安徒生童话-第42章

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oatherself…　she　has　fists　of　her　own。〃

The　student　took　his　knapsack　and　betook　himself　to　theferry…house。　The　house　door　was　not　locked…　it　opened；　and　he　wentinto　a　room　with　a　brick　floor；　where　a　bench；　with　a　great　coverletof　leather；　formed　the　chief　article　of　furniture。　A　white　hen；　whohad　a　brood　of　chickens；　was　fastened　to　the　bench；　and　had　overturnedthe　pipkin　of　water；　so　that　the　wet　ran　across　the　floor。　Therewere　no　people　either　here　or　in　the　adjoining　room；　only　a　cradlestood　there；　in　which　was　a　child。　The　ferry…boat　came　back　withonly　one　person　in　it。　Whether　that　person　was　a　man　or　a　woman　wasnot　an　easy　matter　to　determine。　The　person　in　question　was　wrapped　ina　great　cloak；　and　wore　a　kind　of　hood。　Presently　the　boat　lay　to。

It　was　a　woman　who　got　out　of　it　and　came　into　the　room。　Shelooked　very　stately　when　she　straightened　her　back；　two　proud　eyeslooked　forth　from　beneath　her　black　eyebrows。　It　was　Mother　Soren；　theferry…wife。　The　crows　and　daws　might　have　called　out　another　namefor　her；　which　we　know　better。

She　looked　morose；　and　did　not　seem　to　care　to　talk；　but　this　muchwas　settled；　that　the　student　should　board　in　her　house　for　anindefinite　time；　while　things　looked　so　bad　in　Copenhagen。

This　or　that　honest　citizen　would　often　e　to　the　ferry…housefrom　the　neighboring　little　town。　There　came　Frank　the　cutler；　andSivert　the　exciseman。　They　drank　a　mug　of　beer　in　the　ferry…house；　andused　to　converse　with　the　student；　for　he　was　a　clever　young　man；who　knew　his　〃Practica；〃　as　they　called　it；　he　could　read　Greek　andLatin；　and　was　well　up　in　learned　subjects。

〃The　less　one　knows；　the　less　it　presses　upon　one；〃　said　MotherSoren。

〃You　have　to　work　hard；〃　said　Holberg　one　day；　when　she　wasdipping　clothes　in　the　strong　soapy　water；　and　was　obliged　herselfto　split　the　logs　for　the　fire。

〃That's　my　affair；〃　she　replied。

〃Have　you　been　obliged　to　toil　in　this　way　from　your　childhood？〃

〃You　can　read　that　from　my　hands；〃　she　replied；　and　held　out　herhands；　that　were　small　indeed；　but　hard　and　strong；　with　bitten　nails。〃You　are　learned；　and　can　read。〃

At　Christmas…time　it　began　to　snow　heavily。　The　cold　came　on；the　wind　blue　sharp；　as　if　there　were　vitriol　in　it　to　wash　thepeople's　faces。　Mother　Soren　did　not　let　that　disturb　her；　she　threwher　cloak　around　her；　and　drew　her　hood　over　her　head。　Early　in　theafternoon…　it　was　already　dark　in　the　house…　she　laid　wood　and　turf　onthe　hearth；　and　then　she　sat　down　to　darn　her　stockings；　for　there　wasno　one　to　do　it　for　her。　Towards　evening　she　spoke　more　words　to　thestudent　than　it　was　customary　with　her　to　use；　she　spoke　of　herhusband。

〃He　killed　a　sailor　of　Dragor　by　mischance；　and　for　that　he　has　towork　for　three　years　in　irons。　He's　only　a　mon　sailor；　andtherefore　the　law　must　take　its　course。〃

〃The　law　is　there　for　people　of　high　rank；　too；〃　said　Holberg。

〃Do　you　think　so？〃　said　Mother　Soren；　then　she　looked　into　thefire　for　a　while；　but　after　a　time　she　began　to　speak　again。　〃Have　youheard　of　Kai　Lykke；　who　caused　a　church　to　be　pulled　down；　and　whenthe　clergyman；　Master　Martin；　thundered　from　the　pulpit　about　it；　hehad　him　put　in　irons；　and　sat　in　judgment　upon　him；　and　condemnedhim　to　death？　Yes；　and　the　clergyman　was　obliged　to　bow　his　head　tothe　stroke。　And　yet　Kai　Lykke　went　scot…free。〃

〃He　had　a　right　to　do　as　he　did　in　those　times；〃　said　Holberg；〃but　now　we　have　left　those　times　behind　us。〃

〃You　may　get　a　fool　to　believe　that；〃　cried　Mother　Soren；　andshe　got　up　and　went　into　the　room　where　the　child　lay。　She　lifted　upthe　child；　and　laid　it　down　more　fortably。　Then　she　arranged　thebed…place　of　the　student。　He　had　the　green　coverlet；　for　he　felt　thecold　more　than　she；　though　he　was　born　in　Norway。

On　New　Year's　morning　it　was　a　bright　sunshiny　day。　The　frosthad　been　so　strong；　and　was　still　so　strong；　that　the　fallen　snowhad　bee　a　hard　mass；　and　one　could　walk　upon　it。　The　bells　of　thelittle　town　were　tolling　for　church。　Student　Holberg　wrapped　himselfup　in　his　woollen　cloak；　and　wanted　to　go　to　the　town。

Over　the　ferry…house　the　crows　and　daws　were　flying　with　loudcries；　one　could　hardly　hear　the　church　bells　for　their　screaming。Mother　Soren　stood　in　front　of　the　house；　filling　a　brass　pot　withsnow；　which　she　was　going　to　put　on　the　fire　to　get　drinking　water。She　looked　up　to　the　crowd　of　birds；　and　thought　her　own　thoughts。

Student　Holberg　went　to　church。　On　his　way　there　and　on　his　returnhe　passed　by　the　house　of　tax…collector　Sivert；　by　the　town…gate。　Herehe　was　invited　to　take　a　mug　of　brown　beer　with　treacle　and　sugar。　Thediscourse　fell　upon　Mother　Soren；　but　the　tax　collector　did　not　knowmuch　about　her；　and；　indeed；　few　knew　much　about　her。　She　did　notbelong　to　the　island　of　Falster；　he　said；　she　had　a　little　property　ofher　own　at　one　time。　Her　husband　was　a　mon　sailor；　a　fellow　of　avery　hot　temper；　and　had　killed　a　sailor　of　Dragor；　and　he　beat　hiswife；　and　yet　she　defended　him。

〃I　should　not　endure　such　treatment；〃　said　the　tax…collector'swife。　〃I　am　e　of　more　respectable　people。　My　father　wasstocking…weaver　to　the　Court。〃

〃And　consequently　you　have　married　a　governmental　official；〃said　Holberg；　and　made　a　bow　to　her　and　to　the　collector。

It　was　on　Twelfth　Night；　the　evening　of　the　festival　of　theThree　Kings；　Mother　Soren　lit　up　for　Holberg　a　three…king　candle；　thatis；　a　tallow　candle　with　three　wicks；　which　she　had　herself　prepared。

〃A　light　for　each　man；〃　said　Holberg。

〃For　each　man？〃　repeated　the　woman；　looking　sharply　at　him。

〃For　each　of　the　wise　men　from　the　East；〃　said　Holberg。

〃You　mean　it　that　way；〃　said　she；　and　then　she　was　silent　for　along　time。　But　on　this　evening　he　learned　more　about　her　than　he　hadyet　known。

〃You　speak　very　affectionately　of　your　husband；〃　observed　Holberg；〃and　yet　the　people　say　that　he　ill…uses　you　every　day。〃

〃That's　no　one's　business　but　mine；〃　she　replied。　〃The　blows　mighthave　done　me　good　when　I　was　a　child；　now；　I　suppose；　I　get　them　formy　sins。　But　I　know　what　good　he　has　done　me；〃　and　she　rose　up。〃When　I　lay　sick　upon　the　desolate　heath；　and　no　one　would　have　pityon　me；　and　no　one　would　have　anything　to　do　with　me；　except　thecrows　and　daws；　which　came　to　peck　me　to　bits；　he　carried　me　in　hisarms；　and　had　to　bear　hard　words　because　of　the　burden　he　brought　onboard　ship。　It's　not　in　my　nature　to　be　sick；　and　so　I　got　well。　Everyman　has　his　own　way；　and　Soren　has　his；　but　the　horse　must　not　bejudged　by　the　halter。　Taking　one　thing　with　another；　I　have　lived　moreagreeably　with　him　than　with　the　man　whom　they　called　the　most　nobleand　gallant　of　the　King's　subjects。　I　have　had　the　StadtholderGyldenlowe；　the　King's　half…brother；　for　my　husband；　and　afterwardsI　took　Palle　Dyre。　One　is　as　good　as　another；　each　in　his　own　way；　andI　in　mine。　That　was　a　long　gossip；　but　now　you　know　all　about　me。〃

And　with　those　words　she　left　the　room。

It　was　Marie　Grubbe！　so　strangely　had　fate　played　with　her。　Shedid　not　live　to　see　many　anniversaries　of　the　festival　of　the　ThreeKings；　Holberg　has　recorded　that　she　died　in　June；　1716；　but　he　hasnot　written　down；　for　he　did　not　know；　that　a　number　of　great　blackbirds　circled　over　the　ferry…house；　when　Mother　Soren；　as　she　wascalled；　was　lying　there　a　corpse。　They　did　not　scream；　as　if　they　knewthat　at　a　burial　silence　should　be　observed。　So　soon　as　she　lay　in　theearth；　the　birds　disappeared；　but　on　the　same　evening　in　Jutland；　atthe　old　manor　house；　an　enormous　number　of　crows　and　choughs　wereseen；　they　all　cried　as　loud　as　they　could；　as　if　they　had　someannouncement　to　make。　Perhaps　they　talked　of　him　who；　as　a　little　boy；had　taken　away　their　eggs　and　their　young；　of　the　peasant's　son；　whohad　to　wear　an　iron　garter；　and　of　the　noble　young　lady；　who　endedby　being　a　ferryman's　wife。

〃Brave！　brave！〃　they　cried。

And　the　whole　family　cried；　〃Brave！　brave！〃　when　the　old　house　waspulled　down。

〃They　are　still　crying；　and　yet　there's　nothing　to　cry　about；〃said　the　clerk；　when　he　told　the　story。　〃The　family　is　extinct；　thehouse　has　been　pulled　down；　and　where　it　stood　is　now　the　statelypoultry…house；　with　gilded　weathercocks；　and　the　old　Poultry　Meg。She　rejoices　greatly　in　her　beautiful　dwelling。　If　she　had　not　ehere；〃　the　old　clerk　added；　〃she　would　have　had　to　go　into　thework…house。〃

The　pigeons　cooed　over　her；　the　turkey…cocks　gobbled；　and　theducks　quacked。

〃Nobody　knew　her；〃　they　said；　〃she　belongs　to　no　family。　It's　purecharity　that　she　is　here　at　all。　She　has　neither　a　drake　father　nora　hen　mother；　and　has　no　descendants。〃

She　came　of　a　great　family；　for　all　that；　but　she　did　not　know　it；and　the　old　clerk　did　not　know　it；　though　he　had　so　much　written　down；but　one　of　the　old　crows　knew　about　it；　and　told　about　it。　She　hadheard　from　her　own　mother　and　grandmother　about　Poultry　Meg's　motherand　grandmother。　And　we　know　the　grandmother　too。　We　saw　her　ride；as　child；　over　the　bridge；　looking　proudly　around　her；　as　if　the　wholeworld　belonged　to　her；　and　all　the　birds'　nests　in　it；　and　we　sawher　on　the　heath；　by　the　sand…dunes；　and；　last　of　all；　in　theferry…house。　The　granddaughter；　the　last　of　her　race；　had　e　back　tothe　old　home；　where　the　old　castle　had　stood；　where　the　black　wildbirds　were　screamin