soup from a sausage skewer-第1章

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SOUP　FROM　A　SAUSAGE　SKEWER

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen



　　　　〃WE　had　such　an　excellent　dinner　yesterday；〃　said　an　old　mouse

of　the　female　sex　to　another　who　had　not　been　present　at　the　feast。　〃I

sat　number　twenty…one　below　the　mouse…king；　which　was　not　a　bad　place。

Shall　I　tell　you　what　we　had？　Everything　was　first　rate。　Mouldy　bread；

tallow　candle；　and　sausage。　And　then；　when　we　had　finished　that

course；　the　same　came　on　all　over　again；　it　was　as　good　as　two　feasts。

We　were　very　sociable；　and　there　was　as　much　joking　and　fun　as　if　we

had　been　all　of　one　family　circle。　Nothing　was　left　but　the　sausage

skewers；　and　this　formed　a　subject　of　conversation；　till　at　last　it

turned　to　the　proverb；　'Soup　from　sausage　skins；'　or；　as　the　people　in

the　neighboring　country　call　it；　'Soup　from　a　sausage　skewer。'　Every

one　had　heard　the　proverb；　but　no　one　had　ever　tasted　the　soup；　much

less　prepared　it。　A　capital　toast　was　drunk　to　the　inventor　of　the

soup；　and　some　one　said　he　ought　to　be　made　a　relieving　officer　to　the

poor。　Was　not　that　witty？　Then　the　old　mouse…king　rose　and　promised

that　the　young　lady…mouse　who　should　learn　how　best　to　prepare　this

much…admired　and　savory　soup　should　be　his　queen；　and　a　year　and　a　day

should　be　allowed　for　the　purpose。〃

　　　　〃That　was　not　at　all　a　bad　proposal；〃　said　the　other　mouse；　〃but

how　is　the　soup　made？〃

　　　　〃Ah；　that　is　more　than　I　can　tell　you。　All　the　young　lady　mice

were　asking　the　same　question。　They　wished　very　much　to　be　queen；

but　they　did　not　want　to　take　the　trouble　of　going　out　into　the

world　to　learn　how　to　make　soup；　which　was　absolutely　necessary　to

be　done　first。　But　it　is　not　every　one　who　would　care　to　leave　her

family；　or　her　happy　corner　by　the　fire…side　at　home；　even　to　be

made　queen。　It　is　not　always　easy　to　find　bacon　and　cheese…rind　in

foreign　lands　every　day；　and　it　is　not　pleasant　to　have　to　endure

hunger；　and　be　perhaps；　after　all；　eaten　up　alive　by　the　cat。〃

　　　　〃Most　probably　some　such　thoughts　as　these　discouraged　the

majority　from　going　out　into　the　world　to　collect　the　required

information。　Only　four　mice　gave　notice　that　they　were　ready　to　set

out　on　the　journey。　They　were　young　and　lively；　but　poor。　Each　of　them

wished　to　visit　one　of　the　four　divisions　of　the　world；　so　that　it

might　be　seen　which　was　the　most　favored　by　fortune。　Every　one　took

a　sausage　skewer　as　a　traveller's　staff；　and　to　remind　them　of　the

object　of　their　journey。　They　left　home　early　in　May；　and　none　of　them

returned　till　the　first　of　May　in　the　following　year；　and　then　only

three　of　them。　Nothing　was　seen　or　heard　of　the　fourth；　although　the

day　of　decision　was　close　at　hand。　〃Ah；　yes；　there　is　always　some

trouble　mixed　up　with　the　greatest　pleasure；〃　said　the　mouse…king；　but

he　gave　orders　that　all　the　mice　within　a　circle　of　many　miles

should　be　invited　at　once。　They　were　to　assemble　in　the　kitchen；　and

the　three　travelled　mice　were　to　stand　in　a　row　before　them；　while　a

sausage　skewer；　covered　with　crape；　was　to　be　stuck　up　instead　of

the　missing　mouse。　No　one　dared　to　express　an　opinion　until　the　king

spoke；　and　desired　one　of　them　to　go　on　with　her　story。　And　now　we

shall　hear　what　she　said。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WHAT　THE　FIRST　LITTLE　MOUSE

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SAW　AND　HEARD　ON　HER　TRAVELS



　　　　〃When　I　first　went　out　into　the　world；〃　said　the　little　mouse；

〃I　fancied；　as　so　many　of　my　age　do；　that　I　already　knew　everything；

but　it　was　not　so。　It　takes　years　to　acquire　great　knowledge。　I　went

at　once　to　sea　in　a　ship　bound　for　the　north。　I　had　been　told　that　the

ship's　cook　must　know　how　to　prepare　every　dish　at　sea；　and　it　is　easy

enough　to　do　that　with　plenty　of　sides　of　bacon；　and　large　tubs　of

salt　meat　and　mouldy　flour。　There　I　found　plenty　of　delicate　food；　but

no　opportunity　for　learning　how　to　make　soup　from　a　sausage　skewer。　We

sailed　on　for　many　days　and　nights；　the　ship　rocked　fearfully；　and

we　did　not　escape　without　a　wetting。　As　soon　as　we　arrived　at　the　port

to　which　the　ship　was　bound；　I　left　it；　and　went　on　shore　at　a　place

far　towards　the　north。　It　is　a　wonderful　thing　to　leave　your　own

little　corner　at　home；　to　hide　yourself　in　a　ship　where　there　are　sure

to　be　some　nice　snug　corners　for　shelter；　then　suddenly　to　find

yourself　thousands　of　miles　away　in　a　foreign　land。　I　saw　large

pathless　forests　of　pine　and　birch　trees；　which　smelt　so　strong　that　I

sneezed　and　thought　of　sausage。　There　were　great　lakes　also　which

looked　as　black　as　ink　at　a　distance；　but　were　quite　clear　when　I　came

close　to　them。　Large　swans　were　floating　upon　them；　and　I　thought　at

first　they　were　only　foam；　they　lay　so　still；　but　when　I　saw　them　walk

and　fly；　I　knew　what　they　were　directly。　They　belong　to　the　goose

species；　one　can　see　that　by　their　walk。　No　one　can　attempt　to

disguise　family　descent。　I　kept　with　my　own　kind；　and　associated

with　the　forest　and　field　mice；　who；　however；　knew　very　little；

especially　about　what　I　wanted　to　know；　and　which　had　actually　made　me

travel　abroad。　The　idea　that　soup　could　be　made　from　a　sausage

skewer　was　to　them　such　an　out…of…the…way；　unlikely　thought；　that　it

was　repeated　from　one　to　another　through　the　whole　forest。　They

declared　that　the　problem　would　never　be　solved；　that　the　thing　was　an

impossibility。　How　little　I　thought　that　in　this　place；　on　the　very

first　night；　I　should　be　initiated　into　the　manner　of　its　preparation。

　　　　〃It　was　the　height　of　summer；　which　the　mice　told　me　was　the

reason　that　the　forest　smelt　so　strong；　and　that　the　herbs　were　so

fragrant；　and　the　lakes　with　the　white　swimming　swans　so　dark；　and　yet

so　clear。　On　the　margin　of　the　wood；　near　to　three　or　four　houses；　a

pole；　as　large　as　the　mainmast　of　a　ship；　had　been　erected；　and　from

the　summit　hung　wreaths　of　flowers　and　fluttering　ribbons；　it　was

the　Maypole。　Lads　and　lasses　danced　round　the　pole；　and　tried　to　outdo

the　violins　of　the　musicians　with　their　singing。　They　were　as　merry　as

ever　at　sunset　and　in　the　moonlight；　but　I　took　no　part　in　the

merry…making。　What　has　a　little　mouse　to　do　with　a　Maypole　dance？　I

sat　in　the　soft　moss；　and　held　my　sausage　skewer　tight。　The　moon　threw

its　beams　particularly　on　one　spot　where　stood　a　tree　covered　with

exceedingly　fine　moss。　I　may　almost　venture　to　say　that　it　was　as　fine

and　soft　as　the　fur　of　the　mouse…king；　but　it　was　green；　which　is　a

color　very　agreeable　to　the　eye。　All　at　once　I　saw　the　most　charming

little　people　marching　towards　me。　They　did　not　reach　higher　than　my

knee；　they　looked　like　human　beings；　but　were　better　proportioned；　and

they　called　themselves　elves。　Their　clothes　were　very　delicate　and

fine；　for　they　were　made　of　the　leaves　of　flowers；　trimmed　with　the

wings　of　flies　and　gnats；　which　had　not　a　bad　effect。　By　their　manner；

it　appeared　as　if　they　were　seeking　for　something。　I　knew　not　what；

till　at　last　one　of　them　espied　me　and　came　towards　me；　and　the

foremost　pointed　to　my　sausage　skewer；　and　said；　'There；　that　is

just　what　we　want；　see；　it　is　pointed　at　the　top；　is　it　not

capital？'　and　the　longer　he　looked　at　my　pilgrim's　staff；　the　more

delighted　he　became。　'I　will　lend　it　to　you；'　said　I；　'but　not　to

keep。'

　　　　〃'Oh　no；　we　won't　keep　it！'　they　all　cried；　and　then　they　seized

the　skewer；　which　I　gave　up　to　them；　and　danced　with　it　to　the　spot

where　the　delicate　moss　grew；　and　set　it　up　in　the　middle　of　the

green。　They　wanted　a　maypole；　and　the　one　they　now　had　seemed　cut

out　on　purpose　for　them。　Then　they　decorated　it　so　beautifully　that　it

was　quite　dazzling　to　look　at。　Little　spiders　spun　golden　threads

around　it；　and　then　it　was　hung　with　fluttering　veils　and　flags　so

delicately　white　that　they　glittered　like　snow　in　the　moonshine。　After

that　they　took　colors　from　the　butterfly's　wing；　and　sprinkled　them

over　the　white　drapery　〃which　gleamed　as　if　covered　with　flowers　and

diamonds；　so　that　I　could　not　recognize　my　sausage　skewer　at　all。　Such

a　maypole　had