hans brinker-第2节

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Hans　had　taken　a　string　from　his　pocket。　　Humming　a　tune　as　he　knelt　beside　her；　he　proceeded　to　fasten　Gretel's　skate　with　all　the　force　of　his　strong　young　arm。

〃Oh！　oh！〃　she　cried　in　real　pain。

With　an　impatient　jerk　Hans　unwound　the　string。　　He　would　have　cast　it　on　the　ground　in　true　big…brother　style；　had　he　not　just　then　spied　a　tear　trickling　down　his　sister's　cheek。

〃I'll　fix　itnever　fear；〃　he　said　with　sudden　tenderness；　〃but　we　must　be　quick。　　The　mother　will　need　us　soon。〃

Then　he　glanced　inquiringly　about　him；　first　at　the　ground；　next　at　some　bare　willow　branches　above　his　head；　and　finally　at　the　sky；　now　gorgeous　with　streaks　of　blue；　crimson；　and　gold。

Finding　nothing　in　any　of　these　localities　to　meet　his　need；　his　eye　suddenly　brightened　as；　with　the　air　of　a　fellow　who　knew　what　he　was　about；　he　took　off　his　cap　and；　removing　the　tattered　lining；　adjusted　it　in　a　smooth　pad　over　the　top　of　Gretel's　worn…out　shoe。

〃Now；〃　he　cried　triumphantly；　at　the　same　time　arranging　the　strings　as　briskly　as　his　benumbed　fingers　would　allow；　〃can　you　bear　some　pulling？〃

Gretel　drew　up　her　lips　as　if　to　say；　〃Hurt　away；〃　but　made　no　further　response。

In　another　moment　they　were　all　laughing　together；　as　hand　in　hand　they　flew　along　the　canal；　never　thinking　whether　the　ice　would　bear　them　or　not；　for　in　Holland　ice　is　generally　an　all…winter　affair。　　It　settles　itself　upon　the　water　in　a　determined　kind　of　way；　and　so　far　from　growing　thin　and　uncertain　every　time　the　sun　is　a　little　severe　upon　it；　it　gathers　its　forces　day　by　day　and　flashes　defiance　to　every　beam。

Presently；　squeak！　squeak！　sounded　something　beneath　Hans'　feet。　　next　his　strokes　grew　shorter；　ending　oftimes　with　a　jerk；　and　finally；　he　lay　sprawling　upon　the　ice；　kicking　against　the　air　with　many　a　fantastic　flourish。

〃Ha！　ha！〃　laughed　Gretel。　　〃That　was　a　fine　tumble！〃　　But　a　tender　heart　was　beating　under　her　coarse　blue　jacket；　and　even　as　she　laughed；　she　came；　with　a　graceful　sweep；　close　to　her　prostrate　brother。

〃Are　you　hurt；　Hans？　　Oh；　you　are　laughing！　　Catch　me　now！〃　　And　she　darted　away；　shivering　no　longer；　but　with　cheeks　all　aglow　and　eyes　sparkling　with　fun。

Hans　sprang　to　his　feet　and　started　in　brisk　pursuit；　but　it　was　no　easy　thing　to　catch　Gretel。　　Before　she　had　traveled　very　far；　her　skates；　too；　began　to　squeak。

Believing　that　discretion　was　the　better　part　of　valor；　she　turned　suddenly　and　skated　into　her　pursuer's　arms。

〃Ha！　ha！　I've　caught　you！〃　cried　Hans。

〃Ha！　ha！　I　caught　YOU；〃　she　retorted；　struggling　to　free　herself。

Just　then　a　clear；　quick　voice　was　heard　calling；　〃Hans！　　Gretel！〃

〃It's　the　mother；〃　said　Hans；　looking　solemn　in　an　instant。

By　this　time　the　canal　was　gilded　with　sunlight。　　The　pure　morning　air　was　very　delightful；　and　skaters　were　gradually　increasing　in　numbers。　　It　was　hard　to　obey　the　summons。　　But　Gretel　and　Hans　were　good　children；　without　a　thought　of　yielding　to　the　temptation　to　linger；　they　pulled　off　their　skates；　leaving　half　the　knots　still　tied。　　Hans；　with　his　great　square　shoulders　and　bushy　yellow　hair；　towered　high　above　his　blue…eyed　little　sister　as　they　trudged　homeward。　　He　was　fifteen　years　old　and　Gretel　was　only　twelve。　　He　was　a　solid；　hearty…looking　boy；　with　honest　eyes　and　a　brow　that　seemed　to　bear　a　sign　GOODNESS　WITHIN　just　as　the　little　Dutch　zomerhuis　*｛Summer　house｝　wears　a　motto　over　its　portal。　　Gretel　was　lithe　and　quick；　her　eyes　had　a　dancing　light　in　them；　and　while　you　looked　at　her　cheek　the　color　paled　and　deepened　just　as　it　does　upon　a　bed　of　pink　and　white　blossoms　when　the　wind　is　blowing。

As　soon　as　the　children　turned　from　the　canal；　they　could　see　their　parents'　cottage。　　Their　mother's　tall　form；　arrayed　in　jacket　and　petticoat　and　close…fitting　cap；　stood；　like　a　picture；　in　the　crooked　frame　of　the　doorway。　　Had　the　cottage　been　a　mile　away；　it　would　still　have　seemed　near。　　In　that　flat　country　every　object　stands　out　plainly　in　the　distance；　the　chickens　show　as　distinctly　as　the　windmills。　　Indeed；　were　it　not　for　the　dikes　and　the　high　banks　of　the　canals；　one　could　stand　almost　anywhere　in　middle　Holland　without　seeing　a　mound　or　a　ridge　between　the　eye　and　the　〃jumping…off　place。〃

None　had　better　cause　to　know　the　nature　of　these　same　dikes　than　Dame　Brinker　and　the　panting　youngsters　now　running　at　her　call。　　But　before　stating　WHY；　let　me　ask　you　to　take　a　rocking…chair　trip　with　me　to　that　far　country　where　you　may　see；　perhaps　for　the　first　time；　some　curious　things　that　Hans　and　Gretel　saw　every　day。




Holland



Holland　is　one　of　the　queerest　countries　under　the　sun。　　It　should　be　called　Odd…land　or　Contrary…land；　for　in　nearly　everything　it　is　different　from　the　other　parts　of　the　world。　　In　the　first　place；　a　large　portion　of　the　country　is　lower　than　the　level　of　the　sea。　　Great　dikes；　or　bulwarks；　have　been　erected　at　a　heavy　cost　of　money　and　labor　to　keep　the　ocean　where　it　belongs。　　On　certain　parts　of　the　coast　it　sometimes　leans　with　all　its　weight　against　the　land；　and　it　is　as　much　as　the　poor　country　can　do　to　stand　the　pressure。　　Sometimes　the　dikes　give　way　or　spring　a　leak；　and　the　most　disastrous　results　ensue。　　They　are　high　and　wide；　and　the　tops　of　some　of　them　are　covered　with　buildings　and　trees。　　They　have　even　fine　public　roads　on　them；　from　which　horses　may　look　down　upon　wayside　cottages。　　Often　the　keels　of　floating　ships　are　higher　than　the　roofs　of　the　dwellings。　　The　stork　clattering　to　her　young　on　the　house　peak　may　feel　that　her　nest　is　lifted　far　out　of　danger；　but　the　croaking　frog　in　neighboring　bulrushes　is　nearer　the　stars　than　she。　　Water　bugs　dart　backward　and　forward　above　the　heads　of　the　chimney　swallows；　and　willow　trees　seem　drooping　with　shame；　because　they　cannot　reach　as　high　as　the　reeds　nearby。

Ditches；　canals；　ponds；　rivers；　and　lakes　are　everywhere　to　be　seen。　　High；　but　not　dry；　they　shine　in　the　sunlight；　catching　nearly　all　the　bustle　and　the　business；　quite　scorning　the　tame　fields　stretching　damply　beside　them。　　One　is　tempted　to　ask；　〃Which　is　Hollandthe　shores　or　the　water？〃　　The　very　verdure　that　should　be　confined　to　the　land　has　made　a　mistake　and　settled　upon　the　fish　ponds。　　In　fact；　the　entire　country　is　a　kind　of　saturated　sponge　or；　as　the　English　poet；　Butler；　called　it；


A　land　that　rides　at　anchor；　and　is　moor'd；　In　which　they　do　not　live；　but　go　aboard。


Persons　are　born；　live；　and　die；　and　even　have　their　gardens　on　canal…boats。　　Farmhouses；　with　roofs　like　great　slouched　hats　pulled　over　their　eyes；　stand　on　wooden　legs　with　a　tucked…up　sort　of　air；　as　if　to　say；　〃We　intend　to　keep　dry　if　we　can。〃　　Even　the　horses　wear　a　wide　stool　on　each　hoof　as　if　to　lift　them　out　of　the　mire。　　In　short；　the　landscape　everywhere　suggests　a　paradise　for　ducks。　　It　is　a　glorious　country　in　summer　for　barefoot　girls　and　boys。　　Such　wading！　　Such　mimic　ship　sailing！　　Such　rowing；　fishing；　and　swimming！　　Only　think　of　a　chain　of　puddles　where　one　can　launch　chip　boats　all　day　long　and　never　make　a　return　trip！　　But　enough。　　A　full　recital　would　set　all　young　America　rushing　in　a　body　toward　the　Zuider　Zee。

Dutch　cities　seem　at　first　sight　to　be　a　bewildering　jungle　of　houses；　bridges；　churches；　and　ships；　sprouting　into　masts；　steeples；　and　trees。　　In　some　cities　vessels　are　hitched　like　horses　to　their　owners'　doorposts　and　receive　their　freight　from　the　upper　windows。　　Mothers　scream　to　Lodewyk　and　Kassy　not　to　swing　on　the　garden　gate　for　fear　they　may　be　drowned！　　Water　roads　are　more　frequent　there　than　common　roads　and　railways；　water　fences　in　the　form　of　lazy　green　ditches　enclose　pleasure…ground；　farm；　and　garden。

Sometimes　fine　green　hedges　are　seen；　but　wooden　fences　such　as　we　have　in　America　are　rarely　met　with　in　Holland。　　As　for　stone　fences；　a　Dutchman　would　lift　his　hands　with　astonishment　at　the　very　idea。　　There　is　no　stone　there；　except　for　those　great　masses　of　rock　that　have　been　brought　from　other　lands　to　strengthen　and　protect　the　coast。　　All　the　small　stones　or　pebbles；　if　there　ever　were　any；　seem　to　be　imprisoned　in　pavements　or　quite　melted　away。　　Boys　with　strong；　quick　arms　may　grow　from　pinafores　to　full　beards　without　ever　finding　one　to　start　the　water　rings　or　set　the　rabbits　flying。　　The　water　roads　are　nothing　less　than　canals　intersecting　the　country　in　every　direction。　　These　are　of　all　sizes；　from　the　great　North　Holland　Ship　Canal；　which　is　the　wonder　of　the　world；　to　those　which　a　boy　can　leap。　　Water　omnibuses；　called　trekschuiten；　*｛Canal　boats。　　Some　of　the　first　named　are　over　thirty　feet　long。　　They　look　like　green　houses　lodged　on　barges　and　are　drawn　by　horses　walking　along　the　bank　of　the　canal。　　The　trekschuiten　are　divided　into　two　compartments；　first　and　second　class；　and　when　not　too　crowded；　the　passengers　make　themselves　quite　at　home　in　them；　the　men　smoke；　the　women　knit　or　sew；　while　children　play　upon　the　small　outer　deck。　　Many　of　the　canal　boats　have　white；　yellow；　or　chocolate…colored　sails。　　This　last　color　is　caused　by　a　tanning　preparation　which　is　put　on　to　preserve　them。｝　constantly　ply　up　and　down　these　roads　for　the　conveyance　of　passengers；