安徒生童话-第39章

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　look　straight　down　into　the　ironmonger'sshop；　and　had　only　three　hundred　paces　to　the　theatre；　and　now　I'vethree　thousand　paces　to　go；　military　measurement。〃

Our　aunt　was　sometimes　ill；　but　however　unwell　she　might　feel；　shenever　missed　the　play。　The　doctor　prescribed　one　day　that　she　shouldput　her　feet　in　a　bran　bath；　and　she　followed　his　advice；　but　shedrove　to　the　theatre　all　the　same；　and　sat　with　her　feet　in　branthere。　If　she　had　died　there；　she　would　have　been　very　glad。Thorwaldsen　died　in　the　theatre；　and　she　called　that　a　happy　death。

She　could　not　imagine　but　that　in　heaven　there　must　be　a　theatretoo。　It　had　not；　indeed；　been　promised　us；　but　we　might　very　wellimagine　it。　The　many　distinguished　actors　and　actresses　who　had　passedaway　must　surely　have　a　field　for　their　talent。

Our　aunt　had　an　electric　wire　from　the　theatre　to　her　room。　Atelegram　used　to　be　dispatched　to　her　at　coffee…time；　and　it　used　toconsist　of　the　words；　〃Herr　Sivertsen　is　at　the　machinery；〃　for　it　washe　who　gave　the　signal　for　drawing　the　curtain　up　and　down　and　forchanging　the　scenes。

From　him　she　used　to　receive　a　short　and　concise　description　ofevery　piece。　His　opinion　of　Shakspeare's　〃Tempest；〃　was；　〃Madnonsense！　There's　so　much　to　put　up；　and　the　first　scene　begins　with'Water　to　the　front　of　the　wings。'〃　That　is　to　say；　the　water　had　toe　forward　so　far。　But　when；　on　the　other　hand；　the　same　interiorscene　remained　through　five　acts；　he　used　to　pronounce　it　asensible；　well…written　play；　a　resting　play；　which　performed　itself；without　putting　up　scenes。

In　earlier　times；　by　which　name　our　aunt　used　to　designatethirty　years　ago；　she　and　the　before…mentioned　Herr　Sivertsen　had　beenyounger。　At　that　time　he　had　already　been　connected　with　themachinery；　and　was；　as　she　said；　her　benefactor。　It　used　to　be　thecustom　in　those　days　that　in　the　evening　performances　in　the　onlytheatre　the　town　possessed；　spectators　were　admitted　to　the　partcalled　the　〃flies；〃　over　the　stage；　and　every　machinist　had　one　or　twoplaces　to　give　away。　Often　the　flies　were　quite　full　of　goodpany；　it　was　said　that　generals'　wives　and　privy　councillors'　wiveshad　been　up　there。　It　was　quite　interesting　to　look　down　behind　thescenes；　and　to　see　how　the　people　walked　to　and　fro　on　the　stagewhen　the　curtain　was　down。

Our　aunt　had　been　there　several　times；　as　well　when　there　was　atragedy　as　when　there　was　a　ballet；　for　the　pieces　in　which　there　werethe　greatest　number　of　characters　on　the　stage　were　the　mostinteresting　to　see　from　the　flies。　One　sat　pretty　much　in　the　darkup　there；　and　most　people　took　their　supper　up　with　them。　Once　threeapples　and　a　great　piece　of　bread　and　butter　and　sausage　fell　downright　into　the　dungeon　of　Ugolino；　where　that　unhappy　man　was　to　bestarved　to　death；　and　there　was　great　laughter　among　the　audience。　Thesausage　was　one　of　the　weightiest　reasons　why　the　worthy　managementrefused　in　future　to　have　any　spectators　up　in　the　flies。

〃But　I　was　there　seven…and…thirty　times；〃　said　our　aunt；　〃and　Ishall　always　remember　Mr。　Sivertsen　for　that。〃

On　the　very　last　evening　when　the　flies　were　still　open　to　thepublic；　the　〃Judgment　of　Solomon〃　was　performed；　as　our　auntremembered　very　well。　She　had；　through　the　influence　of　herbenefactor；　Herr　Sivertsen；　procured　a　free　admission　for　the　AgentFabs；　although　he　did　not　deserve　it　in　the　least；　for　he　was　alwayscutting　his　jokes　about　the　theatre　and　teasing　our　aunt；　but　shehad　procured　him　a　free　admission　to　the　flies；　for　all　that。　Hewanted　to　look　at　this　player…stuff　from　the　other　side。

〃Those　were　his　own　words；　and　they　were　just　like　him；〃　saidour　aunt。

He　looked　down　from　above　on　the　'Judgment　of　Solomon；〃　and　fellasleep　over　it。　One　would　have　thought　that　he　had　e　from　adinner　where　many　toasts　had　been　given。　He　went　to　sleep；　and　waslocked　in。　And　there　he　sat　through　the　dark　night　in　the　flies；　andwhen　he　woke；　he　told　a　story；　but　our　aunt　would　not　believe　it。

〃The　'Judgment　of　Solomon'　was　over；〃　he　said；　〃and　all　the　peoplehad　gone　away；　up　stairs　and　down　stairs；　but　now　the　real　play　began；the　after…piece；　which　was　the　best　of　all；〃　said　the　agent。　〃Thenlife　came　into　the　affair。　It　was　not　the　'Judgment　of　Solomon'　thatwas　performed；　no；　a　real　court　of　judgment　was　held　upon　thestage。〃　And　Agent　Fabs　had　the　impudence　to　try　and　make　our　auntbelieve　all　this。　That　was　the　thanks　she　got　for　having　got　him　aplace　in　the　flies。

What　did　the　agent　say？　Why；　it　was　curious　enough　to　hear；　butthere　was　malice　and　satire　in　it。

〃It　looked　dark　enough　up　there；〃　said　the　agent；　〃but　then　themagic　business　began…　a　great　performance；　'The　Judgment　in　theTheatre。'　The　box…keepers　were　at　their　posts；　and　every　spectator　hadto　show　his　ghostly　pass…book；　that　it　might　be　decided　if　he　was　tobe　admitted　with　hands　loose　or　bound；　and　with　or　without　a　muzzle。Grand　people　who　came　too　late；　when　the　performance　had　begun；　andyoung　people；　who　could　not　always　watch　the　time；　were　tied　upoutside；　and　had　list　slippers　put　on　their　feet；　with　which　they　wereallowed　to　go　in　before　the　beginning　of　the　next　act；　and　they　hadmuzzles　too。　And　then　the　'Judgment　on　the　Stage'　began。〃

〃All　malice；　and　not　a　bit　of　truth　in　it；〃　said　our　aunt。

The　painter；　who　wanted　to　get　to　Paradise；　had　to　go　up　astaircase　which　he　had　himself　painted；　but　which　no　man　couldmount。　That　was　to　expiate　his　sins　against　perspective。　All　theplants　and　buildings；　which　the　property…man　had　placed；　with　infinitepains；　in　countries　to　which　they　did　not　belong；　the　poor　fellowwas　obliged　to　put　in　their　right　places　before　cockcrow；　if　he　wantedto　get　into　Paradise。　Let　Herr　Fabs　see　how　he　would　get　in　himself；but　what　he　said　of　the　performers；　tragedians　and　edians；singers　and　dancers；　that　was　the　most　rascally　of　all。　Mr。　Fabs；indeed！…　Flabs！　He　did　not　deserve　to　be　admitted　at　all；　and　our　auntwould　not　soil　her　lips　with　what　he　said。　And　he　said；　did　Flabs；that　the　whole　was　written　down；　and　it　should　be　printed　when　hewas　dead　and　buried；　but　not　before；　for　he　would　not　risk　havinghis　arms　and　legs　broken。

Once　our　aunt　had　been　in　fear　and　trembling　in　her　temple　ofhappiness；　the　theatre。　It　was　on　a　winter　day；　one　of　those　days　inwhich　one　has　a　couple　of　hours　of　daylight；　with　a　gray　sky。　It　wasterribly　cold　and　snowy；　but　aunt　must　go　to　the　theatre。　A　littleopera　and　a　great　ballet　were　performed；　and　a　prologue　and　anepilogue　into　the　bargain；　and　that　would　last　till　late　at　night。　Ouraunt　must　needs　go；　so　she　borrowed　a　pair　of　fur　boots　of　her　lodger…boots　with　fur　inside　and　out；　and　which　reached　far　up　her　legs。

She　got　to　the　theatre；　and　to　her　box；　the　boots　were　warm；　andshe　kept　them　on。　Suddenly　there　was　a　cry　of　〃Fire！〃　Smoke　was　ingfrom　one　of　the　side　scenes；　and　streamed　down　from　the　flies；　andthere　was　a　terrible　panic。　The　people　came　rushing　out；　and　ouraunt　was　the　last　in　the　box；　〃on　the　second　tier；　left…hand　side；　forfrom　there　the　scenery　looks　best；〃　she　used　to　say。　〃The　scenes　arealways　arranged　that　they　look　best　from　the　King's　side。〃　Aunt　wantedto　e　out；　but　the　people　before　her；　in　their　fright　andheedlessness；　slammed　the　door　of　the　box；　and　there　sat　our　aunt；　andcouldn't　get　out；　and　couldn't　get　in；　that　is　to　say；　she　couldn'tget　into　the　next　box；　for　the　partition　was　too　high　for　her。　Shecalled　out；　and　no　one　heard　her；　she　looked　down　into　the　tier　ofboxes　below　her；　and　it　was　empty；　and　low；　and　looked　quite　near；　andaunt　in　her　terror　felt　quite　young　and　light。　She　thought　ofjumping　down；　and　had　got　one　leg　over　the　partition；　the　otherresting　on　the　bench。　There　she　sat　astride；　as　if　on　horseback；well　wrapped　up　in　her　flowered　cloak　with　one　leg　hanging　out…　aleg　in　a　tremendous　fur　boot。　That　was　a　sight　to　behold；　and　whenit　was　beheld；　our　aunt　was　heard　too；　and　was　saved　from　burning；　forthe　theatre　was　not　burned　down。

That　was　the　most　memorable　evening　of　her　life；　and　she　wasglad　that　she　could　not　see　herself；　for　she　would　have　died　withconfusion。

Her　benefactor　in　the　machinery　department；　Herr　Sivertsen；visited　her　every　Sunday；　but　it　was　a　long　time　from　Sunday　toSunday。　In　the　latter　time；　therefore；　she　used　to　have　in　a　littlechild　〃for　the　scraps；〃　that　is　to　say；　to　eat　up　the　remains　of　thedinner。　It　was　a　child　employed　in　the　ballet；　one　that　certainlywanted　feeding。　The　little　one　used　to　appear；　sometimes　as　an　elf；sometimes　as　a　page；　the　most　difficult　part　she　had　to　play　was　thelion's　hind　leg　in　the　〃Magic　Flute；〃　but　as　she　grew　larger　she　couldrepresent　the　fore…feet　of　the　lion。　She　certainly　only　got　half　aguilder　for　that；　whereas　the　hind　legs　were　paid　for　with　a　wholeguilder；　but　then　she　had　to　walk　bent；　and　to　do　without　fresh　air。〃That　was　all　very　interesting　to　hear；〃　said　our　aunt。

She　deserved　to　live　as　long　as　the　theatre　stood；　but　she　couldnot　last　so　long；　and　she　did　not　die　in　the　theatre；　butrespectably　in　her　bed。　Her　last　words　were；　moreover；　not　withoutmeaning。　She　asked；

〃What　will　the　play　be　to…morrow？〃

At　her　death　she　left　about　five　hundred　dollars。　We　presumethis　from　the　interest；　which　came　to　twenty　dollars。　This　our　aunthad　destined　as　a