soup from a sausage skewer-第3章

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any　ant　had　ever　ventured；　and　when　at　last　she　returned　home　she　said

that　she　had　found　something　in　her　travels　much　higher　than　the

ant…hill。　The　rest　of　the　ants　considered　this　an　insult　to　the

whole　community；　so　she　was　condemned　to　wear　a　muzzle　and　to　live

in　perpetual　solitude。　A　short　time　afterwards　another　ant　got　on

the　tree；　and　made　the　same　journey　and　the　same　discovery；　but　she

spoke　of　it　cautiously　and　indefinitely；　and　as　she　was　one　of　the

superior　ants　and　very　much　respected；　they　believed　her；　and　when　she

died　they　erected　an　eggshell　as　a　monument　to　her　memory；　for　they

cultivated　a　great　respect　for　science。　I　saw；〃　said　the　little　mouse；

〃that　the　ants　were　always　running　to　and　fro　with　her　burdens　on

their　backs。　Once　I　saw　one　of　them　drop　her　load；　she　gave　herself

a　great　deal　of　trouble　in　trying　to　raise　it　again；　but　she　could　not

succeed。　Then　two　others　came　up　and　tried　with　all　their　strength

to　help　her；　till　they　nearly　dropped　their　own　burdens　in　doing　so；

then　they　were　obliged　to　stop　for　a　moment　in　their　help；　for　every

one　must　think　of　himself　first。　And　the　ant…queen　remarked　that　their

conduct　that　day　showed　that　they　possessed　kind　hearts　and　good

understanding。　'These　two　qualities；'　she　continued；　'place　us　ants　in

the　highest　degree　above　all　other　reasonable　beings。　Understanding

must　therefore　be　seen　among　us　in　the　most　prominent　manner；　and　my

wisdom　is　greater　than　all。'　And　so　saying　she　raised　herself　on　her

two　hind　legs；　that　no　one　else　might　be　mistaken　for　her。　I　could　not

therefore　make　an　error；　so　I　ate　her　up。　We　are　to　go　to　the　ants

to　learn　wisdom；　and　I　had　got　the　queen。

　　　　〃I　now　turned　and　went　nearer　to　the　lofty　tree　already　mentioned；

which　was　an　oak。　It　had　a　tall　trunk　with　a　wide…spreading　top；　and

was　very　old。　I　knew　that　a　living　being　dwelt　here；　a　dryad　as　she　is

called；　who　is　born　with　the　tree　and　dies　with　it。　I　had　heard　this

in　the　library；　and　here　was　just　such　a　tree；　and　in　it　an

oak…maiden。　She　uttered　a　terrible　scream　when　she　caught　sight　of

me　so　near　to　her；　like　many　women；　she　was　very　much　afraid　of

mice。　And　she　had　more　real　cause　for　fear　than　they　have；　for　I　might

have　gnawed　through　the　tree　on　which　her　life　depended。　I　spoke　to

her　in　a　kind　and　friendly　manner；　and　begged　her　to　take　courage。

At　last　she　took　me　up　in　her　delicate　hand；　and　then　I　told　her

what　had　brought　me　out　into　the　world；　and　she　promised　me　that

perhaps　on　that　very　evening　she　should　be　able　to　obtain　for　me　one

of　the　two　treasures　for　which　I　was　seeking。　She　told　me　that

Phantaesus　was　her　very　dear　friend；　that　he　was　as　beautiful　as　the

god　of　love；　that　he　remained　often　for　many　hours　with　her　under

the　leafy　boughs　of　the　tree　which　then　rustled　and　waved　more　than

ever　over　them　both。　He　called　her　his　dryad；　she　said；　and　the　tree

his　tree；　for　the　grand　old　oak；　with　its　gnarled　trunk；　was　just　to

his　taste。　The　root；　spreading　deep　into　the　earth；　the　top　rising

high　in　the　fresh　air；　knew　the　value　of　the　drifted　snow；　the　keen

wind；　and　the　warm　sunshine；　as　it　ought　to　be　known。　'Yes；'　continued

the　dryad；　'the　birds　sing　up　above　in　the　branches；　and　talk　to

each　other　about　the　beautiful　fields　they　have　visited　in　foreign

lands；　and　on　one　of　the　withered　boughs　a　stork　has　built　his

nest；…　it　is　beautifully　arranged；　and　besides　it　is　pleasant　to

hear　a　little　about　the　land　of　the　pyramids。　All　this　pleases

Phantaesus；　but　it　is　not　enough　for　him；　I　am　obliged　to　relate　to

him　of　my　life　in　the　woods；　and　to　go　back　to　my　childhood；　when　I

was　little；　and　the　tree　so　small　and　delicate　that　a

stinging…nettle　could　overshadow　it；　and　I　have　to　tell　everything

that　has　happened　since　then　till　now　that　the　tree　is　so　large　and

strong。　Sit　you　down　now　under　the　green　bindwood　and　pay　attention；

when　Phantaesus　comes　I　will　find　an　opportunity　to　lay　hold　of　his

wing　and　to　pull　out　one　of　the　little　feathers。　That　feather　you

shall　have；　a　better　was　never　given　to　any　poet；　it　will　be　quite

enough　for　you。'

　　　　〃And　when　Phantaesus　came　the　feather　was　plucked；　and；〃　said

the　little　mouse；　〃I　seized　and　put　it　in　water；　and　kept　it　there

till　it　was　quite　soft。　It　was　very　heavy　and　indigestible；　but　I

managed　to　nibble　it　up　at　last。　It　is　not　so　easy　to　nibble　one's

self　into　a　poet；　there　are　so　many　things　to　get　through。　Now；

however；　I　had　two　of　them；　understanding　and　imagination；　and　through

these　I　knew　that　the　third　was　to　be　found　in　the　library。　A　great

man　has　said　and　written　that　there　are　novels　whose　sole　and　only　use

appeared　to　be　that　they　might　relieve　mankind　of　overflowing　tears…　a

kind　of　sponge；　in　fact；　for　sucking　up　feelings　and　emotions。　I

remembered　a　few　of　these　books；　they　had　always　appeared　tempting

to　the　appetite；　they　had　been　much　read；　and　were　so　greasy；　that

they　must　have　absorbed　no　end　of　emotions　in　themselves。　I　retraced

my　steps　to　the　library；　and　literally　devoured　a　whole　novel；　that

is；　properly　speaking；　the　interior　or　soft　part　of　it；　the　crust；

or　binding；　I　left。　When　I　had　digested　not　only　this；　but　a　second；　I

felt　a　stirring　within　me；　then　I　ate　a　small　piece　of　a　third

romance；　and　felt　myself　a　poet。　I　said　it　to　myself；　and　told

others　the　same。　I　had　head…ache　and　back…ache；　and　I　cannot　tell　what

aches　besides。　I　thought　over　all　the　stories　that　may　be　said　to　be

connected　with　sausage　pegs；　and　all　that　has　ever　been　written

about　skewers；　and　sticks；　and　staves；　and　splinters　came　to　my

thoughts；　the　ant…queen　must　have　had　a　wonderfully　clear

understanding。　I　remembered　the　man　who　placed　a　white　stick　in　his

mouth　by　which　he　could　make　himself　and　the　stick　invisible。　I

thought　of　sticks　as　hobby…horses；　staves　of　music　or　rhyme；　of

breaking　a　stick　over　a　man's　back；　and　heaven　knows　how　many　more

phrases　of　the　same　sort　relating　to　sticks；　staves；　and　skewers。

All　my　thoughts　rein　on　skewers；　sticks　of　wood；　and　staves；　and　as

I　am；　at　last；　a　poet；　and　I　have　worked　terribly　hard　to　make

myself　one；　I　can　of　course　make　poetry　on　anything。　I　shall　therefore

be　able　to　wait　upon　you　every　day　in　the　week　with　a　poetical　history

of　a　skewer。　And　that　is　my　soup。〃

　　　　〃In　that　case；〃　said　the　mouse…king；　〃we　will　hear　what　the

third　mouse　has　to　say。〃

　　　　〃Squeak；　squeak；〃　cried　a　little　mouse　at　the　kitchen　door；　it　was

the　fourth；　and　not　the　third；　of　the　four　who　were　contending　for　the

prize；　one　whom　the　rest　supposed　to　be　dead。　She　shot　in　like　an

arrow；　and　overturned　the　sausage　peg　that　had　been　covered　with

crape。　She　had　been　running　day　and　night。　She　had　watched　an

opportunity　to　get　into　a　goods　train；　and　had　travelled　by　the

railway；　and　yet　she　had　arrived　almost　too　late。　She　pressed　forward；

looking　very　much　ruffled。　She　had　lost　her　sausage　skewer；　but　not

her　voice；　for　she　began　to　speak　at　once　as　if　they　only　waited　for

her；　and　would　hear　her　only；　and　as　if　nothing　else　in　the　world

was　of　the　least　consequence。　She　spoke　out　so　clearly　and　plainly；

and　she　had　come　in　so　suddenly；　that　no　one　had　time　to　stop　her　or

to　say　a　word　while　she　was　speaking。　And　now　let　us　hear　what　she

said。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WHAT　THE　FOURTH　MOUSE；　WHO　SPOKE

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BEFORE　THE　THIRD；　HAD　TO　TELL



　　　　〃I　started　off　at　once　to　the　largest　town；〃　said　she；　〃but　the

name　of　it　has　escaped　me。　I　have　a　very　bad　memory　for　names。　I　was

carried　from　the　railway；　with　some　forfeited　goods；　to　the　jail；

and　on　arriving　I　made　my　escape；　and　ran　into　the　house　of　the

turnkey。　The　turnkey　was　speaking　of　his　prisoners；　especially　of

one　who　had　uttered　thoughtless　words。　These　words　had　given　rise　to

other　words；　and　at　length　they　were　written　down　and　registered：　'The

whole　affair　is　like　making　soup　of　sausage　skewers；'　said　he；　'but

the　soup　may　cost　him　his　neck。'

　　　　〃Now　this　raised　in　me　an　interest　for　the　prisoner；〃　continued

the　little　mouse；　〃and　I　watched　my　opportunity；　and　sli