第228章
《安徒生童话英文版 全TXT版》章节:第228章,宠文网网友提供全文无弹窗免费在线阅读。!
or, was sheshuddering in the cold morning air at the thought of approachingtwilight? What were her feelings? She raised herself up, and wanted tostop the horse and spring off, but the Christian priest held herback with all his might, and then sang a pious song, as if thiscould loosen the wicked charm that had changed her into thesemblance of a frog.
And the horse galloped on more wildly than before. The sky painteditself red, the first sunbeam pierced through the clouds, and in theclear flood of sunlight the frog became changed. It was Helga again,young and beautiful, but with a wicked demoniac spirit. He held nowa beautiful young woman in his arms, and he was horrified at thesight. He stopped the horse, and sprang from its back. He imaginedthat some new sorcery was at work. But Helga also leaped from thehorse and stood on the ground. The child's short garment reachedonly to her knee. She snatched the sharp knife from her girdle, andrushed like lightning at the astonished priest. "Let me get atthee!" she cried; "let me get at thee, that I may plunge this knifeinto thy body. Thou art pale as ashes, thou beardless slave." Shepressed in upon him. They struggled with each other in heavy combat,but it was as if an invisible power had been given to the Christian inthe struggle. He held her fast, and the old oak under which they stoodseemed to help him, for the loosened roots on the ground becameentangled in the maiden's feet, and held them fast. Close by rose abubbling spring, and he sprinkled Helga's face and neck with thewater, commanded the unclean spirit to come forth, and pronounced uponher a Christian blessing. But the water of faith has no power unlessthe well-spring of faith flows within. And yet even here its power wasshown; something more than the mere strength of a man opposeditself, through his means, against the evil which struggled withinher. His holy action seemed to overpower her. She dropped her arms,glanced at him with pale cheeks and looks of amazement. He appeared toher a mighty magician skilled in secret arts; his language was thedarkest magic to her, and the movements of his hands in the air wereas the secret signs of a magician's wand. She would not have blinkedhad he waved over her head a sharp knife or a glittering axe; butshe shrunk from him as he signed her with the sign of the cross on herforehead and breast, and sat before him like a tame bird, with herhead bowed down. Then he spoke to her, in gentle words, of the deed oflove she had performed for him during the night, when she had cometo him in the form of an ugly frog, to loosen his bonds, and to leadhim forth to life and light; and he told her that she was bound incloser fetters than he had been, and that she could recover alsolife and light by his means. He would take her to Hedeby to St.Ansgarius, and there, in that Christian town, the spell of thesorcerer would be removed. But he would not let her sit before himon the horse, though of her own free will she wished to do so. "Thoumust sit behind me, not before me," said he. "Thy magic beauty has amagic power which comes from an evil origin, and I fear it; still I amsure to overcome through my faith in Christ." Then he knelt down,and prayed with pious fervor. It was as if the quiet woodland were aholy church consecrated by his worship. The birds sang as if they werealso of this new congregation; and the fragrance of the wild flowerswas as the ambrosial perfume of incense; while, above all, sounded thewords of Scripture, "A light to them that sit in darkness and in theshadow of death, to guide their feet into the way of peace." And hespoke these words with the deep longing of his whole nature.
Meanwhile, the horse that had carried them in wild career stoodquietly by, plucking at the tall bramble-bushes, till the ripe youngberries fell down upon Helga's hands, as if inviting her to eat.Patiently she allowed herself to be lifted on the horse, and sat therelike a somnambulist- as one who walked in his sleep. The Christianbound two branches together with bark, in the form of a cross, andheld it on high as they rode through the forest. The way graduallygrew thicker of brushwood, as they rode along, till at last itbecame a trackless wilderness. Bushes of the wild sloe here andthere blocked up the path, so that they had to ride over them. Thebubbling spring formed not a stream, but a marsh, round which alsothey were obliged to guide the horse; still there were strength andrefreshment in the cool forest breeze, and no trifling power in thegentle words spoken in faith and Christian love by the young priest,whose inmost heart yearned to lead this poor lost one into the wayof light and life. It is said that rain-drops can make a hollow in thehardest stone, and the waves of the sea can smooth and round the roughedges of the rocks; so did the dew of mercy fall upon Helga, softeningwhat was hard, and smoothing what was rough in her character. Theseeffects did not yet appear; she was not herself aware of them; neitherdoes the seed in the lap of earth know, when the refreshing dew andthe warm sunbeams fall upon it, that it contains within itself powerby which it will flourish and bloom. The song of the mother sinks intothe heart of the child, and the little one prattles the words afterher, without understanding their meaning; but after a time thethoughts expand, and what has been heard in childhood seems to themind clear and bright. So now the "Word," which is all-powerful tocreate, was working in the heart of Helga.
They rode forth from the thick forest, crossed the heath, andagain entered a pathless wood. Here, towards evening, they met withrobbers.
"Where hast thou stolen that beauteous maiden?"