安徒生童话-第8章

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using　the　knife！〃

The　words　were　scarcely　spoken；　when　Jurgen's　hand　sank　down。　Hedid　not　answer　a　syllable；　but　went　on　eating；　and　afterwards　returnedto　his　work。　When　they　were　resting　again　he　walked　up　to　Martin　andsaid：

〃Hit　me　in　the　face！　I　deserve　it。　But　sometimes　I　feel　as　if　Ihad　a　pot　in　me　that　boils　over。〃

〃There；　let　the　thing　rest；〃　replied　Martin。

And　after　that　they　were　almost　better　friends　than　ever；　whenafterwards　they　returned　to　the　dunes　and　began　telling　theiradventures；　this　was　told　among　the　rest。　Martin　said　that　Jurgenwas　certainly　passionate；　but　a　good　fellow　after　all。

They　were　both　young　and　healthy；　well…grown　and　strong；　butJurgen　was　the　cleverer　of　the　two。

In　Norway　the　peasants　go　into　the　mountains　and　take　the　cattlethere　to　find　pasture。　On　the　west　coast　of　Jutland　huts　have　beenerected　among　the　sand…hills；　they　are　built　of　pieces　of　wreck；　andthatched　with　turf　and　heather；　there　are　sleeping　places　round　thewalls；　and　here　the　fishermen　live　and　sleep　during　the　earlyspring。　Every　fisherman　has　a　female　helper；　or　manager　as　she　iscalled；　who　baits　his　hooks；　prepares　warm　beer　for　him　when　hees　ashore；　and　gets　the　dinner　cooked　and　ready　for　him　by　the　timehe　es　back　to　the　hut　tired　and　hungry。　Besides　this　the　managersbring　up　the　fish　from　the　boats；　cut　them　open；　prepare　them；　andhave　generally　a　great　deal　to　do。

Jurgen；　his　father；　and　several　other　fishermen　and　their　managersinhabited　the　same　hut；　Martin　lived　in　the　next　one。

One　of　the　girls；　whose　name　was　Else；　had　known　Jurgen　fromchildhood；　they　were　glad　to　see　each　other；　and　were　of　the　sameopinion　on　many　points；　but　in　appearance　they　were　entirely　opposite；for　he　was　dark；　and　she　was　pale；　and　fair；　and　had　flaxen　hair；and　eyes　as　blue　as　the　sea　in　sunshine。

As　they　were　walking　together　one　day；　Jurgen　held　her　hand　veryfirmly　in　his；　and　she　said　to　him：　　　〃Jurgen；　I　have　something　I　want　to　say　to　you；　let　me　be　yourmanager；　for　you　are　like　a　brother　to　me；　but　Martin；　whosehousekeeper　I　am…　he　is　my　lover…　but　you　need　not　tell　this　to　theothers。〃

It　seemed　to　Jurgen　as　if　the　loose　sand　was　giving　way　underhis　feet。　He　did　not　speak　a　word；　but　nodded　his　head；　and　that　meant〃yes。〃　It　was　all　that　was　necessary；　but　he　suddenly　felt　in　hisheart　that　he　hated　Martin；　and　the　more　he　thought　the　more　he　feltconvinced　that　Martin　had　stolen　away　from　him　the　only　being　heever　loved；　and　that　this　was　Else：　he　had　never　thought　of　Else　inthis　way　before；　but　now　it　all　became　plain　to　him。

When　the　sea　is　rather　rough；　and　the　fishermen　are　ing　home　intheir　great　boats；　it　is　wonderful　to　see　how　they　cross　the　reefs。One　of　them　stands　upright　in　the　bow　of　the　boat；　and　the　otherswatch　him　sitting　with　the　oars　in　their　hands。　Outside　the　reef　itlooks　as　if　the　boat　was　not　approaching　land　but　going　back　to　sea；then　the　man　who　is　standing　up　gives　them　the　signal　that　the　greatwave　is　ing　which　is　to　float　them　across　the　reef。　The　boat　islifted　high　into　the　air；　so　that　the　keel　is　seen　from　the　shore；　thenext　moment　nothing　can　be　seen；　mast；　keel；　and　people　are　allhidden…　it　seems　as　though　the　sea　had　devoured　them；　but　in　a　fewmoments　they　emerge　like　a　great　sea　animal　climbing　up　the　waves；　andthe　oars　move　as　if　the　creature　had　legs。　The　second　and　third　reefare　passed　in　the　same　manner；　then　the　fishermen　jump　into　thewater　and　push　the　boat　towards　the　shore…　every　wave　helps　them…and　at　length　they　have　it　drawn　up；　beyond　the　reach　of　the　breakers。

A　wrong　order　given　in　front　of　the　reef…　the　slightesthesitation…　and　the　boat　would　be　lost；

〃Then　it　would　be　all　over　with　me　and　Martin　too！〃

This　thought　passed　through　Jurgen's　mind　one　day　while　theywere　out　at　sea；　where　his　foster…father　had　been　taken　suddenlyill。　The　fever　had　seized　him。　They　were　only　a　few　oars'　strokes　fromthe　reef；　and　Jurgen　sprang　from　his　seat　and　stood　up　in　the　bow。

〃Father…let　me　e！〃　he　said；　and　he　glanced　at　Martin　and　acrossthe　waves；　every　oar　bent　with　the　exertions　of　the　rowers　as　thegreat　wave　came　towards　them；　and　he　saw　his　father's　pale　face；　anddared　not　obey　the　evil　impulse　that　had　shot　through　his　brain。　Theboat　came　safely　across　the　reef　to　land；　but　the　evil　thoughtremained　in　his　heart；　and　roused　up　every　little　fibre　ofbitterness　which　he　remembered　between　himself　and　Martin　since　theyhad　known　each　other。　But　he　could　not　weave　the　fibres　together；nor　did　he　endeavour　to　do　so。　He　felt　that　Martin　had　robbed　him；　andthis　was　enough　to　make　him　hate　his　former　friend。　Several　of　thefishermen　saw　this；　but　Martin　did　not…　he　remained　as　obliging　andtalkative　as　ever；　in　fact　he　talked　rather　too　much。

Jurgen's　foster…father　took　to　his　bed；　and　it　became　hisdeath…bed；　for　he　died　a　week　afterwards；　and　now　Jurgen　was　heir　tothe　little　house　behind　the　sand…hills。　It　was　small；　certainly；　butstill　it　was　something；　and　Martin　had　nothing　of　the　kind。

〃You　will　not　go　to　sea　again；　Jurgen；　I　suppose；〃　observed　one　ofthe　old　fishermen。　〃You　will　always　stay　with　us　now。〃

But　this　was　not　Jurgen's　intention；　he　wanted　to　see　something　ofthe　world。　The　eel…breeder　of　Fjaltring　had　an　uncle　at　Old　Skjagen；who　was　a　fisherman；　but　also　a　prosperous　merchant　with　ships　uponthe　sea；　he　was　said　to　be　a　good　old　man；　and　it　would　not　be　a　badthing　to　enter　his　service。　Old　Skjagen　lies　in　the　extreme　north　ofJutland；　as　far　away　from　the　Hunsby　dunes　as　one　can　travel　in　thatcountry；　and　this　is　just　what　pleased　Jurgen；　for　he　did　not　wantto　remain　till　the　wedding　of　Martin　and　Else；　which　would　takeplace　in　a　week　or　two。

The　old　fisherman　said　it　was　foolish　to　go　away；　for　now　thatJurgen　had　a　home　Else　would　very　likely　be　inclined　to　take　himinstead　of　Martin。

Jurgen　gave　such　a　vague　answer　that　it　was　not　easy　to　make　outwhat　he　meant…　the　old　man　brought　Else　to　him；　and　she　said：

〃You　have　a　home　now；　you　ought　to　think　of　that。〃

And　Jurgen　thought　of　many　things。

The　sea　has　heavy　waves；　but　there　are　heavier　waves　in　thehuman　heart。　Many　thoughts；　strong　and　weak；　rushed　through　Jurgen'sbrain；　and　he　said　to　Else：

〃If　Martin　had　a　house　like　mine；　which　of　us　would　you　ratherhave？〃

〃But　Martin　has　no　house　and　cannot　get　one。〃

〃Suppose　he　had　one？〃

〃Well；　then　I　would　certainly　take　Martin；　for　that　is　what　myheart　tells　me；　but　one　cannot　live　upon　love。〃

Jurgen　turned　these　things　over　in　his　mind　all　night。　Somethingwas　working　within　him；　he　hardly　knew　what　it　was；　but　it　was　evenstronger　than　his　love　for　Else；　and　so　he　went　to　Martin's；　andwhat　he　said　and　did　there　was　well　considered。　He　let　the　house　toMartin　on　most　liberal　terms；　saying　that　he　wished　to　go　to　seaagain；　because　he　loved　it。　And　Else　kissed　him　when　she　heard　ofit；　for　she　loved　Martin　best。

Jurgen　proposed　to　start　early　in　the　morning；　and　on　theevening　before　his　departure；　when　it　was　already　getting　rather　late；he　felt　a　wish　to　visit　Martin　once　more。　He　started；　and　among　thedunes　met　the　old　fisherman；　who　was　angry　at　his　leaving　the　place。The　old　man　made　jokes　about　Martin；　and　declared　there　must　be　somemagic　about　that　fellow；　of　whom　the　girls　were　so　fond。

Jurgen　did　not　pay　any　attention　to　his　remarks；　but　said　good…byeto　the　old　man　and　went　on　towards　the　house　where　Martin　dwelt。　Heheard　loud　talking　inside；　Martin　was　not　alone；　and　this　madeJurgen　waver　in　his　determination；　for　he　did　not　wish　to　see　Elseagain。　On　second　thoughts；　he　decided　that　it　was　better　not　to　hearany　more　thanks　from　Martin；　and　so　he　turned　back。

On　the　following　morning；　before　the　sun　rose；　he　fastened　hisknapsack　on　his　back；　took　his　wooden　provision　box　in　his　hand；　andwent　away　among　the　sand…hills　towards　the　coast　path。　This　way　wasmore　pleasant　than　the　heavy　sand　road；　and　besides　it　was　shorter；and　he　intended　to　go　first　to　Fjaltring；　near　Bovbjerg；　where　theeel…breeder　lived；　to　whom　he　had　promised　a　visit。

The　sea　lay　before　him；　clear　and　blue；　and　the　mussel　shellsand　pebbles；　the　playthings　of　his　childhood；　crunched　over　hisfeet。　While　he　thus　walked　on　his　nose　suddenly　began　to　bleed；　it　wasa　trifling　occurrence；　but　trifles　sometimes　are　of　greatimportance。　A　few　large　drops　of　blood　fell　upon　one　of　his　sleeves。He　wiped　them　off　and　stopped　the　bleeding；　and　it　seemed　to　him　as　ifthis　had　cleared　and　lightened　his　brain。　The　sea…cale　bloomed　hereand　there　in　the　sand　as　he　passed。　He　broke　off　a　spray　and　stuckit　in　his　hat；　he　determined　to　be　merry　and　light…hearted；　for　he　wasgoing　out　into　the　wide　world…　〃a　little　way　out；　beyond　the　bay；〃as　the　young　eels　had　said。　〃Beware　of　bad　people　who　will　catchyou；　and　skin　you；　and　put　you　in　the　frying…pan！〃　he　repeated　inhis　mind；　and　smiled；　for　he　thought　he　should　find　his　way　throughthe　world…　good　courage　is　a　strong　weapon！

The　sun　was　high　in　the　heavens　when　he　approached　the　narrowentrance　to　Nissum　Bay。　He　looked　back　and　saw　a　couple　of　horsemengalloping　a　long　distance　behind　him；　and　there　were　other　people　withthem。　But　this　did　not　concern　him。

The　ferry…boat　was　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　bay。　Jurgencalled　to　the　ferry