安徒生童话-第140章

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〃Mother；　I　believe　I　shall　get　well；〃　said　the　sick　child　in　theevening；　〃the　sun　has　shone　in　here　so　brightly　and　warmly　to…day；　andthe　little　pea　is　thriving　so　well：　I　shall　get　on　better；　too；　and　goout　into　the　warm　sunshine　again。〃

〃God　grant　it！〃　said　the　mother；　but　she　did　not　believe　itwould　be　so。　But　she　propped　up　with　the　little　stick　the　greenplant　which　had　given　her　child　such　pleasant　hopes　of　life；　so　thatit　might　not　be　broken　by　the　winds；　she　tied　the　piece　of　string　tothe　window…sill　and　to　the　upper　part　of　the　frame；　so　that　thepea…tendrils　might　twine　round　it　when　it　shot　up。　And　it　did　shootup；　indeed　it　might　almost　be　seen　to　grow　from　day　to　day。

〃Now　really　here　is　a　flower　ing；〃　said　the　old　woman　onemorning；　and　now　at　last　she　began　to　encourage　the　hope　that　her　sickdaughter　might　really　recover。　She　remembered　that　for　some　time　thechild　had　spoken　more　cheerfully；　and　during　the　last　few　days　hadraised　herself　in　bed　in　the　morning　to　look　with　sparkling　eyes　ather　little　garden　which　contained　only　a　single　pea…plant。　A　weekafter；　the　invalid　sat　up　for　the　first　time　a　whole　hour；　feelingquite　happy　by　the　open　window　in　the　warm　sunshine；　while　outsidegrew　the　little　plant；　and　on　it　a　pink　pea…blossom　in　full　bloom。　Thelittle　maiden　bent　down　and　gently　kissed　the　delicate　leaves。　Thisday　was　to　her　like　a　festival。

〃Our　heavenly　Father　Himself　has　planted　that　pea；　and　made　itgrow　and　flourish；　to　bring　joy　to　you　and　hope　to　me；　my　blessedchild；〃　said　the　happy　mother；　and　she　smiled　at　the　flower；　as　ifit　had　been　an　angel　from　God。

But　what　became　of　the　other　peas？　Why　the　one　who　flew　out　intothe　wide　world；　and　said；　〃Catch　me　if　you　can；〃　fell　into　a　gutteron　the　roof　of　a　house；　and　ended　his　travels　in　the　crop　of　apigeon。　The　two　lazy　ones　were　carried　quite　as　far；　for　they　alsowere　eaten　by　pigeons；　so　they　were　at　least　of　some　use；　but　thefourth；　who　wanted　to　reach　the　sun；　fell　into　a　sink　and　lay　therein　the　dirty　water　for　days　and　weeks；　till　he　had　swelled　to　a　greatsize。

〃I　am　getting　beautifully　fat；〃　said　the　pea；　〃I　expect　I　shallburst　at　last；　no　pea　could　do　more　that　that；　I　think；　I　am　themost　remarkable　of　all　the　five　which　were　in　the　shell。〃　And　the　sinkconfirmed　the　opinion。

But　the　young　maiden　stood　at　the　open　garret　window；　withsparkling　eyes　and　the　rosy　hue　of　health　on　her　cheeks；　she　foldedher　thin　hands　over　the　pea…blossom；　and　thanked　God　for　what　He　haddone。

〃I；〃　said　the　sink；　〃shall　stand　up　for　my　pea。〃

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

THE　PEN　AND　THE　INKSTAND

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

IN　a　poet's　room；　where　his　inkstand　stood　on　the　table；　theremark　was　once　made；　〃It　is　wonderful　what　can　be　brought　out　of　aninkstand。　What　will　e　next？　It　is　indeed　wonderful。〃

〃Yes；　certainly；〃　said　the　inkstand　to　the　pen；　and　to　the　otherarticles　that　stood　on　the　table；　〃that's　what　I　always　say。　It　iswonderful　and　extraordinary　what　a　number　of　things　e　out　of　me。It's　quite　incredible；　and　I　really　don't　know　what　is　ing　nextwhen　that　man　dips　his　pen　into　me。　One　drop　out　of　me　is　enough　forhalf　a　page　of　paper；　and　what　cannot　half　a　page　contain？　From　me；all　the　works　of　a　poet　are　produced；　all　those　imaginary　characterswhom　people　fancy　they　have　known　or　met。　All　the　deep　feeling；　thehumor；　and　the　vivid　pictures　of　nature。　I　myself　don't　understand　howit　is；　for　I　am　not　acquainted　with　nature；　but　it　is　certainly　in　me。From　me　have　gone　forth　to　the　world　those　wonderful　descriptions　oftroops　of　charming　maidens；　and　of　brave　knights　on　prancing　steeds；of　the　halt　and　the　blind；　and　I　know　not　what　more；　for　I　assureyou　I　never　think　of　these　things。〃

〃There　you　are　right；〃　said　the　pen；　〃for　you　don't　think　atall；　if　you　did；　you　would　see　that　you　can　only　provide　the　means。You　give　the　fluid　that　I　may　place　upon　the　paper　what　dwells　inme；　and　what　I　wish　to　bring　to　light。　It　is　the　pen　that　writes：　noman　doubts　that；　and；　indeed；　most　people　understand　as　much　aboutpoetry　as　an　old　inkstand。〃

〃You　have　had　very　little　experience；〃　replied　the　inkstand。〃You　have　hardly　been　in　service　a　week；　and　are　already　half　wornout。　Do　you　imagine　you　are　a　poet？　You　are　only　a　servant；　and　beforeyou　came　I　had　many　like　you；　some　of　the　goose　family；　and　othersof　English　manufacture。　I　know　a　quill　pen　as　well　as　I　know　a　steelone。　I　have　had　both　sorts　in　my　service；　and　I　shall　have　many　morewhen　he　es…　the　man　who　performs　the　mechanical　part…　and　writesdown　what　he　obtains　from　me。　I　should　like　to　know　what　will　be　thenext　thing　he　gets　out　of　me。〃

〃Inkpot！〃　exclaimed　the　pen　contemptuously。

Late　in　the　evening　the　poet　came　home。　He　had　been　to　aconcert；　and　had　been　quite　enchanted　with　the　admirable　performanceof　a　famous　violin　player　whom　he　had　heard　there。　The　performer　hadproduced　from　his　instrument　a　richness　of　tone　that　sometimes　soundedlike　tinkling　waterdrops　or　rolling　pearls；　sometimes　like　the　birdstwittering　in　chorus；　and　then　rising　and　swelling　in　sound　like　thewind　through　the　fir…trees。　The　poet　felt　as　if　his　own　heart　wereweeping；　but　in　tones　of　melody　like　the　sound　of　a　woman's　voice。It　seemed　not　only　the　strings；　but　every　part　of　the　instrumentfrom　which　these　sounds　were　produced。　It　was　a　wonderfulperformance　and　a　difficult　piece；　and　yet　the　bow　seemed　to　glideacross　the　strings　so　easily　that　it　was　as　if　any　one　could　do　it　whotried。　Even　the　violin　and　the　bow　appeared　to　perform　independentlyof　their　master　who　guided　them；　it　was　as　if　soul　and　spirit　had　beenbreathed　into　the　instrument；　so　the　audience　forgot　the　performerin　the　beautiful　sounds　he　produced。　Not　so　the　poet；　he　rememberedhim；　and　named　him；　and　wrote　down　his　thoughts　on　the　subject。　〃Howfoolish　it　would　be　for　the　violin　and　the　bow　to　boast　of　theirperformance；　and　yet　we　men　often　mit　that　folly。　The　poet；　theartist；　the　man　of　science　in　his　laboratory；　the　general；…　we　alldo　it；　and　yet　we　are　only　the　instruments　which　the　Almighty　uses；　toHim　alone　the　honor　is　due。　We　have　nothing　of　ourselves　of　which　weshould　be　proud。〃　Yes；　this　is　what　the　poet　wrote　down。　He　wrote　itin　the　form　of　a　parable；　and　called　it　〃The　Master　and　theInstruments。〃

〃That　is　what　you　have　got；　madam；〃　said　the　pen　to　theinkstand；　when　the　two　were　alone　again。　〃Did　you　hear　him　readaloud　what　I　had　written　down？〃

〃Yes；　what　I　gave　you　to　write；〃　retorted　the　inkstand。　〃Thatwas　a　cut　at　you　because　of　your　conceit。　To　think　that　you　couldnot　understand　that　you　were　being　quizzed。　I　gave　you　a　cut　fromwithin　me。　Surely　I　must　know　my　own　satire。〃

〃Ink…pitcher！〃　cried　the　pen。

〃Writing…stick！〃　retorted　the　inkstand。　And　each　of　them　feltsatisfied　that　he　had　given　a　good　answer。　It　is　pleasing　to　beconvinced　that　you　have　settled　a　matter　by　your　reply；　it　issomething　to　make　you　sleep　well；　and　they　both　slept　well　upon　it。But　the　poet　did　not　sleep。　Thoughts　rose　up　within　him　like　thetones　of　the　violin；　falling　like　pearls；　or　rushing　like　the　strongwind　through　the　forest。　He　understood　his　own　heart　in　thesethoughts；　they　were　as　a　ray　from　the　mind　of　the　Great　Master　of　allminds。

〃To　Him　be　all　the　honor。〃

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

THE　PHILOSOPHER'S　STONE

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

FAR　away　towards　the　east；　in　India；　which　seemed　in　those　daysthe　world's　end；　stood　the　Tree　of　the　Sun；　a　noble　tree；　such　as　wehave　never　seen；　and　perhaps　never　may　see。

The　summit　of　this　tree　spread　itself　for　miles　like　an　entireforest；　each　of　its　smaller　branches　forming　a　plete　tree。　Palms；beech…trees；　pines；　plane…trees；　and　various　other　kinds；　which　arefound　in　all　parts　of　the　world；　were　here　like　small　branches；shooting　forth　from　the　great　tree；　while　the　larger　boughs；　withtheir　knots　and　curves；　formed　valleys　and　hills；　clothed　with　velvetygreen　and　covered　with　flowers。　Everywhere　it　was　like　a　bloomingmeadow　or　a　lovely　garden。　Here　were　birds　from　all　quarters　of　theworld　assembled　together；　birds　from　the　primeval　forests　ofAmerica；　from　the　rose　gardens　of　Damascus；　and　from　the　deserts　ofAfrica；　in　which　the　elephant　and　the　lion　may　boast　of　being　the　onlyrulers。　Birds　from　the　Polar　regions　came　flying　here；　and　of　coursethe　stork　and　the　swallow　were　not　absent。　But　the　birds　were　notthe　only　living　creatures。　There　were　stags；　squirrels；　antelopes；　andhundreds　of　other　beautiful　and　light…footed　animals　here　found　ahome。

The　summit　of　the　tree　was　a　wide…spreading　garden；　and　in　themidst　of　it；　where　the　green　boughs　formed　a　kind　of　hill；　stood　acastle　of　crystal；　with　a　view　from　it　towards　every　quarter　ofheaven。　Each　tower　was　erected　in　the　form　of　a　lily；　and　within　thestern　was　a　winding　staircase；　through　which　one　could　ascend　to　thetop　and　step　out　upon　the　leaves　as　upon　balconies。　The　calyx　of　theflower　itself　formed　a　most　beautiful；　glittering；　circular　hall；above　which　no　other　roof　arose　than　the　blue　firmament　and　the　sunand　stars。

Just　as　much　splendor；　but　of　another　kind；　appeared　below；　in　thewide　halls　of　the　castle。　Here；　on　the　walls；　were　reflectedpictures　of　the　w