《安徒生童话英文版》第74章

　　"Good," they all answered.

　　"Yes, but let me see for myself," he replied; and they wereobliged to give him the books. Then all those who had "Very good,"or "Exceedingly good," came in front of the horse, and heard thebeautiful story; while those who had "Middling," or "Tolerablygood," in their books, were obliged to sit behind, and listen to thefrightful tale. They trembled and cried, and wanted to jump downfrom the horse, but they could not get free, for they seemedfastened to the seat.

　　"Why, Death is a most splendid Luk-Oie," said Hjalmar. "I am notin the least afraid of him."

　　"You need have no fear of him," said Ole-Luk-Oie, "if you takecare and keep a good conduct book."

　　"Now I call that very instructive," murmured thegreat-grandfather's portrait. "It is useful sometimes to express anopinion;" so he was quite satisfied.

　　These are some of the doings and sayings of Ole-Luk-Oie. I hope hemay visit you himself this evening, and relate some more.

　　THE END.

　　1872

　　FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

　　OUR AUNT

　　by Hans Christian Andersen

　　You ought to have known our aunt; she was charming! That is tosay, she was not charming at all as the word is usually understood;but she was good and kind, amusing in her way, and was just as any oneought to be whom people are to talk about and to laugh at. She mighthave been put into a play, and wholly and solely on account of thefact that she only lived for the theatre and for what was donethere. She was an honorable matron; but Agent Fabs, whom she used tocall "Flabs," declared that our aunt was stage-struck.

　　"The theatre is my school," said she, "the source of my knowledge.From thence I have resuscitated Biblical history. Now, 'Moses' and'Joseph in Egypt'- there are operas for you! I get my universalhistory from the theatre, my geography, and my knowledge of men. Outof the French pieces I get to know life in Paris- slippery, butexceedingly interesting. How I have cried over "La FamilleRoquebourg'- that the man must drink himself to death, so that she maymarry the young fellow! Yes, how many tears I have wept in the fiftyyears I have subscribed to the theatre!"

　　Our aunt knew every acting play, every bit of scenery, everycharacter, every one who appeared or had appeared. She seemed reallyonly to live during the nine months the theatre was open. Summertimewithout a summer theatre seemed to be only a time that made her old;while, on the other hand, a theatrical evening that lasted tillmidnight was a lengthening of her life. She did not say, as otherpeople do, "Now we shall have spring, the stork is here," or, "They'veadvertised the first strawberries in the papers." She, on thecontrary, used to announce the coming of autumn, with "Have youheard they're selling boxes for the theatre? now the performances willbegin."

　　She used to value a lodging entirely according to its proximity tothe theatre. It was a real sorrow to her when she had to leave thelittle lane behind the playhouse, and move into the great streetthat lay a little farther off, and live there in a house where she hadno opposite neighbors.

　　"At home," said she, "my windows must be my opera-box. Onecannot sit and look into one's self till one's tired; one must seepeople. But now I live just as if I'd go into the country. If I wantto see human beings, I must go into my kitchen, and sit down on thesink, for there only I have opposite neighbors. No; when I lived in mydear little lane, I could look straight down into the ironmonger'sshop, and had only three hundred paces to the theatre; and now I'vethree thousand paces to go, military measurement."

　　Our aunt was sometimes ill, but however unwell she might feel, shenever missed the play. The doctor prescribed one day that she shouldput her feet in a bran bath, and she followed his advice; but shedrove to the theatre all the same, and sat with her feet in branthere. If she had died there, she would have been very glad.Thorwaldsen died in the theatre, and she called that a happy death.

　　She could not imagine but that in heaven there must be a theatretoo. It had not, indeed, been promised us, but we might very wellimagine it. The many distinguished actors and actresses who had passedaway must surely have a field for their talent.

　　Our aunt had an electric wire from the theatre to her room. Atelegram used to be dispatched to her at coffee-time, and it used toconsist of the words, "Herr Sivertsen is at the machinery;" for it washe who gave the signal for drawing the curtain up and down and forchanging the scenes.

　　From him she used to receive a short and concise description ofevery piece. His opinion of Shakspeare's "Tempest," was, "Madnonsense!