安徒生童话-第137章

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　it。〃

〃You　must　not　look　only　on　the　sorrowful　side；〃　said　the　littleboy；　〃I　think　everything　in　this　house　is　beautiful；　and　all　the　oldpleasant　thoughts　e　back　here　to　pay　visits。〃

〃Ah；　but　I　never　see　any；　and　I　don't　know　them；〃　said　the　tinsoldier；　〃and　I　cannot　bear　it。〃

〃You　must　bear　it；〃　said　the　little　boy。　Then　the　old　man　cameback　with　a　pleasant　face；　and　brought　with　him　beautiful　preservedfruits；　as　well　as　apples　and　nuts；　and　the　little　boy　thought　no　moreof　the　tin　soldier。　How　happy　and　delighted　the　little　boy　was；　andafter　he　returned　home；　and　while　days　and　weeks　passed；　a　greatdeal　of　nodding　took　place　from　one　house　to　the　other；　and　then　thelittle　boy　went　to　pay　another　visit。　The　carved　trumpeters　blew〃Tanta…ra…ra。　There　is　the　little　boy。　Tanta…ra…ra。〃　The　swords　andarmor　on　the　old　knight's　pictures　rattled。　The　silk　dressesrustled；　the　leather　repeated　its　rhyme；　and　the　old　chairs　had　thegout　in　their　backs；　and　cried；　〃Creak；〃　it　was　all　exactly　like　thefirst　time；　for　in　that　house；　one　day　and　one　hour　were　just　likeanother。　〃I　cannot　bear　it　any　longer；〃　said　the　tin　soldier；　〃Ihave　wept　tears　of　tin；　it　is　so　melancholy　here。　Let　me　go　to　thewars；　and　lose　an　arm　or　a　leg；　that　would　be　some　change；　I　cannotbear　it。　Now　I　know　what　it　is　to　have　visits　from　one's　oldrecollections；　and　all　they　bring　with　them。　I　have　had　visits　frommine；　and　you　may　believe　me　it　is　not　altogether　pleasant。　I　was　verynearly　jumping　from　the　shelf。　I　saw　you　all　in　your　house　opposite；as　if　you　were　really　present。　It　was　Sunday　morning；　and　you　childrenstood　round　the　table；　singing　the　hymn　that　you　sing　every　morning。You　were　standing　quietly；　with　your　hands　folded；　and　your　father　andmother。　You　were　standing　quietly；　with　your　hands　folded；　and　yourfather　and　mother　were　looking　just　as　serious；　when　the　dooropened；　and　your　little　sister　Maria；　who　is　not　two　years　old；　wasbrought　into　the　room。　You　know　she　always　dances　when　she　hears　musicand　singing　of　any　sort；　so　she　began　to　dance　immediately；　althoughshe　ought　not　to　have　done　so；　but　she　could　not　get　into　the　righttime　because　the　tune　was　so　slow；　so　she　stood　first　on　one　leg　andthen　on　the　other；　and　bent　her　head　very　low；　but　it　would　not　suitthe　music。　You　all　stood　looking　very　grave；　although　it　was　verydifficult　to　do　so；　but　I　laughed　so　to　myself　that　I　fell　down　fromthe　table；　and　got　a　bruise；　which　is　there　still；　I　know　it　was　notright　to　laugh。　So　all　this；　and　everything　else　that　I　have　seen；keeps　running　in　my　head；　and　these　must　be　the　old　recollections　thatbring　so　many　thoughts　with　them。　Tell　me　whether　you　still　sing　onSundays；　and　tell　me　about　your　little　sister　Maria；　and　how　my　oldrade　is；　the　other　tin　soldier。　Ah；　really　he　must　be　very　happy；　Icannot　endure　this　life。〃

〃You　are　given　away；〃　said　the　little　boy；　〃you　must　stay。　Don'tyou　see　that？〃　Then　the　old　man　came　in；　with　a　box　containing　manycurious　things　to　show　him。　Rouge…pots；　scent…boxes；　and　old　cards；　solarge　and　so　richly　gilded；　that　none　are　ever　seen　like　them　in　thesedays。　And　there　were　smaller　boxes　to　look　at；　and　the　piano　wasopened；　and　inside　the　lid　were　painted　landscapes。　But　when　the　oldman　played；　the　piano　sounded　quite　out　of　tune。　Then　he　looked　at　thepicture　he　had　bought　at　the　broker's；　and　his　eyes　sparkledbrightly　as　he　nodded　at　it；　and　said；　〃Ah；　she　could　sing　that　tune。〃

〃I　will　go　to　the　wars！　I　will　go　to　the　wars！〃　cried　the　tinsoldier　as　loud　as　he　could；　and　threw　himself　down　on　the　floor。Where　could　he　have　fallen？　The　old　man　searched；　and　the　little　boysearched；　but　he　was　gone；　and　could　not　be　found。　〃I　shall　find　himagain；〃　said　the　old　man；　but　he　did　not　find　him。　The　boards　of　thefloor　were　open　and　full　of　holes。　The　tin　soldier　had　fallenthrough　a　crack　between　the　boards；　and　lay　there　now　in　an　opengrave。　The　day　went　by；　and　the　little　boy　returned　home；　the　weekpassed；　and　many　more　weeks。　It　was　winter；　and　the　windows　were　quitefrozen；　so　the　little　boy　was　obliged　to　breathe　on　the　panes；　and　ruba　hole　to　peep　through　at　the　old　house。　Snow　drifts　were　lying　in　allthe　scrolls　and　on　the　inscriptions；　and　the　steps　were　covered　withsnow　as　if　no　one　were　at　home。　And　indeed　nobody　was　home；　for　theold　man　was　dead。　In　the　evening；　a　hearse　stopped　at　the　door；　andthe　old　man　in　his　coffin　was　placed　in　it。　He　was　to　be　taken　tothe　country　to　be　buried　there　in　his　own　grave；　so　they　carried　himaway；　no　one　followed　him；　for　all　his　friends　were　dead；　and　thelittle　boy　kissed　his　hand　to　the　coffin　as　the　hearse　moved　away　withit。　A　few　days　after；　there　was　an　auction　at　the　old　house；　andfrom　his　window　the　little　boy　saw　the　people　carrying　away　thepictures　of　old　knights　and　ladies；　the　flower…pots　with　the　longears；　the　old　chairs；　and　the　cup…boards。　Some　were　taken　one　way；some　another。　Her　portrait；　which　had　been　bought　at　the　picturedealer's；　went　back　again　to　his　shop；　and　there　it　remained；　for　noone　seemed　to　know　her；　or　to　care　for　the　old　picture。　In　the　spring；they　began　to　pull　the　house　itself　down；　people　called　it　pleterubbish。　From　the　street　could　be　seen　the　room　in　which　the　wallswere　covered　with　leather；　ragged　and　torn；　and　the　green　in　thebalcony　hung　straggling　over　the　beams；　they　pulled　it　down　quickly；for　it　looked　ready　to　fall；　and　at　last　it　was　cleared　awayaltogether。　〃What　a　good　riddance；〃　said　the　neighbors'　houses。　Veryshortly；　a　fine　new　house　was　built　farther　back　from　the　road；　it　hadlofty　windows　and　smooth　walls；　but　in　front；　on　the　spot　where　theold　house　really　stood；　a　little　garden　was　planted；　and　wild　vinesgrew　up　over　the　neighboring　walls；　in　front　of　the　garden　werelarge　iron　railings　and　a　great　gate；　which　looked　very　stately。People　used　to　stop　and　peep　through　the　railings。　The　sparrowsassembled　in　dozens　upon　the　wild　vines；　and　chattered　all　together　asloud　as　they　could；　but　not　about　the　old　house；　none　of　them　couldremember　it；　for　many　years　had　passed　by；　so　many　indeed；　that　thelittle　boy　was　now　a　man；　and　a　really　good　man　too；　and　his　parentswere　very　proud　of　him。　He　was　just　married；　and　had　e；　with　hisyoung　wife；　to　reside　in　the　new　house　with　the　garden　in　front　of　it；and　now　he　stood　there　by　her　side　while　she　planted　a　field　flowerthat　she　thought　very　pretty。　She　was　planting　it　herself　with　herlittle　hands；　and　pressing　down　the　earth　with　her　fingers。　〃Ohdear；　what　was　that？〃　she　exclaimed；　as　something　pricked　her。　Outof　the　soft　earth　something　was　sticking　up。　It　was…　only　think！…　itwas　really　the　tin　soldier；　the　very　same　which　had　been　lost　up　inthe　old　man's　room；　and　had　been　hidden　among　old　wood　and　rubbish　fora　long　time；　till　it　sunk　into　the　earth；　where　it　must　have　beenfor　many　years。　And　the　young　wife　wiped　the　soldier；　first　with　agreen　leaf；　and　then　with　her　fine　pocket…handkerchief；　that　smeltof　such　beautiful　perfume。　And　the　tin　soldier　felt　as　if　he　wasrecovering　from　a　fainting　fit。　〃Let　me　see　him；〃　said　the　youngman；　and　then　he　smiled　and　shook　his　head；　and　said；　〃It　can　scarcelybe　the　same；　but　it　reminds　me　of　something　that　happened　to　one　of　mytin　soldiers　when　I　was　a　little　boy。〃　And　then　he　told　his　wife　aboutthe　old　house　and　the　old　man；　and　of　the　tin　soldier　which　he　hadsent　across；　because　he　thought　the　old　man　was　lonely；　and　he　relatedthe　story　so　clearly　that　tears　came　into　the　eyes　of　the　young　wifefor　the　old　house　and　the　old　man。　〃It　is　very　likely　that　this　isreally　the　same　soldier；〃　said　she；　and　I　will　take　care　of　him；　andalways　remember　what　you　have　told　me；　but　some　day　you　must　show　methe　old　man's　grave。〃

〃I　don't　know　where　it　is；〃　he　replied；　〃no　one　knows。　All　hisfriends　are　dead；　no　one　took　care　of　him；　and　I　was　only　a　littleboy。〃

〃Oh；　how　dreadfully　lonely　he　must　have　been；〃　said　she。

〃Yes；　terribly　lonely；〃　cried　the　tin　soldier；　〃still　it　isdelightful　not　to　be　forgotten。〃

〃Delightful　indeed；〃　cried　a　voice　quite　near　to　them；　no　onebut　the　tin　soldier　saw　that　it　came　from　a　rag　of　the　leather　whichhung　in　tatters；　it　had　lost　all　its　gilding；　and　looked　like　wetearth；　but　it　had　an　opinion；　and　it　spoke　it　thus：…

　〃Gilding　will　fade　in　damp　weather；

　　To　endure；　there　is　nothing　like　leather。〃

But　the　tin　soldier　did　not　believe　any　such　thing。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　THE　OLD　STREET　LAMP

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

DID　you　ever　hear　the　story　of　the　old　street　lamp？　It　is　notremarkably　interesting；　but　for　once　in　a　way　you　may　as　well　listento　it。　It　was　a　most　respectable　old　lamp；　which　had　seen　many；　manyyears　of　service；　and　now　was　to　retire　with　a　pension。　It　was　thisevening　at　its　post　for　the　last　time；　giving　light　to　the　street。　Hisfeelings　were　something　like　those　of　an　old　dancer　at　the　theatre；who　is　dancing　for　the　last　time；　and　knows　that　on　the　morrow　shewill　be　in　her　garret；　alone　and　forgotten。　The　lamp　had　very　greatanxiety　about　the　next　day；　for　he　knew　that　he　had　to　appear　forthe　first　time　at　the　town　hall；　to　be　inspected　by　the　mayor　andthe　council；　who　were　to　decide　if　he　were　fit　for　further　serviceor　not；…　whether　the　lamp　was　good　en