安徒生童话-第23章

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f　her　future　mother…in…law；　because　the　bridegroom　could　not　sparetime　from　his　numerous　occupations　for　a　journey　so　far　intoJutland。　On　the　journey；　Christina　met　her　father　at　one　of　thevillages　through　which　they　passed；　and　here　he　took　leave　of　her。Very　little　was　said　about　the　matter　to　Ib；　and　he　did　not　refer　toit；　his　mother；　however；　noticed　that　he　had　grown　very　silent　andpensive。　Thinking　as　he　did　of　old　times；　no　wonder　the　three　nutscame　into　his　mind　which　the　gypsy　woman　had　given　him　when　a　child；and　of　the　two　which　he　had　given　to　Christina。　These　wishing　nuts；after　all；　had　proved　true　fortune…tellers。　One　had　contained　a　gildedcarriage　and　noble　horses；　and　the　other　beautiful　clothes；　all　ofthese　Christina　would　now　have　in　her　new　home　at　Copenhagen。　Her　parthad　e　true。　And　for　him　the　nut　had　contained　only　black　earth。　Thegypsy　woman　had　said　it　was　the　best　for　him。　Perhaps　it　was；　and　thisalso　would　be　fulfilled。　He　understood　the　gypsy　woman's　meaningnow。　The　black　earth…　the　dark　grave…　was　the　best　thing　for　him　now。

Again　years　passed　away；　not　many；　but　they　seemed　long　years　toIb。　The　old　innkeeper　and　his　wife　died　one　after　the　other；　and　thewhole　of　their　property；　many　thousand　dollars；　was　inherited　by　theirson。　Christina　could　have　the　golden　carriage　now；　and　plenty　offine　clothes。　During　the　two　long　years　which　followed；　no　letter　camefrom　Christina　to　her　father；　and　when　at　last　her　father　received　onefrom　her；　it　did　not　speak　of　prosperity　or　happiness。　Poor　Christina！Neither　she　nor　her　husband　understood　how　to　economize　or　save；　andthe　riches　brought　no　blessing　with　them；　because　they　had　not　askedfor　it。

Years　passed；　and　for　many　summers　the　heath　was　covered　withbloom；　in　winter　the　snow　rested　upon　it；　and　the　rough　winds　blewacross　the　ridge　under　which　stood　Ib's　sheltered　home。　One　spring　daythe　sun　shone　brightly；　and　he　was　guiding　the　plough　across　hisfield。　The　ploughshare　struck　against　something　which　he　fancied　was　afirestone；　and　then　he　saw　glittering　in　the　earth　a　splinter　ofshining　metal　which　the　plough　had　cut　from　something　which　gleamedbrightly　in　the　furrow。　He　searched；　and　found　a　large　golden　armletof　superior　workmanship；　and　it　was　evident　that　the　plough　haddisturbed　a　Hun's　grave。　He　searched　further；　and　found　morevaluable　treasures；　which　Ib　showed　to　the　clergyman；　who　explainedtheir　value　to　him。　Then　he　went　to　the　magistrate；　who　informed　thepresident　of　the　museum　of　the　discovery；　and　advised　Ib　to　take　thetreasures　himself　to　the　president。

〃You　have　found　in　the　earth　the　best　thing　you　could　find；〃said　the　magistrate。

〃The　best　thing；〃　thought　Ib；　〃the　very　best　thing　for　me；…　andfound　in　the　earth！　Well；　if　it　really　is　so；　then　the　gypsy　woman　wasright　in　her　prophecy。〃

So　Ib　went　in　the　ferry…boat　from　Aarhus　to　Copenhagen。　To　him　whohad　only　sailed　once　or　twice　on　the　river　near　his　own　home；　thisseemed　like　a　voyage　on　the　ocean；　and　at　length　he　arrived　atCopenhagen。　The　value　of　the　gold　he　had　found　was　paid　to　him；　it　wasa　large　sum…　six　hundred　dollars。　Then　Ib　of　the　heath　went　out；　andwandered　about　in　the　great　city。

On　the　evening　before　the　day　he　had　settled　to　return　with　thecaptain　of　the　passage…boat；　Ib　lost　himself　in　the　streets；　andtook　quite　a　different　turning　to　the　one　he　wished　to　follow。　Hewandered　on　till　he　found　himself　in　a　poor　street　of　the　suburbcalled　Christian's　Haven。　Not　a　creature　could　be　seen。　At　last　a　verylittle　girl　came　out　of　one　of　the　wretched…looking　houses；　and　Ibasked　her　to　tell　him　the　way　to　the　street　he　wanted；　she　looked　uptimidly　at　him；　and　began　to　cry　bitterly。　He　asked　her　what　was　thematter；　but　what　she　said　he　could　not　understand。　So　he　went　alongthe　street　with　her；　and　as　they　passed　under　a　lamp；　the　light　fellon　the　little　girl's　face。　A　strange　sensation　came　over　Ib；　as　hecaught　sight　of　it。　The　living；　breathing　embodiment　of　LittleChristina　stood　before　him；　just　as　he　remembered　her　in　the　days　ofher　childhood。　He　followed　the　child　to　the　wretched　house；　andascended　the　narrow；　crazy　staircase　which　led　to　a　little　garret　inthe　roof。　The　air　in　the　room　was　heavy　and　stifling；　no　light　wasburning；　and　from　one　corner　came　sounds　of　moaning　and　sighing。　Itwas　the　mother　of　the　child　who　lay　there　on　a　miserable　bed。　With　thehelp　of　a　match；　Ib　struck　a　light；　and　approached　her。

〃Can　I　be　of　any　service　to　you？〃　he　asked。　〃This　little　girlbrought　me　up　here；　but　I　am　a　stranger　in　this　city。　Are　there　noneighbors　or　any　one　whom　I　can　call？〃

Then　he　raised　the　head　of　the　sick　woman；　and　smoothed　herpillow。　He　started　as　he　did　so。　It　was　Christina　of　the　heath！　No　onehad　mentioned　her　name　to　Ib　for　years；　it　would　have　disturbed　hispeace　of　mind；　especially　as　the　reports　respecting　her　were　not　good。The　wealth　which　her　husband　had　inherited　from　his　parents　had　madehim　proud　and　arrogant。　He　had　given　up　his　certain　appointment；　andtravelled　for　six　months　in　foreign　lands；　and；　on　his　return；　hadlived　in　great　style；　and　got　into　terrible　debt。　For　a　time　he　hadtrembled　on　the　high　pedestal　on　which　he　had　placed　himself；　tillat　last　he　toppled　over；　and　ruin　came。　His　numerous　merry　panions；and　the　visitors　at　his　table；　said　it　served　him　right；　for　he　hadkept　house　like　a　madman。　One　morning　his　corpse　was　found　in　thecanal。　The　cold　hand　of　death　had　already　touched　the　heart　ofChristina。　Her　youngest　child；　looked　for　in　the　midst　ofprosperity；　had　sunk　into　the　grave　when　only　a　few　weeks　old；　andat　last　Christina　herself　became　sick　unto　death；　and　lay；　forsakenand　dying；　in　a　miserable　room；　amid　poverty　she　might　have　borne　inher　younger　days；　but　which　was　now　more　painful　to　her　from　theluxuries　to　which　she　had　lately　been　accustomed。　It　was　her　eldestchild；　also　a　Little　Christina；　whom　Ib　had　followed　to　her　home；where　she　suffered　hunger　and　poverty　with　her　mother。

It　makes　me　unhappy　to　think　that　I　shall　die；　and　leave　this　poorchild；〃　sighed　she。　〃Oh；　what　will　bee　of　her？〃　She　could　say　nomore。

Then　Ib　brought　out　another　match；　and　lighted　a　piece　of　candlewhich　he　found　in　the　room；　and　it　threw　a　glimmering　light　over　thewretched　dwelling。　Ib　looked　at　the　little　girl；　and　thought　ofChristina　in　her　young　days。　For　her　sake；　could　he　not　love　thischild；　who　was　a　stranger　to　him？　As　he　thus　reflected；　the　dyingwoman　opened　her　eyes；　and　gazed　at　him。　Did　she　recognize　him？　Henever　knew；　for　not　another　word　escaped　her　lips。

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In　the　forest　by　the　river　Gudenau；　not　far　from　the　heath；　andbeneath　the　ridge　of　land；　stood　the　little　farm；　newly　painted　andwhitewashed。　The　air　was　heavy　and　dark；　there　were　no　blossoms　on　theheath；　the　autumn　winds　whirled　the　yellow　leaves　towards　theboatman's　hut；　in　which　strangers　dwelt；　but　the　little　farm　stoodsafely　sheltered　beneath　the　tall　trees　and　the　high　ridge。　The　turfblazed　brightly　on　the　hearth；　and　within　was　sunlight；　thesparkling　light　from　the　sunny　eyes　of　a　child；　the　birdlike　tonesfrom　the　rosy　lips　ringing　like　the　song　of　a　lark　in　spring。　Allwas　life　and　joy。　Little　Christina　sat　on　Ib's　knee。　Ib　was　to　herboth　father　and　mother；　her　own　parents　had　vanished　from　hermemory；　as　a　dream…picture　vanishes　alike　from　childhood　and　age。　Ib'shouse　was　well　and　prettily　furnished；　for　he　was　a　prosperous　mannow；　while　the　mother　of　the　little　girl　rested　in　the　churchyard　atCopenhagen；　where　she　had　died　in　poverty。　Ib　had　money　now…　moneywhich　had　e　to　him　out　of　the　black　earth；　and　he　had　Christina　forhis　own；　after　all。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　IN　A　THOUSAND　YEARS

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

YES；　in　a　thousand　years　people　will　fly　on　the　wings　of　steamthrough　the　air；　over　the　ocean！　The　young　inhabitants　of　America　willbee　visitors　of　old　Europe。　They　will　e　over　to　see　themonuments　and　the　great　cities；　which　will　then　be　in　ruins；　just　aswe　in　our　time　make　pilgrimages　to　the　tottering　splendors　of　SouthernAsia。　In　a　thousand　years　they　will　e！

The　Thames；　the　Danube；　and　the　Rhine　still　roll　their　course；Mont　Blanc　stands　firm　with　its　snow…capped　summit；　and　the　NorthernLights　gleam　over　the　land　of　the　North；　but　generation　aftergeneration　has　bee　dust；　whole　rows　of　the　mighty　of　the　moment　areforgotten；　like　those　who　already　slumber　under　the　hill　on　whichthe　rich　trader；　whose　ground　it　is；　has　built　a　bench；　on　which　hecan　sit　and　look　out　across　his　waving　corn　fields。

〃To　Europe！〃　cry　the　young　sons　of　America；　〃to　the　land　of　ourancestors；　the　glorious　land　of　monuments　and　fancy…　to　Europe！〃

The　ship　of　the　air　es。　It　is　crowded　with　passengers；　forthe　transit　is　quicker　than　by　sea。　The　electro…magic　wire　underthe　ocean　has　already　telegraphed　the　number　of　the　aerial　caravan。Europe　is　in　sight。　It　is　the　coast　of　Ireland　that　they　see；　butthe　passengers　are　still　asleep；　they　will　not　be　called　till　they　areexactly　over　England。　There　they　will　first　step　on　European　shore；　inthe　land　of　Shakespeare；　as　the　educated　call　it；　in　the　land　ofpolitics；　the　land　of　machines；　as　it　is　called　by　others。

Here　they　stay　a　whole　day。　That　is　all　the