the devoted friend-第3章

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he　inquired　in　a　shy　and　timid　voice。



〃'Well；　really；'　answered　the　Miller；　'I　do　not　think　it　is　much　to

ask　of　you；　considering　that　I　am　going　to　give　you　my　wheelbarrow；

but　of　course　if　you　refuse　I　will　go　and　do　it　myself。'



〃'Oh！　on　no　account；'　cried　little　Hans　and　he　jumped　out　of　bed；

and　dressed　himself；　and　went　up　to　the　barn。



〃He　worked　there　all　day　long；　till　sunset；　and　at　sunset　the

Miller　came　to　see　how　he　was　getting　on。



〃'Have　you　mended　the　hole　in　the　roof　yet；　little　Hans？'　cried　the

Miller　in　a　cheery　voice。



〃'It　is　quite　mended；'　answered　little　Hans；　coming　down　the

ladder。



〃'Ah'！　said　the　Miller；　'there　is　no　work　so　delightful　as　the　work

one　does　for　others。'



〃'It　is　certainly　a　great　privilege　to　hear　you　talk；'　answered

little　Hans；　sitting　down；　and　wiping　his　forehead；　'a　very　great

privilege。　　But　I　am　afraid　I　shall　never　have　such　beautiful　ideas

as　you　have。'



〃'Oh！　they　will　come　to　you；'　said　the　Miller；　'but　you　must　take

more　pains。　　At　present　you　have　only　the　practice　of　friendship；

some　day　you　will　have　the　theory　also。'



〃'Do　you　really　think　I　shall？'　asked　little　Hans。



〃'I　have　no　doubt　of　it；'　answered　the　Miller；　'but　now　that　you

have　mended　the　roof；　you　had　better　go　home　and　rest；　for　I　want

you　to　drive　my　sheep　to　the　mountain　to…morrow。'



〃Poor　little　Hans　was　afraid　to　say　anything　to　this；　and　early　the

next　morning　the　Miller　brought　his　sheep　round　to　the　cottage；　and

Hans　started　off　with　them　to　the　mountain。　　It　took　him　the　whole

day　to　get　there　and　back；　and　when　he　returned　he　was　so　tired

that　he　went　off　to　sleep　in　his　chair；　and　did　not　wake　up　till　it

was　broad　daylight。



〃'What　a　delightful　time　I　shall　have　in　my　garden；'　he　said；　and

he　went　to　work　at　once。



〃But　somehow　he　was　never　able　to　look　after　his　flowers　at　all；

for　his　friend　the　Miller　was　always　coming　round　and　sending　him

off　on　long　errands；　or　getting　him　to　help　at　the　mill。　　Little

Hans　was　very　much　distressed　at　times；　as　he　was　afraid　his

flowers　would　think　he　had　forgotten　them；　but　he　consoled　himself

by　the　reflection　that　the　Miller　was　his　best　friend。　　'Besides；'

he　used　to　say；　'he　is　going　to　give　me　his　wheelbarrow；　and　that

is　an　act　of　pure　generosity。'



〃So　little　Hans　worked　away　for　the　Miller；　and　the　Miller　said　all

kinds　of　beautiful　things　about　friendship；　which　Hans　took　down　in

a　note…book；　and　used　to　read　over　at　night；　for　he　was　a　very　good

scholar。



〃Now　it　happened　that　one　evening　little　Hans　was　sitting　by　his

fireside　when　a　loud　rap　came　at　the　door。　　It　was　a　very　wild

night；　and　the　wind　was　blowing　and　roaring　round　the　house　so

terribly　that　at　first　he　thought　it　was　merely　the　storm。　　But　a

second　rap　came；　and　then　a　third；　louder　than　any　of　the　others。



〃'It　is　some　poor　traveller；'　said　little　Hans　to　himself；　and　he

ran　to　the　door。



〃There　stood　the　Miller　with　a　lantern　in　one　hand　and　a　big　stick

in　the　other。



〃'Dear　little　Hans；'　cried　the　Miller；　'I　am　in　great　trouble。　　My

little　boy　has　fallen　off　a　ladder　and　hurt　himself；　and　I　am　going

for　the　Doctor。　　But　he　lives　so　far　away；　and　it　is　such　a　bad

night；　that　it　has　just　occurred　to　me　that　it　would　be　much　better

if　you　went　instead　of　me。　　You　know　I　am　going　to　give　you　my

wheelbarrow；　and　so；　it　is　only　fair　that　you　should　do　something

for　me　in　return。'



〃'Certainly；'　cried　little　Hans；　'I　take　it　quite　as　a　compliment

your　coming　to　me；　and　I　will　start　off　at　once。　　But　you　must　lend

me　your　lantern；　as　the　night　is　so　dark　that　I　am　afraid　I　might

fall　into　the　ditch。'



〃'I　am　very　sorry；'　answered　the　Miller；　'but　it　is　my　new　lantern；

and　it　would　be　a　great　loss　to　me　if　anything　happened　to　it。'



〃'Well；　never　mind；　I　will　do　without　it；'　cried　little　Hans；　and

he　took　down　his　great　fur　coat；　and　his　warm　scarlet　cap；　and　tied

a　muffler　round　his　throat；　and　started　off。



〃What　a　dreadful　storm　it　was！　　The　night　was　so　black　that　little

Hans　could　hardly　see；　and　the　wind　was　so　strong　that　he　could

scarcely　stand。　　However；　he　was　very　courageous；　and　after　he　had

been　walking　about　three　hours；　he　arrived　at　the　Doctor's　house；

and　knocked　at　the　door。



〃'Who　is　there？'　cried　the　Doctor；　putting　his　head　out　of　his

bedroom　window。



〃'Little　Hans；　Doctor。'



〃'What　do　you　want；　little　Hans？'



〃'The　Miller's　son　has　fallen　from　a　ladder；　and　has　hurt　himself；

and　the　Miller　wants　you　to　come　at　once。'



〃'All　right！'　said　the　Doctor；　and　he　ordered　his　horse；　and　his

big　boots；　and　his　lantern；　and　came　downstairs；　and　rode　off　in

the　direction　of　the　Miller's　house；　little　Hans　trudging　behind

him。



〃But　the　storm　grew　worse　and　worse；　and　the　rain　fell　in　torrents；

and　little　Hans　could　not　see　where　he　was　going；　or　keep　up　with

the　horse。　　At　last　he　lost　his　way；　and　wandered　off　on　the　moor；

which　was　a　very　dangerous　place；　as　it　was　full　of　deep　holes；　and

there　poor　little　Hans　was　drowned。　　His　body　was　found　the　next

day　by　some　goatherds；　floating　in　a　great　pool　of　water；　and　was

brought　back　by　them　to　the　cottage。



〃Everybody　went　to　little　Hans'　funeral；　as　he　was　so　popular；　and

the　Miller　was　the　chief　mourner。



〃'As　I　was　his　best　friend；'　said　the　Miller；　'it　is　only　fair　that

I　should　have　the　best　place'；　so　he　walked　at　the　head　of　the

procession　in　a　long　black　cloak；　and　every　now　and　then　he　wiped

his　eyes　with　a　big　pocket…handkerchief。



〃'Little　Hans　is　certainly　a　great　loss　to　every　one；'　said　the

Blacksmith；　when　the　funeral　was　over；　and　they　were　all　seated

comfortably　in　the　inn；　drinking　spiced　wine　and　eating　sweet

cakes。



〃'A　great　loss　to　me　at　any　rate；'　answered　the　Miller；　'why；　I　had

as　good　as　given　him　my　wheelbarrow；　and　now　I　really　don't　know

what　to　do　with　it。　　It　is　very　much　in　my　way　at　home；　and　it　is

in　such　bad　repair　that　I　could　not　get　anything　for　it　if　I　sold

it。　　I　will　certainly　take　care　not　to　give　away　anything　again。

One　always　suffers　for　being　generous。'〃



〃Well？〃　said　the　Water…rat；　after　a　long　pause。



〃Well；　that　is　the　end；〃　said　the　Linnet。



〃But　what　became　of　the　Miller？〃　asked　the　Water…rat。



〃Oh！　　I　really　don't　know；〃　replied　the　Linnet；　〃and　I　am　sure　that

I　don't　care。〃



〃It　is　quite　evident　then　that　you　have　no　sympathy　in　your

nature；〃　said　the　Water…rat。



〃I　am　afraid　you　don't　quite　see　the　moral　of　the　story；〃　remarked

the　Linnet。



〃The　what？〃　screamed　the　Water…rat。



〃The　moral。〃



〃Do　you　mean　to　say　that　the　story　has　a　moral？〃



〃Certainly；〃　said　the　Linnet。



〃Well；　really；〃　said　the　Water…rat；　in　a　very　angry　manner；　〃I

think　you　should　have　told　me　that　before　you　began。　　If　you　had

done　so；　I　certainly　would　not　have　listened　to　you；　in　fact；　I

should　have　said　'Pooh；'　like　the　critic。　　However；　I　can　say　it

now〃；　so　he　shouted　out　〃Pooh〃　at　the　top　of　his　voice；　gave　a

whisk　with　his　tail；　and　went　back　into　his　hole。



〃And　how　do　you　like　the　Water…rat？〃　asked　the　Duck；　who　came

paddling　up　some　minutes　afterwards。　　〃He　has　a　great　many　good

points；　but　for　my　own　part　I　have　a　mother's　feelings；　and　I　can

never　look　at　a　confirmed　bachelor　without　the　tears　coming　into　my

eyes。〃



〃I　am　rather　afraid　that　I　have　annoyed　him；〃　answered　the　Linnet。

〃The　fact　is；　that　I　told　him　a　story　with　a　moral。〃



〃Ah！　that　is　always　a　very　dangerous　thing　to　do；〃　said　the　Duck。



And　I　quite　agree　with　her。