安徒生童话-第49章

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ake　them；　so　that　they　maygo　back　into　the　right　holes；　or　else　they　would　not　remain；　and　weshould　have　a　number　of　falling　stars；　for　they　would　all　tumbledown　one　after　the　other。〃

〃Hark　ye！　Mr。　Luk…Oie；〃　said　an　old　portrait　which　hung　on　thewall　of　Hjalmar's　bedroom。　〃Do　you　know　me？　I　am　Hjalmar'sgreat…grandfather。　I　thank　you　for　telling　the　boy　stories；　but　youmust　not　confuse　his　ideas。　The　stars　cannot　be　taken　down　from　thesky　and　polished；　they　are　spheres　like　our　earth；　which　is　a　goodthing　for　them。〃

〃Thank　you；　old　great…grandfather；〃　said　Ole…Luk…Oie。　〃I　thankyou；　you　may　be　the　head　of　the　family；　as　no　doubt　you　are；　but　Iam　older　than　you。　I　am　an　ancient　heathen。　The　old　Romans　andGreeks　named　me　the　Dream…god。　I　have　visited　the　noblest　houses；and　continue　to　do　so；　still　I　know　how　to　conduct　myself　both　to　highand　low；　and　now　you　may　tell　the　stories　yourself：〃　and　soOle…Luk…Oie　walked　off；　taking　his　umbrellas　with　him。

〃Well；　well；　one　is　never　to　give　an　opinion；　I　suppose；〃　grumbledthe　portrait。　And　it　woke　Hjalmar。SUNDAY

　SUNDAY

〃Good　evening；〃　said　Ole…Luk…Oie。

Hjalmar　nodded；　and　then　sprang　out　of　bed；　and　turned　hisgreat…grandfather's　portrait　to　the　wall；　so　that　it　might　notinterrupt　them　as　it　had　done　yesterday。　〃Now；〃　said　he；　〃you　musttell　me　some　stories　about　five　green　peas　that　lived　in　one　pod；　orof　the　chickseed　that　courted　the　chickweed；　or　of　the　darning　needle；who　acted　so　proudly　because　she　fancied　herself　an　embroideryneedle。〃

〃You　may　have　too　much　of　a　good　thing；〃　said　Ole…Luk…Oie。　〃Youknow　that　I　like　best　to　show　you　something；　so　I　will　show　you　mybrother。　He　is　also　called　Ole…Luk…Oie　but　he　never　visits　any　one　butonce；　and　when　he　does　e；　he　takes　him　away　on　his　horse；　and　tellshim　stories　as　they　ride　along。　He　knows　only　two　stories。　One　ofthese　is　so　wonderfully　beautiful；　that　no　one　in　the　world　canimagine　anything　at　all　like　it；　but　the　other　is　just　as　ugly　andfrightful；　so　that　it　would　be　impossible　to　describe　it。〃　ThenOle…Luk…Oie　lifted　Hjalmar　up　to　the　window。　〃There　now；　you　can　seemy　brother；　the　other　Ole…Luk…Oie；　he　is　also　called　Death。　Youperceive　he　is　not　so　bad　as　they　represent　him　in　picture　books；there　he　is　a　skeleton；　but　now　his　coat　is　embroidered　with　silver；and　he　wears　the　splendid　uniform　of　a　hussar；　and　a　mantle　of　blackvelvet　flies　behind　him；　over　the　horse。　Look；　how　he　gallopsalong。〃　Hjalmar　saw　that　as　this　Ole…Luk…Oie　rode　on；　he　lifted　up　oldand　young；　and　carried　them　away　on　his　horse。　Some　he　seated　in　frontof　him；　and　some　behind；　but　always　inquired　first；　〃How　stands　themark…book？〃

〃Good；〃　they　all　answered。

〃Yes；　but　let　me　see　for　myself；〃　he　replied；　and　they　wereobliged　to　give　him　the　books。　Then　all　those　who　had　〃Very　good；〃or　〃Exceedingly　good；〃　came　in　front　of　the　horse；　and　heard　thebeautiful　story；　while　those　who　had　〃Middling；〃　or　〃Tolerablygood；〃　in　their　books；　were　obliged　to　sit　behind；　and　listen　to　thefrightful　tale。　They　trembled　and　cried；　and　wanted　to　jump　downfrom　the　horse；　but　they　could　not　get　free；　for　they　seemedfastened　to　the　seat。

〃Why；　Death　is　a　most　splendid　Luk…Oie；〃　said　Hjalmar。　〃I　am　notin　the　least　afraid　of　him。〃

〃You　need　have　no　fear　of　him；〃　said　Ole…Luk…Oie；　〃if　you　takecare　and　keep　a　good　conduct　book。〃

〃Now　I　call　that　very　instructive；〃　murmured　thegreat…grandfather's　portrait。　〃It　is　useful　sometimes　to　express　anopinion；〃　so　he　was　quite　satisfied。

These　are　some　of　the　doings　and　sayings　of　Ole…Luk…Oie。　I　hope　hemay　visit　you　himself　this　evening；　and　relate　some　more。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

OUR　AUNT

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

You　ought　to　have　known　our　aunt；　she　was　charming！　That　is　tosay；　she　was　not　charming　at　all　as　the　word　is　usually　understood；but　she　was　good　and　kind；　amusing　in　her　way；　and　was　just　as　any　oneought　to　be　whom　people　are　to　talk　about　and　to　laugh　at。　She　mighthave　been　put　into　a　play；　and　wholly　and　solely　on　account　of　thefact　that　she　only　lived　for　the　theatre　and　for　what　was　dohere。　She　was　an　honorable　matron；　but　Agent　Fabs；　whom　she　used　tocall　〃Flabs；〃　declared　that　our　aunt　was　stage…struck。

〃The　theatre　is　my　school；〃　said　she；　〃the　source　of　my　knowledge。From　thence　I　have　resuscitated　Biblical　history。　Now；　'Moses'　and'Joseph　in　Egypt'…　there　are　operas　for　you！　I　get　my　universalhistory　from　the　theatre；　my　geography；　and　my　knowledge　of　men。　Outof　the　French　pieces　I　get　to　know　life　in　Paris…　slippery；　butexceedingly　interesting。　How　I　have　cried　over　〃La　FamilleRoquebourg'…　that　the　man　must　drink　himself　to　death；　so　that　she　maymarry　the　young　fellow！　Yes；　how　many　tears　I　have　wept　in　the　fiftyyears　I　have　subscribed　to　the　theatre！〃

Our　aunt　knew　every　acting　play；　every　bit　of　scenery；　everycharacter；　every　one　who　appeared　or　had　appeared。　She　seemed　reallyonly　to　live　during　the　nine　months　the　theatre　was　open。　Summertimewithout　a　summer　theatre　seemed　to　be　only　a　time　that　made　her　old；while；　on　the　other　hand；　a　theatrical　evening　that　lasted　tillmidnight　was　a　lengthening　of　her　life。　She　did　not　say；　as　otherpeople　do；　〃Now　we　shall　have　spring；　the　stork　is　here；〃　or；　〃They'veadvertised　the　first　strawberries　in　the　papers。〃　She；　on　thecontrary；　used　to　announce　the　ing　of　autumn；　with　〃Have　youheard　they're　selling　boxes　for　the　theatre？　now　the　performances　willbegin。〃

She　used　to　value　a　lodging　entirely　according　to　its　proximity　tothe　theatre。　It　was　a　real　sorrow　to　her　when　she　had　to　leave　thelittle　lane　behind　the　playhouse；　and　move　into　the　great　streetthat　lay　a　little　farther　off；　and　live　there　in　a　house　where　she　hadno　opposite　neighbors。

〃At　home；〃　said　she；　〃my　windows　must　be　my　opera…box。　Onecannot　sit　and　look　into　one's　self　till　one's　tired；　one　must　seepeople。　But　now　I　live　just　as　if　I'd　go　into　the　country。　If　I　wantto　see　human　beings；　I　must　go　into　my　kitchen；　and　sit　down　on　thesink；　for　there　only　I　have　opposite　neighbors。　No；　when　I　lived　in　mydear　little　lane；　I　could　look　straight　down　into　the　ironmonger'sshop；　and　had　only　three　hundred　paces　to　the　theatre；　and　now　I'vethree　thousand　paces　to　go；　military　measurement。〃

Our　aunt　was　sometimes　ill；　but　however　unwell　she　might　feel；　shenever　missed　the　play。　The　doctor　prescribed　one　day　that　she　shouldput　her　feet　in　a　bran　bath；　and　she　followed　his　advice；　but　shedrove　to　the　theatre　all　the　same；　and　sat　with　her　feet　in　branthere。　If　she　had　died　there；　she　would　have　been　very　glad。Thorwaldsen　died　in　the　theatre；　and　she　called　that　a　happy　death。

She　could　not　imagine　but　that　in　heaven　there　must　be　a　theatretoo。　It　had　not；　indeed；　been　promised　us；　but　we　might　very　wellimagine　it。　The　many　distinguished　actors　and　actresses　who　had　passedaway　must　surely　have　a　field　for　their　talent。

Our　aunt　had　an　electric　wire　from　the　theatre　to　her　room。　Atelegram　used　to　be　dispatched　to　her　at　coffee…time；　and　it　used　toconsist　of　the　words；　〃Herr　Sivertsen　is　at　the　machinery；〃　for　it　washe　who　gave　the　signal　for　drawing　the　curtain　up　and　down　and　forchanging　the　scenes。

From　him　she　used　to　receive