安徒生童话- 第125部分

〃Well；　I　should　have　mewed；〃　said　the　kitchen…cat。

〃What　might　suit　the　kitchen　would　not　suit　the　parlor；〃　saidthe　other。　〃I　am　quite　curious　to　know　what　the　miller　will　say　whenhe　finds　out　this　engagement。〃

Yes；　indeed；　what　would　the　miller　say？　Rudy　himself　was　anxiousto　know　that；　but　to　wait　till　the　miller　heard　of　it　from　otherswas　out　of　the　question。　Therefore；　not　many　days　after　this　visit；　hewas　riding　in　the　omnibus　that　runs　between　the　two　cantons；　Valaisand　Vaud。　These　cantons　are　separated　by　the　Rhone；　over　which　is　abridge　that　unites　them。　Rudy；　as　usual；　had　plenty　of　courage；　andindulged　in　pleasant　thoughts　of　the　favorable　answer　he　shouldreceive　that　evening。　And　when　the　omnibus　returned；　Rudy　was　againseated　in　it；　going　homewards；　and　at　the　same　time　the　parlor…catat　the　miller's　house　ran　out　quickly；　crying；…

〃Here；　you　from　the　kitchen；　what　do　you　think？　The　miller　knowsall　now。　Everything　has　e　to　a　delightful　end。　Rudy　came　herethis　evening；　and　he　and　Babette　had　much　whispering　and　secretconversation　together。　They　stood　in　the　path　near　the　miller'sroom。　I　lay　at　their　feet；　but　they　had　no　eyes　or　thoughts　for　me。

〃'I　will　go　to　your　father　at　once；'　said　he；　'it　is　the　mosthonorable　way。'

〃'Shall　I　go　with　you？'　asked　Babette；　'it　will　give　you　courage。'

〃'I　have　plenty　of　courage；'　said　Rudy；　'but　if　you　are　with　me；he　must　be　friendly；　whether　he　says　Yes　or　No。'

〃So　they　turned　to　go　in；　and　Rudy　trod　heavily　on　my　tail；　hecertainly　is　very　clumsy。　I　mewed；　but　neither　he　nor　Babette　hadany　ears　for　me。　They　opened　the　door；　and　entered　together。　I　wasbefore　them；　and　jumped　on　the　back　of　a　chair。　I　hardly　know　whatRudy　said；　but　the　miller　flew　into　a　rage；　and　threatened　to　kick　himout　of　the　house。　He　told　him　he　might　go　to　the　mountains；　and　lookafter　the　chamois；　but　not　after　our　little　Babette。〃

〃And　what　did　they　say？　Did　they　speak？〃　asked　the　kitchen…cat。

〃What　did　they　say！　why；　all　that　people　generally　do　say　whenthey　go　a…wooing…　'I　love　her；　and　she　loves　me；　and　when　there　ismilk　in　the　can　for　one；　there　is　milk　in　the　can　for　two。'

〃'But　she　is　so　far　above　you；'　said　the　miller；　'she　has　heaps　ofgold；　as　you　know。　You　should　not　attempt　to　reach　her。'

〃'There　is　nothing　so　high　that　a　man　cannot　reach；　if　he　will；'answered　Rudy；　for　he　is　a　brave　youth。

〃'Yet　you　could　not　reach　the　young　eagle；'　said　the　miller；laughing。　'Babette　is　higher　than　the　eagle's　nest。'

〃'I　will　have　them　both；'　said　Rudy。

〃'Very　well；　I　will　give　her　to　you　when　you　bring　me　the　youngeaglet　alive；'　said　the　miller；　and　he　laughed　till　the　tears　stood　inhis　eyes。　'But　now　I　thank　you　for　this　visit；　Rudy；　and　if　you　eto…morrow；　you　will　find　nobody　at　home。　Good…bye；　Rudy。'

〃Babette　also　wished　him　farewell；　but　her　voice　sounded　asmournful　as　the　mew　of　a　little　kitten　that　has　lost　its　mother。

〃'A　promise　is　a　promise　between　man　and　man；'　said　Rudy。　'Donot　weep；　Babette；　I　shall　bring　the　young　eagle。'

〃'You　will　break　your　neck；　I　hope；'　said　the　miller；　'and　weshall　be　relieved　from　your　pany。'

〃I　call　that　kicking　him　out　of　the　house；〃　said　the　parlor…cat。〃And　now　Rudy　is　gone；　and　Babette　sits　and　weeps；　while　the　millersings　German　songs　that　he　learnt　on　his　journey；　but　I　do　not　troublemyself　on　the　matter；…　it　would　be　of　no　use。〃

〃Yet；　for　all　that；　it　is　a　very　strange　affair；〃　said　thekitchen…cat。

VII。　THE　EAGLE'S　NEST

From　the　mountain…path　came　a　joyous　sound　of　some　personwhistling；　and　it　betokened　good　humor　and　undaunted　courage。　It　wasRudy；　going　to　meet　his　friend　Vesinaud。　〃You　must　e　and　help；〃said　he。　〃I　want　to　carry　off　the　young　eaglet　from　the　top　of　therock。　We　will　take　young　Ragli　with　us。〃

〃Had　you　not　better　first　try　to　take　down　the　moon？　That　would　bequite　as　easy　a　task；〃　said　Vesinaud。　〃You　seem　to　be　in　goodspirits。〃

〃Yes；　indeed　I　am。　I　am　thinking　of　my　wedding。　But　to　be　serious；I　will　tell　you　all　about　it；　and　how　I　am　situated。〃

Then　he　explained　to　Vesinaud　and　Ragli　what　he　wished　to　do；and　why。

〃You　are　a　daring　fellow；〃　said　they；　〃but　it　is　no　use；　youwill　break　your　neck。〃

〃No　one　falls；　unless　he　is　afraid；〃　said　Rudy。

So　at　midnight　they　set　out；　carrying　with　them　poles；　ladders；and　ropes。　The　road　lay　amidst　brushwood　and　underwood；　over　rollingstones；　always　upwards　higher　and　higher　in　the　dark　night。　Watersroared　beneath　them；　or　fell　in　cascades　from　above。　Humid　clouds　weredriving　through　the　air　as　the　hunters　reached　the　precipitous　ledgeof　the　rock。　It　was　even　darker　here；　for　the　sides　of　the　rocksalmost　met；　and　the　light　perated　only　through　a　small　opening　atthe　top。　At　a　little　distance　from　the　edge　could　be　heard　the　soundof　the　roaring；　foaming　waters　in　the　yawning　abyss　beneath　them。The　three　seated　themselves　on　a　stone；　to　await　in　stillness　the　dawnof　day；　when　the　parent　eagle　would　fly　out；　as　it　would　benecessary　to　shoot　the　old　bird　before　they　could　think　of　gainingpossession　of　the　young　one。　Rudy　sat　motionless；　as　if　he　had　beenpart　of　the　stone　on　which　he　sat。　He　held　his　gun　ready　to　fire；　withhis　eyes　fixed　steadily　on　the　highest　point　of　the　cliff；　where　theeagle's　nest　lay　concealed　beneath　the　overhanging　rock。

The　three　hunters　had　a　long　time　to　wait。　At　last　they　heard　arustling；　whirring　sound　above　them；　and　a　large　hovering　objectdarkened　the　air。　Two　guns　were　ready　to　aim　at　the　dark　body　of　theeagle　as　it　rose　from　the　nest。　Then　a　shot　was　fired；　for　aninstant　the　bird　fluttered　its　wide…spreading　wings；　and　seemed　asif　it　would　fill　up　the　whole　of　the　chasm；　and　drag　down　thehunters　in　its　fall。　But　it　was　not　so；　the　eagle　sunk　graduallyinto　the　abyss　beneath；　and　the　branches　of　trees　and　bushes　werebroken　by　its　weight。　Then　the　hunters　roused　themselves：　three　of　thelongest　ladders　were　brought　and　bound　together；　the　topmost　ring　ofthese　ladders　would　just　reach　the　edge　of　the　rock　which　hung　overthe　abyss；　but　no　farther。　The　point　beneath　which　the　eagle's　nestlay　sheltered　was　much　higher；　and　the　sides　of　the　rock　were　assmooth　as　a　wall。　After　consulting　together；　they　determined　to　bindtogether　two　more　ladders；　and　to　hoist　them　over　the　cavity；　and　soform　a　munication　with　the　three　beneath　them；　by　binding　the　upperones　to　the　lower。　With　great　difficulty　they　contrived　to　drag　thetwo　ladders　over　the　rock；　and　there　they　hung　for　some　moments；swaying　over　the　abyss；　but　no　sooner　had　they　fastened　them　together；than　Rudy　placed　his　foot　on　the　lowest　step。

It　was　a　bitterly　cold　morning；　clouds　of　mist　were　rising　frombeneath；　and　Rudy　stood　on　the　lower　step　of　the　ladder　as　a　fly　restson　a　piece　of　swinging　straw；　which　a　bird　may　have　dropped　from　theedge　of　the　nest　it　was　building　on　some　tall　factory　chimney；　but　thefly　could　fly　away　if　the　straw　were　shaken；　Rudy　could　only　break　hisneck。　The　wind　whistled　around　him；　and　beneath　him　the　waters　ofthe　abyss；　swelled　by　the　thawing　of　the　glaciers；　those　palaces　ofthe　Ice　Maiden；　foamed　and　roared　in　their　rapid　course。　When　Rudybegan　to　ascend；　the　ladder　trembled　like　the　web　of　the　spider；when　it　draws　out　the　long；　de