第361章
《安徒生童话英文版 全TXT版》章节:第361章,宠文网网友提供全文无弹窗免费在线阅读。!
Seek it in the sun; see it there if you can.
The brightness is too dazzling there. We have not yet such eyes ascan see into the glories which God has created, but we shall receivethem by-and-by; and that will be the most beautiful story of all,and we shall all have our share in it.
THE END.
1872
FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
THE TOP AND BALL
by Hans Christian Andersen
A WHIPPING TOP and a little ball lay together in a box, amongother toys, and the top said to the ball, "Shall we be married, aswe live in the same box?"
But the ball, which wore a dress of morocco leather, and thoughtas much of herself as any other young lady, would not evencondescend to reply.
The next day came the little boy to whom the playthingsbelonged, and he painted the top red and yellow, and drove abrass-headed nail into the middle, so that while the top wasspinning round it looked splendid.
"Look at me," said the top to the ball. "What do you say now?Shall we be engaged to each other? We should suit so well; you spring,and I dance. No one could be happier than we should be."
"Indeed! do you think so? Perhaps you do not know that my fatherand mother were morocco slippers, and that I have a Spanish cork in mybody."
"Yes; but I am made of mahogany," said the top. "The major himselfturned me. He has a turning lathe of his own, and it is a greatamusement to him."
"Can I believe it?" asked the ball.
"May I never be whipped again," said the top, "if I am not tellingyou the truth."
"You certainly know how to speak for yourself very well," said theball; "but I cannot accept your proposal. I am almost engaged to aswallow. Every time I fly up in the air, he puts his head out of thenest, and says, 'Will you?' and I have said, 'Yes,' to myselfsilently, and that is as good as being half engaged; but I willpromise never to forget you."
"Much good that will be to me," said the top; and they spoke toeach other no more.
Next day the ball was taken out by the boy. The top saw itflying high in the air, like a bird, till it would go quite out ofsight. Each time it came back, as it touched the earth, it gave ahigher leap than before, either because it longed to fly upwards, orfrom having a Spanish cork in its body. But the ninth time it rosein the air, it remained away, and did not return. The boy searchedeverywhere for it, but he searched in vain, for it could not be found;it was gone.
"I know very well where she is," sighed the top; "she is in theswallow's nest, and has married the swallow."
The more the top thought of this, the more he longed for the ball.His love increased the more, just because he could not get her; andthat she should have been won by another, was the worst of all. Thetop still twirled about and hummed, but he continued to think of theball; and the more he thought of her, the more beautiful she seemed tohis fancy.
Thus several years passed by, and his love became quite old. Thetop, also, was no longer young; but there came a day when he lookedhandsomer than ever; for he was gilded all over. He was now a goldentop, and whirled and danced about till he hummed quite loud, and wassomething worth looking at; but one day he leaped too high, and thenhe, also, was gone. They searched everywhere, even in the cellar,but he was nowhere to be found. Where could he be? He had jumpedinto the dust-bin, where all sorts of rubbish were lying:cabbage-stalks, dust, and rain-droppings that had fallen down from thegutter under the roof.
"Now I am in a nice place," said he; "my gilding will soon bewashed off here. Oh dear, what a set of rabble I have got amongst!"