安徒生童话-第35章

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〃So　you　shall；〃　said　the　farmer；　〃but　you　must　take　away　the　chestas　well。　I　would　not　have　it　in　the　house　another　hour；　there　is　noknowing　if　he　may　not　be　still　there。〃

So　Little　Claus　gave　the　farmer　the　sack　containing　the　driedhorse's　skin；　and　received　in　exchange　a　bushel　of　money…　fullmeasure。　The　farmer　also　gave　him　a　wheelbarrow　on　which　to　carry　awaythe　chest　and　the　gold。

〃Farewell；〃　said　Little　Claus；　as　he　went　off　with　his　money　andthe　great　chest；　in　which　the　sexton　lay　still　concealed。　On　oneside　of　the　forest　was　a　broad；　deep　river；　the　water　flowed　sorapidly　that　very　few　were　able　to　swim　against　the　stream。　A　newbridge　had　lately　been　built　across　it；　and　in　the　middle　of　thisbridge　Little　Claus　stopped；　and　said；　loud　enough　to　be　heard　bythe　sexton；　〃Now　what　shall　I　do　with　this　stupid　chest；　it　is　asheavy　as　if　it　were　full　of　stones：　I　shall　be　tired　if　I　roll　itany　farther；　so　I　may　as　well　throw　it　in　the　river；　if　it　swims　afterme　to　my　house；　well　and　good；　and　if　not；　it　will　not　much　matter。〃

So　he　seized　the　chest　in　his　hand　and　lifted　it　up　a　little；　asif　he　were　going　to　throw　it　into　the　water。

〃No；　leave　it　alone；〃　cried　the　sexton　from　within　the　chest；　〃letme　out　first。〃

〃Oh；〃　exclaimed　Little　Claus；　pretending　to　be　frightened；　〃heis　in　there　still；　is　he？　I　must　throw　him　into　the　river；　that　he　maybe　drowned。〃

〃Oh；　no；　oh；　no；〃　cried　the　sexton；　〃I　will　give　you　a　wholebushel　full　of　money　if　you　will　let　me　go。

〃Why；　that　is　another　matter；〃　said　Little　Claus；　opening　thechest。　The　sexton　crept　out；　pushed　the　empty　chest　into　the　water；and　went　to　his　house；　then　he　measured　out　a　whole　bushel　full　ofgold　for　Little　Claus；　who　had　already　received　one　from　the　farmer；so　that　now　he　had　a　barrow　full。

〃I　have　been　well　paid　for　my　horse；〃　said　he　to　himself　when　hereached　home；　entered　his　own　room；　and　emptied　all　his　money　into　aheap　on　the　floor。　〃How　vexed　Great　Claus　will　be　when　he　finds　outhow　rich　I　have　bee　all　through　my　one　horse；　but　I　shall　nottell　him　exactly　how　it　all　happened。〃　Then　he　sent　a　boy　to　GreatClaus　to　borrow　a　bushel　measure。

〃What　can　he　want　it　for？〃　thought　Great　Claus；　so　he　smearedthe　bottom　of　the　measure　with　tar；　that　some　of　whatever　was　put　intoit　might　stick　there　and　remain。　And　so　it　happened；　for　when　themeasure　returned；　three　new　silver　florins　were　sticking　to　it。

〃What　does　this　mean？〃　said　Great　Claus；　so　he　ran　off　directly　toLittle　Claus；　and　asked；　〃Where　did　you　get　so　much　money？〃

〃Oh；　for　my　horse's　skin；　I　sold　it　yesterday。〃

〃It　was　certainly　well　paid　for　then；〃　said　Great　Claus；　and　heran　home　to　his　house；　seized　a　hatchet；　and　knocked　all　his　fourhorses　on　the　head；　flayed　off　their　skins；　and　took　them　to　thetown　to　sell。　〃Skins；　skins；　who'll　buy　skins？〃　he　cried；　as　he　wentthrough　the　streets。　All　the　shoemakers　and　tanners　came　running；and　asked　how　much　he　wanted　for　them。

〃A　bushel　of　money；　for　each；〃　replied　Great　Claus。

〃Are　you　mad？〃　they　all　cried；　〃do　you　think　we　have　money　tospend　by　the　bushel？〃

〃Skins；　skins；〃　he　cried　again；　〃who'll　buy　skins？〃　but　to　all　whoinquired　the　price；　his　answer　was；　〃a　bushel　of　money。〃

〃He　is　making　fools　of　us；〃　said　they　all；　then　the　shoemakerstook　their　straps；　and　the　tanners　their　leather　aprons；　and　beganto　beat　Great　Claus。

〃Skins；　skins！〃　they　cried；　mocking　him；　〃yes；　we'll　mark　yourskin　for　you；　till　it　is　black　and　blue。〃

〃Out　of　the　town　with　him；〃　said　they。　And　Great　Claus　was　obligedto　run　as　fast　as　he　could；　he　had　never　before　been　so　thoroughlybeaten。

〃Ah；〃　said　he；　as　he　came　to　his　house；　〃Little　Claus　shall　pay　mefor　this；　I　will　beat　him　to　death。〃

Meanwhile　the　old　grandmother　of　Little　Claus　died。　She　had　beencross；　unkind；　and　really　spiteful　to　him；　but　he　was　very　sorry；and　took　the　dead　woman　and　laid　her　in　his　warm　bed　to　see　if　hecould　bring　her　to　life　again。　There　he　determined　that　she　should　liethe　whole　night；　while　he　seated　himself　in　a　chair　in　a　corner　of　theroom　as　he　had　often　done　before。　During　the　night；　as　he　sat　there；the　door　opened；　and　in　came　Great　Claus　with　a　hatchet。　He　knewwell　where　Little　Claus's　bed　stood；　so　he　went　right　up　to　it；　andstruck　the　old　grandmother　on　the　head。　thinking　it　must　be　LittleClaus。

〃There；〃　cried　he；　〃now　you　cannot　make　a　fool　of　me　again；〃　andthen　he　went　home。

〃That　is　a　very　wicked　man；〃　thought　Little　Claus；　〃he　meant　tokill　me。　It　is　a　good　thing　for　my　old　grandmother　that　she　wasalready　dead；　or　he　would　have　taken　her　life。〃　Then　he　dressed　hisold　grandmother　in　her　best　clothes；　borrowed　a　horse　of　his　neighbor；and　harnessed　it　to　a　cart。　Then　he　placed　the　old　woman　on　the　backseat；　so　that　she　might　not　fall　out　as　he　drove；　and　rode　awaythrough　the　wood。　By　sunrise　they　reached　a　large　inn；　where　LittleClaus　stopped　and　went　to　get　something　to　eat。　The　landlord　was　arich　man；　and　a　good　man　too；　but　as　passionate　as　if　he　had　been　madeof　pepper　and　snuff。

〃Good　morning；〃　said　he　to　Little　Claus；　〃you　are　e　betimesto…day。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Little　Claus；　〃I　am　going　to　the　town　with　my　oldgrandmother；　she　is　sitting　at　the　back　of　the　wagon；　but　I　cannotbring　her　into　the　room。　Will　you　take　her　a　glass　of　mead？　but　youmust　speak　very　loud；　for　she　cannot　hear　well。〃

〃Yes；　certainly　I　will；〃　replied　the　landlord；　and；　pouring　outa　glass　of　mead；　he　carried　it　out　to　the　dead　grandmother；　who　satupright　in　the　cart。　〃Here　is　a　glass　of　mead　from　your　grandson；〃said　the　landlord。　The　dead　woman　did　not　answer　a　word；　but　sat　quitestill。　〃Do　you　not　hear？〃　cried　the　landlord　as　loud　as　he　could；〃here　is　a　glass　of　mead　from　your　grandson。〃

Again　and　again　he　bawled　it　out；　but　as　she　did　not　stir　heflew　into　a　passion；　and　threw　the　glass　of　mead　in　her　face；　itstruck　her　on　the　nose；　and　she　fell　backwards　out　of　the　cart；　forshe　was　only　seated　there；　not　tied　in。

Hallo！〃　cried　Little　Claus；　rushing　out　of　the　door；　and　seizinghold　of　the　landlord　by　the　throat；　〃you　have　killed　my　grandmother；see；　here　is　a　great　hole　in　her　forehead。〃

〃Oh；　how　unfortunate；〃　said　the　landlord；　wringing　his　hands。〃This　all　es　of　my　fiery　temper。　Dear　Little　Claus；　I　will　give　youa　bushel　of　money；　I　will　bury　your　grandmother　as　if　she　were　my　own；only　keep　silent；　or　else　they　will　cut　off　my　head；　and　that　would　bedisagreeable。〃

So　it　happened　that　Little　Claus　received　another　bushel　of　money；and　the　landlord　buried　his　old　grandmother　as　if　she　had　been　hisown。　When　Little　Claus　reached　home　again；　he　immediately　sent　a　boyto　Great　Claus；　requesting　him　to　lend　him　a　bushel　measure。　〃How　isthis？〃　thought　Great　Claus；　〃did　I　not　kill　him？　I　must　go　and　see　formyself。〃　So　he　went　to　Little　Claus；　and　took　the　bushel　measurewith　him。　〃How　did　you　get　all　this　money？〃　asked　Great　Claus；　staringwith　wide　open　eyes　at　his　neighbor's　treasures。

〃You　killed　my　grandmother　instead　of　me；〃　said　Little　Claus；〃so　I　have　sold　her　for　a　bushel　of　money。〃

〃That　is　a　good　price　at　all　events；〃　said　Great　Claus。　So　he　wenthome；　took　a　hatchet；　and　killed　his　old　grandmother　with　one　blow。Then　he　placed　her　on　a　cart；　and　drov