第151章
《安徒生童话英文版 全TXT版》章节:第151章,宠文网网友提供全文无弹窗免费在线阅读。!
"The king's daughter lives there," she replied; "it has beenprophesied that she will be very unhappy about a lover, andtherefore no one is allowed to visit her, unless the king and queenare present."
"Thank you," said the merchant's son. So he went back to the wood,seated himself in his trunk, flew up to the roof of the castle, andcrept through the window into the princess's room. She lay on the sofaasleep, and she was so beautiful that the merchant's son could nothelp kissing her. Then she awoke, and was very much frightened; but hetold her he was a Turkish angel, who had come down through the airto see her, which pleased her very much. He sat down by her side andtalked to her: he said her eyes were like beautiful dark lakes, inwhich the thoughts swam about like little mermaids, and he told herthat her forehead was a snowy mountain, which contained splendid hallsfull of pictures. And then he related to her about the stork whobrings the beautiful children from the rivers. These were delightfulstories; and when he asked the princess if she would marry him, sheconsented immediately.
"But you must come on Saturday," she said; "for then the kingand queen will take tea with me. They will be very proud when theyfind that I am going to marry a Turkish angel; but you must think ofsome very pretty stories to tell them, for my parents like to hearstories better than anything. My mother prefers one that is deep andmoral; but my father likes something funny, to make him laugh."
"Very well," he replied; "I shall bring you no other marriageportion than a story," and so they parted. But the princess gave him asword which was studded with gold coins, and these he could use.
Then he flew away to the town and bought a new dressing-gown,and afterwards returned to the wood, where he composed a story, soas to be ready for Saturday, which was no easy matter. It was readyhowever by Saturday, when he went to see the princess. The king, andqueen, and the whole court, were at tea with the princess; and hewas received with great politeness.
"Will you tell us a story?" said the queen,- "one that isinstructive and full of deep learning."
"Yes, but with something in it to laugh at," said the king.
"Certainly," he replied, and commenced at once, asking them tolisten attentively. "There was once a bundle of matches that wereexceedingly proud of their high descent. Their genealogical tree, thatis, a large pine-tree from which they had been cut, was at one timea large, old tree in the wood. The matches now lay between atinder-box and an old iron saucepan, and were talking about theiryouthful days. 'Ah! then we grew on the green boughs, and were asgreen as they; every morning and evening we were fed with diamonddrops of dew. Whenever the sun shone, we felt his warm rays, and thelittle birds would relate stories to us as they sung. We knew thatwe were rich, for the other trees only wore their green dress insummer, but our family were able to array themselves in green,summer and winter. But the wood-cutter came, like a greatrevolution, and our family fell under the axe. The head of the houseobtained a situation as mainmast in a very fine ship, and can sailround the world when he will. The other branches of the family weretaken to different places, and our office now is to kindle a light forcommon people. This is how such high-born people as we came to be in akitchen.'
"'Mine has been a very different fate,' said the iron pot, whichstood by the matches; 'from my first entrance into the world I havebeen used to cooking and scouring. I am the first in this house,when anything solid or useful is required. My only pleasure is to bemade clean and shining after dinner, and to sit in my place and have alittle sensible conversation with my neighbors. All of us, exceptingthe water-bucket, which is sometimes taken into the courtyard, livehere together within these four walls. We get our news from themarket-basket, but he sometimes tells us very unpleasant thingsabout the people and the government. Yes, and one day an old pot wasso alarmed, that he fell down and was broken to pieces. He was aliberal, I can tell you.'
"'You are talking too much,' said the tinder-box, and the steelstruck against the flint till some sparks flew out, crying, 'We want amerry evening, don't we?