the toad-第2节

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green　morsel；　it　would　only　tickle　my　throat。〃　The　other　fowls　took

the　same　view　of　it；　and　they　all　turned　away　together。

　　　　〃I　writhed　myself　free；〃　said　the　Caterpillar。　〃What　a　good

thing　it　is　when　one　has　presence　of　mind！　But　the　hardest　thing

remains　to　be　done；　and　that　is　to　get　on　my　leaf　again。　Where　is　it？〃

　　　　And　the　little　Toad　came　up　and　expressed　her　sympathy。　She　was

glad　that　in　her　ugliness　she　had　frightened　the　fowls。

　　　　〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃　cried　the　Caterpillar。　〃I　wriggled

myself　free　from　the　Fowl。　You　are　very　disagreeable　to　look　at。

Cannot　I　be　left　in　peace　on　my　own　property？　Now　I　smell　cabbage；　now

I　am　near　my　leaf。　Nothing　is　so　beautiful　as　property。　But　I　must

go　higher　up。〃

　　　　〃Yes；　higher　up；〃　said　the　little　Toad；　〃higher…up！　She　feels　just

as　I　do；　but　she's　not　in　a　good　humor　to…day。　That's　because　of　the

fright。　We　all　want　to　go　higher　up。〃　And　she　looked　up　as　high　as

ever　she　could。

　　　　The　stork　sat　in　his　nest　on　the　roof　of　the　farm…house。　He

clapped　with　his　beak；　and　the　Mother…stork　clapped　with　hers。

　　　　〃How　high　up　they　live！〃　thought　the　Toad。　〃If　one　could　only

get　as　high　as　that！〃

　　　　In　the　farm…house　lived　two　young　students；　the　one　was　a　poet　and

the　other　a　scientific　searcher　into　the　secrets　of　nature。　The　one

sang　and　wrote　joyously　of　everything　that　God　had　created；　and　how　it

was　mirrored　in　his　heart。　He　sang　it　out　clearly；　sweetly；　richly；　in

well…sounding　verses；　while　the　other　investigated　created　matter

itself；　and　even　cut　it　open　where　need　was。　He　looked　upon　God's

creation　as　a　great　sum　in　arithmetic…　subtracted；　multiplied；　and

tried　to　know　it　within　and　without；　and　to　talk　with　understanding

concerning　it；　and　that　was　a　very　sensible　thing；　and　he　spoke

joyously　and　cleverly　of　it。　They　were　good；　joyful　men；　those　two；

　　　　〃There　sits　a　good　specimen　of　a　toad；〃　said　the　naturalist。　〃I

must　have　that　fellow　in　a　bottle　of　spirits。〃

　　　　〃You　have　two　of　them　already；〃　replied　the　poet。　〃Let　the　thing

sit　there　and　enjoy　its　life。〃

　　　　〃But　it's　so　wonderfully　ugly；〃　persisted　the　first。

　　　　〃Yes；　if　we　could　find　the　jewel　in　its　head；〃　said　the　poet；　〃I

too　should　be　for　cutting　it　open。'

　　　　〃A　jewel！〃　cried　the　naturalist。　〃You　seem　to　know　a　great　deal

about　natural　history。〃

　　　　〃But　is　there　not　something　beautiful　in　the　popular　belief　that

just　as　the　toad　is　the　ugliest　of　animals；　it　should　often　carry

the　most　precious　jewel　in　its　head？　Is　it　not　just　the　same　thing

with　men？　What　a　jewel　that　was　that　Aesop　had；　and　still　more；

Socrates！〃

　　　　The　Toad　did　not　hear　any　more；　nor　did　she　understand　half　of

what　she　had　heard。　The　two　friends　walked　on；　and　thus　she　escaped

the　fate　of　being　bottled　up　in　spirits。

　　　　〃Those　two　also　were　speaking　of　the　jewel；〃　said　the　Toad　to

herself。　〃What　a　good　thing　that　I　have　not　got　it！　I　might　have

been　in　a　very　disagreeable　position。〃

　　　　Now　there　was　a　clapping　on　the　roof　of　the　farm…house。

Father…Stork　was　making　a　speech　to　his　family；　and　his　family　was

glancing　down　at　the　two　young　men　in　the　kitchen　garden。

　　　　〃Man　is　the　most　conceited　creature！〃　said　the　Stork。　〃Listen

how　their　jaws　are　wagging；　and　for　all　that　they　can't　clap　properly。

They　boast　of　their　gifts　of　eloquence　and　their　language！　Yes；　a　fine

language　truly！　Why；　it　changes　in　every　day's　journey　we　make。　One　of

them　doesn't　understand　another。　Now；　we　can　speak　our　language　over

the　whole　earth…　up　in　the　North　and　in　Egypt。　And　then　men　are　not

able　to　fly；　moreover。　They　rush　along　by　means　of　an　invention　they

call　'railway；'　but　they　often　break　their　necks　over　it。　It　makes

my　beak　turn　cold　when　I　think　of　it。　The　world　could　get　on　without

men。　We　could　do　without　them　very　well；　so　long　as　we　only　keep　frogs

and　earth…worms。〃

　　　　〃That　was　a　powerful　speech；〃　thought　the　little　Toad。　〃What　a

great　man　that　is　yonder！　and　how　high　he　sits！　Higher　than　ever　I　saw

any　one　sit　yet；　and　how　he　can　swim！〃　she　cried；　as　the　Stork

soared　away　through　the　air　with　outspread　pinions。

　　　　And　the　Mother…Stork　began　talking　in　the　nest；　and　told　about

Egypt　and　the　waters　of　the　Nile；　and　the　incomparable　mud　that　was　to

be　found　in　that　strange　land；　and　all　this　sounded　new　and　very

charming　to　the　little　Toad。

　　　　〃I　must　go　to　Egypt！〃　said　she。　〃If　the　Stork　or　one　of　his

young　ones　would　only　take　me！　I　would　oblige　him　in　return。　Yes；　I

shall　get　to　Egypt；　for　I　feel　so　happy！　All　the　longing　and　all　the

pleasure　that　I　feel　is　much　better　than　having　a　jewel　in　one's

head。〃

　　　　And　it　was　just　she　who　had　the　jewel。　That　jewel　was　the

continual　striving　and　desire　to　go　upward…　ever　upward。　It　gleamed　in

her　head；　gleamed　in　joy；　beamed　brightly　in　her　longing。

　　　　Then；　suddenly；　up　came　the　Stork。　He　had　seen　the　Toad　in　the

grass；　and　stooped　down　and　seized　the　little　creature　anything　but

gently。　The　Stork's　beak　pinched　her；　and　the　wind　whistled；　it　was

not　exactly　agreeable；　but　she　was　going　upward…　upward　towards　Egypt…

and　she　knew　it；　and　that　was　why　her　eyes　gleamed；　and　a　spark　seemed

to　fly　out　of　them。

　　　　〃Quunk！…　ah！〃

　　　　The　body　was　dead…　the　Toad　was　killed！　But　the　spark　that　had

shot　forth　from　her　eyes；　what　became　of　that？

　　　　The　sunbeam　took　it　up；　the　sunbeam　carried　the　jewel　from　the

head　of　the　toad。　Whither？

　　　　Ask　not　the　naturalist；　rather　ask　the　poet。　He　will　tell　it

thee　under　the　guise　of　a　fairy　tale；　and　the　Caterpillar　on　the

cabbage；　and　the　Stork　family　belong　to　the　story。　Think！　the

Caterpillar　is　changed；　and　turns　into　a　beautiful　butterfly；　the

Stork　family　flies　over　mountains　and　seas；　to　the　distant　Africa；　and

yet　finds　the　shortest　way　home　to　the　same　country…　to　the　same　roof。

Nay；　that　is　almost　too　improbable；　and　yet　it　is　true。　You　may　ask

the　naturalist；　he　will　confess　it　is　so；　and　you　know　it　yourself；

for　you　have　seen　it。

　　　　But　the　jewel　in　the　head　of　the　toad？

　　　　Seek　it　in　the　sun；　see　it　there　if　you　can。

　　　　The　brightness　is　too　dazzling　there。　We　have　not　yet　such　eyes　as

can　see　into　the　glories　which　God　has　created；　but　we　shall　receive

them　by…and…by；　and　that　will　be　the　most　beautiful　story　of　all；

and　we　shall　all　have　our　share　in　it。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

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