快乐王子等童话 英文版 The Happy Prince and Other Tales
奥斯卡.王尔德 Oscar Wilde
THE DEVOTED FRIEND
One morning the old Water-rat put his head out of his hole. He hadbright beady eyes and stiff grey whiskers and his tail was like along bit of black india-rubber. The little ducks were swimmingabout in the pond, looking just like a lot of yellow canaries, andtheir mother, who was pure white with real red legs, was trying toteach them how to stand on their heads in the water.
"You will never be in the best society unless you can stand on yourheads," she kept saying to them; and every now and then she showedthem how it was done. But the little ducks paid no attention toher. They were so young that they did not know what an advantageit is to be in society at all.
"What disobedient children!" cried the old Water-rat; "they reallydeserve to be drowned."
"Nothing of the kind," answered the Duck, "every one must make abeginning, and parents cannot be too patient."
"Ah! I know nothing about the feelings of parents," said the Water-rat; "I am not a family man. In fact, I have never been married,and I never intend to be. Love is all very well in its way, butfriendship is much higher. Indeed, I know of nothing in the worldthat is either nobler or rarer than a devoted friendship."
"And what, pray, is your idea of the duties of a devoted friend?"asked a Green Linnet, who was sitting in a willow-tree hard by, andhad overheard the conversation.
"Yes, that is just what I want to know," said the Duck; and sheswam away to the end of the pond, and stood upon her head, in orderto give her children a good example.
"What a silly question!" cried the Water-rat. "I should expect mydevoted friend to be devoted to me, of course."
"And what would you do in return?" said the little bird, swingingupon a silver spray, and flapping his tiny wings.
"I don't understand you," answered the Water-rat.
"Let me tell you a story on the subject," said the Linnet.
"Is the story about me?" asked the Water-rat. "If so, I willlisten to it, for I am extremely fond of fiction."
"It is applicable to you," answered the Linnet; and he flew down,and alighting upon the bank, he told the story of The DevotedFriend.
"Once upon a time," said the Linnet, "there was an honest littlefellow named Hans."
"Was he very distinguished?" asked the Water-rat.
"No," answered the Linnet, "I don't think he was distinguished atall, except for his kind heart, and his funny round good-humouredface. He lived in a tiny cottage all by himself, and every day heworked in his garden. In all the country-side there was no gardenso lovely as his. Sweet-william grew there, and Gilly-flowers, andShepherds'-purses, and Fair-maids of France. There were damaskRoses, and yellow Roses, lilac Crocuses, and gold, purple Violetsand white. Columbine and Ladysmock, Marjoram and Wild Basil, theCowslip and the Flower-de-luce, the Daffodil and the Clove-Pinkbloomed or blossomed in their proper order as the months went by,one flower taking another flower's place, so that there were alwaysbeautiful things to look at, and pleasant odours to smell.
"Little Hans had a great many friends, but the most devoted friendof all was big Hugh the Miller. Indeed, so devoted was the richMiller to little Hans, that be would never go by his garden withoutleaning over the wall and plucking a large nosegay, or a handful ofsweet herbs, or filling his pockets with plums and cherries if itwas the fruit season.
"'Real friends should have everything in common,' the Miller usedto say, and little Hans nodded and smiled, and felt very proud ofhaving a friend with such noble ideas.
"Sometimes, indeed, the neighbours thought it strange that the richMiller never gave little Hans anything in return, though he had ahundred sacks of flour stored away in his mill, and six milch cows,and a large flock of woolly sheep; but Hans never troubled his headabout these things, and nothing gave him greater pleasure than tolisten to all the wonderful things the Miller used to say about theunselfishness of true friendship.
"So little Hans worked away in his garden. During the spring, thesummer, and the autumn he was very happy, but when the winter came,and he had no fruit or flowers to bring to the market, he suffereda good deal from cold and hunger, and often had to go to bedwithout any supper but a few dried pears or some hard nuts. In thewinter, also, he was extremely lonely, as the Miller never came tosee him then.
"'There is no good in my going to see little Hans as long as thesnow lasts,' the Miller used to say to his wife, 'for when peopleare in trouble they should be left alone, and not be bothered byvisitors. That at least is my idea about friendship, and I am sureI am right. So I shall wait till the spring comes, and then Ishall pay him a visit, and he will be able to give me a largebasket of primroses and that will make him so happy.'
"'You are certainly very thoughtful about others,' answered theWife, as she sat in her comfortable armchair by the big pinewoodfire; 'very thoughtful indeed. It is quite a treat to hear youtalk about friendship. I am sure the clergyman himself could notsay such beautiful things as you do, though he does live in athree-storied house, and wear a gold ring on his little finger.'
"'But could we not ask little Hans up here?' said the Miller'syoungest son. 'If poor Hans is in trouble I will give him half myporridge, and show him my white rabbits.'
"'What a silly boy you are'! cried the Miller; 'I really don't knowwhat is the use of sending you to school. You seem not to learnanything. Why, if little Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire,and our good supper, and our great cask of red wine, he might getenvious, and envy is a most terrible thing, and would spoilanybody's nature. I certainly will not allow Hans' nature to bespoiled. I am his best friend, and I will always watch over him,and see that he is not led into any temptations. Besides, if Hanscame here, he might ask me to let him have some flour on credit,and that I could not do. Flour is one thing, and friendship isanother, and they should not be confused. Why, the words are speltdifferently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can seethat.'
"'Lots of people act well,' answered the Miller; 'but very fewpeople talk well, which shows that talking is much the moredifficult thing of the two, and much the finer thing also'; and helooked sternly across the table at his little son, who felt soashamed of himself that he hung his head down, and grew quitescarlet, and began to cry into his tea. However, he was so youngthat you must excuse him."
"Is that the end of the story?" asked the Water-rat.
"Certainly not," answered the Linnet, "that is the beginning."
"Then you are quite behind the age," said the Water-rat. "Everygood story-teller nowadays starts with the end, and then goes on tothe beginning, and concludes with the middle. That is the newmethod. I heard all about it the other day from a critic who waswalking round the pond with a young man. He spoke of the matter atgreat length, and I am sure he must have been right, for he hadblue spectacles and a bald head, and whenever the young man madeany remark, he always answered 'Pooh!' But pray go on with yourstory. I like the Miller immensely. I have all kinds of beautifulsentiments myself, so there is a great sympathy between us."
"Well," said the Linnet, hopping now on one leg and now on theother, "as soon as the winter was over, and the primroses began toopen their pale yellow stars, the Miller said to his wife that hewould go down and see little Hans.
"'Why, what a good heart you have'! cried his Wife; 'you are alwaysthinking of others. And mind you take the big basket with you forthe flowers.'
"So the Miller tied the sails of the windmill together with astrong iron chain, and went down the hill with the basket on hisarm.
"'Good morning, little Hans,' said the Miller.
"'Good morning,' said Hans, leaning on his spade, and smiling fromear 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, verygood indeed. I am afraid I had rather a hard time of it, but nowthe spring has come, and I am quite happy, and all my flowers aredoing 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 hadforgotten me.'
"'Hans, I am surprised at you,' said the Miller; 'friendship neverforgets. That is the wonderful thing about it, but I am afraid youdon't understand the poetry of life. How lovely your primroses arelooking, by-the-bye"!
"'They are certainly very lovely,' said Hans, 'and it is a mostlucky thing for me that I have so many. I am going to bring theminto the market and sell them to the Burgomaster's daughter, andbuy back my wheelbarrow with the money.'
"'Buy back your wheelbarrow? You don't mean to say you have soldit? What a very stupid thing to do'!
"'Well, the fact is,' said Hans, 'that I was obliged to. You seethe winter was a very bad time for me, and I really had no money atall to buy bread with. So I first sold the silver buttons off mySunday coat, and then I sold my silver chain, and then I sold mybig pipe, and at last I sold my wheelbarrow. But I am going to buythem all back again now.'
"'Hans,' said the Miller, 'I will give you my wheelbarrow. It isnot in very good repair; indeed, one side is gone, and there issomething wrong with the wheel-spokes; but in spite of that I willgive it to you. I know it is very generous of me, and a great manypeople would think me extremely foolish for parting with it, but Iam not like the rest of the world. I think that generosity is theessence of friendship, and, besides, I have got a new wheelbarrowfor myself. Yes, you may set your mind at ease, I will give you mywheelbarrow.'
"'Well, really, that is generous of you,' said little Hans, and hisfunny round face glowed all over with pleasure. 'I can easily putit 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 wantfor the roof of my barn. There is a very large hole in it, and thecorn will all get damp if I don't stop it up. How lucky youmentioned it! It is quite remarkable how one good action alwaysbreeds another. I have given you my wheelbarrow, and now you aregoing to give me your plank. Of course, the wheelbarrow is worthfar more than the plank, but true, friendship never notices thingslike that. Pray get it at once, and I will set to work at my barnthis very day.'
"'Certainly,' cried little Hans, and he ran into the shed anddragged the plank out.
"'It is not a very big plank,' said the Miller, looking at it, 'andI am afraid that after I have mended my barn-roof there won't beany left for you to mend the wheelbarrow with; but, of course, thatis not my fault. And now, as I have given you my wheelbarrow, I amsure you would like to give me some flowers in return. Here is thebasket, and mind you fill it quite full.'
"'Quite full?' said little Hans, rather sorrowfully, for it wasreally a very big basket, and he knew that if he filled it he wouldhave no flowers left for the market and he was very anxious to gethis silver buttons back.
"'Well, really,' answered the Miller, 'as I have given you mywheelbarrow, I don't think that it is much to ask you for a fewflowers. I may be wrong, but I should have thought thatfriendship, true friendship, was quite free from selfishness of anykind.'
"'My dear friend, my best friend,' cried little Hans, 'you arewelcome to all the flowers in my garden. I would much sooner haveyour good opinion than my silver buttons, any day'; and he ran andplucked all his pretty primroses, and filled the Miller's basket.
"'Good-bye, little Hans,' said the Miller, as he went up the hillwith the plank on his shoulder, and the big basket in his hand.
"'Good-bye,' said little Hans, and he began to dig away quitemerrily, 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. Sohe jumped off the ladder, and ran down the garden, and looked overthe wall.
"There was the Miller with a large sack of flour on his back.
"'Dear little Hans,' said the Miller, 'would you mind carrying thissack 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 Iam going to give you my wheelbarrow, it is rather unfriendly of youto refuse.'
"'Oh, don't say that,' cried little Hans, 'I wouldn't be unfriendlyfor the whole world'; and he ran in for his cap, and trudged offwith the big sack on his shoulders.
"It was a very hot day, and the road was terribly dusty, and beforeHans had reached the sixth milestone he was so tired that he had tosit down and rest. However, he went on bravely, and as last hereached the market. After he had waited there some time, he soldthe sack of flour for a very good price, and then he returned homeat once, for he was afraid that if he stopped too late he mightmeet some robbers on the way.
"'It has certainly been a hard day,' said little Hans to himself ashe 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 hiswheelbarrow.'
"Early the next morning the Miller came down to get the money forhis sack of flour, but little Hans was so tired that he was stillin bed.
"'Upon my word,' said the Miller, 'you are very lazy. Really,considering that I am going to give you my wheelbarrow, I think youmight work harder. Idleness is a great sin, and I certainly don'tlike any of my friends to be idle or sluggish. You must not mindmy speaking quite plainly to you. Of course I should not dream ofdoing so if I were not your friend. But what is the good offriendship if one cannot say exactly what one means? Anybody cansay charming things and try to please and to flatter, but a truefriend always says unpleasant things, and does not mind givingpain. Indeed, if he is a really true friend he prefers it, for heknows that then he is doing good.'
"'I am very sorry,' said little Hans, rubbing his eyes and pullingoff his night-cap, 'but I was so tired that I thought I would liein bed for a little time, and listen to the birds singing. Do youknow that I always work better after hearing the birds sing?'
"'Well, I am glad of that,' said the Miller, clapping little Hanson the back, 'for I want you to come up to the mill as soon as youare 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 notlike 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 it is much toask 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 theMiller came to see how he was getting on.
"'Have you mended the hole in the roof yet, little Hans?' cried theMiller in a cheery voice.
"'It is quite mended,' answered little Hans, coming down theladder.
"'Ah'! said the Miller, 'there is no work so delightful as the workone does for others.'
"'It is certainly a great privilege to hear you talk,' answeredlittle Hans, sitting down, and wiping his forehead, 'a very greatprivilege. But I am afraid I shall never have such beautiful ideasas you have.'
"'Oh! they will come to you,' said the Miller, 'but you must takemore 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 youhave mended the roof, you had better go home and rest, for I wantyou to drive my sheep to the mountain to-morrow.'
"Poor little Hans was afraid to say anything to this, and early thenext morning the Miller brought his sheep round to the cottage, andHans started off with them to the mountain. It took him the wholeday to get there and back; and when he returned he was so tiredthat he went off to sleep in his chair, and did not wake up till itwas broad daylight.
"'What a delightful time I shall have in my garden,' he said, andhe 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 himoff on long errands, or getting him to help at the mill. LittleHans was very much distressed at times, as he was afraid hisflowers would think he had forgotten them, but he consoled himselfby the reflection that the Miller was his best friend. 'Besides,'he used to say, 'he is going to give me his wheelbarrow, and thatis an act of pure generosity.'
"So little Hans worked away for the Miller, and the Miller said allkinds of beautiful things about friendship, which Hans took down ina note-book, and used to read over at night, for he was a very goodscholar.
"Now it happened that one evening little Hans was sitting by hisfireside when a loud rap came at the door. It was a very wildnight, and the wind was blowing and roaring round the house soterribly that at first he thought it was merely the storm. But asecond rap came, and then a third, louder than any of the others.
"'It is some poor traveller,' said little Hans to himself, and heran to the door.
"There stood the Miller with a lantern in one hand and a big stickin the other.
"'Dear little Hans,' cried the Miller, 'I am in great trouble. Mylittle boy has fallen off a ladder and hurt himself, and I am goingfor the Doctor. But he lives so far away, and it is such a badnight, that it has just occurred to me that it would be much betterif you went instead of me. You know I am going to give you mywheelbarrow, and so, it is only fair that you should do somethingfor me in return.'
"'Certainly,' cried little Hans, 'I take it quite as a complimentyour coming to me, and I will start off at once. But you must lendme your lantern, as the night is so dark that I am afraid I mightfall 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, andhe took down his great fur coat, and his warm scarlet cap, and tieda muffler round his throat, and started off.
"What a dreadful storm it was! The night was so black that littleHans could hardly see, and the wind was so strong that he couldscarcely stand. However, he was very courageous, and after he hadbeen 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 hisbedroom 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 hisbig boots, and his lantern, and came downstairs, and rode off inthe direction of the Miller's house, little Hans trudging behindhim.
"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 withthe 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, andthere poor little Hans was drowned. His body was found the nextday by some goatherds, floating in a great pool of water, and wasbrought back by them to the cottage.
"Everybody went to little Hans' funeral, as he was so popular, andthe Miller was the chief mourner.
"'As I was his best friend,' said the Miller, 'it is only fair thatI should have the best place'; so he walked at the head of theprocession in a long black cloak, and every now and then he wipedhis eyes with a big pocket-handkerchief.
"'Little Hans is certainly a great loss to every one,' said theBlacksmith, when the funeral was over, and they were all seatedcomfortably in the inn, drinking spiced wine and eating sweetcakes.
"'A great loss to me at any rate,' answered the Miller; 'why, I hadas good as given him my wheelbarrow, and now I really don't knowwhat to do with it. It is very much in my way at home, and it isin such bad repair that I could not get anything for it if I soldit. 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 thatI don't care."
"It is quite evident then that you have no sympathy in yournature," said the Water-rat.
"I am afraid you don't quite see the moral of the story," remarkedthe 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, "Ithink you should have told me that before you began. If you haddone so, I certainly would not have listened to you; in fact, Ishould have said 'Pooh,' like the critic. However, I can say itnow"; so he shouted out "Pooh" at the top of his voice, gave awhisk with his tail, and went back into his hole.
"And how do you like the Water-rat?" asked the Duck, who camepaddling up some minutes afterwards. "He has a great many goodpoints, but for my own part I have a mother's feelings, and I cannever look at a confirmed bachelor without the tears coming into myeyes."
"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.