安徒生童话-第6章

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d　kindness　and　help　wherever　they　had　been　cast　bythe　winds；　but　nowhere　would　it　have　been　more　sincere　than　in　thecottage　of　the　poor　fisherman's　wife；　who　had　stood；　only　the　daybefore；　beside　her　child's　grave；　who　would　have　been　five　years　oldthat　day　if　God　had　spared　it　to　her。

No　one　knew　who　the　dead　stranger　was；　they　could　not　even　forma　conjecture；　the　fragments　of　wreckage　gave　no　clue　to　the　matter。

No　tidings　reached　Spain　of　the　fate　of　the　daughter　andson…in…law。　They　did　not　arrive　at　their　destination；　and　violentstorms　had　raged　during　the　past　weeks。　At　last　the　verdict　was　given：〃Foundered　at　sea…　all　lost。〃　But　in　the　fisherman's　cottage　among　thesand…hills　near　Hunsby；　there　lived　a　little　scion　of　the　rich　Spanishfamily。

Where　Heaven　sends　food　for　two；　a　third　can　manage　to　find　ameal；　and　in　the　depth　of　the　sea　there　is　many　a　dish　of　fish　for　thehungry。

They　called　the　boy　Jurgen。

〃It　must　certainly　be　a　Jewish　child；　its　skin　is　so　dark；〃　thepeople　said。

〃It　might　be　an　Italian　or　a　Spaniard；〃　remarked　the　clergyman。

But　to　the　fisherman's　wife　these　nations　seemed　all　the　same；　andshe　consoled　herself　with　the　thought　that　the　child　was　baptized　as　aChristian。

The　boy　throve；　the　noble　blood　in　his　veins　was　warm；　and　hebecame　strong　on　his　homely　fare。　He　grew　apace　in　the　humble　cottage；and　the　Danish　dialect　spoken　by　the　West　Jutes　became　his　language。The　pomegranate　seed　from　Spain　became　a　hardy　plant　on　the　coast　ofWest　Jutland。　Thus　may　circumstances　alter　the　course　of　a　man's　life！To　this　home　he　clung　with　deep…rooted　affection；　he　was　to　experiencecold　and　hunger；　and　the　misfortunes　and　hardships　that　surround　thepoor；　but　he　also　tasted　of　their　joys。

Childhood　has　bright　days　for　every　one；　and　the　memory　of　themshines　through　the　whole　after…life。　The　boy　had　many　sources　ofpleasure　and　enjoyment；　the　coast　for　miles　and　miles　was　full　ofplaythings；　for　it　was　a　mosaic　of　pebbles；　some　red　as　coral　oryellow　as　amber；　and　others　again　white　and　rounded　like　birds'　eggsand　smoothed　and　prepared　by　the　sea。　Even　the　bleached　fishes'skeletons；　the　water　plants　dried　by　the　wind；　and　seaweed；　whiteand　shining　long　linen…like　bands　waving　between　the　stones…　all　theseseemed　made　to　give　pleasure　and　occupation　for　the　boy's　thoughts；and　he　had　an　intelligent　mind；　many　great　talents　lay　dormant　in　him。How　readily　he　remembered　stories　and　songs　that　he　heard；　and　howdexterous　he　was　with　his　fingers！　With　stones　and　mussel…shells　hecould　put　together　pictures　and　ships　with　which　one　could　decoratethe　room；　and　he　could　make　wonderful　things　from　a　stick；　hisfoster…mother　said；　although　he　was　still　so　young　and　little。　Hehad　a　sweet　voice；　and　every　melody　seemed　to　flow　naturally　fromhis　lips。　And　in　his　heart　were　hidden　chords；　which　might　havesounded　far　out　into　the　world　if　he　had　been　placed　anywhere　elsethan　in　the　fisherman's　hut　by　the　North　Sea。

One　day　another　ship　was　wrecked　on　the　coast；　and　among　otherthings　a　chest　filled　with　valuable　flower　bulbs　was　washed　ashore。Some　were　put　into　saucepans　and　cooked；　for　they　were　thought　to　befit　to　eat；　and　others　lay　and　shrivelled　in　the　sand…　they　did　notacplish　their　purpose；　or　unfold　their　magnificent　colours。　WouldJurgen　fare　better？　The　flower　bulbs　had　soon　played　their　part；　buthe　had　years　of　apprenticeship　before　him。　Neither　he　nor　hisfriends　noticed　in　what　a　monotonous；　uniform　way　one　day　followedanother；　for　there　was　always　plenty　to　do　and　see。　The　ocean　itselfwas　a　great　lesson…book；　and　it　unfolded　a　new　leaf　each　day　of　calmor　storm…　the　crested　wave　or　the　smooth　surface。

The　visits　to　the　church　were　festive　occasions；　but　among　thefisherman's　house　one　was　especially　looked　forward　to；　this　was；　infact；　the　visit　of　the　brother　of　Jurgen's　foster…mother；　theeel…breeder　from　Fjaltring；　near　Bovbjerg。　He　came　twice　a　year　in　acart；　painted　red　with　blue　and　white　tulips　upon　it；　and　full　ofeels；　it　was　covered　and　locked　like　a　box；　two　dun　oxen　drew　it；and　Jurgen　was　allowed　to　guide　them。

The　eel…breeder　was　a　witty　fellow；　a　merry　guest；　and　brought　ameasure　of　brandy　with　him。　They　all　received　a　small　glassful　or　acupful　if　there　were　not　enough　glasses；　even　Jurgen　had　about　athimbleful；　that　he　might　digest　the　fat　eel；　as　the　eel…breeder　said；he　always　told　one　story　over　and　over　again；　and　if　his　hearerslaughed　he　would　immediately　repeat　it　to　them。　Jurgen　while　still　aboy；　and　also　when　he　was　older；　used　phrases　from　the　eel…breeder'sstory　on　various　occasions；　so　it　will　be　as　well　for　us　to　listento　it。　It　runs　thus：

〃The　eels　went　into　the　bay；　and　the　young　ones　begged　leave　to　goa　little　farther　out。　'Don't　go　too　far；'　said　their　mother；　'the　uglyeel…spearer　might　e　and　snap　you　all　up。'　But　they　went　too　far；and　of　eight　daughters　only　three　came　back　to　the　mother；　and　thesewept　and　said；　'We　only　went　a　little　way　out；　and　the　uglyeel…spearer　came　immediately　and　stabbed　five　of　our　sisters　todeath。'　'They'll　e　back　again；'　said　the　mother　eel。　'Oh；　no；'exclaimed　the　daughters；　'for　he　skinned　them；　cut　them　in　two；　andfried　them。'　'Oh；　they'll　e　back　again；'　the　mother　eelpersisted。　'No；'　replied　the　daughters；　'for　he　ate　them　up。'　'They'lle　back　again；'　repeated　the　mother　eel。　'But　he　drank　brandyafter　them；'　said　the　daughters。　'Ah；　then　they'll　never　e　back；'said　the　mother；　and　she　burst　out　crying；　'it's　the　brandy　thatburies　the　eels。'〃

〃And　therefore；〃　said　the　eel…breeder　in　conclusion；　〃it　is　alwaysthe　proper　thing　to　drink　brandy　after　eating　eels。〃

This　story　was　the　tinsel　thread；　the　most　humorous　recollectionof　Jurgen's　life。　He　also　wanted　to　go　a　little　way　farther　out　and　upthe　bay…　that　is　to　say；　out　into　the　world　in　a　ship…　but　hismother　said；　like　the　eel…breeder；　〃There　are　so　many　bad　people…eel　spearers！〃　He　wished　to　go　a　little　way　past　the　sand…hills；　outinto　the　dunes；　and　at　last　he　did：　four　happy　days；　the　brightestof　his　childhood；　fell　to　his　lot；　and　the　whole　beauty　andsplendour　of　Jutland；　all　the　happiness　and　sunshine　of　his　home；　wereconcentrated　in　these。　He　went　to　a　festival；　but　it　was　a　burialfeast。

A　rich　relation　of　the　fisherman's　family　had　died；　the　farm　wassituated　far　eastward　in　the　country　and　a　little　towards　the　north。Jurgen's　foster　parents　went　there；　and　he　also　went　with　them　fromthe　dunes；　over　heath　and　moor；　where　the　Skjaerumaa　takes　itscourse　through　green　meadows　and　contains　many　eels；　mother　eelslive　there　with　their　daughters；　who　are　caught　and　eaten　up　by　wickedpeople。　But　do　not　men　sometimes　act　quite　as　cruelly　towards　theirown　fellow…men？　Was　not　the　knight　Sir　Bugge　murdered　by　wickedpeople？　And　though　he　was　well　spoken　of；　did　he　not　also　wish　to　killthe　architect　who　built　the　castle　for　him；　with　its　thick　walls　andtower；　at　the　point　where　the　Skjaerumaa　falls　into　the　bay？　Jurgenand　his　parents　now　stood　there；　the　wall　and　the　ramparts　stillremained；　and　red　crumbling　fragments　lay　scattered　around。　Here　itwas　that　Sir　Bugge；　after　the　architect　had　left　him；　said　to　one　ofhis　men；　〃Go　after　him　and　say；　'Master；　the　tower　shakes。'　If　heturns　round；　kill　him　and　take　away　the　money　I　paid　him；　but　if　hedoes　not　turn　round　let　him　go　in　peace。〃　The　man　did　as　he　wastold；　the　architect　did　not　turn　round；　but　called　back　〃The　towerdoes　not　shake　in　the　least；　but　one　day　a　man　will　e　from　the　westin　a　blue　cloak…　he　will　cause　it　to　shake！〃　And　so　indeed　it　happeneda　hundred　years　later；　for　the　North　Sea　broke　in　and　cast　down　thetower；　but　Predbjorn　Gyldenstjerne；　the　man　who　then　possessed　thecastle；　built　a　new　castle　higher　up　at　the　end　of　the　meadow；　andthat　one　is　standing　to　this　day；　and　is　called　Norre…Vosborg。

Jurgen　and　his　foster　parents　went　past　this　castle。　They　had　toldhim　its　story　during　the　long　winter　evenings；　and　now　he　saw　thestately　edifice；　with　its　double　moat；　and　trees　and　bushes；　the　wall；covered　with　ferns；　rose　within　the　moat；　but　the　lofty　lime…treeswere　the　most　beautiful　of　all；　they　grew　up　to　the　highest　windows；and　the　air　was　full　of　their　sweet　fragrance。　In　a　north…westcorner　of　the　garden　stood　a　great　bush　full　of　blossom；　like　wintersnow　amid　the　summer's　green；　it　was　a　juniper　bush；　the　first　thatJurgen　had　ever　seen　in　bloom。　He　never　forgot　it；　nor　the　lime…trees；the　child's　soul　treasured　up　these　memories　of　beauty　and　fragranceto　gladden　the　old　man。

From　Norre…Vosborg；　where　the　juniper　blossomed；　the　journeybecame　more　pleasant；　for　they　met　some　other　people　who　were　alsogoing　to　the　funeral　and　were　riding　in　waggons。　Our　travellers　had　tosit　all　together　on　a　little　box　at　the　back　of　the　waggon；　but　eventhis；　they　thought；　was　better　than　walking。　So　they　continued　theirjourney　across　the　rugged　heath。　The　oxen　which　drew　the　waggonstopped　every　now　and　then；　where　a　patch　of　fresh　grass　appeared　amidthe　heather。　The　sun　shone　with　considerable　heat；　and　it　waswonderful　to　behold　how　in　the　far　distance　something　like　smokeseemed　to　be　rising；　yet　this　smoke　was　clearer　than　the　air；　it　wastransparent；　and　looked　like　rays　of　light　rolling　and　dancing　afarover　the　heath。

〃That　is　Lokeman　driving　hi