安徒生童话-第93章

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ed：　〃Indeed；　the　emperor's　new　suit　is　inparable！　What　along　train　he　has！　How　well　it　fits　him！〃　Nobody　wished　to　letothers　know　he　saw　nothing；　for　then　he　would　have　been　unfit　forhis　office　or　too　stupid。　Never　emperor's　clothes　were　more　admired。

〃But　he　has　nothing　on　at　all；〃　said　a　little　child　at　last。　〃Goodheavens！　listen　to　the　voice　of　an　innocent　child；〃　said　the　father；and　one　whispered　to　the　other　what　the　child　had　said。　〃But　he　hasnothing　on　at　all；〃　cried　at　last　the　whole　people。　That　made　a　deepimpression　upon　the　emperor；　for　it　seemed　to　him　that　they　wereright；　but　he　thought　to　himself；　〃Now　I　must　bear　up　to　the　end。〃　Andthe　chamberlains　walked　with　still　greater　dignity；　as　if　they　carriedthe　train　which　did　not　exist。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

THE　FARM…YARD　COCK　AND　THE　WEATHER…COCK

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

THERE　were　two　cocks…　one　on　the　dung…hill；　the　other　on　the　roof。They　were　both　arrogant；　but　which　of　the　two　rendered　most　service？Tell　us　your　opinion…　we'll　keep　to　ours　just　the　same　though。

The　poultry　yard　was　divided　by　some　planks　from　another　yard　inwhich　there　was　a　dung…hill；　and　on　the　dung…hill　lay　and　grew　a　largecucumber　which　was　conscious　of　being　a　hot…bed　plant。

〃One　is　born　to　that；〃　said　the　cucumber　to　itself。　〃Not　all　canbe　born　cucumbers；　there　must　be　other　things；　too。　The　hens；　theducks；　and　all　the　animals　in　the　next　yard　are　creatures　too。　Now　Ihave　a　great　opinion　of　the　yard　cock　on　the　plank；　he　is　certainly　ofmuch　more　importance　than　the　weather…cock　who　is　placed　so　high　andcan't　even　creak；　much　less　crow。　The　latter　has　neither　hens　norchicks；　and　only　thinks　of　himself　and　perspires　verdigris。　No；　theyard　cock　is　really　a　cock！　His　step　is　a　dance！　His　crowing　is　music；and　wherever　he　goes　one　knows　what　a　trumpeter　is　like！　If　he　wouldonly　e　in　here！　Even　if　he　ate　me　up　stump；　stalk；　and　all；　and　Ihad　to　dissolve　in　his　body；　it　would　be　a　happy　death；〃　said　thecucumber。

In　the　night　there　was　a　terrible　storm。　The　hens；　chicks；　andeven　the　cock　sought　shelter；　the　wind　tore　down　the　planks　betweenthe　two　yards　with　a　crash；　the　tiles　came　tumbling　down；　but　theweather…cock　sat　firm。　He　did　not　even　turn　round；　for　he　could　not；and　yet　he　was　young　and　freshly　cast；　but　prudent　and　sedate。　Hehad　been　born　old；　and　did　not　at　all　resemble　the　birds　flying　in　theair…　the　sparrows；　and　the　swallows；　no；　he　despised　them；　thesemean　little　piping　birds；　these　mon　whistlers。　He　admitted　that　thepigeons；　large　and　white　and　shining　like　mother…o'…pearl；　looked　likea　kind　of　weather…cock；　but　they　were　fat　and　stupid；　and　all　theirthoughts　and　endeavours　were　directed　to　filling　themselves　with　food；and　besides；　they　were　tiresome　things　to　converse　with。　The　birdsof　passage　had　also　paid　the　weather…cock　a　visit　and　told　him　offoreign　countries；　of　airy　caravans　and　robber　stories　that　made　one'shair　stand　on　end。　All　this　was　new　and　interesting；　that　is；　forthe　first　time；　but　afterwards；　as　the　weather…cock　found　out；　theyrepeated　themselves　and　always　told　the　same　stories；　and　that'svery　tedious；　and　there　was　no　one　with　whom　one　could　associate；for　one　and　all　were　stale　and　small…minded。

〃The　world　is　no　good！〃　he　said。　〃Everything　in　it　is　so　stupid。〃

The　weather…cock　was　puffed　up；　and　that　quality　would　have　madehim　interesting　in　the　eyes　of　the　cucumber　if　it　had　known　it；　but　ithad　eyes　only　for　the　yard　cock；　who　was　now　in　the　yard　with　it。

The　wind　had　blown　the　planks；　but　the　storm　was　over。

〃What　do　you　think　of　that　crowing？〃　said　the　yard　cock　to　thehens　and　chickens。　〃It　was　a　little　rough…　it　wanted　elegance。〃

And　the　hens　and　chickens　came　up　on　the　dung…hill；　and　the　cockstrutted　about　like　a　lord。

〃Garden　plant！〃　he　said　to　the　cucumber；　and　in　that　one　wordhis　deep　learning　showed　itself；　and　it　forgot　that　he　was　peckingat　her　and　eating　it　up。　〃A　happy　death！〃

The　hens　and　the　chickens　came；　for　where　one　runs　the　othersrun　too；　they　clucked；　and　chirped；　and　looked　at　the　cock；　and　wereproud　that　he　was　of　their　kind。

〃Cock…a…doodle…doo！〃　he　crowed；　〃the　chickens　will　grow　up　intogreat　hens　at　once；　if　I　cry　it　out　in　the　poultry…yard　of　the　world！〃

And　hens　and　chicks　clucked　and　chirped；　and　the　cock　announceda　great　piece　of　news。

〃A　cock　can　lay　an　egg！　And　do　you　know　what's　in　that　egg？　Abasilisk。　No　one　can　stand　the　sight　of　such　a　thing；　people　knowthat；　and　now　you　know　it　too…　you　know　what　is　in　me；　and　what　achampion　of　all　cocks　I　am！〃

With　that　the　yard　cock　flapped　his　wings；　made　his　b　swell　up；and　crowed　again；　and　they　all　shuddered；　the　hens　and　the　littlechicks…　but　they　were　very　proud　that　one　of　their　number　was　such　achampion　of　all　cocks。　They　clucked　and　chirped　till　theweather…cock　heard；　he　heard　it；　but　he　did　not　stir。

〃Everything　is　very　stupid；〃　the　weather…cock　said　to　himself。〃The　yard　cock　lays　no　eggs；　and　I　am　too　lazy　to　do　so；　if　I　liked；　Icould　lay　a　wind…egg。　But　the　world　is　not　worth　even　a　wind…egg。Everything　is　so　stupid！　I　don't　want　to　sit　here　any　longer。〃

With　that　the　weather…cock　broke　off；　but　he　did　not　kill　the　yardcock；　although　the　hens　said　that　had　been　his　intention。　And　whatis　the　moral？　〃Better　to　crow　than　to　be　puffed　up　and　break　off！

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　THE　FIR　TREE

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

FAR　down　in　the　forest；　where　the　warm　sun　and　the　fresh　airmade　a　sweet　resting…place；　grew　a　pretty　little　fir…tree；　and　yetit　was　not　happy；　it　wished　so　much　to　be　tall　like　its　panions…the　pines　and　firs　which　grew　around　it。　The　sun　shone；　and　the　softair　fluttered　its　leaves；　and　the　little　peasant　children　passed　by；prattling　merrily；　but　the　fir…tree　heeded　them　not。　Sometimes　thechildren　would　bring　a　large　basket　of　raspberries　or　strawberries；wreathed　on　a　straw；　and　seat　themselves　near　the　fir…tree；　and　say；〃Is　it　not　a　pretty　little　tree？〃　which　made　it　feel　more　unhappy　thanbefore。　And　yet　all　this　while　the　tree　grew　a　notch　or　joint　tallerevery　year；　for　by　the　number　of　joints　in　the　stem　of　a　fir…tree　wecan　discover　its　age。　Still；　as　it　grew；　it　plained；　〃Oh！　how　Iwish　I　were　as　tall　as　the　other　trees；　then　I　would　spread　out　mybranches　on　every　side；　and　my　top　would　over…look　the　wide　world。　Ishould　have　the　birds　building　their　nests　on　my　boughs；　and　whenthe　wind　blew；　I　should　bow　with　stately　dignity　like　my　tallpanions。〃　The　tree　was　so　discontented；　that　it　took　no　pleasure　inthe　warm　sunshine；　the　birds；　or　the　rosy　clouds　that　floated　overit　morning　and　evening。　Sometimes；　in　winter；　when　the　snow　laywhite　and　glittering　on　the　ground；　a　hare　would　e　springing　along；and　jump　right　over　the　little　tree；　and　then　how　mortified　it　wouldfeel！　Two　winters　passed；　and　when　the　third　arrived；　the　tree　hadgrown　so　tall　that　the　hare　was　obliged　to　run　round　it。　Yet　itremained　unsatisfied；　and　would　exclaim；　〃Oh；　if　I　could　but　keep　ongrowing　tall　and　old！　There　is　nothing　else　worth　caring　for　in　theworld！〃　In　the　autumn；　as　usual；　the　wood…cutters　came　and　cut　downseveral　of　the　tallest　trees；　and