what the moon saw-第3节

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！




　　　　Heavy　clouds　obscured　the　sky；　and　the　Moon　did　not　make　his

appearance　at　all。　I　stood　in　my　little　room；　more　lonely　than　ever；

and　looked　up　at　the　sky　where　he　ought　to　have　shown　himself。　My

thoughts　flew　far　away；　up　to　my　great　friend；　who　every　evening

told　me　such　pretty　tales；　and　showed　me　pictures。　Yes；　he　has　had

an　experience　indeed。　He　glided　over　the　waters　of　the　Deluge；　and

smiled　on　Noah's　ark　just　as　he　lately　glanced　down　upon　me；　and

brought　comfort　and　promise　of　a　new　world　that　was　to　spring　forth

from　the　old。　When　the　Children　of　Israel　sat　weeping　by　the　waters　of

Babylon；　he　glanced　mournfully　upon　the　willows　where　hung　the

silent　harps。　When　Romeo　climbed　the　balcony；　and　the　promise　of

true　love　fluttered　like　a　cherub　toward　heaven；　the　round　Moon

hung；　half　hidden　among　the　dark　cypresses；　in　the　lucid　air。　He　saw

the　captive　giant　at　St。　Helena；　looking　from　the　lonely　rock　across

the　wide　ocean；　while　great　thoughts　swept　through　his　soul。　Ah！

what　tales　the　Moon　can　tell。　Human　life　is　like　a　story　to　him。

To…night　I　shall　not　see　thee　again；　old　friend。　Tonight　I　can　draw　no

picture　of　the　memories　of　thy　visit。　And；　as　I　looked　dreamily

towards　the　clouds；　the　sky　became　bright。　There　was　a　glancing　light；

and　a　beam　from　the　Moon　fell　upon　me。　It　vanished　again；　and　dark

clouds　flew　past：　but　still　it　was　a　greeting；　a　friendly　good…night

offered　to　me　by　the　Moon。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　NINTH　EVENING



　　　　The　air　was　clear　again。　Several　evenings　had　passed；　and　the　Moon

was　in　the　first　quarter。　Again　he　gave　me　an　outline　for　a　sketch。

Listen　to　what　he　told　me。

　　　　〃I　have　followed　the　polar　bird　and　the　swimming　whale　to　the

eastern　coast　of　Greenland。　Gaunt　ice…covered　rocks　and　dark　clouds

hung　over　a　valley；　where　dwarf　willows　and　barberry　bushes　stood

clothed　in　green。　The　blooming　lychnis　exhaled　sweet　odours。　My

light　was　faint；　my　face　pale　as　the　water　lily　that；　torn　from　its

stem；　has　been　drifting　for　weeks　with　the　tide。　The　crown…shaped

Northern　Light　burned　fiercely　in　the　sky。　Its　ring　was　broad；　and

from　its　circumference　the　rays　shot　like　whirling　shafts　of　fire

across　the　whole　sky；　flashing　in　changing　radiance　from　green　to　red。

The　inhabitants　of　that　icy　region　were　assembling　for　dance　and

festivity；　but；　accustomed　to　this　glorious　spectacle；　they　scarcely

deigned　to　glance　at　it。　'Let　us　leave　the　soul　of　the　dead　to　their

ball…play　with　the　heads　of　the　walruses；'　they　thought　in　their

superstition；　and　they　turned　their　whole　attention　to　the　song　and

dance。　In　the　midst　of　the　circle；　and　divested　of　his　furry　cloak；

stood　a　Greenlander；　with　a　small　pipe；　and　he　played　and　sang　a

song　about　catching　the　seal；　and　the　chorus　around　chimed　in　with；

'Eia；　Eia；　Ah。'　And　in　their　white　furs　they　danced　about　in　the

circle；　till　you　might　fancy　it　was　a　polar　bear's　ball。

　　　　〃And　now　a　Court　of　Judgment　was　opened。　Those　Greenlanders　who

had　quarrelled　stepped　forward；　and　the　offended　person　chanted

forth　the　faults　of　his　adversary　in　an　extempore　song；　turning　them

sharply　into　ridicule；　to　the　sound　of　the　pipe　and　the　measure　of　the

dance。　The　defendant　replied　with　satire　as　keen；　while　the　audience

laughed；　and　gave　their　verdict。　The　rocks　heaved；　the　glaciers

melted；　and　great　masses　of　ice　and　snow　came　crashing　down；　shivering

to　fragments　as　they　fall；　it　was　a　glorious　Greenland　summer　night。　A

hundred　paces　away；　under　the　open　tent　of　hides；　lay　a　sick　man。　Life

still　flowed　through　his　warm　blood；　but　still　he　was　to　die…　he

himself　felt　it；　and　all　who　stood　round　him　knew　it　also；　therefore

his　wife　was　already　sewing　round　him　the　shroud　of　furs；　that　she

might　not　afterwards　be　obliged　to　touch　the　dead　body。　And　she　asked；

'Wilt　thou　be　buried　on　the　rock；　in　the　firm　snow？　I　will　deck　the

spot　with　thy　kayak；　and　thy　arrows；　and　the　angekokk　shall　dance　over

it。　Or　wouldst　thou　rather　be　buried　in　the　sea？'　'In　the　sea；'　he

whispered；　and　nodded　with　a　mournful　smile。　'Yes；　it　is　a　pleasant

summer　tent；　the　sea；'　observed　the　wife。　'Thousands　of　seals　sport

there；　the　walrus　shall　lie　at　thy　feet；　and　the　hunt　will　be　safe　and

merry！'　And　the　yelling　children　tore　the　outspread　hide　from　the

window…hole；　that　the　dead　man　might　be　carried　to　the　ocean；　the

billowy　ocean；　that　had　given　him　food　in　life；　and　that　now；　in

death；　was　to　afford　him　a　place　of　rest。　For　his　monument；　he　had　the

floating；　ever…changing　icebergs；　whereon　the　seal　sleeps；　while　the

storm　bird　flies　round　their　gleaming　summits！〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　TENTH　EVENING



　　　　〃I　knew　an　old　maid；〃　said　the　Moon。　〃Every　winter　she　wore　a

wrapper　of　yellow　satin；　and　it　always　remained　new；　and　was　the

only　fashion　she　followed。　In　summer　she　always　wore　the　same　straw

hat；　and　I　verily　believe　the　very　same　gray…blue　dress。

　　　　〃She　never　went　out；　except　across　the　street　to　an　old　female

friend；　and　in　later　years　she　did　not　even　take　this　walk；　for　the

old　friend　was　dead。　In　her　solitude　my　old　maid　was　always　busy　at

the　window；　which　was　adorned　in　summer　with　pretty　flowers；　and　in

winter　with　cress；　grown　upon　felt。　During　the　last　months　I　saw　her

no　more　at　the　window；　but　she　was　still　alive。　I　knew　that；　for　I　had

not　yet　seen　her　begin　the　'long　journey；'　of　which　she　often　spoke

with　her　friend。　'Yes；　yes；'　she　was　in　the　habit　of　saying；　when　I

come　to　die　I　shall　take　a　longer　journey　than　I　have　made　my　whole

life　long。　Our　family　vault　is　six　miles　from　here。　I　shall　be　carried

there；　and　shall　sleep　there　among　my　family　and　relatives。'　Last

night　a　van　stopped　at　the　house。　A　coffin　was　carried　out；　and　then　I

knew　that　she　was　dead。　They　placed　straw　round　the　coffin；　and　the

van　drove　away。　There　slept　the　quiet　old　lady；　who　had　not　gone　out

of　her　house　once　for　the　last　year。　The　van　rolled　out　through　the

town…gate　as　briskly　as　if　it　were　going　for　a　pleasant　excursion。

On　the　high…road　the　pace　was　quicker　yet。　The　coachman　looked

nervously　round　every　now　and　then…　I　fancy　he　half　expected　to　see

her　sitting　on　the　coffin；　in　her　yellow　satin　wrapper。　And　because　he

was　startled；　he　foolishly　lashed　his　horses；　while　he　held　the

reins　so　tightly　that　the　poor　beasts　were　in　a　foam：　they　were

young　and　fiery。　A　hare　jumped　across　the　road　and　startled　them；

and　they　fairly　ran　away。　The　old　sober　maiden；　who　had　for　years

and　years　moved　quietly　round　and　round　in　a　dull　circle；　was　now；

in　death；　rattled　over　stock　and　stone　on　the　public　highway。　The

coffin　in　its　covering　of　straw　tumbled　out　of　the　van；　and　was　left

on　the　high…road；　while　horses；　coachman；　and　carriage　flew　past　in

wild　career。　The　lark　rose　up　carolling　from　the　field；　twittering　her

morning　lay　over　the　coffin；　and　presently　perched　upon　it；　picking

with　her　beak　at　the　straw　covering；　as　though　she　would　tear　it　up。

The　lark　rose　up　again；　singing　gaily；　and　I　withdrew　behind　the　red

morning　clouds。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ELEVENTH　EVENING



　　　　〃I　will　give　you　a　picture　of　Pompeii；〃　said　the　Moon。　〃I　was　in

the　suburb　in　the　Street　of　Tombs；　as　they　call　it；　where　the　fair

monuments　stand；　in　the　spot　where；　ages　ago；　the　merry　youths；

their　temples　bound　with　rosy　wreaths；　danced　with　the　fair　sisters　of

Lais。　Now；　the　stillness　of　death　reigned　around。　German

mercenaries；　in　the　Neapolitan　service；　kept　guard；　played　cards；

and　diced；　and　a　troop　of　strangers　from　beyond　the　mountains　came

into　the　town；　accompanied　by　a　sentry。　They　wanted　to　see　the　city

that　had　risen　from　the　grave　illumined　by　my　beams；　and　I　showed　them

the　wheel…ruts　in　the　streets　paved　with　broad　lava　slabs；　I　showed

them　the　names　on　the　doors；　and　the　signs　that　hung　there　yet：　they

saw　in　the　little　courtyard　the　basins　of　the　fountains；　ornamented

with　shells；　but　no　jet　of　water　gushed　upwards；　no　songs　sounded

forth　from　the　richly…painted　chambers；　where　the　bronze　dog　kept

the　door。

　　　　〃It　was　the　City　of　the　Dead；　only　Vesuvius　thundered　forth　his

everlasting　hymn；　each　separate　verse　of　which　is　called　by　men　an

eruption。　We　went　to　the　temple　of　Venus；　built　of　snow…white

marble；　with　its　high　altar　in　front　of　the　broad　steps；　and　the

weeping　willows　sprouting　freshly　forth　among　the　pillars。　The　air　was

transparent　and　blue；　and　black　Vesuvius　formed　the　background；　with

fire　ever　shooting　forth　from　it；　like　the　stem　of　the　pine　tree。

Above　it　stretched　the　smoky　cloud　in　the　silence　of　the　night；　like

the　crown　of　the　pine；　but　in　a　blood…red　illumination。　Among　the

company　was　a　lady　singer；　a　real　and　great　singer。　I　have　witnessed

the　homage　paid　to　her　in　the　greatest　cities　of　Europe。　When　they

came　to　the　tragic　theatre；　they　all　sat　down　on　the　amphitheatre

steps；　and　thus　a　small　part　of　the　house　was　occupied　by　an　audience；

as　it　had　been　many　centuries　ago。　The　stage　still　stood　unchanged；

with　its　walled　side…scenes；　and　the　two　arches　in　the　background；

through　which　the　beholder