安徒生童话-第131章

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？〃　said　the　bird。

So　Death　gave　up　each　of　these　treasures　for　a　song；　and　thenightingale　continued　her　singing。　She　sung　of　the　quiet　churchyard；where　the　white　roses　grow；　where　the　elder…tree　wafts　its　perfumeon　the　breeze；　and　the　fresh；　sweet　grass　is　moistened　by　themourners'　tears。　Then　Death　longed　to　go　and　see　his　garden；　andfloated　out　through　the　window　in　the　form　of　a　cold；　white　mist。

〃Thanks；　thanks；　you　heavenly　little　bird。　I　know　you　well。　Ibanished　you　from　my　kingdom　once；　and　yet　you　have　charmed　away　theevil　faces　from　my　bed；　and　banished　Death　from　my　heart；　with　yoursweet　song。　How　can　I　reward　you？〃

〃You　have　already　rewarded　me；〃　said　the　nightingale。　〃I　shallnever　forget　that　I　drew　tears　from　your　eyes　the　first　time　I　sang　toyou。　These　are　the　jewels　that　rejoice　a　singer's　heart。　But　nowsleep；　and　grow　strong　and　well　again。　I　will　sing　to　you　again。〃

And　as　she　sung；　the　emperor　fell　into　a　sweet　sleep；　and　how　mildand　refreshing　that　slumber　was！　When　he　awoke；　strengthened　andrestored；　the　sun　shone　brightly　through　the　window；　but　not　one　ofhis　servants　had　returned…　they　all　believed　he　was　dead；　only　thenightingale　still　sat　beside　him；　and　sang。

〃You　must　always　remain　with　me；〃　said　the　emperor。　〃You　shallsing　only　when　it　pleases　you；　and　I　will　break　the　artificial　birdinto　a　thousand　pieces。〃

〃No；　do　not　do　that；〃　replied　the　nightingale；　〃the　bird　didvery　well　as　long　as　it　could。　Keep　it　here　still。　I　cannot　live　inthe　palace；　and　build　my　nest；　but　let　me　e　when　I　like。　I　will　siton　a　bough　outside　your　window；　in　the　evening；　and　sing　to　you；　sothat　you　may　be　happy；　and　have　thoughts　full　of　joy。　I　will　sing　toyou　of　those　who　are　happy；　and　those　who　suffer；　of　the　good　andthe　evil；　who　are　hidden　around　you。　The　little　singing　bird　flies　farfrom　you　and　your　court　to　the　home　of　the　fisherman　and　the　peasant'scot。　I　love　your　heart　better　than　your　crown；　and　yet　somethingholy　lingers　round　that　also。　I　will　e；　I　will　sing　to　you；　but　youmust　promise　me　one　thing。〃

〃Everything；〃　said　the　emperor；　who；　having　dressed　himself　in　hisimperial　robes；　stood　with　the　hand　that　held　the　heavy　golden　swordpressed　to　his　heart。

〃I　only　ask　one　thing；〃　she　replied；　〃let　no　one　know　that　youhave　a　little　bird　who　tells　you　everything。　It　will　be　best　toconceal　it。〃　So　saying；　the　nightingale　flew　away。

The　servants　now　came　in　to　look　after　the　dead　emperor；　when；　lo！there　he　stood；　and；　to　their　astonishment；　said；　〃Good　morning。〃

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　THE　OLD　BACHELOR'S　NIGHTCAP

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

THERE　is　a　street　in　Copenhagen　with　a　very　strange　name。　It　iscalled　〃Hysken〃　street。　Where　the　name　came　from；　and　what　it　means　isvery　uncertain。　It　is　said　to　be　German；　but　that　is　unjust　to　theGermans；　for　it　would　then　be　called　〃Hauschen；〃　not　〃Hysken。〃〃Hauschen；〃　means　a　little　house；　and　for　many　years　it　consisted　onlyof　a　few　small　houses；　which　were　scarcely　larger　than　the　woodenbooths　we　see　in　the　market…places　at　fair　time。　They　were　perhaps　alittle　higher；　and　had　windows；　but　the　panes　consisted　of　horn　orbladder…skins；　for　glass　was　then　too　dear　to　have　glazed　windows　inevery　house。　This　was　a　long　time　ago；　so　long　indeed　that　ourgrandfathers；　and　even　great…grandfathers；　would　speak　of　those　daysas　〃olden　times；〃　indeed；　many　centuries　have　passed　since　then。

The　rich　merchants　in　Bremen　and　Lubeck；　who　carried　on　trade　inCopenhagen；　did　not　reside　in　the　town　themselves；　but　sent　theirclerks；　who　dwelt　in　the　wooden　booths　in　the　Hauschen　street；　andsold　beer　and　spices。　The　German　beer　was　very　good；　and　there　weremany　sorts…　from　Bremen；　Prussia；　and　Brunswick…　and　quantities　of　allsorts　of　spices；　saffron；　aniseed；　ginger；　and　especially　pepper；indeed；　pepper　was　almost　the　chief　article　sold　here；　so　ithappened　at　last　that　the　German　clerks　in　Denmark　got　theirnickname　of　〃pepper　gentry。〃　It　had　been　made　a　condition　with　theseclerks　that　they　should　not　marry；　so　that　those　who　lived　to　be　oldhad　to　take　care　of　themselves；　to　attend　to　their　own　forts；　andeven　to　light　their　own　fires；　when　they　had　any　to　light。　Many　ofthem　were　very　aged；　lonely　old　boys；　with　strange　thoughts　andeccentric　habits。　From　this；　all　unmarried　men；　who　have　attained　acertain　age；　are　called；　in　Denmark；　〃pepper　gentry；〃　and　this　must　beremembered　by　all　those　who　wish　to　understand　the　story。　These〃pepper　gentlemen；〃　or；　as　they　are　called　in　England；　〃oldbachelors；〃　are　often　made　a　butt　of　ridicule；　they　are　told　to　put　ontheir　nightcaps；　draw　them　over　their　eyes；　and　go　to　sleep。　Theboys　in　Denmark　make　a　song　of　it；　thus：…

　　〃Poor　old　bachelor；　cut　your　wood；

Such　a　nightcap　was　never　seen；

Who　would　think　it　was　ever　clean？

　　Go　to　sleep；　it　will　do　you　good。〃

So　they　sing　about　the　〃pepper　gentleman；〃　so　do　they　make　sportof　the　poor　old　bachelor　and　his　nightcap；　and　all　because　they　reallyknow　nothing　of　either。　It　is　a　cap　that　no　one　need　wish　for；　orlaugh　at。　And　why　not？　Well；　we　shall　hear　in　the　story。

In　olden　times；　Hauschen　Street　was　not　paved；　and　passengerswould　stumble　out　of　one　hole　into　another；　as　they　generally　do　inunfrequented　highways；　and　the　street　was　so　narrow；　and　the　boothsleaning　against　each　other　were　so　close　together；　that　in　thesummer　time　a　sail　would　be　stretched　across　the　street　from　one　boothto　another　opposite。　At　these　times　the　odor　of　the　pepper；　saffron；and　ginger　became　more　powerful　than　ever。　Behind　the　counter；　as　arule；　there　were　no　young　men。　The　clerks　were　almost　all　old　boys；but　they　did　not　dress　as　we　are　accustomed　to　see　old　menrepresented；　wearing　wigs；　nightcaps；　and　knee…breeches；　and　with　coatand　waistcoat　buttoned　up　to　the　chin。　We　have　seen　the　portraits　ofour　great…grandfathers　dressed　in　this　way；　but　the　〃pepper　gentlemen〃had　no　money　to　spare　to　have　their　portraits　taken；　though　one　ofthem　would　have　made　a　very　interesting　picture　for　us　now；　if　takenas　he　appeared　standing　behind　his　counter；　or　going　to　church；　oron　holidays。　On　these　occasions；　they　wore　high…crowned；　broad…brimmedhats；　and　sometimes　a　younger　clerk　would　stick　a　feather　in　his。The　woollen　shirt　was　concealed　by　a　broad；　linen　collar；　the　closejacket　was　buttoned　up　to　the　chin；　and　the　cloak　hung　loosely　overit；　the　trousers　were　tucked　into　the　broad；　tipped　shoes；　for　theclerks　wore　no　stockings。　They　generally　stuck　a　table…knife　and　spoonin　their　girdles；　as　well　as　a　larger　knife；　as　a　protection　tothemselves；　and　such　a　weapon　was　often　very　necessary。

After　this　fashion　was　Anthony　dressed　on　holidays　andfestivals；　excepting　that；　instead　of　a　high…crowned　hat；　he　wore　akind　of　bon；　and　under　it　a　knitted　cap；　a　regular　nightcap；　towhich　he　was　so　accustomed　that　it　was　always　on　his　head；　he　had　two；nightcaps　I　mean；　not　heads。　Anthony　was　one　of　the　oldest　of　theclerks；　and　just　the　subject　for　a　painter。　He　was　as　thin　as　alath；　wrinkled　round　the　mouth　and　eyes；　had　long；　bony　fingers；bushy；　gray　eyebrows；　and　over　his　left　eye　hung　a　thick　tuft　of　hair；which　did　not　look　handsome；　but　made　his　appearance　veryremarkable。　People　knew　that　he　came　from　Bremen；　it　was　not　exactlyhis　home；　although　his　master　resided　there。　His　ancestors　were　fromThuringia；　and　had　lived　in　the　town　of　Eisenach；　close　by　Wartburg。Old　Anthony　seldom　spoke　of　this　place；　but　he　thought　of　it　all　themore。

The　old　clerks　of　Hauschen　Street　very　seldom　met　together；　eachone　remained　in　his　own　booth；　which　was　closed　early　enough　in　theevening；　and　then　it　looked　dark　and　dismal　out　in　the　street。　Onlya　faint　glimmer　of　light　struggled　through　the　horn　panes　in　thelittle　window　on　the　roof；　while　within　sat　the　old　clerk；　generallyon　his　bed；　singing　his　evening　hymn　in　a　low　voice；　or　he　would　bemoving　about　in　his　booth　till　late　in　the　night；　busily　employed　inmany　things。　It　certainly　was　not　a　very　lively　existence。　To　be　astranger　in　a　strange　land　is　a　bitter　lot；　no　one　notices　youunless　you　happen　to　stand　in　their　way。　Often；　when　it　was　dark　nightoutside；　with　rain　or　snow　falling；　the　place　looked　quite　desertedand　gloomy。　There　were　no　lamps　in　the　street；　excepting　a　verysmall　one；　which　hung　at　one　end　of　the　street；　before　a　picture　ofthe　Virgin；　which　had　been　painted　on　the　wall。　The　dashing　of　thewater　against　the　bulwarks　of　a　neighboring　castle　could　plainly　beheard。　Such　evenings　are　long　and　dreary；　unless　people　can　findsomething　to　do；　and　so　Anthony　found　it。　There　were　not　always　thingsto　be　packed　or　unpacked；　nor　paper　bags　to　be　made；　nor　the　scales　tobe　polished。　So　Anthony　invented　employment；　he　mended　his　clothes　andpatched　his　boots；　and　when　he　at　last　went　to　bed；…　his　nightcap；which　he　had　worn　from　habit；　still　remained　on　his　head；　he　hadonly　to　pull　it　down　a　little　farther　over　his　forehead。　Very　soon；however；　it　would　be　pushed　up　again　to　see　if　the　light　wasproperly　put　out；　he　would　touch　it；　press　the　wick　together；　and　atlast　pull　his　nightcap　over　his　eyes　and　lie　down　again　on　the　otherside。　But　often　there　would　arise　in　his　mind　a　doubt　as　to　whetherevery　coal　had　been　quite　put　out　in　the　litt