安徒生童话-第29章

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g　stories；　and　cut　out　the　prettiest　pictures；　hearts；　andladies　dancing；　castles　with　doors　that　opened；　as　well　as　flowers；　hewas　a　delightful　student。　〃Why　do　the　flowers　look　so　faded　to…day？〃she　asked　again；　and　pointed　to　her　nosegay；　which　was　quite　withered。

〃Don't　you　know　what　is　the　matter　with　them？〃　said　the　student。〃The　flowers　were　at　a　ball　last　night；　and　therefore；　it　is　no　wonderthey　hang　their　heads。〃

〃But　flowers　cannot　dance？〃　cried　little　Ida。

〃Yes　indeed；　they　can；〃　replied　the　student。　〃When　it　growsdark；　and　everybody　is　asleep；　they　jump　about　quite　merrily。　Theyhave　a　ball　almost　every　night。〃

〃Can　children　go　to　these　balls？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　student；　〃little　daisies　and　lilies　of　thevalley。〃

〃Where　do　the　beautiful　flowers　dance？〃　asked　little　Ida。

〃Have　you　not　often　seen　the　large　castle　outside　the　gates　of　thetown；　where　the　king　lives　in　summer；　and　where　the　beautiful　gardenis　full　of　flowers？　And　have　you　not　fed　the　swans　with　bread　whenthey　swam　towards　you？　Well；　the　flowers　have　capital　balls　there；believe　me。〃

〃I　was　in　the　garden　out　there　yesterday　with　my　mother；〃　saidIda；　〃but　all　the　leaves　were　off　the　trees；　and　there　was　not　asingle　flower　left。　Where　are　they？　I　used　to　see　so　many　in　thesummer。〃

〃They　are　in　the　castle；〃　replied　the　student。　〃You　must　know　thatas　soon　as　the　king　and　all　the　court　are　gone　into　the　town；　theflowers　run　out　of　the　garden　into　the　castle；　and　you　should　seehow　merry　they　are。　The　two　most　beautiful　roses　seat　themselves　onthe　throne；　and　are　called　the　king　and　queen；　then　all　the　redcocksbs　range　themselves　on　each　side；　and　bow；　these　are　thelords…in…waiting。　After　that　the　pretty　flowers　e　in；　and　thereis　a　grand　ball。　The　blue　violets　represent　little　naval　cadets；　anddance　with　hyacinths　and　crocuses　which　they　call　young　ladies。　Thetulips　and　tiger…lilies　are　the　old　ladies　who　sit　and　watch　thedancing；　so　that　everything　may　be　conducted　with　order　andpropriety。〃

〃But；〃　said　little　Ida；　〃is　there　no　one　there　to　hurt　the　flowersfor　dancing　in　the　king's　castle？〃

〃No　one　knows　anything　about　it；〃　said　the　student。　〃The　oldsteward　of　the　castle；　who　has　to　watch　there　at　night；　sometimeses　in；　but　he　carries　a　great　bunch　of　keys；　and　as　soon　as　theflowers　hear　the　keys　rattle；　they　run　and　hide　themselves　behindthe　long　curtains；　and　stand　quite　still；　just　peeping　their　headsout。　Then　the　old　steward　says；　'I　smell　flowers　here；'　but　hecannot　see　them。〃

〃Oh　how　capital；〃　said　little　Ida；　clapping　her　hands。　〃Should　Ibe　able　to　see　these　flowers？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　student；　〃mind　you　think　of　it　the　next　time　yougo　out；　no　doubt　you　will　see　them；　if　you　peep　through　the　window。I　did　so　to…day；　and　I　saw　a　long　yellow　lily　lying　stretched　out　onthe　sofa。　She　was　a　court　lady。〃

〃Can　the　flowers　from　the　Botanical　Gardens　go　to　these　balls？〃asked　Ida。　〃It　is　such　a　distance！〃

〃Oh　yes；〃　said　the　student　'whenever　they　like；　for　they　canfly。　Have　you　not　seen　those　beautiful　red；　white。　and　yellowbutterflies；　that　look　like　flowers？　They　were　flowers　once。　They　haveflown　off　their　stalks　into　the　air；　and　flap　their　leaves　as　ifthey　were　little　wings　to　make　them　fly。　Then；　if　they　behave　well；they　obtain　permission　to　fly　about　during　the　day；　instead　of　beingobliged　to　sit　still　on　their　stems　at　home；　and　so　in　time　theirleaves　bee　real　wings。　It　may　be；　however；　that　the　flowers　inthe　Botanical　Gardens　have　never　been　to　the　king's　palace；　and；therefore；　they　know　nothing　of　the　merry　doings　at　night；　whichtake　place　there。　I　will　tell　you　what　to　do；　and　the　botanicalprofessor；　who　lives　close　by　here；　will　be　so　surprised。　You　know　himvery　well；　do　you　not？　Well；　next　time　you　go　into　his　garden；　youmust　tell　one　of　the　flowers　that　there　is　going　to　be　a　grand　ball　atthe　castle；　then　that　flower　will　tell　all　the　others；　and　they　willfly　away　to　the　castle　as　soon　as　possible。　And　when　the　professorwalks　into　his　garden；　there　will　not　be　a　single　flower　left。　Howhe　will　wonder　what　has　bee　of　them！〃

〃But　how　can　one　flower　tell　another？　Flowers　cannot　speak？〃

〃No；　certainly　not；〃　replied　the　student；　〃but　they　can　makesigns。　Have　you　not　often　seen　that　when　the　wind　blows　they　nod　atone　another；　and　rustle　all　their　green　leaves？〃

〃Can　the　professor　understand　the　signs？〃　asked　Ida。

〃Yes；　to　be　sure　he　can。　He　went　one　morning　into　his　garden；and　saw　a　stinging　tle　making　signs　with　its　leaves　to　abeautiful　red　carnation。　It　was　saying；　'You　are　so　pretty；　I　like　youvery　much。'　But　the　professor　did　not　approve　of　such　nonsense；　sohe　clapped　his　hands　on　the　tle　to　stop　it。　Then　the　leaves；which　are　its　fingers；　stung　him　so　sharply　that　he　has　never　venturedto　touch　a　tle　since。〃

〃Oh　how　funny！〃　said　Ida；　and　she　laughed。

〃How　can　anyone　put　such　notions　into　a　child's　head？〃　said　atiresome　lawyer；　who　had　e　to　pay　a　visit；　and　sat　on　the　sofa。He　did　not　like　the　student；　and　would　grumble　when　he　saw　him　cuttingout　droll　or　amusing　pictures。　Sometimes　it　would　be　a　man　hangingon　a　gibbet　and　holding　a　heart　in　his　hand　as　if　he　had　been　stealinghearts。　Sometimes　it　was　an　old　witch　riding　through　the　air　on　abroom　and　carrying　her　husband　on　her　nose。　But　the　lawyer　did　notlike　such　jokes；　and　he　would　say　as　he　had　just　said；　〃How　can　anyoneput　such　nonsense　into　a　child's　head！　what　absurd　fancies　there　are！〃

But　to　little　Ida；　all　these　stories　which　the　student　told　herabout　the　flowers；　seemed　very　droll；　and　she　thought　over　them　agreat　deal。　The　flowers　did　hang　their　heads；　because　they　had　beendancing　all　night；　and　were　very　tired；　and　most　likely　they　were　ill。Then　she　took　them　into　the　room　where　a　number　of　toys　lay　on　apretty　little　table；　and　the　whole　of　the　table　drawer　besides　wasfull　of　beautiful　things。　Her　doll　Sophy　lay　in　the　doll's　bed　asleep；and　little　Ida　said　to　her；　〃You　must　really　get　up　Sophy；　and　becontent　to　lie　in　the　drawer　to…night；　the　poor　flowers　are　ill；　andthey　must　lie　in　your　bed；　then　perhaps　they　will　get　well　again。〃So　she　took　the　doll　out；　who　looked　quite　cross；　and　said　not　asingle　word；　for　she　was　angry　at　being　turned　out　of　her　bed。　Idaplaced　the　flowers　in　the　doll's　bed；　and　drew　the　quilt　over　them。Then　she　told　them　to　lie　quite　still　and　be　good；　while　she　made　sometea　for　them；　so　that　they　might　be　quite　well　and　able　to　get　upthe　next　morning。　And　she　drew　the　curtains　close　round　the　littlebed；　so　that　the　sun　might　not　shine　in　their　eyes。　During　the　wholeevening　she　could　not　help　thinking　of　what　the　student　had　toldher。　And　before　she　went　to　bed　herself；　she　was　obliged　to　peepbehind　the　curtains　into　the　garden　where　all　her　mother's　beautifulflowers　grew；　hyacinths　and　tulips；　and　many　others。　Then　shewhispered　to　them　quite　softly；　〃I　know　you　are　going　to　a　ballto…night。〃　But　the　flowers　appeared　as　if　they　did　not　understand；　andnot　a　leaf　moved；　still　Ida　felt　quite　sure　she　knew　all　about　it。　Shelay　awake　a　long　time　after　she　was　in　bed；　thinking　how　pretty　itmust　be　to　see　all　the　beautiful　flowers　dancing　in　the　king's　garden。〃I　wonder　if　my　flowers　have　really　been　there；〃　she　said　toherself；　and　then　she　fell　asleep。　In　the　night　she　awoke；　she　hadbeen　dreaming　of　the　flowers　and　of　the　student；　as　well　as　of　thetiresome　lawyer　who　found　fault　with　him。　It　was　quite　still　inIda's　bedroom；　the　night…lamp　burnt　on　the　table；　and　her　father　andmother　were　asleep。　〃I　wonder　if　my　flowers　are　still　lying　in　Sophy'sbed；〃　she　thought　to　herself；　〃how　much　I　should　like　to　know。〃　Sheraised　herself　a　little；　and　glanced　at　the　door　of　the　room　where　allher　flowers　and　playthings　lay；　it　was　partly　open；　and　as　shelistened；　it　seemed　as　if　some　one　in　the　room　was　playing　thepiano；　but　softly　and　more　prettily　than　she　had　ever　before　heard　it。〃Now　all　the　flowers　are　certainly　dancing　in　there；〃　she　thought；　〃ohhow　much　I　should　like　to　see　them；〃　but　she　did　not　dare　move　forfear　of　disturbing　her　father　and　mother。　〃If　they　would　only　ein　here；〃　she　thought；　but　they　did　not　e；　and　the　musiccontinued　to　play　so　beautifully；　and　was　so　pretty；　that　she　couldresist　no　longer。　She　crept　out　of　her　little　bed；　went　softly　tothe　door　and　looked　into　the　room。　Oh　what　a　splendid　sight　therewas　to　be　sure！　There　was　no　night…lamp　burning；　but　the　room　appearedquite　light；　for　the　moon　shone　through　the　window　upon　the　floor；　andmade　it　almost　like　day。　All　the　hyacinths　and　tulips　stood　in　twolong　rows　down　the　room；　not　a　single　flower　remained　in　the　window；and　the　flower…pots　were　all　empty。　The　flowers　were　dancinggracefully　on　the　floor；　making　turns　and　holding　each　other　bytheir　long　green　leaves　as　they　swung　round。　At　the　piano　sat　alarge　yellow　lily　which　little　Ida　was　sure　she　had　seen　in　thesummer；　for　she　remembered　the　student　saying　she　was　very　much　likeMiss　Lina；　one　of　Ida's　friends。　They　all　laughed　at　him　then；　but　nowit　seemed　to　little　Ida　as　if　the　tall；　yellow　flower　was　reallylike　the　young　lady。　She　had　just　the　same　manners　while　playing；bending　her　long　yellow　face　from　side　to　side；　and　nodding　in　time　tothe　beautiful　music。　Then　she　saw　a　large　purple　crocus　jump　intothe　middle　of　the