安徒生童话-第44章

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ith　stars　and　garters；　places　andoffices！　One　feels　quite　a　novice　beside　these　venerablemillion…year…old　boulders。　On　last　New　Year's　eve　I　was　reading　thebook；　and　had　lost　myself　in　it　so　pletely；　that　I　forgot　myusual　New　Year's　diversion；　namely；　the　wild　hunt　to　Amack。　Ah；　youdon't　know　what　that　is！

〃The　journey　of　the　witches　on　broomsticks　is　well　enough　known…that　journey　is　taken　on　St。　John's　eve；　to　the　Brocken；　but　we　have　awild　journey；　also　which　is　national　and　modern；　and　that　is　thejourney　to　Amack　on　the　night　of　the　New　Year。　All　indifferent　poetsand　poetesses；　musicians；　newspaper　writers；　and　artisticnotabilities；…　I　mean　those　who　are　no　good；…　ride　in　the　New　Year'snight　through　the　air　to　Amack。　They　sit　backwards　on　their　paintingbrushes　or　quill　pens；　for　steel　pens　won't　bear　them…　they're　toostiff。　As　I　told　you；　I　see　that　every　New　Year's　night；　and　couldmention　the　majority　of　the　riders　by　name；　but　I　should　not　like　todraw　their　enmity　upon　myself；　for　they　don't　like　people　to　talkabout　their　ride　to　Amack　on　quill　pens。　I've　a　kind　of　niece；　whois　a　fishwife；　and　who；　as　she　tells　me；　supplies　three　respectablenewspapers　with　the　terms　of　abuse　and　vituperation　they　use；　andshe　has　herself　been　at　Amack　as　an　invited　guest；　but　she　was　carriedout　thither；　for　she　does　not　own　a　quill　pen；　nor　can　she　ride。　Shehas　told　me　all　about　it。　Half　of　what　she　said　is　not　true；　but　theother　half　gives　us　information　enough。　When　she　was　out　there；　thefestivities　began　with　a　song；　each　of　the　guests　had　written　hisown　song；　and　each　one　sang　his　own　song；　for　he　thought　that　thebest；　and　it　was　all　one；　all　the　same　melody。　Then　those　camemarching　up；　in　little　bands；　who　are　only　busy　with　their　mouths。There　were　ringing　bells　that　rang　alternately；　and　then　came　thelittle　drummers　that　beat　their　tattoo　in　the　family　circle；　andacquaintance　was　made　with　those　who　write　without　putting　theirnames；　which　here　means　as　much　as　using　grease　instead　of　patentblacking；　and　then　there　was　the　beadle　with　his　boy；　and　the　boywas　worst　off；　for　in　general　he　gets　no　notice　taken　of　him；　then；too；　there　was　the　good　street　sweeper　with　his　cart；　who　turns　overthe　dust…bin；　and　calls　it　'good；　very　good；　remarkably　good。'　Andin　the　midst　of　the　pleasure　that　was　afforded　by　the　mere　meetingof　these　folks；　there　shot　up　out　of　the　great　dirt…heap　at　Amack　astem；　a　tree；　an　immense　flower；　a　great　mushroom；　a　perfect　roof；which　formed　a　sort　of　warehouse　for　the　worthy　pany；　for　in　ithung　everything　they　had　given　to　the　world　during　the　Old　Year。　Outof　the　tree　poured　sparks　like　flames　of　fire；　these　were　the　ideasand　thoughts；　borrowed　from　others；　which　they　had　used；　and　which　nowgot　free　and　rushed　away　like　so　many　fireworks。　They　played　at　'thestick　burns；'　and　the　young　poets　played　at　'heart…burns；'　and　thewitlings　played　off　their　jests；　and　the　jests　rolled　away　with　athundering　sound；　as　if　empty　pots　were　being　shattered　against　doors。'It　was　very　amusing！'　my　niece　said；　in　fact；　she　said　many　thingsthat　were　very　malicious　but　very　amusing；　but　I　won't　mention　them；for　a　man　must　be　good…natured；　and　not　a　carping　critic。　But　you　willeasily　perceive　that　when　a　man　once　knows　the　rights　of　the　journeyto　Amack；　as　I　know　them；　it's　quite　natural　that　on　the　New　Year'snight　one　should　look　out　to　see　the　wild　chase　go　by。　If　in　the　NewYear　I　miss　certain　persons　who　used　to　be　there；　I　am　sure　tonotice　others　who　are　new　arrivals；　but　this　year　I　omitted　takingmy　look　at　the　guests；　I　bowled　away　on　the　boulders；　rolled　backthrough　millions　of　years；　and　saw　the　stones　break　loose　high　up　inthe　north；　saw　them　drifting　about　on　icebergs；　long　before　Noah's　arkwas　constructed；　saw　them　sink　down　to　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　andre…appear　with　a　sand…bank；　with　that　one　that　peered　forth　from　theflood　and　said；　'This　shall　be　Zealand！'　I　saw　them　bee　thedwelling…place　of　birds　that　are　unknown　to　us；　and　then　bee　theseat　of　wild　chiefs　of　whom　we　know　nothing；　until　with　their　axesthey　cut　their　Runic　signs　into　a　few　of　these　stones；　which　then　cameinto　the　calendar　of　time。　But　as　for　me；　I　had　gone　quite　beyondall　lapse　of　time；　and　had　bee　a　cipher　and　a　nothing。　Then　threeor　four　beautiful　falling　stars　came　down；　which　cleared　the　air；and　gave　my　thoughts　another　direction。　You　know　what　a　falling　staris；　do　you　not？　The　learned　men　are　not　at　all　clear　about　it。　Ihave　my　own　ideas　about　shooting　stars；　as　the　mon　people　in　manyparts　call　them；　and　my　idea　is　this：　How　often　are　silentthanksgivings　offered　up　for　one　who　has　done　a　good　and　noble　action！The　thanks　are　often　speechless；　but　they　are　not　lost　for　all　that。　Ithink　these　thanks　are　caught　up；　and　the　sunbeams　bring　the　silent；hidden　thankfulness　over　the　head　of　the　benefactor；　and　if　it　be　awhole　people　that　has　been　expressing　its　gratitude　through　a　longlapse　of　time；　the　thankfulness　appears　as　a　nosegay　of　flowers；　andat　length　falls　in　the　form　of　a　shooting　star　over　the　good　man'sgrave。　I　am　always　very　much　pleased　when　I　see　a　shooting　star；especially　in　the　New　Year's　night；　and　then　find　out　for　whom　thegift　of　gratitude　was　intended。　Lately　a　gleaming　star　fell　in　thesouthwest；　as　a　tribute　of　thanksgiving　to　many…　many！　'For　whom　wasthat　star　intended？'　thought　I。　It　fell；　no　doubt；　on　the　hill　bythe　Bay　of　Plensberg；　where　the　Danebrog　waves　over　the　graves　ofSchleppegrell；　Lasloes；　and　their　rades。　One　star　also　fell　inthe　midst　of　the　land；　fell　upon　Soro；　a　flower　on　the　grave　ofHolberg；　the　thanks　of　the　year　from　a　great　many　…　thanks　for　hischarming　plays！

〃It　is　a　great　and　pleasant　thought　to　know　that　a　shooting　starfalls　upon　our　graves。　On　mine　certainly　none　will　fall…　no　sunbeambrings　thanks　to　me；　for　here　there　is　nothing　worthy　of　thanks。　Ishall　not　get　the　patent　lacquer；〃　said　Ole；　〃for　my　fate　on　earthis　only　grease；　after　all。〃

　　SECOND　VISIT

It　was　New　Year's　day；　and　I　went　up　on　the　tower。　Ole　spoke　ofthe　toasts　that　were　drunk　on　the　transition　from　the　Old　Year　intothe　New…　from　one　grave　into　the　other；　as　he　said。　And　he　told　me　astory　about　the　glasses；　and　this　story　had　a　very　deep　meaning。　Itwas　this：

〃When　on　the　New　Year's　night　the　clock　strikes　twelve；　the　peopleat　the　table　rise　up　with　full　glasses　in　their　hands；　and　drain　theseglasses；　and　drink　success　to　the　New　Year。　They　begin　the　year　withthe　glass　in　their　hands；　that　is　a　good　beginning　for　drunkards。　Theybegin　the　New　Year　by　going　to　bed；　and　that's　a　good　beginning　fordrones。　Sleep　is　sure　to　play　a　great　part　in　the　New　Year；　and　theglass　likewise。　Do　you　know　what　dwells　in　the　glass？〃　asked　Ole。　〃Iwill　tell　you。　There　dwell　in　the　glass；　first；　health；　and　thenpleasure；　then　the　most　plete　sensual　delight；　and　misfortune　andthe　bitterest　woe　dwell　in　the　glass　also。　Now；　suppose　we　count　theglasses…　of　course　I　count　the　different　degrees　in　the　glasses　fordifferent　people。

〃You　see；　the　first　glass；　that's　the　glass　of　health；　and　in　thatthe　herb　of　health　is　found　growing。　Put　it　up　on　the　beam　in　theceiling；　and　at　the　end　of　the　year　you　may　be　sitting　in　the　arbor　ofhealth。

〃If　you　take　the　seco