hans brinker-第19节

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ight　feet　high；　fifty　feet　wide；　and　has　over　five　thousand　pipes。　　It　has　sixty…four　stopsif　you　know　what　they　are；　I　don'tand　three　keyboards。〃

〃Good　for　you！〃　said　Ben。　　〃You　have　a　fine　memory。　　MY　head　is　a　perfect　colander　for　figures。　　They　slip　through　as　fast　as　they're　poured　in。　　But　other　facts　and　historical　events　stay　behindthat's　some　consolation。〃

〃There　we　differ；〃　returned　Van　Mounen。　　〃I'm　great　on　names　and　figures；　but　history；　take　it　altogether；　seems　to　me　to　be　the　most　hopeless　kind　of　jumble。〃

Meantime　Carl　and　Ludwig　were　having　a　discussion　concerning　some　square　wooden　monuments　they　had　observed　in　the　interior　of　the　church。　　Ludwig　declared　that　each　bore　the　name　of　the　person　buried　beneath；　and　Carl　insisted　that　they　had　no　names　but　only　the　heraldic　arms　of　the　deceased　painted　on　a　black　ground；　with　the　date　of　the　death　in　gilt　letters。

〃I　ought　to　know；〃　said　Carl；　〃for　I　walked　across　to　the　east　side；　to　look　for　the　cannonball　Mother　told　me　was　embedded　there。　　It　was　fired　into　the　church；　in　the　year　fifteen　hundred　and　something；　by　those　rascally　Spaniards；　while　the　services　were　going　on。　　There　it　was　in　the　wall；　sure　enough；　and　while　I　was　walking　back；　I　noticed　the　monuments。　　I　tell　you；　they　haven't　the　sign　of　a　name　on　them。〃

〃Ask　Peter；〃　said　Ludwig；　only　half　convinced。

〃Carl　is　right；〃　replied　Peter；　who；　though　conversing　with　Jacob；　had　overheard　their　dispute。　　〃Well；　Jacob；　as　I　was　saying；　Handel；　the　great　composer；　chanced　to　visit　Haarlem　and；　of　course；　he　at　once　hunted　up　this　famous　organ。　　He　gained　admittance　and　was　playing　upon　it　with　all　his　might　when　the　regular　organist　chanced　to　enter　the　building。　　The　man　stood　awestruck。　　He　was　a　good　player　himself；　but　he　had　never　heard　such　music　before。　　'Who　is　there？'　he　cried。　　'If　it　is　not　an　angel　or　the　devil；　it　must　be　Handel！'　　When　he　discovered　that　it　WAS　the　great　musician；　he　was　still　more　mystified！　　'But　how　is　this？'　he　said。　　'You　have　done　impossible　thingsno　ten　fingers　on　earth　can　play　the　passages　you　have　given。　　Human　fingers　couldn't　control　all　the　keys　and　stops！'　　'I　know　it；'　said　Handel　coolly；　'and　for　that　reason；　I　was　forced　to　strike　some　notes　with　the　end　of　my　nose。'　　Donder！　just　think　how　the　old　organist　must　have　stared！〃

〃Hey！　　What？〃　exclaimed　Jacob；　startled　when　Peter's　animated　voice　suddenly　became　silent。

〃Haven't　you　heard　me；　you　rascal？〃　was　the　indignant　rejoinder。

〃Oh；　yesno。　　The　fact　is；　I　heard　you　at　first。　　I'm　awake　now；　but　I　do　believe　I've　been　walking　beside　you　half　asleep；〃　stammered　Jacob；　with　such　a　doleful；　bewildered　look　on　his　face　that　Peter　could　not　help　laughing。




The　Man　With　Four　Heads



After　leaving　the　church；　the　boys　stopped　nearby　in　the　open　marketplace；　to　look　at　the　bronze　statue　of　Laurens　Janszoon　Coster；　who　is　believed　by　the　Dutch　to　have　been　the　inventor　of　printing。　　This　is　disputed　by　those　who　award　the　same　honor　to　Johannes　Gutenberg　of　Mayence；　while　many　maintain　that　Faustus；　a　servant　of　Coster；　stole　his　master's　wooden　types　on　a　Christmas　eve；　when　the　latter　was　at　church；　and　fled　with　his　booty　and　his　secret；　to　Mayence。　　Coster　was　a　native　of　Haarlem；　and　the　Hollanders　are　naturally　anxious　to　secure　the　credit　of　the　invention　for　their　illustrious　townsman。　　Certain　it　is　that　the　first　book　he　printed　is　kept　by　the　city　in　a　silver　case　wrapped　in　silk　and　is　shown　with　great　caution　as　a　precious　relic。　　It　is　said　that　he　first　conceived　the　idea　of　printing　from　cutting　his　name　upon　the　bark　of　a　tree　and　afterward　pressing　a　piece　of　paper　upon　the　characters。

Of　course；　Lambert　and　his　English　friend　fully　discussed　this　subject。　　They　also　had　a　rather　warm　argument　concerning　another　invention。　　Lambert　declared　that　the　honor　of　giving　both　the　telescope　and　the　microscope　to　the　world　lay　between　Metius　and　Jansen；　both　Hollanders；　while　Ben　as　stoutly　insisted　that　Roger　Bacon；　an　English　monk　of　the　thirteenth　century；　〃wrote　out　the　whole　thing；　sir；　perfect　descriptions　of　microscopes　and　telescopes；　too；　long　before　either　of　those　other　fellows　was　born。〃

On　one　subject；　however；　they　both　agreed：　　that　the　art　of　curing　and　pickling　herrings　was　discovered　by　William　Beukles　of　Holland；　and　that　the　country　did　perfectly　right　in　honoring　him　as　a　national　benefactor；　for　its　wealth　and　importance　had　been　in　a　great　measure　due　to　its　herring　trade。

〃It　is　astonishing；〃　said　Ben；　〃in　what　prodigious　quantities　those　fish　are　found。　　I　don't　know　how　it　is　here；　but　on　the　coast　of　England；　off　Yarmouth；　the　herring　shoals　have　been　known　to　be　six　and　seven　feet　deep　with　fish。〃

〃That　is　prodigious；　indeed；〃　said　Lambert；　〃but　you　know　your　herring　is　derived　from　the　German　heer；　an　army；　on　account　of　a　way　the　fish　have　of　coming　in　large　numbers。'

Soon　afterward；　while　passing　a　cobbler's　shop；　Ben　exclaimed；　〃Halloo！　　Lambert；　here　is　the　name　of　one　of　your　greatest　men　over　a　cobbler's　stall！　　Boerhaave。　　If　it　were　only　Herman　Boerhaave　instead　of　Hendrick；　it　would　be　complete。〃

Lambert　knit　his　brows　reflectively；　as　he　replied；　〃Boerhaave；　Boerhaave！　　The　name　is　perfectly　familiar；　I　remember；　too；　that　he　was　born　in　1668；　but　the　rest　is　all　gone；　as　usual。　　There　have　been　so　many　famous　Hollanders；　you　see；　that　it　is　impossible　for　a　fellow　to　know　them　all。　　What　was　he？　　Did　he　have　two　heads？　　Or　was　he　one　of　your　great；　natural　swimmers　like　Marco　Polo？〃

〃He　had　FOUR　heads；〃　answered　Ben；　laughing；　〃for　he　was　a　great　physician；　naturalist；　botanist；　and　chemist。　　I　am　full　of　him　just　now；　for　I　read　his　life　a　few　weeks　ago。〃

〃Pour　out　a　little；　then；〃　said　Lambert；　〃only　walk　faster　or　we　shall　lose　sight　of　the　other　boys。〃

〃Well；〃　resumed　Ben；　quickening　his　pace　and　looking　with　great　interest　at　everything　going　on　in　the　crowded　street；　〃this　Dr。　Boerhaave　was　a　great　anspewker。〃

〃A　great　WHAT？〃　roared　Lambert。

〃Oh；　I　beg　pardon。　　I　was　thinking　of　that　man　over　there　with　the　cocked　hat。　　He's　an　anspewker；　isn't　he？〃

〃Yes。　　He's　an　aanspreeker；　if　that　is　what　you　mean　to　say。　　But　what　about　your　friend　with　the　four　heads？〃

〃Well；　as　I　was　going　to　say；　the　doctor　was　left　a　penniless　orphan　at　sixteen　without　education　or　friends〃

〃Jolly　beginning！〃　interposed　Lambert。

〃Now；　don't　interrupt。　　He　was　a　poor　friendless　orphan　at　sixteen；　but　he　was　so　persevering　and　industrious；　so　determined　to　gain　knowledge；　that　he　made　his　way；　and　in　time　became　one　of　the　most　learned　men　of　Europe。　　All　thewhat　is　that？〃

〃Where？　　What　do　you　mean？〃

〃Why；　that　paper　on　the　door　opposite。　　Don't　you　see？　　Two　or　three　persons　are　reading　it。　　I　have　noticed　several　of　these　papers　since　I've　been　here。〃

〃Oh；　that's　only　a　health　bulletin。　　Somebody　in　the　house　is　ill；　and　to　prevent　a　steady　knocking　at　the　door；　the　family　write　an　account　of　the　patient's　condition　on　a　placard　and　hang　it　outside　the　door；　for　the　benefit　of　inquiring　friendsa　very　sensible　custom；　I'm　sure。　　Nothing　strange　about　it　that　I　can　see。　　Go　on；　please。　　You　said；　'All　the'and　there　you　left　me　hanging。〃

〃I　was　going　to　say；〃　resumed　Ben；　〃that　all　theall　thehow　comically　persons　do　dress　here；　to　be　sure！　　Just　look　at　those　men　and　women　with　their　sugarloaf　hats。　　And　see　this　woman　ahead　of　us　with　a　straw　bonnet　like　a　scoop　shovel　tapering　to　a　point　in　the　back。　　Did　ever　you　see　anything　so　funny？　　And　those　tremendous　wooden　shoes；　tooI　declare；　she's　a　beauty？〃

〃Oh；　they　are　only　back…country　folk；〃　said　Lambert；　rather　impatiently。　　〃You　might　as　well　let　old　Boerhaave　drop　or　else　shut　your　eyes。〃

〃Ha！　ha！　　Well；　I　was　GOING　to　say；　all　the　big　men　of　his　day　sought　out　this　great　professor。　　Even　Peter　the　Great；　when　he　came　over　to　Holland　from　Russia　to　learn　shipbuilding；　attended　his　lectures　regularly。　　By　that　time　Boerhaave　was　professor　of　medicine　and　chemistry　and　botany　in　the　University　at　Leyden。　　He　had　grown　to　be　very　wealthy　as　a　practicing　physician；　but　he　used　to　say　that　the　poor　were　his　best　patients　because　God　would　be　their　paymaster。　　All　Europe　learned　to　love　and　honor　him。　　In　short；　he　became　so　famous　that　a　certain　mandarin　of　China　addressed　a　letter　to　'the　illustrious　Boerhaave；　physician　in　Europe；'　and　the　letter　found　its　way　to　him　without　any　difficulty。〃

〃My　goodness！　　That　is　what　I　call　being　a　public　character。　　The　boys　have　stopped。　　How　now；　Captain　van　Holp；　where　next？〃

〃We　propose　to　move　on；〃　said　Van　Holp。　　〃There　is　nothing　to　see　at　this　season　in　the　Bosch。　　The　Bosch　is　a　noble　wood；　Benjamin；　a　grand　park　where　they　have　most　magnificent　trees；　protected　by　law。　　Do　you　understand？〃

〃Ya！〃　nodded　Ben　as　the　captain　proceeded。

〃Unless　you　all　desire　to　visit　the　Museum　of　Natural　History；　we　may　go　on　the　grand　canal　again。　　If　we　had　more　time　it　would　be　pleasant　to　take　Benjamin　up　the　Blue　Stairs。〃

〃What　are　the　Blue　Stairs；　Lambert？〃　asked　Ben。

〃They　are　the　highest　point　of　the　Dunes。　　You　have　a　grand　view　of　the　ocean　from　there；　besides　a　fine　chance　to　see　how　wonder