安徒生童话-第46章

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se　be　burnt　down；　than　that　so　many　people　shouldperish　miserably。　I　got　a　light；　and　in　a　few　moments　the　red　flamesleaped　up　as　a　beacon　to　them。　I　escaped　fortunately　as　far　as　thethreshold　of　the　door；　but　there　I　fell　down　and　remained：　I　couldgo　no　farther。　The　flames　rushed　out　towards　me；　flickered　on　thewindow；　and　rose　high　above　the　roof。　The　people　on　the　ice　becameaware　of　the　fire；　and　ran　as　fast　as　possible　to　help　a　poor　sickwoman；　who；　as　they　thought；　was　being　burnt　to　death。　There　was　notone　who　did　not　run。　I　heard　them　ing；　and　I　also　at　the　sametime　was　conscious　of　a　rush　of　air　and　a　sound　like　the　roar　of　heavyartillery。　The　spring　flood　was　lifting　the　ice　covering；　whichbrake　into　a　thousand　pieces。　But　the　people　had　reached　the　sea…wall；where　the　sparks　were　flying　round。　I　had　saved　them　all；　but　Isuppose　I　could　not　survive　the　cold　and　fright；　so　I　came　up　hereto　the　gates　of　paradise。　I　am　told　they　are　open　to　poor　creaturessuch　as　I　am；　and　I　have　now　no　house　left　on　earth；　but　I　do　notthink　that　will　give　me　a　claim　to　be　admitted　here。〃

Then　the　gates　were　opened；　and　an　angel　led　the　old　woman　in。　Shehad　dropped　one　little　straw　out　of　her　straw　bed；　when　she　set　iton　fire　to　save　the　lives　of　so　many。　It　had　been　changed　into　thepurest　gold…　into　gold　that　constantly　grew　and　expanded　intoflowers　and　fruit　of　immortal　beauty。

〃See；〃　said　the　angel；　pointing　to　the　wonderful　straw；　〃this　iswhat　the　poor　woman　has　brought。　What　dost　thou　bring？　I　know　thouhast　acplished　nothing；　not　even　made　a　single　brick。　Even　ifthou　couldst　return；　and　at　least　produce　so　much；　very　likely；　whenmade；　the　brick　would　be　useless；　unless　done　with　a　good　will；which　is　always　something。　But　thou　canst　not　return　to　earth；　and　Ican　do　nothing　for　thee。〃

Then　the　poor　soul；　the　old　mother　who　had　lived　in　the　house　onthe　dyke；　pleaded　for　him。　She　said；　〃His　brother　made　all　the　stoneand　bricks；　and　sent　them　to　me　to　build　my　poor　little　dwelling；which　was　a　great　deal　to　do　for　a　poor　woman　like　me。　Could　not　allthese　bricks　and　pieces　be　as　a　wall　of　stone　to　prevail　for　him？　Itis　an　act　of　mercy；　he　is　wanting　it　now；　and　here　is　the　veryfountain　of　mercy。〃

〃Then；〃　said　the　angel；　〃thy　brother；　he　who　has　been　lookedupon　as　the　meanest　of　you　all；　he　whose　honest　deeds　to　thee　appearedso　humble；…　it　is　he　who　has　sent　you　this　heavenly　gift。　Thou　shaltnot　be　turned　away。　Thou　shalt　have　permission　to　stand　without　thegate　and　reflect；　and　repent　of　thy　life　on　earth；　but　thou　shaltnot　be　admitted　here　until　thou　hast　performed　one　good　deed　ofrepentance；　which　will　indeed　for　thee　be　something。〃

〃I　could　have　expressed　that　better；〃　thought　the　critic；　but　hedid　not　say　it　aloud；　which　for　him　was　SOMETHING；　after　all。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　　SOUP　FROM　A　SAUSAGE　SKEWER

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

〃WE　had　such　an　excellent　dinner　yesterday；〃　said　an　old　mouseof　the　female　sex　to　another　who　had　not　been　present　at　the　feast。　〃Isat　number　twenty…one　below　the　mouse…king；　which　was　not　a　bad　place。Shall　I　tell　you　what　we　had？　Everything　was　first　rate。　Mouldy　bread；tallow　candle；　and　sausage。　And　then；　when　we　had　finished　thatcourse；　the　same　came　on　all　over　again；　it　was　as　good　as　two　feasts。We　were　very　sociable；　and　there　was　as　much　joking　and　fun　as　if　wehad　been　all　of　one　family　circle。　Nothing　was　left　but　the　sausageskewers；　and　this　formed　a　subject　of　conversation；　till　at　last　itturned　to　the　proverb；　'Soup　from　sausage　skins；'　or；　as　the　people　inthe　neighboring　country　call　it；　'Soup　from　a　sausage　skewer。'　Everyone　had　heard　the　proverb；　but　no　one　had　ever　tasted　the　soup；　muchless　prepared　it。　A　capital　toast　was　drunk　to　the　inventor　of　thesoup；　and　some　one　said　he　ought　to　be　made　a　relieving　officer　to　thepoor。　Was　not　that　witty？　Then　the　old　mouse…king　rose　and　promisedthat　the　young　lady…mouse　who　should　learn　how　best　to　prepare　thismuch…admired　and　savory　soup　should　be　his　queen；　and　a　year　and　a　dayshould　be　allowed　for　the　purpose。〃

〃That　was　not　at　all　a　bad　proposal；〃　said　the　other　mouse；　〃buthow　is　the　soup　made？〃

〃Ah；　that　is　more　than　I　can　tell　you。　All　the　young　lady　micewere　asking　the　same　question。　They　wished　very　much　to　be　queen；but　they　did　not　want　to　take　the　trouble　of　going　out　into　theworld　to　learn　how　to　make　soup；　which　was　absolutely　necessary　tobe　done　first。　But　it　is　not　every　one　who　would　care　to　leave　herfamily；　or　her　happy　corner　by　the　fire…side　at　home；　even　to　bemade　queen。　It　is　not　always　easy　to　find　bacon　and　cheese…rind　inforeign　lands　every　day；　and　it　is　not　pleasant　to　have　to　endurehunger；　and　be　perhaps；　after　all；　eaten　up　alive　by　the　cat。〃

〃Most　probably　some　such　thoughts　as　these　discouraged　themajority　from　going　out　into　the　world　to　collect　the　requiredinformation。　Only　four　mice　gave　notice　that　they　were　ready　to　setout　on　the　journey。　They　were　young　and　lively；　but　poor。　Each　of　themwished　to　visit　one　of　the　four　divisions　of　the　world；　so　that　itmight　be　seen　which　was　the　most　favored　by　fortune。　Every　one　tooka　sausage　skewer　as　a　traveller's　staff；　and　to　remind　them　of　theobject　of　their　journey。　They　left　home　early　in　May；　and　none　of　themreturned　till　the　first　of　May　in　the　following　year；　and　then　onlythree　of　them。　Nothing　was　seen　or　heard　of　the　fourth；　although　theday　of　decision　was　close　at　hand。　〃Ah；　yes；　there　is　always　sometrouble　mixed　up　with　the　greatest　pleasure；〃　said　the　mouse…king；　buthe　gave　orders　that　all　the　mice　within　a　circle　of　many　milesshould　be　invited　at　once。　They　were　to　assemble　in　the　kitchen；　andthe　three　travelled　mice　were　to　stand　in　a　row　before　them；　while　asausage　skewer；　covered　with　crape；　was　to　be　stuck　up　instead　ofthe　missing　mouse。　No　one　dared　to　express　an　opinion　until　the　kingspoke；　and　desired　one　of　them　to　go　on　with　her　story。　And　now　weshall　hear　what　she　said。

　　　WHAT　THE　FIRST　LITTLE　MOUSE

　　　SAW　AND　HEARD　ON　HER　TRAVELS

〃When　I　first　went　out　into　the　world；〃　said　the　little　mouse；〃I　fancied；　as　so　many　of　my　age　do；　that　I　already　knew　everything；but　it　was　not　so。　It　takes　years　to　acquire　great　knowledge。　I　wentat　once　to　sea　in　a　ship　bound　for　the　north。　I　had　been　told　that　theship's　cook　must　know　how　to　prepare　every　dish　at　sea；　and　it　is　easyenough　to　do　that　with　plenty　of　sides　of　bacon；　and　large　tubs　ofsalt　meat　and　mouldy　flour。　There　I　found　plenty　of　delicate　food；　butno　opportunity　for　learning　how　to　make　soup　from　a　sausage　skewer。　Wesailed　on　for　many　days　and　nights；　the　ship　rocked　fearfully；　andwe　did　not　escape　without　a　wetting。　As　soon　as　we　arrived　at　the　portto　which　the　ship　was　bound；　I　left　it；　and　went　on　shore　at　a　placefar　towards　the　north。　It　is　a　wonderful　thing　to　leave　your　ownlittle　corner　at　home；　to　hide　yourself　in　a　ship　where　there　are　sureto　be　some　nice　snug　corners　for　shelter；　then　suddenly　to　findyourself　thousands　of　miles　away　in　a　foreign　land。　I　saw　largepathless　forests　of　pine　and　birch　trees；　which　smelt　so　strong　that　Isneezed　and　thought　of　sausage。　There　were　great　lakes　also　whichlooked　as　black　as　ink　at　a　distance；　but　were　quite　clear　when　I　cameclose　to　them。　Large　swans　were　floating　upon　them；　and　I　thought　atfirst　they　were　only　foam；　they　lay　so　still；　but　when　I　saw　them　walkand　fly；　I　knew　what　they　were　directly。　They　belong　to　the　goosespecies；　one　can　see　that　by　their　walk。　No　one　can　attempt　todisguise　family　descent。　I　kept　with　my　own　kind；　and　associatedwith　the　forest　and　field　mice；　who；　however；　knew　very　little；especially　about　what　I　wanted　to　know；　and　which　had　actually　made　metravel　abroad。　The　idea　that　soup　could　be　made　from　a　sausageskewer　was　to　them　such　an　out…of…the…way；　unlikely　thought；　that　itwas　repeated　from　one　to　another　through　the　whole　forest。　Theydeclared　that　the　problem　would　never　be　solved；　that　the　thing　was　animpossibility。　How　little　I　thought　that　in　this　place；　on　the　veryfirst　night；　I　should　be　initiated　into　the　manner　of　its　preparation。

〃It　was　the　height　of　summer；　which　the　mice　told　me　was　thereason　that　the　forest　smelt　so　strong；　and　that　the　herbs　were　sofragrant；　and　the　lakes　with　the　white　swimming　swans　so　dark；　and　yetso　clear。　On　the　margin　of　the　wood；　near　to　three　or　four　houses；　apole；　as　large　as　the　mainmast　of　a　ship；　had　been　erected；　and　fromthe　summit　hung　wreaths　of　flowers　and　fluttering　ribbons；　it　wasthe　Maypole。　Lads　and　lasses　danced　round　the　pole；　and　tried　to　outdothe　violins　of　the　musicians　with　their　singing。　They　were　as　merry　asever　at　sunset　and　in　the　moonlight；　but　I　took　no　part　in　themerry…making。　What　has　a　little　mouse　to　do　with　a　Maypole　dance？　Isat　in　the　soft　moss；　and　held　my　sausage　skewer　tight。　The　moon　threwits　beams　particularly　on　one　spot　where　stood　a　tree　covered　withexceedingly　fine　moss。　I　may　almost　venture　to　say　that　it　was　as　fineand　soft　as　the　fur　of　the　mouse…king；　but　it　was　green；　which　is　acolor　very　agreeable　to　the　eye。　All　at　once　I　saw　the　most　charminglittle　people　marching　towards　me。　They　did　not　reach　higher　than　myknee；　they　looked　like　human　beings；　but　were　better　proportion