安徒生童话-第160章

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ers　farther　and　fartherinto　his　ears；　till　at　last　the　drums　burst。　And　now　he　could　hearnothing　more　of　the　true；　the　beautiful；　and　the　good；　for　his　hearingwas　to　have　been　the　means　by　which　he　hoped　to　acquire　his　knowledge。He　became　silent　and　suspicious；　and　at　last　trusted　no　one；　noteven　himself；　and　no　longer　hoping　to　find　and　bring　home　the　costlyjewel；　he　gave　it　up；　and　gave　himself　up　too；　which　was　worse　thanall。

The　birds　in　their　flight　towards　the　east；　carried　the　tidings；and　the　news　reached　the　castle　in　the　Tree　of　the　Sun。

〃I　will　try　now；〃　said　the　third　brother；　〃I　have　a　keen　nose。〃Now　that　was　not　a　very　elegant　expression；　but　it　was　his　way；　and　wemust　take　him　as　he　was。　He　had　a　cheerful　temper；　and　was；　besides；　areal　poet；　he　could　make　many　things　appear　poetical；　by　the　way　inwhich　he　spoke　of　them；　and　ideas　struck　him　long　before　they　occurredto　the　minds　of　others。　〃I　can　smell；〃　he　would　say；　and　he　attributedto　the　sense　of　smelling；　which　he　possessed　in　a　high　degree；　a　greatpower　in　the　region　of　the　beautiful。　〃I　can　smell；〃　he　would　say；〃and　many　places　are　fragrant　or　beautiful　according　to　the　taste　ofthe　frequenters。　One　man　feels　at　home　in　the　atmosphere　of　thetavern；　among　the　flaring　tallow　candles；　and　when　the　smell　ofspirits　mingles　with　the　fumes　of　bad　tobacco。　Another　prefers　sittingamidst　the　overpowering　scent　of　jasmine；　or　perfuming　himself　withscented　olive　oil。　This　man　seeks　the　fresh　sea　breeze；　while　that　oneclimbs　the　lofty　mountain…top；　to　look　down　upon　the　busy　life　inminiature　beneath　him。〃

As　he　spoke　in　this　way；　it　seemed　as　if　he　had　already　been　outin　the　world；　as　if　he　had　already　known　and　associated　with　man。But　this　experience　was　intuitive…　it　was　the　poetry　within　him；　agift　from　Heaven　bestowed　on　him　in　his　cradle。　He　bade　farewell　tohis　parental　roof　in　the　Tree　of　the　Sun；　and　departed　on　foot；　fromthe　pleasant　scenes　that　surrounded　his　home。　Arrived　at　its　confines；he　mounted　on　the　back　of　an　ostrich；　which　runs　faster　than　ahorse；　and　afterwards；　when　he　fell　in　with　the　wild　swans；　he　swunghimself　on　the　strongest　of　them；　for　he　loved　change；　and　away　heflew　over　the　sea　to　distant　lands；　where　there　were　great　forests；deep　lakes；　lofty　mountains；　and　proud　cities。　Wherever　he　came　itseemed　as　if　sunshine　travelled　with　him　across　the　fields；　forevery　flower；　every　bush；　exhaled　a　renewed　fragrance；　as　if　consciousthat　a　friend　and　protector　was　near；　one　who　understood　them；　andknew　their　value。　The　stunted　rose…bush　shot　forth　twigs；　unfolded　itsleaves；　and　bore　the　most　beautiful　roses；　every　one　could　see　it；　andeven　the　black；　slimy　wood…snail　noticed　its　beauty。　〃I　will　give　myseal　to　the　flower；〃　said　the　snail；　〃I　have　trailed　my　slime　upon　it；I　can　do　no　more。

〃Thus　it　always　fares　with　the　beautiful　in　this　world；〃　saidthe　poet。　And　he　made　a　song　upon　it；　and　sung　it　after　his　ownfashion；　but　nobody　listened。　Then　he　gave　a　drummer　twopence　and　apeacock's　feather；　and　posed　a　song　for　the　drum；　and　the　drummerbeat　it　through　the　streets　of　the　town；　and　when　the　people　heardit　they　said；　〃That　is　a　capital　tune。〃　The　poet　wrote　many　songsabout　the　true；　the　beautiful；　and　the　good。　His　songs　were　listenedto　in　the　tavern；　where　the　tallow　candles　flared；　in　the　fresh　cloverfield；　in　the　forest；　and　on　the　high…seas；　and　it　appeared　as　if　thisbrother　was　to　be　more　fortunate　than　the　other　two。

But　the　evil　spirit　was　angry　at　this；　so　he　set　to　work　with　sootand　incense；　which　he　can　mix　so　artfully　as　to　confuse　an　angel；and　how　much　more　easily　a　poor　poet。　The　evil　one　knew　how　tomanage　such　people。　He　so　pletely　surrounded　the　poet　withincense　that　the　man　lost　his　head；　forgot　his　mission　and　his　home；and　at　last　lost　himself　and　vanished　in　smoke。

But　when　the　little　birds　heard　of　it；　they　mourned；　and　for　threedays　they　sang　not　one　song。　The　black　wood…snail　became　blackerstill；　not　for　grief；　but　for　envy。　〃They　should　have　offered　meincense；〃　he　said；　〃for　it　was　I　who　gave　him　the　idea　of　the　mostfamous　of　his　songs…　the　drum　song　of　'The　Way　of　the　World；'　and　itwas　I　who　spat　at　the　rose；　I　can　bring　a　witness　to　that　fact。〃

But　no　tidings　of　all　this　reached　the　poet's　home　in　India。　Thebirds　had　all　been　silent　for　three　days；　and　when　the　time　ofmourning　was　over；　so　deep　had　been　their　grief；　that　they　hadforgotten　for　whom　they　wept。　Such　is　the　way　of　the　world。

〃Now　I　must　go　out　into　the　world；　and　disappear　like　the　rest；〃said　the　fourth　brother。　He　was　as　good…tempered　as　the　third；　butno　poet；　though　he　could　be　witty。

The　two　eldest　had　filled　the　castle　with　joyfulness；　and　nowthe　last　brightness　was　going　away。　Sight　and　hearing　have　always　beenconsidered　two　of　the　chief　senses　among　men；　and　those　which　theywish　to　keep　bright；　the　other　senses　are　looked　upon　as　of　lessimportance。

But　the　younger　son　had　a　different　opinion；　he　had　cultivated　histaste　in　every　way；　and　taste　is　very　powerful。　It　rules　over　whatgoes　into　the　mouth；　as　well　as　over　all　which　is　presented　to　themind；　and；　consequently；　this　brother　took　upon　himself　to　tasteeverything　stored　up　in　bottles　or　jars；　this　he　called　the　rough　partof　his　work。　Every　man's　mind　was　to　him　as　a　vessel　in　whichsomething　was　concocting；　every　land　a　kind　of　mental　kitchen。〃There　are　no　delicacies　here；〃　he　said；　so　he　wished　to　go　out　intothe　world　to　find　something　delicate　to　suit　his　taste。　〃Perhapsfortune　may　be　more　favorable　to　me　than　it　was　to　my　brothers。　Ishall　start　on　my　travels；　but　what　conveyance　shall　I　choose？　Are　airballoons　invented　yet？〃　he　asked　of　his　father；　who　knew　of　allinventions　that　had　been　made；　or　would　be　made。

Air　balloons　had　not　then　been　invented；　nor　steam…ships；　norrailways。

〃Good；〃　said　he；　〃then　I　shall　choose　an　air　balloon；　my　fatherknows　how　they　are　to　be　made　and　guided。　Nobody　has　invented　one　yet；and　the　people　will　believe　that　it　is　an　aerial　phantom。　When　Ihave　done　with　the　balloon　I　shall　burn　it；　and　for　this　purpose；you　must　give　me　a　few　pieces　of　another　invention；　which　will　enext；　I　mean　a　few　chemical　matches。〃

He　obtained　what　he　wanted；　and　flew　away。　The　birds　acpaniedhim　farther　than　they　had　the　other　brothers。　They　were　curious　toknow　how　this　flight　would　end。　Many　more　of　them　came　swoopingdown；　they　thought　it　must　be　some　new　bird；　and　he　soon　had　agoodly　pany　of　followers。　They　came　in　clouds　till　the　air　becamedarkened　with　birds　as　it　was　with　the　cloud　of　locusts　over　theland　of　Egypt。

And　now　he　was　out　in　the　wide　world。　The　balloon　descended　overone　of　the　greatest　cities；　and　the　aeronaut　took　up　his　station　atthe　highest　point；　on　the　church　steeple。　The　balloon　rose　againinto　the　air；　which　it　ought　not　to　have　done；　what　became　of　it　isnot　known；　neither　is　it　of　any　consequence；　for　balloons　had　not　thenbeen　invented。

There　he　sat　on　the　church　steeple。　The　birds　no　longer　hoveredover　him；　they　had　got　tired　of　him；　and　he　was　tired　of　them。　All　thechimneys　in　the　town　were　smoking。

〃There　are　altars　erected　to　my　honor；〃　said　the　wind；　whowished　to　say　something　agreeable　to　him　as　he　sat　there　boldlylooking　down　upon　the　people　in　the　street。　There　was　one　steppingalong；　proud　of　his　purse；　another；　of　the　key　he　carried　behindhim；　though　he　had　nothing　to　lock　up；　another　took　a　pride　in　hismoth…eaten　coat；　and　another；　in　his　mortified　body。　〃Vanity；　allvanity！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃I　must　go　down　there　by…and…by；　and　touchand　taste；　but　I　shall　sit　here　a　little　while　longer；　for　the　windblows　pleasantly　at　my　back。　I　shall　remain　here　as　long　as　the　windblows；　and　enjoy　a　little　rest。　It　is　fortable　to　sleep　late　in　themorning　when　one　had　a　great　deal　to　do；〃　said　the　sluggard；　〃so　Ishall　stop　here　as　long　as　the　wind　blows；　for　it　pleases　me。〃

And　there　he　stayed。　But　as　he　was　sitting　on　the　weather…cockof　the　steeple；　which　kept　turning　round　and　round　with　him；　he　wasunder　the　false　impression　that　the　same　wind　still　blew；　and　thathe　could　stay　where　he　was　without　expense。

But　in　India；　in　the　castle　on　the　Tree　of　the　Sun；　all　wassolitary　and　still；　since　the　brothers　had　gone　away　one　after　theother。