安徒生童话-第212章

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So　he　went　in；　and　seated　himself；　then　he　folded　his　hands；　andoffered　up　his　evening　prayer；　and　was　soon　fast　asleep　anddreaming；　while　the　thunder　rolled　and　the　lightning　flashedwithout。　When　he　awoke；　it　was　still　night；　but　the　storm　hadceased；　and　the　moon　shone　in　upon　him　through　the　windows。　Then　hesaw　an　open　coffin　standing　in　the　centre　of　the　church；　whichcontained　a　dead　man；　waiting　for　burial。　John　was　not　at　all　timid；he　had　a　good　conscience；　and　he　knew　also　that　the　dead　can　neverinjure　any　one。　It　is　living　wicked　men　who　do　harm　to　others。　Twosuch　wicked　persons　stood　now　by　the　dead　man；　who　had　been　brought　tothe　church　to　be　buried。　Their　evil　intentions　were　to　throw　thepoor　dead　body　outside　the　church　door；　and　not　leave　him　to　rest　inhis　coffin。

〃Why　do　you　do　this？〃　asked　John；　when　he　saw　what　they　were　goingto　do；　〃it　is　very　wicked。　Leave　him　to　rest　in　peace；　in　Christ'sname。〃

〃Nonsense；〃　replied　the　two　dreadful　men。　〃He　has　cheated　us；　heowed　us　money　which　he　could　not　pay；　and　now　he　is　dead　we　shallnot　get　a　penny；　so　we　mean　to　have　our　revenge；　and　let　him　lielike　a　dog　outside　the　church　door。〃

〃I　have　only　fifty　dollars；〃　said　John；　〃it　is　all　I　possess　inthe　world；　but　I　will　give　it　to　you　if　you　will　promise　me　faithfullyto　leave　the　dead　man　in　peace。　I　shall　be　able　to　get　on　withoutthe　money；　I　have　strong　and　healthy　limbs；　and　God　will　always　helpme。〃

〃Why；　of　course；〃　said　the　horrid　men；　〃if　you　will　pay　his　debtwe　will　both　promise　not　to　touch　him。　You　may　depend　upon　that；〃and　then　they　took　the　money　he　offered　them；　laughed　at　him　for　hisgood　nature；　and　went　their　way。

Then　he　laid　the　dead　body　back　in　the　coffin；　folded　the　hands；and　took　leave　of　it；　and　went　away　contentedly　through　the　greatforest。　All　around　him　he　could　see　the　prettiest　little　elves　dancingin　the　moonlight；　which　shone　through　the　trees。　They　were　notdisturbed　by　his　appearance；　for　they　knew　he　was　good　and　harmlessamong　men。　They　are　wicked　people　only　who　can　never　obtain　aglimpse　of　fairies。　Some　of　them　were　not　taller　than　the　breadth　of　afinger；　and　they　wore　golden　bs　in　their　long；　yellow　hair。　Theywere　rocking　themselves　two　together　on　the　large　dew…drops　with　whichthe　leaves　and　the　high　grass　were　sprinkled。　Sometimes　thedew…drops　would　roll　away；　and　then　they　fell　down　between　the　stemsof　the　long　grass；　and　caused　a　great　deal　of　laughing　and　noise　amongthe　other　little　people。　It　was　quite　charming　to　watch　them　atplay。　Then　they　sang　songs；　and　John　remembered　that　he　had　learntthose　pretty　songs　when　he　was　a　little　boy。　Large　speckled　spiders；with　silver　crowns　on　their　heads；　were　employed　to　spin　suspensionbridges　and　palaces　from　one　hedge　to　another；　and　when　the　tiny　dropsfell　upon　them；　they　glittered　in　the　moonlight　like　shining　glass。This　continued　till　sunrise。　Then　the　little　elves　crept　into　theflower…buds；　and　the　wind　seized　the　bridges　and　palaces；　andfluttered　them　in　the　air　like　cobwebs。

As　John　left　the　wood；　a　strong　man's　voice　called　after　him；〃Hallo；　rade；　where　are　you　travelling？〃

〃Into　the　wide　world；〃　he　replied；　〃I　am　only　a　poor　lad；　I　haveneither　father　nor　mother；　but　God　will　help　me。〃

〃I　am　going　into　the　wide　world　also；〃　replied　the　stranger；〃shall　we　keep　each　other　pany？〃

〃With　all　my　heart；〃　he　said；　and　so　they　went　on　together。　Soonthey　began　to　like　each　other　very　much；　for　they　were　both　good；but　John　found　out　that　the　stranger　was　much　more　clever　thanhimself。　He　had　travelled　all　over　the　world；　and　could　describealmost　everything。　The　sun　was　high　in　the　heavens　when　they　seatedthemselves　under　a　large　tree　to　eat　their　breakfast；　and　at　thesame　moment　an　old　woman　came　towards　them。　She　was　very　old　andalmost　bent　double。　She　leaned　upon　a　stick　and　carried　on　her　backa　bundle　of　firewood；　which　she　had　collected　in　the　forest；　her　apronwas　tied　round　it；　and　John　saw　three　great　stems　of　fern　and　somewillow　twigs　peeping　out。　just　as　she　came　close　up　to　them；　herfoot　slipped　and　she　fell　to　the　ground　screaming　loudly；　poor　oldwoman；　she　had　broken　her　leg！　John　proposed　directly　that　they　shouldcarry　the　old　woman　home　to　her　cottage；　but　the　stranger　opened　hisknapsack　and　took　out　a　box；　in　which　he　said　he　had　a　salve　thatwould　quickly　make　her　leg　well　and　strong　again；　so　that　she　would　beable　to　walk　home　herself；　as　if　her　leg　had　never　been　broken。　Andall　that　he　would　ask　in　return　was　the　three　fern　stems　which　shecarried　in　her　apron。

〃That　is　rather　too　high　a　price；〃　said　the　old　woman；　nodding　herhead　quite　strangely。　She　did　not　seem　at　all　inclined　to　part　withthe　fern　stems。　However；　it　was　not　very　agreeable　to　lie　there　with　abroken　leg；　so　she　gave　them　to　him；　and　such　was　the　power　of　theointment；　that　no　sooner　had　he　rubbed　her　leg　with　it　than　the　oldmother　rose　up　and　walked　even　better　than　she　had　done　before。　Butthen　this　wonderful　ointment　could　not　be　bought　at　a　chemist's。

〃What　can　you　want　with　those　three　fern　rods？〃　asked　John　ofhis　fellow…traveller。

〃Oh；　they　will　make　capital　brooms；〃　said　he；　〃and　I　like　thembecause　I　have　strange　whims　sometimes。〃　Then　they　walked　ontogether　for　a　long　distance。

〃How　dark　the　sky　is　being；〃　said　John；　〃and　look　at　thosethick；　heavy　clouds。〃

〃Those　are　not　clouds；〃　replied　his　fellow…traveller；　〃they　aremountains…　large　lofty　mountains…　on　the　tops　of　which　we　should　beabove　the　clouds；　in　the　pure；　free　air。　Believe　me；　it　isdelightful　to　ascend　so　high；　tomorrow　we　shall　be　there。〃　But　themountains　were　not　so　near　as　they　appeared；　they　had　to　travel　awhole　day　before　they　reached　them；　and　pass　through　black　forests　andpiles　of　rock　as　large　as　a　town。　The　journey　had　been　so　fatiguingthat　John　and　his　fellow…traveller　stopped　to　rest　at　a　roadsideinn；　so　that　they　might　gain　strength　for　their　journey　on　the　morrow。In　the　large　public　room　of　the　inn　a　great　many　persons　wereassembled　to　see　a　edy　performed　by　dolls。　The　showman　had　justerected　his　little　theatre；　and　the　people　were　sitting　round　the　roomto　witness　the　performance。　Right　in　front；　in　the　very　best　place；sat　a　stout　butcher；　with　a　great　bull…dog　by　his　side　who　seemed　verymuch　inclined　to　bite。　He　sat　staring　with　all　his　eyes；　and　so　indeeddid　every　one　else　in　the　room。　And　then　the　play　began。　It　was　apretty　piece；　with　a　king　and　a　queen　in　it；　who　sat　on　a　beautifulthrone；　and　had　gold　crowns　on　their　heads。　The　trains　to　theirdresses　were　very　long；　according　to　the　fashion；　while　theprettiest　of　wooden　dolls；　with　glass　eyes　and　large　mustaches；stood　at　the　doors；　and　opened　and　shut　them；　that　the　fresh　air　mighte　into　the　room。　It　was　a　very　pleasant　play；　not　at　allmournful；　but　just　as　the　queen　stood　up　and　walked　across　thestage；　the　great　bull…dog；　who　should　have　been　held　back　by　hismaster；　made　a　spring　forward；　and　caught　the　queen　in　the　teeth　bythe　slender　wrist；　so　that　it　snapped　in　two。　This　was　a　very　dreadfuldisaster。　The　poor　man；　who　was　exhibiting　the　dolls；　was　muchannoyed；　and　quite　sad　about　his　queen；　she　was　the　prettiest　dollhe　had；　and　the　bull…dog　had　broken　her　head　and　shoulders　off。　Butafter　all　the　people　were　gone　away；　the　stranger；　who　came　with　John；said　that　he　could　soon　set　her　to　rights。　And　then　he　brought　out　hisbox　and　rubbed　the　doll　with　some　of　the　salve　with　which　he　had　curedthe　old　woman　when　she　broke　her　leg。　As　soon　as　this　was　done　thedoll's　back　became　quite　right　again；　her　head　and　shoulders　werefixed　on；　and　she　could　even　move　her　limbs　herself：　there　was　nowno　occasion　to　pull　the　wires；　for　the　doll　acted　just　like　a　livingcreature；　excepting　that　she　could　not　speak。　The　man　to　whom　the　showbelonged　was　quite　delighted　at　having　a　doll　who　could　dance　ofherself　without　being　pulled　by　the　wires；　none　of　the　other　dollscould　do　this。

During　the　night；　when　all　the　people　at　the　inn　were　gone　to　bed；some　one　was　heard　to　sigh　so　deeply　and　painfully；　and　the　sighingcontinued　for　so　long　a　time；　that　every　one　got　up　to　see　whatcould　be　the　matter。　The　showman　went　at　once　to　his　little　theatreand　found　that　it　proceeded　from　the　dolls；　who　all　lay　on　the　floorsighing　piteous