《安徒生童话英文版》第385章

　　That has been written, and printed too."

　　"I told that story myself," said the man.

　　"Yes, then you must know it; and you must know also that thegirl sank into the earth directly, to the Moor-woman, just as OldBogey's grandmother was paying her morning visit to inspect thebrewery. She saw the girl gliding down, and asked to have her as aremembrance of her visit, and got her too; while I received apresent that's of no use to me- a travelling druggist's shop- awhole cupboard-full of poetry in bottles. Grandmother told me wherethe cupboard was to be placed, and there it's standing still. Justlook! You've your seven four-leaved shamrocks in your pocket, one ofwhich is a six-leaved one, and so you will be able to see it."

　　And really in the midst of the moor lay something like a greatknotted block of alder, and that was the old grandmother's cupboard.The Moor-woman said that this was always open to her and to everyone in the land, if they only knew where the cupboard stood. Itcould be opened either at the front or at the back, and at everyside and corner- a perfect work of art, and yet only an old alderstump in appearance. The poets of all lands, and especially those ofour own country, had been arranged here; the spirit of them had beenextracted, refined, criticised and renovated, and then stored up inbottles. With what may be called great aptitude, if it was notgenius the grandmother had taken as it were the flavor of this andof that poet, and had added a little devilry, and then corked up thebottles for use during all future times.

　　"Pray let me see," said the man.

　　"Yes, but there are more important things to hear," replied theMoor-woman.

　　"But now we are at the cupboard!" said the man. And he lookedin. "Here are bottles of all sizes. What is in this one? and what inthat one yonder?"

　　"Here is what they call may-balm," replied the woman. "I havenot tried it myself. But I have not yet told you the 'moreimportant' thing you were to hear. THE WILL-O'-THE-WISP'S IN THE TOWN!That's of much more consequence than poetry and stories. I ought,indeed, to hold my tongue; but there must be a necessity- a fate- asomething that sticks in my throat, and that wants to come out. Takecare, you mortals!"

　　"I don't understand a word of all this!" cried the man.

　　"Be kind enough to seat yourself on that cupboard," sheretorted, "but take care you don't fall through and break the bottles-you know what's inside of them. I must tell of the great event. Itoccurred no longer ago than the day before yesterday. It did nothappen earlier. It has now three hundred and sixty-three days to runabout. I suppose you know how many days there are in a year?"

　　And this is what the Moor-woman told:

　　"There was a great commotion yesterday out here in the marsh!There was a christening feast! A little Will-o'-the-Wisp was bornhere- in fact, twelve of them were born all together; and they havepermission, if they choose to use it, to go abroad among men, and tomove about and command among them, just as if they were bornmortals. That was a great event in the marsh, and accordingly allthe Will-o'-the-Wisps, male and female, went dancing like littlelights across the moor. There are some of them of the dog species, butthose are not worth mentioning. I sat there on the cupboard, and hadall the twelve little new-born Will-o'-the-Wisps upon my lap. Theyshone like glow-worms; they already began to hop, and increased insize every moment, so that before a quarter of an hour had elapsed,each of them looked just as large as his father or his uncle. Now,it's an old-established regulation and favor, that when the moonstands just as it did yesterday, and the wind blows just as it blewthen, it is allowed and accorded to all Will-o'-the-Wisps- that is, toall those who are born at that minute of time- to become mortals,and individually to exert their power for the space of one year.

　　"The Will-o'-the-Wisp may run about in the country and through theworld, if it is not afraid of falling into the sea, or of beingblown out by a heavy storm. It can enter into a person and speak forhim, and make all the movements it pleases. The Will-o'-the-Wisp maytake whatever form he likes, of man or woman, and can act in theirspirit and in their disguise in such a way that he can effect whateverhe wishes to do. But he must manage, in the course of the year, tolead three hundred and sixty-five people into a bad way, and in agrand style, too. To lead them away from the right and the truth;and then he reaches the highest point. Such a Will-o'-the-Wisp canattain to the honor of being a runner before the devil's statecoach; and then he'll wear clothes of fiery yellow, and breatheforth flames out of his throat. That's enough to make a simpleWill-o'-the-Wisp smack his lips. But there's some danger in this,and a great deal of work for a Will-o'-the-Wisp who aspires to play sodistinguished a part. If the eyes of the man are opened to what he is,and if the man can then blow him away, it's all over with him, andhe must come back into the marsh; or if, before the year is up, theWill-o'-the-Wisp is seized with a longing to see his family, and soreturns to it and gives the matter up, it is over with him likewise,and he can no longer burn clear, and soon becomes extinguished, andcannot be lit up again; and when the year has elapsed, and he hasnot led three hundred and sixty-five people away from the truth andfrom all that is grand and noble, he is condemned to be imprisonedin decayed wood, and to lie glimmering there, without being able tomove; and that's the most terrible punishment that can be inflicted ona lively Will-o'-the-Wisp.

　　"Now, all this I know, and all this I told to the twelve littleWill-o'-the-Wisps whom I had on my lap, and who seemed quite crazywith joy.

　　"I told them that the safest and most convenient course was togive up the honor, and do nothing at all; but the little flameswould not agree to this, and already fancied themselves clad infiery yellow clothes, breathing flames from their throats.

　　"'Stay with us,' said some of the older ones.

　　"'Carry on your sport with mortals,' said the others.

　　"'The mortals are drying up our meadows; they've taken todraining. What will our successors do?