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安徒生童话-第225部分

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〃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 tied up bythem; which is just as unfortable as for a Will…o'…the…Wisp tolie in decaying wood; to have to gleam; and not to be able to stir。〃

〃I don't care about it either way;〃 cried the woman。 〃Let the restwrite; those who can; and those who cannot likewise。 I'll grant you anold bung from my cask that will open the cupboard where poetry'skept in bottles; and you may take from that whatever may be wanting。But you; my good man; seem to have blotted your hands sufficientlywith ink; and to have e to that age of satiety that you need not berunning about every year for stories; especially as there are muchmore important things to be done。 You must have understood what isgoing on?〃

〃The Will…o'…the…Wisp is in town;〃 said the man。 〃I've heard it;and I have understood it。 But what do you think I ought to do? Ishould be thrashed if I were to go to the people and say; 'Look;yonder goes a Will…o'…the…Wisp in his best clothes!'

〃They also go in undress;〃 replied the woman。 〃TheWill…o'…the…Wisp can assume all kin
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