安徒生童话-第210章

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my　beams；　and　I　showed　themthe　wheel…ruts　in　the　streets　paved　with　broad　lava　slabs；　I　showedthem　the　names　on　the　doors；　and　the　signs　that　hung　there　yet：　theysaw　in　the　little　courtyard　the　basins　of　the　fountains；　ornamentedwith　shells；　but　no　jet　of　water　gushed　upwards；　no　songs　soundedforth　from　the　richly…painted　chambers；　where　the　bronze　dog　keptthe　door。

〃It　was　the　City　of　the　Dead；　only　Vesuvius　thundered　forth　hiseverlasting　hymn；　each　separate　verse　of　which　is　called　by　men　aneruption。　We　went　to　the　temple　of　Venus；　built　of　snow…whitemarble；　with　its　high　altar　in　front　of　the　broad　steps；　and　theweeping　willows　sprouting　freshly　forth　among　the　pillars。　The　air　wastransparent　and　blue；　and　black　Vesuvius　formed　the　background；　withfire　ever　shooting　forth　from　it；　like　the　stem　of　the　pine　tree。Above　it　stretched　the　smoky　cloud　in　the　silence　of　the　night；　likethe　crown　of　the　pine；　but　in　a　blood…red　illumination。　Among　thepany　was　a　lady　singer；　a　real　and　great　singer。　I　have　witnessedthe　homage　paid　to　her　in　the　greatest　cities　of　Europe。　When　theycame　to　the　tragic　theatre；　they　all　sat　down　on　the　amphitheatresteps；　and　thus　a　small　part　of　the　house　was　occupied　by　an　audience；as　it　had　been　many　centuries　ago。　The　stage　still　stood　unchanged；with　its　walled　side…scenes；　and　the　two　arches　in　the　background；through　which　the　beholders　saw　the　same　scene　that　had　been　exhibitedin　the　old　times…　a　scene　painted　by　nature　herself；　namely；　themountains　between　Sorento　and　Amalfi。　The　singer　gaily　mounted　theancient　stage；　and　sang。　The　place　inspired　her；　and　she　reminded　meof　a　wild　Arab　horse；　that　rushes　headlong　on　with　snorting　nostrilsand　flying　mane…　her　song　was　so　light　and　yet　so　firm。　Anon　I　thoughtof　the　mourning　mother　beneath　the　cross　at　Golgotha；　so　deep　wasthe　expression　of　pain。　And；　just　as　it　had　done　thousands　of　yearsago；　the　sound　of　applause　and　delight　now　filled　the　theatre。　'Happy；gifted　creature！'　all　the　hearers　exclaimed。　Five　minutes　more；　andthe　stage　was　empty；　the　pany　had　vanished；　and　not　a　sound　morewas　heard…　all　were　gone。　But　the　ruins　stood　unchanged；　as　theywill　stand　when　centuries　shall　have　gone　by；　and　when　none　shall　knowof　the　momentary　applause　and　of　the　triumph　of　the　fair　songstress；when　all　will　be　forgotten　and　gone；　and　even　for　me　this　hour　will　bebut　a　dream　of　the　past。〃

　TWELFTH　EVENING

〃I　looked　through　the　windows　of　an　editor's　house；〃　said　theMoon。　〃It　was　somewhere　in　Germany。　I　saw　handsome　furniture；　manybooks；　and　a　chaos　of　newspapers。　Several　young　men　were　present：the　editor　himself　stood　at　his　desk；　and　two　little　books；　both　byyoung　authors；　were　to　be　noticed。　'This　one　has　been　sent　to　me；'said　he。　'I　have　not　read　it　yet；　what　think　you　of　the　contents？''Oh；'　said　the　person　addressed…　he　was　a　poet　himself…　'it　is　goodenough；　a　little　broad；　certainly；　but；　you　see；　the　author　is　stillyoung。　The　verses　might　be　better；　to　be　sure；　the　thoughts　are　sound；though　there　is　certainly　a　good　deal　of　mon…place　among　them。But　what　will　you　have？　You　can't　be　always　getting　something　new。That　he'll　turn　out　anything　great　I　don't　believe；　but　you　may　safelypraise　him。　He　is　well　read；　a　remarkable　Oriental　scholar；　and　hasa　good　judgment。　It　was　he　who　wrote　that　nice　review　of　my'Reflections　on　Domestic　Life。'　We　must　be　lenient　towards　the　youngman。〃

〃'But　he　is　a　plete　hack！'　objected　another　of　the　gentlemen。'Nothing　worse　in　poetry　than　mediocrity；　and　he　certainly　does　not　gobeyond　this。'

〃'Poor　fellow；'　observed　a　third；　'and　his　aunt　is　so　happyabout　him。　It　was　she；　Mr。　Editor；　who　got　together　so　manysubscribers　for　your　last　translation。'

〃'Ah；　the　good　woman！　Well；　I　have　noticed　the　book　briefly。Undoubted　talent…　a　wele　offering…　a　flower　in　the　garden　ofpoetry…　prettily　brought　out…　and　so　on。　But　this　other　book…　Isuppose　the　author　expects　me　to　purchase　it？　I　hear　it　is　praised。　Hehas　genius；　certainly：　don't　you　think　so？'

〃'Yes；　all　the　world　declares　as　much；'　replied　the　poet；　'butit　has　turned　out　rather　wildly。　The　punctuation　of　the　book；　inparticular；　is　very　eccentric。'

〃'It　will　be　good　for　him　if　we　pull　him　to　pieces；　and　angerhim　a　little；　otherwise　he　will　get　too　good　an　opinion　of　himself。'

〃'But　that　would　be　unfair；'　objected　the　fourth。　'Let　us　not　carpat　little　faults；　but　rejoice　over　the　real　and　abundant　good　thatwe　find　here：　he　surpasses　all　the　rest。'

〃'Not　so。　If　he　is　a　true　genius；　he　can　bear　the　sharp　voice　ofcensure。　There　are　people　enough　to　praise　him。　Don't　let　us　quiteturn　his　head。'

〃'Decided　talent；'　wrote　the　editor；　'with　the　usual　carelessness。that　he　can　write　incorrect　verses　may　be　seen　in　page　25；　where　thereare　two　false　quantities。　We　remend　him　to　study　the　ancients；etc。'

〃I　went　away；〃　continued　the　Moon；　〃and　looked　through　the　windowsin　the　aunt's　house。　There　sat　the　be…praised　poet；　the　tame　one；all　the　guests　paid　homage　to　him；　and　he　was　happy。

〃I　sought　the　other　poet　out；　the　wild　one；　him　also　I　found　ina　great　assembly　at　his　patron's；　where　the　tame　poet's　book　was　beingdiscussed。

〃'I　shall　read　yours　also；'　said　Maecenas；　'but　to　speak　honestly…you　know　I　never　hide　my　opinion　from　you…　I　don't　expect　much　fromit；　for　you　are　much　too　wild；　too　fantastic。　But　it　must　be　allowedthat；　as　a　man；　you　are　highly　respectable。'

〃A　young　girl　sat　in　a　corner；　and　she　read　in　a　book　these　words：

　　　〃'In　the　dust　lies　genius　and　glory；

　But　ev'ry…day　talent　will　pay。

　　　It's　only　the　old；　old　story；

　But　the　piece　is　repeated　each　day。'〃

　THIRTEENTH　EVENING

The　Moon　said；　〃Beside　the　woodland　path　there　are　two　smallfarm…houses。　The　doors　are　low；　and　some　of　the　windows　are　placedquite　high；　and　others　close　to　the　ground；　and　whitethorn　andbarberry　bushes　grow　around　them。　The　roof　of　each　house　isovergrown　with　moss　and　with　yellow　flowers　and　houseleek。　Cabbage　andpotatoes　are　the　only　plants　cultivated　in　the　gardens；　but　out　of　thehedge　there　grows　a　willow　tree；　and　under　this　willow　tree　sat　alittle　girl；　and　she　sat　with　her　eyes　fixed　upon　the　old　oak　treebetween　the　two　huts。

〃It　was　an　old　withered　stem。　It　had　been　sawn　off　at　the　top；　anda　stork　had　built　his　nest　upon　it；　and　he　stood　in　this　nest　clappingwith　his　beak。　A　little　boy　came　and　stood　by　the　girl's　side：　theywere　brother　and　sister。

〃'What　are　you　looking　at？'　he　asked。

〃'I'm　watching　the　stork；'　she　replied：　'our　neighbors　told　methat　he　would　bring　us　a　little　brother　or　sister　to…day；　let　us　watchto　see　it　e！'

〃'The　stork　brings　no　such　things；'　the　boy　declared；　'you　maybe　sure　of　that。　Our　neighbor　told　me　the　same　thing；　but　shelaughed　when　she　said　it；　and　so　I　asked　her　if　she　could　say　'On　myhonor；'　and　she　could　not；　and　I　know　by　that　the　story　about　thestorks　is　not　true；　and　that　they　only　tell　it　to　us　children　forfun。'

　〃'But　where　do　babies　e　from；　then？'　asked　the　girl。

〃'Why；　an　angel　from　heaven　brings　them　under　his　cloak；　but　noman　can　see　him；　and　that's　why　we　never　know　when　he　brings　them。'

〃At　that　moment　there　was　a　rustling　in　the　branches　of　the　willowtree；　and　the　children　folded　their　hands　and　looked　at　one　another：it　was　certainly　the　angel　ing　with　the　baby。　They　took　eachother's　hand；　and　at　that　moment　the　door　of　one　of　the　houses　opened；and　the　neighbour　appeared。

〃'e　in；　you　two；'　she　said。　'See　what　the　stork　has　brought。　Itis　a　little　brother。'

〃And　the　children　nodded　gravely　at　one　another；　for　they　had　feltquite　sure　already　that　the　baby　was　e。〃

　FOURTEENTH　EVENING

〃I　was　gliding　over　the　Luneburg　Heath；〃　the　Moon　said。　〃Alonely　hut　stood　by　the　wayside；　a　few　scanty　bushes　grew　near　it；　anda　nightingale　who　had　lost　his　way　sang　sweetly。　He　died　in　thecoldness　of　the　night：　it　was　his　farewell　song　that　I　heard。

〃The　morning　dawn　came　glimmering　red。　I　saw　a　caravan　of　emigrantpeasant　families　who　were　bound　to　Hamburgh；　there　to　take　ship　forAmerica；　where　fancied　prosperity　would　bloom　for　them。　The　motherscarried　their　little　children　at　their　backs；　the　elder　onestottered　by　their　sides；　and　a　poor　starved　horse　tugged　at　a　cartthat　bore　their　scanty　effects。　The　cold　wind　whistled；　andtherefore　the　little　girl　nestled　closer　to　the　mother；　who；　lookingup　at　my　decreasing　disc；　thought　of　the　bitter　want　at　home；　andspoke　of　the　heavy　taxes　they　had　not　been　able　to　raise。　The　wholecaravan　thought　of　the　same　thing；　therefore；　the　rising　dawn　seemedto　them　a　message　from　the　sun；　of　fortune　that　was　to　gleambrightly　upon　them。　They　heard　the　dying　nightingale　sing；　it　was　nofalse　prophet；　but　a　harbinger　of　fortune。　The　wind　whistled；therefore　they　did　not　understand　that　the　nightingale　sung；　'Fareaway　over　the　sea！　Thou　hast　paid　the　long　passage　with　all　that　wasthine；　and　poor　and　helpless　shalt　thou　enter　Canaan。　Thou　must　sellthyself；　thy　wife；　and　thy　children。　But　your　griefs　shall　not　lastlong。　Behind　the　broad　fragrant　leaves　lurks　the　goddess　of　Death；　andher　wele　kiss　shall　breathe　fever　into　thy　blood。　Fare　away；　fareaway；　over　the　heaving　billows。'　And　the　caravan　listened　well　pleasedto　the　song　of　the　nightingale；　which　seemed　to　promise　g