安徒生童话-第12章

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　a　hardroad　with　a　mine　underneath。　Jurgen　heard　these　sounds　in　hisprison；　and　it　was　a　relief　to　him。　No　music　could　have　touched　hisheart　as　did　these　sounds　of　the　sea…　the　rolling　sea；　the　boundlesssea；　on　which　a　man　can　be　borne　across　the　world　before　the　wind；carrying　his　own　house　with　him　wherever　he　goes；　just　as　the　snailcarries　its　home　even　into　a　strange　country。

He　listened　eagerly　to　its　deep　murmur　and　then　the　thought　arose…〃Free！　free！　How　happy　to　be　free；　even　barefooted　and　in　raggedclothes！〃　Sometimes；　when　such　thoughts　crossed　his　mind；　the　fierynature　rose　within　him；　and　he　beat　the　wall　with　his　clenched　fists。

Weeks；　months；　a　whole　year　had　gone　by；　when　Niels　the　thief；called　also　a　horse…dealer；　was　arrested；　and　now　better　times　came；and　it　was　seen　that　Jurgen　had　been　wrongly　accused。

On　the　afternoon　before　Jurgen's　departure　from　home；　and　beforethe　murder；　Niels　the　thief；　had　met　Martin　at　a　beer…house　in　theneighbourhood　of　Ringkjobing。　A　few　glasses　were　drank；　not　enoughto　cloud　the　brain；　but　enough　to　loosen　Martin's　tongue。　He　beganto　boast　and　to　say　that　he　had　obtained　a　house　and　intended　tomarry；　and　when　Niels　asked　him　where　he　was　going　to　get　the　money；he　slapped　his　pocket　proudly　and　said：

〃The　money　is　here；　where　it　ought　to　be。〃

This　boast　cost　him　his　life；　for　when　he　went　home　Niels　followedhim；　and　cut　his　throat；　intending　to　rob　the　murdered　man　of　thegold；　which　did　not　exist。

All　this　was　circumstantially　explained；　but　it　is　enough　for　usto　know　that　Jurgen　was　set　free。　But　what　pensation　did　he　get　forhaving　been　imprisoned　a　whole　year；　and　shut　out　from　allmunication　with　his　fellow　creatures？　They　told　him　he　wasfortunate　in　being　proved　innocent；　and　that　he　might　go。　Theburgomaster　gave　him　two　dollars　for　travelling　expenses；　and　manycitizens　offered　him　provisions　and　beer…　there　were　still　goodpeople；　they　were　not　all　hard　and　pitiless。　But　the　best　thing　of　allwas　that　the　merchant　Bronne；　of　Skjagen；　into　whose　service　Jurgenhad　proposed　entering　the　year　before；　was　just　at　that　time　onbusiness　in　the　town　of　Ringkjobing。　Bronne　heard　the　whole　story；he　was　kind…hearted；　and　understood　what　Jurgen　must　have　felt　andsuffered。　Therefore　he　made　up　his　mind　to　make　it　up　to　the　poor　lad；and　convince　him　that　there　were　still　kind　folks　in　the　world。

So　Jurgen　went　forth　from　prison　as　if　to　paradise；　to　findfreedom；　affection；　and　trust。　He　was　to　travel　this　path　now；　forno　goblet　of　life　is　all　bitterness；　no　good　man　would　pour　out　such　adraught　for　his　fellow…man；　and　how　should　He　do　it；　Who　is　lovepersonified？

〃Let　everything　be　buried　and　forgotten；〃　said　Bronne；　themerchant。　〃Let　us　draw　a　thick　line　through　last　year：　we　will　evenburn　the　almanack。　In　two　days　we　will　start　for　dear；　friendly；peaceful　Skjagen。　People　call　it　an　out…of…the…way　corner；　but　it　is　agood　warm　chimney…corner；　and　its　windows　open　toward　every　part　ofthe　world。〃

What　a　journey　that　was：　It　was　like　taking　fresh　breath　out　ofthe　cold　dungeon　air　into　the　warm　sunshine。　The　heather　bloomed　inpride　and　beauty；　and　the　shepherd…boy　sat　on　a　barrow　and　blew　hispipe；　which　he　had　carved　for　himself　out　of　a　sheep　bone。　FataMorgana；　the　beautiful　aerial　phenomenon　of　the　wilderness；　appearedwith　hanging　gardens　and　waving　forests；　and　the　wonderful　cloudcalled　〃Lokeman　driving　his　sheep〃　also　was　seen。

Up　towards　Skjagen　they　went；　through　the　land　of　the　Wendels；whence　the　men　with　long　beards　（the　Longobardi　or　Lombards）　hademigrated　in　the　reign　of　King　Snio；　when　all　the　children　and　oldpeople　were　to　have　been　killed；　till　the　noble　Dame　Gambaruk　proposedthat　the　young　people　should　emigrate。　Jurgen　knew　all　this；　he　hadsome　little　knowledge；　and　although　he　did　not　know　the　land　of　theLombards　beyond　the　lofty　Alps；　he　had　an　idea　that　it　must　bethere；　for　in　his　boyhood　he　had　been　in　the　south；　in　Spain。　Hethought　of　the　plenteousness　of　the　southern　fruit；　of　the　redpomegranate　flowers；　of　the　humming；　buzzing；　and　toiling　in　the　greatbeehive　of　a　city　he　had　seen；　but　home　is　the　best　place　after　all；and　Jurgen's　home　was　Denmark。

At　last　they　arrived　at　〃Vendilskaga；〃　as　Skjagen　is　called　in　oldNorwegian　and　Icelandic　writings。　At　that　time　Old　Skjagen；　with　theeastern　and　western　town；　extended　for　miles；　with　sand　hills　andarable　land　as　far　as　the　lighthouse　near　〃Grenen。〃　Then；　as　now；the　houses　were　strewn　among　the　wind…raised　sand…hills…　awilderness　in　which　the　wind　sports　with　the　sand；　and　where　the　voiceof　the　sea…gull　and　wild　swan　strikes　harshly　on　the　ear。

In　the　south…west；　a　mile　from　〃Grenen；〃　lies　Old　Skjagen；merchant　Bronne　dwelt　here；　and　this　was　also　to　be　Jurgen's　homefor　the　future。　The　dwelling…house　was　tarred；　and　all　the　smallout…buildings　had　been　put　together　from　pieces　of　wreck。　There　was　nofence；　for　indeed　there　was　nothing　to　fence　in　except　the　long　rowsof　fishes　which　were　hung　upon　lines；　one　above　the　other；　to　dry　inthe　wind。　The　entire　coast　was　strewn　with　spoiled　herrings；　for　therewere　so　many　of　these　fish　that　a　　was　scarcely　thrown　into　the　seabefore　it　was　filled。　They　were　caught　by　carloads；　and　many　of　themwere　either　thrown　back　into　the　sea　or　left　to　lie　on　the　beach。

The　old　man's　wife　and　daughter　and　his　servants　also　came　to　meethim　with　great　rejoicing。　There　was　a　great　squeezing　of　hands；　andtalking　and　questioning。　And　the　daughter；　what　a　sweet　face　andbright　eyes　she　had！

The　inside　of　the　house　was　fortable　and　roomy。　Fritters；that　a　king　would　have　looked　upon　as　a　dainty　dish；　were　placed　onthe　table；　and　there　was　wine　from　the　Skjagen　vineyard…　that　is；the　sea；　for　there　the　grapes　e　ashore　ready　pressed　and　preparedin　barrels　and　in　bottles。

When　the　mother　and　daughter　heard　who　Jurgen　was；　and　howinnocently　he　had　suffered；　they　looked　at　him　in　a　still　morefriendly　way；　and　pretty　Clara's　eyes　had　a　look　of　especialinterest　as　she　listened　to　his　story。　Jurgen　found　a　happy　home　inOld　Skjagen。　It　did　his　heart　good；　for　it　had　been　sorely　tried。　Hehad　drunk　the　bitter　goblet　of　love　which　softens　or　hardens　theheart；　according　to　circumstances。　Jurgen's　heart　was　still　soft…　itwas　young；　and　therefore　it　was　a　good　thing　that　Miss　Clara　was　goingin　three　weeks'　time　to　Christiansand　in　Norway；　in　her　father's　ship；to　visit　an　aunt　and　to　stay　there　the　whole　winter。

On　the　Sunday　before　she　went　away　they　all　went　to　church；　to　theHoly　munion。　The　church　was　large　and　handsome；　and　had　beenbuilt　centuries　before　by　Scotchmen　and　Dutchmen；　it　stood　some　littleway　out　of　the　town。　It　was　rather　ruinous　certainly；　and　the　roadto　it　was　heavy；　through　deep　sand；　but　the　people　gladly　surmountedthese　difficulties　to　get　to　the　house　of　God；　to　sing　psalms　and　tohear　the　sermon。　The　sand　had　heaped　itself　up　round　the　walls　ofthe　church；　but　the　graves　were　kept　free　from　it。

It　was　the　largest　church　north　of　the　Limfjorden。　The　VirginMary；　with　a　golden　crown　on　her　head　and　the　child　Jesus　in　her　arms；stood　lifelike　on　the　altar；　the　holy　Apostles　had　been　carved　inthe　choir；　and　on　the　walls　there　were　portraits　of　the　oldburgomasters　and　co