安徒生童话-第2章

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her　heart。　She　used　to　go　round　among　the　families　near；　and　search

out　their　faults；　upon　which　she　preyed　with　all　the　envy　and　malice

of　her　nature。　This　is　a　family　grave。　The　members　of　this　family　held

so　firmly　together　in　their　opinions；　that　they　would　believe　in　no

other。　If　the　newspapers；　or　even　the　whole　world；　said　of　a　certain

subject；　〃It　is　so…and…so；〃　and　a　little　schoolboy　declared　he　had

learned　quite　differently；　they　would　take　his　assertion　as　the　only

true　one；　because　he　belonged　to　the　family。　And　it　is　well　known　that

if　the　yard…cock　belonging　to　this　family　happened　to　crow　at

midnight；　they　would　declare　it　was　morning；　although　the　watchman　and

all　the　clocks　in　the　town　were　proclaiming　the　hour　of　twelve　at

night。

The　great　poet　Goethe　concludes　his　Faust　with　the　words；　〃may

be　continued；〃　so　might　our　wanderings　in　the　churchyard　be　continued。

I　e　here　often；　and　if　any　of　my　friends；　or　those　who　are　not　my

friends；　are　too　much　for　me；　I　go　out　and　choose　a　plot　of　ground

in　which　to　bury　him　or　her。　Then　I　bury　them；　as　it　were；　there

they　lie；　dead　and　powerless；　till　they　e　back　new　and　better

characters。　Their　lives　and　their　deeds；　looked　at　after　my　own

fashion；　I　write　down　in　my　diary；　as　every　one　ought　to　do。　Then；

if　any　of　our　friends　act　absurdly；　no　one　need　to　be　vexed　about

it。　Let　them　bury　the　offenders　out　of　sight；　and　keep　their　good

temper。　They　can　also　read　the　Intelligencer；　which　is　a　paper　written

by　the　people；　with　their　hands　guided。　When　the　time　es　for　the

history　of　my　life；　to　be　bound　by　the　grave；　then　they　will　write

upon　it　as　my　epitaph…

　〃The　man　with　a　cheerful　temper。〃

And　this　is　my　story。

THE　END

。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　A　GREAT　GRIEF

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

THIS　story　really　consists　of　two　parts。　The　first　part　might　be

left　out；　but　it　gives　us　a　few　particulars；　and　these　are　useful

We　were　staying　in　the　country　at　a　gentleman's　seat；　where　it

happened　that　the　master　was　absent　for　a　few　days。　In　the　meantime；

there　arrived　from　the　next　town　a　lady；　she　had　a　pug　dog　with　her；

and　came；　she　said；　to　dispose　of　shares　in　her　tan…yard。　She　had

her　papers　with　her；　and　we　advised　her　to　put　them　in　an　envelope；

and　to　write　thereon　the　address　of　the　proprietor　of　the　estate；

〃General　War…missary　Knight；〃　&c。

She　listened　to　us　attentively；　seized　the　pen；　paused；　and　begged

us　to　repeat　the　direction　slowly。　We　plied；　and　she　wrote；　but

in　the　midst　of　the　〃General　War…〃　she　struck　fast；　sighed　deeply；　and

said；　〃I　am　only　a　woman！〃　Her　Puggie　had　seated　itself　on　the

ground　while　she　wrote；　and　growled；　for　the　dog　had　e　with　her　for

amusement　and　for　the　sake　of　its　health；　and　then　the　bare　floor

ought　not　to　be　offered　to　a　visitor。　His　outward　appearance　was

characterized　by　a　snub　nose　and　a　very　fat　back。

〃He　doesn't　bite；〃　said　the　lady；　〃he　has　no　teeth。　He　is　like　one

of　the　family；　faithful　and　grumpy；　but　the　latter　is　my

grandchildren's　fault；　for　they　have　teased　him；　they　play　at　wedding；

and　want　to　give　him　the　part　of　the　bridesmaid；　and　that's　too　much

for　him；　poor　old　fellow。〃

And　she　delivered　her　papers；　and　took　Puggie　upon　her　arm。　And

this　is　the　first　part　of　the　story　which　might　have　been　left　out。

PUGGIE　DIED！！　That's　the　second　part。

It　was　about　a　week　afterwards　we　arrived　in　the　town；　and　put

up　at　the　inn。　Our　windows　looked　into　the　tan…yard；　which　was　divided

into　two　parts　by　a　partition　of　planks；　in　one　half　were　many　skins

and　hides；　raw　and　tanned。　Here　was　all　the　apparatus　necessary　to

carry　on　a　tannery；　and　it　belonged　to　the　widow。　Puggie　had　died　in

the　morning；　and　was　to　be　buried　in　this　part　of　the　yard；　the

grandchildren　of　the　widow　（that　is；　of　the　tanner's　widow；　for　Puggie

had　never　been　married）　filled　up　the　grave；　and　it　was　a　beautiful

grave…　it　must　have　been　quite　pleasant　to　lie　there。

The　grave　was　bordered　with　pieces　of　flower…pots　and　strewn

over　with　sand；　quite　at　the　top　they　had　stuck　up　half　a　beer　bottle；

with　the　neck　upwards；　and　that　was　not　at　all　allegorical。

The　children　danced　round　the　grave；　and　the　eldest　of　the　boys

among　them；　a　practical　youngster　of　seven　years；　made　the　proposition

that　there　should　be　an　exhibition　of　Puggie's　burial…place　for　all

who　lived　in　the　lane；　the　price　of　admission　was　to　be　a　trouser

button；　for　every　boy　would　be　sure　to　have　one；　and　each　might　also

give　one　for　a　little　girl。　This　proposal　was　adopted　by　acclamation。

And　all　the　children　out　of　the　lane…　yes；　even　out　of　the

little　lane　at　the　back…　flocked　to　the　place；　and　each　gave　a　button。

Many　were　noticed　to　go　about　on　that　afternoon　with　only　one

suspender；　but　then　they　had　seen　Puggie's　grave；　and　the　sight　was

worth　much　more。

But　in　front　of　the　tan…yard；　close　to　the　entrance；　stood　a

little　girl　clothed　in　rags；　very　pretty　to　look　at；　with　curly

hair；　and　eyes　so　blue　and　clear　that　it　was　a　pleasure　to　look　into

them。　The　child　said　not　a　word；　nor　did　she　cry；　but　each　time　the

little　door　was　opened　she　gave　a　long；　long　look　into　the　yard。　She

had　not　a　button…　that　she　knew　right　well；　and　therefore　she　remained

standing　sorrowfully　outside；　till　all　the　others　had　seen　the　grave

and　had　gone　away；　then　she　sat　down；　held　her　little　brown　hands

before　her　eyes；　and　burst　into　tears；　this　girl　alone　had　not　seen

Puggie's　grave。　It　was　a　grief　as　great　to　her　as　any　grown　person　can

experience。

We　saw　this　from　above；　and　looked　at　from　above；　how　many　a　grief

of　our　own　and　of　others　can　make　us　smile！　That　is　the　story；　and

whoever　does　not　understand　it　may　go　and　purchase　a　share　in　the

tan…yard　from　the　window。

THE　END

。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　　A　LEAF　FROM　HEAVEN

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

HIGH　up　in　the　clear；　pure　air　flew　an　angel；　with　a　flowerplucked　from　the　garden　of　heaven。　As　he　was　kissing　the　flower　a　verylittle　leaf　fell　from　it　and　sunk　down　into　the　soft　earth　in　themiddle　of　a　wood。　It　immediately　took　root；　sprouted；　and　sent　outshoots　among　the　other　plants。

〃What　a　ridiculous　little　shoot！〃　said　one。　〃No　one　will　recognizeit；　not　even　the　thistle　nor　the　stinging…tle。〃

〃It　must　be　a　kind　of　garden　plant；〃　said　another；　and　so　theysneered　and　despised　the　plant　as　a　thing　from　a　garden。

〃Where　are　you　ing？〃　said　the　tall　thistles　whose　leaves　wereall　armed　with　thorns。　〃It　is　stupid　nonsense　to　allow　yourself　toshoot　out　in　this　way；　we　are　not　here　to　support　you。〃

Winter　came；　and　the　plant　was　covered　with　snow；　but　the　snowglittered　over　it　as　if　it　had　sunshine　beneath　as　well　as　above。

When　spring　came；　the　plant　appeared　in　full　bloom：　a　morebeautiful　object　than　any　other　plant　in　the　forest。　And　now　theprofessor　of　botany　presented　himself；　one　who　could　explain　hisknowledge　in　black　and　white。　He　examined　and　tested　the　plant；　but　itdid　not　belong