安徒生童话-第274章

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whom　homage　was　paid　by　therest；　a　tall　sturdy　man；　wrapped　in　a　cloak。　He　had　blue　eyes　and　longwhite　hair。　I　knew　him；　and　thought　of　the　Vatican；　and　of　the　groupof　the　Nile；　and　the　old　marble　gods。　I　thought　of　the　simple　littleroom　where　little　Bertel　sat　in　his　night…shirt　by　the　spinning　wheel。The　wheel　of　time　has　turned；　and　new　gods　have　e　forth　from　thestone。　From　the　boats　there　arose　a　shout：　'Hurrah；　hurrah　forBertel　Thorwaldsen！'〃

　TWENTY…FOURTH　EVENING

〃I　will　now　give　you　a　picture　from　Frankfort；〃　said　the　Moon。〃I　especially　noticed　one　building　there。　It　was　not　the　house　inwhich　Goethe　was　born；　nor　the　old　Council　House；　through　whose　gratedwindows　peered　the　horns　of　the　oxen　that　were　roasted　and　given　tothe　people　when　the　emperors　were　crowned。　No；　it　was　a　private　house；plain　in　appearance；　and　painted　green。　It　stood　near　the　old　Jews'Street。　It　was　Rothschild's　house。

〃I　looked　through　the　open　door。　The　staircase　was　brilliantlylighted：　servants　carrying　wax　candles　in　massive　silvercandlesticks　stood　there；　and　bowed　low　before　an　old　woman；　who　wasbeing　brought　downstairs　in　a　litter。　The　proprietor　of　the　housestood　bare…headed；　and　respectfully　imprinted　a　kiss　on　the　hand　ofthe　old　woman。　She　was　his　mother。　She　nodded　in　a　friendly　mannerto　him　and　to　the　servants；　and　they　carried　her　into　the　darknarrow　street；　into　a　little　house；　that　was　her　dwelling。　Here　herchildren　had　been　born；　from　hence　the　fortune　of　the　family　hadarisen。　If　she　deserted　the　despised　street　and　the　little　house；fortune　would　also　desert　her　children。　That　was　her　firm　belief。〃

The　Moon　told　me　no　more；　his　visit　this　evening　was　far　tooshort。　But　I　thought　of　the　old　woman　in　the　narrow　despised　street。It　would　have　cost　her　but　a　word；　and　a　brilliant　house　would　havearisen　for　her　on　the　banks　of　the　Thames…　a　word；　and　a　villa　wouldhave　been　prepared　in　the　Bay　of　Naples。

〃If　I　deserted　the　lowly　house；　where　the　fortunes　of　my　sonsfirst　began　to　bloom；　fortune　would　desert　them！〃　It　was　asuperstition；　but　a　superstition　of　such　a　class；　that　he　who　knowsthe　story　and　has　seen　this　picture；　need　have　only　two　words　placedunder　the　picture　to　make　him　understand　it；　and　these　two　wordsare：　〃A　mother。〃

　TWENTY…FIFTH　EVENING

〃It　was　yesterday；　in　the　morning　twilight〃…　these　are　the　wordsthe　Moon　told　me…　〃in　the　great　city　no　chimney　was　yet　smoking…　andit　was　just　at　the　chimneys　that　I　was　looking。　Suddenly　a　little　heademerged　from　one　of　them；　and　then　half　a　body；　the　arms　resting　onthe　rim　of　the　chimney…pot。　'Ya…hip！　ya…hip！'　cried　a　voice。　It　wasthe　little　chimney…sweeper；　who　had　for　the　first　time　in　his　lifecrept　through　a　chimney；　and　stuck　out　his　head　at　the　top。　'Ya…hip！ya…hip'　Yes；　certainly　that　was　a　very　different　thing　to　creepingabout　in　the　dark　narrow　chimneys！　the　air　blew　so　fresh；　and　he　couldlook　over　the　whole　city　towards　the　green　wood。　The　sun　was　justrising。　It　shone　round　and　great；　just　in　his　face；　that　beamed　withtriumph；　though　it　was　very　prettily　blacked　with　soot。

〃'The　whole　town　can　see　me　now；'　he　exclaimed；　'and　the　mooncan　see　me　now；　and　the　sun　too。　Ya…hip！　ya…hip！'　And　he　flourishedhis　broom　in　triumph。〃

　TWENTY…SIXTH　EVENING

〃Last　night　I　looked　down　upon　a　town　in　China；〃　said　the　Moon。〃My　beams　irradiated　the　naked　walls　that　form　the　streets　there。Now　and　then；　certainly；　a　door　is　seen；　but　it　is　locked；　for　whatdoes　the　Chinaman　care　about　the　outer　world？　Close　wooden　shutterscovered　the　windows　behind　the　walls　of　the　houses；　but　through　thewindows　of　the　temple　a　faint　light　glimmered。　I　looked　in；　and　sawthe　quaint　decorations　within。　From　the　floor　to　the　ceilingpictures　are　painted；　in　the　most　glaring　colours；　and　richly　gilt…pictures　representing　the　deeds　of　the　gods　here　on　earth。　In　eachniche　statues　are　placed；　but　they　are　almost　entirely　hidden　by　thecoloured　drapery　and　the　banners　that　hang　down。　Before　each　idol　（andthey　are　all　made　of　tin）　stood　a　little　altar　of　holy　water；　withflowers　and　burning　wax　lights　on　it。　Above　all　the　rest　stood　Fo；　thechief　deity；　clad　in　a　garment　of　yellow　silk；　for　yellow　is　herethe　sacred　colour。　At　the　foot　of　the　altar　sat　a　living　being；　ayoung　priest。　He　appeared　to　be　praying；　but　in　the　midst　of　hisprayer　he　seemed　to　fall　into　deep　thought；　and　this　must　have　beenwrong；　for　his　cheeks　glowed　and　he　held　down　his　head。　PoorSoui…Hong！　Was　he；　perhaps；　dreaming　of　working　in　the　little　flowergarden　behind　the　high　street　wall？　And　did　that　occupation　seemmore　agreeable　to　him　than　watching　the　wax　lights　in　the　temple？　Ordid　he　wish　to　sit　at　the　rich　feast；　wiping　his　mouth　with　silverpaper　between　each　course？　Or　was　his　sin　so　great　that；　if　he　daredutter　it；　the　Celestial　Empire　would　punish　it　with　death？　Had　histhoughts　ventured　to　fly　with　the　ships　of　the　barbarians；　to　theirhomes　in　far　distant　England？　No；　his　thoughts　did　not　fly　so　far；　andyet　they　were　sinful；　sinful　as　thoughts　born　of　young　hearts；sinful　here　in　the　temple；　in　the　presence　of　Fo　and　the　other　holygods。

〃I　know　whither　his　thoughts　had　strayed。　At　the　farther　end　ofthe　city；　on　the　flat　roof　paved　with　porcelain；　on　which　stood　thehandsome　vases　covered　with　painted　flowers；　sat　the　beauteous　Pu；of　the　little　roguish　eyes；　of　the　full　lips；　and　of　the　tiny　feet。The　tight　shoe　pained　her；　but　her　heart　pained　her　still　more。　Shelifted　her　graceful　round　arm；　and　her　satin　dress　rustled。　Before　herstood　a　glass　bowl　containing　four　gold…fish。　She　stirred　the　bowlcarefully　with　a　slender　lacquered　stick；　very　slowly；　for　she；　too；was　lost　in　thought。　Was　she　thinking；　perchance；　how　the　fisheswere　richly　clothed　in　gold；　how　they　lived　calmly　and　peacefully　intheir　crystal　world；　how　they　were　regularly　fed；　and　yet　how　muchhappier　they　might　be　if　they　were　free？　Yes；　that　she　could　wellunderstand；　the　beautiful　Pu。　Her　thoughts　wandered　away　from　herhome；　wandered　to　the　temple；　but　not　for　the　sake　of　holy　things。Poor　Pu！　Poor　Soui…hong！

〃Their　earthly　thoughts　met；　but　my　cold　beam　lay　between　the　two；like　the　sword　of　the　cherub。〃

　TWENTY…SEVENTH　EVENING

〃The　air　was　calm；〃　said　the　Moon；　〃the　water　was　transparent　asthe　purest　ether　through　which　I　was　gliding；　and　deep　below　thesurface　I　could　see　the　strange　plants　that　stretched　up　their　longarms　towards　me　like　the　gigantic　trees　of　the　forest。　The　fishes　swamto　and　fro　above　their　tops。　High　in　the　air　a　flight　of　wild　swanswere　winging　their　way；　one　of　which　sank　lower　and　lower；　withwearied　pinions；　his　eyes　following　the　airy　caravan；　that　meltedfarther　and　farther　into　the　distance。　With　outspread　wings　he　sankslowly；　as　a　soap　bubble　sinks　in　the　still　air；　till　he　touched　thewater。　At　length　his　head　lay　back　between　his　wings；　and　silentlyhe　lay　there；　like　a　white　lotus　flower　upon　the　quiet　lake。　And　agentle　wind　arose；　and　crisped　the　quiet　surface；　which　gleamed　likethe　clouds　that　poured　along　in　great　broad　waves；　and　the　swan　raisedhis　head；　and　the　glowing　water　splashed　like　blue　fire　over　hisbreast　and　back。　The　morning　dawn　illuminated　the　red　clouds；　the　swanrose　strengthened；　and　flew　towards　the　rising　su