安徒生童话THE FLYING TRUNK.docx

安徒生童话THE FLYING TRUNK.docx

《安徒生童话THE FLYING TRUNK.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《安徒生童话THE FLYING TRUNK.docx（8页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

安徒生童话THEFLYINGTRUNK

1872

FAIRYTALESOFHANSCHRISTIANANDERSEN

THEFLYINGTRUNK

byHansChristianAndersen

THEREwasonceamerchantwhowassorichthathecouldhavepaved

thewholestreetwithgold,andwouldeventhenhavehadenoughfor

asmallalley.Buthedidnotdoso;heknewthevalueofmoneybetter

thantouseitinthisway.Socleverwashe,thateveryshillinghe

putoutbroughthimacrown;andsohecontinuedtillhedied.Hisson

inheritedhiswealth,andhelivedamerrylifewithit;hewentto

amasqueradeeverynight,madekitesoutoffivepoundnotes,and

threwpiecesofgoldintotheseainsteadofstones,makingducks

anddrakesofthem.Inthismannerhesoonlostallhismoney.Atlast

hehadnothingleftbutapairofslippers,anolddressing-gown,

andfourshillings.Andnowallhisfriendsdesertedhim,theycould

notwalkwithhiminthestreets;butoneofthem,whowasvery

good-natured,senthimanoldtrunkwiththismessage,"Packup!

"

"Yes,"hesaid,"itisallverywelltosay'packup,'"buthehad

nothinglefttopackup,thereforeheseatedhimselfinthetrunk.

Itwasaverywonderfultrunk;nosoonerdidanyonepressonthelock

thanthetrunkcouldfly.Heshutthelidandpressedthelock,when

awayflewthetrunkupthechimneywiththemerchant'ssoninit,

rightupintotheclouds.Wheneverthebottomofthetrunkcracked,he

wasinagreatfright,forifthetrunkfelltopieceshewouldhave

madeatremendoussomersetoverthetrees.However,hegotsafelyin

histrunktothelandofTurkey.Hehidthetrunkinthewoodunder

somedryleaves,andthenwentintothetown:

hecouldsothisvery

well,fortheTurksalwaysgoaboutdressedindressing-gownsand

slippers,ashewashimself.Hehappenedtomeetanursewithalittle

child."Isay,youTurkishnurse,"criedhe,"whatcastleisthatnear

thetown,withthewindowsplacedsohigh?

"

"Theking'sdaughterlivesthere,"shereplied;"ithasbeen

prophesiedthatshewillbeveryunhappyaboutalover,and

thereforenooneisallowedtovisither,unlessthekingandqueen

arepresent."

"Thankyou,"saidthemerchant'sson.Sohewentbacktothewood,

seatedhimselfinhistrunk,flewuptotheroofofthecastle,and

creptthroughthewindowintotheprincess'sroom.Shelayonthesofa

asleep,andshewassobeautifulthatthemerchant'ssoncouldnot

helpkissingher.Thensheawoke,andwasverymuchfrightened;buthe

toldherhewasaTurkishangel,whohadcomedownthroughtheair

toseeher,whichpleasedherverymuch.Hesatdownbyhersideand

talkedtoher:

hesaidhereyeswerelikebeautifuldarklakes,in

whichthethoughtsswamaboutlikelittlemermaids,andhetoldher

thatherforeheadwasasnowymountain,whichcontainedsplendidhalls

fullofpictures.Andthenherelatedtoheraboutthestorkwho

bringsthebeautifulchildrenfromtherivers.Theseweredelightful

stories;andwhenheaskedtheprincessifshewouldmarryhim,she

consentedimmediately.

"ButyoumustcomeonSaturday,"shesaid;"forthentheking

andqueenwilltaketeawithme.Theywillbeveryproudwhenthey

findthatIamgoingtomarryaTurkishangel;butyoumustthinkof

someveryprettystoriestotellthem,formyparentsliketohear

storiesbetterthananything.Mymotherprefersonethatisdeepand

moral;butmyfatherlikessomethingfunny,tomakehimlaugh."

"Verywell,"hereplied;"Ishallbringyounoothermarriage

portionthanastory,"andsotheyparted.Buttheprincessgavehima

swordwhichwasstuddedwithgoldcoins,andthesehecoulduse.

Thenheflewawaytothetownandboughtanewdressing-gown,

andafterwardsreturnedtothewood,wherehecomposedastory,so

astobereadyforSaturday,whichwasnoeasymatter.Itwasready

howeverbySaturday,whenhewenttoseetheprincess.Theking,and

queen,andthewholecourt,wereatteawiththeprincess;andhe

wasreceivedwithgreatpoliteness.

"Willyoutellusastory?

"saidthequeen,-"onethatis

instructiveandfullofdeeplearning."

"Yes,butwithsomethinginittolaughat,"saidtheking.

"Certainly,"hereplied,andcommencedatonce,askingthemto

listenattentively."Therewasonceabundleofmatchesthatwere

exceedinglyproudoftheirhighdescent.Theirgenealogicaltree,that

is,alargepine-treefromwhichtheyhadbeencut,wasatonetime

alarge,oldtreeinthewood.Thematchesnowlaybetweena

tinder-boxandanoldironsaucepan,andweretalkingabouttheir

youthfuldays.'Ah!

thenwegrewonthegreenboughs,andwereas

greenasthey;everymorningandeveningwewerefedwithdiamond

dropsofdew.Wheneverthesunshone,wefelthiswarmrays,andthe

littlebirdswouldrelatestoriestousastheysung.Weknewthat

wewererich,fortheothertreesonlyworetheirgreendressin

summer,butourfamilywereabletoarraythemselvesingreen,

summerandwinter.Butthewood-cuttercame,likeagreat

revolution,andourfamilyfellundertheaxe.Theheadofthehouse

obtainedasituationasmainmastinaveryfineship,andcansail

roundtheworldwhenhewill.Theotherbranchesofthefamilywere

takentodifferentplaces,andourofficenowistokindlealightfor

commonpeople.Thisishowsuchhigh-bornpeopleaswecametobeina

kitchen.'

"'Minehasbeenaverydifferentfate,'saidtheironpot,which

stoodbythematches;'frommyfirstentranceintotheworldIhave

beenusedtocookingandscouring.Iamthefirstinthishouse,

whenanythingsolidorusefulisrequired.Myonlypleasureistobe

madecleanandshiningafterdinner,andtositinmyplaceandhavea

littlesensibleconversationwithmyneighbors.Allofus,excepting

thewater-bucket,whichissometimestakenintothecourtyard,live

heretogetherwithinthesefourwalls.Wegetournewsfromthe

market-basket,buthesometimestellsusveryunpleasantthings

aboutthepeopleandthegovernment.Yes,andonedayanoldpotwas

soalarmed,thathefelldownandwasbrokentopieces.Hewasa

liberal,Icantellyou.'

"'Youaretalkingtoomuch,'saidthetinder-box,andthesteel

struckagainsttheflinttillsomesparksflewout,crying,'Wewanta

merryevening,don'twe?

'

"'Yes,ofcourse,'saidthematches,'letustalkaboutthose

whoarethehighestborn.'

"'No,Idon'tliketobealwaystalkingofwhatweare,'

remarkedthesaucepan;'letusthinkofsomeotheramusement;Iwill

begin.Wewilltellsomethingthathashappenedtoourselves;that

willbeveryeasy,andinterestingaswell.OntheBalticSea,near

theDanishshore'-

"'Whataprettycommencement!

'saidtheplates;'weshallall

likethatstory,Iamsure.'

"'Yes;wellinmyyouth,Ilivedinaquietfamily,wherethe

furniturewaspolished,thefloorsscoured,andcleancurtainsput

upeveryfortnight,'

"'Whataninterestingwayyouhaveofrelatingastory,'said

thecarpet-broom;'itiseasytoperceivethatyouhavebeenagreat

dealinwomen'ssociety,thereissomethingsopurerunsthrough

whatyousay.'

"'Thatisquitetrue,'saidthewater-bucket;andhemadeaspring

withjoy,andsplashedsomewateronthefloor.

"Thenthesaucepanwentonwithhisstory,andtheendwasasgood

asthebeginning.

"Theplatesrattledwithpleasure,andthecarpet-broombrought

somegreenparsleyoutofthedust-holeandcrownedthesaucepan,

forheknewitwouldvextheothers;andhethought,'IfIcrownhim

to-dayhewillcrownmeto-morrow.'

"'Now,letushaveadance,'saidthefire-tongs;andthenhow

theydancedandstuckuponelegintheair.Thechair-cushionin

thecornerburstwithlaughterwhenshesawit.

"'ShallIbecrownednow?

'askedthefire-tongs;sothebroom

foundanotherwreathforthetongs.

"'Theywereonlycommonpeopleafterall,'thoughtthematches.

Thetea-urnwasnowaskedtosing,butshesaidshehadacold,and

couldnotsingwithoutboilingheat.Theyallthoughtthiswas

affectation,andbecauseshedidnotwishtosingexceptinginthe

parlor,whenonthetablewiththegrandpeople.

"Inthewindowsatanoldquill-pen,withwhichthemaidgenerally

wrote.Therewasnothingremarkableaboutthepen,exceptingthatit

hadbeendippedtoodeeplyintheink,butitwasproudofthat.

"'Ifthetea-urnwon'tsing,'saidthepen,'shecanleaveit

alone;thereisanightingaleinacagewhocansing;shehasnotbeen

taughtmuch,certainly,butweneednotsayanythingthisevening

aboutthat.'

"'Ithinkithighlyimproper,'saidthetea-kettle,whowas

kitchensinger,andhalf-brothertothetea-urn,'thatarich

foreignbirdshouldbelistenedtohere.Isitpatriotic?

Letthe

market-basketdecidewhatisright.'

"'Icertainlyamvexed,'saidthebasket;'inwardlyvexed,more

thananyonecanimagine.Arewespendingtheeveningproperly?

Woulditnotbemoresensibletoputthehouseinorder?

Ifeach

wereinhisownplaceIwouldleadagame;thiswouldbequiteanother

thing.'

"'Letusactaplay,'saidtheyall.Atthesamemomentthedoor

opened,andthemaidcamein.Thennotonestirred;theyall

remainedquitestill;yet,atthesametime,therewasnotasingle

potamongstthemwhohadnotahighopinionofhimself,andofwhathe

coulddoifhechose.

"'Yes,ifwehadchosen,'theyeachthought,'wemighthave

spentaverypleasantevening.'

"Themaidtookthematchesandlightedthem;dearme,howthey

sputteredandblazedup!

"'Nowthen,'theythought,'everyonewillseethatwearethe

first.Howweshine;whatalightwegive!

'Evenwhiletheyspoke

theirlightwentout.

"Whatacapitalstory,"saidthequeen,"IfeelasifIwere

reallyinthekitchen,andcouldseethematches;yes,youshallmarry

our