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the travelling companion-第2章

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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 to John's comrade; and promised him all the money he

might receive at the next evening's performance; if he would only

rub the ointment on four or five of his dolls。 But the

fellow…traveller said he did not require anything in return; excepting

the sword which the showman wore by his side。 As soon as he received

the sword he anointed six of the dolls with the ointment; and they

were able immediately to dance so gracefully that all the living girls

in the room could not help joining in the dance。 The coachman danced

with the cook; and the waiters with the chambermaids; and all the

strangers joined; even the tongs and the fire…shovel made an

attempt; but they fell down after the first jump。 So after all it

was a very merry night。 The next morning John and his companion left

the inn to continue their journey through the great pine…forests and

over the high mountains。 They arrived at last at such a great height

that towns and villages lay beneath them; and the church steeples

looked like little specks between the green trees。 They could see

for miles round; far away to places they had never visited; and John

saw more of the beautiful world than he had ever known before。 The sun

shone brightly in the blue firmament above; and through the clear

mountain air came the sound of the huntsman's horn; and the soft;

sweet notes brought tears into his eyes; and he could not help

exclaiming; 〃How good and loving God is to give us all this beauty and

loveliness in the world to make us happy!〃

    His fellow…traveller stood by with folded hands; gazing on the

dark wood and the towns bathed in the warm sunshine。 At this moment

there sounded over their heads sweet music。 They looked up; and

discovered a large white swan hovering in the air; and singing as

never bird sang before。 But the song soon became weaker and weaker;

the bird's head drooped; and he sunk slowly down; and lay dead at

their feet。

    〃It is a beautiful bird;〃 said the traveller; 〃and these large

white wings are worth a great deal of money。 I wil
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