the happy family-第1章

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　HAPPY　FAMILY

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen



　　　　THE　largest　green　leaf　in　this　country　is　certainly　the

burdock…leaf。　If　you　hold　it　in　front　of　you；　it　is　large　enough　for

an　apron；　and　if　you　hold　it　over　your　head；　it　is　almost　as　good　as

an　umbrella；　it　is　so　wonderfully　large。　A　burdock　never　grows

alone；　where　it　grows；　there　are　many　more；　and　it　is　a　splendid

sight；　and　all　this　splendor　is　good　for　snails。　The　great　white

snails；　which　grand　people　in　olden　times　used　to　have　made　into

fricassees；　and　when　they　had　eaten　them；　they　would　say；　〃O；　what　a

delicious　dish！〃　for　these　people　really　thought　them　good；　and

these　snails　lived　on　burdock…leaves；　and　for　them　the　burdock　was

planted。

　　　　There　was　once　an　old　estate　where　no　one　now　lived　to　require

snails；　indeed；　the　owners　had　all　died　out；　but　the　burdock　still

flourished；　it　grew　over　all　the　beds　and　walks　of　the　garden…　its

growth　had　no　check…　till　it　became　at　last　quite　a　forest　of

burdocks。　Here　and　there　stood　an　apple　or　a　plum…tree；　but　for

this；　nobody　would　have　thought　the　place　had　ever　been　a　garden。　It

was　burdock　from　one　end　to　the　other；　and　here　lived　the　last　two

surviving　snails。　They　knew　not　themselves　how　old　they　were；　but　they

could　remember　the　time　when　there　were　a　great　many　more　of　them；　and

that　they　were　descended　from　a　family　which　came　from　foreign

lands；　and　that　the　whole　forest　had　been　planted　for　them　and　theirs。

They　had　never　been　away　from　the　garden；　but　they　knew　that　another

place　once　existed　in　the　world；　called　the　Duke's　Palace　Castle；　in

which　some　of　their　relations　had　been　boiled　till　they　became

black；　and　were　then　laid　on　a　silver　dish；　but　what　was　done

afterwards　they　did　not　know。　Besides；　they　could　not　imagine

exactly　how　it　felt　to　be　boiled　and　placed　on　a　silver　dish；　but　no

doubt　it　was　something　very　fine　and　highly　genteel。　Neither　the

cockchafer；　nor　the　toad；　nor　the　earth…worm；　whom　they　questioned

about　it；　would　give　them　the　least　information；　for　none　of　their

relations　had　ever　been　cooked　or　served　on　a　silver　dish。　The　old

white　snails　were　the　most　aristocratic　race　in　the　world；…　they

knew　that。　The　forest　had　been　planted　for　them；　and　the　nobleman's

castle　had　been　built　entirely　that　they　might　be　cooked　and　laid　on

silver　dishes。

　　　　They　lived　quite　retired　and　very　happily；　and　as　they　had　no

children　of　their　own；　they　had　adopted　a　little　common　snail；　which

they　brought　up　as　their　own　child。　The　little　one　would　not　grow；　for

he　was　only　a　common　snail；　but　the　old　people；　particularly　the

mother…snail；　declared　that　she　could　easily　see　how　he　grew；　and　when

the　father　said　he　could　not　perceive　it；　she　begged　him　to　feel　the

little　snail's　shell；　and　he　did　so；　and　found　that　the　mother　was

right。

　　　　One　day　it　rained　very　fast。　〃Listen；　what　a　drumming　there　is

on　the　burdock…leaves；　turn；　turn；　turn；　turn；　turn；　turn；〃　said　the

father…snail。

　　　　〃There　come　the　drops；〃　said　the　mother；　〃they　are　trickling

down　the　stalks。　We　shall　have　it　very　wet　here　presently。　I　am　very

glad　we　have　such　good　houses；　and　that　the　little　one　has　one　of

his　own。　There　has　been　really　more　done　for　us　than　for　any　other

creature；　it　is　quite　plain　that　we　are　the　most　noble　people　in　the

world。　We　have　houses　from　our　birth；　and　the　burdock　forest　has

been　planted　for　us。　I　should　very　much　like　to　know　how　far　it

extends；　and　what　lies　beyond　it。〃

　　　　〃There　can　be　nothing　better　than　we　have　here；〃　said　the

father…snail；　〃I　wish　for　nothing　more。〃

　　　　〃Yes；　but　I　do；〃　said　the　mother；　〃I　should　like　to　be　taken　to

the　palace；　and　boiled；　and　laid　upon　a　silver　dish；　as　was　done　to

all　our　ancestors；　and　you　may　be　sure　it　must　be　something　very

uncommon。〃

　　　　〃The　nobleman's　castle；　perhaps；　has　fallen　to　decay；〃　said　the

snail…father；　or　the　burdock　wood　may　have　grown　out。　You　need　not

be　in　a　hurry；　you　are　always　so　impatient；　and　the　youngster　is

getting　just　the　same。　He　has　been　three　days　creeping　to　the　top　of

that　stalk。　I　feel　quite　giddy　when　I　look　at　him。〃

　　　　〃You　must　not　scold　him；〃　said　the　mother…snail；　〃he　creeps　so

very　carefully。　He　will　be　the　joy　of　our　home；　and　we　old　folks

have　nothing　else　to　live　for。　But　have　you　ever　thought　where　we

are　to　get　a　wife　for　him？　Do　you　think　that　farther　out　in　the　wood

there　may　be　others　of　our　race？〃

　　　　〃There　may　be　black　snails；　no　doubt；〃　said　the　old　snail；

〃black　snails　without　houses；　but　they　are　so　vulgar　and　conceited

too。　But　we　can　give　the　ants　a　commission；　they　run　here　and　there；

as　if　they　all　had　so　much　business　to　get　through。　They；　most　likely；

will　know　of　a　wife　for　our　youngster。〃

　　　　〃I　certainly　know　a　most　beautiful　bride；〃　said　one　of　the　ants；

〃but　I　fear　it　would　not　do；　for　she　is　a　queen。〃

　　　　〃That　does　not　matter；〃　said　the　old　snail；　〃has　she　a　house？〃

　　　　〃She　has　a　palace；〃　replied　the　ant；…　〃a　most　beautiful　ant…palace

with　seven　hundred　passages。〃

　　　　〃Thank…you；〃　said　the　mother…snail；　〃but　our　boy　shall　not　go　to

live　in　an　ant…hill。　If　you　know　of　nothing　better；　we　will　give　the

commission　to　the　white　gnats；　they　fly　about　in　rain　and　sunshine；

they　know　the　burdock　wood　from　one　end　to　the　other。〃

　　　　〃We　have　a　wife　for　him；〃　said　the　gnats；　〃a　hundred　man…steps

from　here　there　is　a　little　snail　with　a　house；　sitting　on　a

gooseberry…bush；　she　is　quite　alone；　and　old　enough　to　be　married。

It　is　only　a　hundred　man…steps　from　here。〃

　　　　〃Then　let　her　come　to　him；〃　said　the　old　people。　〃He　has　the　whole

burdock　forest；　she　has　only　a　bush。〃

　　　　So　they　brought　the　little　lady…snail。　She　took　eight　days　to

perform　the　journey；　but　that　was　just　as　it　ought　to　be；　for　it

showed　her　to　be　one　of　the　right　breeding。　And　then　they　had　a

wedding。　Six　glow…worms　gave　as　much　light　as　they　could；　but　in　other

respects　it　was　all　very　quiet；　for　the　old　snails　could　not　bear

festivities　or　a　crowd。　But　a　beautiful　speech　was　made　by　the

mother…snail。　The　father　could　not　speak；　he　was　too　much　overcome。

Then　they　gave　the　whole　burdock　forest　to　the　young　snails　as　an

inheritance；　and　repeated　what　they　had　so　often　said；　that　it　was　the

finest　place　in　the　world；　and　that　if　they　led　upright　and

honorable　lives；　and　their　family　increased；　they　and　their　children

might　some　day　be　taken　to　the　nobleman's　palace；　to　be　boiled

black；　and　laid　on　a　silver　dish。　And　when　they　had　finished　speaking；

the　old　couple　crept　into　their　houses；　and　came　out　no　more；　for　they

slept。

　　　　The　young　snail　pair　now　ruled　in　the　forest；　and　had　a　numerous

progeny。　But　as　the　young　ones　were　never　boiled　or　laid　in　silver

dishes；　they　concluded　that　the　castle　had　fallen　into　decay；　and　that

all　the　people　in　the　world　were　dead；　and　as　nobody　contradicted

them；　they　thought　they　must　be　right。　And　the　rain　fell　upon　the

burdock…leaves；　to　play　the　drum　for　them；　and　the　sun　shone　to

paint　colors　on　the　burdock　forest　for　them；　and　they　were　very　happy；

the　whole　family　were　entirely　and　perfectly　happy。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

。