贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > soup from a sausage skewer >

第1章

soup from a sausage skewer-第1章

小说: soup from a sausage skewer 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



                     FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

                           SOUP FROM A SAUSAGE SKEWER

                           by Hans Christian Andersen



    〃WE had such an excellent dinner yesterday;〃 said an old mouse

of the female sex to another who had not been present at the feast。 〃I

sat number twenty…one below the mouse…king; which was not a bad place。

Shall I tell you what we had? Everything was first rate。 Mouldy bread;

tallow candle; and sausage。 And then; when we had finished that

course; the same came on all over again; it was as good as two feasts。

We were very sociable; and there was as much joking and fun as if we

had been all of one family circle。 Nothing was left but the sausage

skewers; and this formed a subject of conversation; till at last it

turned to the proverb; 'Soup from sausage skins;' or; as the people in

the neighboring country call it; 'Soup from a sausage skewer。' Every

one had heard the proverb; but no one had ever tasted the soup; much

less prepared it。 A capital toast was drunk to the inventor of the

soup; and some one said he ought to be made a relieving officer to the

poor。 Was not that witty? Then the old mouse…king rose and promised

that the young lady…mouse who should learn how best to prepare this

much…admired and savory soup should be his queen; and a year and a day

should be allowed for the purpose。〃

    〃That was not at all a bad proposal;〃 said the other mouse; 〃but

how is the soup made?〃

    〃Ah; that is more than I can tell you。 All the young lady mice

were asking the same question。 They wished very much to be queen;

but they did not want to take the trouble of going out into the

world to learn how to make soup; which was absolutely necessary to

be done first。 But it is not every one who would care to leave her

family; or her happy corner by the fire…side at home; even to be

made queen。 It is not always easy to find bacon and cheese…rind in

foreign lands every day; and it is not pleasant to have to endure

hunger; and be perhaps; after all; eaten up alive by the cat。〃

    〃Most probably some such thoughts as these discouraged the

majority from going out into the world to collect the required

information。 Only four mice gave notice that they were ready to set

out on the journey。 They were young and lively; but poor。 Each of them

wished to visit one of the four divisions of the world; so that it

might be seen which was the most favored by fortune。 Every one took

a sausage skewer as a traveller's staff; and to remind them of the

object of their journey。 They left home early in May; and none of them

returned till the first of May in the following year; and then only

three of them。 Nothing was seen or heard of the fourth; although the

day of decision was close at hand。 〃Ah; yes; there is always some

trouble mixed up with the greatest pleasure;〃 said the mouse…king; but

he gave orders that all the mice within a circle of many miles

should be invited at once。 They were to assemble in the kitchen; and

the three travelled mice were to stand in a row before them; while a

sausage skewer; covered with crape; was to be stuck up instead of

the missing mouse。 No one dared to express an opinion until the king

spoke; and desired one of them to go on with her story。 And now we

shall hear what she said。

                   WHAT THE FIRST LITTLE MOUSE

                   SAW AND HEARD ON HER TRAVELS



    〃When I first went out into the world;〃 said the little mouse;

〃I fancied; as so many of my age do; that I already knew everything;

but it was not so。 It takes years to acquire great knowledge。 I went

at once to sea in a ship bound for the north。 I had been told that the

ship's cook must know how to prepare every dish at sea; and it is easy

enough to do that with plenty of sides of bacon; and large tubs of

salt meat and mouldy flour。 There I found plenty of delicate food; but

no opportunity for learning how to make soup from a sausage skewer。 We

sailed on for many days and nights; the ship rocked fearfully; and

we did not escape without a wetting。 As soon as we arrived at the port

to which the ship was bound; I left it; and went on shore at a place

far towards the north。 It is a wonderful thing to leave your own

little corner at home; to hide yourself in a ship where there are sure

to be some nice snug corners for shelter; then suddenly to find

yourself thousands of miles away in a foreign land。 I saw large

pathless forests of pine and birch trees; which smelt so strong that I

sneezed and thought of sausage。 There were great lakes also which

looked as black as ink at a distance; but were quite clear when I came

close to them。 Large swans were floating upon them; and I thought at

first they were only foam; they lay so still; but when I saw them walk

and fly; I knew what they were directly。 They belong to the goose

species; one can see that by their walk。 No one can attempt to

disguise family descent。 I kept with my own kind; and associated

with the forest and field mice; who; however; knew very little;

especially about what I wanted to know; and which had actually made me

travel abroad。 The idea that soup could be made from a sausage

skewer was to them such an out…of…the…way; unlikely thought; that it

was repeated from one to another through the whole forest。 They

declared that the problem would never be solved; that the thing was an

impossibility。 How little I thought that in this place; on the very

first night; I should be initiated into the manner of its preparation。

    〃It was the height of summer; which the mice told me was the

reason that the forest smelt so strong; and that the herbs were so

fragrant; and the lakes with the white swimming swans so dark; and yet

so clear。 On the margin of the wood; near to three or four houses; a

pole; as large as the mainmast of a ship; had been erected; and from

the summit hung wreaths of flowers and fluttering ribbons; it was

the Maypole。 Lads and lasses danced round the pole; and tried to outdo

the violins of the musicians with their singing。 They were as merry as

ever at sunset and in the moonlight; but I took no part in the

merry…making。 What has a little mouse to do with a Maypole dance? I

sat in the soft moss; and held my sausage skewer tight。 The moon threw

its beams particularly on one spot where stood a tree covered with

exceedingly fine moss。 I may almost venture to say that it was as fine

and soft as the fur of the mouse…king; but it was green; which is a

color very agreeable to the eye。 All at once I saw the most charming

little people marching towards me。 They did not reach higher than my

knee; they looked like human beings; but were better proportioned; and

they called themselves elves。 Their clothes were very delicate and

fine; for they were made of the leaves of flowers; trimmed with the

wings of flies and gnats; which had not a bad effect。 By their manner;

it appeared as if they were seeking for something。 I knew not what;

till at last one of them espied me and came towards me; and the

foremost pointed to my sausage skewer; and said; 'There; that is

just what we want; see; it is pointed at the top; is it not

capital?' and the longer he looked at my pilgrim's staff; the more

delighted he became。 'I will lend it to you;' said I; 'but not to

keep。'

    〃'Oh no; we won't keep it!' they all cried; and then they seized

the skewer; which I gave up to them; and danced with it to the spot

where the delicate moss grew; and set it up in the middle of the

green。 They wanted a maypole; and the one they now had seemed cut

out on purpose for them。 Then they decorated it so beautifully that it

was quite dazzling to look at。 Little spiders spun golden threads

around it; and then it was hung with fluttering veils and flags so

delicately white that they glittered like snow in the moonshine。 After

that they took colors from the butterfly's wing; and sprinkled them

over the white drapery 〃which gleamed as if covered with flowers and

diamonds; so that I could not recognize my sausage skewer at all。 Such

a maypole had 

返回目录 下一页 回到顶部 1 1

你可能喜欢的