安徒生童话-第154章

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contrary；　I　despise　it。〃　And　the　snail　spat　at　them　with　contempt。

〃I　am　able　to　affirm　with　word　of　oath；　that　each　prize…　at　least；those　for　which　I　voted…　was　given　with　just　and　properconsideration；〃　said　the　old　boundary　post　in　the　wood；　who　was　amember　of　the　mittee　of　judges。　〃I　always　act　with　due　order；consideration；　and　calculation。　Seven　times　have　I　already　had　thehonor　to　be　present　at　the　distribution　of　the　prizes；　and　to　vote；but　to…day　is　the　first　time　I　have　been　able　to　carry　out　my　will。I　always　reckon　the　first　prize　by　going　through　the　alphabet　from　thebeginning；　and　the　second　by　going　through　from　the　end。　Be　so　kind　asto　give　me　your　attention；　and　I　will　explain　to　you　how　I　reckon　fromthe　beginning。　The　eighth　letter　from　A　is　H；　and　there　we　have　Hfor　hare；　therefore　I　awarded　to　the　hare　the　first　prize。　Theeighth　letter　from　the　end　of　the　alphabet　is　S；　and　therefore　thesnail　received　the　second　prize。　Next　year；　the　letter　I　will　have　itsturn　for　the　first　prize；　and　the　letter　R　for　the　second。〃

〃I　should　really　have　voted　for　myself；〃　said　the　mule；　〃if　Ihad　not　been　one　of　the　judges　on　the　mittee。　Not　only　the　rapiditywith　which　advance　is　made；　but　every　other　quality　should　have　dueconsideration；　as；　for　instance；　how　much　weight　a　candidate　is　ableto　draw；　but　I　have　not　brought　this　quality　forward　now；　nor　thesagacity　of　the　hare　in　his　flight；　nor　the　cunning　with　which　hesuddenly　springs　aside　and　doubles；　to　lead　people　on　a　false　track；thinking　he　has　concealed　himself。　No；　there　is　something　else　onwhich　more　stress　should　be　laid；　and　which　ought　not　be　leftunnoticed。　I　mean　that　which　mankind　call　the　beautiful。　It　is　onthe　beautiful　that　I　particularly　fix　my　eyes。　I　observed　thewell…grown　ears　of　the　hare；　it　is　a　pleasure　to　me　to　observe　howlong　they　are。　It　seemed　as　if　I　saw　myself　again　in　the　days　of　mychildhood；　and　so　I　voted　for　the　hare。〃

〃Buz；〃　said　the　fly；　〃there；　I'm　not　going　to　make　a　longspeech；　but　I　wish　to　say　something　about　hares。　I　have　reallyovertaken　more　than　one　hare；　when　I　have　been　seated　on　the　engine　infront　of　a　railway　train。　I　often　do　so。　One　can　then　so　easilyjudge　of　one's　own　swiftness。　Not　long　ago；　I　crushed　the　hind　legs　ofa　young　hare。　He　had　been　running　a　long　time　before　the　engine；　hehad　no　idea　that　I　was　travelling　there。　At　last　he　had　to　stop　in　hiscareer；　and　the　engine　ran　over　his　hind　legs；　and　crushed　them；　for　Iset　upon　it。　I　left　him　lying　there；　and　rode　on　farther。　I　callthat　conquering　him；　but　I　do　not　want　the　prize。〃

〃It　really　seems　to　me；〃　thought　the　wild　rose；　though　she　did　notexpress　her　opinion　aloud…　it　is　not　in　her　nature　to　do　so；…　thoughit　would　have　been　quite　as　well　if　she　had；　〃it　certainly　seems　to　methat　the　sunbeam　ought　to　have　had　the　honor　of　receiving　the　firstprize。　The　sunbeam　flies　in　a　few　minutes　along　the　immeasurablepath　from　the　sun　to　us。　It　arrives　in　such　strength；　that　allnature　awakes　to　loveliness　and　beauty；　we　roses　blush　and　exhalefragrance　in　its　presence。　Our　worshipful　judges　don't　appear　tohave　noticed　this　at　all。　Were　I　the　sunbeam；　I　would　give　each　one　ofthem　a　sun　stroke；　but　that　would　only　make　them　mad；　and　they　are　madenough　already。　I　only　hope；〃　continued　the　rose；　〃that　peace　mayreign　in　the　wood。　It　is　glorious　to　bloom；　to　be　fragrant；　and　tolive；　to　live　in　story　and　in　song。　The　sunbeam　will　outlive　us　all。〃

〃What　is　the　first　prize？〃　asked　the　earthworm；　who　hadoverslept　the　time；　and　only　now　came　up。

〃It　contains　a　free　admission　to　a　cabbage…garden；〃　replied　themule。　〃I　proposed　that　as　one　of　the　prizes。　The　hare　most　decidedlymust　have　it；　and　I；　as　an　active　and　thoughtful　member　of　themittee；　took　especial　care　that　the　prize　should　be　one　ofadvantage　to　him；　so　now　he　is　provided　for。　The　snail　can　now　siton　the　fence；　and　lick　up　moss　and　sunshine。　He　has　also　beenappointed　one　of　the　first　judges　of　swiftness　in　racing。　It　isworth　much　to　know　that　one　of　the　numbers　is　a　man　of　talent　in　thething　men　call　a　'mittee。'　I　must　say　I　expect　much　in　thefuture；　we　have　already　made　such　a　good　beginning。〃

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　THE　RED　SHOES

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

ONCE　upon　a　time　there　was　little　girl；　pretty　and　dainty。　Butin　summer　time　she　was　obliged　to　go　barefooted　because　she　waspoor；　and　in　winter　she　had　to　wear　large　wooden　shoes；　so　that　herlittle　instep　grew　quite　red。

In　the　middle　of　the　village　lived　an　old　shoemaker's　wife；　shesat　down　and　made；　as　well　as　she　could；　a　pair　of　little　shoes　out　ofsome　old　pieces　of　red　cloth。　They　were　clumsy；　but　she　meant　well；for　they　were　intended　for　the　little　girl；　whose　name　was　Karen。

Karen　received　the　shoes　and　wore　them　for　the　first　time　on　theday　of　her　mother's　funeral。　They　were　certainly　not　suitable　formourning；　but　she　had　no　others；　and　so　she　put　her　bare　feet　intothem　and　walked　behind　the　humble　coffin。

Just　then　a　large　old　carriage　came　by；　and　in　it　sat　an　old　lady；she　looked　at　the　little　girl；　and　taking　pity　on　her；　said　to　theclergyman；　〃Look　here；　if　you　will　give　me　the　little　girl；　I　willtake　care　of　her。〃

Karen　believed　that　this　was　all　on　account　of　the　red　shoes；but　the　old　lady　thought　them　hideous；　and　so　they　were　burnt。　Karenherself　was　dressed　very　neatly　and　cleanly；　she　was　taught　to　readand　to　sew；　and　people　said　that　she　was　pretty。　But　the　mirror　toldher；　〃You　are　more　than　pretty…　you　are　beautiful。〃

One　day　the　Queen　was　travelling　through　that　part　of　the　country；and　had　her　little　daughter；　who　was　a　princess；　with　her。　All　thepeople；　amongst　them　Karen　too；　streamed　towards　the　castle；　where　thelittle　princess；　in　fine　white　clothes；　stood　before　the　window　andallowed　herself　to　be　stared　at。　She　wore　neither　a　train　nor　a　goldencrown；　but　beautiful　red　morocco　shoes；　they　were　indeed　much　finerthan　those　which　the　shoemaker's　wife　had　sewn　for　little　Karen。　Thereis　really　nothing　in　the　world　that　can　be　pared　to　red　shoes！

Karen　was　now　old　enough　to　be　confirmed；　she　received　some　newclothes；　and　she　was　also　to　have　some　new　shoes。　The　rich　shoemakerin　the　town　took　the　measure　of　her　little　foot　in　his　own　room；　inwhich　there　stood　great　glass　cases　full　of　pretty　shoes　and　whiteslippers。　It　all　looked　very　lovely；　but　the　old　lady　could　not　seevery　well；　and　therefore　did　not　get　much　pleasure　out　of　it。Amongst　the　shoes　stood　a　pair　of　red　ones；　like　those　which　theprincess　had　worn。　How　beautiful　they　were！　and　the　shoemaker　saidthat　they　had　been　made　for　a　count's　daughter；　but　that　they　hadnot　fitted　her。

〃I　suppose　they　are　of　shiny　leather？〃　asked　the　old　lady。　〃Theyshine　so。〃

〃Yes；　they　do　shine；〃　said　Karen。　They　fitted　her；　and　werebought。　But　the　old　lady　knew　nothing　of　their　being　red；　for　shewould　never　have　allowed　Karen　to　be　confirmed　in　red　shoes；　as　shewas　now　to　be。

Everybody　looked　at　her　feet；　and　the　whole　of　the　way　from　thechurch　door　to　the　choir　it　seemed　to　her　as　if　even　the　ancientfigures　on　the　monuments；　in　their　stiff　collars　and　long　black　robes；had　their　eyes　fixed　on　her　red　shoes。　It　was　only　of　these　that　shethought　when　the　clergyman　laid　his　hand　upon　her　head　and　spoke　ofthe　holy　baptism；　of　the　covenant　with　God；　and　told　her　that　shewas　now　to　be　a　grown…up　Christian。　The　organ　pealed　forth　solemnly；and　the　sweet　children's　voices　mingled　with　that　of　their　old　leader；but　Karen　thought　only　of　her　red　shoes。　In　the　afternoon　the　old　ladyheard　from　everybody　that　Karen　had　worn　red　shoes。　She　said　that　itwas　a　shocking　thing　to　do；　that　it　was　very　improper；　and　thatKaren　was　always　to　go　to　church　in　future　in　black　shoes；　even　ifthey　were　old。

On　the　following　Sunday　there　was　munion。　Karen　looked　first　atthe　black　shoes；　then　at　the　red　ones…　looked　at　the　red　ones　again；and　put　them　on。

The　sun　was　shining　gloriously；　so　Karen　and　the　old　lady　wentalong　the　footpath　through　the　corn；　where　it　was　rather　dusty。

At　the　church　door　stood　an　old　crippled　soldier　leaning　on　acrutch；　he　had　a　wonderfully　long　beard；　more　red　than　white；　and　hebowed　down　to　the　ground　and　asked　the　old　lady　whether　he　mightwipe　her　shoes。　Then　Karen　put　out　her　little　foot　too。　〃Dear　me；　whatpretty　dancing…shoes！〃　said　the　soldier。　〃Sit　fast；　when　you　dance；〃said　he；　addressing　the　shoes；　and　slapping　the　soles　with　his　hand。

The　old　lady　gave　the　soldier　some　money　and　then　went　withKaren　into　the　church。

And　all　the　people　inside　looked　at　Karen's　red　shoes；　and　all　thefigures　gazed　at　them；　when　Karen　knelt　before　the　altar　and　put　thegolden　goblet　to　her　mouth；　she　thought　only　of　the　red　shoes。　Itseemed　to　her　as　though　they　were　swimming　about　in　the　goblet；　andshe　forgot　to　sing　the　psalm；　forgot　to　say　the　〃Lord's　Prayer。〃

Now　every　one　came　out　of　church；　and　the　old　lady　stepped　intoher　carriage。　But　just　as　Karen　was　lifting　up　her　foot　to　get　in　too；the　old　soldier　said：　〃Dear　me；　what　pretty　dancing　shoes！〃　andKaren　could　not　help　it；　she　was　obliged　to　dance　a　few　steps；　andwhen　she　had　once　begun；　her　legs　continued　to　dance。　It　seemed　asif　the　shoes　had　got　power　over　them。　She　danced　round　the