a story from the sand-hills-第3节

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and　smoothed　and　prepared　by　the　sea。　Even　the　bleached　fishes'

skeletons；　the　water　plants　dried　by　the　wind；　and　seaweed；　white

and　shining　long　linen…like　bands　waving　between　the　stones…　all　these

seemed　made　to　give　pleasure　and　occupation　for　the　boy's　thoughts；

and　he　had　an　intelligent　mind；　many　great　talents　lay　dormant　in　him。

How　readily　he　remembered　stories　and　songs　that　he　heard；　and　how

dexterous　he　was　with　his　fingers！　With　stones　and　mussel…shells　he

could　put　together　pictures　and　ships　with　which　one　could　decorate

the　room；　and　he　could　make　wonderful　things　from　a　stick；　his

foster…mother　said；　although　he　was　still　so　young　and　little。　He

had　a　sweet　voice；　and　every　melody　seemed　to　flow　naturally　from

his　lips。　And　in　his　heart　were　hidden　chords；　which　might　have

sounded　far　out　into　the　world　if　he　had　been　placed　anywhere　else

than　in　the　fisherman's　hut　by　the　North　Sea。

　　　　One　day　another　ship　was　wrecked　on　the　coast；　and　among　other

things　a　chest　filled　with　valuable　flower　bulbs　was　washed　ashore。

Some　were　put　into　saucepans　and　cooked；　for　they　were　thought　to　be

fit　to　eat；　and　others　lay　and　shrivelled　in　the　sand…　they　did　not

accomplish　their　purpose；　or　unfold　their　magnificent　colours。　Would

Jurgen　fare　better？　The　flower　bulbs　had　soon　played　their　part；　but

he　had　years　of　apprenticeship　before　him。　Neither　he　nor　his

friends　noticed　in　what　a　monotonous；　uniform　way　one　day　followed

another；　for　there　was　always　plenty　to　do　and　see。　The　ocean　itself

was　a　great　lesson…book；　and　it　unfolded　a　new　leaf　each　day　of　calm

or　storm…　the　crested　wave　or　the　smooth　surface。

　　　　The　visits　to　the　church　were　festive　occasions；　but　among　the

fisherman's　house　one　was　especially　looked　forward　to；　this　was；　in

fact；　the　visit　of　the　brother　of　Jurgen's　foster…mother；　the

eel…breeder　from　Fjaltring；　near　Bovbjerg。　He　came　twice　a　year　in　a

cart；　painted　red　with　blue　and　white　tulips　upon　it；　and　full　of

eels；　it　was　covered　and　locked　like　a　box；　two　dun　oxen　drew　it；

and　Jurgen　was　allowed　to　guide　them。

　　　　The　eel…breeder　was　a　witty　fellow；　a　merry　guest；　and　brought　a

measure　of　brandy　with　him。　They　all　received　a　small　glassful　or　a

cupful　if　there　were　not　enough　glasses；　even　Jurgen　had　about　a

thimbleful；　that　he　might　digest　the　fat　eel；　as　the　eel…breeder　said；

he　always　told　one　story　over　and　over　again；　and　if　his　hearers

laughed　he　would　immediately　repeat　it　to　them。　Jurgen　while　still　a

boy；　and　also　when　he　was　older；　used　phrases　from　the　eel…breeder's

story　on　various　occasions；　so　it　will　be　as　well　for　us　to　listen

to　it。　It　runs　thus：

　　　　〃The　eels　went　into　the　bay；　and　the　young　ones　begged　leave　to　go

a　little　farther　out。　'Don't　go　too　far；'　said　their　mother；　'the　ugly

eel…spearer　might　come　and　snap　you　all　up。'　But　they　went　too　far；

and　of　eight　daughters　only　three　came　back　to　the　mother；　and　these

wept　and　said；　'We　only　went　a　little　way　out；　and　the　ugly

eel…spearer　came　immediately　and　stabbed　five　of　our　sisters　to

death。'　'They'll　come　back　again；'　said　the　mother　eel。　'Oh；　no；'

exclaimed　the　daughters；　'for　he　skinned　them；　cut　them　in　two；　and

fried　them。'　'Oh；　they'll　come　back　again；'　the　mother　eel

persisted。　'No；'　replied　the　daughters；　'for　he　ate　them　up。'　'They'll

come　back　again；'　repeated　the　mother　eel。　'But　he　drank　brandy

after　them；'　said　the　daughters。　'Ah；　then　they'll　never　come　back；'

said　the　mother；　and　she　burst　out　crying；　'it's　the　brandy　that

buries　the　eels。'〃

　　　　〃And　therefore；〃　said　the　eel…breeder　in　conclusion；　〃it　is　always

the　proper　thing　to　drink　brandy　after　eating　eels。〃

　　　　This　story　was　the　tinsel　thread；　the　most　humorous　recollection

of　Jurgen's　life。　He　also　wanted　to　go　a　little　way　farther　out　and　up

the　bay…　that　is　to　say；　out　into　the　world　in　a　ship…　but　his

mother　said；　like　the　eel…breeder；　〃There　are　so　many　bad　people…

eel　spearers！〃　He　wished　to　go　a　little　way　past　the　sand…hills；　out

into　the　dunes；　and　at　last　he　did：　four　happy　days；　the　brightest

of　his　childhood；　fell　to　his　lot；　and　the　whole　beauty　and

splendour　of　Jutland；　all　the　happiness　and　sunshine　of　his　home；　were

concentrated　in　these。　He　went　to　a　festival；　but　it　was　a　burial

feast。

　　　　A　rich　relation　of　the　fisherman's　family　had　died；　the　farm　was

situated　far　eastward　in　the　country　and　a　little　towards　the　north。

Jurgen's　foster　parents　went　there；　and　he　also　went　with　them　from

the　dunes；　over　heath　and　moor；　where　the　Skjaerumaa　takes　its

course　through　green　meadows　and　contains　many　eels；　mother　eels

live　there　with　their　daughters；　who　are　caught　and　eaten　up　by　wicked

people。　But　do　not　men　sometimes　act　quite　as　cruelly　towards　their

own　fellow…men？　Was　not　the　knight　Sir　Bugge　murdered　by　wicked

people？　And　though　he　was　well　spoken　of；　did　he　not　also　wish　to　kill

the　architect　who　built　the　castle　for　him；　with　its　thick　walls　and

tower；　at　the　point　where　the　Skjaerumaa　falls　into　the　bay？　Jurgen

and　his　parents　now　stood　there；　the　wall　and　the　ramparts　still

remained；　and　red　crumbling　fragments　lay　scattered　around。　Here　it

was　that　Sir　Bugge；　after　the　architect　had　left　him；　said　to　one　of

his　men；　〃Go　after　him　and　say；　'Master；　the　tower　shakes。'　If　he

turns　round；　kill　him　and　take　away　the　money　I　paid　him；　but　if　he

does　not　turn　round　let　him　go　in　peace。〃　The　man　did　as　he　was

told；　the　architect　did　not　turn　round；　but　called　back　〃The　tower

does　not　shake　in　the　least；　but　one　day　a　man　will　come　from　the　west

in　a　blue　cloak…　he　will　cause　it　to　shake！〃　And　so　indeed　it　happened

a　hundred　years　later；　for　the　North　Sea　broke　in　and　cast　down　the

tower；　but　Predbjorn　Gyldenstjerne；　the　man　who　then　possessed　the

castle；　built　a　new　castle　higher　up　at　the　end　of　the　meadow；　and

that　one　is　standing　to　this　day；　and　is　called　Norre…Vosborg。

　　　　Jurgen　and　his　foster　parents　went　past　this　castle。　They　had　told

him　its　story　during　the　long　winter　evenings；　and　now　he　saw　the

stately　edifice；　with　its　double　moat；　and　trees　and　bushes；　the　wall；

covered　with　ferns；　rose　within　the　moat；　but　the　lofty　lime…trees

were　the　most　beautiful　of　all；　they　grew　up　to　the　highest　windows；

and　the　air　was　full　of　their　sweet　fragrance。　In　a　north…west

corner　of　the　garden　stood　a　great　bush　full　of　blossom；　like　winter

snow　amid　the　summer's　green；　it　was　a　juniper　bush；　the　first　that

Jurgen　had　ever　seen　in　bloom。　He　never　forgot　it；　nor　the　lime…trees；

the　child's　soul　treasured　up　these　memories　of　beauty　and　fragrance

to　gladden　the　old　man。

　　　　From　Norre…Vosborg；　where　the　juniper　blossomed；　the　journey

became　more　pleasant；　for　they　met　some　other　people　who　were　also

going　to　the　funeral　and　were　riding　in　waggons。　Our　travellers　had　to

sit　all　together　on　a　little　box　at　the　back　of　the　waggon；　but　even

this；　they　thought；　was　better　than　walking。　So　they　continued　their

journey　across　the　rugged　heath。　The　oxen　which　drew　the　waggon

stopped　every　now　and　then；　where　a　patch　of　fresh　grass　appeared　amid

the　heather。　The　sun　shone　with　considerable　heat；　and　it　was

wonderful　to　behold　how　in　the　far　distance　something　like　smoke

seemed　to　be　rising；　yet　this　smoke　was　clearer　than　the　air；　it　was

transparent；　and　looked　like　rays　of　light　rolling　and　dancing　afar

over　the　heath。

　　　　〃That　is　Lokeman　driving　his　sheep；〃　said　some　one。

　　　　And　this　was　enough　to　excite　Jurgen's　imagination。　He　felt　as

if　they　were　now　about　to　enter　fairyland；　though　everything　was　still

real。　How　quiet　it　was！　The　heath　stretched　far　and　wide　around　them

like　a　beautiful　carpet。　The　heather　was　in　blossom；　and　the

juniper…bushes　and　fresh　oak　saplings　rose　like　bouquets　from　the

earth。　An　inviting　place　for　a　frolic；　if　it　had　not　been　for　the

number　of　poisonous　adders　of　which　the　travellers　spoke；　they　also

mentioned　that　the　place　had　formerly　been　infested　with　wolves；　and

that　the　district　was　still　called　Wolfsborg　for　this　reason。　The

old　man　who　was　driving　the　oxen　told　them　that　in　the　lifetime　of　his

father　the　horses　had　many　a　hard　battle　with　the　wild　beasts　that

were　now　exterminated。　One　morning；　when　he　himself　had　gone　out　to

bring　in　the　horses；　he　found　one　of　them　standing　with　its　forefeet

on　a　wolf　it　had　killed；　but　the　savage　animal　had　torn　and

lacerated　the　brave　horse's　legs。

　　　　The　journey　over　the　heath　and　the　deep　sand　was　only　too

quickly　at　an　end。　They　stopped　before　the　house　of　mourning；　where

they　found　plenty　of　guests　within　and　without。　Waggon　after　waggon

stood　side　by　side；　while　the　horses　and　oxen　had　been　turned　out　to

graze　on　the　scanty　pasture。　Great　sand…hills　like　those　at　home　by

the　North　Sea　rose　behind　the　house　and　extended　far　and　wide。　How　had

they　come　here；　so　many　miles　inland？　They　were　as　large　and　high　as

those　on　the　coast；　and　the　wind　had　carried　them　there；　there　was

also　a　legend　attached　to　them。

　　　　Psalms　were　sung；　and　a　few　of　the　old　people　shed　tears；　with

this　exception；　the　gues