a17-第3章

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you　know　what's　inside　of　them。　I　must　tell　of　the　great　event。　It
occurred　no　longer　ago　than　the　day　before　yesterday。　It　did　not
happen　earlier。　It　has　now　three　hundred　and　sixty…three　days　to　run
about。　I　suppose　you　know　how　many　days　there　are　in　a　year？〃
And　this　is　what　the　Moor…woman　told：

〃There　was　a　great　commotion　yesterday　out　here　in　the　marsh！
There　was　a　christening　feast！　A　little　Will…o'…the…Wisp　was　born
here…　in　fact；　twelve　of　them　were　born　all　together；　and　they　have
permission；　if　they　choose　to　use　it；　to　go　abroad　among　men；　and　to
move　about　and　command　among　them；　just　as　if　they　were　born
mortals。　That　was　a　great　event　in　the　marsh；　and　accordingly　all
the　Will…o'…the…Wisps；　male　and　female；　went　dancing　like　little
lights　across　the　moor。　There　are　some　of　them　of　the　dog　species；　but　those　are　not　worth　mentioning。　I　sat　there　on　the　cupboard；　and　had　all　the　twelve　little　new…born　Will…o'…the…Wisps　upon　my　lap。　
They　shone　like　glow…worms；　they　already　began　to　hop；　and　increased　in　size　every　moment；　so　that　before　a　quarter　of　an　hour　had　elapsed；　each　of　them　looked　just　as　large　as　his　father　or　his　uncle。　Now；　it's　an　old…established　regulation　and　favor；　that　when　the　moon　stands　just　as　it　did　yesterday；　and　the　wind　blows　just　as　it　blew　then；　it　is　allowed　and　accorded　to　all　Will…o'…the…Wisps…　that　is；　to　all　those　who　are　born　at　that　minute　of　time…　to　become　mortals；
and　individually　to　exert　their　power　for　the　space　of　one　year。

〃The　Will…o'…the…Wisp　may　run　about　in　the　country　and　through　the
world；　if　it　is　not　afraid　of　falling　into　the　sea；　or　of　being
blown　out　by　a　heavy　storm。　It　can　enter　into　a　person　and　speak　for
him；　and　make　all　the　movements　it　pleases。　The　Will…o'…the…Wisp　may　take　whatever　form　he　likes；　of　man　or　woman；　and　can　act　in　their　spirit　and　in　their　disguise　in　such　a　way　that　he　can　effect　whatever　he　wishes　to　do。　But　he　must　manage；　in　the　course　of　the　year；　to　lead　three　hundred　and　sixty…five　people　into　a　bad　way；　and　in　a　grand　style；　too。　To　lead　them　away　from　the　right　and　the　truth；
and　then　he　reaches　the　highest　point。　Such　a　Will…o'…the…Wisp　can
attain　to　the　honor　of　being　a　runner　before　the　devil's　state
coach；　and　then　he'll　wear　clothes　of　fiery　yellow；　and　breathe
forth　flames　out　of　his　throat。　That's　enough　to　make　a　simple
Will…o'…the…Wisp　smack　his　lips。　But　there's　some　danger　in　this；
and　a　great　deal　of　work　for　a　Will…o'…the…Wisp　who　aspires　to　play　so　distinguished　a　part。　If　the　eyes　of　the　man　are　opened　to　what　he　is；　and　if　the　man　can　then　blow　him　away；　it's　all　over　with　him；　and
he　must　come　back　into　the　marsh；　or　if；　before　the　year　is　up；　the
Will…o'…the…Wisp　is　seized　with　a　longing　to　see　his　family；　and　so
returns　to　it　and　gives　the　matter　up；　it　is　over　with　him　likewise；
and　he　can　no　longer　burn　clear；　and　soon　becomes　extinguished；　and
cannot　be　lit　up　again；　and　when　the　year　has　elapsed；　and　he　has
not　led　three　hundred　and　sixty…five　people　away　from　the　truth　and
from　all　that　is　grand　and　noble；　he　is　condemned　to　be　imprisoned
in　decayed　wood；　and　to　lie　glimmering　there；　without　being　able　to
move；　and　that's　the　most　terrible　punishment　that　can　be　inflicted　on
a　lively　Will…o'…the…Wisp。

〃Now；　all　this　I　know；　and　all　this　I　told　to　the　twelve　little
Will…o'…the…Wisps　whom　I　had　on　my　lap；　and　who　seemed　quite　crazy　with　joy。

〃I　told　them　that　the　safest　and　most　convenient　course　was　to
give　up　the　honor；　and　do　nothing　at　all；　but　the　little　flames
would　not　agree　to　this；　and　already　fancied　themselves　clad　in
fiery　yellow　clothes；　breathing　flames　from　their　throats。

〃'Stay　with　us；'　said　some　of　the　older　ones。

〃'Carry　on　your　sport　with　mortals；'　said　the　others。
〃'The　mortals　are　drying　up　our　meadows；　they've　taken　to
draining。　What　will　our　successors　do？'

〃'We　want　to　flame；　we　will　flame…　flame！'　cried　the　new…born
Will…o'the…Wisps。

〃And　thus　the　affair　was　settled。

〃And　now　a　ball　was　given；　a　minute　long；　it　could　not　well　be
shorter。　The　little　elf…maidens　whirled　round　three　times　with　the
rest；　that　they　might　not　appear　proud；　but　they　preferred　dancing
with　one　another。

〃And　now　the　sponsors'　gifts　were　presented；　and　presents　were
thrown　them。　These　presents　flew　like　pebbles　across　the　sea…water。
Each　of　the　elf…maidens　gave　a　little　piece　of　her　veil。

〃'Take　that；'　they　said；　'and　then　you'll　know　the　higher　dance；
the　most　difficult　turns　and　twists…　that　is　to　say；　if　you　should
find　them　necessary。　You'll　know　the　proper　deportment；　and　then　you　can　show　yourself　in　the　very　pick　of　society。'

〃The　night　raven　taught　each　of　the　young　Will…o'…the…Wisps　to
say；　'Goo…goo…good；'　and　to　say　it　in　the　right　place；　and　that's　a
great　gift　which　brings　its　own　reward。

〃The　owl　and　the　stork…　but　they　said　it　was　not　worth　mentioning；
and　so　we　won't　mention　it。

〃King　Waldemar's　wild　chase　was　just　then　rushing　over　the　moor；
and　when　the　great　lords　heard　of　the　festivities　that　were　going
on；　they　sent　a　couple　of　handsome　dogs；　which　hunt　on　the　spoor　of
the　wind；　as　a　present；　and　these　might　carry　two　or　three　of　the
Will…o'…the…Wisps。　A　couple　of　old　Alpas；　spirits　who　occupy
themselves　with　Alp…pressing；　were　also　at　the　feast；　and　from　these
the　young　Will…o'…the…Wisps　learned　the　art　of　slipping　through
every　key…hole；　as　if　the　door　stood　open　before　them。　These　Alpas
offered　to　carry　the　youngsters　to　the　town；　with　which　they　were　well
acquainted。　They　usually　rode　through　the　atmosphere　on　their　own　back　hair；　which　is　fastened　into　a　knot；　for　they　love　a　hard　seat；　but
now　they　sat　sideways　on　the　wild　hunting　dogs；　took　the　young
Will…o'…the…Wisps　in　their　laps；　who　wanted　to　go　into　the　town　to
mislead　and　entice　mortals；　and；　whisk！　away　they　were。　Now；　this　is
what　happened　last　night。　To…day　the　Will…o'…the…Wisps　are　in　the
town；　and　have　taken　the　matter　in　hand…　but　where　and　how？　Ah；　can
you　tell　me　that？　Still；　I've　a　lightning　conductor　in　my　great　toe；
and　that　will　always　tell　me　something。〃

〃Why；　this　is　a　complete　story；〃　exclaimed　the　man。

〃Yes；　but　it　is　only　the　beginning；〃　replied　the　woman。　〃Can　you
tell　me　how　the　Will…o'…the…Wisps　deport　themselves；　and　how　they
behave？　and　in　what　shapes　they　have　aforetime　appeared　and　led　people　into　crooked　paths？〃

〃I　believe；〃　replied　the　man；　〃that　one　could　tell　quite　a　romance
about　the　Will…o'…the…Wisps；　in　twelve　parts；　or；　better　still；　one
might　make　quite　a　popular　play　of　them。〃

〃You　might　write　that；〃　said　the　woman；　〃but　it's　best　let　alone。〃

〃Yes；　that's　better　and　more　agreeable；〃　the　man　replied；　〃for
then　we　shall　escape　from　the　newspapers；　and　not　be　tied　up　by
them；　which　is　just　as　uncomfortable　as　for　a　Will…o'…the…Wisp　to
lie　in　decaying　wood；　to　have　to　gleam；　and　not　to　be　able　to　stir。〃

〃I　don't　care　about　it　either　way；〃　cried　the　woman。　〃Let　the　rest
write；　those　who　can；　and　those　who　cannot　likewise。　I'll　grant　you　an
old　bung　from　my　cask　that　will　open　the　cupboard　where　poetry's
kept　in　bottles；　and　you　may　take　from　that　whatever　may　be　wanting。
But　you；　my　good　man；　seem　to　have　blotted　your　hands　sufficiently
with　ink；　and　to　have　come　to　that　age　of　satiety　that　you　need　not　be
running　about　every　year　for　stories；　especially　as　there　are　much
more　important　things　to　be　done。　You　must　have　understood　what　is
going　on？〃

〃The　Will…o'…the…Wisp　is　in　town；〃　said　the　man。　〃I've　heard　it；
and　I　have　understood　it。　But　what　do　you　think　I　ought　to　do？　I
should　be　thrashed　if　I　were　to　go　to　the　people　and　say；　'Look；
yonder　goes　a　Will…o'…the…Wisp　in　his　best　clothes！'

〃They　also　go　in　undress；〃　replied　the　woman。　〃The
Will…o'…the…Wisp　can　assume　all　kinds　of　forms；　and　appear　in　every
place。　He　goes　into　the　church；　but　not　for　the　sake　of　the　service；
and　perhaps　he　may　enter　into　one　or　other　of　the　priests。　He　speaks
in　the　Parliament；　not　for　the　benefit　of　the　country；　but　only　for
himself。　He's　an　artist　with　the　color…pot　as　well　as　in　the
theatre；　but　when　he　gets　all　the　power　into　his　own　hands；　then　the
pot's　empty！　I　c