安徒生童话-第212章

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ng　pany。　AgainI　saw　the　well…remembered　face；　with　the　painted　cheeks　and　thecrisp　beard。　He　looked　up　at　me　and　smiled；　and　yet　he　had　been　hissedoff　only　a　minute　before…　hissed　off　from　a　wretched　theatre；　by　amiserable　audience。　And　tonight　a　shabby　hearse　rolled　out　of　thetown…gate。　It　was　a　suicide…　our　painted；　despised　hero。　The　driver　ofthe　hearse　was　the　only　person　present；　for　no　one　followed　exceptmy　beams。　In　a　corner　of　the　churchyard　the　corpse　of　the　suicidewas　shovelled　into　the　earth；　and　tles　will　soon　be　growingrankly　over　his　grave；　and　the　sexton　will　throw　thorns　and　weeds　fromthe　other　graves　upon　it。〃

　NIEENTH　EVENING

〃I　e　from　Rome；〃　said　the　Moon。　〃In　the　midst　of　the　city；　uponone　of　the　seven　hills；　lie　the　ruins　of　the　imperial　palace。　The　wildfig　tree　grows　in　the　clefts　of　the　wall；　and　covers　the　nakednessthereof　with　its　broad　grey…green　leaves；　trampling　among　heaps　ofrubbish；　the　ass　treads　upon　green　laurels；　and　rejoices　over　the　rankthistles。　From　this　spot；　whence　the　eagles　of　Rome　once　flewabroad；　whence　they　'came；　saw；　and　conquered；'　our　door　leads　intoa　little　mean　house；　built　of　clay　between　two　pillars；　the　wildvine　hangs　like　a　mourning　garland　over　the　crooked　window。　An　oldwoman　and　her　little　granddaughter　live　there：　they　rule　now　in　thepalace　of　the　Caesars；　and　show　to　strangers　the　remains　of　its　pastglories。　Of　the　splendid　throne…hall　only　a　naked　wall　yet　stands；　anda　black　cypress　throws　its　dark　shadow　on　the　spot　where　the　throneonce　stood。　The　dust　lies　several　feet　deep　on　the　broken　pavement；and　the　little　maiden；　now　the　daughter　of　the　imperial　palace；often　sits　there　on　her　stool　when　the　evening　bells　ring。　The　keyholeof　the　door　close　by　she　calls　her　turret　window；　through　this　she　cansee　half　Rome；　as　far　as　the　mighty　cupola　of　St。　Peter's。

〃On　this　evening；　as　usual；　stillness　reigned　around；　and　in　thefull　beam　of　my　light　came　the　little　granddaughter。　On　her　head　shecarried　an　earthen　pitcher　of　antique　shape　filled　with　water。　Herfeet　were　bare；　her　short　frock　and　her　white　sleeves　were　torn。　Ikissed　her　pretty　round　shoulders；　her　dark　eyes；　and　black　shininghair。　She　mounted　the　stairs；　they　were　steep；　having　been　made　upof　rough　blocks　of　broken　marble　and　the　capital　of　a　fallen　pillar。The　coloured　lizards　slipped　away；　startled；　from　before　her　feet；　butshe　was　not　frightened　at　them。　Already　she　lifted　her　hand　to　pullthe　door…bell…　a　hare's　foot　fastened　to　a　string　formed　thebell…handle　of　the　imperial　palace。　She　paused　for　a　moment…　of　whatmight　she　be　thinking？　Perhaps　of　the　beautiful　Christ…child；dressed　in　gold　and　silver；　which　was　down　below　in　the　chapel；where　the　silver　candlesticks　gleamed　so　bright；　and　where　herlittle　friends　sung　the　hymns　in　which　she　also　could　join？　I　knownot。　Presently　she　moved　again…　she　stumbled：　the　earthen　vesselfell　from　her　head；　and　broke　on　the　marble　steps。　She　burst　intotears。　The　beautiful　daughter　of　the　imperial　palace　wept　over　theworthless　broken　pitcher；　with　her　bare　feet　she　stood　thereweeping；　and　dared　not　pull　the　string；　the　bell…rope　of　theimperial　palace！〃

　TWENTIETH　EVENING

It　was　more　than　a　fortnight　since　the　Moon　had　shone。　Now　hestood　once　more；　round　and　bright；　above　the　clouds；　moving　slowlyonward。　Hear　what　the　Moon　told　me。

〃From　a　town　in　Fezzan　I　followed　a　caravan。　On　the　margin　ofthe　sandy　desert；　in　a　salt　plain；　that　shone　like　a　frozen　lake；and　was　only　covered　in　spots　with　light　drifting　sand；　a　halt　wasmade。　The　eldest　of　the　pany…　the　water　gourd　hung　at　his　girdle；and　on　his　head　was　a　little　bag　of　unleavened　bread…　drew　a　square　inthe　sand　with　his　staff；　and　wrote　in　it　a　few　words　out　of　the　Koran；and　then　the　whole　caravan　passed　over　the　consecrated　spot。　A　youngmerchant；　a　child　of　the　East；　as　I　could　tell　by　his　eye　and　hisfigure；　rode　pensively　forward　on　his　white　snorting　steed。　Was　hethinking；　perchance；　of　his　fair　young　wife？　It　was　only　two　daysago　that　the　camel；　adorned　with　furs　and　with　costly　shawls；　hadcarried　her；　the　beauteous　bride；　round　the　walls　of　the　city；　whiledrums　and　cymbals　had　sounded；　the　women　sang；　and　festive　shots；　ofwhich　the　bridegroom　fired　the　greatest　number；　resounded　round　thecamel；　and　now　he　was　journeying　with　the　caravan　across　the　desert。

〃For　many　nights　I　followed　the　train。　I　saw　them　rest　by　thewellside　among　the　stunted　palms；　they　thrust　the　knife　into　thebreast　of　the　camel　that　had　fallen；　and　roasted　its　flesh　by　thefire。　My　beams　cooled　the　glowing　sands；　and　showed　them　the　blackrocks；　dead　islands　in　the　immense　ocean　of　sand。　No　hostile　tribesmet　them　in　their　pathless　route；　no　storms　arose；　no　columns　ofsand　whirled　destruction　over　the　journeying　caravan。　At　home　thebeautiful　wife　prayed　for　her　husband　and　her　father。　'Are　they　dead？'she　asked　of　my　golden　crescent；　'Are　they　dead？'　she　cried　to　my　fulldisc。　Now　the　desert　lies　behind　them。　This　evening　they　sit　beneaththe　lofty　palm　trees；　where　the　crane　flutters　round　them　with　itslong　wings；　and　the　pelican　watches　them　from　the　branches　of　themimosa。　The　luxuriant　herbage　is　trampled　down；　crushed　by　the　feet　ofelephants。　A　troop　of　negroes　are　returning　from　a　market　in　theinterior　of　the　land：　the　women；　with　copper　buttons　in　their　blackhair；　and　decked　out　in　clothes　dyed　with　indigo；　drive　theheavily…laden　oxen；　on　whose　backs　slumber　the　naked　black　children。　Anegro　leads　a　young　lion　which　he　has　brought；　by　a　string。　Theyapproach　the　caravan；　the　young　merchant　sits　pensive　andmotionless；　thinking　of　his　beautiful　wife；　dreaming；　in　the　land　ofthe　blacks；　of　his　white　lily　beyond　the　desert。　He　raises　his　head；and…　〃　But　at　this　moment　a　cloud　passed　before　the　Moon；　and　thenanother。　I　heard　nothing　more　from　him　this　evening。

TWENTY…FIRST　EVENING

〃I　saw　a　little　girl　weeping；〃　said　the　Moon；　〃she　was　weepingover　the　depravity　of　the　world。　She　had　received　a　most　beautifuldoll　as　a　present。　Oh；　that　was　a　glorious　doll；　so　fair　and　delicate！She　did　not　seem　created　for　the　sorrows　of　this　world。　But　thebrothers　of　the　little　girl；　those　great　naughty　boys；　had　set　thedoll　high　up　in　the　branches　of　a　tree　and　had　run　away。

〃The　little　girl　could　not　reach　up　to　the　doll；　and　could　nothelp　her　down；　and　that　is　why　she　was　crying。　The　doll　must　certainlyhave　been　crying　too；　for　she　stretched　out　her　arms　among　the　greenbranches；　and　looked　quite　mournful。　Yes；　these　are　the　troubles　oflife　of　which　the　little　girl　had　often　heard　tell。　Alas；　poor　doll！it　began　to　grow　dark　already；　and　suppose　night　were　to　e　onpletely！　Was　she　to　be　left　sitting　on　the　bough　all　night　long？No；　the　little　maid　could　not　make　up　her　mind　to　that。　'I'll　staywith　you；'　she　said；　although　she　felt　anything　but　happy　in　her　mind。She　could　almost　fancy　she　distinctly　saw　little　gnomes；　with　theirhigh…crowned　hats；　sitting　in　the　bushes；　and　further　back　in　the　longwalk；　tall　spectres　appeared　to　be　dancing。　They　came　nearer　andnearer；　and　stretched　out　their　hands　towards　the　tree　on　which　thedoll　sat；　they　laughed　scornfully；　and　pointed　at　her　with　theirfingers。　Oh；　how　frightened　the　little　maid　was！　'But　if　one　has　notdone　anything　wrong；'　she　thought；　'nothing　evil　can　harm　one。　Iwonder　if　I　have　done　anything　wrong？'　And　she　considered。　'Oh；　yes！　Ilaughed　at　the　poor　duck　with　the　red　rag　on　her　leg；　she　limped　alongso　funnily；　I　could　not　help　laughing；　but　it's　a　sin　to　laugh　atanimals。'　And　she　looked　up　at　the　doll。　'Did　you　laugh　at　the　ducktoo？'　she　asked；　and　it　seemed　as　if　the　doll　shook　her　head。〃

　TWENTY…SECOND　EVENING

〃I　looked　down　upon　Tyrol；〃　said　the　Moon；　〃and　my　beams　causedthe　dark　pines　to　throw　long　shadows　upon　the　rocks。　I　looked　at　thepictures　of　St。　Christopher　carrying　the　Infant　Jesus　that　are　paintedthere　upon　the　walls　of　the　houses；　colossal　figures　reaching　from　theground　to　the　roof。　St。　Florian　was　represented　pouring　water　on　theburning　house；　and　the　Lord　hung　bleeding　on　the　great　cross　by　thewayside。　To　the　present　generation　these　are　old　pictures；　but　I　sawwhen　they　were　put　up；　and　marked　how　one　followed　the　other。　On　thebrow　of　the　mountain　yonder　is　perched；　like　a　swallow's　nest；　alonely　convent　of　nuns。　Two　of　the　sisters　stood　up　in　the　towertolling　the　bell；　they　were　both　young；　and　therefore　their　glancesflew　over　the　mountain　out　into　the　world。　A　travelling　coach　passedby　below；　the　postillion　wound　his　horn；　and　the　poor　nuns　lookedafter　the　carriage　for　a　moment　with　a　mournful　glance；　and　a　teargleamed　in　the　eyes　of　the　younger　one。　And　the　horn　sounded　faint　andmore　faintly；　and　the　convent　bell　drowned　its　expiring　echoes。〃

　TWENTY…THIRD　EVENING

Hear　what　the　Moon　told　me。　〃Some　years　ago；　here　in　Copenhagen；　Ilooked　through　the　window　of　a　mean　little　room。　The　father　and　motherslept；　but　the　little　son　was　not　asleep。　I　saw　the　flowered　cottoncurtains　of　the　bed　move；　and　the　child　peep　forth。　At　first　I　thoughthe　was　looking　at　the　great　clock；　which　was　gaily　painted　in　redand　green。　At　the　top　sat　a　cuckoo；　below　hung　the　heavy　leadenweights；　and　the　pendulum　with　the　polished　disc　of　metal　went　toand　fro；　and　said　'tick；　tick。'　But　no；　he　was　not　loo