安徒生童话- 第257部分

〃Here　is　what　they　call　may…balm；〃　replied　the　woman。　〃I　havenot　tried　it　myself。　But　I　have　not　yet　told　you　the　'moreimportant'　thing　you　were　to　hear。　THE　WILL…O'…THE…WISP'S　IN　THE　TOWN！That's　of　much　more　consequence　than　poetry　and　stories。　I　ought；indeed；　to　hold　my　tongue；　but　there　must　be　a　necessity…　a　fate…　asomething　that　sticks　in　my　throat；　and　that　wants　to　e　out。　Takecare；　you　mortals！〃

〃I　don't　understand　a　word　of　all　this！〃　cried　the　man。

〃Be　kind　enough　to　seat　yourself　on　that　cupboard；〃　sheretorted；　〃but　take　care　you　don't　fall　through　and　break　the　bottles…you　know　what's　inside　of　them。　I　must　tell　of　the　great　event。　Itoccurred　no　longer　ago　than　the　day　before　yesterday。　It　did　nothappen　earlier。　It　has　now　three　hundred　and　sixty…three　days　to　runabout。　I　suppose　you　know　how　many　days　there　are　in　a　year？〃

And　this　is　what　the　Moor…woman　told：

〃There　was　a　great　motion　yesterday　out　here　in　the　marsh！There　was　a　christening　feast！　A　little　Will…o'…the…Wisp　was　bornhere…　in　fact；　twelve　of　them　were　born　all　together；　and　they　havepermission；　if　they　choose　to　use　it；　to　go　abroad　among　men；　and　tomove　about　and　mand　among　them；　just　as　if　they　were　bornmortals。　That　was　a　great　event　in　the　marsh；　and　accordingly　allthe　Will…o'…the…Wisps；　male　and　female；　went　dancing　like　littlelights　across　the　moor。　There　are　some　of　them　of　the　dog　species；　butthose　are　not　worth　mentioning。　I　sat　there　on　the　cupboard；　and　hadall　the　twelve　little　new…born　Will…o'…the…Wisps　upon　my　lap。　Theyshone　like　glow…worms；　they　already　began　to　hop；　and　increased　insize　every　moment；　so　that　before　a　quarter　of　an　hour　had　elapsed；each　of　them　looked　just　as　large　as　his　father　or　his　uncle。　Now；it's　an　old…established　regulation　and　favor；　that　when　the　moonstands　just　as　it　did　yesterday；　and　the　wind　blows　just　as　it　blewthen；　it　is　allowed　and　accorded　to　all　Will…o'…the…Wisps…　that　is；　toall　those　who　are　born　at　that　minute　of　time…　to　bee　mortals；and　individually　to　exert　their　power　for　the　space　of　one　year。

〃The　Will…o'…the…Wisp　may　run　about　in　the　country　and　through　theworld；　if　it　is　not　afraid　of　falling　into　the　sea；　or　of　beingblown　out　by　a　heavy　storm。　It　can　enter　into　a　person　and　speak　forhim；　and　make　all　the　movements　it　pleases。　The　Will…o'…the…Wisp　maytake　whatever　form　he　likes；　of　man　or　woman；　and　can　act　in　theirspirit　and　in　their　disguise　in　such　a　way　that　he　can　effect　whateverhe　wishes　to　do。　But　he　must　manage；　in　the　course　of　the　year；　tolead　three　hundred　and　sixty…five　people　into　a　bad　way；　and　in　agrand　style；　too。　To　lead　them　away　from　the　right　and　the　truth；and　then　he　reaches　the　highest　point。　Such　a　Will…o'…the…Wisp　canattain　to　the　honor　of　being　a　runner　before　the　devil's　statecoach；　and　then　he'll　wear　clothes　of　fiery　yellow；　and　breatheforth　flames　out　of　his　throat。　That's　enough　to　make　a　simpleWill…o'…the…Wisp　smack　his　lips。　But　there's　some　danger　in　this；and　a　great　deal　of　work　for　a　Will…o'…the…Wisp　who　aspires　to　play　sodistinguished　a　part。　If　the　eyes　of　the　man　are　opened　to　what　he　is；and　if　the　man　can　then　blow　him　away；　it's　all　over　with　him；　andhe　must　e　back　into　the　marsh；　or　if；　before　the　year　is　up；　theWill…o'…the…Wisp　is　seized　with　a　longing　to　see　his　family；　and　soreturns　to　it　and　gives　the　matter　up；　it　is　over　with　him　likewise；and　he　can　no　longer　burn　clear；　and　soon　bees　extinguished；　andcannot　be　lit　up　again；　and　when　the　year　has　elapsed；　and　he　hasnot　led　three　hundred　and　sixty…five　people　away　from　the　truth　andfrom　all　that　is　grand　and　noble；　he　is　condemned　to　be　imprisonedin　decayed　wood；　and　to　lie　glimmering　there；　without　being　able　tomove；　and　that's　the　most　terrible　punishment　that　can　be　inflicted　ona　lively　Will…o'…the…Wisp。

〃Now；　all　this　I　know；　and　all　this　I　told　to　the　twelve　littleWill…o'…the…Wisps　whom　I　had　on　my　lap；　and　who　seemed　quite　crazywith　joy。

〃I　told　them　that　the　safest　and　most　convenient　course　was　togive　up　the　honor；　and　do　nothing　at　all；　but　the　little　flameswould　not　agree　to　this；　and　already　fancied　themselves　clad　infiery　yellow　clothes；　breathing　flames　from　their　throats。

〃'Stay　with　us；'　said　some　of　the　older　ones。

〃'Carry　on　your　sport　with　mortals；'　said　the　others。

〃'The　mortals　are　drying　up　our　meadows；　they've　taken　todraining。　What　will　our　successors　do？'

〃'We　want　to　flame；　we　will　flame…　flame！'　cried　the　new…bornWill…o'the…Wisps。

〃And　thus　the　affair　was　settled。

〃And　now　a　ball　was　given；　a　minute　long；　it　could　not　well　beshorter。　The　little　elf…maidens　whirled　round　three　times　with　therest；　that　they　might　not　appear　proud；　but　they　preferred　dancingwith　one　another。

〃And　now　the　sponsors'　gifts　were　presented；　and　presents　werethrown　them。　These　presents　flew　like　pebbles　across　the　sea…water。Each　of　the　elf…maidens　gave　a　little　piece　of　her　veil。

〃'Take　that；'　they　said；　'and　then　you'll　know　the　higher　dance；the　most　difficult　turns　and　twists…　that　is　to　say；　if　you　shouldfind　them　necessary。　You'll　know　the　proper　deportment；　and　then　youcan　show　yourself　in　the　very　pick　of　society。'

〃The　night　raven　taught　each　of　the　young　Will…o'…the…Wisps　tosay；　'Goo…goo…good；'　and　to　say　it　in　the　right　place；　and　that's　agreat　gift　which　brings　its　own　reward。

〃The　owl　and　the　stork…　but　they　said　it　was　not　worth　mentioning；and　so　we　won't　mention　it。

〃King　Waldemar's　wild　chase　was　just　then　rushing　over　the　moor；and　when　the　great　lords　heard　of　the　festivities　that　were　goingon；　they　sent　a　couple　of　handsome　dogs；　which　hunt　on　the　spoor　ofthe　wind；　as　a　present；　and　these　might　carry　two　or　three　of　theWill…o'…the…Wisps。　A　couple　of　old　Alpas；　spirits　who　occupythemselves　with　Alp…pressing；　were　also　at　the　feast；　and　from　thesethe　young　Will…o'…the…Wisps　learned　the　art　of　slipping　throughevery　key…hole；　as　if　the　door　stood　open　before　them。　These　Alpasoffered　to　carry　the　youngsters　to　the　town；　with　which　they　were　wellacquainted。　They　usually　rode　through　the　atmosphere　on　their　own　backhair；　which　is　fastened　into　a　knot；　for　they　love　a　hard　seat；　butnow　they　sat　sideways　on　the　wild　hunting　dogs；　took　the　youngWill…o'…the…Wisps　in　their　laps；　who　wanted　to　go　into　the　town　tomislead　and　entice　mortals；　and；　whisk！　away　they　were。　Now；　this　iswhat　happened　last　night。　To…day　the　Will…o'…the…Wisps　are　in　thetown；　and　have　taken　the　matter　in　hand…　but　where　and　how？　Ah；　canyou　tell　me　that？　Still；　I've　a　lightning　conductor　in　my　great　toe；and　that　will　always　tell　me　something。〃

〃Why；　this　is　a　plete　story；〃　exclaimed　the　man。

〃Yes；　but　it　is　only　the　beginning；〃　replied　the　woman。　〃Can　youtell　me　how　the　Will…o'…the…Wisps　deport　themselves；　and　how　theybehave？　and　in　what　shapes　they　have　aforetime　appeared　and　led　peopleinto　crooked　paths？〃

〃I　believe；〃　replied　the　man；　〃that　one　could　tell　quite　a　romanceabout　the　Will…o'…the…Wisps；　in　twelve　parts；　or；　better　still；　onemight　make　quite　a　popular　play　of　them。〃

〃You　might　write　that；〃　said　the　woman；　〃but　it's　best　let　alone。〃

〃Yes；　that's　better　and　more　agreeable；〃　the　man　replied；　〃forthen　we　shall　escape　from　the　newspapers；　and　not　be