《安徒生童话英文版》第241章

　　"Nothing at all," answered their mother; "that's only somethingexternal. Up at the Hall, where the pigeons have their own house,and corn and peas are strewn before them every day- I have dinedwith them myself, and that you shall do in time, too; for tell me whatcompany you keep and I'll tell you who you are- up at the Hall theyhave two birds with green necks and a crest upon their heads; they canspread out their tails like a great wheel, and these are so brightwith various colours that it makes one's eyes ache. These birds arecalled peacocks, and that is 'the beautiful.' If they were onlyplucked a little they would look no better than the rest of us. Iwould have plucked them already if they had not been so big."

　　"I'll pluck them," piped the young sparrow, who had no feathersyet.

　　In the farmhouse lived a young married couple; they loved eachother dearly, were industrious and active, and everything in theirhome looked very nice. On Sundays the young wife came down early,plucked a handful of the most beautiful roses, and put them into aglass of water, which she placed upon the cupboard.

　　"Now I see that it is Sunday," said the husband, kissing hislittle wife. They sat down, read their hymn-book, and held eachother by the hand, while the sun shone down upon the fresh roses andupon them.

　　"This sight is really too tedious," said the sparrow-mother, whocould see into the room from her nest; and she flew away.

　　The same thing happened on the following Sunday, for everySunday fresh roses were put into the glass; but the rose-bushbloomed as beautifully as ever. The young sparrows now had feathers,and wanted very much to fly with their mother; but she would not allowit, and so they had to stay at home. In one of her flights, however itmay have happened, she was caught, before she was aware of it, in ahorse-hair net which some boys had attached to a tree. Thehorse-hair was drawn tightly round her leg- as tightly as if thelatter were to be cut off; she was in great pain and terror. Theboys came running up and seized her, and in no gentle way either.

　　"It's only a sparrow," they said; they did not, however, let hergo, but took her home with them, and every time she cried they hit heron the beak.

　　In the farmhouse was an old man who understood making soap intocakes and balls, both for shaving and washing. He was a merry old man,always wandering about. On seeing the sparrow which the boys hadbrought, and which they said they did not want, he asked, "Shall wemake it look very pretty?"

　　At these words an icy shudder ran through the sparrow-mother.

　　Out of his box, in which were the most beautiful colours, theold man took a quantity of shining leaf-gold, while the boys had to goand fetch some white of egg, with which the sparrow was to besmeared all over; the gold was stuck on to this, and thesparrow-mother was now gilded all over. But she, trembling in everylimb, did not think of the adornment. Then the soap-man tore off asmall piece from the red lining of his old jacket, and cutting it soas to make it look like a cock's comb, he stuck it to the bird's head.

　　"Now you will see the gold-jacket fly," said the old man,letting the sparrow go, which flew away in deadly fear, with the sunshining upon her. How she glittered! All the sparrows, and even acrow- and an old boy he was too- were startled at the sight; but stillthey flew after her to learn what kind of strange bird she was.

　　Driven by fear and horror, she flew homeward; she was almostsinking fainting to the earth, while the flock of pursuing birdsincreased, some even attempting to peck at her.

　　"Look at her!