世界名著THE GIRL WHO TROD ON THE LOAF.docx

世界名著THE GIRL WHO TROD ON THE LOAF.docx

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世界名著THEGIRLWHOTRODONTHELOAF

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1872

FAIRYTALESOFHANSCHRISTIANANDERSEN

THEGIRLWHOTRODONTHELOAF

byHansChristianAndersen

THEREwasonceagirlwhotrodonaloaftoavoidsoilingher

shoes,andthemisfortunesthathappenedtoherinconsequenceare

wellknown.HernamewasInge;shewasapoorchild,butproudand

presuming,andwithabadandcrueldisposition.Whenquitealittle

childshewoulddelightincatchingflies,andtearingofftheir

wings,soastomakecreepingthingsofthem.Whenolder,shewould

takecockchafersandbeetles,andstickpinsthroughthem.Thenshe

pushedagreenleaf,oralittlescrapofpapertowardstheirfeet,

andwhenthepoorcreatureswouldseizeitandholditfast,and

turnoverandoverintheirstrugglestogetfreefromthepin,she

wouldsay,"Thecockchaferisreading;seehowheturnsoverthe

leaf."Shegrewworseinsteadofbetterwithyears,and,

unfortunately,shewaspretty,whichcausedhertobeexcused,when

sheshouldhavebeensharplyreproved.

"Yourheadstrongwillrequiresseveritytoconquerit,"hermother

oftensaidtoher."Asalittlechildyouusedtotrampleonmyapron,

butonedayIfearyouwilltrampleonmyheart."And,alas!

thisfear

wasrealized.

Ingewastakentothehouseofsomerichpeople,wholivedata

distance,andwhotreatedherastheirownchild,anddressedherso

finethatherprideandarroganceincreased.

Whenshehadbeenthereaboutayear,herpatronesssaidtoher,

"Yououghttogo,foronce,andseeyourparents,Inge."

SoIngestartedtogoandvisitherparents;butsheonlywanted

toshowherselfinhernativeplace,thatthepeoplemightseehow

fineshewas.Shereachedtheentranceofthevillage,andsawthe

younglaboringmenandmaidensstandingtogetherchatting,andherown

motheramongstthem.Inge'smotherwassittingonastonetorest,

withafagotofstickslyingbeforeher,whichshehadpickedupin

thewood.ThenIngeturnedback;shewhowassofinelydressedshe

feltashamedofhermother,apoorlycladwoman,whopickedupwoodin

theforest.Shedidnotturnbackoutofpityforhermother's

poverty,butfrompride.

Anotherhalf-yearwentby,andhermistresssaid,"yououghttogo

homeagain,andvisityourparents,Inge,andIwillgiveyoua

largewheatenloaftotaketothem,theywillbegladtoseeyou,Iam

sure."

SoIngeputonherbestclothes,andhernewshoes,drewherdress

uparoundher,andsetout,steppingverycarefully,thatshemightbe

cleanandneataboutthefeet,andtherewasnothingwrongindoing

so.Butwhenshecametotheplacewherethefootpathledacrossthe

moor,shefoundsmallpoolsofwater,andagreatdealofmud,so

shethrewtheloafintothemud,andtroduponit,thatshemightpass

withoutwettingherfeet.Butasshestoodwithonefootontheloaf

andtheotherlifteduptostepforward,theloafbegantosink

underher,lowerandlower,tillshedisappearedaltogether,and

onlyafewbubblesonthesurfaceofthemuddypoolremainedtoshow

whereshehadsunk.Andthisisthestory.

ButwheredidIngego?

Shesankintotheground,andwentdown

totheMarshWoman,whoisalwaysbrewingthere.

TheMarshWomanisrelatedtotheelfmaidens,whoarewell-known,

forsongsaresungandpicturespaintedaboutthem.ButoftheMarsh

Womannothingisknown,exceptingthatwhenamistarisesfromthe

meadows,insummertime,itisbecausesheisbrewingbeneaththem.To

theMarshWoman'sbreweryIngesunkdowntoaplacewhichnoonecan

endureforlong.AheapofmudisapalacecomparedwiththeMarsh

Woman'sbrewery;andasIngefellsheshudderedineverylimb,and

soonbecamecoldandstiffasmarble.Herfootwasstillfastenedto

theloaf,whichbowedherdownasagoldenearofcornbendsthestem.

AnevilspiritsoontookpossessionofInge,andcarriedherto

astillworseplace,inwhichshesawcrowdsofunhappypeople,

waitinginastateofagonyforthegatesofmercytobeopenedto

them,andineveryheartwasamiserableandeternalfeelingof

unrest.Itwouldtaketoomuchtimetodescribethevarioustortures

thesepeoplesuffered,butInge'spunishmentconsistedinstanding

thereasastatue,withherfootfastenedtotheloaf.Shecould

movehereyesabout,andseeallthemiseryaroundher,butshe

couldnotturnherhead;andwhenshesawthepeoplelookingather

shethoughttheywereadmiringherprettyfaceandfineclothes,for

shewasstillvainandproud.Butshehadforgottenhowsoiledher

clotheshadbecomewhileintheMarshWoman'sbrewery,andthatthey

werecoveredwithmud;asnakehadalsofasteneditselfinherhair,

andhungdownherback,whilefromeachfoldinherdressagreattoad

peepedoutandcroakedlikeanasthmaticpoodle.Worsethanallwas

theterriblehungerthattormentedher,andshecouldnotstoopto

breakoffapieceoftheloafonwhichshestood.No;herbackwastoo

stiff,andherwholebodylikeapillarofstone.Andthencame

creepingoverherfaceandeyesflieswithoutwings;shewinkedand

blinked,buttheycouldnotflyaway,fortheirwingshadbeen

pulledoff;this,addedtothehungershefelt,washorribletorture.

"Ifthislastsmuchlonger,"shesaid,"Ishallnotbeableto

bearit."Butitdidlast,andshehadtobearit,withoutbeing

abletohelpherself.

Atear,followedbymanyscaldingtears,felluponherhead,and

rolledoverherfaceandneck,downtotheloafonwhichshestood.

WhocouldbeweepingforInge?

Shehadamotherintheworldstill,

andthetearsofsorrowwhichamothershedsforherchildwillalways

findtheirwaytothechild'sheart,buttheyoftenincreasethe

tormentinsteadofbeingarelief.AndIngecouldhearallthatwas

saidaboutherintheworldshehadleft,andeveryoneseemedcruel

toher.Thesinshehadcommittedintreadingontheloafwasknownon

earth,forshehadbeenseenbythecowherdfromthehill,whenshe

wascrossingthemarshandhaddisappeared.

Whenhermotherweptandexclaimed,"Ah,Inge!

whatgriefthou

hastcausedthymother"shewouldsay,"OhthatIhadneverbeenborn!

Mymother'stearsareuselessnow."

Andthenthewordsofthekindpeoplewhohadadoptedhercame

toherears,whentheysaid,"Ingewasasinfulgirl,whodidnot

valuethegiftsofGod,buttrampledthemunderherfeet."

"Ah,"thoughtInge,"theyshouldhavepunishedme,anddriven

allmynaughtytempersoutofme."

Asongwasmadeabout"Thegirlwhotrodonaloaftokeepher

shoesfrombeingsoiled,"andthissongwassungeverywhere.Thestory

ofhersinwasalsotoldtothelittlechildren,andtheycalledher

"wickedInge,"andsaidshewassonaughtythatsheoughttobe

punished.Ingeheardallthis,andherheartbecamehardenedand

fullofbitterness.

Butoneday,whilehungerandgriefweregnawinginherhollow

frame,sheheardalittle,innocentchild,whilelisteningtothetale

ofthevain,haughtyInge,burstintotearsandexclaim,"Butwillshe

nevercomeupagain?

"

Andsheheardthereply,"No,shewillnevercomeupagain."

"Butifsheweretosayshewassorry,andaskpardon,andpromise

nevertodosoagain?

"askedthelittleone.

"Yes,thenshemightcome;butshewillnotbegpardon,"wasthe

answer.

"Oh,Iwishshewould!

"saidthechild,whowasquiteunhappy

aboutit."Ishouldbesoglad.Iwouldgiveupmydollandallmy

playthings,ifshecouldonlycomehereagain.PoorInge!

itisso

dreadfulforher."

ThesepityingwordspenetratedtoInge'sinmostheart,and

seemedtodohergood.Itwasthefirsttimeanyonehadsaid,"Poor

Inge!

"withoutsayingsomethingaboutherfaults.Alittleinnocent

childwasweeping,andprayingformercyforher.Itmadeherfeel

quitestrange,andshewouldgladlyhaveweptherself,anditaddedto

hertormenttofindshecouldnotdoso.Andwhileshethussuffered

inaplacewherenothingchanged,yearspassedawayonearth,and

sheheardhernamelessfrequentlymentioned.Butonedayasigh

reachedherear,andthewords,"Inge!

Inge!

whatagriefthouhast

beentome!

Isaiditwouldbeso."Itwasthelastsighofher

dyingmother.

Afterthis,Ingeheardherkindmistresssay,"Ah,poorInge!

shallIeverseetheeagain?

PerhapsImay,forweknownotwhatmay

happeninthefuture."ButIngeknewrightwellthathermistress

wouldnevercometothatdreadfulplace.

Time-passed-alongbittertime-thenIngeheardhername

pronouncedoncemore,andsawwhatseemedtwobrightstarsshining

aboveher.Theyweretwogentleeyesclosingonearth.Manyyears

hadpassedsincethelittlegirlhadlamentedandweptabout"poor

Inge."Thatchildwasnowanoldwoman,whomGodwastakingto

Himself.Inthelasthourofexistencetheeventsofawholelife

oftenappearbeforeus;andthishourtheoldwomanrememberedhow,

whenachild,shehadshedtearsoverthestoryofInge,andshe

prayedforhernow.Astheeyesoftheoldwomanclosedtoearth,

theeyesofthesoulopeneduponthehiddenthingsofeternity,and

thenshe,inwhoselastthoughtsIngehadbeensovividlypresent,saw

howdeeplythepoorgirlhadsunk.Sheburstintotearsatthe

sight,andinheaven,asshehaddonewhenalittlechildonearth,

sheweptandprayedforpoorInge.Hertearsandherprayersechoed

throughthedarkvoidthatsurroundedthetormentedcaptivesoul,

andtheunexpectedmercywas