安徒生童话THE TOAD.docx

安徒生童话THE TOAD.docx

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安徒生童话THETOAD

1872

FAIRYTALESOFHANSCHRISTIANANDERSEN

THETOAD

byHansChristianAndersen

THEwellwasdeep,andthereforetheropehadtobealongone;it

washeavyworkturningthehandlewhenanyonehadtoraisea

bucketfulofwaterovertheedgeofthewell.Thoughthewaterwas

clear,thesunneverlookeddownfarenoughintothewelltomirror

itselfinthewaters;butasfarasitsbeamscouldreach,green

thingsgrewforthbetweenthestonesinthesidesofthewell.

DownbelowdweltafamilyoftheToadrace.Theyhad,infact,

comehead-over-heelsdownthewell,inthepersonoftheold

Mother-Toad,whowasstillalive.ThegreenFrogs,whohadbeen

establishedtherealongtime,andswamaboutinthewater,called

them"well-guests."Butthenew-comersseemeddeterminedtostaywhere

theywere,fortheyfounditveryagreeableliving"inadryplace,"

astheycalledthewetstones.

TheMother-Froghadoncebeenatraveller.Shehappenedtobein

thewater-bucketwhenitwasdrawnup,butthelightbecametoostrong

forher,andshegotapaininhereyes.Fortunatelyshescrambledout

ofthebucket;butshefellintothewaterwithaterribleflop,and

hadtoliesickforthreedayswithpainsinherback.Shecertainly

hadnotmuchtotellofthethingsupabove,butsheknewthis,and

alltheFrogsknewit,thatthewellwasnotalltheworld.The

Mother-Toadmighthavetoldthisandthat,ifshehadchosen,but

sheneveransweredwhentheyaskedheranything,andsotheyleft

offasking.

"She'sthick,andfatandugly,"saidtheyounggreenFrogs;

"andherchildrenwillbejustasuglyassheis."

"Thatmaybe,"retortedthemother-Toad,"butoneofthemhasa

jewelinhishead,orelseIhavethejewel."

Theyoungfrogslistenedandstared;andasthesewordsdidnot

pleasethem,theymadegrimacesanddiveddownunderthewater.But

thelittleToadskickeduptheirhindlegsfrommerepride,foreach

ofthemthoughtthathemusthavethejewel;andthentheysatand

heldtheirheadsquitestill.Butatlengththeyaskedwhatitwas

thatmadethemsoproud,andwhatkindofathingajewelmightbe.

"Oh,itissuchasplendidandpreciousthing,thatIcannot

describeit,"saidtheMother-Toad."It'ssomethingwhichone

carriesaboutforone'sownpleasure,andthatmakesotherpeople

angry.Butdon'taskmeanyquestions,forIshan'tansweryou."

"Well,Ihaven'tgotthejewel,"saidthesmallestoftheToads;

shewasasuglyasatoadcanbe."WhyshouldIhavesuchaprecious

thing?

Andifitmakesothersangry,itcan'tgivemeanypleasure.

No,IonlywishIcouldgettotheedgeofthewell,andlookout;

itmustbebeautifulupthere."

"You'dbetterstaywhereyouare,"saidtheoldMother-Toad,

"foryouknoweverythinghere,andyoucantellwhatyouhave.Take

careofthebucket,foritwillcrushyoutodeath;andevenifyou

getintoitsafely,youmayfallout.Andit'snoteveryonewhofalls

socleverlyasIdid,andgetsawaywithwholelegsandwholebones.

"Quack!

"saidthelittleToad;andthat'sjustasifoneofus

weretosay,"Aha!

"

Shehadanimmensedesiretogettotheedgeofthewell,andto

lookover;shefeltsuchalongingforthegreen,upthere;andthe

nextmorning,whenitchancedthatthebucketwasbeingdrawnup,

filledwithwater,andstoppedforamomentjustinfrontofthestone

onwhichtheToadsat,thelittlecreature'sheartmovedwithinit,

andourToadjumpedintothefilledbucket,whichpresentlywas

drawntothetop,andemptiedout.

"Ugh,youbeast!

"saidthefarmlaborerwhoemptiedthebucket,

whenhesawthetoad."You'retheugliestthingI'veseenforone

while."Andhemadeakickwithhiswoodenshoeatthetoad,which

justescapedbeingcrushedbymanagingtoscrambleintothenettles

whichgrewhighbythewell'sbrink.Hereshesawstembystem,but

shelookedupalso;thesunshonethroughtheleaves,whichwerequite

transparent;andshefeltasapersonwouldfeelwhostepssuddenly

intoagreatforest,wherethesunlooksinbetweenthebranchesand

leaves.

"It'smuchnicerherethandowninthewell!

Ishouldliketostay

heremywholelifelong!

"saidthelittleToad.Soshelaytherefor

anhour,yes,fortwohours."Iwonderwhatistobefounduphere?

As

Ihavecomesofar,Imusttrytogostillfarther."Andsoshe

crawledonasfastasshecouldcrawl,andgotoutuponthehighway,

wherethesunshoneuponher,andthedustpowderedheralloveras

shemarchedacrosstheway.

"I'vegottoadryplace.now,andnomistake,"saidtheToad.

"It'salmosttoomuchofagoodthinghere;itticklesoneso."

Shecametotheditch;andforget-me-notsweregrowingthere,

andmeadow-sweet;andaverylittlewayoffwasahedgeofwhitethorn,

andelderbushesgrewthere,too,andbindweedwithwhiteflowers.Gay

colorsweretobeseenhere,andabutterfly,too,wasflittingby.

TheToadthoughtitwasaflowerwhichhadbrokenloosethatit

mightlookaboutbetterintheworld,whichwasquiteanatural

thingtodo.

"Ifonecouldonlymakesuchajourneyasthat!

"saidtheToad.

"Croak!

howcapitalthatwouldbe."

Eightdaysandeightnightsshestayedbythewell,and

experiencednowantofprovisions.Ontheninthdayshethought,

"Forward!

onward!

"Butwhatcouldshefindmorecharmingand

beautiful?

Perhapsalittletoadorafewgreenfrogs.Duringthelast

nighttherehadbeenasoundborneonthebreeze,asiftherewere

cousinsintheneighborhood.

"It'sagloriousthingtolive!

glorioustogetoutofthewell,

andtolieamongthestinging-nettles,andtocrawlalongthedusty

road.Butonward,onward!

thatwemayfindfrogsoralittletoad.

Wecan'tdowithoutthat;naturealoneisnotenoughforone."And

soshewentforwardonherjourney.

Shecameoutintotheopenfield,toagreatpond,roundabout

whichgrewreeds;andshewalkedintoit.

"Itwillbetoodampforyouhere,"saidtheFrogs;"butyouare

verywelcome!

Areyouaheorashe?

Butitdoesn'tmatter;youare

equallywelcome."

Andshewasinvitedtotheconcertintheevening-thefamily

concert;greatenthusiasmandthinvoices;weknowthesortof

thing.Norefreshmentsweregiven,onlytherewasplentytodrink,for

thewholepondwasfree.

"NowIshallresumemyjourney,"saidthelittleToad;forshe

alwaysfeltalongingforsomethingbetter.

Shesawthestarsshining,solargeandsobright,andshesawthe

moongleaming;andthenshesawthesunrise,andmounthigherand

higher.

"Perhapsafterall,Iamstillinawell,onlyinalargerwell.I

mustgethigheryet;Ifeelagreatrestlessnessandlonging."And

whenthemoonbecameroundandfull,thepoorcreaturethought,"I

wonderifthatisthebucketwhichwillbeletdown,andintowhich

Imuststeptogethigherup?

Oristhesunthegreatbucket?

How

greatitis!

howbrightitis!

Itcantakeupall.Imustlookout,

thatImaynotmisstheopportunity.Oh,howitseemstoshineinmy

head!

Idon'tthinkthejewelcanshinebrighter.ButIhaven'tthe

jewel;notthatIcryaboutthat-no,Imustgohigherup,into

splendorandjoy!

Ifeelsoconfident,andyetIamafraid.It'sa

difficultsteptotake,andyetitmustbetaken.Onward,therefore,

straightonward!

"

Shetookafewsteps,suchasacrawlinganimalmaytake,andsoon

foundherselfonaroadbesidewhichpeopledwelt;buttherewere

flowergardensaswellaskitchengardens.Andshesatdowntorestby

akitchengarden.

"WhatanumberofdifferentcreaturestherearethatIneverknew!

andhowbeautifulandgreattheworldis!

Butonemustlookroundin

it,andnotstayinonespot."Andthenshehoppedintothekitchen

garden."Howgreenitishere!

howbeautifulitishere!

"

"Iknowthat,"saidtheCaterpillar,ontheleaf,"myleafis

thelargesthere.Ithideshalftheworldfromme,butIdon'tcare

fortheworld."

"Cluck,cluck!

"Andsomefowlscame.Theytrippedaboutinthe

cabbagegarden.TheFowlwhomarchedattheheadofthemhadalong

sight,andshespiedtheCaterpillaronthegreenleaf,andpecked

atit,sothattheCaterpillarfellontheground,whereittwisted

andwrithed.

TheFowllookedatitfirstwithoneeyeandthenwiththe

other,forshedidnotknowwhattheendofthiswrithingwouldbe.

"Itdoesn'tdothatwithagoodwill,"thoughttheFowl,and

liftedupherheadtopeckattheCaterpillar.

TheToadwassohorrifiedatthis,thatshecamecrawlingstraight

uptowardstheFowl.

"Aha,ithasallies,"quoththeFowl."Justlookatthecrawling

thing!

"AndthentheFowlturnedaway."Idon'tcareforthelittle

greenmorsel;itwouldonlyticklemythroat."Theotherfowlstook

thesameviewofit,andtheyallturnedawaytogether.

"Iwrithedmyselffree,"saidtheCaterpillar."Whatagood

thingitiswhenonehaspresenceofmind!

Butthehardestthing

remainstobedone,andthatistogetonmyleafagain.Whereisit?

"

AndthelittleToadcameupandexpressedhersympathy.Shewas

gladthatinheruglinessshehadfrightenedthefowls.

"Whatdoyoumeanbythat?

"criedtheCaterpillar."Iwriggled

myselffreefromtheFowl.Youareverydisagreeabletolookat.

CannotIbeleftinpeaceonmyownproperty?

NowIsmellcabbage;now

Iamnearmyleaf.Nothingissobeautifulasproperty.ButImust

gohigherup."

"Yes,higherup,"saidthelittleToad;"higher-up!

Shefeelsjust

asIdo;butshe'snotinagoodhumorto-day.That'sbecauseofthe

fright.Weallwanttogohigherup."Andshelookedupashighas

evershecould.

Thestorksatinhisnestontheroofofthefarm-house.He

clappedwithhisbeak,andtheMother-storkclappedwithhers.

"Howhighuptheylive!

"thought