the shadow-第3节

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walked　in　company　with　each　other；　side　by　side；　or　one　in　front　and

the　other　behind；　according　to　the　position　of　the　sun。　The　shadow

always　knew　when　to　take　the　place　of　honor；　but　the　learned　man

took　no　notice　of　it；　for　he　had　a　good　heart；　and　was　exceedingly

mild　and　friendly。

　　　　One　day　the　master　said　to　the　shadow；　〃We　have　grown　up

together　from　our　childhood；　and　now　that　we　have　become　travelling

companions；　shall　we　not　drink　to　our　good　fellowship；　and　say　thee

and　thou　to　each　other？〃

　　　　〃What　you　say　is　very　straightforward　and　kindly　meant；〃　said

the　shadow；　who　was　now　really　master。　〃I　will　be　equally　kind　and

straightforward。　You　are　a　learned　man；　and　know　how　wonderful　human

nature　is。　There　are　some　men　who　cannot　endure　the　smell　of　brown

paper；　it　makes　them　ill。　Others　will　feel　a　shuddering　sensation　to

their　very　marrow；　if　a　nail　is　scratched　on　a　pane　of　glass。　I　myself

have　a　similar　kind　of　feeling　when　I　hear　any　one　say　thou　to　me。　I

feel　crushed　by　it；　as　I　used　to　feel　in　my　former　position　with

you。　You　will　perceive　that　this　is　a　matter　of　feeling；　not　pride。

I　cannot　allow　you　to　say　thou　to　me；　I　will　gladly　say　it　to　you；　and

therefore　your　wish　will　be　half　fulfilled。〃　Then　the　shadow　addressed

his　former　master　as　thou。

　　　　〃It　is　going　rather　too　far；〃　said　the　latter；　〃that　I　am　to　say

you　when　I　speak　to　him；　and　he　is　to　say　thou　to　me。〃　However；　he　was

obliged　to　submit。

　　　　They　arrived　at　length　at　the　baths；　where　there　were　many

strangers；　and　among　them　a　beautiful　princess；　whose　real　disease

consisted　in　being　too　sharp…sighted；　which　made　every　one　very

uneasy。　She　saw　at　once　that　the　new　comer　was　very　different　to　every

one　else。　〃They　say　he　is　here　to　make　his　beard　grow；〃　she　thought；

〃but　I　know　the　real　cause；　he　is　unable　to　cast　a　shadow。〃　Then　she

became　very　curious　on　the　matter；　and　one　day；　while　on　the

promenade；　she　entered　into　conversation　with　the　strange　gentleman。

Being　a　princess；　she　was　not　obliged　to　stand　upon　much　ceremony；

so　she　said　to　him　without　hesitation；　〃Your　illness　consists　in　not

being　able　to　cast　a　shadow。〃

　　　　〃Your　royal　highness　must　be　on　the　high　road　to　recovery　from

your　illness；〃　said　he。　〃I　know　your　complaint　arose　from　being　too

sharp…sighted；　and　in　this　case　it　has　entirely　failed。　I　happen　to

have　a　most　unusual　shadow。　Have　you　not　seen　a　person　who　is　always

at　my　side？　Persons　often　give　their　servants　finer　cloth　for　their

liveries　than　for　their　own　clothes；　and　so　I　have　dressed　out　my

shadow　like　a　man；　nay；　you　may　observe　that　I　have　even　given　him　a

shadow　of　his　own；　it　is　rather　expensive；　but　I　like　to　have　things

about　me　that　are　peculiar。〃

　　　　〃How　is　this？〃　thought　the　princess；　〃am　I　really　cured？　This　must

be　the　best　watering…place　in　existence。　Water　in　our　times　has

certainly　wonderful　power。　But　I　will　not　leave　this　place　yet；　just

as　it　begins　to　be　amusing。　This　foreign　prince…　for　he　must　be　a

prince…　pleases　me　above　all　things。　I　only　hope　his　beard　won't　grow；

or　he　will　leave　at　once。〃

　　　　In　the　evening；　the　princess　and　the　shadow　danced　together　in　the

large　assembly　rooms。　She　was　light；　but　he　was　lighter　still；　she　had

never　seen　such　a　dancer　before。　She　told　him　from　what　country　she

had　come；　and　found　he　knew　it　and　had　been　there；　but　not　while　she

was　at　home。　He　had　looked　into　the　windows　of　her　father's　palace；

both　the　upper　and　the　lower　windows；　he　had　seen　many　things；　and

could　therefore　answer　the　princess；　and　make　allusions　which　quite

astonished　her。　She　thought　he　must　be　the　cleverest　man　in　all　the

world；　and　felt　the　greatest　respect　for　his　knowledge。　When　she

danced　with　him　again　she　fell　in　love　with　him；　which　the　shadow

quickly　discovered；　for　she　had　with　her　eyes　looked　him　through　and

through。　They　danced　once　more；　and　she　was　nearly　telling　him；　but

she　had　some　discretion；　she　thought　of　her　country；　her　kingdom；

and　the　number　of　people　over　whom　she　would　one　day　have　to　rule。　〃He

is　a　clever　man；〃　she　thought　to　herself；　〃which　is　a　good　thing；

and　he　dances　admirably；　which　is　also　good。　But　has　he

well…grounded　knowledge？　that　is　an　important　question；　and　I　must　try

him。〃　Then　she　asked　him　a　most　difficult　question；　she　herself

could　not　have　answered　it；　and　the　shadow　made　a　most　unaccountable

grimace。

　　　　〃You　cannot　answer　that；〃　said　the　princess。

　　　　〃I　learnt　something　about　it　in　my　childhood；〃　he　replied；　〃and

believe　that　even　my　very　shadow；　standing　over　there　by　the　door；

could　answer　it。〃

　　　　〃Your　shadow；〃　said　the　princess；　〃indeed　that　would　be　very

remarkable。〃

　　　　〃I　do　not　say　so　positively；〃　observed　the　shadow；　〃but　I　am

inclined　to　believe　that　he　can　do　so。　He　has　followed　me　for　so

many　years；　and　has　heard　so　much　from　me；　that　I　think　it　is　very

likely。　But　your　royal　highness　must　allow　me　to　observe；　that　he　is

very　proud　of　being　considered　a　man；　and　to　put　him　in　a　good

humor；　so　that　he　may　answer　correctly；　he　must　be　treated　as　a　man。〃

　　　　〃I　shall　be　very　pleased　to　do　so；〃　said　the　princess。　So　she

walked　up　to　the　learned　man；　who　stood　in　the　doorway；　and　spoke　to

him　of　the　sun；　and　the　moon；　of　the　green　forests；　and　of　people　near

home　and　far　off；　and　the　learned　man　conversed　with　her　pleasantly

and　sensibly。

　　　　〃What　a　wonderful　man　he　must　be；　to　have　such　a　clever　shadow！〃

thought　she。　〃If　I　were　to　choose　him　it　would　be　a　real　blessing　to

my　country　and　my　subjects；　and　I　will　do　it。〃　So　the　princess　and　the

shadow　were　soon　engaged　to　each　other；　but　no　one　was　to　be　told　a

word　about　it；　till　she　returned　to　her　kingdom。

　　　　〃No　one　shall　know；〃　said　the　shadow；　〃not　even　my　own　shadow；〃

and　he　had　very　particular　reasons　for　saying　so。

　　　　After　a　time；　the　princess　returned　to　the　land　over　which　she

reigned；　and　the　shadow　accompanied　her。

　　　　〃Listen　my　friend；〃　said　the　shadow　to　the　learned　man；　〃now

that　I　am　as　fortunate　and　as　powerful　as　any　man　can　be；　I　will　do

something　unusually　good　for　you。　You　shall　live　in　my　palace；　drive

with　me　in　the　royal　carriage；　and　have　a　hundred　thousand　dollars　a

year；　but　you　must　allow　every　one　to　call　you　a　shadow；　and　never

venture　to　say　that　you　have　been　a　man。　And　once　a　year；　when　I　sit

in　my　balcony　in　the　sunshine；　you　must　lie　at　my　feet　as　becomes　a

shadow　to　do；　for　I　must　tell　you　I　am　going　to　marry　the　princess；

and　our　wedding　will　take　place　this　evening。〃

　　　　〃Now；　really；　this　is　too　ridiculous；〃　said　the　learned　man。　〃I

cannot；　and　will　not；　submit　to　such　folly。　It　would　be　cheating　the

whole　country；　and　the　princess　also。　I　will　disclose　everything；

and　say　that　I　am　the　man；　and　that　you　are　only　a　shadow　dressed　up

in　men's　clothes。〃

　　　　〃No　one　would　believe　you；〃　said　the　shadow；　〃be　reasonable；

now；　or　I　will　call　the　guards。〃

　　　　〃I　will　go　straight　to　the　princess；〃　said　the　learned　man。

　　　　〃But　I　shall　be　there　first；〃　replied　the　shadow；　〃and　you　will　be

sent　to　prison。〃　And　so　it　turned　out；　for　the　guards　readily　obeyed

him；　as　they　knew　he　was　going　to　marry　the　king's　daughter。

　　　　〃You　tremble；〃　said　the　princess；　when　the　shadow　appeared

before　her。　〃Has　anything　happened？　You　must　not　be　ill　to…day；　for

this　evening　our　wedding　will　take　place。〃

　　　　〃I　have　gone　through　the　most　terrible　affair　that　could

possibly　happen；〃　said　the　shadow；　〃only　imagine；　my　shadow　has　gone

mad；　I　suppose　such　a　poor；　shallow　brain；　could　not　bear　much；　he

fancies　that　he　has　become　a　real　man；　and　that　I　am　his　shadow。〃

　　　　〃How　very　terrible；〃　cried　the　princess；　〃is　he　locked　up？〃

　　　　〃Oh　yes；　certainly；　for　I　fear　he　will　never　recover。〃

　　　　〃Poor　shadow！〃　said　the　princess；　〃it　is　very　unfortunate　for　him；

it　would　really　be　a　good　deed　to　free　him　from　his　frail　existence；

and；　indeed；　when　I　think　how　often　people　take　the　part　of　the

lower　class　against　the　higher；　in　these　days；　it　would　be　policy　to

put　him　out　of　the　way　quietly。〃

　　　　〃It　is　certainly　rather　hard　upon　him；　for　he　was　a　faithful

servant；〃　said　the　shadow；　and　he　pretended　to　sigh。

　　　　〃Yours　is　a　noble　character；〃　said　the　princess；　and　bowed　herself

before　him。

　　　　In　the　evening　the　whole　town　was　illuminated；　and　cannons　fired

〃boom；〃　and　the　soldiers　presented　arms。　It　was　indeed　a　grand

wedding。　The　princess　and　the　shadow　stepped　out　on　the　balcony　to

show　themselves；　and　to　receive　one　cheer　more。　But　the　learned　man

heard　nothing　of　all　these　festivities；　for　he　had　already　been

executed。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

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