太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > the little elder-tree mother >

第2节

the little elder-tree mother-第2节

小说: the little elder-tree mother 字数: 每页4000字

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!



soon as they seated themselves upon it the polished knob turned into a

neighing horse's head; a long black mane was fluttering in the wind;

and four strong slender legs grew out。 The animal was fiery and

spirited; they galloped round the lawn。 〃Hooray! now we shall ride far

away; many miles!〃 said the boy; 〃we shall ride to the nobleman's

estate where we were last year。〃 And they rode round the lawn again;

and the little girl; who; as we know; was no other than the little

elder…tree mother; continually cried; 〃Now we are in the country! Do

you see the farmhouse there; with the large baking stove; which

projects like a gigantic egg out of the wall into the road? The

elder…tree spreads its branches over it; and the cock struts about and

scratches for the hens。 Look how proud he is! Now we are near the

church; it stands on a high hill; under the spreading oak trees; one

of them is half dead! Now we are at the smithy; where the fire roars

and the half…naked men beat with their hammers so that the sparks

fly far and wide。 Let's be off to the beautiful farm!〃 And they passed

by everything the little girl; who was sitting behind on the stick;

described; and the boy saw it; and yet they only went round the

lawn。 Then they played in a side…walk; and marked out a little

garden on the ground; she took elder…blossoms out of her hair and

planted them; and they grew exactly like those the old people

planted when they were children; as we have heard before。 They

walked about hand in hand; just as the old couple had done when they

were little; but they did not go to the round tower nor to the

Fredericksburg garden。 No; the little girl seized the boy round the

waist; and then they flew far into the country。 It was spring and it

became summer; it was autumn and it became winter; and thousands of

pictures reflected themselves in the boy's eyes and heart; and the

little girl always sang again; 〃You will never forget that!〃 And

during their whole flight the elder…tree smelt so sweetly; he

noticed the roses and the fresh beeches; but the elder…tree smelt much

stronger; for the flowers were fixed on the little girl's bosom;

against which the boy often rested his head during the flight。

    〃It is beautiful here in spring;〃 said the little girl; and they

were again in the green beechwood; where the thyme breathed forth

sweet fragrance at their feet; and the pink anemones looked lovely

in the green moss。 〃Oh! that it were always spring in the fragrant

beechwood!〃

    〃Here it is splendid in summer!〃 she said; and they passed by

old castles of the age of chivalry。 The high walls and indented

battlements were reflected in the water of the ditches; on which swans

were swimming and peering into the old shady avenues。 The corn waved

in the field like a yellow sea。 Red and yellow flowers grew in the

ditches; wild hops and convolvuli in full bloom in the hedges。 In

the evening the moon rose; large and round; and the hayricks in the

meadows smelt sweetly。 〃One can never forget it!〃

    〃Here it is beautiful in autumn!〃 said the little girl; and the

atmosphere seemed twice as high and blue; while the wood shone with

crimson; green; and gold。 The hounds were running off; flocks of

wild fowl flew screaming over the barrows; while the bramble bushes

twined round the old stones。 The dark…blue sea was covered with

white…sailed ships; and in the barns sat old women; girls; and

children picking hops into a large tub; the young ones sang songs; and

the old people told fairy tales about goblins and sorcerers。 It

could not be more pleasant anywhere。

    〃Here it's agreeable in winter!〃 said the little girl; and all the

trees were covered with hoar…frost; so that they looked like white

coral。 The snow creaked under one's feet; as if one had new boots

on。 One shooting star after another traversed the sky。 In the room the

Christmas tree was lit; and there were song and merriment。 In the

peasant's cottage the violin sounded; and games were played for

apple quarters; even the poorest child said; 〃It is beautiful in

winter!〃

    And indeed it was beautiful! And the little girl showed everything

to the boy; and the elder…tree continued to breathe forth sweet

perfume; while the red flag with the white cross was streaming in

the wind; it was the flag under which the old sailor had served。 The

boy became a youth; he was to go out into the wide world; far away

to the countries where the coffee grows。 But at parting the little

girl took an elder…blossom from her breast and gave it to him as a

keepsake。 He placed it in his prayer…book; and when he opened it in

distant lands it was always at the place where the flower of

remembrance was lying; and the more he looked at it the fresher it

became; so that he could almost smell the fragrance of the woods at

home。 He distinctly saw the little girl; with her bright blue eyes;

peeping out from behind the petals; and heard her whispering; 〃Here it

is beautiful in spring; in summer; in autumn; and in winter;〃 and

hundreds of pictures passed through his mind。

    Thus many years rolled by。 He had now become an old man; and was

sitting; with his old wife; under an elder…tree in full bloom。 They

held each other by the hand exactly as the great…grandfather and the

great…grandmother had done outside; and; like them; they talked

about bygone days and of their golden wedding。 The little girl with

the blue eyes and elder…blossoms in her hair was sitting high up in

the tree; and nodded to them; saying; 〃To…day is the golden

wedding!〃 And then she took two flowers out of her wreath and kissed

them。 They glittered at first like silver; then like gold; and when

she placed them on the heads of the old people each flower became a

golden crown。 There they both sat like a king and queen under the

sweet…smelling tree; which looked exactly like an elder…tree; and he

told his wife the story of the elder…tree mother as it had been told

him when he was a little boy。 They were both of opinion that the story

contained many points like their own; and these similarities they

liked best。

    〃Yes; so it is;〃 said the little girl in the tree。 〃Some call me

Little Elder…tree Mother; others a Dryad; but my real name is

'Remembrance。' It is I who sit in the tree which grows and grows。 I

can remember things and tell stories! But let's see if you have

still got your flower。〃

    And the old man opened his prayer…book; the elder…blossom was

still in it; and as fresh as if it had only just been put in。

Remembrance nodded; and the two old people; with the golden crowns

on their heads; sat in the glowing evening sun。 They closed their eyes

and… and…

    Well; now the story is ended! The little boy in bed did not know

whether he had dreamt it or heard it told; the teapot stood on the

table; but no elder…tree was growing out of it; and the old man who

had told the story was on the point of leaving the room; and he did go

out。

    〃How beautiful it was!〃 said the little boy。 〃Mother; I have

been to warm countries!〃

    〃I believe you;〃 said the mother; 〃if one takes two cups of hot

elder…tea it is quite natural that one gets into warm countries!〃

And she covered him up well; so that he might not take cold。 〃You have

slept soundly while I was arguing with the old man whether it was a

story or a fairy tale!〃

    〃And what has become of the little elder…tree mother?〃 asked the

boy。

    〃She is in the teapot;〃 said the mother; 〃and there she may

remain。〃

                            THE END




返回目录 上一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的