《安徒生童话英文版》第15章

　　Herethere was bitter cold and snow-storms, while in Spain there wasburning sunshine and oppressive heat. Yet, when a clear frosty daycame, and Jurgen saw the swans flying in numbers from the seatowards the land, across to Norre-Vosborg, it seemed to him thatpeople could breathe more freely here; the summer also in this part ofthe world was splendid. In imagination he saw the heath blossom andbecome purple with rich juicy berries, and the elder-bushes andlime-trees at Norre Vosborg in flower. He made up his mind to go thereagain.

　　Spring came, and the fishing began. Jurgen was now an activehelper in this, for he had grown during the last year, and was quickat work. He was full of life, and knew how to swim, to tread water,and to turn over and tumble in the strong tide. They often warnedhim to beware of the sharks, which seize the best swimmer, draw himdown, and devour him; but such was not to be Jurgen's fate.

　　At a neighbour's house in the dunes there was a boy namedMartin, with whom Jurgen was on very friendly terms, and they bothtook service in the same ship to Norway, and also went together toHolland. They never had a quarrel, but a person can be easilyexcited to quarrel when he is naturally hot tempered, for he oftenshows it in many ways; and this is just what Jurgen did one day whenthey fell out about the merest trifle. They were sitting behind thecabin door, eating from a delft plate, which they had placed betweenthem. Jurgen held his pocket-knife in his hand and raised it towardsMartin, and at the same time became ashy pale, and his eyes had anugly look. Martin only said, "Ah! ah! you are one of that sort, areyou? Fond of using the knife!"

　　The words were scarcely spoken, when Jurgen's hand sank down. Hedid not answer a syllable, but went on eating, and afterwards returnedto his work. When they were resting again he walked up to Martin andsaid:

　　"Hit me in the face! I deserve it. But sometimes I feel as if Ihad a pot in me that boils over."

　　"There, let the thing rest," replied Martin.

　　And after that they were almost better friends than ever; whenafterwards they returned to the dunes and began telling theiradventures, this was told among the rest. Martin said that Jurgenwas certainly passionate, but a good fellow after all.

　　They were both young and healthy, well-grown and strong; butJurgen was the cleverer of the two.

　　In Norway the peasants go into the mountains and take the cattlethere to find pasture. On the west coast of Jutland huts have beenerected among the sand-hills; they are built of pieces of wreck, andthatched with turf and heather; there are sleeping places round thewalls, and here the fishermen live and sleep during the earlyspring. Every fisherman has a female helper, or manager as she iscalled, who baits his hooks, prepares warm beer for him when hecomes ashore, and gets the dinner cooked and ready for him by the timehe comes back to the hut tired and hungry. Besides this the managersbring up the fish from the boats, cut them open, prepare them, andhave generally a great deal to do.

　　Jurgen, his father, and several other fishermen and their managersinhabited the same hut; Martin lived in the next one.

　　One of the girls, whose name was Else, had known Jurgen fromchildhood; they were glad to see each other, and were of the sameopinion on many points, but in appearance they were entirely opposite;for he was dark, and she was pale, and fair, and had flaxen hair,and eyes as blue as the sea in sunshine.

　　As they were walking together one day, Jurgen held her hand veryfirmly in his, and she said to him: "Jurgen, I have something I want to say to you; let me be yourmanager, for you are like a brother to me; but Martin, whosehousekeeper I am- he is my lover- but you need not tell this to theothers."

　　It seemed to Jurgen as if the loose sand was giving way underhis feet. He did not speak a word, but nodded his head, and that meant"yes." It was all that was necessary; but he suddenly felt in hisheart that he hated Martin, and the more he thought the more he feltconvinced that Martin had stolen away from him the only being heever loved, and that this was Else: he had never thought of Else inthis way before, but now it all became plain to him.

　　When the sea is rather rough, and the fishermen are coming home intheir great boats, it is wonderful to see how they cross the reefs.One of them stands upright in the bow of the boat, and the otherswatch him sitting with the oars in their hands. Outside the reef itlooks as if the boat was not approaching land but going back to sea;then the man who is standing up gives them the signal that the greatwave is coming which is to float them across the reef. The boat islifted high into the air, so that the keel is seen from the shore; thenext moment nothing can be seen, mast, keel, and people are allhidden- it seems as though the sea had devoured them; but in a fewmoments they emerge like a great sea animal climbing up the waves, andthe oars move as if the creature had legs. The second and third reefare passed in the same manner; then the fishermen jump into thewater and push the boat towards the shore- every wave helps them-and at length they have it drawn up, beyond the reach of the breakers.

　　A wrong order given in front of the reef- the slightesthesitation- and the boat would be lost,

　　"Then it would be all over with me and Martin too!"