ANNE LISBETH.docx

ANNE LISBETH.docx

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ANNELISBETH

1872

FAIRYTALESOFHANSCHRISTIANANDERSEN

ANNELISBETH

byHansChristianAndersen

ANNELISBETHwasabeautifulyoungwoman,witharedandwhite

complexion,glitteringwhiteteeth,andclearsofteyes;andher

footstepwaslightinthedance,buthermindwaslighterstill.She

hadalittlechild,notatallpretty;sohewasputouttobe

nursedbyalaborer'swife,andhismotherwenttothecount'scastle.

Shesatinsplendidrooms,richlydecoratedwithsilkandvelvet;

notabreathofairwasallowedtoblowuponher,andnoonewas

allowedtospeaktoherharshly,forshewasnursetothecount's

child.Hewasfairanddelicateasaprince,andbeautifulasan

angel;andhowshelovedthischild!

Herownboywasprovidedforby

beingatthelaborer'swherethemouthwateredmorefrequentlythan

thepotboiled,andwhereingeneralnoonewasathometotakecare

ofthechild.Thenhewouldcry,butwhatnobodyknowsnobodycares

for;sohewouldcrytillhewastired,andthenfallasleep;and

whileweareasleepwecanfeelneitherhungernorthirst.Ah,yes;

sleepisacapitalinvention.

Asyearswenton,AnneLisbeth'schildgrewapacelikeweeds,

althoughtheysaidhisgrowthhadbeenstunted.Hehadbecomequite

amemberofthefamilyinwhichhedwelt;theyreceivedmoneyto

keephim,sothathismothergotridofhimaltogether.Shehadbecome

quitealady;shehadacomfortablehomeofherowninthetown;and

outofdoors,whenshewentforawalk,sheworeabonnet;butshe

neverwalkedouttoseethelaborer:

thatwastoofarfromthetown,

and,indeed,shehadnothingtogofor,theboynowbelongedto

theselaboringpeople.Hehadfood,andhecouldalsodosomething

towardsearninghisliving;hetookcareofMary'sredcow,forhe

knewhowtotendcattleandmakehimselfuseful.

Thegreatdogbytheyardgateofanobleman'smansionsits

proudlyonthetopofhiskennelwhenthesunshines,andbarksat

everyonethatpasses;butifitrains,hecreepsintohishouse,

andthereheiswarmanddry.AnneLisbeth'sboyalsosatinthe

sunshineonthetopofthefence,cuttingoutalittletoy.Ifit

wasspring-time,heknewofthreestrawberry-plantsinblossom,

whichwouldcertainlybearfruit.Thiswashismosthopefulthought,

thoughitoftencametonothing.Andhehadtositoutintherain

intheworstweather,andgetwettotheskin,andletthecoldwind

drytheclothesonhisbackafterwards.Ifhewentnearthefarmyard

belongingtothecount,hewaspushedandknockedabout,forthemen

andthemaidssaidhewassohorribleugly;buthewasusedtoall

this,fornobodylovedhim.ThiswashowtheworldtreatedAnne

Lisbeth'sboy,andhowcoulditbeotherwise.Itwashisfatetobe

belovedbynoone.Hithertohehadbeenalandcrab;thelandat

lastcasthimadrift.Hewenttoseainawretchedvessel,andsat

atthehelm,whiletheskippersatoverthegrog-can.Hewasdirtyand

ugly,half-frozenandhalf-starved;healwayslookedasifhenever

hadenoughtoeat,whichwasreallythecase.

Lateintheautumn,whentheweatherwasrough,windy,andwet,

andthecoldpenetratedthroughthethickestclothing,especiallyat

sea,awretchedboatwentouttoseawithonlytwomenonboard,or,

morecorrectly,amanandahalf,foritwastheskipperandhis

boy.Therehadonlybeenakindoftwilightallday,anditsoon

grewquitedark,andsobitterlycold,thattheskippertookadramto

warmhim.Thebottlewasold,andtheglasstoo.Itwasperfectinthe

upperpart,butthefootwasbrokenoff,andithadthereforebeen

fixeduponalittlecarvedblockofwood,paintedblue.Adramisa

greatcomfort,andtwoarebetterstill,thoughttheskipper,while

theboysatatthehelm,whichheheldfastinhishardseamed

hands.Hewasugly,andhishairwasmatted,andhelookedcrippled

andstunted;theycalledhimthefield-laborer'sboy,thoughinthe

churchregisterhewasenteredasAnneLisbeth'sson.Thewindcut

throughtherigging,andtheboatcutthroughthesea.Thesails,

filledbythewind,swelledoutandcarriedthemalonginwildcareer.

Itwaswetandroughaboveandbelow,andmightstillbeworse.

Hold!

whatisthat?

Whathasstrucktheboat?

Wasitawaterspout,

oraheavysearollingsuddenlyuponthem?

"Heavenhelpus!

"criedtheboyatthehelm,astheboatheeled

overandlayonitsbeamends.Ithadstruckonarock,whichrose

fromthedepthsofthesea,andsankatonce,likeanoldshoeina

puddle."Itsankatoncewithmouseandman,"asthesayingis.

Theremighthavebeenmiceonboard,butonlyonemanandahalf,

theskipperandthelaborer'sboy.Noonesawitbuttheskimming

sea-gullsandthefishesbeneaththewater;andeventheydidnot

seeitproperly,fortheydartedbackwithterrorastheboatfilled

withwaterandsank.Thereitlay,scarcelyafathombelowthe

surface,andthosetwowereprovidedfor,buried,andforgotten.The

glasswiththefootofbluewoodwastheonlythingthatdidnotsink,

forthewoodfloatedandtheglassdriftedawaytobecastuponthe

shoreandbroken;whereandwhen,isindeedofnoconsequence.It

hadserveditspurpose,andithadbeenloved,whichAnneLisbeth's

boyhadnotbeen.Butinheavennosoulwillbeabletosay,"Never

loved."

AnneLisbethhadnowlivedinthetownmanyyears;shewas

called"Madame,"andfeltdignifiedinconsequence;sherememberedthe

old,nobledays,inwhichshehaddriveninthecarriage,andhad

associatedwithcountessandbaroness.Herbeautiful,noblechild

hadbeenadearangel,andpossessedthekindestheart;hehadloved

hersomuch,andshehadlovedhiminreturn;theyhadkissedand

lovedeachother,andtheboyhadbeenherjoy,hersecondlife.Now

hewasfourteenyearsofage,tall,handsome,andclever.Shehad

notseenhimsinceshecarriedhiminherarms;neitherhadshebeen

foryearstothecount'spalace;itwasquiteajourneythitherfrom

thetown.

"Imustmakeoneefforttogo,"saidAnneLisbeth,"toseemy

darling,thecount'ssweetchild,andpresshimtomyheart.Certainly

hemustlongtoseeme,too,theyoungcount;nodoubthethinksofme

andlovesme,asinthosedayswhenhewouldflinghisangel-arms

roundmyneck,andlisp'AnneLiz.'Itwasmusictomyears.Yes,I

mustmakeanefforttoseehimagain."Shedroveacrossthecountryin

agrazier'scart,andthengotout,andcontinuedherjourneyonfoot,

andthusreachedthecount'scastle.Itwasasgreatandmagnificent

asithadalwaysbeen,andthegardenlookedthesameasever;allthe

servantswerestrangerstoher,notoneofthemknewAnneLisbeth,nor

ofwhatconsequenceshehadoncebeenthere;butshefeltsurethe

countesswouldsoonletthemknowit,andherdarlingboy,too:

how

shelongedtoseehim!

NowthatAnneLisbethwasatherjourney'send,shewaskept

waitingalongtime;andforthosewhowait,timepassesslowly.But

beforethegreatpeoplewentintodinner,shewascalledinand

spokentoverygraciously.Shewastogoinagainafterdinner,and

thenshewouldseehersweetboyoncemore.Howtall,andslender,and

thinhehadgrown;buttheeyesandthesweetangelmouthwerestill

beautiful.Helookedather,buthedidnotspeak,hecertainlydid

notknowwhoshewas.Heturnedroundandwasgoingaway,butshe

seizedhishandandpressedittoherlips.

"Well,well,"hesaid;andwiththathewalkedoutoftheroom.He

whofilledhereverythought!

hewhomshelovedbest,andwhowas

herwholeearthlypride!

AnneLisbethwentforthfromthecastleintothepublicroad,

feelingmournfulandsad;hewhomshehadnurseddayandnight,and

evennowcarriedaboutinherdreams,hadbeencoldandstrange,and

hadnotawordorthoughtrespectingher.Agreatblackravendarted

downinfrontofheronthehighroad,andcroakeddismally.

"Ah,"saidshe,"whatbirdofillomenartthou?

"Presentlyshe

passedthelaborer'shut;hiswifestoodatthedoor,andthetwo

womenspoketoeachother.

"Youlookwell,"saidthewoman;"you'refatandplump;youare

welloff."

"Ohyes,"answeredAnneLisbeth.

"Theboatwentdownwiththem,"continuedthewoman;"Hansthe

skipperandtheboywerebothdrowned;sothere'sanendofthem.I

alwaysthoughttheboywouldbeabletohelpmewithafewdollars.

He'llnevercostyouanythingmore,AnneLisbeth."

"Sotheyweredrowned,"repeatedAnneLisbeth;butshesaidno

more,andthesubjectwasdropped.Shefeltverylow-spirited,because

hercount-childhadshownnoinclinationtospeaktoherwholovedhim

sowell,andwhohadtravelledsofartoseehim.Thejourneyhadcost

moneytoo,andshehadderivednogreatpleasurefromit.Stillshe

saidnotawordofallthis;shecouldnotrelieveherheartby

tellingthelaborer'swife,lestthelattershouldthinkshedidnot

enjoyherformerpositionatthecastle.Thentheravenflewoverher,

screamingagainasheflew.

"Theblackwretch!

"saidAnneLisbeth,"hewillendbyfrightening

metoday."Shehadbroughtcoffeeandchicorywithher,forshe

thoughtitwouldbeacharitytothepoorwomantogivethemtoherto

boilacupofcoffee,andthenshewouldtakeacupherself.

Thewomanpreparedthecoffee,andinthemeantimeAnneLisbeth

seatedherinachairandfellasleep.Thenshedreamedofsomething

whichshehadneverdreamedbefore;singularlyenoughshedreamedof

herownchild,whohadweptandhungeredinthelaborer'shut,andhad

beenknockedaboutinheatandincold,andwhowasnowlyinginthe

depthsofthesea,inaspotonlyknownbyGod.Shefanciedshewas

stillsittinginthehut,wherethewomanwasbusypreparingthe

coffee,forshecouldsmellthecoffee