the beetle who went on his travels-第2节

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while　our　friend　was　engaged。　The　mother　gave　them　her　blessing；　and

all　the　other　beetles　cried　〃hurrah。〃

　　　　Immediately　after　the　betrothal　came　the　marriage；　for　there　was

no　reason　to　delay。　The　following　day　passed　very　pleasantly；　and

the　next　was　tolerably　comfortable；　but　on　the　third　it　became

necessary　for　him　to　think　of　getting　food　for　his　wife；　and；　perhaps；

for　children。

　　　　〃I　have　allowed　myself　to　be　taken　in；〃　said　our　beetle　to

himself；　〃and　now　there's　nothing　to　be　done　but　to　take　them　in；　in

return。〃

　　　　No　sooner　said　than　done。　Away　he　went；　and　stayed　away　all　day

and　all　night；　and　his　wife　remained　behind　a　forsaken　widow。

　　　　〃Oh；〃　said　the　other　beetles；　〃this　fellow　that　we　have　received

into　our　family　is　nothing　but　a　complete　vagabond。　He　has　gone　away

and　left　his　wife　a　burden　upon　our　hands。〃

　　　　〃Well；　she　can　be　unmarried　again；　and　remain　here　with　my　other

daughters；〃　said　the　mother。　〃Fie　on　the　villain　that　forsook　her！〃

　　　　In　the　mean　time　the　beetle；　who　had　sailed　across　the　ditch　on

a　cabbage　leaf；　had　been　journeying　on　the　other　side。　In　the

morning　two　persons　came　up　to　the　ditch。　When　they　saw　him　they

took　him　up　and　turned　him　over　and　over；　looking　very　learned　all　the

time；　especially　one；　who　was　a　boy。　〃Allah　sees　the　black　beetle　in

the　black　stone；　and　the　black　rock。　Is　not　that　written　in　the

Koran？〃　he　asked。

　　　　Then　he　translated　the　beetle's　name　into　Latin；　and　said　a

great　deal　upon　the　creature's　nature　and　history。　The　second

person；　who　was　older　and　a　scholar；　proposed　to　carry　the　beetle

home；　as　they　wanted　just　such　good　specimens　as　this。　Our　beetle

considered　this　speech　a　great　insult；　so　he　flew　suddenly　out　of

the　speaker's　hand。　His　wings　were　dry　now；　so　they　carried　him　to　a

great　distance；　till　at　last　he　reached　a　hothouse；　where　a　sash　of

the　glass　roof　was　partly　open；　so　he　quietly　slipped　in　and　buried

himself　in　the　warm　earth。　〃It　is　very　comfortable　here；〃　he　said　to

himself；　and　soon　after　fell　asleep。　Then　he　dreamed　that　the

emperor's　horse　was　dying；　and　had　left　him　his　golden　shoes；　and　also

promised　that　he　should　have　two　more。　All　this　was　very　delightful；

and　when　the　beetle　woke　up　he　crept　forth　and　looked　around　him。　What

a　splendid　place　the　hothouse　was！　At　the　back；　large　palm…trees

were　growing；　and　the　sunlight　made　the　leaves…　look　quite　glossy；　and

beneath　them　what　a　profusion　of　luxuriant　green；　and　of　flowers　red

like　flame；　yellow　as　amber；　or　white　as　new…fallen　snow！　〃What　a

wonderful　quantity　of　plants；〃　cried　the　beetle；　〃how　good　they　will

taste　when　they　are　decayed！　This　is　a　capital　store…room。　There

must　certainly　be　some　relations　of　mine　living　here；　I　will　just

see　if　I　can　find　any　one　with　whom　I　can　associate。　I'm　proud；

certainly；　but　I'm　also　proud　of　being　so。　Then　he　prowled　about　in

the　earth；　and　thought　what　a　pleasant　dream　that　was　about　the

dying　horse；　and　the　golden　shoes　he　had　inherited。　Suddenly　a　hand

seized　the　beetle；　and　squeezed　him；　and　turned　him　round　and　round。

The　gardener's　little　son　and　his　playfellow　had　come　into　the

hothouse；　and；　seeing　the　beetle；　wanted　to　have　some　fun　with　him。

First；　he　was　wrapped；　in　a　vine…leaf；　and　put　into　a　warm　trousers'

pocket。　He　twisted　and　turned　about　with　all　his　might；　but　he　got　a

good　squeeze　from　the　boy's　hand；　as　a　hint　for　him　to　keep　quiet。

Then　the　boy　went　quickly　towards　a　lake　that　lay　at　the　end　of　the

garden。　Here　the　beetle　was　put　into　an　old　broken　wooden　shoe；　in

which　a　little　stick　had　been　fastened　upright　for　a　mast；　and　to　this

mast　the　beetle　was　bound　with　a　piece　of　worsted。　Now　he　was　a

sailor；　and　had　to　sail　away。　The　lake　was　not　very　large；　but　to

the　beetle　it　seemed　an　ocean；　and　he　was　so　astonished　at　its　size

that　he　fell　over　on　his　back；　and　kicked　out　his　legs。　Then　the

little　ship　sailed　away；　sometimes　the　current　of　the　water　seized　it；

but　whenever　it　went　too　far　from　the　shore　one　of　the　boys　turned

up　his　trousers；　and　went　in　after　it；　and　brought　it　back　to　land。

But　at　last；　just　as　it　went　merrily　out　again；　the　two　boys　were

called；　and　so　angrily；　that　they　hastened　to　obey；　and　ran　away　as

fast　as　they　could　from　the　pond；　so　that　the　little　ship　was　left

to　its　fate。　It　was　carried　away　farther　and　farther　from　the　shore；

till　it　reached　the　open　sea。　This　was　a　terrible　prospect　for　the

beetle；　for　he　could　not　escape　in　consequence　of　being　bound　to　the

mast。　Then　a　fly　came　and　paid　him　a　visit。　〃What　beautiful

weather；〃　said　the　fly；　〃I　shall　rest　here　and　sun　myself。　You　must

have　a　pleasant　time　of　it。〃

　　　　〃You　speak　without　knowing　the　facts；〃　replied　the　beetle；

〃don't　you　see　that　I　am　a　prisoner？〃

　　　　〃Ah；　but　I'm　not　a　prisoner；〃　remarked　the　fly；　and　away　he　flew。

　　　　〃Well；　now　I　know　the　world；〃　said　the　beetle　to　himself；　〃it's　an

abominable　world；　I'm　the　only　respectable　person　in　it。　First；　they

refuse　me　my　golden　shoes；　then　I　have　to　lie　on　damp　linen；　and　to

stand　in　a　draught；　and　to　crown　all；　they　fasten　a　wife　upon　me。

Then；　when　I　have　made　a　step　forward　in　the　world；　and　found　out　a

comfortable　position；　just　as　I　could　wish　it　to　be；　one　of　these

human　boys　comes　and　ties　me　up；　and　leaves　me　to　the　mercy　of　the

wild　waves；　while　the　emperor's　favorite　horse　goes　prancing　about

proudly　on　his　golden　shoes。　This　vexes　me　more　than　anything。　But

it　is　useless　to　look　for　sympathy　in　this　world。　My　career　has　been

very　interesting；　but　what's　the　use　of　that　if　nobody　knows

anything　about　it？　The　world　does　not　deserve　to　be　made　acquainted

with　my　adventures；　for　it　ought　to　have　given　me　golden　shoes　when

the　emperor's　horse　was　shod；　and　I　stretched　out　my　feet　to　be

shod；　too。　If　I　had　received　golden　shoes　I　should　have　been　an

ornament　to　the　stable；　now　I　am　lost　to　the　stable　and　to　the

world。　It　is　all　over　with　me。〃

　　　　But　all　was　not　yet　over。　A　boat；　in　which　were　a　few　young　girls；

came　rowing　up。　〃Look；　yonder　is　an　old　wooden　shoe　sailing　along；〃

said　one　of　the　younger　girls。

　　　　〃And　there's　a　poor　little　creature　bound　fast　in　it；〃　said

another。

　　　　The　boat　now　came　close　to　our　beetle's　ship；　and　the　young

girls　fished　it　out　of　the　water。　One　of　them　drew　a　small　pair　of

scissors　from　her　pocket；　and　cut　the　worsted　without　hurting　the

beetle；　and　when　she　stepped　on　shore　she　placed　him　on　the　grass。

〃There；〃　she　said；　〃creep　away；　or　fly；　if　thou　canst。　It　is　a

splendid　thing　to　have　thy　liberty。〃　Away　flew　the　beetle；　straight

through　the　open　window　of　a　large　building；　there　he　sank　down；　tired

and　exhausted；　exactly　on　the　mane　of　the　emperor's　favorite　horse；

who　was　standing　in　his　stable；　and　the　beetle　found　himself　at　home

again。　For　some　time　he　clung　to　the　mane；　that　he　might　recover

himself。　〃Well；〃　he　said；　〃here　I　am；　seated　on　the　emperor's　favorite

horse；…　sitting　upon　him　as　if　I　were　the　emperor　himself。　But　what

was　it　the　farrier　asked　me？　Ah；　I　remember　now；…　that's　a　good

thought；…　he　asked　me　why　the　golden　shoes　were　given　to　the　horse。

The　answer　is　quite　clear　to　me；　now。　They　were　given　to　the　horse

on　my　account。〃　And　this　reflection　put　the　beetle　into　a　good　temper。

The　sun's　rays　also　came　streaming　into　the　stable；　and　shone　upon

him；　and　made　the　place　lively　and　bright。　〃Travelling　expands　the

mind　very　much；〃　said　the　beetle。　〃The　world　is　not　so　bad　after

all；　if　you　know　how　to　take　things　as　they　come。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

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