《安徒生童话英文版》第266章

　　cried the pen.

　　"Writing-stick!" retorted the inkstand. And each of them feltsatisfied that he had given a good answer. It is pleasing to beconvinced that you have settled a matter by your reply; it issomething to make you sleep well, and they both slept well upon it.But the poet did not sleep. Thoughts rose up within him like thetones of the violin, falling like pearls, or rushing like the strongwind through the forest. He understood his own heart in thesethoughts; they were as a ray from the mind of the Great Master of allminds.

　　"To Him be all the honor."

　　THE END.

　　1872

　　FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

　　THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE

　　by Hans Christian Andersen

　　FAR away towards the east, in India, which seemed in those daysthe world's end, stood the Tree of the Sun; a noble tree, such as wehave never seen, and perhaps never may see.

　　The summit of this tree spread itself for miles like an entireforest, each of its smaller branches forming a complete tree. Palms,beech-trees, pines, plane-trees, and various other kinds, which arefound in all parts of the world, were here like small branches,shooting forth from the great tree; while the larger boughs, withtheir knots and curves, formed valleys and hills, clothed with velvetygreen and covered with flowers. Everywhere it was like a bloomingmeadow or a lovely garden. Here were birds from all quarters of theworld assembled together; birds from the primeval forests ofAmerica, from the rose gardens of Damascus, and from the deserts ofAfrica, in which the elephant and the lion may boast of being the onlyrulers. Birds from the Polar regions came flying here, and of coursethe stork and the swallow were not absent. But the birds were notthe only living creatures. There were stags, squirrels, antelopes, andhundreds of other beautiful and light-footed animals here found ahome.

　　The summit of the tree was a wide-spreading garden, and in themidst of it, where the green boughs formed a kind of hill, stood acastle of crystal, with a view from it towards every quarter ofheaven. Each tower was erected in the form of a lily, and within thestern was a winding staircase, through which one could ascend to thetop and step out upon the leaves as upon balconies. The calyx of theflower itself formed a most beautiful, glittering, circular hall,above which no other roof arose than the blue firmament and the sunand stars.

　　Just as much splendor, but of another kind, appeared below, in thewide halls of the castle. Here, on the walls, were reflectedpictures of the world, which represented numerous and varied scenes ofeverything that took place daily, so that it was useless to read thenewspapers, and indeed there were none to be obtained in this spot.All was to be seen in living pictures by those who wished it, butall would have been too much for even the wisest man, and this mandwelt here. His name is very difficult; you would not be able topronounce it, so it may be omitted. He knew everything that a man onearth can know or imagine. Every invention already in existence or yetto be, was known to him, and much more; still everything on earthhas a limit. The wise king Solomon was not half so wise as this man.He could govern the powers of nature and held sway over potentspirits; even Death itself was obliged to give him every morning alist of those who were to die during the day. And King Solomon himselfhad to die at last, and this fact it was which so often occupied thethoughts of this great man in the castle on the Tree of the Sun. Heknew that he also, however high he might tower above other men inwisdom, must one day die. He knew that his children would fade awaylike the leaves of the forest and become dust. He saw the human racewither and fall like leaves from the tree; he saw new men come to filltheir places, but the leaves that fell off never sprouted forth again;they crumbled to dust or were absorbed into other plants.

　　"What happens to man," asked the wise man of himself, "whentouched by the angel of death?