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安徒生童话-第54部分

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irconduct 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; there are so many things to get through。 Now;however; I had two of them; understanding and imagination; and throughthese I knew that the third was to be found in the library。 A greatman has said and written that there are novels whose sole and only useappeared to be that they might relieve mankind of overflowing tears… akind of sponge; in fact; for sucking up feelings and emotions。 Iremembered a few of these books; they had always appeared temptingto the appetite; they had been much read; and were so greasy; thatthey must have absorbed no end of emotions in themselves。 I retracedmy steps to the library; and literally devoured a whole novel; thatis; properly speaking; the interior or soft part of it; the crust;or binding; I left。 When I had digested not only this; but a second; Ifelt a stirring within me; then I ate a small piece of a thirdromance; and felt myself a poet。 I said it to myself; and toldothers the same。 I had head…ache and back…ache; and I cannot tell whataches besides。 I thought over all the stories that may be said to beconnected with sausage pegs; and all that has ever been writtenabout skewers; and sticks; and staves; and splinters came to mythoughts; the ant…queen must have had a wonderfully clearunderstanding。 I remembered the man who placed a white stick in hismouth by which he could make himself and the stick invisible。 Ithought of sticks as hobby…horses; staves of music or rhyme; ofbreaking a stick over a man's back; and heaven knows how many morephrases of the same sort relating to sticks; staves; and skewers。All my thoughts rein on skewers; sticks of wood; and staves; and asI am; at last; a poet; and I have worked terribly hard to makemyself one; I can of course make poetry on anything。 I shall thereforebe able to wait upon you every day in the week with a poetical historyof a skewer。 And that is my soup。〃

〃In that case;〃 said the mouse…king; 〃we will hear what thethird mouse has to say。〃

〃Squeak; squeak;〃 cried a little mouse at the kitchen door; it wasthe fourth; and not the third; of the four who were contending for theprize; one whom the rest supposed to be dead。 She shot in like anarrow; and overturned the sausage peg that had been covered withcrape。 She had been running day and night。 She had watched anopportunity to get into a goods train; and had travelled by therailway; and yet she had arrived almost too late。 She pressed forward;looking very much ruffled。 She had lost her sausage skewer; but nother voice; for she began to speak at once as if they only waited forher; and would hear her only; and as if nothing else in the worldwas of the least consequence。 She spoke out so clearly and plainly;and she had e in so suddenly; that no one had time to stop her orto say a word while she was speaking。 And now let us hear what shesaid。

WHAT THE FOURTH MOUSE; WHO SPOKE

  BEFORE THE THIRD; HAD TO TELL

〃I started off at once to the largest town;〃 said she; 〃but thename of it has escaped me。 I have a very bad memory for names。 I wascarried from the railway; with some forfeited goods; to the jail;and on arriving I made my escape; and ran into the house of theturnkey。 The turnkey was speaking of his prisoners; especially ofone who had uttered thoughtless words。 These words had given rise toother words; and at length they were written down and registered: 'Thewhole affair is like making soup of sausage skewers;' said he; 'butthe soup may cost him his neck。'

〃Now this raised in me an interest for the prisoner;〃 continuedthe little mouse; 〃and I watched my opportunity; and slipped intohis apartment; for there is a mouse…hole to be found behind everyclosed door。 The prisoner looked pale; he had a great beard and large;sparkling eyes。 There was a lamp burning; but the walls were soblack that they only looked the blacker for it。 The prisoner scratchedpictures and verses with white chalk on the black walls; but I did notread the verses。 I think he found his confinement wearisome; so that Iwas a wele guest。 He enticed me with bread…crumbs; withwhistling; and with gentle words; and seemed so friendly towards me;that by degrees I gained confidence in him; and we became friends;he divided his bread and water with me; gave me cheese and sausage;and I really began to love him。 Altogether; I must own that it was avery pleasant intimacy。 He let me run about on his hand; and on hisarm; and into his sleeve; and I even crept into his beard; and hecalled me his little friend。 I forgot what I had e out into theworld for; forgot my sausage skewer which I had laid in a crack in thefloor… it is lying there still。 I wished to stay with him always whereI was; for I knew that if I went away the poor prisoner would haveno one to be his friend; which is a sad thing。 I stayed; but he didnot。 He spoke to me so mournfully for the last time; gave me double asmuch bread and cheese as usual; and kissed his hand to me。 Then hewent away; and never came back。 I know nothing more of his history。

〃The jailer took possession of me now。 He said something aboutsoup from a sausage skewer; but I could not trust him。 He took me i
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