THE SHADOW.docx

THE SHADOW.docx

《THE SHADOW.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《THE SHADOW.docx（10页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

THESHADOW

THESHADOW

INthehotcountriesthesunburnsverystrongly;therethepeoplebecomequitemahoganybrown,andintheveryhottestcountriestheyareevenburnedintonegroes.Butthistimeitwasonlytothehotcountriesthatalearnedmanoutofthecoldregionshadcome.Hethoughthecouldroamabouttherejustashehadbeenaccustomedtodoathome;buthesoonalteredhisopinion.Heandallsensiblepeoplehadtoremainathome,wherethewindow-shuttersanddoorswereshutalldaylong,anditlookedasifalltheinmateswereasleeporhadgoneout.Thenarrowstreetwiththehighhousesinwhichhelivedwas,however,builtinsuchawaythatthesunshoneuponitfrommorningtillevening;itwasreallyquiteunbearable!

Thelearnedmanfromthecoldregionswasayoungmanandacleverman:

itseemedtohimasifhewassittinginaglowingoventhatexhaustedhimgreatly,andhebecamequitethin;evenhisShadowshrivelledupandbecamemuchsmallerthanithadbeenathome;thesuneventolduponit,anditdidnotrecovertilltheevening,whenthesunwentdown.Itwasreallyapleasuretoseethis.SosoonasalightwasbroughtintotheroomtheShadowstretcheditselfquiteupthewall,farthereventhantheceiling,sotalldiditmakeitself;itwasobligedtostretchtogetstrengthagain.

Thelearnedmanwentoutintothebalconytostretchhimself,andassoonasthestarscameoutinthebeautifulclearsky,hefelthimselfreviving.Onallthebalconiesinthestreets----andinthehotcountriesthereisabalconytoeverywindow----peoplenowappeared,foronemustbreathefreshair,evenifonehasgotusedtobeingmahogany;thenitbecamelivelyaboveandbelow;theshoemakersandtailorsandeverybodysatbelowinthestreet;thentablesandchairswerebroughtout,andcandlesburned,yes,morethanathousandcandles;onetalkedandanothersang,andthepeoplewalkedtoandfro;carriagesdrovepast,mulestrotted,“Kling-ling-ling!

”fortheyhadbellsontheirharness;deadpeoplewereburiedwithsolemnsongs;thechurchbellsrang,anditwasindeedverylivelyinthestreet.

Onlyinonehouse,justoppositetothatinwhichthelearnedmandwelt,itwasquitequiet,andyetsomebodylivedthere,fortherewereflowersuponthebalcony,bloomingbeautifullyinthehotsun,andtheycouldnothavedonethisiftheyhadnotbeenwatered,sothatsomeonemusthavewateredthem;therefore,theremustbepeopleinthathouse.Towardseveningthedoorwashalfopened,butitwasdark,atleastinthefrontroom;fartherback,intheinterior,musicwasheard.Thestrangelearnedmanthoughtthismusicverylovely,butitwasquitepossiblethatheonlyimaginedthis,foroutthereinthehotcountrieshefoundeverythingexquisite,ifonlytherehadbeennosun.Thestranger'slandlordsaidthathedidnotknowwhohadtakentheoppositehouse----onesawnobodythere,andsofarasthemusicwasconcerned,itseemedverymonotonoustohim.

“Itwasjust,”hesaid,“asifsomeonesatthere,alwayspractisingapiecethathecouldnotmanage----alwaysthesamepiece.Heseemedtosay,‘Ishallmanageit,afterall;’buthedidnotmanageit,howeverlongheplayed.”

Thestrangerwasasleeponenight.Hesleptwiththebalconydooropen:

thewindliftedupthecurtainbeforeit,andhefanciedthatawonderfulradiancecamefromthebalconyofthehouseopposite;alltheflowersappearedlikeflamesofthemostgorgeouscolours,andinthemidst,amongtheflowers,stoodabeautifulslendermaiden:

itseemedasifaradiancecamefromheralso.Hiseyeswerequitedazzled;buthehadonlyopenedthemtoowidejustwhenheawokeoutofhissleep.Withoneleaphewasoutofbed;quitequietlyhecreptbehindthecurtain;butthemaidenwasgone,thesplendourwasgone,theflowersgleamednolonger,butstoodthereasbeautifulasever.Thedoorwasajar,andfromwithinsoundedmusic,solovely,socharming,thatonefellintosweetthoughtatthesound.Itwasjustlikemagicwork.Butwholivedthere?

Wherewastherealentrance?

fortowardsthestreetandtowardsthelaneatthesidethewholearoundfloorwasshopbyshop,andthepeoplecouldnotalwaysrunthroughthere.

Oneeveningthestrangersatuponhisbalcony;intheroomjustbehindhimalightwasburning,andsoitwasquitenaturalthathisShadowfelluponthewalloftheoppositehouse;yes,itsatjustamongtheflowersonthebalcony,andwhenthestrangermovedhisShadowmovedtoo.

“IthinkmyShadowistheonlylivingthingweseeyonder,”saidthelearnedman.“Lookhowgracefullyitsitsamongtheflowers.Thedoorisonlyajar,buttheShadowoughttobesensibleenoughtowalkinandlookround,andthencomebackandtellmewhatithasseen.”

“Yes,youwouldthusmakeyourselfveryuseful,”saidhe,insport.“Besogoodastoslipin.Now,willyougo?

”AndthenhenoddedattheShadow,andtheShadownoddedbackathim.“Nowgo,butdon'tstayawayaltogether.”

Andthestrangerstoodup,andtheShadowonthebalconyoppositestooduptoo,andthestrangerturnedround,andtheShadowturnedalso,andifanyonehadnoticedcloselyhewouldhaveremarkedhowtheShadowwentawayinthesamemoment,straightthroughthehalfopeneddooroftheoppositehouse,asthestrangerreturnedintohisroomandletthecurtainfall.

Nextmorningthelearnedmanwentouttodrinkcoffeeandreadthepapers.

“Whatisthis?

”saidhe,whenhecameoutintothesunshine.“IhavenoShadow!

Soitreallywentawayyesterdayevening,anddidnotcomeback:

that'sverytiresome.”

Andthatfrettedhim,butnotsomuchbecausetheShadowwasgoneasbecauseheknewthattherewasastoryofamanwithoutashadow.Allthepeopleinthecoldlandsknewthisstory,andifthelearnedmancamehomeandtoldhisownhistory,theywouldsaythatitwasonlyanimitation,andhedidnotchoosethattheyshouldsaythisofhim.Sohewouldnotspeakofitatall,andthatwasaverysensibleideaofhis.

Intheeveningheagainwentoutonhisbalcony:

hehadplacedthelightbehindhim,forheknewthatashadowalwayswantsitsmasterforascreen,buthecouldnotcoaxitforth.Hemadehimselflittle,hemadehimselflong,buttherewasnoshadow,andnoshadowcame.Hesaid,“Here,here!

”butthatdidnogood.

Thatwasvexatious,butinthewarmcountrieseverythinggrowsveryquickly,andafterthelapseofaweekheremarkedtohisgreatjoythatanewshadowwasgrowingoutofhislegswhenhewentintothesunshine,sothattherootmusthaveremainedbehind.Afterthreeweekshehadquitearespectableshadow,which,whenhestartedonhisreturntotheNorth,grewmoreandmore,sothatatlastitwassolongandgreatthathecouldverywellhavepartedwithhalfofit.

Whenthelearnedmangothomehewrotebooksaboutwhatistrueintheworld,andwhatisgood,andwhatispretty;anddayswentby,andyearswentby,manyyears.

Hewasoneeveningsittinginhisroomwhentherecamealittlequietknockatthedoor.“Comein!

”saidhe;butnobodycame.Thenheopenedthedoor,andtherestoodbeforehimsucharemarkablythinmanthathefeltquiteuncomfortable.Thismanwas,however,veryrespectablydressed;helookedlikeamanofstanding.

“WhomhaveIthehonourtoaddress?

”askedtheprofessor.

“Ah!

”repliedthegenteelman,“Ithoughtyouwouldnotknowme;IhavebecomesomuchabodythatIhavegotrealfleshandclothes.Youneverthoughttoseemeinsuchacondition.Don'tyouknowyouroldShadow?

YoucertainlyneverthoughtthatIwouldcomeagain.ThingshavegoneremarkablywellwithmesinceIwaswithyoulast.I'vebecomerichineveryrespect:

ifIwanttobuymyselffreefromservitudeIcandoit!

”

Andherattledanumberofvaluablecharms,whichhungbyhiswatch,andputhishanduponthethickgoldchainheworeroundhisneck;andhowthediamondringsglitteredonhisfingers!

andeverythingwasreal!

“No,Icannotregainmyself-possessionatall!

”saidthelearnedman.“What'sthemeaningofallthis?

”

“Nothingcommon,”saidtheShadow.“Butyouyourselfdon'tbelongtocommonfolks;andIhave,asyouverywellknow,troddeninyourfootstepsfrommychildhoodupwards.SosoonasyouthoughtthatIwasexperiencedenoughtofindmywaythroughtheworldalone,Iwentaway.Iaminthemostbrilliantcircumstances;butIwasseizedwithakindoflongingtoseeyouoncemorebeforeyoudie,andIwantedtoseetheseregionsoncemore,foronealwaysthinksmuchofone'sfatherland.Iknowthatyouhavegotanothershadow:

haveIanythingtopaytoit,ortoyou?

Youhaveonlytotellme.”

“Isitreallyyou?

”saidthelearnedman.“Why,thatiswonderful!

IshouldneverhavethoughtthatIshouldevermeetmyoldShadowasaman!

”

“OnlytellmewhatIhavetopay,”saidtheShadow,“forIdon'tliketobeinanyone'sdebt.”

“Howcanyoutalkinthatway?

”saidthelearnedman.“Ofwhatdebtcantherebeaquestionhere?

Youareasfreeasanyone!

Iamexceedinglypleasedatyourgoodfortune!

Sitdorm,oldfriend,andtellmealittlehowithashappened,andwhatyousawinthewarmcountries,andinthehouseoppositeours.”

“Yes,thatIwilltellyou,”saidtheShadow;anditsatdown.“Butthenyoumustpromisemenevertotellanyoneinthistown,whenyoumeetme,thatIhavebeenyourShadow!

Ihavetheintentionofengagingmyselftobemarried;Icandomorethansupportafamily.”

“Bequiteeasy,”repliedthelearnedman;“Iwilltellnobodywhoyoureallyare.Here'smyhand.Ipromiseit,andmywordisasgoodasmybond.”

“AShadow'swordinreturn!

”saidtheShadow,forhewasobligedtotalkinthatway.But,bytheway,itwasquitewonderfulhowcompleteamanhehadbecome.Hewasdr