安徒生童话-第115章

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o　the　ceiling；　to　be　coveredand　adorned　with　flaming　candles；　golden　apples；　and　little　figures。The　fire…stool　will　be　as　warm　as　a　stove；　and　I　shall　then　bring　astory　book　out　of　my　pocket；　and　read　aloud　till　all　the　children　inthe　room　are　quite　quiet。　Then　the　little　figures　on　the　tree　willbee　lively；　and　the　little　waxen　angel　at　the　top　spread　out　hiswings　of　gold…leaf；　and　fly　down　from　his　green　perch。　He　will　kissevery　one　in　the　room；　great　and　small；　yes；　even　the　poor　childrenwho　stand　in　the　passage；　or　out　in　the　street　singing　a　carol　aboutthe　'Star　of　Bethlehem。'〃

〃Well；　now　the　coach　may　drive　away；〃　said　the　sentry；　〃we　havethe　whole　twelve。　Let　the　horses　be　put　up。〃

〃First；　let　all　the　twelve　e　to　me；〃　said　the　captain　onduty；　〃one　after　another。　The　passports　I　will　keep　here。　Each　of　themis　available　for　one　month；　when　that　has　passed；　I　shall　write　thebehavior　of　each　on　his　passport。　Mr。　JANUARY；　have　the　goodness　toe　here。〃　And　Mr。　January　stepped　forward。

When　a　year　has　passed；　I　think　I　shall　be　able　to　tell　you　whatthe　twelve　passengers　have　brought　to　you；　to　me；　and　to　all　of　us。Now　I　do　not　know；　and　probably　even　they　don't　know　themselves；　forwe　live　in　strange　times。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　　THE　MARSH　KING'S　DAUGHTER

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

THE　storks　relate　to　their　little　ones　a　great　many　stories；　andthey　are　all　about　moors　and　reed　banks；　and　suited　to　their　age　andcapacity。　The　youngest　of　them　are　quite　satisfied　with　〃kribble；krabble；〃　or　such　nonsense；　and　think　it　very　grand；　but　the　elderones　want　something　with　a　deeper　meaning；　or　at　least　something　abouttheir　own　family。

We　are　only　acquainted　with　one　of　the　two　longest　and　oldeststories　which　the　storks　relate…　it　is　about　Moses；　who　was　exposed　byhis　mother　on　the　banks　of　the　Nile；　and　was　found　by　the　king'sdaughter；　who　gave　him　a　good　education；　and　he　afterwards　became　agreat　man；　but　where　he　was　buried　is　still　unknown。

Every　one　knows　this　story；　but　not　the　second；　very　likelybecause　it　is　quite　an　inland　story。　It　has　been　repeated　from　mouthto　mouth；　from　one　stork…mamma　to　another；　for　thousands　of　years；　andeach　has　told　it　better　than　the　last；　and　now　we　mean　to　tell　itbetter　than　all。

The　first　stork　pair　who　related　it　lived　at　the　time　it　happened；and　had　their　summer　residence　on　the　rafters　of　the　Viking's　house；which　stood　near　the　wild　moorlands　of　Wendsyssell；　that　is；　tospeak　more　correctly；　the　great　moorheath；　high　up　in　the　north　ofJutland；　by　the　Skjagen　peak。　This　wilderness　is　still　an　immense　wildheath　of　marshy　ground；　about　which　we　can　read　in　the　〃OfficialDirectory。〃　It　is　said　that　in　olden　times　the　place　was　a　lake；　theground　of　which　had　heaved　up　from　beneath；　and　now　the　moorlandextends　for　miles　in　every　direction；　and　is　surrounded　by　dampmeadows；　trembling；　undulating　swamps；　and　marshy　ground　coveredwith　turf；　on　which　grow　bilberry　bushes　and　stunted　trees。　Mistsare　almost　always　hovering　over　this　region；　which；　seventy　years　ago；was　overrun　with　wolves。　It　may　well　be　called　the　Wild　Moor；　andone　can　easily　imagine；　with　such　a　wild　expanse　of　marsh　and　lake；how　lonely　and　dreary　it　must　have　been　a　thousand　years　ago。　Manythings　may　be　noticed　now　that　existed　then。　The　reeds　grow　to　thesame　height；　and　bear　the　same　kind　of　long；　purple…brown　leaves；　withtheir　feathery　tips。　There　still　stands　the　birch；　with　its　white　barkand　its　delicate；　loosely　hanging　leaves；　and　with　regard　to　theliving　beings　who　frequented　this　spot；　the　fly　still　wears　a　gauzydress　of　the　same　cut；　and　the　favorite　colors　of　the　stork　are　white；with　black　and　red　for　stockings。　The　people；　certainly；　in　thosedays；　wore　very　different　dresses　to　those　they　now　wear；　but　if　anyof　them；　be　he　huntsman　or　squire；　master　or　servant；　ventured　onthe　wavering；　undulating；　marshy　ground　of　the　moor；　they　met　with　thesame　fate　a　thousand　years　ago　as　they　would　now。　The　wanderer　sank；and　went　down　to　the　Marsh　King；　as　he　is　named；　who　rules　in　thegreat　moorland　empire　beneath。　They　also　called　him　〃Gunkel　King；〃　butwe　like　the　name　of　〃Marsh　King〃　better；　and　we　will　give　him　thatname　as　the　storks　do。　Very　little　is　known　of　the　Marsh　King'srule；　but　that；　perhaps；　is　a　good　thing。

In　the　neighborhood　of　the　moorlands；　and　not　far　from　the　greatarm　of　the　North　Sea　and　the　Cattegat　which　is　called　theLumfjorden；　lay　the　castle　of　the　Viking；　with　its　water…tight　stonecellars；　its　tower；　and　its　three　projecting　storeys。　On　the　ridgeof　the　roof　the　stork　had　built　his　nest；　and　there　the　stork…mammasat　on　her　eggs　and　felt　sure　her　hatching　would　e　to　something。

One　evening；　stork…papa　stayed　out　rather　late；　and　when　he　camehome　he　seemed　quite　busy；　bustling；　and　important。　〃I　havesomething　very　dreadful　to　tell　you；〃　said　he　to　the　stork…mamma。

〃Keep　it　to　yourself　then；〃　she　replied。　〃Remember　that　I　amhatching　eggs；　it　may　agitate　me；　and　will　affect　them。〃

〃You　must　know　it　at　once；〃　said　he。　〃The　daughter　of　our　hostin　Egypt　has　arrived　here。　She　has　ventured　to　take　this　journey；and　now　she　is　lost。〃

〃She　who　sprung　from　the　race　of　the　fairies；　is　it？〃　cried　themother　stork。　〃Oh；　tell　me　all　about　it；　you　know　I　cannot　bear　tobe　kept　waiting　at　a　time　when　I　am　hatching　eggs。〃

〃Well；　you　see；　mother；〃　he　replied；　〃she　believed　what　thedoctors　said；　and　what　I　have　heard　you　state　also；　that　themoor…flowers　which　grow　about　here　would　heal　her　sick　father；　and　shehas　flown　to　the　north　in　swan's　plumage；　in　pany　with　some　otherswan…princesses；　who　e　to　these　parts　every　year　to　renew　theiryouth。　She　came；　and　where　is　she　now！〃

〃You　enter　into　particulars　too　much；〃　said　the　mamma　stork；〃and　the　eggs　may　take　cold；　I　cannot　bear　such　suspense　as　this。〃

〃Well；〃　said　he；　〃I　have　kept　watch；　and　this　evening　I　went　amongthe　rushes　where　I　thought　the　marshy　ground　would　bear　me；　andwhile　I　was　there　three　swans　came。　Something　in　their　manner　offlying　seemed　to　say　to　me；　'Look　carefully　now；　there　is　one　notall　swan；　only　swan's　feathers。'　You　know；　mother；　you　have　the　sameintuitive　feeling　that　I　have；　you　know　whether　a　thing　is　right　ornot　immediately。〃

〃Yes；　of　course；〃　said　she；　〃but　tell　me　about　the　princess；　Iam　tired　of　hearing　about　the　swan's　feathers。〃

〃Well；　you　know　that　in　the　middle　of　the　moor　there　issomething　like　a　lake；〃　said　the　stork…papa。　〃You　can　see　the　edgeof　it　if　you　raise　yourself　a　little。　Just　there；　by　the　reeds　and　thegreen　banks；　lay　the　trunk　of　an　elder…tree；　upon　this　the　three　swansstood　flapping　their　wings；　and　looking　about　them；　one　of　themthrew　off　her　plumage；　and　I　immediately　recognized　her　as　one　ofthe　princesses　of　our　home　in　Egypt。　There　she　sat；　without　anycovering　but　her　long；　black　hair。　I　heard　her　tell　the　two　othersto　take　great　care　of　the　swan's　plumage；　while　she　dipped　down　intothe　water　to　pluck　the　flowers　which　she　fancied　she　saw　there。　Theothers　nodded；　and　picked　up　the　feather　dress；　and　took　possession　ofit。　I　wonder　what　will　bee　of　it？　thought　I；　and　she　most　likelyasked　herself　the　same　question。　If　so；　she　received　an　answer；　a　verypractical　one；　for　the　two　swans　rose　up　and　flew　away　with　her　swan'splumage。　'Dive　down　now！'　they　cried；　'thou　shalt　never　more　fly　inthe　swan's　plumage；　thou　shalt　never　again　see　Egypt；　here；　on　themoor；　thou　wilt　remain。'　So　saying；　they　tore　the　swan's　plumageinto　a　thousand　pieces；　the　feathers　drifted　about　like　a　snow…shower；and　then　the　two　deceitful　princesses　flew　away。〃

〃Why；　that　is　terrible；〃　said　the　stork…mamma；　〃I　feel　as　if　Icould　hardly　bear　to　hear　any　more；　but　you　must　tell　me　what　happenednext。〃

〃The　princess　wept　and　lamented　aloud；　her　tears　moistened　theelder　stump；　which　was　really　not　an　elder　stump　but　the　Marsh　Kinghimself；　he　who　in　marshy　ground　lives　and　rules。　I　saw　myself　how　thestump　of　the　tree　turned　round；　and　was　a　tree　no　more；　while　long；clammy　branches　like　arms；　were　extended　from　it。　Then　the　poorchild　was　terribly　frightened；　and　started　up　to　run　away。　Shehastened　to　cross　the　green；　slimy　ground；　but　it　will　not　bear　anyweight；　much　less　hers。　She　quickly　sank；　and　the　elder　stump　divedimmediately　after　her；　in　fact；　it　was　he　who　drew　her　down。　Greatblack　bubbles　rose　up　out　of　the　moor…slime；　and　with　these　everytrace　of　the　two　vanished。　And　now　the　princess　is　buried　in　thewild　marsh；　she　will　never　now　carry　flowers　to　Egypt　to　cure　herfather。　It　would　have　broken　your　heart；　mother；　had　you　seen　it。〃

〃You　ought　not　to　have　told　me；〃　said　she；　〃at　such　a　time　asthis；　the　eggs　might　suffer。　But　I　think　the　princess　will　soon　findhelp；　some　one　will　rise　up　to　help　her。　Ah！　if　it　had　been　you　orI；　or　one　of　our　people；　it　would　have　been　all　over　with　us。〃

I　mean　to　go　every　day；〃　said　he；　〃to　see　if　anything　es　topass；〃　and　so　he　did。

A　long　time　went　by；　but　at　last　he　saw　a　green　stalk　shootingup　out　of　the　deep；　marshy　ground。　As　it　reached　the　surface　of　themarsh；　a　leaf　spread　out；　and　unfolded　itself　broader　and　broader；　andclose　to　it　came　forth　a　bud。

One　morning；　when　the　stork…papa　was　flying　over　the　stem；　hesaw　that　the　power