《安徒生童话英文版》第154章

　　"Where are your sons?" asked the prince.

　　"It is difficult to answer stupid questions," said the woman."My sons have plenty of business on hand; they are playing atshuttlecock with the clouds up yonder in the king's hall," and shepointed upwards.

　　"Oh, indeed," said the prince; "but you speak more roughly andharshly and are not so gentle as the women I am used to."

　　"Yes, that is because they have nothing else to do; but I amobliged to be harsh, to keep my boys in order, and I can do it,although they are so head-strong. Do you see those four sackshanging on the wall? Well, they are just as much afraid of thosesacks, as you used to be of the rat behind the looking-glass. I canbend the boys together, and put them in the sacks without anyresistance on their parts, I can tell you. There they stay, and darenot attempt to come out until I allow them to do so. And here comesone of them."

　　It was the North Wind who came in, bringing with him a cold,piercing blast; large hailstones rattled on the floor, andsnowflakes were scattered around in all directions. He wore a bearskindress and cloak. His sealskin cap was drawn over his ears, longicicles hung from his beard, and one hailstone after another rolledfrom the collar of his jacket.

　　"Don't go too near the fire," said the prince, "or your handsand face will be frost-bitten."

　　"Frost-bitten!" said the North Wind, with a loud laugh; "why frostis my greatest delight. What sort of a little snip are you, and howdid you find your way to the cavern of the Winds?"

　　"He is my guest," said the old woman, "and if you are notsatisfied with that explanation you can go into the sack. Do youunderstand me?"

　　That settled the matter. So the North Wind began to relate hisadventures, whence he came, and where he had been for a whole month."I come from the polar seas," he said; "I have been on the Bear'sIsland with the Russian walrus-hunters. I sat and slept at the helm oftheir ship, as they sailed away from North Cape. Sometimes when Iwoke, the storm-birds would fly about my legs. They are curious birds;they give one flap with their wings, and then on their outstretchedpinions soar far away.

　　"Don't make such a long story of it," said the mother of thewinds; "what sort of a place is Bear's Island?"

　　"A very beautiful place, with a floor for dancing as smooth andflat as a plate. Half-melted snow, partly covered with moss, sharpstones, and skeletons of walruses and polar-bears, lie all about,their gigantic limbs in a state of green decay. It would seem as ifthe sun never shone there. I blew gently, to clear away the mist,and then I saw a little hut, which had been built from the wood of awreck, and was covered with the skins of the walrus, the fleshy sideoutwards; it looked green and red, and on the roof sat a growlingbear. Then I went to the sea shore, to look after birds' nests, andsaw the unfledged nestlings opening their mouths and screaming forfood. I blew into the thousand little throats, and quickly stoppedtheir screaming. Farther on were the walruses with pig's heads, andteeth a yard long, rolling about like great worms.

　　"You relate your adventures very well, my son," said the mother,"it makes my mouth water to hear you.

　　"After that," continued the North Wind, "the hunting commenced.The harpoon was flung into the breast of the walrus, so that a smokingstream of blood spurted forth like a fountain, and besprinkled theice. Then I thought of my own game; I began to blow, and set my ownships, the great icebergs sailing, so that they might crush the boats.Oh, how the sailors howled and cried out!