安徒生童话-第90章

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s　would　exclaim；　〃Delightful　Italy！〃

But　neither　the　student　nor　either　of　his　travelling　panionsfelt　the　least　inclination　to　think　of　it　in　this　way。　Poisonous　fliesand　gnats　flew　into　the　coach　by　thousands。　In　vain　they　drove　themaway　with　a　myrtle　branch；　the　flies　stung　them　notwithstanding。　Therewas　not　a　man　in　the　coach　whose　face　was　not　swollen　and　disfiguredwith　the　stings。　The　poor　horses　looked　wretched；　the　flies　settled　ontheir　backs　in　swarms；　and　they　were　only　relieved　when　the　coachmengot　down　and　drove　the　creatures　off。

As　the　sun　set；　an　icy　coldness　filled　all　nature；　not　howeverof　long　duration。　It　produced　the　feeling　which　we　experience　whenwe　enter　a　vault　at　a　funeral；　on　a　summer's　day；　while　the　hillsand　the　clouds　put　on　that　singular　green　hue　which　we　often　notice　inold　paintings；　and　look　upon　as　unnatural　until　we　have　ourselves　seennature's　coloring　in　the　south。　It　was　a　glorious　spectacle；　but　thestomachs　of　the　travellers　were　empty；　their　bodies　exhausted　withfatigue；　and　all　the　longings　of　their　heart　turned　towards　aresting…place　for　the　night；　but　where　to　find　one　they　knew　not。All　the　eyes　were　too　eagerly　seeking　for　this　resting…place；　tonotice　the　beauties　of　nature。

The　road　passed　through　a　grove　of　olive…trees；　it　reminded　thestudent　of　the　willow…trees　at　home。　Here　stood　a　lonely　inn；　andclose　by　it　a　number　of　crippled　beggars　had　placed　themselves；　thebrightest　among　them　looked；　to　quote　the　words　of　Marryat；　〃likethe　eldest　son　of　Famine　who　had　just　e　of　age。〃　The　others　wereeither　blind；　or　had　withered　legs；　which　obliged　them　to　creepabout　on　their　hands　and　knees；　or　they　had　shrivelled　arms　andhands　without　fingers。　It　was　indeed　poverty　arrayed　in　rags。〃Eccellenza；　miserabili！〃　they　exclaimed；　stretching　forth　theirdiseased　limbs。　The　hostess　received　the　travellers　with　bare　feet；untidy　hair；　and　a　dirty　blouse。　The　doors　were　fastened　together　withstring；　the　floors　of　the　rooms　were　of　brick；　broken　in　manyplaces；　bats　flew　about　under　the　roof；　and　as　to　the　odor　within…

〃Let　us　have　supper　laid　in　the　stable；〃　said　one　of　thetravellers；　〃then　we　shall　know　what　we　are　breathing。〃

The　windows　were　opened　to　let　in　a　little　fresh　air；　butquicker　than　air　came　in　the　withered　arms　and　the　continual　whiningsounds；　〃Miserabili；　eccellenza。　On　the　walls　were　inscriptions；half　of　them　against　〃la　bella　Italia。〃

The　supper　made　its　appearance　at　last。　It　consisted　of　waterysoup；　seasoned　with　pepper　and　rancid　oil。　This　last　delicacy　played　aprincipal　part　in　the　salad。　Musty　eggs　and　roasted　cocks'…bswere　the　best　dishes　on　the　table；　even　the　wine　had　a　strangetaste；　it　was　certainly　a　mixture。　At　night；　all　the　boxes　were　placedagainst　the　doors；　and　one　of　the　travellers　watched　while　theothers　slept。　The　student's　turn　came　to　watch。　How　close　the　air　feltin　that　room；　the　heat　overpowered　him。　The　gnats　were　buzzing　aboutand　stinging；　while　the　miserabili；　outside；　moaned　in　their　dreams。

〃Travelling　would　be　all　very　well；〃　said　the　student　ofdivinity　to　himself；　〃if　we　had　no　bodies；　or　if　the　body　could　restwhile　the　soul　if　flying。　Wherever　I　go　I　feel　a　want　whichoppresses　my　heart；　for　something　better　presents　itself　at　themoment；　yes；　something　better；　which　shall　be　the　best　of　all；　butwhere　is　that　to　be　found？　In　fact；　I　know　in　my　heart　very　wellwhat　I　want。　I　wish　to　attain　the　greatest　of　all　happiness。〃

No　sooner　were　the　words　spoken　than　he　was　at　home。　Long　whitecurtains　shaded　the　windows　of　his　room；　and　in　the　middle　of　thefloor　stood　a　black　coffin；　in　which　he　now　lay　in　the　still　sleepof　death；　his　wish　was　fulfilled；　his　body　was　at　rest；　and　his　spirittravelling。

〃Esteem　no　man　happy　until　he　is　in　his　grave；〃　were　the　wordsof　Solon。　Here　was　a　strong　fresh　proof　of　their　truth。　Every　corpseis　a　sphinx　of　immortality。　The　sphinx　in　this　sarcophagus　mightunveil　its　own　mystery　in　the　words　which　the　living　had　himselfwritten　two　days　before…

〃Stern　death；　thy　chilling　silence　waketh　dread；

　　　Yet　in　thy　darkest　hour　there　may　be　light。

Earth's　garden　reaper！　from　the　grave's　cold　bed

　　　The　soul　on　Jacob's　ladder　takes　her　flight。

Man's　greatest　sorrows　often　are　a　part

　Of　hidden　griefs；　concealed　from　human　eyes；

Which　press　far　heavier　on　the　lonely　heart

　　Than　now　the　earth　that　on　his　coffin　lies。〃

Two　figures　were　moving　about　the　room；　we　know　them　both。　One　wasthe　fairy　named　Care；　the　other　the　messenger　of　Fortune。　They　bentover　the　dead。

〃Look！〃　said　Care；　〃what　happiness　have　your　goloshes　brought　tomankind？〃

〃They　have　at　least　brought　lasting　happiness　to　him　whoslumbers　here；〃　she　said。

〃Not　so；〃　said　Care；　〃he　went　away　of　himself；　he　was　notsummoned。　His　mental　powers　were　not　strong　enough　to　discern　thetreasures　which　he　had　been　destined　to　discover。　I　will　do　him　afavor　now。〃　And　she　drew　the　goloshes　from　his　feet。

The　sleep　of　death　was　ended；　and　the　recovered　man　raisedhimself。　Care　vanished；　and　with　her　the　goloshes；　doubtless　shelooked　upon　them　as　her　own　property。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

THE　HAPPY　FAMILY

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

THE　largest　green　leaf　in　this　country　is　certainly　theburdock…leaf。　If　you　hold　it　in　front　of　you；　it　is　large　enough　foran　apron；　and　if　you　hold　it　over　your　head；　it　is　almost　as　good　asan　umbrella；　it　is　so　wonderfully　large。　A　burdock　never　growsalone；　where　it　grows；　there　are　many　more；　and　it　is　a　splendidsight；　and　all　this　splendor　is　good　for　snails。　The　great　whitesnails；　which　grand　people　in　olden　times　used　to　have　made　intofricassees；　and　when　they　had　eaten　them；　they　would　say；　〃O；　what　adelicious　dish！〃　for　these　people　really　thought　them　good；　andthese　snails　lived　on　burdock…leaves；　and　for　them　the　burdock　wasplanted。

There　was　once　an　old　estate　where　no　one　now　lived　to　requiresnails；　indeed；　the　owners　had　all　died　out；　but　the　burdock　stillflourished；　it　grew　over　all　the　beds　and　walks　of　the　garden…　itsgrowth　had　no　check…　till　it　became　at　last　quite　a　forest　ofburdocks。　Here　and　there　stood　an　apple　or　a　plum…tree；　but　forthis；　nobody　would　have　thought　the　place　had　ever　been　a　garden。　Itwas　burdock　from　one　end　to　the　other；　and　here　lived　the　last　twosurviving　snails。　They　knew　not　themselves　how　old　they　were；　but　theycould　remember　the　time　when　there　were　a　great　many　more　of　them；　andthat　they　were　descended　from　a　family　which　came　from　foreignlands；　and　that　the　whole　forest　had　been　planted　for　them　and　theirs。They　had　never　been　away　from　the　garden；　but　they　knew　that　anotherplace　once　existed　in　the　world；　called　the　Duke's　Palace　Castle；　inwhich　some　of　their　relations　had　been　boiled　till　they　becameblack；　and　were　then　laid　on　a　silver　dish；　but　what　was　doneafterwards　they　did　not　know。　Besides；　they　could　not　imagineexactly　how　it　felt　to　be　boiled　and　placed　on　a　silver　dish；　but　nodoubt　it　was　something　very　fine　and　highly　genteel。　Neither　thecockchafer；　nor　the　toad；　nor　the　earth…worm；　whom　they　questionedabout　it；　would　give　them　the　least　information；　for　none　of　theirrelations　had　ever　been　cooked　or　served　on　a　silver　dish。　The　oldwhite　snails　were　the　most　aristocratic　race　in　the　world；…　theyknew　that。　The　forest　had　been　planted　for　them；　and　the　nobleman'scastle　had　been　built　entirely　that　they　might　be　cooked　and　laid　onsilver　dishes。

They　lived　quite　retired　and　very　happily；　and　as　they　had　nochildren　of　their　own；　they　had　adopted　a　little　mon　snail；　whichthey　brought　up　as　their　own　child。　The　little　one　would　not　grow；　forhe　was　only　a　mon　snail；　but　the　old　people；　particularly　themother…snail；　declared　that　she　could　easily　see　how　he　grew；　and　whenthe　father　said　he　could　not　perceive　it；　she　begged　him　to　feel　thelittle　snail's　shell；　and　he　did　so；　and　found　that　the　mother　wasright。

One　day　it　rained　very　fast。　〃Listen；　what　a　drumming　there　ison　the　burdock…leaves；　turn；　turn；　turn；　turn；　turn；　turn；〃　said　thefather…snail。

〃There　e　the　drops；〃　said　the　mother；　〃they　are　tricklingdown　the　stalks。　We　shall　have　it　very　wet　here　presently。　I　am　veryglad　we　have　such　good　houses；　and　that　the　little　one　has　one　ofhis　own。　There　has　been　really　more　done　for　us　than　for　any　othercreature；　it　is　quite　plain　that　we　are　the　most　noble　people　in　theworld。　We　have　houses　from　our　birth；　and　the　burdock　forest　hasbeen　planted　for　us。　I　should　very　much　like　to　know　how　far　itextends；　and　what　lies　beyond　it。〃

〃There　can　be　nothing　better　than　we　have　here；〃　said　thefather…snail；　〃I　wish　for　nothing　more。〃

〃Yes；　but　I　do；〃　said　the　mother；　〃I　should　like　to　be　taken　tothe　palace；　and　boiled；　and　laid　upon　a　silver　dish；　as　was　done　toall　our　ancestors；　and　you　may　be　sure　it　must　be　something　veryunmon。〃

〃The　nobleman's　castle；　perhaps；　has　fallen　to　decay；〃　said　thesnail…father；　or　the　burdock　wood　may　have　grown　out。　You　need　notbe　in　a　hurry；　you　are　always　so　impatient；　and　the　youngster　isgetting　just　the　same。　He　has　been　three　days　creeping　to　the　top　ofthat　stalk。　I　feel　quite　giddy　when　I　look　at　him。〃

〃You　must　not　scold　him；〃　said　the　mother…snail；　〃he　creeps　sovery　carefu