安徒生童话- 第133部分

〃Mother；〃　she　murmured；　〃thy　child　may　not　receive　Christianbaptism；　nor　be　admitted　into　the　congregation　of　Christian　people。Thou　hast　so　willed　it；　and　I　will　respect　thy　mand。　We　aretherefore　still　united　here　on　earth；　but　in　the　next　world　there　willbe　a　higher　union；　even　with　God　Himself；　who　leads　and　guides　Hispeople　till　death。　He　came　down　from　heaven　to　earth　to　suffer　for　us；that　we　should　bring　forth　the　fruits　of　repentance。　I　understand　itnow。　I　know　not　how　I　learnt　this　truth；　unless　it　is　through　the　nameof　Christ。〃　Yet　she　trembled　as　she　pronounced　the　holy　name。　Shestruggled　against　these　convictions　of　the　truth　of　Christianity　forsome　days；　till　one　evening　while　watching　her　mistress　she　wassuddenly　taken　very　ill；　her　limbs　tottered　under　her；　and　she　sankfainting　by　the　bedside　of　the　sick　woman。

〃Poor　Sarah；〃　said　the　neighbors；　〃she　is　overe　with　hardwork　and　night　watching。〃　And　then　they　carried　her　to　the　hospitalfor　the　sick　poor。　There　she　died；　and　they　bore　her　to　herresting…place　in　the　earth；　but　not　to　the　churchyard　of　theChristians。　There　was　no　place　for　the　Jewish　girl；　but　they　dug　agrave　for　her　outside　the　wall。　And　God's　sun；　which　shines　upon　thegraves　of　the　churchyard　of　the　Christians；　also　throws　its　beams　onthe　grave　of　the　Jewish　maiden　beyond　the　wall。　And　when　the　psalms　ofthe　Christians　sound　across　the　churchyard；　their　echo　reaches　herlonely　resting…place；　and　she　who　sleeps　there　will　be　countedworthy　at　the　resurrection；　through　the　name　of　Christ　the　Lord；　whosaid　to　His　disciples；　〃John　baptized　you　with　water；　but　I　willbaptize　you　with　the　Holy　Ghost。〃

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　　THE　JUMPER

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

THE　Flea；　the　Grasshopper；　and　the　Skipjack　once　wanted　to　seewhich　of　them　could　jump　highest；　and　they　invited　the　whole　world；and　whoever　else　would　e；　to　see　the　grand　sight。　And　there　thethree　famous　jumpers　were　met　together　in　the　room。

〃Yes；　I'll　give　my　daughter　to　him　who　jumps　highest；〃　said　theKing；　〃for　it　would　be　mean　to　let　these　people　jump　for　nothing。〃

The　Flea　stepped　out　first。　He　had　very　pretty　manners；　andbowed　in　all　directions；　for　he　had　young　ladies'　blood　in　hisveins；　and　was　accustomed　to　consort　only　with　human　beings；　andthat　was　of　great　consequence。

Then　came　the　Grasshopper：　he　was　certainly　much　heavier；　but　hehad　a　good　figure；　and　wore　the　green　uniform　that　was　born　withhim。　This　person；　moreover；　maintained　that　he　belonged　to　a　veryold　family　in　the　land　of　Egypt；　and　that　he　was　highly　esteemedthere。　He　had　just　e　from　the　field；　he　said；　and　had　been　put　intoa　card　house　three　stories　high；　and　all　made　of　picture　cards　withthe　figures　turned　inwards。　There　were　doors　and　windows　in　the　house；cut　in　the　body　of　the　Queen　of　Hearts。

〃I　sing　so；〃　he　said；　〃that　sixteen　native　crickets　who　havechirped　from　their　youth　up；　and　have　never　yet　had　a　card　house　oftheir　own；　would　bee　thinner　than　they　are　with　envy　if　they　wereto　hear　me。〃

Both　of　them；　the　Flea　and　the　Grasshopper；　took　care　toannounce　who　they　were；　and　that　they　considered　themselves　entitledto　marry　a　Princess。

The　Skipjack　said　nothing；　but　it　was　said　of　him　that　hethought　all　the　more；　and　directly　the　Yard　Dog　had　smelt　at　him　hewas　ready　to　assert　that　the　Skipjack　was　of　good　family；　and　formedfrom　the　breastbone　of　an　undoubted　goose。　The　old　councillor；　who　hadreceived　three　medals　for　holding　his　tongue；　declared　that　theSkipjack　possessed　the　gift　of　prophecy；　one　could　tell　by　his　boneswhether　there　would　be　a　severe　winter　or　a　mild　one；　and　that'smore　than　one　can　always　tell　from　the　breastbone　of　the　man　whowrites　the　almanac。

〃I　shall　not　say　anything　more；〃　said　the　old　King。　〃I　only　goon　quietly；　and　always　think　the　best。〃

Now　they　were　to　take　their　jump。　The　Flea　sprang　so　high　thatno　one　could　see　him；　and　then　they　asserted　that　he　had　not　jumped　atall。　That　was　very　mean。　The　Grasshopper　only　sprang　half　as　high；　buthe　sprang　straight　into　the　King's　face；　and　the　King　declared　thatwas　horribly　rude。　The　Skipjack　stood　a　long　time　considering；　at　lastpeople　thought　that　he　could　not　jump　at　all。

〃I　only　hope　he's　not　bee　unwell；〃　said　the　Yard　Dog；　andthen　he　smelt　at　him　again。

〃Tap！〃　he　sprang　with　a　little　crooked　jump　just　into　the　lap　ofthe　Princess；　who　sat　on　a　low　golden　stool。

Then　the　King　said；　〃The　highest　leap　was　taken　by　him　whojumped　up　to　my　daughter；　for　therein　lies　the　point；　but　itrequires　head　to　achieve　that；　and　the　Skipjack　has　shown　that　hehas　a　head。〃

And　so　he　had　the　Princess。

〃I　jumped　highest；　after　all；〃　said　the　Flea。　〃But　it's　all　thesame。　Let　her　have　the　goose…bone　with　its　lump　of　wax　and　bit　ofstick。　I　jumped　to　the　highest；　but　in　this　world　a　body　is　requiredif　one　wishes　to　be　seen。〃

And　the　Flea　went　into　foreign　military　service；　where　it　issaid　he　was　killed。

The　Grasshopper　seated　himself　out　in　the　ditch；　and　thought　andconsidered　how　things　happened　in　the　world。　And　he　too　said；　〃Body　isrequired！　body　is　required！〃　And　then　he　sang　his　own　melancholy　song；and　from　that　we　have　gathered　this　story；　which　they　say　is　not　true；though　it's　in　print。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　THE　LAST　DREAM　OF　THE　OLD　OAK

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

IN　the　forest；　high　up　on　the　steep　shore；　and　not　far　from　theopen　seacoast；　stood　a　very　old　oak…tree。　It　was　just　three　hundredand　sixty…five　years　old；　but　that　long　time　was　to　the　tree　as　thesame　number　of　days　might　be　to　us；　we　wake　by　day　and　sleep　by　night；and　then　we　have　our　dreams。　It　is　different　with　the　tree；　it　isobliged　to　keep　awake　through　three　seasons　of　the　year；　and　doesnot　get　any　sleep　till　winter　es。　Winter　is　its　time　for　rest；its　night　after　the　long　day　of　spring；　summer；　and　autumn。　On　manya　warm　summer；　the　Ephemera；　the　flies　that　exist　for　only　a　day；had　fluttered　about　the　old　oak；　enjoyed　life　and　felt　happy　and　if；for　a　moment；　one　of　the　tiny　creatures　rested　on　one　of　his　largefresh　leaves；　the　tree　would　always　say；　〃Poor　little　creature！　yourwhole　life　consists　only　of　a　single　day。　How　very　short。　It　must　bequite　melancholy。〃

〃Melancholy！　what　do　you　mean？〃　the　little　creature　would　alwaysreply。　〃Everything　around　me　is　so　wonderfully　bright　and　warm；　andbeautiful；　that　it　makes　me　joyous。〃

〃But　only　for　one　day；　and　then　it　is　all　over。〃

〃Over！〃　repeated　the　fly；　〃what　is　the　meaning　of　all　over？　Areyou　all　over　too？〃

〃No；　I　shall　very　likely　live　for　thousands　of　your　days；　and　myday　is　whole　seasons　long；　indeed　it　is　so　long　that　you　could　neverreckon　it　out。〃

〃No？　then　I　don't　understand　you。　You　may　have　thousands　of　mydays；　but　I　have　thousands　of　moments　in　which　I　can　be　merry　andhappy。　Does　all　the　beauty　of　the　world　cease　when　you　die？〃

〃No；〃　replied　the　tree；　〃it　will　certainly　last　much　longer；…infinitely　longer　than　I　can　even　think　of。　〃Well；　then；〃　said　thelittle　fly；　〃we　have　the　same　time　to　live；　only　we　reckondifferently。〃　And　the　little　creature　danced　and　floated　in　the　air；rejoicing　in　her　delicate　wings　of　gauze　and　vel