安徒生童话-第222章

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　the　king　opened　the　door　of　a　littlechamber　in　which　she。　was　to　sleep；　it　was　adorned　with　rich　greentapestry；　and　resembled　the　cave　in　which　he　had　found　her。　On　thefloor　lay　the　bundle　of　flax　which　she　had　spun　from　the　tles；and　under　the　ceiling　hung　the　coat　she　had　made。　These　things　hadbeen　brought　away　from　the　cave　as　curiosities　by　one　of　the　huntsmen。

〃Here　you　can　dream　yourself　back　again　in　the　old　home　in　thecave；〃　said　the　king；　〃here　is　the　work　with　which　you　employedyourself。　It　will　amuse　you　now　in　the　midst　of　all　this　splendor　tothink　of　that　time。〃

When　Eliza　saw　all　these　things　which　lay　so　near　her　heart；　asmile　played　around　her　mouth；　and　the　crimson　blood　rushed　to　hercheeks。　She　thought　of　her　brothers；　and　their　release　made　her　sojoyful　that　she　kissed　the　king's　hand。　Then　he　pressed　her　to　hisheart。　Very　soon　the　joyous　church　bells　announced　the　marriage　feast；and　that　the　beautiful　dumb　girl　out　of　the　wood　was　to　be　made　thequeen　of　the　country。　Then　the　archbishop　whispered　wicked　words　inthe　king's　ear；　but　they　did　not　sink　into　his　heart。　The　marriage　wasstill　to　take　place；　and　the　archbishop　himself　had　to　place　the　crownon　the　bride's　head；　in　his　wicked　spite；　he　pressed　the　narrowcirclet　so　tightly　on　her　forehead　that　it　caused　her　pain。　But　aheavier　weight　encircled　her　heart…　sorrow　for　her　brothers。　Shefelt　not　bodily　pain。　Her　mouth　was　closed；　a　single　word　would　costthe　lives　of　her　brothers。　But　she　loved　the　kind；　handsome　king；who　did　everything　to　make　her　happy　more　and　more　each　day；　she　lovedhim　with　all　her　heart；　and　her　eyes　beamed　with　the　love　she　darednot　speak。　Oh！　if　she　had　only　been　able　to　confide　in　him　and　tellhim　of　her　grief。　But　dumb　she　must　remain　till　her　task　was　finished。Therefore　at　night　she　crept　away　into　her　little　chamber；　which　hadbeen　decked　out　to　look　like　the　cave；　and　quickly　wove　one　coat　afteranother。　But　when　she　began　the　seventh　she　found　she　had　no　moreflax。　She　knew　that　the　tles　she　wanted　to　use　grew　in　thechurchyard；　and　that　she　must　pluck　them　herself。　How　should　she　getout　there？　〃Oh；　what　is　the　pain　in　my　fingers　to　the　torment　which　myheart　endures？〃　said　she。　〃I　must　venture；　I　shall　not　be　deniedhelp　from　heaven。〃　Then　with　a　trembling　heart；　as　if　she　were　aboutto　perform　a　wicked　deed；　she　crept　into　the　garden　in　the　broadmoonlight；　and　passed　through　the　narrow　walks　and　the　desertedstreets；　till　she　reached　the　churchyard。　Then　she　saw　on　one　of　thebroad　tombstones　a　group　of　ghouls。　These　hideous　creatures　took　offtheir　rags；　as　if　they　intended　to　bathe；　and　then　clawing　open　thefresh　graves　with　their　long；　skinny　fingers；　pulled　out　the　deadbodies　and　ate　the　flesh！　Eliza　had　to　pass　close　by　them；　and　theyfixed　their　wicked　glances　upon　her；　but　she　prayed　silently；　gatheredthe　burning　tles；　and　carried　them　home　with　her　to　the　castle。　Oneperson　only　had　seen　her；　and　that　was　the　archbishop…　he　was　awakewhile　everybody　was　asleep。　Now　he　thought　his　opinion　was　evidentlycorrect。　All　was　not　right　with　the　queen。　She　was　a　witch；　and　hadbewitched　the　king　and　all　the　people。　Secretly　he　told　the　kingwhat　he　had　seen　and　what　he　feared；　and　as　the　hard　words　came　fromhis　tongue；　the　carved　images　of　the　saints　shook　their　heads　as　ifthey　would　say。　〃It　is　not　so。　Eliza　is　innocent。〃

But　the　archbishop　interpreted　it　in　another　way；　he　believed　thatthey　witnessed　against　her；　and　were　shaking　their　heads　at　herwickedness。　Two　large　tears　rolled　down　the　king's　cheeks；　and　he　wenthome　with　doubt　in　his　heart；　and　at　night　he　pretended　to　sleep；but　there　came　no　real　sleep　to　his　eyes；　for　he　saw　Eliza　get　upevery　night　and　disappear　in　her　own　chamber。　From　day　to　day　his　browbecame　darker；　and　Eliza　saw　it　and　did　not　understand　the　reason；　butit　alarmed　her　and　made　her　heart　tremble　for　her　brothers。　Her　hottears　glittered　like　pearls　on　the　regal　velvet　and　diamonds；　whileall　who　saw　her　were　wishing　they　could　be　queens。　In　the　mean　timeshe　had　almost　finished　her　task；　only　one　coat　of　mail　was　wanting；but　she　had　no　flax　left；　and　not　a　single　tle。　Once　more　only；　andfor　the　last　time；　must　she　venture　to　the　churchyard　and　pluck　afew　handfuls。　She　thought　with　terror　of　the　solitary　walk；　and　of　thehorrible　ghouls；　but　her　will　was　firm；　as　well　as　her　trust　inProvidence。　Eliza　went；　and　the　king　and　the　archbishop　followedher。　They　saw　her　vanish　through　the　wicket　gate　into　thechurchyard；　and　when　they　came　nearer　they　saw　the　ghouls　sitting　onthe　tombstone；　as　Eliza　had　seen　them；　and　the　king　turned　away　hishead；　for　he　thought　she　was　with　them…　she　whose　head　had　rested　onhis　breast　that　very　evening。　〃The　people　must　condemn　her；〃　saidhe；　and　she　was　very　quickly　condemned　by　every　one　to　suffer　death　byfire。　Away　from　the　gorgeous　regal　halls　was　she　led　to　a　dark；　drearycell；　where　the　wind　whistled　through　the　iron　bars。　Instead　of　thevelvet　and　silk　dresses；　they　gave　her　the　coats　of　mail　which　she　hadwoven　to　cover　her；　and　the　bundle　of　tles　for　a　pillow；　butnothing　they　could　give　her　would　have　pleased　her　more。　She　continuedher　task　with　joy；　and　prayed　for　help；　while　the　street…boys　sangjeering　songs　about　her；　and　not　a　soul　forted　her　with　a　kindword。　Towards　evening；　she　heard　at　the　grating　the　flutter　of　aswan's　wing；　it　was　her　youngest　brother…　he　had　found　his　sister；　andshe　sobbed　for　joy；　although　she　knew　that　very　likely　this　would　bethe　last　night　she　would　have　to　live。　But　still　she　could　hope；　forher　task　was　almost　finished；　and　her　brothers　were　e。　Then　thearchbishop　arrived；　to　be　with　her　during　her　last　hours；　as　he　hadpromised　the　king。　But　she　shook　her　head；　and　begged　him；　by　looksand　gestures；　not　to　stay；　for　in　this　night　she　knew　she　mustfinish　her　task；　otherwise　all　her　pain　and　tears　and　sleepless　nightswould　have　been　suffered　in　vain。　The　archbishop　withdrew；　utteringbitter　words　against　her；　but　poor　Eliza　knew　that　she　was　innocent；and　diligently　continued　her　work。

The　little　mice　ran　about　the　floor；　they　dragged　the　tles　toher　feet；　to　help　as　well　as　they　could；　and　the　thrush　sat　outsidethe　grating　of　the　window；　and　sang　to　her　the　whole　night　long；　assweetly　as　possible；　to　keep　up　her　spirits。

It　was　still　twilight；　and　at　least　an　hour　before　sunrise；　whenthe　eleven　brothers　stood　at　the　castle　gate；　and　demanded　to　bebrought　before　the　king。　They　were　told　it　could　not　be；　it　was　yetalmost　night；　and　as　the　king　slept　they　dared　not　disturb　him。　Theythreatened；　they　entreated。　Then　the　guard　appeared；　and　even　the　kinghimself；　inquiring　what　all　the　noise　meant。　At　this　moment　the　sunrose。　The　eleven　brothers　were　seen　no　more；　but　eleven　wild　swansflew　away　over　the　castle。

And　now　all　the　people　came　streaming　forth　from　the　gates　ofthe　city；　to　see　the　witch　burnt。　An　old　horse　drew　the　cart　onwhich　she　sat。　They　had　dressed　her　in　a　garment　of　coarsesackcloth。　Her　lovely　hair　hung　loose　on　her　shoulders；　her　cheekswere　deadly　pale；　her　lips　moved　silently；　while　her　fingers　stillworked　at　the　green　flax。　Even　on　the　way　to　death；　she　would　not　giveup　her　task。　The　ten　coats　of　mail　lay　at　her　feet；　she　was　workinghard　at　the　eleventh；　while　the　mob　jeered　her　and　said；　〃See　thewitch；　how　she　mutters！　She　has　no　hymn…book　in　her　hand。　She　sitsthere　with　her　ugly　sorcery。　Let　us　tear　it　in　a　thousand　pieces。〃

And　then　they　pressed　towards　her；　and　would　have　destroyed　thecoats　of　mail；　but　at　the　same　moment　eleven　wild　swans　flew　over　her；and　alighted　on　the　cart。　Then　they　flapped　their　large　wings；　and　thecrowd　drew　on　one　side　in　alarm。

〃It　is　a　sign　from　heaven　that　she　is　innocent；〃　whispered　many　ofthem；　but　they　ventured　not　to　say　it　aloud。

As　the　executioner　seized　her　by　the　hand；　to　lift　her　out　ofthe　cart；　she　hastily　threw　the　eleven　coats　of　mail　over　the　swans；and　they　immediately　became　eleven　handsome　princes；　but　theyoungest　had　a　swan's　wing；　instead　of　an　arm；　for　she　had　not　beenable　to　finish　the　last　sleeve　of　the　coat。

〃Now　I　may　speak；〃　she　exclaimed。　〃I　am　innocent。〃

Then　the　people；　who　saw　what　happened；　bowed　to　her；　as　beforea　saint；　but　she　sank　lifeless　in　her　brothers'　arms；