安徒生童话- 第61部分

〃That　is　a　strange　sort　of　soup；〃　said　the　mouse…king；　〃shall　wenot　now　hear　about　the　preparation？〃

〃That　is　all；〃　answered　the　little　mouse；　with　a　bow。

〃That　all！〃　said　the　mouse…king；　〃then　we　shall　be　glad　to　hearwhat　information　the　next　may　have　to　give　us。〃

WHAT　THE　SECOND　MOUSE　HAD　TO　TELL

〃I　was　born　in　the　library；　at　a　castle；〃　said　the　second　mouse。〃Very　few　members　of　our　family　ever　had　the　good　fortune　to　getinto　the　dining…room；　much　less　the　store…room。　On　my　journey；　andhere　to…day；　are　the　only　times　I　have　ever　seen　a　kitchen。　We　wereoften　obliged　to　suffer　hunger　in　the　library；　but　then　we　gained　agreat　deal　of　knowledge。　The　rumor　reached　us　of　the　royal　prizeoffered　to　those　who　should　be　able　to　make　soup　from　a　sausageskewer。　Then　my　old　grandmother　sought　out　a　manuscript　which；however；　she　could　not　read；　but　had　heard　it　read；　and　in　it　waswritten；　'Those　who　are　poets　can　make　soup　of　sausage　skewers。'　Shethen　asked　me　if　I　was　a　poet。　I　felt　myself　quite　innocent　of　anysuch　pretensions。　Then　she　said　I　must　go　out　and　make　myself　apoet。　I　asked　again　what　I　should　be　required　to　do；　for　it　seemedto　me　quite　as　difficult　as　to　find　out　how　to　make　soup　of　asausage　skewer。　My　grandmother　had　heard　a　great　deal　of　reading　inher　day；　and　she　told　me　three　principal　qualifications　werenecessary…　understanding；　imagination；　and　feeling。　'If　you　can　manageto　acquire　these　three；　you　will　be　a　poet；　and　the　sausage…skewersoup　will　be　quite　easy　to　you。'

〃So　I　went　forth　into　the　world；　and　turned　my　steps　towards　thewest；　that　I　might　bee　a　poet。　Understanding　is　the　mostimportant　matter　in　everything。　I　knew　that；　for　the　two　otherqualifications　are　not　thought　much　of；　so　I　went　first　to　seek　forunderstanding。　Where　was　I　to　find　it？　'Go　to　the　ant　and　learnwisdom；'　said　the　great　Jewish　king。　I　knew　that　from　living　in　alibrary。　So　I　went　straight　on　till　I　came　to　the　first　greatant…hill；　and　then　I　set　myself　to　watch；　that　I　might　bee　wise。The　ants　are　a　very　respectable　people；　they　are　wisdom　itself。　Allthey　do　is　like　the　working　of　a　sum　in　arithmetic；　which　es　right。'To　work　and　to　lay　eggs；'　say　they；　and　to　provide　for　posterity；is　to　live　out　your　time　properly；'　and　that　they　truly　do。　They　aredivided　into　the　clean　and　the　dirty　ants；　their　rank　is　pointed　outby　a　number；　and　the　ant…queen　is　number　ONE；　and　her　opinion　is　theonly　correct　one　on　everything；　she　seems　to　have　the　whole　wisdomof　the　world　in　her；　which　was　just　the　important　matter　I　wished　toacquire。　She　said　a　great　deal　which　was　no　doubt　very　clever；　yetto　me　it　sounded　like　nonsense。　She　said　the　ant…hill　was　the　loftiestthing　in　the　world；　and　yet　close　to　the　mound　stood　a　tall　tree；which　no　one　could　deny　was　loftier；　much　loftier；　but　no　mentionwas　made　of　the　tree。　One　evening　an　ant　lost　herself　on　this　tree；she　had　crept　up　the　stem；　not　nearly　to　the　top；　but　higher　thanany　ant　had　ever　ventured；　and　when　at　last　she　returned　home　she　saidthat　she　had　found　something　in　her　travels　much　higher　than　theant…hill。　The　rest　of　the　ants　considered　this　an　insult　to　thewhole　munity；　so　she　was　condemned　to　wear　a　muzzle　and　to　livein　perpetual　solitude。　A　short　time　afterwards　another　ant　got　onthe　tree；　and　made　the　same　journey　and　the　same　discovery；　but　shespoke　of　it　cautiously　and　indefinitely；　and　as　she　was　one　of　thesuperior　ants　and　very　much　respected；　they　believed　her；　and　when　shedied　they　erected　an　eggshell　as　a　monument　to　her　memory；　for　theycultivated　a　great　respect　for　science。　I　saw；〃　said　the　little　mouse；〃that　the　ants　were　always　running　to　and　fro　with　her　burdens　ontheir　backs。　Once　I　saw　one　of　them　drop　her　load；　she　gave　herselfa　great　deal　of　trouble　in　trying　to　raise　it　again；　but　she　could　notsucceed。　Then　two　others　came　up　and　tried　with　all　their　strengthto　help　her；　till　they　nearly　dropped　their　own　burdens　in　doing　so；then　they　were　obliged　to　stop　for　a　moment　in　their　help；　for　everyone　must　think　of　himself　first。　And　the　ant…queen　remarked　that　theirconduct　that　day　showed　that　they　possessed　kind　hearts　and　goodunderstanding。　'These　two　qualities；'　she　continued；　'place　us　ants　inthe　highest　degree　above　all　other　reasonable　beings。　Understandingmust　therefore　be　seen　among　us　in　the　most　prominent　manner；　and　mywisdom　is　greater　than　all。'　And　so　saying　she　raised　herself　on　hertwo　hind　legs；　that　no　one　else　might　be　mistaken　for　her。　I　could　nottherefore　make　an　error；　so　I　ate　her　up。　We　are　to　go　to　the　antsto　learn　wisdom；　and　I　had　got　the　queen。

〃I　now　turned　and　went　nearer　to　the　lofty　tree　already　mentioned；which　was　an　oak。　It　had　a　tall　trunk　with　a　wide…spreading　top；　andwas　very　old。　I　knew　that　a　living　being　dwelt　here；　a　dryad　as　she　iscalled；　who　is　born　with　the　tree　and　dies　with　it。　I　had　heard　thisin　the　library；　and　here　was　just　such　a　tree；　and　in　it　anoak…maiden。　She　uttered　a　terrible　scream　when　she　caught　sight　ofme　so　near　to　her；　like　many　women；　she　was　very　much　afraid　ofmice。　And　she　had　more　real　cause　for　fear　than　they　have；　for　I　mighthave　gnawed　through　the　tree　on　which　her　life　depended。　I　spoke　toher　in　a　kind　and　friendly　manner；　and　begged　her　to　take　courage。At　last　she　took　me　up　in　her　delicate　hand；　and　then　I　told　herwhat　had　brought　me　out　into　the　world；　and　she　promised　me　thatperhaps　on　that　very　evening　she　should　be　able　to　obtain　for　me　oneof　the　two　treasures　for　which　I　was　seeking。　She　told　me　thatPhantaesus　was　her　very　dear　friend；　that　he　was　as　beautiful　as　thegod　of　love；　that　he　remained　often　for　many　hours　with　her　underthe　leafy　boughs　of　the　tree　which　then　rustled　and　waved　more　thanever　over　them　both。　He　called　her　his　dryad；　she　said；　and　the　treehis　tree；　for　the　grand　old　oak；　with　its　gnarled　trunk；　was　just　tohis　taste。　The　root；　spreading　deep　into　the　earth；　the　top　risinghigh　in　the　fresh　air；　knew　the　value　of　the　drifted　snow；　the　keenwind；　and　the　warm　sunshine；　as　it　ought　to　be　known。　'Yes；'　continuedthe　dryad；　'the　birds　sing　up　above　in　the　branches；　and　talk　toeach　other　about　the　beautiful　fields　they　have　visited　in　foreignlands；　and　on　one　of　the　withered　boughs　a　stork　has　built　hisnest；…　it　is　beautifully　arranged；　and　besides　it　is　pleasant　tohear　a　little　about　the　land　of　the　pyramids。　All　this　pleasesPhantaesus；　but　it　is　not　enough　for　him；　I　am　obliged　to　relate　tohim　of　my　life　in　the　woods；　and　to　go　back　to　my　childhood；　when　Iwas　little；　and　the　tree　so　small　and　delicate　that　astinging…tle　could　overshadow　it；　and　I　have　to　tell　everythingthat　has　happened　since　then　till　now　that　the　tree　is　so　large　andstrong。　Sit　you　down　now　under　the　green　bindwood　and　pay　attention；when　Phantaesus　es　I　will　find　an　opportunity　to　lay　hold　of　hiswing　and　to　pull　out　one　of　the　little　feathers。　That　feather　youshall　have；　a　better　was　never　given　to　any　poet；　it　will　be　quiteenough　for　you。'

〃And　when　Phantaesus　came　the　feather　was　plucked；　and；〃　saidthe　little　mouse；　〃I　seized　and　put　it　in　water；　and　kept　it　theretill　it　was　quite　soft。　It　was　very　heavy　and　indigestible；　but　Imanaged　to　nibble　it　up　at　last。　It　is　not　so　easy　to　nibble　one'sself　into　a　poet