《安徒生童话英文版》第36章

　　A week has passed; this morning his death was in the newspaper,that is the reason of the girl's mourning! Her old sweetheart isdead and has left a wife and three step-children, as the paper says;it sounds as if there is a crack, but the metal is pure.

　　The black bow signifies mourning, the girl's face points to thesame in a still higher degree; it is preserved in the heart and willnever be forgotten. Delaying is not forgetting!

　　These are three stories you see, three leaves on the same stalk.Do you wish for some more trefoil leaves? In the little heartbookare many more of them. Delaying is not forgetting!

　　THE END.

　　1872

　　FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

　　EVERYTHING IN THE RIGHT PLACE

　　by Hans Christian Andersen

　　IT is more than a hundred years ago! At the border of the wood,near a large lake, stood the old mansion: deep ditches surrounded iton every side, in which reeds and bulrushes grew. Close by thedrawbridge, near the gate, there was an old willow tree, which bentover the reeds.

　　From the narrow pass came the sound of bugles and the trampling ofhorses' feet; therefore a little girl who was watching the geesehastened to drive them away from the bridge, before the wholehunting party came galloping up; they came, however, so quickly,that the girl, in order to avoid being run over, placed herself on oneof the high corner-stones of the bridge. She was still half a childand very delicately built; she had bright blue eyes, and a gentle,sweet expression. But such things the baron did not notice; while hewas riding past the little goose-girl, he reversed his hunting crop,and in rough play gave her such a push with it that she fellbackward into the ditch.

　　"Everything in the right place!" he cried. "Into the ditch withyou."

　　Then he burst out laughing, for that he called fun; the othersjoined in- the whole party shouted and cried, while the hounds barked.

　　While the poor girl was falling she happily caught one of thebranches of the willow tree, by the help of which she held herselfover the water, and as soon as the baron with his company and the dogshad disappeared through the gate, the girl endeavoured to scramble up,but the branch broke off, and she would have fallen backward among therushes, had not a strong hand from above seized her at this moment. Itwas the hand of a pedlar; he had witnessed what had happened from ashort distance, and now hastened to assist her.

　　"Everything in the right place," he said, imitating the noblebaron, and pulling the little maid up to the dry ground. He wishedto put the branch back in the place it had been broken off, but itis not possible to put everything in the right place;" therefore hestuck the branch into the soft ground.

　　"Grow and thrive if you can, and produce a good flute for themyonder at the mansion," he said; it would have given him greatpleasure to see the noble baron and his companions well thrashed. Thenhe entered the castle- but not the banqueting hall; he was toohumble for that. No; he went to the servants' hall. The men-servantsand maids looked over his stock of articles and bargained with him;loud crying and screaming were heard from the master's table above:they called it singing- indeed, they did their best. Laughter andthe howls of dogs were heard through the open windows: there they werefeasting and revelling; wine and strong old ale were foaming in theglasses and jugs; the favourite dogs ate with their masters; now andthen the squires kissed one of these animals, after having wiped itsmouth first with the tablecloth. They ordered the pedlar to come up,but only to make fun of him. The wine had got into their heads, andreason had left them. They poured beer into a stocking that he coulddrink with them, but quick. That's what they called fun, and it madethem laugh. Then meadows, peasants, and farmyards were staked on onecard and lost.

　　"Everything in the right place!"