安徒生童话-第45章

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pments　of　the　age；besides　building　a　storey　for　my　own　genius。〃

〃But　supposing　the　climate　and　the　material　are　not　good　formuch；〃　said　the　fifth　brother；　〃that　would　be　very　unfortunate　foryou；　and　have　an　influence　over　your　experiments。　Nationality　mayassert　itself　until　it　bees　affectation；　and　the　developments　ofa　century　may　run　wild；　as　youth　often　does。　I　see　clearly　that　noneof　you　will　ever　really　be　anything　worth　notice；　however　you　maynow　fancy　it。　But　do　as　you　like；　I　shall　not　imitate　you。　I　mean　tokeep　clear　of　all　these　things；　and　criticize　what　you　do。　In　everyaction　something　imperfect　may　be　discovered；　something　not　right；which　I　shall　make　it　my　business　to　find　out　and　expose；　that　will　besomething；　I　fancy。〃　And　he　kept　his　word；　and　became　a　critic。

People　said　of　this　fifth　brother；　〃There　is　something　veryprecise　about　him；　he　has　a　good　head…piece；　but　he　does　nothing。〃　Andon　that　very　account　they　thought　he　must　be　something。

Now；　you　see；　this　is　a　little　history　which　will　never　end；　aslong　as　the　world　exists；　there　will　always　be　men　like　these　fivebrothers。　And　what　became　of　them？　Were　they　each　nothing　orsomething？　You　shall　hear；　it　is　quite　a　history。

The　eldest　brother；　he　who　fabricated　bricks；　soon　discovered　thateach　brick；　when　finished；　brought　him　in　a　small　coin；　if　only　acopper　one；　and　many　copper　pieces；　if　placed　one　upon　another；　can　bechanged　into　a　shining　shilling；　and　at　whatever　door　a　person　knocks；who　has　a　number　of　these　in　his　hands；　whether　it　be　the　baker's；　thebutcher's；　or　the　tailor's；　the　door　flies　open；　and　he　can　get　all　hewants。　So　you　see　the　value　of　bricks。　Some　of　the　bricks；　however；crumbled　to　pieces；　or　were　broken；　but　the　elder　brother　found　ause　for　even　these。

On　the　high　bank　of　earth；　which　formed　a　dyke　on　the　sea…coast；　apoor　woman　named　Margaret　wished　to　build　herself　a　house；　so　allthe　imperfect　bricks　were　given　to　her；　and　a　few　whole　ones　withthem；　for　the　eldest　brother　was　a　kind…hearted　man；　although　he　neverachieved　anything　higher　than　making　bricks。　The　poor　woman　builtherself　a　little　house…　it　was　small　and　narrow；　and　the　window　wasquite　crooked；　the　door　too　low；　and　the　straw　roof　might　have　beenbetter　thatched。　But　still　it　was　a　shelter；　and　from　within　you　couldlook　far　over　the　sea；　which　dashed　wildly　against　the　sea…wall　onwhich　the　little　house　was　built。　The　salt　waves　sprinkled　their　whitefoam　over　it；　but　it　stood　firm；　and　remained　long　after　he　who　hadgiven　the　bricks　to　build　it　was　dead　and　buried。

The　second　brother　of　course　knew　better　how　to　build　than　poorMargaret；　for　he　served　an　apprenticeship　to　learn　it。　When　his　timewas　up；　he　packed　up　his　knapsack；　and　went　on　his　travels；　singingthe　journeyman's　song；…

　〃While　young；　I　can　wander　without　a　care；

　And　build　new　houses　everywhere；

　Fair　and　bright　are　my　dreams　of　home；

　Always　thought　of　wherever　I　roam。

　Hurrah　for　a　workman's　life　of　glee！

　There's　a　loved　one　at　home　who　thinks　of　me；

　Home　and　friends　I　can　ne'er　forget；

　And　I　mean　to　be　a　master　yet。〃And　that　is　what　he　did。　On　his　return　home；　he　became　a　masterbuilder；…　built　one　house　after　another　in　the　town；　till　theyformed　quite　a　street；　which；　when　finished；　became　really　an　ornamentto　the　town。　These　houses　built　a　house　for　him　in　return；　which　wasto　be　his　own。　But　how　can　houses　build　a　house？　If　the　houses　wereasked；　they　could　not　answer；　but　the　people　would　understand；　andsay；　〃Certainly　the　street　built　his　house　for　him。〃　It　was　not　verylarge；　and　the　floor　was　of　lime；　but　when　he　danced　with　his　bride　onthe　lime…covered　floor；　it　was　to　him　white　and　shining；　and　fromevery　stone　in　the　wall　flowers　seemed　to　spring　forth　and　decoratethe　room　as　with　the　richest　tapestry。　It　was　really　a　pretty　house；and　in　it　were　a　happy　pair。　The　flag　of　the　corporation　flutteredbefore　it；　and　the　journeymen　and　apprentices　shouted　〃Hurrah。〃　He　hadgained　his　position；　he　had　made　himself　something；　and　at　last　hedied；　which　was　〃something〃　too。

Now　we　e　to　the　architect；　the　third　brother；　who　had　beenfirst　a　carpenter's　apprentice；　had　worn　a　cap；　and　served　as　anerrand　boy；　but　afterwards　went　to　the　academy；　and　risen　to　be　anarchitect；　a　high　and　noble　gentleman。　Ah　yes；　the　houses　of　the　newstreet；　which　the　brother　who　was　a　master　builder　erected；　may　havebuilt　his　house　for　him；　but　the　street　received　its　name　from　thearchitect；　and　the　handsomest　house　in　the　street　became　his　property。That　was　something；　and　he　was　〃something；〃　for　he　had　a　list　oftitles　before　and　after　his　name。　His　children　were　called　〃wellborn；〃and　when　he　died；　his　widow　was　treated　as　a　lady　of　position；　andthat　was　〃something。〃　His　name　remained　always　written　at　the　cornerof　the　street；　and　lived　in　every　one's　mouth　as　its　name。　Yes；　thisalso　was　something。〃

And　what　about　the　genius　of　the　family…　the　fourth　brother…　whowanted　to　invent　something　new　and　original？　He　tried　to　build　a　loftystorey　himself；　but　it　fell　to　pieces；　and　he　fell　with　it　and　brokehis　neck。　However；　he　had　a　splendid　funeral；　with　the　city　flagsand　music　in　the　procession；　flowers　were　strewn　on　the　pavement；and　three　orations　were　spoken　over　his　grave；　each　one　longer　thanthe　other。　He　would　have　liked　this　very　much　during　his　life；　as　wellas　the　poems　about　him　in　the　papers；　for　he　liked　nothing　so　wellas　to　be　talked　of。　A　monument　was　also　erected　over　his　grave。　It　wasonly　another　storey　over　him；　but　that　was　〃something；〃　Now　he　wasdead；　like　the　three　other　brothers。

The　youngest…　the　critic…　outlived　them　all；　which　was　quite　rightfor　him。　It　gave　him　the　opportunity　of　having　the　last　word；　which　tohim　was　of　great　importance。　People　always　said　he　had　a　goodhead…piece。　At　last　his　hour　came；　and　he　died；　and　arrived　at　thegates　of　heaven。　Souls　always　enter　these　gates　in　pairs；　so　hefound　himself　standing　and　waiting　for　admission　with　another；　and　whoshould　it　be　but　old　dame　Margaret；　from　the　house　on　the　dyke！　〃It　isevidently　for　the　sake　of　contrast　that　I　and　this　wretched　soulshould　arrive　here　exactly　at　the　same　time；〃　said　the　critic。　〃Praywho　are　you；　my　good　woman？〃　said　he；　〃do　you　want　to　get　in　heretoo？〃

And　the　old　woman　curtsied　as　well　as　she　could；　she　thought　itmust　be　St。　Peter　himself　who　spoke　to　her。　〃I　am　a　poor　old　woman；〃she　said；　〃without　my　family。　I　am　old　Margaret；　that　lived　in　thehouse　on　the　dyke。〃

〃Well；　and　what　have　you　done…　what　great　deed　have　youperformed　down　below？〃

〃I　have　done　nothing　at　all　in　the　world　that　could　give　me　aclaim　to　have　these　doors　open　for　me；〃　she　said。　〃It　would　be　onlythrough　mercy　that　I　can　be　allowed　to　slip　in　through　the　gate。〃

〃In　what　manner　did　you　leave　the　world？〃　he　asked；　just　for　thesake　of　saying　something；　for　it　made　him　feel　very　weary　to　standthere　and　wait。

〃How　I　left　the　world？〃　she　replied；　〃why；　I　can　scarcely　tellyou。　During　the　last　years　of　my　life　I　was　sick　and　miserable；　andI　was　unable　to　bear　creeping　out　of　bed　suddenly　into　the　frost　andcold。　Last　winter　was　a　hard　winter；　but　I　have　got　over　it　all　now。There　were　a　few　mild　days；　as　your　honor；　no　doubt；　knows。　The　icelay　thickly　on　the　lake；　as　far　one　could　see。　The　people　came　fromthe　town；　and　walked　upon　it；　and　they　say　there　were　dancing　andskating　upon　it；　I　believe；　and　a　great　feasting。　The　sound　ofbeautiful　music　came　into　my　poor　little　room　where　I　lay。　Towardsevening；　when　the　moon　rose　beautifully；　though　not　yet　in　her　fullsplendor；　I　glanced　from　my　bed　over　the　wide　sea；　and　there；　justwhere　the　sea　and　sky　met；　rose　a　curious　white　cloud。　I　lay　lookingat　the　cloud　till　I　observed　a　little　black　spot　in　the　middle　ofit；　which　gradually　grew　larger　and　larger；　and　then　I　knew　what　itmeant…　I　am　old　and　experienced；　and　although　this　token　is　notoften　seen；　I　knew　it；　and　a　shuddering　seized　me。　Twice　in　my　lifehad　I　seen　this　same　thing；　and　I　knew　that　there　would　be　an　awfulstorm；　with　a　spring　tide；　which　would　overwhelm　the　poor　people　whowere　now　out　on　the　ice；　drinking；　dancing；　and　making　merry。　Youngand　old；　the　whole　city；　were　there；　who　was　to　warn　them；　if　no　onenoticed　the　sign；　or　knew　what　it　meant　as　I　did？　I　was　so　alarmed；that　I　felt　more　strength　and　life　than　I　had　done　for　some　time。　Igot　out　of　bed；　and　reached　the　window；　I　could　not　crawl　anyfarther　from　weakness　and　exhaustion；　but　I　managed　to　open　thewindow。　I　saw　the　people　outside　running　and　jumping　about　on　the　ice；I　saw　the　beautiful　flags　waving　in　the　wind；　I　heard　the　boysshouting；　'Hurrah！'　and　the　lads　and　lasses　singing；　and　everythingfull　of　merriment　and　joy。　But　there　was　the　white　cloud　with　theblack　spot　hanging　over　them。　I　cried　out　as　loudly　as　I　could；　but　noone　heard　me；　I　was　too　far　off　from　the　people。　Soon　would　thestorm　burst；　the　ice　break；　and　all　who　were　on　it　be　irretrievablylost。　They　could　not　hear　me；　and　to　go　to　them　was　quite　out　of　mypower。　Oh；　if　I　could　only　get　them　safe　on　land！　Then　came　thethought；　as　if　from　heaven；　that　I　would　rather　set　fire　to　my　bed；and　let　the　house　be　burnt　down；　than　that　so　many　people　shouldperish　miserably。　I　got　a　light；　and　in　a　few　momen