《安徒生童话英文版》第377章

　　She noticed how the countless pebbles on the sea-shore had beensmoothed and rounded by the action of the water. Glass, iron,stones, everything that lay there mingled together, had taken itsshape from the same power, and felt as smooth, or even smoother thanher own delicate hand. "The water rolls on without weariness," shesaid, till all that is hard becomes smooth; so will I be unweariedin my task. Thanks for your lessons, bright rolling waves; my hearttells me you will lead me to my dear brothers." On the foam-coveredsea-weeds, lay eleven white swan feathers, which she gathered up andplaced together. Drops of water lay upon them; whether they weredew-drops or tears no one could say. Lonely as it was on thesea-shore, she did not observe it, for the ever-moving sea showed morechanges in a few hours than the most varying lake could produce duringa whole year. If a black heavy cloud arose, it was as if the sea said,"I can look dark and angry too;" and then the wind blew, and the wavesturned to white foam as they rolled. When the wind slept, and theclouds glowed with the red sunlight, then the sea looked like a roseleaf. But however quietly its white glassy surface rested, there wasstill a motion on the shore, as its waves rose and fell like thebreast of a sleeping child. When the sun was about to set, Eliza saweleven white swans with golden crowns on their heads, flying towardsthe land, one behind the other, like a long white ribbon. Then Elizawent down the slope from the shore, and hid herself behind the bushes.The swans alighted quite close to her and flapped their great whitewings. As soon as the sun had disappeared under the water, thefeathers of the swans fell off, and eleven beautiful princes,Eliza's brothers, stood near her. She uttered a loud cry, for,although they were very much changed, she knew them immediately. Shesprang into their arms, and called them each by name. Then, howhappy the princes were at meeting their little sister again, forthey recognized her, although she had grown so tall and beautiful.They laughed, and they wept, and very soon understood how wickedlytheir mother had acted to them all. "We brothers," said the eldest,"fly about as wild swans, so long as the sun is in the sky; but assoon as it sinks behind the hills, we recover our human shape.Therefore must we always be near a resting place for our feet beforesunset; for if we should be flying towards the clouds at the time werecovered our natural shape as men, we should sink deep into thesea. We do not dwell here, but in a land just as fair, that liesbeyond the ocean, which we have to cross for a long distance; there isno island in our passage upon which we could pass, the night;nothing but a little rock rising out of the sea, upon which we canscarcely stand with safety, even closely crowded together. If thesea is rough, the foam dashes over us, yet we thank God even forthis rock; we have passed whole nights upon it, or we should neverhave reached our beloved fatherland, for our flight across the seaoccupies two of the longest days in the year. We have permission tovisit out home once in every year, and to remain eleven days, duringwhich we fly across the forest to look once more at the palace whereour father dwells, and where we were born, and at the church, whereour mother lies buried. Here it seems as if the very trees andbushes were related to us. The wild horses leap over the plains aswe have seen them in our childhood. The charcoal burners sing theold songs, to which we have danced as children. This is ourfatherland, to which we are drawn by loving ties; and here we havefound you, our dear little sister., Two days longer we can remainhere, and then must we fly away to a beautiful land which is not ourhome; and how can we take you with us?