed　the　innocent　child's　forehead；　and　I　kissedher　on　the　mouth　and　eyes。〃

　THIRD　EVENING

〃In　the　narrow　street　round　the　corner　yonder…　it　is　so　narrowthat　my　beams　can　only　glide　for　a　minute　along　the　walls　of　thehouse；　but　in　that　minute　I　see　enough　to　learn　what　the　world　is　madeof…　in　that　narrow　street　I　saw　a　woman。　Sixteen　years　ago　thatwoman　was　a　child；　playing　in　the　garden　of　the　old　parsonage；　inthe　country。　The　hedges　of　rose…bush　were　old；　and　the　flowers　werefaded。　They　straggled　wild　over　the　paths；　and　the　ragged　branchesgrew　up　among　the　boughs　of　the　apple　trees；　here　and　there　were　a　fewroses　still　in　bloom…　not　so　fair　as　the　queen　of　flowers　generallyappears；　but　still　they　had　colour　and　scent　too。　The　clergyman'slittle　daughter　appeared　to　me　a　far　lovelier　rose；　as　she　sat　onher　stool　under　the　straggling　hedge；　hugging　and　caress