安徒生童话-第147章

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world　were　only　a　little　more　settled；〃said　he：　〃but　sometimes　I'm　obliged　to　be　in　a　good　humor；　andsometimes　a　bad　one；　according　to　circumstances；　now　rain；　nowsunshine。　I'm　kind　of　a　house　agent；　also　a　manager　of　funerals。　I　canlaugh　or　cry；　according　to　circumstances。　I　have　my　summer　wardrobe　inthis　box　here；　but　it　would　be　very　foolish　to　put　it　on　now。　Here　Iam。　On　Sundays　I　go　out　walking　in　shoes　and　white　silk　stockings；　anda　muff。〃

After　him；　a　lady　stepped　out　of　the　coach。　She　called　herselfMiss　MAY。　She　wore　a　summer　dress　and　overshoes；　her　dress　was　a　lightgreen；　and　she　wore　anemones　in　her　hair。　She　was　so　scented　withwild…thyme；　that　it　made　the　sentry　sneeze。

〃Your　health；　and　God　bless　you；〃　was　her　salutation　to　him。

How　pretty　she　was！　and　such　a　singer！　not　a　theatre　singer；　nor　aballad　singer；　no；　but　a　singer　of　the　woods；　for　she　wandered　throughthe　gay　green　forest；　and　had　a　concert　there　for　her　own　amusement。

〃Now　es　the　young　lady；〃　said　those　in　the　carriage；　and　outstepped　a　young　dame；　delicate；　proud；　and　pretty。　It　was　MistressJUNE；　in　whose　service　people　bee　lazy　and　fond　of　sleeping　forhours。　She　gives　a　feast　on　the　longest　day　of　the　year；　that　theremay　be　time　for　her　guests　to　partake　of　the　numerous　dishes　at　hertable。　Indeed；　she　keeps　her　own　carriage；　but　still　she　travelledby　the　mail；　with　the　rest；　because　she　wished　to　show　that　she　wasnot　high…minded。　But　she　was　not　without　a　protector；　her　youngerbrother；　JULY；　was　with　her。　He　was　a　plump　young　fellow；　clad　insummer　garments　and　wearing　a　straw　hat。　He　had　but　very　littleluggage　with　him；　because　it　was　so　cumbersome　in　the　great　heat；　hehad；　however；　swimming…trousers　with　him；　which　are　nothing　tocarry。　Then　came　the　mother　herself；　in　crinoline；　Madame　AUGUST；　awholesale　dealer　in　fruit；　proprietress　of　a　large　number　of　fishponds　and　a　land　cultivator。　She　was　fat　and　heated；　yet　she　could　useher　hands　well；　and　would　herself　carry　out　beer　to　the　laborers　inthe　field。　〃In　the　sweat　of　the　face　shalt　thou　eat　bread；〃　saidshe；　〃it　is　written　in　the　Bible。〃　After　work；　came　the　recreations；dancing　and　playing　in　the　greenwood；　and　the　〃harvest　homes。〃　She　wasa　thorough　housewife。

After　her　a　man　came　out　of　the　coach；　who　is　a　painter；　he　is　thegreat　master　of　colors；　and　is　named　SEPTEMBER。　The　forest；　on　hisarrival；　had　to　change　its　colors　when　he　wished　it；　and　how　beautifulare　the　colors　he　chooses！　The　woods　glow　with　hues　of　red　and　goldand　brown。　This　great　master　painter　could　whistle　like　a　blackbird。He　was　quick　in　his　work；　and　soon　entwined　the　tendrils　of　the　hopplant　around　his　beer　jug。　This　was　an　ornament　to　the　jug；　and　he　hasa　great　love　for　ornament。　There　he　stood　with　his　color　pot　in　hishand；　and　that　was　the　whole　of　his　luggage。　A　land…owner　followed；who　in　the　month　for　sowing　seed　attended　to　the　ploughing　and　wasfond　of　field　sports。　Squire　OCTOBER　brought　his　dog　and　his　gunwith　him；　and　had　nuts　in　his　game　bag。　〃Crack；　crack。〃　He　had　a　greatdeal　of　luggage；　even　an　English　plough。　He　spoke　of　farming；　but　whathe　said　could　scarcely　be　heard　for　the　coughing　and　gasping　of　hisneighbor。　It　was　NOVEMBER；　who　coughed　violently　as　he　got　out。　He　hada　cold；　which　caused　him　to　use　his　pocket…handkerchief　continually；and　yet　he　said　he　was　obliged　to　acpany　servant　girls　to　their　newplaces；　and　initiate　them　into　their　winter　service。　He　said　hethought　his　cold　would　never　leave　him　when　he　went　out　woodcutting；for　he　was　a　master　sawyer；　and　had　to　supply　wood　to　the　wholeparish。　He　spent　his　evenings　preparing　wooden　soles　for　skates；　forhe　knew；　he　said；　that　in　a　few　weeks　these　shoes　would　be　wantedfor　the　amusement　of　skating。　At　length　the　last　passenger　made　herappearance；…　old　Mother　DECEMBER；　with　her　fire…stool。　The　dame　wasvery　old；　but　her　eyes　glistened　like　two　stars。　She　carried　on　herarm　a　flower…pot；　in　which　a　little　fir…tree　was　growing。　〃This　tree　Ishall　guard　and　cherish；〃　she　said；　〃that　it　may　grow　large　byChristmas　Eve；　and　reach　from　the　ground　to　the　ceiling；　to　be　coveredand　adorned　with　flaming　candles；　golden　apples；　and　little　figures。The　fire…stool　will　be　as　warm　as　a　stove；　and　I　shall　then　bring　astory　book　out　of　my　pocket；　and　read　aloud　till　all　the　children　inthe　room　are　quite　quiet。　Then　the　little　figures　on　the　tree　willbee　lively；　and　the　little　waxen　angel　at　the　top　spread　out　hiswings　of　gold…leaf；　and　fly　down　from　his　green　perch。　He　will　kissevery　one　in　the　room；　great　and　small；　yes；　even　the　poor　childrenwho　stand　in　the　passage；　or　out　in　the　street　singing　a　carol　aboutthe　'Star　of　Bethlehem。'〃

〃Well；　now　the　coach　may　drive　away；〃　said　the　sentry；　〃we　havethe　whole　twelve。　Let　the　horses　be　put　up。〃

〃First；　let　all　the　twelve　e　to　me；〃　said　the　captain　onduty；　〃one　after　another。　The　passports　I　will　keep　here。　Each　of　themis　available　for　one　month；　when　that　has　passed；　I　shall　write　thebehavior　of　each　on　his　passport。　Mr。　JANUARY；　have　the　goodness　toe　here。〃　And　Mr。　January　stepped　forward。

When　a　year　has　passed；　I　think　I　shall　be　able　to　tell　you　whatthe　twelve　passengers　have　brought　to　you；　to　me；　and　to　all　of　us。Now　I　do　not　know；　and　probably　even　they　don't　know　themselves；　forwe　live　in　strange　times。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　　THE　MARSH　KING'S　DAUGHTER

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

THE　storks　relate　to　their　little　ones　a　great　many　stories；　andthey　are　all　about　moors　and　reed　banks；　and　suited　to　their　age　andcapacity。　The　youngest　of　them　are　quite　satisfied　with　〃kribble；krabble；〃　or　such　nonsense；　and　think　it　very　grand；　but　the　elderones　want　something　with　a　deeper　meaning；　or　at　least　something　abouttheir　own　family。

We　are　only　acquainted　with　one　of　the　two　longest　and　oldeststories　which　the　storks　relate…　it　is　about　Moses；　who　was　exposed　byhis　mother　on　the　banks　of　the　Nile；　and　was　found　by　the　king'sdaughter；　who　gave　him　a　good　education；　and　he　afterwards　became　agreat　man；　but　where　he　was　buried　is　still　unknown。

Every　one　knows　this　story；　but　not　the　second；　very　likelybecause　it　is　quite　an　inland　story。　It　has　been　repeated　from　mouthto　mouth；　from　one　stork…mamma　to　another；　for　thousands　of　years；　andeach　has　told　it　better　than　the　last；　and　now　we　mean　to　tell　itbetter　than　all。

The　first　stork　pair　who　related　it　lived　at　the　time　it　happened；and　had　their　summer　residence　on　the　rafters　of　the　Viking's　house；which　stood　near　the　wild　moorlands　of　Wendsyssell；　that　is；　tospeak　more　correctly；　the　great　moorheath；　high　up　in　the　north　ofJutland；　by　the　Skjagen　peak。　This　wilderness　is　still　an　immense　wildheath　of　marshy　ground；　about　which　we　can　read　in　the　〃OfficialDirectory。〃　It　is　said　that　in　olden　times　the　place　was　a　lake；　theground　of　which　had　heaved　up　from　beneath；　and　now　the　moorlandextends　for　miles　in　every　direction；　and　is　surrounded　by　dampmeadows；　trembling；　undulating　swamps；　and　marshy　ground　coveredwith　turf；　on　which　grow　bilberry　bushes　and　stunted　trees。　Mistsare　almost　always　hovering　over　this　region；　which；　seventy　years　ago；was　overrun　with　wolves。　It　may　well　be　called　the　Wild　Moor；