安徒生童话-第5章

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ish　was　useless…　not　a　breath　of　air　stirred；　or　if　itdid　arise　it　was　contrary。　Weeks　passed　by　in　this　way；　two　wholemonths；　and　then　at　length　a　fair　wind　blew　from　the　south…west。　Theship　sailed　on　the　high　seas　between　Scotland　and　Jutland；　then　thewind　increased；　just　as　it　did　in　the　old　song　of　〃The　King　ofEngland's　Son。〃

〃'Mid　storm　and　wind；　and　pelting　hail；

　　Their　efforts　were　of　no　avail。

　　The　golden　anchor　forth　they　threw；

　　Towards　Denmark　the　west　wind　blew。〃

This　all　happened　a　long　time　ago；　King　Christian　VII；　who　saton　the　Danish　throne；　was　still　a　young　man。　Much　has　happened　sincethen；　much　has　altered　or　been　changed。　Sea　and　moorland　have　beenturned　into　green　meadows；　stretches　of　heather　have　bee　arableland；　and　in　the　shelter　of　the　peasant's　cottages；　apple…trees　androse…bushes　grow；　though　they　certainly　require　much　care；　as　thesharp　west　wind　blows　upon　them。　In　West　Jutland　one　may　go　back　inthought　to　old　times；　farther　back　than　the　days　when　Christian　VIIruled。　The　purple　heather　still　extends　for　miles；　with　its　barrowsand　aerial　spectacles；　intersected　with　sandy　uneven　roads；　just　as　itdid　then；　towards　the　west；　where　broad　streams　run　into　the　bays；　aremarshes　and　meadows　encircled　by　lofty；　sandy　hills；　which；　like　achain　of　Alps；　raise　their　pointed　summits　near　the　sea；　they　are　onlybroken　by　high　ridges　of　clay；　from　which　the　sea；　year　by　year；　bitesout　great　mouthfuls；　so　that　the　overhanging　banks　fall　down　as　ifby　the　shock　of　an　earthquake。　Thus　it　is　there　today　and　thus　itwas　long　ago；　when　the　happy　pair　were　sailing　in　the　beautiful　ship。

It　was　a　Sunday；　towards　the　end　of　September；　the　sun　wasshining；　and　the　chiming　of　the　church　bells　in　the　Bay　of　Nissumwas　carried　along　by　the　breeze　like　a　chain　of　sounds。　The　churchesthere　are　almost　entirely　built　of　hewn　blocks　of　stone；　each　like　apiece　of　rock。　The　North　Sea　might　foam　over　them　and　they　would　notbe　disturbed。　Nearly　all　of　them　are　without　steeples；　and　the　bellsare　hung　outside　between　two　beams。　The　service　was　over；　and　thecongregation　passed　out　into　the　churchyard；　where　not　a　tree　orbush　was　to　be　seen；　no　flowers　were　planted　there；　and　they　had　notplaced　a　single　wreath　upon　any　of　the　graves。　It　is　just　the　samenow。　Rough　mounds　show　where　the　dead　have　been　buried；　and　rankgrass；　tossed　by　the　wind；　grows　thickly　over　the　whole　churchyard；here　and　there　a　grave　has　a　sort　of　monument；　a　block　of　half…decayedwood；　rudely　cut　in　the　shape　of　a　coffin；　the　blocks　are　brought　fromthe　forest　of　West　Jutland；　but　the　forest　is　the　sea　itself；　andthe　inhabitants　find　beams；　and　planks；　and　fragments　which　thewaves　have　cast　upon　the　beach。　One　of　these　blocks　had　been　placed　byloving　hands　on　a　child's　grave；　and　one　of　the　women　who　had　e　outof　the　church　walked　up　to　it；　she　stood　there；　her　eyes　resting　onthe　weather…beaten　memorial；　and　a　few　moments　afterwards　herhusband　joined　her。　They　were　both　silent；　but　he　took　her　hand；　andthey　walked　together　across　the　purple　heath；　over　moor　and　meadowtowards　the　sandhills。　For　a　long　time　they　went　on　without　speaking。

〃It　was　a　good　sermon　to…day；〃　the　man　said　at　last。　〃If　we　hadnot　God　to　trust　in；　we　should　have　nothing。〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　the　woman；　〃He　sends　joy　and　sorrow；　and　He　has　aright　to　send　them。　To…morrow　our　little　son　would　have　been　fiveyears　old　if　we　had　been　permitted　to　keep　him。〃

〃It　is　no　use　fretting；　wife；〃　said　the　man。　〃The　boy　is　wellprovided　for。　He　is　where　we　hope　and　pray　to　go　to。〃

They　said　nothing　more；　but　went　out　towards　their　houses　amongthe　sand…hills。　All　at　once；　in　front　of　one　of　the　houses　where　thesea　grass　did　not　keep　the　sand　down　with　its　twining　roots；　whatseemed　to　be　a　column　of　smoke　rose　up。　A　gust　of　wind　rushedbetween　the　hills；　hurling　the　particles　of　sand　high　into　the　air；another　gust；　and　the　strings　of　fish　hung　up　to　dry　flapped　andbeat　violently　against　the　walls　of　the　cottage；　then　everything　wasquiet　once　more；　and　the　sun　shone　with　renewed　heat。

The　man　and　his　wife　went　into　the　cottage。　They　had　soon　takenoff　their　Sunday　clothes　and　e　out　again；　hurrying　over　the　duneswhich　stood　there　like　great　waves　of　sand　suddenly　arrested　intheir　course；　while　the　sandweeds　and　dune　grass　with　its　bluishstalks　spread　a　changing　colour　over　them。　A　few　neighbours　alsocame　out；　and　helped　each　other　to　draw　the　boats　higher　up　on　thebeach。　The　wind　now　blew　more　keenly；　it　was　chilly　and　cold；　and　whenthey　went　back　over　the　sand…hills；　sand　and　little　sharp　stonesblew　into　their　faces。　The　waves　rose　high；　crested　with　white　foam；and　the　wind　cut　off　their　crests；　scattering　the　foam　far　and　wide。

Evening　came；　there　was　a　swelling　roar　in　the　air；　a　wailing　ormoaning　like　the　voices　of　despairing　spirits；　that　sounded　abovethe　thunder　of　the　waves。　The　fisherman's　little　cottage　was　on　thevery　margin；　and　the　sand　rattled　against　the　window　panes；　everynow　and　then　a　violent　gust　of　wind　shook　the　house　to　its　foundation。It　was　dark；　but　about　midnight　the　moon　would　rise。　Later　on　theair　became　clearer；　but　the　storm　swept　over　the　perturbed　sea　withundiminished　fury；　the　fisher　folks　had　long　since　gone　to　bed；　but　insuch　weather　there　was　no　chance　of　closing　an　eye。　Presently　therewas　a　tapping　at　the　window；　the　door　was　opened；　and　a　voice　said：

〃There's　a　large　ship　stranded　on　the　farthest　reef。〃

In　a　moment　the　fisher　people　sprung　from　their　beds　and　hastilydressed　themselves。　The　moon　had　risen；　and　it　was　light　enough　tomake　the　surrounding　objects　visible　to　those　who　could　open　theireyes　in　the　blinding　clouds　of　sand；　the　violence　of　the　wind　wasterrible；　and　it　was　only　possible　to　pass　among　the　sand…hills　if　onecrept　forward　between　the　gusts；　the　salt　spray　flew　up　from　the　sealike　down；　and　the　ocean　foamed　like　a　roaring　cataract　towards　thebeach。　Only　a　practised　eye　could　discern　the　vessel　out　in　theoffing；　she　was　a　fine　brig；　and　the　waves　now　lifted　her　over　thereef；　three　or　four　cables'　length　out　of　the　usual　channel。　She　drovetowards　the　shore；　struck　on　the　second　reef；　and　remained　fixed。

It　was　impossible　to　render　assistance；　the　sea　rushed　in　upon　thevessel；　making　a　clean　breach　over　her。　Those　on　shore　thought　theyheard　cries　for　help　from　those　on　board；　and　could　plainlydistinguish　the　busy　but　useless　efforts　made　by　the　stranded　sailors。Now　a　wave　came　rolling　onward。　It　fell　with　enormous　force　on　thebowsprit；　tearing　it　from　the　vessel；　and　the　stern　was　lifted　highabove　the　water。　Two　people　were　seen　to　embrace　and　plunge　togetherinto　the　sea；　and　the　next　moment　one　of　the　largest　waves　that　rolledtowards　the　sand…hills　threw　a　body　on　the　beach。　It　was　a　woman；the　sailors　said　that　she　was　quite　dead；　but　the　women　thought　theysaw　signs　of　life　in　her；　so　the　stranger　was　carried　across　thesand…hills　to　the　fisherman's　cottage。　How　beautiful　and　fair　she　was！She　must　be　a　great　lady；　they　said。

They　laid　her　upon　the　humble　bed；　there　was　not　a　yard　of　linenon　it；　only　a　woollen　coverlet　to　keep　the　occupant　warm。

Life　returned　to　her；　but　she　was　delirious；　and　knew　nothing　ofwhat　had　happened　or　where　she　was；　and　it　was　better　so；　foreverything　she　loved　and　valued　lay　buried　in　the　sea。　The　samething　happened　to　her　ship　as　to　the　one　spoken　of　in　the　song　about〃The　King　of　England's　Son。〃

　　〃Alas！　how　terrible　to　see

　　　The　gallant　bark　sink　rapidly。〃

Fragments　of　the　wreck　and　pieces　of　wood　were　washed　ashore；　theywere　all　that　remained　of　the　vessel。　The　wind　still　blew　violently　onthe　coast。

For　a　few　moments　the　strange　lady　seemed　to　rest；　but　she　awokein　pain；　and　uttered　cries　of　anguish　and　fear。　She　opened　herwonderfully　beautiful　eyes；　and　spoke　a　few　words；　but　nobodyunderstood　her。…　And　lo！　as　a　reward　for　the　sorrow　and　sufferingshe　had　undergone；　she　held　in　her　arms　a　new…born　babe。　The　childthat　was　to　have　rested　upon　a　magnificent　couch；　draped　with　silkencurtains；　in　a　luxurious　home；　it　was　to　have　been　weled　with　joyto　a　life　rich　in　all　the　good　things　of　this　world；　and　now　Heavenhad　ordained　that　it　should　be　born　in　this　humble　retreat；　that　itshould　not　even　receive　a　kiss　from　its　mother；　for　when　thefisherman's　wife　laid　the　child　upon　the　mother's　bosom；　it　restedon　a　heart　that　beat　no　more…　she　was　dead。

The　child　that　was　to　have　been　reared　amid　wealth　and　luxurywas　cast　into　the　world；　washed　by　the　sea　among　the　sand…hills　toshare　the　fate　and　hardships　of　the　poor。

Here　we　are　reminded　again　of　the　song　about　〃The　King　ofEngland's　Son；〃　for　in　it　mention　is　made　of　the　custom　prevalent　atthe　time；　when　knights　and　squires　plundered　those　who　had　beensaved　from　shipwreck。　The　ship　had　stranded　some　distance　south　ofNissum　Bay；　and　the　cruel；　inhuman　days；　when；　as　we　have　just　said；the　inhabitants　of　Jutland　treated　the　shipwrecked　people　so　crudelywere　past；　long　ago。　Affectionate　sympathy　and　self…sacrifice　forthe　unfortunate　existed　then；　just　as　it　does　in　our　own　time　inmany　a　bright　example。　The　dying　mother　and　the　unfortunate　childwould　have　found　kindness　and　help　wherever　they　had　been　cast　bythe　winds；　but　nowhere　would　it　have　been　more　sin