the ice maiden-第3节

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！


it；　and　rolled　over　into　the　abyss　beneath；　while　the　noise　of　its

fall　was　echoed　back　from　every　hollow　cliff　of　the　glaciers。

　　　　They　were　always　going　upwards。　The　glaciers　seemed　to　spread

above　them　like　a　continued　chain　of　masses　of　ice；　piled　up　in　wild

confusion　between　bare　and　rugged　rocks。　Rudy　thought　for　a　moment

of　what　had　been　told　him；　that　he　and　his　mother　had　once　lain　buried

in　one　of　these　cold；　heart…chilling　fissures；　but　he　soon　banished

such　thoughts；　and　looked　upon　the　story　as　fabulous；　like　many

other　stories　which　had　been　told　him。　Once　or　twice；　when　the　men

thought　the　way　was　rather　difficult　for　such　a　little　boy；　they

held　out　their　hands　to　assist　him；　but　he　would　not　accept　their

assistance；　for　he　stood　on　the　slippery　ice　as　firmly　as　if　he　had

been　a　chamois。　They　came　at　length　to　rocky　ground；　sometimes

stepping　upon　moss…covered　stones；　sometimes　passing　beneath　stunted

fir…trees；　and　again　through　green　meadows。　The　landscape　was　always

changing；　but　ever　above　them　towered　the　lofty　snow…clad　mountains；

whose　names　not　only　Rudy　but　every　other　child　knew…　〃The

Jungfrau；〃　〃The　Monk　and　the　Eiger。〃

　　　　Rudy　had　never　been　so　far　away　before；　he　had　never　trodden　on

the　wide…spreading　ocean　of　snow　that　lay　here　with　its　immovable

billows；　from　which　the　wind　blows　off　the　snowflake　now　and　then；

as　it　cuts　the　foam　from　the　waves　of　the　sea。　The　glaciers　stand　here

so　close　together　it　might　almost　be　said　they　are　hand…in…hand；　and

each　is　a　crystal　palace　for　the　Ice　Maiden；　whose　power　and　will　it

is　to　seize　and　imprison　the　unwary　traveller。

　　　　The　sun　shone　warmly；　and　the　snow　sparkled　as　if　covered　with

glittering　diamonds。　Numerous　insects；　especially　butterflies　and

bees；　lay　dead　in　heaps　on　the　snow。　They　had　ventured　too　high；　or

the　wind　had　carried　them　here　and　left　them　to　die　of　cold。

　　　　Around　the　Wetterhorn　hung　a　feathery　cloud；　like　a　woolbag；　and　a

threatening　cloud　too；　for　as　it　sunk　lower　it　increased　in　size；

and　concealed　within　was　a　〃fohn；〃　fearful　in　its　violence　should　it

break　loose。　This　journey；　with　its　varied　incidents；…　the　wild　paths；

the　night　passed　on　the　mountain；　the　steep　rocky　precipices；　the

hollow　clefts；　in　which　the　rustling　waters　from　time　immemorial　had

worn　away　passages　for　themselves　through　blocks　of　stone；…　all

these　were　firmly　impressed　on　Rudy's　memory。

　　　　In　a　forsaken　stone　building；　which　stood　just　beyond　the　seas

of　snow；　they　one　night　took　shelter。　Here　they　found　some　charcoal

and　pine　branches；　so　that　they　soon　made　a　fire。　They　arranged

couches　to　lie　on　as　well　as　they　could；　and　then　the　men　seated

themselves　by　the　fire；　took　out　their　pipes；　and　began　to　smoke。　They

also　prepared　a　warm；　spiced　drink；　of　which　they　partook　and　Rudy　was

not　forgotten…　he　had　his　share。　Then　they　began　to　talk　of　those

mysterious　beings　with　which　the　land　of　the　Alps　abounds；　the　hosts

of　apparitions　which　come　in　the　night；　and　carry　off　the　sleepers

through　the　air；　to　the　wonderful　floating　town　of　Venice；　of　the　wild

herds…man；　who　drives　the　black　sheep　across　the　meadows。　These　flocks

are　never　seen；　yet　the　tinkle　of　their　little　bells　has　often　been

heard；　as　well　as　their　unearthly　bleating。　Rudy　listened　eagerly；　but

without　fear；　for　he　knew　not　what　fear　meant；　and　while　he

listened；　he　fancied　he　could　hear　the　roaring　of　the　spectral　herd。

It　seemed　to　come　nearer　and　roar　louder；　till　the　men　heard　it　also

and　listened　in　silence；　till；　at　length；　they　told　Rudy　that　he

must　not　dare　to　sleep。　It　was　a　〃fohn；〃　that　violent　storm…wind　which

rushes　from　the　mountain　to　the　valley　beneath；　and　in　its　fury

snaps　asunder　the　trunks　of　large　trees　as　if　they　were　but　slender

reeds；　and　carries　the　wooden　houses　from　one　side　of　a　river　to　the

other　as　easily　as　we　could　move　the　pieces　on　a　chess…board。　After　an

hour　had　passed；　they　told　Rudy　that　it　was　all　over；　and　he　might

go　to　sleep；　and；　fatigued　with　his　long　walk；　he　readily　slept　at　the

word　of　command。

　　　　Very　early　the　following　morning　they　again　set　out。　The　sun　on

this　day　lighted　up　for　Rudy　new　mountains；　new　glaciers；　and　new

snow…fields。　They　had　entered　the　Canton　Valais；　and　found

themselves　on　the　ridge　of　the　hills　which　can　be　seen　from

Grindelwald；　but　he　was　still　far　from　his　new　home。　They　pointed

out　to　him　other　clefts；　other　meadows；　other　woods　and　rocky　paths；

and　other　houses。　Strange　men　made　their　appearance　before　him；　and

what　men！　They　were　misshapen；　wretched…looking　creatures；　with　yellow

complexions；　and　on　their　necks　were　dark；　ugly　lumps　of　flesh；

hanging　down　like　bags。　They　were　called　cretins。　They　dragged

themselves　along　painfully；　and　stared　at　the　strangers　with　vacant

eyes。　The　women　looked　more　dreadful　than　the　men。　Poor　Rudy！　were

these　the　sort　of　people　he　should　see　at　his　new　home？

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　III。　THE　UNCLE



　　　　Rudy　arrived　at　last　at　his　uncle's　house；　and　was　thankful　to

find　the　people　like　those　he　had　been　accustomed　to　see。　There　was

only　one　cretin　amongst　them；　a　poor　idiot　boy；　one　of　those

unfortunate　beings　who；　in　their　neglected　conditions；　go　from　house

to　house；　and　are　received　and　taken　care　of　in　different　families；

for　a　month　or　two　at　a　time。

　　　　Poor　Saperli　had　just　arrived　at　his　uncle's　house　when　Rudy　came。

The　uncle　was　an　experienced　hunter；　he　also　followed　the　trade　of　a

cooper；　his　wife　was　a　lively　little　person；　with　a　face　like　a

bird；　eyes　like　those　of　an　eagle；　and　a　long；　hairy　throat。

Everything　was　new　to　Rudy…　the　fashion　of　the　dress；　the　manners；　the

employments；　and　even　the　language；　but　the　latter　his　childish　ear

would　soon　learn。　He　saw　also　that　there　was　more　wealth　here；　when

compared　with　his　former　home　at　his　grandfather's。　The　rooms　were

larger；　the　walls　were　adorned　with　the　horns　of　the　chamois；　and

brightly　polished　guns。　Over　the　door　hung　a　painting　of　the　Virgin

Mary；　fresh　alpine　roses　and　a　burning　lamp　stood　near　it。　Rudy's

uncle　was；　as　we　have　said；　one　of　the　most　noted　chamois　hunters　in

the　whole　district；　and　also　one　of　the　best　guides。　Rudy　soon

became　the　pet　of　the　house；　but　there　was　another　pet；　an　old

hound；　blind　and　lazy；　who　would　never　more　follow　the　hunt；　well　as

he　had　once　done　so。　But　his　former　good　qualities　were　not　forgotten；

and　therefore　the　animal　was　kept　in　the　family　and　treated　with　every

indulgence。　Rudy　stroked　the　old　hound；　but　he　did　not　like　strangers；

and　Rudy　was　as　yet　a　stranger；　he　did　not；　however；　long　remain　so；

he　soon　endeared　himself　to　every　heart；　and　became　like　one　of　the

family。

　　　　〃We　are　not　very　badly　off；　here　in　the　canton　Valais；〃　said　his

uncle　one　day；　〃we　have　the　chamois；　they　do　not　die　so　fast　as　the

wild　goats；　and　it　is　certainly　much　better　here　now　than　in　former

times。　How　highly　the　old　times　have　been　spoken　of；　but　ours　is

better。　The　bag　has　been　opened；　and　a　current　of　air　now　blows

through　our　once　confined　valley。　Something　better　always　makes　its

appearance　when　old；　worn…out　things　fail。〃

　　　　When　his　uncle　became　communicative；　he　would　relate　stories　of

his　youthful　days；　and　farther　back　still　of　the　warlike　times　in

which　his　father　had　lived。　Valais　was　then；　as　he　expressed　it；

only　a　closed…up　bag；　quite　full　of　sick　people；　miserable　cretins；

but　the　French　soldiers　came；　and　they　were　capital　doctors；　they　soon

killed　the　disease　and　the　sick　people；　too。　The　French　people　knew

how　to　fight　in　more　ways　than　one；　and　the　girls　knew　how　to

conquer　too；　and　when　he　said　this　the　uncle　nodded　at　his　wife；　who

was　a　French　woman　by　birth；　and　laughed。　The　French　could　also　do

battle　on　the　stones。　〃It　was　they　who　cut　a　road　out　of　the　solid

rock　over　the　Simplon…　such　a　road；　that　I　need　only　say　to　a　child　of

three　years　old；　'Go　down　to　Italy；　you　have　only　to　keep　in　the

high　road；'　and　the　child　will　soon　arrive　in　Italy；　if　he　followed　my

directions。〃

　　　　Then　the　uncle　sang　a　French　song；　and　cried；　〃Hurrah！　long　live

Napoleon　Buonaparte。〃　This　was　the　first　time　Rudy　had　ever　heard　of

France；　or　of　Lyons；　that　great　city　on　the　Rhone　where　his　uncle

had　once　lived。　His　uncle　said　that　Rudy；　in　a　very　few　years；　would

become　a　clever　hunter；　he　had　quite　a　talent　for　it；　he　taught　the

boy　to　hold　a　gun　properly；　and　to　load　and　fire　it。　In　the　hunting

season　he　took　him　to　the　hills；　and　made　him　drink　the　warm　blood

of　the　chamois；　which　is　said　to　prevent　the　hunter　from　becoming

giddy；　he　taught　him　to　know　the　time　when；　from　the　different

mountains；　the　avalanche　is　likely　to　fall；　namely；　at　noontide　or

in　the　evening；　from　the　effects　of　the　sun's　rays；　he　made　him

observe　the　movements　of　the　chamois　when　he　gave　a　leap；　so　that　he

might　fall　firmly　and　lightly　on　his　feet。　He　told　him　that　when　on

the　fissures　of　the　rocks　he　could　find　no　place　for　his　feet；　he　must

support　himself　on　his　elbows；　and　cling　with　his　legs；　and　even

lean　firmly　with　his