安徒生童话- 第181部分

Just　as　much　splendor；　but　of　another　kind；　appeared　below；　in　thewide　halls　of　the　castle。　Here；　on　the　walls；　were　reflectedpictures　of　the　world；　which　represented　numerous　and　varied　scenes　ofeverything　that　took　place　daily；　so　that　it　was　useless　to　read　thenewspapers；　and　indeed　there　were　none　to　be　obtained　in　this　spot。All　was　to　be　seen　in　living　pictures　by　those　who　wished　it；　butall　would　have　been　too　much　for　even　the　wisest　man；　and　this　mandwelt　here。　His　name　is　very　difficult；　you　would　not　be　able　topronounce　it；　so　it　may　be　omitted。　He　knew　everything　that　a　man　onearth　can　know　or　imagine。　Every　invention　already　in　existence　or　yetto　be；　was　known　to　him；　and　much　more；　still　everything　on　earthhas　a　limit。　The　wise　king　Solomon　was　not　half　so　wise　as　this　man。He　could　govern　the　powers　of　nature　and　held　sway　over　potentspirits；　even　Death　itself　was　obliged　to　give　him　every　morning　alist　of　those　who　were　to　die　during　the　day。　And　King　Solomon　himselfhad　to　die　at　last；　and　this　fact　it　was　which　so　often　occupied　thethoughts　of　this　great　man　in　the　castle　on　the　Tree　of　the　Sun。　Heknew　that　he　also；　however　high　he　might　tower　above　other　men　inwisdom；　must　one　day　die。　He　knew　that　his　children　would　fade　awaylike　the　leaves　of　the　forest　and　bee　dust。　He　saw　the　human　racewither　and　fall　like　leaves　from　the　tree；　he　saw　new　men　e　to　filltheir　places；　but　the　leaves　that　fell　off　never　sprouted　forth　again；they　crumbled　to　dust　or　were　absorbed　into　other　plants。

〃What　happens　to　man；〃　asked　the　wise　man　of　himself；　〃whentouched　by　the　angel　of　death？　What　can　death　be？　The　body　decays；　andthe　soul。　Yes；　what　is　the　soul；　and　whither　does　it　go？〃

〃To　eternal　life；〃　says　the　forting　voice　of　religion。

〃But　what　is　this　change？　Where　and　how　shall　we　exist？〃

〃Above；　in　heaven；〃　answers　the　pious　man；　〃it　is　there　we　hope　togo。〃

〃Above！〃　repeated　the　wise　man；　fixing　his　eyes　upon　the　moonand　stars　above　him。　He　saw　that　to　this　earthly　sphere　above　andbelow　were　constantly　changing　places；　and　that　the　position　variedaccording　to　the　spot　on　which　a　man　found　himself。　He　knew；　also；that　even　if　he　ascended　to　the　top　of　the　highest　mountain　whichrears　its　lofty　summit　on　this　earth；　the　air；　which　to　us　seems　clearand　transparent；　would　there　be　dark　and　cloudy；　the　sun　would　havea　coppery　glow　and　send　forth　no　rays；　and　our　earth　would　lie　beneathhim　wrapped　in　an　orange…colored　mist。　How　narrow　are　the　limits　whichconfine　the　bodily　sight；　and　how　little　can　be　seen　by　the　eye　of　thesoul。　How　little　do　the　wisest　among　us　know　of　that　which　is　soimportant　to　us　all。

In　the　most　secret　chamber　of　the　castle　lay　the　greatest　treasureon　earth…　the　Book　of　Truth。　The　wise　man　had　read　it　through　pageafter　page。　Every　man　may　read　in　this　book；　but　only　in　fragments。　Tomany　eyes　the　characters　seem　so　mixed　in　confusion　that　the　wordscannot　be　distinguished。　On　certain　pages　the　writing　often　appears　sopale　or　so　blurred　that　the　page　bees　a　blank。　The　wiser　a　manbees；　the　more　he　will　read；　and　those　who　are　wisest　read　most。

The　wise　man　knew　how　to　unite　the　sunlight　and　the　moonlight　withthe　light　of　reason　and　the　hidden　powers　of　nature；　and　throughthis　stronger　light；　many　things　in　the　pages　were　made　clear　tohim。　But　in　the　portion　of　the　book　entitled　〃Life　after　Death〃　nota　single　point　could　he　see　distinctly。　This　pained　him。　Should　henever　be　able　here　on　earth　to　obtain　a　light　by　which　everythingwritten　in　the　Book　of　Truth　should　bee　clear　to　him？　Like　the　wiseKing　Solomon；　he　understood　the　language　of　animals；　and　couldinterpret　their　talk　into　song；　but　that　made　him　none　the　wiser。　Hefound　out　the　nature　of　plants　and　metals；　and　their　power　in　curingdiseases　and　arresting　death；　but　none　to　destroy　death　itself。　In　allcreated　things　within　his　reach　he　sought　the　light　that　shouldshine　upon　the　certainty　of　an　eternal　life；　but　he　found　it　not。The　Book　of　Truth　lay　open　before　him；　but；　its　pages　were　to　him　asblank　paper。　Christianity　placed　before　him　in　the　Bible　a　promiseof　eternal　life；　but　he　wanted　to　read　it　in　his　book；　in　whichnothing　on　the　subject　appeared　to　be　written。

He　had　five　children；　four　sons；　educated　as　the　children　ofsuch　a　wise　father　should　be；　and　a　daughter；　fair；　gentle；　andintelligent；　but　she　was　blind；　yet　this　deprivation　appeared　asnothing　to　her；　her　father　and　brothers　were　outward　eyes　to　her；and　a　vivid　imagination　made　everything　clear　to　her　mental　sight。　Thesons　had　never　gone　farther　from　the　castle　than　the　branches　of　thetrees　extended；　and　the　sister　had　scarcely　ever　left　home。　Theywere　happy　children　in　that　home　of　their　childhood；　the　beautiful　andfragrant　Tree　of　the　Sun。　Like　all　children；　they　loved　to　hearstories　related　to　them；　and　their　father　told　them　many　thingswhich　other　children　would　not　have　understood；　but　these　were　asclever　as　most　grownup　people　are　among　us。　He　explained　to　themwhat　they　saw　in　the　pictures　of　life　on　the　castle　walls…　thedoings　of　man；　and　the　progress　of　events　in　all　the　lands　of　theearth；　and　the　sons　often　expressed　a　wish　that　they　could　be　present；and　take　a　part　in　these　great　deeds。　Then　their　father　told　them　thatin　the　world　there　was　nothing　but　toil　and　difficulty：　that　it　wasnot　quite　what　it　appeared　to　them；　as　they　looked　upon　it　in　theirbeautiful　home。　He　spoke　to　them　of　the　true；　the　beautiful；　and　thegood；　and　told　them　that　these　three　held　together　in　the　world；　andby　that　union　they　became　crystallized　into　a　precious　jewel；clearer　than　a　diamond　of　the　first　water…　a　jewel；　whose　splendor　hada　value　even　in　the　sight　of　God；　in　whose　brightness　all　things　aredim。　This　jewel　was　called　the　philosopher's　stone。　He　told　them　that；by　searching；　man　could　attain　to　a　knowledge　of　the　existence　of　God；and　that　it　was　in　the　power　of　every　man　to　discover　the　certaintythat　such　a　jewel　as　the　philosopher's　stone　really　existed。　Thisinformation　would　have　been　beyond　the　perception　of　other　children；but　these　children　understood；　and　others　will　learn　to　prehend　itsmeaning　after　a　time。　They　questioned　their　father　about　the　true；　thebeautiful；　and　the　good；　and　he　explained　it　to　them　in　many　ways。He　told　them　that　God；　when　He　made　man　out　of　the　dust　of　theearth；　touched　His　work　five　times；　leaving　five　intense　feelings；which　we　call　the　five　senses。　Through　these；　the　true；　the　beautiful；and　the　good　are　seen；　understood；　and　perceived；　and　through　thesethey　are　valued；　protected；　and　encouraged。　Five　senses　have　beengiven　mentally　and　corporeally；　inwardly　and　outwardly；　to　body　andsoul。

The　children　thought　deeply　on　all　these　things；　and　meditatedupon　them　day　and　night。　Then　the　eldest　of　the　brothers　dreamt　asplendid　dream。　Strange　to　say；　not　only　the　second　brother　but　alsothe　third　and　fourth　brothers　all　dreamt　exactly　the　same　thing；namely；　that　each　went　out　into　the　world　to　find　the　philosopher'sstone。　Each　dreamt　that　he　found　it；　and　that；　as　he　rode　back　onhis　swift　horse；　in　the　morning　dawn；　over　the　velvety　greenmeadows；　to　his　home　in　the　castle　of　his　father；　that　the　stonegleamed　from　his　forehead　like　a　beaming　light；　and