《安徒生童话英文版》第107章

　　The widow's husband had possessed all Thyland, with theexception of the church property. Her son was not at home. In hisboyhood he had already started on a journey, for his desire was to seeforeign lands and strange people. For years there had been no newsof him. Perhaps he had been long laid in the grave, and would nevercome back to his home, to rule where his mother then ruled.

　　"What has a woman to do with rule?" said the bishop.

　　He summoned the widow before a law court; but what did he gainthereby? The widow had never been disobedient to the law, and wasstrong in her just rights.

　　Bishop Olaf of Borglum, what dost thou purpose? What writestthou on yonder smooth parchment, sealing it with thy seal, andintrusting it to the horsemen and servants, who ride away, far away,to the city of the Pope?

　　It is the time of falling leaves and of stranded ships, and soonicy winter will come.

　　Twice had icy winter returned before the bishop welcomed thehorsemen and servants back to their home. They came from Rome with apapal decree- a ban, or bull, against the widow who had dared tooffend the pious bishop. "Cursed be she and all that belongs to her.Let her be expelled from the congregation and the Church. Let no manstretch forth a helping hand to her, and let friends and relationsavoid her as a plague and a pestilence!"

　　"What will not bend must break," said the Bishop of Borglum

　　And all forsake the widow; but she holds fast to her God. He isher helper and defender.

　　One servant only- an old maid- remained faithful to her; andwith the old servant, the widow herself followed the plough; and thecrop grew, although the land had been cursed by the Pope and by thebishop.

　　"Thou child of perdition, I will yet carry out my purpose!"cried the Bishop of Borglum. "Now will I lay the hand of the Pope uponthee, to summon thee before the tribunal that shall condemn thee!"

　　Then did the widow yoke the last two oxen that remained to herto a wagon, and mounted up on the wagon, with her old servant, andtravelled away across the heath out of the Danish land. As astranger she came into a foreign country, where a strange tongue wasspoken and where new customs prevailed. Farther and farther shejourneyed, to where green hills rise into mountains, and the vineclothes their sides. Strange merchants drive by her, and they lookanxiously after their wagons laden with merchandise. They fear anattack from the armed followers of the robber-knights. The two poorwomen, in their humble vehicle drawn by two black oxen, travelfearlessly through the dangerous sunken road and through thedarksome forest. And now they were in Franconia. And there met thema stalwart knight, with a train of twelve armed followers. Hepaused, gazed at the strange vehicle, and questioned the women as tothe goal of their journey and the place whence they came. Then oneof them mentioned Thyland in Denmark, and spoke of her sorrows, of herwoes, which were soon to cease, for so Divine Providence had willedit. For the stranger knight is the widow's son! He seized her hand, heembraced her, and the mother wept. For years she had not been ableto weep, but had only bitten her lips till the blood started.

　　It is the time of falling leaves and of stranded ships, and soonwill icy winter come.

　　The sea rolled wine-tubs to the shore for the bishop's cellar.In the kitchen the deer roasted on the spit before the fire. AtBorglum it was warm and cheerful in the heated rooms, while coldwinter raged without, when a piece of news was brought to thebishop. "Jens Glob, of Thyland, has come back, and his mother withhim." Jens Glob laid a complaint against the bishop, and summonedhim before the temporal and the spiritual court.

　　"That will avail him little," said the bishop. "Best leave off thyefforts, knight Jens."

　　Again it is the time of falling leaves and stranded ships. Icywinter comes again, and the "white bees" are swarming, and sting thetraveller's face till they melt.

　　"Keen weather to-day!"