the travelling companion-第2章

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to　do；　〃it　is　very　wicked。　Leave　him　to　rest　in　peace；　in　Christ's

name。〃

　　　　〃Nonsense；〃　replied　the　two　dreadful　men。　〃He　has　cheated　us；　he

owed　us　money　which　he　could　not　pay；　and　now　he　is　dead　we　shall

not　get　a　penny；　so　we　mean　to　have　our　revenge；　and　let　him　lie

like　a　dog　outside　the　church　door。〃

　　　　〃I　have　only　fifty　dollars；〃　said　John；　〃it　is　all　I　possess　in

the　world；　but　I　will　give　it　to　you　if　you　will　promise　me　faithfully

to　leave　the　dead　man　in　peace。　I　shall　be　able　to　get　on　without

the　money；　I　have　strong　and　healthy　limbs；　and　God　will　always　help

me。〃

　　　　〃Why；　of　course；〃　said　the　horrid　men；　〃if　you　will　pay　his　debt

we　will　both　promise　not　to　touch　him。　You　may　depend　upon　that；〃

and　then　they　took　the　money　he　offered　them；　laughed　at　him　for　his

good　nature；　and　went　their　way。

　　　　Then　he　laid　the　dead　body　back　in　the　coffin；　folded　the　hands；

and　took　leave　of　it；　and　went　away　contentedly　through　the　great

forest。　All　around　him　he　could　see　the　prettiest　little　elves　dancing

in　the　moonlight；　which　shone　through　the　trees。　They　were　not

disturbed　by　his　appearance；　for　they　knew　he　was　good　and　harmless

among　men。　They　are　wicked　people　only　who　can　never　obtain　a

glimpse　of　fairies。　Some　of　them　were　not　taller　than　the　breadth　of　a

finger；　and　they　wore　golden　combs　in　their　long；　yellow　hair。　They

were　rocking　themselves　two　together　on　the　large　dew…drops　with　which

the　leaves　and　the　high　grass　were　sprinkled。　Sometimes　the

dew…drops　would　roll　away；　and　then　they　fell　down　between　the　stems

of　the　long　grass；　and　caused　a　great　deal　of　laughing　and　noise　among

the　other　little　people。　It　was　quite　charming　to　watch　them　at

play。　Then　they　sang　songs；　and　John　remembered　that　he　had　learnt

those　pretty　songs　when　he　was　a　little　boy。　Large　speckled　spiders；

with　silver　crowns　on　their　heads；　were　employed　to　spin　suspension

bridges　and　palaces　from　one　hedge　to　another；　and　when　the　tiny　drops

fell　upon　them；　they　glittered　in　the　moonlight　like　shining　glass。

This　continued　till　sunrise。　Then　the　little　elves　crept　into　the

flower…buds；　and　the　wind　seized　the　bridges　and　palaces；　and

fluttered　them　in　the　air　like　cobwebs。

　　　　As　John　left　the　wood；　a　strong　man's　voice　called　after　him；

〃Hallo；　comrade；　where　are　you　travelling？〃

　　　　〃Into　the　wide　world；〃　he　replied；　〃I　am　only　a　poor　lad；　I　have

neither　father　nor　mother；　but　God　will　help　me。〃

　　　　〃I　am　going　into　the　wide　world　also；〃　replied　the　stranger；

〃shall　we　keep　each　other　company？〃

　　　　〃With　all　my　heart；〃　he　said；　and　so　they　went　on　together。　Soon

they　began　to　like　each　other　very　much；　for　they　were　both　good；

but　John　found　out　that　the　stranger　was　much　more　clever　than

himself。　He　had　travelled　all　over　the　world；　and　could　describe

almost　everything。　The　sun　was　high　in　the　heavens　when　they　seated

themselves　under　a　large　tree　to　eat　their　breakfast；　and　at　the

same　moment　an　old　woman　came　towards　them。　She　was　very　old　and

almost　bent　double。　She　leaned　upon　a　stick　and　carried　on　her　back

a　bundle　of　firewood；　which　she　had　collected　in　the　forest；　her　apron

was　tied　round　it；　and　John　saw　three　great　stems　of　fern　and　some

willow　twigs　peeping　out。　just　as　she　came　close　up　to　them；　her

foot　slipped　and　she　fell　to　the　ground　screaming　loudly；　poor　old

woman；　she　had　broken　her　leg！　John　proposed　directly　that　they　should

carry　the　old　woman　home　to　her　cottage；　but　the　stranger　opened　his

knapsack　and　took　out　a　box；　in　which　he　said　he　had　a　salve　that

would　quickly　make　her　leg　well　and　strong　again；　so　that　she　would　be

able　to　walk　home　herself；　as　if　her　leg　had　never　been　broken。　And

all　that　he　would　ask　in　return　was　the　three　fern　stems　which　she

carried　in　her　apron。

　　　　〃That　is　rather　too　high　a　price；〃　said　the　old　woman；　nodding　her

head　quite　strangely。　She　did　not　seem　at　all　inclined　to　part　with

the　fern　stems。　However；　it　was　not　very　agreeable　to　lie　there　with　a

broken　leg；　so　she　gave　them　to　him；　and　such　was　the　power　of　the

ointment；　that　no　sooner　had　he　rubbed　her　leg　with　it　than　the　old

mother　rose　up　and　walked　even　better　than　she　had　done　before。　But

then　this　wonderful　ointment　could　not　be　bought　at　a　chemist's。

　　　　〃What　can　you　want　with　those　three　fern　rods？〃　asked　John　of

his　fellow…traveller。

　　　　〃Oh；　they　will　make　capital　brooms；〃　said　he；　〃and　I　like　them

because　I　have　strange　whims　sometimes。〃　Then　they　walked　on

together　for　a　long　distance。

　　　　〃How　dark　the　sky　is　becoming；〃　said　John；　〃and　look　at　those

thick；　heavy　clouds。〃

　　　　〃Those　are　not　clouds；〃　replied　his　fellow…traveller；　〃they　are

mountains…　large　lofty　mountains…　on　the　tops　of　which　we　should　be

above　the　clouds；　in　the　pure；　free　air。　Believe　me；　it　is

delightful　to　ascend　so　high；　tomorrow　we　shall　be　there。〃　But　the

mountains　were　not　so　near　as　they　appeared；　they　had　to　travel　a

whole　day　before　they　reached　them；　and　pass　through　black　forests　and

piles　of　rock　as　large　as　a　town。　The　journey　had　been　so　fatiguing

that　John　and　his　fellow…traveller　stopped　to　rest　at　a　roadside

inn；　so　that　they　might　gain　strength　for　their　journey　on　the　morrow。

In　the　large　public　room　of　the　inn　a　great　many　persons　were

assembled　to　see　a　comedy　performed　by　dolls。　The　showman　had　just

erected　his　little　theatre；　and　the　people　were　sitting　round　the　room

to　witness　the　performance。　Right　in　front；　in　the　very　best　place；

sat　a　stout　butcher；　with　a　great　bull…dog　by　his　side　who　seemed　very

much　inclined　to　bite。　He　sat　staring　with　all　his　eyes；　and　so　indeed

did　every　one　else　in　the　room。　And　then　the　play　began。　It　was　a

pretty　piece；　with　a　king　and　a　queen　in　it；　who　sat　on　a　beautiful

throne；　and　had　gold　crowns　on　their　heads。　The　trains　to　their

dresses　were　very　long；　according　to　the　fashion；　while　the

prettiest　of　wooden　dolls；　with　glass　eyes　and　large　mustaches；

stood　at　the　doors；　and　opened　and　shut　them；　that　the　fresh　air　might

come　into　the　room。　It　was　a　very　pleasant　play；　not　at　all

mournful；　but　just　as　the　queen　stood　up　and　walked　across　the

stage；　the　great　bull…dog；　who　should　have　been　held　back　by　his

master；　made　a　spring　forward；　and　caught　the　queen　in　the　teeth　by

the　slender　wrist；　so　that　it　snapped　in　two。　This　was　a　very　dreadful

disaster。　The　poor　man；　who　was　exhibiting　the　dolls；　was　much

annoyed；　and　quite　sad　about　his　queen；　she　was　the　prettiest　doll

he　had；　and　the　bull…dog　had　broken　her　head　and　shoulders　off。　But

after　all　the　people　were　gone　away；　the　stranger；　who　came　with　John；

said　that　he　could　soon　set　her　to　rights。　And　then　he　brought　out　his

box　and　rubbed　the　doll　with　some　of　the　salve　with　which　he　had　cured

the　old　woman　when　she　broke　her　leg。　As　soon　as　this　was　done　the

doll's　back　became　quite　right　again；　her　head　and　shoulders　were

fixed　on；　and　she　could　even　move　her　limbs　herself：　there　was　now

no　occasion　to　pull　the　wires；　for　the　doll　acted　just　like　a　living

creature；　excepting　that　she　could　not　speak。　The　man　to　whom　the　show

belonged　was　quite　delighted　at　having　a　doll　who　could　dance　of

herself　without　being　pulled　by　the　wires；　none　of　the　other　dolls

could　do　this。

　　　　During　the　night；　when　all　the　people　at　the　inn　were　gone　to　bed；

some　one　was　heard　to　sigh　so　deeply　and　painfully；　and　the　sighing

continued　for　so　long　a　time；　that　every　one　got　up　to　see　what

could　be　the　matter。　The　showman　went　at　once　to　his　little　theatre

and　found　that　it　proceeded　from　the　dolls；　who　all　lay　on　the　floor

sighing　piteously；　and　staring　with　their　glass　eyes；　they　all

wanted　to　be　rubbed　with　the　ointment；　so　that；　like　the　queen；　they

might　be　able　to　move　of　themselves。　The　queen　threw　herself　on　her

knees；　took　off　her　beautiful　crown；　and；　holding　it　in　her　hand；

cried；　〃Take　this　from　me；　but　do　rub　my　husband　and　his　courtiers。〃

　　　　The　poor　man　who　owned　the　theatre　could　scarcely　refrain　from

weeping；　he　was　so　sorry　that　he　could　not　help　them。　Then　he

immediately　spoke