安徒生童话-第137章

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have　helped　him　in　his　flight；　for　it　washer　horse　that　was　missed　from　the　stable；　but　by　what　power　had　allthis　been　acplished？　The　Viking's　wife　thought　of　it　with　wonder；thought　on　the　miracles　which　they　said　could　be　performed　by　thosewho　believed　in　the　Christian　faith；　and　followed　its　teachings。　Thesepassing　thoughts　formed　themselves　into　a　vivid　dream；　and　it　seemedto　her　that　she　was　still　lying　awake　on　her　couch；　while　withoutdarkness　reigned。　A　storm　arose；　she　heard　the　lake　dashing　androlling　from　east　and　west；　like　the　waves　of　the　North　Sea　or　theCattegat。　The　monstrous　snake　which；　it　is　said；　surrounds　the　earthin　the　depths　of　the　ocean；　was　trembling　in　spasmodic　convulsions。The　night　of　the　fall　of　the　gods　was　e；　〃Ragnorock；〃　as　theheathens　call　the　judgment…day；　when　everything　shall　pass　away；even　the　high　gods　themselves。　The　war　trumpet　sounded；　riding　uponthe　rainbow；　came　the　gods；　clad　in　steel；　to　fight　their　lastbattle　on　the　last　battle…field。　Before　them　flew　the　winged　vampires；and　the　dead　warriors　closed　up　the　train。　The　whole　firmament　wasablaze　with　the　northern　lights；　and　yet　the　darkness　triumphed。　Itwas　a　terrible　hour。　And；　close　to　the　terrified　woman；　Helga　seemedto　be　seated　on　the　floor；　in　the　hideous　form　of　a　frog；　yettrembling；　and　clinging　to　her　foster…mother；　who　took　her　on　her　lap；and　lovingly　caressed　her；　hideous　and　frog…like　as　she　was。　The　airwas　filled　with　the　clashing　of　arms　and　the　hissing　of　arrows；　asif　a　storm　of　hail　was　descending　upon　the　earth。　It　seemed　to　her　thehour　when　earth　and　sky　would　burst　asunder；　and　all　things　beswallowed　up　in　Saturn's　fiery　lake；　but　she　knew　that　a　new　heavenand　a　new　earth　would　arise；　and　that　corn…fields　would　wave　where　nowthe　lake　rolled　over　desolate　sands；　and　the　ineffable　God　reign。　Thenshe　saw　rising　from　the　region　of　the　dead；　Baldur　the　gentle；　theloving；　and　as　the　Viking's　wife　gazed　upon　him；　she　recognized　hiscountenance。　It　was　the　captive　Christian　priest。　〃White　Christian！〃she　exclaimed　aloud；　and　with　the　words；　she　pressed　a　kiss　on　theforehead　of　the　hideous　frog…child。　Then　the　frog…skin　fell　off；　andHelga　stood　before　her　in　all　her　beauty；　more　lovely　andgentle…looking；　and　with　eyes　beaming　with　love。　She　kissed　thehands　of　her　foster…mother；　blessed　her　for　all　her　fostering　love　andcare　during　the　days　of　her　trial　and　misery；　for　the　thoughts　she　hadsuggested　and　awoke　in　her　heart；　and　for　naming　the　Name　which　shenow　repeated。　Then　beautiful　Helga　rose　as　a　mighty　swan；　and　spreadher　wings　with　the　rushing　sound　of　troops　of　birds　of　passageflying　through　the　air。

Then　the　Viking's　wife　awoke；　but　she　still　heard　the　rushingsound　without。　She　knew　it　was　the　time　for　the　storks　to　depart；and　that　it　must　be　their　wings　which　she　heard。　She　felt　she　shouldlike　to　see　them　once　more；　and　bid　them　farewell。　She　rose　from　hercouch；　stepped　out　on　the　threshold；　and　beheld；　on　the　ridge　of　theroof；　a　party　of　storks　ranged　side　by　side。　Troops　of　the　birdswere　flying　in　circles　over　the　castle　and　the　highest　trees；　but　justbefore　her；　as　she　stood　on　the　threshold　and　close　to　the　wellwhere　Helga　had　so　often　sat　and　alarmed　her　with　her　wildness；　nowstood　two　swans；　gazing　at　her　with　intelligent　eyes。　Then　sheremembered　her　dream；　which　still　appeared　to　her　as　a　reality。　Shethought　of　Helga　in　the　form　of　a　swan。　She　thought　of　a　Christianpriest；　and　suddenly　a　wonderful　joy　arose　in　her　heart。　The　swansflapped　their　wings　and　arched　their　necks　as　if　to　offer　her　agreeting；　and　the　Viking's　wife　spread　out　her　arms　towards　them；　asif　she　accepted　it；　and　smiled　through　her　tears。　She　was　rousedfrom　deep　thought　by　a　rustling　of　wings　and　snapping　of　beaks；　allthe　storks　arose；　and　started　on　their　journey　towards　the　south。

〃We　will　not　wait　for　the　swans；〃　said　the　mamma　stork；　〃if　theywant　to　go　with　us；　let　them　e　now；　we　can't　sit　here　till　theplovers　start。　It　is　a　fine　thing　after　all　to　travel　in　families；　notlike　the　finches　and　the　partridges。　There　the　male　and　the　femalebirds　fly　in　separate　flocks；　which；　to　speak　candidly；　I　considervery　unbeing。〃

〃What　are　those　swans　flapping　their　wings　for？〃

〃Well；　every　one　flies　in　his　own　fashion；〃　said　the　papa　stork。〃The　swans　fly　in　an　oblique　line；　the　cranes；　in　the　form　of　atriangle；　and　the　plovers；　in　a　curved　line　like　a　snake。〃

〃Don't　talk　about　snakes　while　we　are　flying　up　here；〃　saidstork…mamma。　〃It　puts　ideas　into　the　children's　heads　that　can　notbe　realized。〃

〃Are　those　the　high　mountains　I　have　heard　spoken　of？〃　askedHelga；　in　the　swan's　plumage。

〃They　are　storm…clouds　driving　along　beneath　us；〃　replied　hermother。

〃What　are　yonder　white　clouds　that　rise　so　high？〃　again　inquiredHelga。

〃Those　are　mountains　covered　with　perpetual　snows；　that　you　seeyonder；〃　said　her　mother。　And　then　they　flew　across　the　Alps　towardsthe　blue　Mediterranean。

〃Africa's　land！　Egyptia's　strand！〃　sang　the　daughter　of　theNile；　in　her　swan's　plumage；　as　from　the　upper　air　she　caught　sight　ofher　native　land；　a　narrow；　golden；　wavy　strip　on　the　shores　of　theNile；　the　other　birds　espied　it　also　and　hastened　their　flight。

〃I　can　smell　the　Nile　mud　and　the　wet　frogs；〃　said　thestork…mamma；　〃and　I　begin　to　feel　quite　hungry。　Yes；　now　you　shalltaste　something　nice；　and　you　will　see　the　marabout　bird；　and　theibis；　and　the　crane。　They　all　belong　to　our　family；　but　they　are　notnearly　so　handsome　as　we　are。　They　give　themselves　great　airs；especially　the　ibis。　The　Egyptians　have　spoilt　him。　They　make　amummy　of　him；　and　stuff　him　with　spices。　I　would　rather　be　stuffedwith　live　frogs；　and　so　would　you；　and　so　you　shall。　Better　havesomething　in　your　inside　while　you　are　alive；　than　to　be　made　a　paradeof　after　you　are　dead。　That　is　my　opinion；　and　I　am　always　right。〃

〃The　storks　are　e；〃　was　said　in　the　great　house　on　the　banks　ofthe　Nile；　where　the　lord　lay　in　the　hall　on　his　downy　cushions；covered　with　a　leopard　skin；　scarcely　alive；　yet　not　dead；　waiting　andhoping　for　the　lotus…flower　from　the　deep　moorland　in　the　far　north。Relatives　and　servants　were　standing　by　his　couch；　when　the　twobeautiful　swans　who　had　e　with　the　storks　flew　into　the　hall。They　threw　off　their　soft　white　plumage；　and　two　lovely　female　formsapproached　the　pale；　sick　old　man；　and　threw　back　their　long　hair；　andwhen　Helga　bent　over　her　grandfather；　redness　came　back　to　his　cheeks；his　eyes　brightened；　and　life　returned　to　his　benumbed　limbs。　Theold　man　rose　up　with　health　and　energy　renewed；　daughter　andgrandchild　weled　him　as　joyfully　as　if　with　a　morning　greetingafter　a　long　and　troubled　dream。

Joy　reigned　through　the　whole　house；　as　well　as　in　the　stork'snest；　although　there　the　chief　cause　was　really　the　good　food；especially　the　quantities　of　frogs；　which　seemed　to　spring　out　ofthe　ground　in　swarms。

Then　the　learned　men　hastened　to　note　down；　in　flyingcharacters；　the　story　of　the　two　princesses；　and　spoke　of　thearrival　of　the　health…giving　flower　as　a　mighty　event；　which　hadbeen　a　blessing　to　the　house　and　the　land。　Meanwhile；　the　stork…papatold　the　story　to　his　family　in　his　own　way；　but　not　till　they　hadeaten　and　were　satisfied；　otherwise　they　would　have　had　something　elseto　do　than　to　listen　to　stories。

〃Well；〃　said　the　stork…mamma；　when　she　had　heard　it；　〃you　willbe　made　something　of　at　last；　I　suppose　they　can　do　nothing　less。〃

〃What　could　I　be　made？〃　said　stork…papa；　〃what　have　I　done？…just　nothing。〃

〃You　have　done　more　than　all　the　rest；〃　she　replied。　〃But　foryou　and　the　youngsters　the　two　young　princesses　would　never　haveseen　Egypt　again；　and　the　recovery　of　the　old　man　would　not　havebeen　effected。　You　will　bee　something。　They　must　certainly　give　youa　doctor's　hood；　and　our　young　ones　will　inherit　it；　and　theirchildren　after　them；　and　so　on。　You　already　look　like　an　Egyptiandoctor；　at　least　in　my　eyes。〃

〃I　cannot　quite　remember　the　words　I　heard　when　I　listened　onthe　roof；〃　said　stork…papa；　while　relating　the　story　to　his　family；〃all　I　know　is；　that　what　the　wise　men　said　was　so　plicated　andso　learned；　that　they　received　not　only　rank；　but　presents；　even　thehead　cook　at　the　great　house　was　honored　with　a　mark　of　distinction；most　likely