安徒生童话-第51章

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is　wife；　and；　perhaps；for　children。

〃I　have　allowed　myself　to　be　taken　in；〃　said　our　beetle　tohimself；　〃and　now　there's　nothing　to　be　done　but　to　take　them　in；　inreturn。〃

No　sooner　said　than　done。　Away　he　went；　and　stayed　away　all　dayand　all　night；　and　his　wife　remained　behind　a　forsaken　widow。

〃Oh；〃　said　the　other　beetles；　〃this　fellow　that　we　have　receivedinto　our　family　is　nothing　but　a　plete　vagabond。　He　has　gone　awayand　left　his　wife　a　burden　upon　our　hands。〃

〃Well；　she　can　be　unmarried　again；　and　remain　here　with　my　otherdaughters；〃　said　the　mother。　〃Fie　on　the　villain　that　forsook　her！〃

In　the　mean　time　the　beetle；　who　had　sailed　across　the　ditch　ona　cabbage　leaf；　had　been　journeying　on　the　other　side。　In　themorning　two　persons　came　up　to　the　ditch。　When　they　saw　him　theytook　him　up　and　turned　him　over　and　over；　looking　very　learned　all　thetime；　especially　one；　who　was　a　boy。　〃Allah　sees　the　black　beetle　inthe　black　stone；　and　the　black　rock。　Is　not　that　written　in　theKoran？〃　he　asked。

Then　he　translated　the　beetle's　name　into　Latin；　and　said　agreat　deal　upon　the　creature's　nature　and　history。　The　secondperson；　who　was　older　and　a　scholar；　proposed　to　carry　the　beetlehome；　as　they　wanted　just　such　good　specimens　as　this。　Our　beetleconsidered　this　speech　a　great　insult；　so　he　flew　suddenly　out　ofthe　speaker's　hand。　His　wings　were　dry　now；　so　they　carried　him　to　agreat　distance；　till　at　last　he　reached　a　hothouse；　where　a　sash　ofthe　glass　roof　was　partly　open；　so　he　quietly　slipped　in　and　buriedhimself　in　the　warm　earth。　〃It　is　very　fortable　here；〃　he　said　tohimself；　and　soon　after　fell　asleep。　Then　he　dreamed　that　theemperor's　horse　was　dying；　and　had　left　him　his　golden　shoes；　and　alsopromised　that　he　should　have　two　more。　All　this　was　very　delightful；and　when　the　beetle　woke　up　he　crept　forth　and　looked　around　him。　Whata　splendid　place　the　hothouse　was！　At　the　back；　large　palm…treeswere　growing；　and　the　sunlight　made　the　leaves…　look　quite　glossy；　andbeneath　them　what　a　profusion　of　luxuriant　green；　and　of　flowers　redlike　flame；　yellow　as　amber；　or　white　as　new…fallen　snow！　〃What　awonderful　quantity　of　plants；〃　cried　the　beetle；　〃how　good　they　willtaste　when　they　are　decayed！　This　is　a　capital　store…room。　Theremust　certainly　be　some　relations　of　mine　living　here；　I　will　justsee　if　I　can　find　any　one　with　whom　I　can　associate。　I'm　proud；certainly；　but　I'm　also　proud　of　being　so。　Then　he　prowled　about　inthe　earth；　and　thought　what　a　pleasant　dream　that　was　about　thedying　horse；　and　the　golden　shoes　he　had　inherited。　Suddenly　a　handseized　the　beetle；　and　squeezed　him；　and　turned　him　round　and　round。The　gardener's　little　son　and　his　playfellow　had　e　into　thehothouse；　and；　seeing　the　beetle；　wanted　to　have　some　fun　with　him。First；　he　was　wrapped；　in　a　vine…leaf；　and　put　into　a　warm　trousers'pocket。　He　twisted　and　turned　about　with　all　his　might；　but　he　got　agood　squeeze　from　the　boy's　hand；　as　a　hint　for　him　to　keep　quiet。Then　the　boy　went　quickly　towards　a　lake　that　lay　at　the　end　of　thegarden。　Here　the　beetle　was　put　into　an　old　broken　wooden　shoe；　inwhich　a　little　stick　had　been　fastened　upright　for　a　mast；　and　to　thismast　the　beetle　was　bound　with　a　piece　of　worsted。　Now　he　was　asailor；　and　had　to　sail　away。　The　lake　was　not　very　large；　but　tothe　beetle　it　seemed　an　ocean；　and　he　was　so　astonished　at　its　sizethat　he　fell　over　on　his　back；　and　kicked　out　his　legs。　Then　thelittle　ship　sailed　away；　sometimes　the　current　of　the　water　seized　it；but　whenever　it　went　too　far　from　the　shore　one　of　the　boys　turnedup　his　trousers；　and　went　in　after　it；　and　brought　it　back　to　land。But　at　last；　just　as　it　went　merrily　out　again；　the　two　boys　werecalled；　and　so　angrily；　that　they　hastened　to　obey；　and　ran　away　asfast　as　they　could　from　the　pond；　so　that　the　little　ship　was　leftto　its　fate。　It　was　carried　away　farther　and　farther　from　the　shore；till　it　reached　the　open　sea。　This　was　a　terrible　prospect　for　thebeetle；　for　he　could　not　escape　in　consequence　of　being　bound　to　themast。　Then　a　fly　came　and　paid　him　a　visit。　〃What　beautifulweather；〃　said　the　fly；　〃I　shall　rest　here　and　sun　myself。　You　musthave　a　pleasant　time　of　it。〃

〃You　speak　without　knowing　the　facts；〃　replied　the　beetle；〃don't　you　see　that　I　am　a　prisoner？〃

〃Ah；　but　I'm　not　a　prisoner；〃　remarked　the　fly；　and　away　he　flew。

〃Well；　now　I　know　the　world；〃　said　the　beetle　to　himself；　〃it's　anabominable　world；　I'm　the　only　respectable　person　in　it。　First；　theyrefuse　me　my　golden　shoes；　then　I　have　to　lie　on　damp　linen；　and　tostand　in　a　draught；　and　to　crown　all；　they　fasten　a　wife　upon　me。Then；　when　I　have　made　a　step　forward　in　the　world；　and　found　out　afortable　position；　just　as　I　could　wish　it　to　be；　one　of　thesehuman　boys　es　and　ties　me　up；　and　leaves　me　to　the　mercy　of　thewild　waves；　while　the　emperor's　favorite　horse　goes　prancing　aboutproudly　on　his　golden　shoes。　This　vexes　me　more　than　anything。　Butit　is　useless　to　look　for　sympathy　in　this　world。　My　career　has　beenvery　interesting；　but　what's　the　use　of　that　if　nobody　knowsanything　about　it？　The　world　does　not　deserve　to　be　made　acquaintedwith　my　adventures；　for　it　ought　to　have　given　me　golden　shoes　whenthe　emperor's　horse　was　shod；　and　I　stretched　out　my　feet　to　beshod；　too。　If　I　had　received　golden　shoes　I　should　have　been　anornament　to　the　stable；　now　I　am　lost　to　the　stable　and　to　theworld。　It　is　all　over　with　me。〃

But　all　was　not　yet　over。　A　boat；　in　which　were　a　few　young　girls；came　rowing　up。　〃Look；　yonder　is　an　old　wooden　shoe　sailing　along；〃said　one　of　the　younger　girls。

〃And　there's　a　poor　little　creature　bound　fast　in　it；〃　saidanother。

The　boat　now　came　close　to　our　beetle's　ship；　and　the　younggirls　fished　it　out　of　the　water。　One　of　them　drew　a　small　pair　ofscissors　from　her　pocket；　and　cut　the　worsted　without　hurting　thebeetle；　and　when　she　stepped　on　shore　she　placed　him　on　the　grass。〃There；〃　she　said；　〃creep　away；　or　fly；　if　thou　canst。　It　is　asplendid　thing　to　have　thy　liberty。〃　Away　flew　the　beetle；　straightthrough　the　open　window　of　a　large　building；　there　he　sank　down；　tiredand　exhausted；　exactly　on　the　mane　of　the　emperor's　favorite　horse；who　was　standing　in　his　stable；　and　the　beetle　found　himself　at　homeagain。　For　some　time　he　clung　to　the　mane；　that　he　might　recoverhimself。　〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃here　I　am；　seated　on　the　emperor's　favoritehorse；…　sitting　upon　him　as　if　I　were　the　emperor　himself。　But　whatwas　it　the　farrier　asked　me？　Ah；　I　remember　now；…　that's　a　goodthought；…　he　asked　me　why　the　golden　shoes　were　given　to　the　horse。The　answer　is　quite　clear　to　me；　now。　They　were　given　to　the　horseon　my　account。〃　And　this　reflection　put　the　beetle　into　a　good　temper。The　sun's　rays　also　came　streaming　into　the　stable；　and　shone　uponhim；　and　made　the　place　lively　and　bright。　〃Travelling　expands　themind　very　much；〃　said　the　beetle。　〃The　world　is　not　so　bad　afterall；　if　you　know　how　to　take　things　as　they　e。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

THE　BELL

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

IN　the　narrow　streets　of　a　large　town　people　often　heard　in　theevening；　when　the　sun　was　setting；　and　his　last　rays　gave　a　goldentint　to　the　chimney…pots；　a　strange　noise　which　resembled　the　sound　ofa　church　bell；　it　only　lasted　an　instant；　for　it　was　lost　in　thecontinual　roar　of　traffic　and　hum　of　voices　which　rose　from　thetown。　〃The　evening　bell　is　ringing；〃　people　used　to　say；　〃the　sun　issetting！〃　Those　who　walked　outside　the　town；　where　the　houses　wereless　crowded　and　interspersed　by　gardens　and　little　fields；　saw　theevening　sky　much　better；　and　heard　the　sound　of　the　bell　much　moreclearly。　It　seemed　as　though　the　sound　came　from　a　church；　deep　in　thecalm；　fragrant　wood；　and　thither　people　looked　with　devout　feelings。

A　considerable　time　elapsed：　one　said　to　the　other；　〃I　reallywonder　if　there　is　a　church　out　in　the　wood。　The　bell　has　indeed　astrange　sweet　sound！　Shall　we　go　there　and　see　what　the　cause　of　itis？〃　The　rich　drove；　the　poor　walked；　but　the　way　seemed　to　themextraordinarily　long；　and　when　they　arrived　at　a　number　of　willowtrees　on　the　border　of　the　wood　they　sat　down；　looked　up　into　thegreat　branches　and　thought　they　were　now　really　in　the　wood。　Aconfectioner　from　the　town　also　came　out　and　put　up　a　stall　there；then　came　another　confectioner　who　hung　a　bell　over　his　stall；　whichwas　covered　with　pitch　to　protect　it　from　the　rain；　but　the　clapperwas　wanting。

When　people　came　home　they　used　to　say　that　it　had　been　veryromantic；　and　that　really　means　something　else　than　merely　taking　tea。Three　persons　declared　that　they　had　gone　as　far　as　the　end　of　thewood；　they　had　always　heard　the　strange　sound；　but　there　it　seemedto　them　as　if　it　came　from　the　town。　One　of　them　wrote　verses　aboutthe　bell；　and　said　that　it　was　like　the　voice　of　a　mother　speakingto　an　intelligent　and　beloved　child；　no　tune；　he　said；　was　sweeterthan　the　sound　of　the　bell。

The　emperor　of　the　country　heard　of　it；　and　declared　that　he　whowould　really　find　out　where　the　sound　came　from　should　receive　thetitle　of　〃Bellringer　to　the　World；〃　even　if　there　was　no　bell　at　all。

Now　many　went　out　into　the　wood　for　the　sake　of　this　splendidberth；　but　only　one　of　them　came　back　with　s