the devoted friend-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



open　their　pale　yellow　stars；　the　Miller　said　to　his　wife　that　he

would　go　down　and　see　little　Hans。



〃'Why；　what　a　good　heart　you　have'！　cried　his　Wife；　'you　are　always

thinking　of　others。　　And　mind　you　take　the　big　basket　with　you　for

the　flowers。'



〃So　the　Miller　tied　the　sails　of　the　windmill　together　with　a

strong　iron　chain；　and　went　down　the　hill　with　the　basket　on　his

arm。



〃'Good　morning；　little　Hans；'　said　the　Miller。



〃'Good　morning；'　said　Hans；　leaning　on　his　spade；　and　smiling　from

ear　to　ear。



〃'And　how　have　you　been　all　the　winter？'　said　the　Miller。



〃'Well；　really；'　cried　Hans；　'it　is　very　good　of　you　to　ask；　very

good　indeed。　　I　am　afraid　I　had　rather　a　hard　time　of　it；　but　now

the　spring　has　come；　and　I　am　quite　happy；　and　all　my　flowers　are

doing　well。'



〃'We　often　talked　of　you　during　the　winter；　Hans；'　said　the　Miller；

'and　wondered　how　you　were　getting　on。'



〃'That　was　kind　of　you；'　said　Hans；　'I　was　half　afraid　you　had

forgotten　me。'



〃'Hans；　I　am　surprised　at　you；'　said　the　Miller；　'friendship　never

forgets。　　That　is　the　wonderful　thing　about　it；　but　I　am　afraid　you

don't　understand　the　poetry　of　life。　　How　lovely　your　primroses　are

looking；　by…the…bye〃！



〃'They　are　certainly　very　lovely；'　said　Hans；　'and　it　is　a　most

lucky　thing　for　me　that　I　have　so　many。　　I　am　going　to　bring　them

into　the　market　and　sell　them　to　the　Burgomaster's　daughter；　and

buy　back　my　wheelbarrow　with　the　money。'



〃'Buy　back　your　wheelbarrow？　　You　don't　mean　to　say　you　have　sold

it？　　What　a　very　stupid　thing　to　do'！



〃'Well；　the　fact　is；'　said　Hans；　'that　I　was　obliged　to。　　You　see

the　winter　was　a　very　bad　time　for　me；　and　I　really　had　no　money　at

all　to　buy　bread　with。　　So　I　first　sold　the　silver　buttons　off　my

Sunday　coat；　and　then　I　sold　my　silver　chain；　and　then　I　sold　my

big　pipe；　and　at　last　I　sold　my　wheelbarrow。　　But　I　am　going　to　buy

them　all　back　again　now。'



〃'Hans；'　said　the　Miller；　'I　will　give　you　my　wheelbarrow。　　It　is

not　in　very　good　repair；　indeed；　one　side　is　gone；　and　there　is

something　wrong　with　the　wheel…spokes；　but　in　spite　of　that　I　will

give　it　to　you。　　I　know　it　is　very　generous　of　me；　and　a　great　many

people　would　think　me　extremely　foolish　for　parting　with　it；　but　I

am　not　like　the　rest　of　the　world。　　I　think　that　generosity　is　the

essence　of　friendship；　and；　besides；　I　have　got　a　new　wheelbarrow

for　myself。　　Yes；　you　may　set　your　mind　at　ease；　I　will　give　you　my

wheelbarrow。'



〃'Well；　really；　that　is　generous　of　you；'　said　little　Hans；　and　his

funny　round　face　glowed　all　over　with　pleasure。　　'I　can　easily　put

it　in　repair；　as　I　have　a　plank　of　wood　in　the　house。'



〃'A　plank　of　wood'！　said　the　Miller；　'why；　that　is　just　what　I　want

for　the　roof　of　my　barn。　　There　is　a　very　large　hole　in　it；　and　the

corn　will　all　get　damp　if　I　don't　stop　it　up。　　How　lucky　you

mentioned　it！　　It　is　quite　remarkable　how　one　good　action　always

breeds　another。　　I　have　given　you　my　wheelbarrow；　and　now　you　are

going　to　give　me　your　plank。　　Of　course；　the　wheelbarrow　is　worth

far　more　than　the　plank；　but　true；　friendship　never　notices　things

like　that。　　Pray　get　it　at　once；　and　I　will　set　to　work　at　my　barn

this　very　day。'



〃'Certainly；'　cried　little　Hans；　and　he　ran　into　the　shed　and

dragged　the　plank　out。



〃'It　is　not　a　very　big　plank；'　said　the　Miller；　looking　at　it；　'and

I　am　afraid　that　after　I　have　mended　my　barn…roof　there　won't　be

any　left　for　you　to　mend　the　wheelbarrow　with；　but；　of　course；　that

is　not　my　fault。　　And　now；　as　I　have　given　you　my　wheelbarrow；　I　am

sure　you　would　like　to　give　me　some　flowers　in　return。　　Here　is　the

basket；　and　mind　you　fill　it　quite　full。'



〃'Quite　full？'　said　little　Hans；　rather　sorrowfully；　for　it　was

really　a　very　big　basket；　and　he　knew　that　if　he　filled　it　he　would

have　no　flowers　left　for　the　market　and　he　was　very　anxious　to　get

his　silver　buttons　back。



〃'Well；　really；'　answered　the　Miller；　'as　I　have　given　you　my

wheelbarrow；　I　don't　think　that　it　is　much　to　ask　you　for　a　few

flowers。　　I　may　be　wrong；　but　I　should　have　thought　that

friendship；　true　friendship；　was　quite　free　from　selfishness　of　any

kind。'



〃'My　dear　friend；　my　best　friend；'　cried　little　Hans；　'you　are

welcome　to　all　the　flowers　in　my　garden。　　I　would　much　sooner　have

your　good　opinion　than　my　silver　buttons；　any　day'；　and　he　ran　and

plucked　all　his　pretty　primroses；　and　filled　the　Miller's　basket。



〃'Good…bye；　little　Hans；'　said　the　Miller；　as　he　went　up　the　hill

with　the　plank　on　his　shoulder；　and　the　big　basket　in　his　hand。



〃'Good…bye；'　said　little　Hans；　and　he　began　to　dig　away　quite

merrily；　he　was　so　pleased　about　the　wheelbarrow。



〃The　next　day　he　was　nailing　up　some　honeysuckle　against　the　porch；

when　he　heard　the　Miller's　voice　calling　to　him　from　the　road。　　So

he　jumped　off　the　ladder；　and　ran　down　the　garden；　and　looked　over

the　wall。



〃There　was　the　Miller　with　a　large　sack　of　flour　on　his　back。



〃'Dear　little　Hans；'　said　the　Miller；　'would　you　mind　carrying　this

sack　of　flour　for　me　to　market？'



〃'Oh；　I　am　so　sorry；'　said　Hans；　'but　I　am　really　very　busy　to…day。

I　have　got　all　my　creepers　to　nail　up；　and　all　my　flowers　to　water；

and　all　my　grass　to　roll。'



〃'Well；　really；'　said　the　Miller；　'I　think　that；　considering　that　I

am　going　to　give　you　my　wheelbarrow；　it　is　rather　unfriendly　of　you

to　refuse。'



〃'Oh；　don't　say　that；'　cried　little　Hans；　'I　wouldn't　be　unfriendly

for　the　whole　world'；　and　he　ran　in　for　his　cap；　and　trudged　off

with　the　big　sack　on　his　shoulders。



〃It　was　a　very　hot　day；　and　the　road　was　terribly　dusty；　and　before

Hans　had　reached　the　sixth　milestone　he　was　so　tired　that　he　had　to

sit　down　and　rest。　　However；　he　went　on　bravely；　and　as　last　he

reached　the　market。　　After　he　had　waited　there　some　time；　he　sold

the　sack　of　flour　for　a　very　good　price；　and　then　he　returned　home

at　once；　for　he　was　afraid　that　if　he　stopped　too　late　he　might

meet　some　robbers　on　the　way。



〃'It　has　certainly　been　a　hard　day；'　said　little　Hans　to　himself　as

he　was　going　to　bed；　'but　I　am　glad　I　did　not　refuse　the　Miller；

for　he　is　my　best　friend；　and；　besides；　he　is　going　to　give　me　his

wheelbarrow。'



〃Early　the　next　morning　the　Miller　came　down　to　get　the　money　for

his　sack　of　flour；　but　little　Hans　was　so　tired　that　he　was　still

in　bed。



〃'Upon　my　word；'　said　the　Miller；　'you　are　very　lazy。　　Really；

considering　that　I　am　going　to　give　you　my　wheelbarrow；　I　think　you

might　work　harder。　　Idleness　is　a　great　sin；　and　I　certainly　don't

like　any　of　my　friends　to　be　idle　or　sluggish。　　You　must　not　mind

my　speaking　quite　plainly　to　you。　　Of　course　I　should　not　dream　of

doing　so　if　I　were　not　your　friend。　　But　what　is　the　good　of

friendship　if　one　cannot　say　exactly　what　one　means？　　Anybody　can

say　charming　things　and　try　to　please　and　to　flatter；　but　a　true

friend　always　says　unpleasant　things；　and　does　not　mind　giving

pain。　　Indeed；　if　he　is　a　really　true　friend　he　prefers　it；　for　he

knows　that　then　he　is　doing　good。'



〃'I　am　very　sorry；'　said　little　Hans；　rubbing　his　eyes　and　pulling

off　his　night…cap；　'but　I　was　so　tired　that　I　thought　I　would　lie

in　bed　for　a　little　time；　and　listen　to　the　birds　singing。　　Do　you

know　that　I　always　work　better　after　hearing　the　birds　sing？'



〃'Well；　I　am　glad　of　that；'　said　the　Miller；　clapping　little　Hans

on　the　back；　'for　I　want　you　to　come　up　to　the　mill　as　soon　as　you

are　dressed；　and　mend　my　barn…roof　for　me。'



〃Poor　little　Hans　was　very　anxious　to　go　and　work　in　his　garden；

for　his　flowers　had　not　been　watered　for　two　days；　but　he　did　not

like　to　refuse　the　Miller；　as　he　was　such　a　good　friend　to　him。



〃'Do　you　think　it　would　be　unfriendly　of　me　if　I　said　I　was　busy？'

he　inquired　in　a　shy　and　timid　voice。



〃'Well；　really；'　answered　the　Miller；　'I　do　not　think　i