《安徒生童话英文版》第380章

　　if she had only been able to confide in him and tellhim of her grief. But dumb she must remain till her task was finished.Therefore at night she crept away into her little chamber, which hadbeen decked out to look like the cave, and quickly wove one coat afteranother. But when she began the seventh she found she had no moreflax. She knew that the nettles she wanted to use grew in thechurchyard, and that she must pluck them herself. How should she getout there? "Oh, what is the pain in my fingers to the torment which myheart endures?" said she. "I must venture, I shall not be deniedhelp from heaven." Then with a trembling heart, as if she were aboutto perform a wicked deed, she crept into the garden in the broadmoonlight, and passed through the narrow walks and the desertedstreets, till she reached the churchyard. Then she saw on one of thebroad tombstones a group of ghouls. These hideous creatures took offtheir rags, as if they intended to bathe, and then clawing open thefresh graves with their long, skinny fingers, pulled out the deadbodies and ate the flesh! Eliza had to pass close by them, and theyfixed their wicked glances upon her, but she prayed silently, gatheredthe burning nettles, and carried them home with her to the castle. Oneperson only had seen her, and that was the archbishop- he was awakewhile everybody was asleep. Now he thought his opinion was evidentlycorrect. All was not right with the queen. She was a witch, and hadbewitched the king and all the people. Secretly he told the kingwhat he had seen and what he feared, and as the hard words came fromhis tongue, the carved images of the saints shook their heads as ifthey would say. "It is not so. Eliza is innocent."

　　But the archbishop interpreted it in another way; he believed thatthey witnessed against her, and were shaking their heads at herwickedness. Two large tears rolled down the king's cheeks, and he wenthome with doubt in his heart, and at night he pretended to sleep,but there came no real sleep to his eyes, for he saw Eliza get upevery night and disappear in her own chamber. From day to day his browbecame darker, and Eliza saw it and did not understand the reason, butit alarmed her and made her heart tremble for her brothers. Her hottears glittered like pearls on the regal velvet and diamonds, whileall who saw her were wishing they could be queens. In the mean timeshe had almost finished her task; only one coat of mail was wanting,but she had no flax left, and not a single nettle. Once more only, andfor the last time, must she venture to the churchyard and pluck afew handfuls. She thought with terror of the solitary walk, and of thehorrible ghouls, but her will was firm, as well as her trust inProvidence. Eliza went, and the king and the archbishop followedher. They saw her vanish through the wicket gate into thechurchyard, and when they came nearer they saw the ghouls sitting onthe tombstone, as Eliza had seen them, and the king turned away hishead, for he thought she was with them- she whose head had rested onhis breast that very evening. "The people must condemn her," saidhe, and she was very quickly condemned by every one to suffer death byfire. Away from the gorgeous regal halls was she led to a dark, drearycell, where the wind whistled through the iron bars. Instead of thevelvet and silk dresses, they gave her the coats of mail which she hadwoven to cover her, and the bundle of nettles for a pillow; butnothing they could give her would have pleased her more. She continuedher task with joy, and prayed for help, while the street-boys sangjeering songs about her, and not a soul comforted her with a kindword. Towards evening, she heard at the grating the flutter of aswan's wing, it was her youngest brother- he had found his sister, andshe sobbed for joy, although she knew that very likely this would bethe last night she would have to live. But still she could hope, forher task was almost finished, and her brothers were come. Then thearchbishop arrived, to be with her during her last hours, as he hadpromised the king. But she shook her head, and begged him, by looksand gestures, not to stay; for in this night she knew she mustfinish her task, otherwise all her pain and tears and sleepless nightswould have been suffered in vain. The archbishop withdrew, utteringbitter words against her; but poor Eliza knew that she was innocent,and diligently continued her work.

　　The little mice ran about the floor, they dragged the nettles toher feet, to help as well as they could; and the thrush sat outsidethe grating of the window, and sang to her the whole night long, assweetly as possible, to keep up her spirits.

　　It was still twilight, and at least an hour before sunrise, whenthe eleven brothers stood at the castle gate, and demanded to bebrought before the king. They were told it could not be, it was yetalmost night, and as the king slept they dared not disturb him. Theythreatened, they entreated. Then the guard appeared, and even the kinghimself, inquiring what all the noise meant. At this moment the sunrose. The eleven brothers were seen no more, but eleven wild swansflew away over the castle.

　　And now all the people came streaming forth from the gates ofthe city, to see the witch burnt. An old horse drew the cart onwhich she sat. They had dressed her in a garment of coarsesackcloth. Her lovely hair hung loose on her shoulders, her cheekswere deadly pale, her lips moved silently, while her fingers stillworked at the green flax. Even on the way to death, she would not giveup her task. The ten coats of mail lay at her feet, she was workinghard at the eleventh, while the mob jeered her and said, "See thewitch, how she mutters!