安徒生童话-第115章

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hes；〃　said　he；　〃it　is　so　wet　in　the　garden；　but　the　sun　isshining　brightly。　I　should　like　to　go　out　there　and　smoke　my　pipe。〃　Heput　on　the　goloshes；　and　was　soon　in　the　garden；　which　containedonly　one　plum…tree　and　one　apple…tree；　yet；　in　a　town；　even　a　smallgarden　like　this　is　a　great　advantage。

The　student　wandered　up　and　down　the　path；　it　was　just　sixo'clock；　and　he　could　hear　the　sound　of　the　post…horn　in　the　street。〃Oh；　to　travel；　to　travel！〃　cried　he；　〃there　is　no　greater　happinessin　the　world：　it　is　the　height　of　my　ambition。　This　restless　feelingwould　be　stilled；　if　I　could　take　a　journey　far　away　from　thiscountry。　I　should　like　to　see　beautiful　Switzerland；　to　travel　throughItaly；　and；〃…　It　was　well　for　him　that　the　goloshes　acted　immediately；otherwise　he　might　have　been　carried　too　far　for　himself　as　well　asfor　us。　In　a　moment　he　found　himself　in　Switzerland；　closely　packedwith　eight　others　in　the　diligence。　His　head　ached；　his　back　wasstiff；　and　the　blood　had　ceased　to　circulate；　so　that　his　feet　wereswelled　and　pinched　by　his　boots。　He　wavered　in　a　condition　betweensleeping　and　waking。　In　his　right…hand　pocket　he　had　a　letter　ofcredit；　in　his　left…hand　pocket　was　his　passport；　and　a　few　louisd'ors　were　sewn　into　a　little　leather　bag　which　he　carried　in　hisbreast…pocket。　Whenever　he　dozed；　he　dreamed　that　he　had　lost　one　oranother　of　these　possessions；　then　he　would　awake　with　a　start；　andthe　first　movements　of　his　hand　formed　a　triangle　from　hisright…hand　pocket　to　his　breast；　and　from　his　breast　to　hisleft…hand　pocket；　to　feel　whether　they　were　all　safe。　Umbrellas；sticks；　and　hats　swung　in　the　　before　him；　and　almost　obstructedthe　prospect；　which　was　really　very　imposing；　and　as　he　glanced　at　it；his　memory　recalled　the　words　of　one　poet　at　least；　who　has　sung　ofSwitzerland；　and　whose　poems　have　not　yet　been　printed：…

　〃How　lovely　to　my　wondering　eyes

　　Mont　Blanc's　fair　summits　gently　rise；

　　'Tis　sweet　to　breathe　the　mountain　air；…

　　If　you　have　gold　enough　to　spare。〃Grand；　dark；　and　gloomy　appeared　the　landscape　around　him。　Thepine…forests　looked　like　little　groups　of　moss　on　high　rocks；　whosesummits　were　lost　in　clouds　of　mist。　Presently　it　began　to　snow；　andthe　wind　blew　keen　and　cold。　〃Ah；〃　he　sighed；　〃if　I　were　only　on　theother　side　of　the　Alps　now；　it　would　be　summer；　and　I　should　be　ableto　get　money　on　my　letter　of　credit。　The　anxiety　I　feel　on　this　matterprevents　me　from　enjoying　myself　in　Switzerland。　Oh；　I　wish　I　was　onthe　other　side　of　the　Alps。〃

And　there；　in　a　moment；　he　found　himself；　far　away　in　the　midst　ofItaly；　between　Florence　and　Rome；　where　the　lake　Thrasymeneglittered　in　the　evening　sunlight　like　a　sheet　of　molten　goldbetween　the　dark　blue　mountains。　There；　where　Hannibal　defeatedFlaminius；　the　grape　vines　clung　to　each　other　with　the　friendly　graspof　their　green　tendril　fingers；　while；　by　the　wayside；　lovelyhalf…naked　children　were　watching　a　herd　of　coal…black　swine　under　theblossoms　of　fragrant　laurel。　Could　we　rightly　describe　thispicturesque　scene；　our　readers　would　exclaim；　〃Delightful　Italy！〃

But　neither　the　student　nor　either　of　his　travelling　panionsfelt　the　least　inclination　to　think　of　it　in　this　way。　Poisonous　fliesand　gnats　flew　into　the　coach　by　thousands。　In　vain　they　drove　themaway　with　a　myrtle　branch；　the　flies　stung　them　notwithstanding。　Therewas　not　a　man　in　the　coach　whose　face　was　not　swollen　and　disfiguredwith　the　stings。　The　poor　horses　looked　wretched；　the　flies　settled　ontheir　backs　in　swarms；　and　they　were　only　relieved　when　the　coachmengot　down　and　drove　the　creatures　off。

As　the　sun　set；　an　icy　coldness　filled　all　nature；　not　howeverof　long　duration。　It　produced　the　feeling　which　we　experience　whenwe　enter　a　vault　at　a　funeral；　on　a　summer's　day；　while　the　hillsand　the　clouds　put　on　that　singular　green　hue　which　we　often　notice　inold　paintings；　and　look　upon　as　unnatural　until　we　have　ourselves　seennature's　coloring　in　the　south。　It　was　a　glorious　spectacle；　but　thestomachs　of　the　travellers　were　empty；　their　bodies　exhausted　withfatigue；　and　all　the　longings　of　their　heart　turned　towards　aresting…place　for　the　night；　but　where　to　find　one　they　knew　not。All　the　eyes　were　too　eagerly　seeking　for　this　resting…place；　tonotice　the　beauties　of　nature。

The　road　passed　through　a　grove　of　olive…trees；　it　reminded　thestudent　of　the　willow…trees　at　home。　Here　stood　a　lonely　inn；　andclose　by　it　a　number　of　crippled　beggars　had　placed　themselves；　thebrightest　among　them　looked；　to　quote　the　words　of　Marryat；　〃likethe　eldest　son　of　Famine　who　had　just　e　of　age。〃　The　others　wereeither　blind；　or　had　withered　legs；　which　obliged　them　to　creepabout　on　their　hands　and　knees；　or　they　had　shrivelled　arms　andhands　without　fingers。　It　was　indeed　poverty　arrayed　in　rags。〃Eccellenza；　miserabili！〃　they　exclaimed；　stretching　forth　theirdiseased　limbs。　The　hostess　received　the　travellers　with　bare　feet；untidy　hair；　and　a　dirty　blouse。　The　doors　were　fastened　together　withstring；　the　floors　of　the　rooms　were　of　brick；　broken　in　manyplaces；　bats　flew　about　under　the　roof；　and　as　to　the　odor　within…

〃Let　us　have　supper　laid　in　the　stable；〃　said　one　of　thetravellers；　〃then　we　shall　know　what　we　are　breathing。〃

The　windows　were　opened　to　let　in　a　little　fresh　air；　butquicker　than　air　came　in　the　withered　arms　and　the　continual　whiningsounds；　〃Miserabili；　eccellenza。　On　the　walls　were　inscriptions；half　of　them　against　〃la　bella　Italia。〃

The　supper　made　its　appearance　at　last。　It　consisted　of　waterysoup；　seasoned　with　pepper　and　rancid　oil。　This　last　delicacy　played　aprincipal　part　in　the　salad。　Musty　eggs　and　roasted　cocks'…bswere　the　best　dishes　on　the　table；　even　the　wine　had　a　strangetaste；　it　was　certainly　a　mixture。　At　night；　all　the　boxes　were　placedagainst　the　doors；　and　one　of　the　travellers　watched　while　theothers　slept。　The　student's　turn　came　to　watch。　How　close　the　air　feltin　that　room；　the　heat　overpowered　him。　The　gnats　were　buzzing　aboutand　stinging；　while　the　miserabili；　outside；　moaned　in　their　dreams。

〃Travelling　would　be　all　very　well；〃　said　the　student　ofdivinity　to　himself；　〃if　we　had　no　bodies；　or　if　the　body　could　restwhile　the　soul　if　flying。　Wherever　I　go　I　feel　a　want　whichoppresses　my　heart；　for　something　better　presents　itself　at　themoment；　yes；　something　better；　which　shall　be　the　best　of　all；　butwhere　is　that　to　be　found？　In　fact；　I　know　in　my　heart　very　wellwhat　I　want。　I　wish　to　attain　the　greatest　of　all　happiness。〃

No　sooner　were　the　words　spoken　than　he　was　at　home。　Long　whitecurtains　shaded　the　windows　of　his　room；　and　in　the　middle　of　thefloor　stood　a　black　coffin；　in　which　he　now　lay　in　the　still　sleepof　death；　his　wish　was　fulfilled；　his　body　was　at　rest；　and　his　spirittravelling。

〃Esteem　no　man　happy　until　he　is　in　his　grave；〃　were　the　wordsof　Solon。　Here　was　a　strong　fresh　proof　of　their　truth。　Every　corpseis　a　sphinx　of　immortality。　The　sphinx　in　this　sarcophagus　mightunveil　its　own　mystery　in　the　words　which　the　living　had　himselfwritten　two　days　before…

〃Stern　death；　thy　chilling　silence　waketh　dread；

　　　Yet　in　thy　darkest　hour　there　may　be　light。

Earth's　garden　reaper！　from　the　grave's　cold　bed

　　　T