H. C. Andersen i vor tid

Transkript

1 H. C. Andersen i vor tid Fairy Tales with Illustrations from Our Time 19 eventyr med dansk og engelsk tekst illustreret af Erik Bagge

2 Forord Forord Jeg er på egne og forlaget North vegne glad for at kunne udgive denne bog med H. C. Andersens eventyr illustreret af Erik Bagge, hvis arbejde jeg har haft den glæde at kunne følge gennem den sidste halve snes år med stor respekt og stadig større interesse. Gennem sine illustrationer nyfortolker Erik Bagge H. C. Andersens kendte eventyr og sætter dem ind i en nutidig ramme med et stærkt socialt engagement og viser hermed vejen for en nutidig brug af vor store eventyrdigter. Jeg er også glad for her i 200-året for H. C. Andersens fødsel at kunne bidrage til hyldesten af ham som Danmarks store søn og formentlig det berømteste menneske, der nogensinde har levet med håbet om at kendskab til hans eventyr fremover vil være en ligeså naturlig ballast for enhver dansker, som kendskabet til Shakespeare er for en englænder og kendtskabet til Goethe er for en tysker. Jeg henviser iøvrigt til North-Information nr 270 fra 1999 om Erik Bagges H. C. Andersen-billeder og Laboratorie-billeder. Bent Petersen Both for my own sake as well as North Publishing, I am happy to be able to produce this book with H. C. Andersen s fairy tales illustrated by Erik Bagge, whose work I have been able to follow through the last ten years with great respect and steadily increasing interest. Through his illustrations Erik Bagge reinterprets H. C. Andersen s well known fairy tales and puts them into a modern day framework with powerful social engagement and thus shows the way for a present use of our great fairy tale poet. I am also happy, here i the 200th anniversary of H. C. Andersen s birth, to be able to contribute to the homage to him as Denmark s great son and presumably the most famous person to have lived with the hope that an awareness of his fairy tales will be a natural ballast for every Dane as knowledge of Shakespeare is for every Englishman and knowledge of Goethe is for every German. I refer you to North-Inforamtion nr 270 from 1989 concerning Erik Bagge s H. C. Andersen pictures and his Laboratory pictures. Bent Petersen

3 Indhold Contents Kejserens nye klæder 7 Hvad fatter gør, der altid det rigtige 12 Tommelise 17 Pigen, der trådte på brødet 28 De røde sko 36 Den grimme ælling 42 Snemanden 51 Grantræet 57 Prinsessen på ærten 66 Den lille pige med svovlstikkerne 68 Den lille havfrue 71 Hun duede ikke 92 Den standhaftige tinsoldat 100 Fyrtøjet 105 Den flyvende kuffert 113 Snedronningen 119 Svinedrengen 149 Historien om en moder 154 Den lille Idas blomster 160 Skyggen 168 Illustrationer 180 The emperor s new clothes 7 What the old man does is always right 12 Thumbelina 17 The girl who trod on the loaf 28 The red shoes 36 The ugly duckling 42 The snow man 51 The fir tree 57 The princess on the pea 66 The little match girl 68 The little mermaid 71 She was good for nothing 92 The steadfast Tin Soldier 100 The Tinder Box 105 The flying trunk 113 The snow queen 119 The swineherd 149 The story of a mother 154 Little Ida s flowers 160 The shadow 168 Illustrations 180

4

5 Keiserens nye Klæder The emperor s new clothes For mange Aar siden levede en Keiser, som holdt saa uhyre meget af smukke, nye Klæder, at han gav alle sine Penge ud for ret at blive pyntet. Han brød sig ikke om sine Soldater, brød sig ei om Komedie eller om at kjøre i Skoven, uden alene for at vise sine nye Klæder. Han havde en Kjole for hver Time paa Dagen, og ligesom man siger om en Konge, han er i Raadet, saa sagde man altid her:»keiseren er i Klædeskabet!«I den store Stad, hvor han boede, gik det meget fornøieligt til, hver Dag kom der mange Fremmede, een Dag kom der to Bedragere; de Many years ago there was an emperor so exceedingly fond of new clothes that he spent all his money on being well dressed. He cared nothing about reviewing his soldiers, going to the theatre, or going for a ride in his carriage, except to show off his new clothes. He had a coat for every hour of the day, and instead of saying, as one might, about any other ruler,»the King s in council«, here they always said,»the Emperor s in his dressing room.«in the great city where he lived, life was always gay. Every day many strangers came to town, and among them one day came two swindlers. They 7

6 gave sig ud for at være Vævere og sagde, at de forstode at væve det deiligste Tøi, man kunde tænke sig. Ikke alene Farverne og Mønstrene var noget usædvanligt smukt, men de Klæder, som bleve syede af Tøiet, havde den forunderlige Egenskab, at de bleve usynlige for ethvert Menneske, som ikke duede i sit Embede, eller ogsaa var utilladelig dum.»det var jo nogle deilige Klæder,«tænkte Keiseren;»ved at have dem paa, kunde jeg komme efter, hvilke Mænd i mit Rige, der ikke due til det Embede, de have; jeg kan kjende de Kloge fra de Dumme, ja det Tøi maa strax væves til mig!«og han gav de to Bedragere mange Penge paa Haanden, for at de skulde begynde paa deres Arbejde. De satte ogsaa to Væverstole op, lode som om de arbeidede, men de haavde ikke det Mindste paa Væven. Rask væk forlangte de den fineste Silke, og det prægtigste Guld; det puttede de i deres egen Pose og arbeidede med de tomme Væve, og det til langt ud paa Natten.»Nu gad jeg dog nok vide, hvor vidt de ere med Tøiet!«tænkte Keiseren, men han var ordenlig lidt underlig om Hjertet ved at tænke paa, at Den, som var dum, eller slet passede til sit Embede, ikke kunde see det; nu troede han nok, at han ikke behøvede at være bange for sig selv, men han vilde dog sende Nogen først for at see, hvorledes det stod sig. Alle Mennesker i hele Byen vidste, hvilken forunderlig Kraft Tøiet havde, og Alle vare begjerlige efter at see, hvor daarlig eller dum hans Nabo var.»jeg vil sende min gamle, ærlige Minister hen til Væverne!«tænkte Keiseren,»han kan bedst see, hvorledes Tøiet tager sig ud, for han har Forstand, og Ingen passer sit Embede bedre end han!«nu gik den gamle, skikkelige Minister ind i Salen, hvor de to Bedragere sad og arbeidede med de tomme Væve.»Gud bevar os!«tænkte den gamle Minister og spilede Øinene op,»jeg kan ikke see Noget!«Men det sagde han ikke. Begge Bedragerne bad ham være saa god at træde nærmere og spurgte, om det ikke var et smukt Mønster og deilige Farver. Saa pegede de paa den tomme Væv, og den stakkels, gamle Minister blev ved at spile Øinene op, men han kunde ikke see Noget, for der var ingen Ting.»Herre Gud!«tænkte han,»skulde jeg være dum? Det har jeg aldrig troet, og det maa let it be known they were weavers, and they said they could weave the most magnificent fabrics imaginable. Not only were their colors and patterns uncommonly fine, but clothes made of this cloth had a wonderful way of becoming invisible to anyone who was unfit for his office, or who was unusually stupid.»those would be just the clothes for me«, thought the Emperor.»If I wore them I would be able to discover which men in my empire are unfit for their posts. And I could tell the wise men from the fools. Yes, I certainly must get some of the stuff woven for me right away.«he paid the two swindlers a large sum of money to start work at once. They set up two looms and pretended to weave, though there was nothing on the looms. All the finest silk and the purest old thread which they demanded went into their traveling bags, while they worked the empty looms far into the night.»i d like to know how those weavers are getting on with the cloth«, the Emperor thought, but he felt slightly uncomfortable when he remembered that those who were unfit for their position would not be able to see the fabric. It couldn t have been that he doubted himself, yet he thought he d rather send someone else to see how things were going. The whole town knew about the cloth s peculiar power, and all were impatient to find out how stupid their neighbors were.»ill send my honest old minister to the weavers«, the Emperor decided.»he ll be the best one to tell me how the material looks, for he s a sensible man and no one does his duty better.«so the honest old minister went to the room where the two swindlers sat working away at their empty looms.»heaven help me«, he thought as his eyes flew wide open,»i can t see anything at all.«but he did not say so. Both the swindlers begged him to be so kind as to come near to approve the excellent pattern, the beautiful colors. They pointed to the empty looms, and the poor old minister stared as hard as he dared. He couldn t see anything, because there was nothing to see.»heaven have mercy«, he thought.»can it be that I m a fool? I d have never guessed it, and not a soul must know. Am I unfit to be the minister? It would never do to let on that I can t see the cloth.don t hesitate to tell us what you think of it«, said one of the weavers. 8

7 ingen Mennesker vide! Skulde jeg ikke due til mit Embede? Nei, det gaaer ikke an, at jeg fortæller, jeg ikke kan see Tøiet!Naa, De siger ikke Noget om det!«sagde den Ene, som vævede.»o det er nydeligt! Ganske allerkjæreste!«sagde den gamle Minister og saae igjennem sine Briller,»dette Mønster og disse Farver! ja, jeg skal sige Keiseren, at det behager mig særdeles!naa det fornøier os!«sagde begge Væverne, og nu nævnede de Farverne ved Navn og det selsomme Mønster. Den gamle Minister hørte godt efter, for at han kunde sige det Samme, naar han kom hjem i Keiseren, og det gjorde han. Nu forlangte Bedragerne flere Penge, mere Silke og Guld, det skulde de bruge til Vævning. De stak Alt i deres egne Lommer, paa Væven kom ikke en Trevl, men de bleve ved, som før, at væve paa den tomme Væv. Keiseren sendte snart igjen en anden skikkelig Embedsmand hen for at see, hvorledes det gik med Vævningen, og om Tøiet snart var færdigt. Det gik ham ligesom Ministeren, han saae og saae, men da der ikke var Noget uden de tomme Væve, kunde han ingen Ting see.»ja, er det ikke et smukt Stykke Tøi!«sagde begge Bedragerne og viste og forklarede det deilige Mønster, som der slet ikke var.»dum er jeg ikke!«tænkte Manden,»det er altsaa mit gode Embede, jeg ikke duer til? Det var løierligt nok! men det maa man ikke lade sig mærke med!«og saa roste han Tøiet, han ikke saae, og forsikkrede dem sin Glæde over de kjønne Couleurer og det deilige Mønster.»Ja det er ganske allerkjæreste!«sagde han til Keiseren. Alle Mennesker i Byen talte om det prægtige Tøi. Nu vilde da Keiseren selv see det, medens det endnu var paa Væven. Med en heel Skare af udsøgte Mænd, mellem hvilke de to gamle, skikkelige Embedsmænd vare, som før havde været der, gik han hen til begge de listige Bedragere, der nu vævede af alle Kræfter, men uden Trevl og Traad.»Ja er det ikke magnifique!«sagde begge de skikkelige Embedsmænd.»Vil Deres Majestæt see, hvilket Mønster, hvilke Farver!«og saa pegede de paa den tomme Væv, thi de troede, de Andre vistnok kunde see Tøiet.»Oh, it s beautiful it s enchanting.«the old minister peered through his spectacles.»such a pattern, what colors! I ll be sure to tell the Emperor how delighted I am with it.we re pleased to hear that«, the swindlers said. They proceeded to name all the colors and to explain the intricate pattern. The old minister paid the closest attention, so that he could tell it all to the Emperor. And so he did. The swindlers at once asked for more money, more silk and gold thread, to get on with the weaving. But it all went into their pockets. Not a thread went into the looms, though they worked at their weaving as hard as ever. The Emperor presently sent another trustworthy official to see how the work progressed and how soon it would be ready. The same thing happened to him that had happened to the minister. He looked and he looked, but as there was nothing; to see in the looms he couldn t see anything;.»isn t it a beautiful piece of goods?«the swindlers asked him, as they displayed and described their imaginary pattern.»i know I m not stupid«, the man thought,»so it must be that I m unworthy of my good office. That s strange. I mustn t let anyone find it out, though.«so he praised the material he did not see. He declared he was delighted with the beautiful colors and the exquisite pattern. To the Emperor he said,»it held me spellbound.«all the town was talking of this splendid cloth, and the Emperor wanted to see it for himself while it was still in the looms. Attended by a band of chosen men, among whom were his two old trusted officials the ones who had been to the weavers he set out to see the two swindlers. He found them weaving with might and main, but without a thread in their looms.»magnificent«, said the two officials already duped.»just look, Your Majesty, what colors! What a design.«they pointed to the empty looms, each supposing that the others could see the stuff.»what s this?«thought the Emperor.»I can t see anything. This is terrible! Am I a fool? Am I unfit to be the Emperor? What a thing to happen to me of all people! Oh! it s very pretty«, he said.»it has my highest approval.«and he nodded approbation at the empty loom. Nothing could make him say that he couldn t see anything. His whole retinue stared and stared. One saw no more than another, but they all joined the 9

8 »Hvad for Noget!«tænkte Keiseren,»jeg seer ingen Ting! det er jo forfærdeligt! er jeg dum? Duer jeg ikke til at være Keiser? Det var det Skrækkeligste, som kunde arrivere mig!o, det er meget smukt!«sagde Keiseren,»det har mit allerhøieste Bifald!«og han nikkede tilfreds og betragtede den tomme Væv; han vilde ikke sige, at han ingen Ting kunde see. Hele Følget, han havde med sig, saae og saae, men fik ikke Mere ud af det, end alle de Andre, men de sagde ligesom Keiseren:»O, det er meget smukt!«og de raadede ham at tage i Klæder dette nye, prægtige Tøi første Gang, ved den store Procession, som forestod.»det er magnifique! nysseligt, excellent!«gik det fra Mund til Mund, og de vare Allesammen saa inderligt fornøiede dermed. Keiseren gav hver af Bedragerne et Ridderkors til at hænge i Knaphullet og Titel af Vævejunkere. Hele Natten før den Formiddag, Processionen skulde være, sad Bedragerne oppe og havde sexten Lys tændte. Folk kunde see, de havde travlt med at faae Keiserens nye Klæder færdige. De lode, som om de toge Tøiet af Væven, de klippede i Luften med store Saxe, de syede med Syenaale uden Traad og sagde tilsidst:»see nu er Klæderne færdige!«keiseren, med sine fornemste Cavalerer, kom selv derhen, og begge Bedragerne løftede den ene Arm i Veiret, ligesom om de Holdt Noget og sagde:»see her er Beenklæderne! her er Kjolen! her Kappen!«og saaledes videre fort.»det er saa let, som Spindelvæv! man skulde troe, man havde ingen Ting paa Kroppen, men det er just Dyden ved det!ja!«sagde alle Cavalererne, men de kunde ingen Ting see, for der var ikke Noget.»Vil nu Deres keiserlige Majestæt allernaadigst behage at tage Deres Klæder af!«sagde Bedragerne,»saa skal vi give Dem de nye paa, her henne foran det store Speil!«Keiseren lagde alle sine Klæder, og Bedragerne bare sig ad, ligesom om de gave ham hvert Stykke af de nye, der skulde være syede, og de toge ham om Livet, og de ligesom bandt Noget fast, det var Slæbet, og Keiseren vendte og dreiede sig for Speilet.»Gud hvor det klæder godt! hvor det sidder deiligt!«sagde de Allesammen.»Hvilket Mønster! hvilke Farver! det er en kostbar Dragt!«Emperor in exclaiming,»oh! It s very pretty«, and they advised him to wear clothes made of this wonderful cloth especially for the great procession he was soon to lead.»magnificent! Excellent! Unsurpassed!«were bandied from mouth to mouth, and everyone did his best to seem well pleased. The Emperor gave each of the swindlers a cross to wear in his buttonhole, and the title of»sir Weaver.«Before the procession the swindlers sat up all night and burned more than sixteen candles, to show how busy they were finishing the Emperor s new clothes. They pretended to take the cloth off the loom. They made cuts in the air with huge scissors. And at last they said,»now the Emperor s new clothes are ready for him.«then the Emperor himself came with his noblest noblemen, and the swindlers each raised an arm as if they were holding something. They said,»these are the trousers, here s the coat, and this is the mantle«, naming each garment.»all of them are as light as a spider web. One would almost think he had nothing on, but that s what makes them so fine.exactly«, all the noblemen agreed, though they could see nothing, for there was nothing to see.»if Your Imperial Majesty will condescend to take your clothes off«, said the swindlers,»we will help you on with your new ones here in front of the long mirror.«the Emperor undressed, and the swindlers pretended to put his new clothes on him, one garment after another. They took him around the waist and seemed to be fastening something that was his train as the Emperor turned round and round before the looking glass.» How well Your Majesty s new clothes look. Aren t they becoming! He heard on all sides,»that pattern, so perfect! Those colors, so suitable! It is a magnificent outfit.«then the minister of public processions announced:»your Majesty s canopy is waiting outside.well, I m supposed to be ready«, the Emperor said, and turned again for one last look in the mirror.»it is a remarkable fit, isn t it?«he seemed to regard his costume with the greatest interest. The noblemen who were to carry his train stooped low and reached for the floor as if they were picking up his mantle. Then they pretended to lift and hold it high. They didn t dare admit they had nothing to hold. 10

9 »Udenfor staae de med Thronhimlen, som skal bæres over Deres Majestæt i Processionen!«sagde Overceremoniemesteren.»Ja jeg er jo i Stand!«sagde Keiseren.»Sidder det ikke godt?«og saa vendte han sig nok en Gang for Speilet, for det skulde nu lade ligesom om han ret betragtede sin Stads. Kammerherrerne, som skulde bære Slæbet, famlede med Hænderne hen ad Gulvet, ligesom om de toge Slæbet op; de gik og holdt i Luften, de turde ikke lade sig mærke med, at de ingen Ting kunde see. Og saa gik Keiseren i Processionen under den deilige Thronhimmel, og alle Mennesker paa Gaden og i Vinduerne sagde:»gud hvor Keiserens nye Klæder ere mageløse! hvilket deiligt Slæb han har paa Kjolen! hvor det sidder velsignet!«ingen vilde lade sig mærke med, at han Intet saae, for saa havde han jo ikke duet i sit Embede, eller været meget dum. Ingen af Keiserens Klæder havde gjort saadan Lykke.»Men han har jo ikke Noget paa!«sagde et lille Barn.»Herre Gud, hør den Uskyldiges Røst!«sagde Faderen, og den Ene hviskede til den Anden, hvad Barnet sagde.»han har ikke Noget paa, er der et lille Barn, der siger, han har ikke Noget paa!han har jo ikke Noget paa!«raabte tilsidst hele Folket. Og det krøb i Keiseren, thi han syntes, de havde Ret, men han tænkte som saa:»nu maa jeg holde Processionen ud.«og saa holdt han sig endnu stoltere, og Kammerherrerne gik og bar paa Slæbet, som der slet ikke var. So off went the Emperor in procession under his splendid canopy. Everyone in the streets and the windows said,»oh, how fine are the Emperor s new clothes! Don t they fit him to perfection? And see his long train!«nobody would confess that he couldn t see anything, for that would prove him either unfit for his position, or a fool. No costume the Emperor had worn before was ever such a complete success.»but he hasn t got anything on«, a little child said.»did you ever hear such innocent prattle?«said its father. And one person whispered to another what the child had said,»he hasn t anything on. A child says he hasn t anything on.but he hasn t got anything on!«the whole town cried out at last. The Emperor shivered, for he suspected they were right. But he thought,»this procession has got to go on.«so he walked more proudly than ever, as his noblemen held high the train that wasn t there at all. 11

10 Hvad Fatter gjør, det er altid det Rigtige What the old man does is always right Nu skal. jeg fortælle Dig en Historie, som jeg har hørt, da jeg var Lille, og hver Gang jeg siden har tænkt paa den, synes jeg, at den blev meget kjønnere; for det gaaer med Historier ligesom med mange Mennesker, de blive kjønnere og kjønnere med Alderen, og det er saa fornøieligt! Du har jo været ude paa Landet! Du har seet et rigtigt gammelt Bondehuus med Straatag; Mos og Urter voxe der af sig selv; en Storkerede er der paa Rygnxngen, Storken Now i m going to tell you a story that i heard when I was a little fellow and that I like better and better the more I think of it. For it s the same with stories as with many people; the older they grow, the nicer they grow, and that is delightful. You have been out in the country, of course. There you must have seen a really old farmhouse with a thatched roof, where moss and weeds have planted themselves; a stork s nest decorates the chimney (you can never do without the stork); the walls are slanting; the windows are low (in fact, 12

11 kan man ikke undvære, Væggene ere skjeve, Vinduerne lave, ja, der er kun et eneste, der kan lukkes op; Bagerovnen strutter frem ligesom en lille, tyk Mave, og Hyldebusken helder hen over Gjerdet, hvor der er en lille Pyt Vand med en And eller Ællinger, lige under det knudrede Piletræ. Ja, og saa er der en Lænkehund, der gjøer ad Alle og Enhver. Netop saadant et Bondehuus var der ude paa Landet, og i det boede et Par Folk, Bondemand og Bondekone. I hvor Lidet de havde, kunde de dog undvære eet Stykke, det var en Hest, der gik og græssede paa Landeveisgrøften. Fader red paa den til Byen. Naboerne laante den, og han fik Tjeneste for Tjeneste, men det var nok mere tjensomt for dem at sælge Hesten eller bytte den for Eet eller Andet, der endnu mere kunde være dem til Gavn. Men hvad skulde det være.»det vil Du, Fatter, bedst forstaae!«sagde Konen,»nu er der Marked i Kjøbstaden, rid Du derind, faa Penge for Hesten eller gjør et godt Bytte! som Du gjør, er det altid det Rigtige. Rid til Markedet!«Og saa bandt hun hans Halsklud, for det forstod hun dog bedre end han; hun bandt med dobbelt Sløife, det saae galant ud, og saa pudsede hun hans Hat med sin flade Haand, og hun kyssede ham paa hans varme Mund, og saa red han afsted paa Hesten, som skulde sælges eller byttes bort. Jo, Fatter forstod det. Solen brændte, der var Ingen Skyer oppe! Veien støvede, der var saa mange Markedsfolk, til Vogns og til Hest og paa deres egne Been. Det var en Solhede, og der var ikke Skygge skabt paa Veien. Der gik En og drev en Ko, den var saa nydelig, som en Ko kan være.»den giver vist deilig Melk!«tænkte Bondemanden,»det kunde være et ganske godt Bytte at faae den,veed Du hvad, Du med Koen!«sagde han,»skulle vi To ikke tale lidt sammen! seer Du, en Hest, troer jeg nok, koster mere end en Ko, men det er det Samme! jeg har mere Gavn af Koen; skal vi bytte?ja nok!«sagde Manden med Koen, og saa byttede de. Nu var det gjort, og saa kunde Bondemanden have vendt om, han havde jo udrettet, hvad han vilde, men da han nu en Gang havde betænkt at ville komme til Marked, saa vilde han komme til Marked, bare for at see paa only one of them was made to open); the baking oven sticks out like a fat little stomach; and an elderbush leans over the gate, where you can see a tiny pond with a duck or ducklings, under a gnarled willow tree. Yes, and then, of course, there s a watchdog which barks at everybody and everything. Well, there was a farmhouse just like that out in the country, and in it there lived two people, a farmer and his wife. They had few enough possessions, but still there was one they could do without, and that was a horse, which grazed along the ditch beside the highway. The old farmer used it to ride to town and lent it to his neighbors, receiving some slight services from them in return, but still it would be much more profitable to sell the horse, or at least exchange it for something that would be more useful to them. But which should they do, sell or trade?»you ll know what s best. Father«, said the wife.»it s market day. Come on, ride off to town, and get money for the horse, or make a good bargain with it. Whatever you do is always right; so be off for the market!«so she tied on his neckerchief for that was something she understood much better than he tied it with a double bow, and made him look quite dashing. She brushed his hat with the palm of her hand, and she kissed him on his mouth, and then off he went, riding the horse that was to be either sold or bartered. Of course, he would know the right thing to do. The sun was scorching, and there was not a cloud in the sky. The road was dusty, and crowded with people on their way to market, some in wagons, some on horseback, and some on their own two legs. Yes, it was a fierce sun, with no shade all the way. Now a man came along, driving a cow, as pretty a cow as you could wish to see.»i m sure she must give grand milk«, thought the peasant.»it would be a pretty good bargain if I got her. Hey, you with the cow!«he said.»let s have a little talk. Look here, I believe a horse costs more than a cow, but it doesn t matter to me, since I have more use for a cow. Shall we make a swap?fair enough«, said the man with the cow; and so they swapped. Now the farmer might just as well have turned home again, for he had finished his business. But he had planned to go to market, so to market he would go, if only to look on; hence, with his cow, 13

12 det; og saa gik han med sin Ko. Han gik rask til, og Koen gik rask til, og saa kom de snart til at gaae lige ved Siden af en Mand, der førte et Faar. Det var et godt Faar, godt i Stand og godt med Uld.»Det gad jeg nok eie!«tænkte Bonden.»Det vilde ikke komme til at savne Græsning paa vor Grøftekant, og til Vinter kunde man tage det ind i Stuen hos sig. I Grunden var det rigtigere af os at holde Faar, end holde Ko, Skal vi bytte?«ja, det vilde da nok Manden, som havde Faaret, og saa blev det Bytte gjort, og Bondemanden gik med sit Faar hen ad Landeveien. Der ved Stenten saae han en Mand med en stor Gaas under Armen.»Det er en svær En, Du der har!«sagde Bondemanden,»den har baade Fjer og Fedt! den kunde tage sig godt ud i Tøir ved vor Vandpyt! den var Noget for Moder at samle Skrællinger til! Hun har tidt sagt,»bare vi havde en Gaas!«nu kan hun da faae den og hun skal faae den! vil Du bytte? Jeg giver Dig Faaret for Gaasen og Tak til!«ja, det vilde da den Anden nok, og saa byttede de; Bondemanden fik Gaasen. Naer ved Byen var han, Traengselen paa Veien tog til, der var en Mylren af Folk og Fæ; de gik paa Vei og paa Grøft lige op i Bommandens Kartofler, hvor hans Høne stod tøiret for ikke i Forskrækkelse at forvilde sig og blive borte. Det var en stumprumpet Høne, der blinkede med det ene Øie og saae godt ud.»kluk, kluk!«sagde den; hvad den taenkte derved, kan jeg ikke sige, men Bondemanden tænkte, da han saae hende: hun er den skjønneste Høne, jeg endnu har seet, hun er kjønnere end Præstens Liggehøne, den gad jeg nok eie! en Høne finder altid et Korn, den kan næsten sørge for sig selv! jeg troer, at det er et godt Bytte, om jeg fik den for Gaasen.»Skal vi bytte?«spurgte han,»bytte!«sagde den Anden,»ja det var jo ikke saa galt!«og saa byttede de. Bommanden fik Gaasen, Bondemanden fik Hønen. Det var en heel Deel, han havde udrettet paa den Reise til Byen; og varmt var det, og træt var han. En Dram og en Bid Brød trængte han til; nu var han ved Kroen, der vilde han ind; men Krokarlen vilde ud, ham mødte han lige i Døren med en Pose svingende fuld af Noget. he continued on his way. He walked fast, and so did the cow, and pretty soon they overtook a man who was leading a sheep; it was a fine-looking sheep, in good condition and well clothed with wool.»i certainly would like to have that«, thought the peasant.»it would find plenty of grazing beside our ditch, and in the winter we could keep it in our own room. It would really be much more sensible for us to be keeping a sheep rather than a cow. Shall we trade?«yes, the sheep s owner was quite willing, so the exchange was made, and now the farmer went on along the highway with his sheep. Near a road gate he met a man with a big goose under his arm.»well, you ve got a fine heavy fellow there!«said the farmer.»it s got plenty of feathers and fat! How nice it would be to have it tied up near our little pond, and, besides, it would be something for Mother to save the scraps for. She has often said, If we only had a goose. Now she can have one and she shall, too! Will you swap? I ll give you my sheep for your goose, and my thanks, too.«the other had no objection, so they swapped, and the farmer got the goose. By now he was close to the town; the road was getting more and more crowded, people and cattle pushing past him, thronging in the road, in the ditch, and right up to the tollkeeper s potato patch, where his one hen was tied up, in case it should lose its head in a panic and get lost. It was a bobtailed hen that winked with one eye and looked in good condition.»cluck, cluck«, it said; what it meant by that, I wouldn t know; but what the peasant thought when he saw it was this,»she s the prettiest hen I ve ever seen much prettier than any of our parson s brood hens. I would certainly like to have her. A hen can always find a grain of corn, and she can almost provide for herself. I almost think it would be a good idea to take her instead of the goose. Shall we trade?«he asked.»trade?«said the other.»well, not a bad idea!«and so they traded. The tollkeeper got the goose, and the farmer got the hen. He had completed a good deal of business since he started for town; it was hot, and he was tired. What he needed was a drink and a bite to eat. He had reached an inn and was ready to enter, 14

13 »Hvad har Du der?«spurgte Bondemanden.»Raadne Æbler!«svarede Karlen,»en heel Sæk fuld til Svinene.Det er da en farlig Mængde! det Syn undte jeg Mo er. Vi havde i Fjor kun et eneste Æble paa det gamle Træ ved Tørvehuset! det Æble skulde gjemmes, og det stod paa Dragkisten til det sprak. Det er altid en Velstand! sagde vor Mo er, her kunde hun faae Velstand at see! ja, jeg kunde unde hende det.ja, hvad giver I?«spurgte Karlen.»Giver? Jeg giver min Høne i Bytte!«og saa gav han Hønen i Bytte, fik Æblerne og gik ind i Krostuen, lige hen til Skjenken; sin Sæk med Æblerne stillede han op mod Kakkelovnen, og der var lagt i, det betænkte han ikke. Mange Fremmede vare her i Stuen, Hestehandlere, Studehandlere og to Englændere, og de ere saa rige, at deres Lommer revne af Guldpenge; Veddemaal gjøre de, nu skal Du høre!»susss! susss!«hvad var det for en Lyd ved Kakkelovnen? Æblerne begyndte at stege.»hvad er det?«ja, det fik de da snart at vide! hele Historien om Hesten, der var byttet bort for Koen og lige ned til de raadne Æbler.»Naa! Du faaer Knubs af Mutter, naar Du komme hjem!«sagde Englændeme.,»der vil ligge et Huus!Jeg faaer Kys og ikke Knubs!«sagde Bondemanden,»vor Mo er vil sige: hvad Fatter gjør, det er det Rigtige!Skal vi vedde!«sagde de,»guldmønt i Tøndeviis! hundrede Pund er et Skippund!Det er nok at give Skjeppen fuld!«sagde Bondemanden,»jeg kan kun stille Skjeppen fuld med Æbler og mig selv og Mutter med, men det er da Mere end Strygmaal, det er Top maal!top! top!«sagde de, og saa var Veddemaalet gjort. Kromandens Vogn kom frem, Englænderne kom op, Bondemanden kom op, de raadne Æbler kom op, og saa kom de til Bondens Huus.»God Aften, Mo er!tak, Fa er!nu har jeg gjort Bytte!Ja, Du forstaaer det!«sagde Konen, tog ham om Livet og glemte baade Pose og de Fremmede.»Jeg har byttet Hesten bort for en Ko!Gud skee Lov for Melken!«sagde Konen,»nu kan vi faae Melkemad, Smør og Ost paa Bordet. Det var et deiligt Bytte!«when the innkeeper s helper met him in the doorway, carrying a sackful of something.»what have you got there?«asked the farmer.»rotten apples«, was the answer.»a whole sackful for the pigs.what a lot! Wouldn t Mother like to see so many! Why, last year we had only one single apple on the old tree by the peat shed. That apple was to be kept, and it stood on the chest of drawers till it burst. That is always a sign of prosperity, Mother said. Here she could see plenty of prosperity! Yes, I only wish she could have it!well, what ll you give me for them?«asked the innkeeper s helper.»give for them? Why, I ll give you my hen!«so he turned over the hen, took the apples, and went into the inn, straight up to the bar; he set his sack upright against the stove, without noticing that there was a fire in it. There were a number of strangers present, horse dealers, cattle dealers, and two Englishmen so rich that their pockets were bursting with gold coins. They were fond of making bets, as Englishmen in stories always are.»suss! Suss! Suss!«What was that noise at the stove? It was the apples beginning to roast!»what s that?«everybody said, and they soon found out. They were hearing the whole story of the horse that had been traded first for a cow and finally for a sack of rotten apples.»well, you ll get a good beating from your old woman when you go home!«said the Englishmen.»You re in for a rough time.ill get kisses, not cuffs«, said the farmer.»mother will say, Whatever the old man does is right.shall we bet on it?«said the Englishmen.»We have gold by the barrel! A hundred pounds sterling to a hundred-pound weight?let s say a bushelful«, replied the peasant.»i can only bet my bushel of apples, and throw in myself and the old woman, but I think that ll be more than full measure.that s a bet!«the Englishmen cried, and the bet was made! So the innkeeper s cart was brought out, the Englishmen got into it, the farmer got into it, the rotten apples got into it, and away they went to the old man s cottage.»good evening, Mother.Same to you, Father.Well, I ve made the bargain.yes, you know how to do business«, said the wife, and gave him a big hug, forgetting both the sack and the strangers. 15

14 »Ja, men Koen byttede jeg igjen bort for et Faar!Det er bestemt ogsaa bedre!«sagde Konen,»Du er altid betænksom; til et Faar har vi just fuldt op af Græsning. Nu kan vi faae Faaremelk og Faareost og uldne Strømper, ja, ulden Nattrøie! den giver Koen ikke! hun taber Haarene! Du er en inderlig betænksom Mand!Men Faaret har jeg byttet bort for en Gaas!Skal vi virkelig have Mortensgaas i Aar, lille Fatter! Du tænker altid paa at fornøie mig! det er en yndig Tanke af Dig! Gaasen kan staae i Tøir og blive endnu mere fed til Mortensdag!Men Gaasen har jeg byttet bort for en Høne!«sagde Manden.»Høne! det var et godt Bytte,«sagde Konen,»Hønen lægger Æg, den ruger ud, vi faae Kyllinger, vi faae Hønsegaard! det har jeg just saa Inderlig ønsket mig!ja, men Hønen byttede jeg bort for en Pose raadne Æbler!Nu maa jeg kysse Dig!«sagde Konen,»Tak, min egen Mand! Nu skal jeg fortælle Dig Noget. Da Du var afsted, tænkte jeg paa at lave et rigtigt godt Maaltid til Dig: Æggekage med Purløg. Æggene havde jeg, Løgene manglede mig. Saa gik jeg over til Skoleholderens; der har de Purløg, veed jeg, men Konen er gjerrig, det søde Asen! jeg bad om at laane! laane? sagde hun. Ingen Ting groer i vor Have, ikke en Gang et raaddent Æble! Ikke det kan jeg laane hende! nu kan jeg laane hende ti, ja, en heel Pose fuld! det er Griin, Fa er!«og saa kyssede hun ham lige midt paa Munden.»Det kan jeg lide!«sagde Englænderne.»Altid ned ad Bakke og altid lige glad! det er nok Pengene værdi«og saa betalte de et Skippund Guldpenge til Bondemanden, som fik Kys og ikke Knubs. Jo, det lønner sig altid, at Konen indseer og forklarer, at Fatter ei den klogeste og hvad han gjør, er det Rigtige. See, det er nu en Historie! den har jeg hørt som Lille, og nu har Du ogsaa hørt den og veed, at hvad Fatter gjør, det er altid det Rigtige.»I traded the horse for a cow.thank God for the milk!«said the wife.»now we can have milk, butter, and cheese on our table! What a splendid swap!yes, but I swapped the cow for a sheep.that s still better!«cried the wife.»you re always so thoughtful. We have plenty of grass for a sheep. But now we ll have sheep s milk, and sheep s cheese, and woolen stockings, yes, and a woolen nightgown, too. A cow couldn t give us that; she loses all her hairs. But you re always such a thoughtful husband.but then I exchanged the sheep for a goose.what! Will we really have goose for Michaelmas this year, dear Father? You always think of what would please me, and that was a beautiful thought! We can tie up the goose, and it ll grow even fatter for Michaelmas Day.But I traded the goose for a hen«, continued the peasant.»a hen? Well, that was a fine trade!«replied his wife.»a hen will lay eggs and sit on them and we ll have chickens. Imagine, a chicken yard! Just the thing I ve always wanted most!yes, but I exchanged the hen for a sack of rotten apples.then I must certainly give you a kiss!«said the wife.»thank you, my own husband. And now I have something to tell you. When you had gone I decided I d get a fine dinner ready for you omelet with chives. Now I had the eggs all right, but no chives. So I went over to the schoolmaster s, because I know they have chives; but that sweet woman is so stingy she wanted something in return. What could I give her? Nothing grows in our garden, not even a rotten apple; I didn t even have that for her. But now I can give her ten or even a whole sackful! Isn t it funny, Father!«she said, and kissed him right on his mouth.»i like that!«cried both the Englishmen.»Always downhill, but always happy. That alone is worth the money!«so they were quite content to pay the bushelful of gold pieces to the peasant, who had got kisses instead of cuffs for his bargains. Yes, it always pays when the wife believes and admits that her husband is the wisest man in the world and that whatever he does is right. Well, this is the story. I heard it when I was a youngster, and now you ve heard it, too, so you know that what the old man does is always right. 16

15 Tommelise Thumbelina Der var en Gang en Kone, som saa gjerne vilde have sig et lille bitte Barn, men hun vidste slet ikke, hvor hun skulde faae et fra; saa gik hun hen til en gammel Hex og sagde til hende:»jeg vilde saa inderlig gjerne have et I here once was a woman who wanted so very much to have a tiny little child, but she did not know where to find one. So she went to an old witch, and she said:»i have set my heart upon having a tiny little 17

16 lille Barn, vil Du ikke sige mig, hvor jeg dog skal faae et fra?»jo, det skal vi nok komme ud af!«sagde Hexen.»Der har Du et Bygkorn, det er slet ikke af det Slags, som groer paa Bondemandens Mark, eller som Hønsene faae at spise, læg det i en Urtepotte, saa skal Du faae Noget at see!tak skal Du have!«sagde Konen og gav Hexen tolv Skilling, gik saa hjem, plantede Bygkornet, og strax voxte der en stor deilig Blomst op, den saae ganske ud som en Tulipan, men Bladene lukkede sig tæt sammen, ligesom om den endnu var i Knop.»Det er en nydelig Blomst!«sagde Konen, og kyssede den paa de smukke røde og gule Blade, men lige idet hun kyssede, gav Blomsten et stort Knald, og aabnede sig. Det var en virkelig Tulipan, kunde man see, men midt inde i Blomsten, paa den grønne Stol, sad der en lille bitte Pige, saa fiin og yndig, hun var ikke uden en Tomme lang, og derfor kaldtes hun Tommelise. En stadselig lakeret Valnøddeskal fik hun til Vugge, blaae Violblade vare hendes Matrasser og et Rosenblad hendes Overdyne; der sov hun om Natten, men om Dagen legede hun paa Bordet, hvor Konen havde sat en Tallerken, som hun havde lagt en heel Krands om med Blomster, der stak deres Stilke ned i Vandet; her flød et stort Tulipanblad, og på det maatte Tommelise sidde og seile fra den ene Side af Tallerkenen til den anden; hun havde to hvide Hestehaar at roe med. Det saae just deiligt ud. Hun kunde ogsaa synge, o saa fiint og nydeligt, som man aldrig her havde hørt. En Nat, som hun laae i sin smukke Seng, kom der en hæslig Skrubtudse hoppende ind ad Vinduet; der var en Rude itu. Skrubtudsen var saa styg, stor og vaad, den hoppede lige ned paa Bordet, hvor Tommelise laae og sov under det røde Rosenblad.»Det var en deilig Kone til min Søn!«sagde Skrubtudsen, og saa tog hun fat i Valnødskallen, hvor Tommelise sov, og hoppede bort med hende gjennem Ruden, ned i Haven. Der løb en stor, bred Aa; men lige ved Bredden var det sumpet og muddret; her boede Skrubtudsen med sin Søn. Uh! han var ogsaa styg og fæl, lignede ganske sin Moder;»koax, koax, brekke-ke-kex!«det var Alt hvad han kunde sige, da han saae den nydelige lille Pige i Valnødskallen. child. Please, could you tell me where I can find one?why, that s easily done«, said the witch.»here s a grain of barley for you, but it isn t at all the sort of barley that farmers grow in their fields or that the chickens get to eat. Put it in a flower pot and youll-see what you shall see.oh, thank you!«the woman said. She gave the witch twelve pennies, and planted the barley seed as soon as she got home. It quickly grew into a fine large flower, which looked very much like a tulip. But the petals were folded tight, as though it were still a bud.»this is such a pretty flower«, said the woman. She kissed its lovely red and yellow petals, and just as she kissed it the flower gave a loud pop! and flew open. It was a tulip, right enough, but on the green cushion in the middle of it sat a tiny girl. She was dainty and fair to see, but she was no taller than your thumb. So she was called Thumbelina. A nicely polished walnut shell served as her cradle. Her mattress was made of the blue petals of violets, and a rose petal was pulled up to cover her. That was how she slept at night. In the daytime she played on a table where the woman put a plate surrounded with a wreath of flowers. Their stems lay in the water, on which there floated a large tulip petal. Thumbelina used the petal as a boat, and with a pair of white horsehairs for oars she could row clear across the plate a charming sight. She could sing, too. Her voice was the softest and sweetest that anyone ever has heard. One night as she lay in her cradle, a horrible toad hopped in through the window one of the panes was broken. This big, ugly, slimy toad jumped right down on the table where Thumbelina was asleep under the red rose petal.»here s a perfect wife for my son!«the toad exclaimed. She seized upon the walnut shell in which Thumbelina lay asleep, and hopped off with it, out the window and into the garden. A big broad stream ran through it, with a muddy marsh along its banks, and here the toad lived with her son. Ugh! he was just like his mother, slimy and horrible.»co-ax, co-ax, brek-ek-eke-kex«, was all that he could say when he saw the graceful little girl in the walnut shell.»don t speak so loud, or you will wake her up«, the old toad told him.»she might get away from us yet, for she is as light as a puff of swan s- 18

17 »Snak ikke saa høit, for ellers vaagner hun!«sagde den gamle Skrubtudse,»hun kunde endnu løbe fra os, for hun er saa let som et Svaneduun! Vi ville sætte hende ud i Aaen paa et af de brede Aa-kandeblade, det er for hende, der er saa let og lille, ligesom en Ø! Der kan hun ikke løbe bort, mens vi gjøre Stadsestuen i Stand nede under Mudderet, hvor I skulle boe og bygge!«ude i Aaen voxte der saa mange Aakander med de brede grønne Blade, der see ud som de flyde ovenpaa Vandet; det Blad, som var længst ude, var ogsaa det allerstørste; der svømmede den gamle Skrubtudse ud og satte Valnødskallen med Tommelise. Den lille bitte Stakkel vaagnede ganske tidlig om Morgenen, og da hun saae, hvor hun var, begyndte hun saa bitterligt at græde, for der var Vand paa alle Sider af det store grønne Blad, hun kunde slet ikke komme i Land. Den gamle Skrubtudse sad nede i Mudderet og pyntede sin Stue op med Siv og gule Aaknappe, der skulde være rigtig net for den nye Svigerdatter, svømmede saa med den stygge Søn ud til Bladet, hvor Tommelise stod; de vilde hente hendes pene Seng, den skulde sættes op i Brudekamret, før hun selv kom der. Den gamle Skrubtudse neiede saa dybt i Vandet for hende og sagde:»her skal Du see min Søn, han skal være din Mand, og I skal boe saa deiligt nede i Mudderet!Koax, koax! Brekke-ke-kex!«det var Alt, hvad Sønnen kunde sige. Saa toge de den stadselige, lille Seng og svømmede bort med den, men Tommelise sad ganske alene og græd paa det grønne Blad, for hun vilde ikke boe hos den fæle Skrubtudse eller have hendes hæslige Søn til sin Mand. De smaa Fisk, som svømmede nede i Vandet, havde nok seet Skrubtudsen og hørt, hvad hun sagde, derfor stak de Hovederne op, de vilde dog see den lille Pige. Saasnart de fik hende at see, fandt de hende saa yndig, og det gjorde dem saa ondt, at hun skulde ned til den stygge Skrubtudse. Nei, det skulde aldrig skee. De flokkede sig nede i Vandet rundt om den grønne Stilk, der holdt Bladet, hun stod paa, gnavede med Tænderne Stilken over, og saa flød Bladet ned ad Aaen, bort med Tommelise, langt bort, hvor Skrubtudsen ikke kunde komme. Tommelise seilede forbi saa mange Steder, down. We must put her on one of the broad water lily leaves out in the stream. She is so small and light that it will be just like an island to her, and she can t run away from us while we are making our best room under the mud ready for you two to live in.«many water lilies with broad green leaves grew in the stream, and it looked as if they were floating on the surface. The leaf which lay furthest from the bank was the largest of them all, and it was to this leaf that the old toad swam with the walnut shell which held Thumbelina. The poor little thing woke up«early next morning, and when she saw where she was she began to cry bitterly. There was water all around the big green leaf and there was no way at all for her to reach the shore. The old toad sat in the mud, decorating a room with green rushes and yellow water lilies, to have it looking its best for her new daughter-in-law. Then she and her ugly son swam out to the leaf on which Thumbelina was standing. They came for her pretty little bed, which they wanted to carry to the bridal chamber before they took her there. The old toad curtsied deep in the water before her, and said:»meet my son. He is to be your husband, and you will share a delightful home in the mud.co-ax, co-ax, brek-ek-eke-kex«, was all that her son could say. Then they took the pretty little bed and swam away with it. Left all alone on the green leaf, Thumbelina sat down and cried. She did not want to live in the slimy toad s house, and she didn t want to have the toad s horrible son for a husband. The little fishes who swam in the water beneath her had seen the toad and heard what she had said. So up popped their heads to have a look at the little girl. No sooner had they seen her than they felt very sorry that anyone so pretty should have to go down to live with that hideous toad. No, that should never be! They gathered around the green stem which held the leaf where she was, and gnawed it in two with their teeth. Away went the leaf down the stream, and away went Thumbelina, far away where the toad could not catch her. Thumbelina sailed past many a place, and when the little birds in the bushes saw her they sang,»what a darling little girl.«the leaf drifted further and further away with her, and so it was that Thumbelina became a traveler. 19

18 og de smaa Fugle sad i Buskene, saae hende og sang:»hvilken nydelig, lille Jomfru!«Bladet med hende svømmede længere og længere bort; saaledes reiste Tommelise udenlands. En deilig, lille, hvid Sommerfugl blev ved at flyve rundt omkring hende, og satte sig til sidst ned paa Bladet, for den kunde saa godt lide Tommelise, og hun var saa fornøiet, for nu kunde Skrubtudsen ikke naae hende og der var saa deiligt, hvor hun seilede; Solen skinnede paa Vandet, det var ligesom det skinnende Guld. Saa tog hun sit Livbaand, bandt den ene Ende om Sommerfuglen, den anden Ende af Baandet satte hun fast i Bladet; det gled da meget hurtigere afsted og hun med, for hun stod jo paa Bladet. I det Samme kom der en stor Oldenborre flyvende, den fik hende at see, og i Øieblikket slog den sin Klo om hendes smekkre Liv og fløi op i Træet med hende, men det grønne Blad svømmede ned ad Aaen og Sommerfuglen fløi med, for han var bunden til Bladet og kunde ikke komme løs. Gud, hvor den stakkels Tommelise blev forskrækket, da Oldenborren fløi op i Træet med hende, men hun var dog allermeest bedrøvet for den smukke, hvide Sommerfugl, hun havde bundet fast til Bladet; dersom han nu ikke kunde komme løs, maatte han jo sulte ihjel. Men det brød Oldenborren sig ikke noget om. Den satte sig med hende paa det største, grønne Blad i Træet, gav hende det Søde af Blomsterne at spise og sagde, at hun var saa nydelig, skjøndt hun slet ikke lignede en Oldenborre. Siden kom alle de andre Oldenborrer, der boede i Træet, og gjorde Visit; de saae paa Tommelise, og Frøken- Oldenborrerne trak paa Følehornene og sagde:»hun har dog ikke mere end to Been, det seer ynkeligt ud.hun har ingen Følehorn!«sagde de.»hun er saa smekker i Livet, fy! Hun seer ud ligesom et Menneske! Hvor hun er styg!«sagde alle Hun-Olderborrerne, og saa var Tommelise dog saa nydelig! Det syntes også den Oldenborre, som havde taget hende, men da alle de Andre sagde, hun var hæslig, saa troede han det tilsidst ogsaa og vilde slet ikke have hende; hun kunde gaae, hvor hun vilde. De fløi ned af Træet med hende og satte hende paa en Gaaseurt; der græd hun, fordi hun var saa styg, at Oldenborrerne ikke vilde have hende, og saa var hun dog den Deiligste, A lovely white butterfly kept fluttering around her, and at last alighted on the leaf, because he admired Thumbelina. She was a happy little girl again, now that the toad could not catch her. It was all very lovely as she floated along, and where the sun struck the water it looked like shining gold. Thumbelina undid her sash, tied one end of it to the butterfly, and made the other end fast to the leaf. It went much faster now, and Thumbelina went much faster too, for of course she was standing on it. Just then, a big May-bug flew,by and caught sight of her. Immediately he fastened his claws around her slender waist and flew with her up into a tree. Away went the green leaf down the stream, and away went the butterfly with it, for he was tied to the leaf and could not get loose. My goodness! How frightened little Thumbelina was when the May-bug carried her up in the tree. But she was even more sorry for the nice white butterfly she had fastened to the leaf, because if he couldn t free himself he would have to starve to death. But the May-bug wasn t one to care about that. He sat her down on the largest green leaf of the tree, fed her honey from the flowers, and told her how pretty she was, considering that she didn t look the least like a Maybug. After a while, all the other May-bugs who lived in the tree came to pay them a call. As they stared at Thumbelina, the lady May-bugs threw up their feelers and said:»why, she has only two legs what a miserable sight!she hasn t any feelers«, one cried.»she is pinched in at the waist how shameful! She looks like a human being how ugly she is!«said all of the female May-bugs. Yet Thumbelina was as pretty as ever. Even the May-bug who had flown away with her knew that, but as every last one of them kept calling her ugly, he at length came to agree with them and would have nothing to do with her she could go wherever she chose. They flew down out of the tree with her and left her on a daisy, where she sat and cried because she was so ugly that the May-bugs wouldn t have anything to do with her. Nevertheless, she was the loveliest little girl you can imagine, and as frail and fine as the petal of a rose. All summer long, poor Thumbelina lived all alone in the woods. She wove herself a hammock of grass, and hung it under a big burdock leaf to 20

19 man kunde tænke sig, saa fiin og klar som det skjønneste Rosenblad. Hele Sommeren igjennem levede den stakkels Tommelise ganske alene i den store Skov. Hun flettede sig en Seng af Græsstraa og hang den under et stort Skræppeblad, saa kunde det ikke regne paa hende: hun pillede det Søde af Blomsterne og spiste, og drak af Duggen, der hver Morgen stod paa Bladene; saaledes gik Sommer og Efteraar, men nu kom Vinteren, den kolde, lange Vinter. Alle Fuglene, der havde sunget saa smukt for hende, fløi deres Vej, Træerne og Blomsterne visnede, det store Skræppeblad, hun havde boet under, rullede sammen og blev kun en guul, vissen Stilk, og hun frøs saa forskrækkeligt, for hendes Klæder vare itu og hun var selv saa fiin og lille, den stakkels Tommelise, hun maatte fryse ihjel. Det begyndte at snee og hvert Sneefnug, der faldt paa hende, var som naar man kaster en heel Skuffe fuld paa os, thi vi ere store og hun var kun en Tomme lang. Saa svøbte hun sig ind i et vissent Blad, men det vilde ikke varme, hun rystede af Kulde. Tæt udenfor Skoven, hvor hun nu var kommen, laae en stor Kornmark, men Kornet var for længe siden borte, kun de nøgne, tørre Stubbe stode op af den frosne Jord. De vare ligeosm en heel Skov for hende at gaae imellem, o, hun rystede saadan af Kulde. Saa kom hun til Markmusens Dør. Den var et lille Hul inde under Korn-Stubbene. Der boede Markmusen luunt og godt, havde hele Stuen fuld af Korn, et deiligt Kjøkken og Spisekammer. Den stakkels Tommelise stillede sig indenfor Døren, ligesom en anden fattig Tiggerpige, og bad om et lille Stykke af et Bygkorn, for hun havde i to Dage ikke faaet det Mindste at spise.»du lille Stakkel!«sagde Markmusen, for det var i Grunden en god, gammel Markmuus,»kom Du ind i min varme Stue og spiis med mig!«da hun nu syntes godt om Tommelise, sagde hun:»du kan gjerne blive hos mig i Vinter, men du skal holde min Stue peen reen og fortælle Historier, for dem holder jeg meget af,«og Tommelise gjorde, hvad den gode, gamle Markmuus forlangte og havde det da grumme godt.»nu faae vi nok snart Besøg!«sagde Markmusen,»min Nabo pleier hver Ugesdag keep off the rain. She took honey from the flowers for food, and drank the dew which she found on the leaves every morning. In this way the summer and fall went by. Then came the winter, the long, cold winter. All the birds who had sung so sweetly for her flew away. The trees and the flowers withered. The big burdock leaf under which she had lived shriveled up until nothing was left of it but a dry, yellow stalk. She was terribly cold, for her clothes had worn threadbare and she herself was so slender and frail. Poor Thumbelina, she would freeze to death! Snow began to fall, and every time a snowflake struck her it was as if she had been hit by a whole shovelful, for we are quite tall while she measured only an inch. She wrapped a withered leaf about her, but there was no warmth in it. She shivered with cold. Near the edge of the woods where she now had arrived, was a large grain field, but the grain had been harvested long ago. Only the dry, bare stubble stuck out of the frozen ground. It was just as if she were lost in a vast forest, and oh how she shivered with coldl Then she came to the door of a field mouse, who had a little hole amidst the stubble. There this mouse lived, warm and cozy, with a whole store-room of grain, and a magnificent kitchen and pantry. Poor Thumbelina stood at the door, just like a beggar child, and pled for a little bit of barley, because she hadn t had anything to eat for two days past.»why, you poor little thing«, said the field mouse, who turned out to be a kindhearted old creature.»you must come into my warm room and share my dinner.«she took such a fancy to Thumbelina that she said,»if you care to, you may stay with me all winter, but you must keep my room tidy, and tell me stories, for I am very fond of them.«thumbelina did as the kind old field mouse asked and she had a very good time of it.»soon we shall have a visitor«, the field mouse said.»once every week my neighbor comes to see me, and he is even better off than I am. His rooms are large, and he wears such a beautiful black velvet coat. If you could only get him for a husband you would be well taken care of, but he can t see anything. You must tell him the very best stories you know.«thumbelina did not like this suggestion. She would not even consider the neighbor, because he was a mole. He paid them a visit in his black velvet coat. The field mouse talked about how 21

20 at besøge mig. Han sidder bedre endnu inden Vægge, end jeg; har store Sale og gaaer med saadan en deilig, sort Fløielspels; bare Du kunde faae ham til Mand, saa var Du godt forsørget; men han kan ikke see. Du maa fortælle ham de allerkjønneste Historier, Du veed!«men det brød Tommelise sig ikke om, hun vilde slet ikke have Naboen, for han var en Muldvarp. Han kom og gjorde Visit i sin sorte Fløielspels, han var saa rig og saa lærd, sagde Markmusen, hans Huusleilighed var ogsaa over tyve Gange større, end Markmusens, og Lærdom havde han, men Solen og de smukke Blomster kunde han slet ikke lide, dem snakkede han ondt om, for han havde aldrig seet dem. Tommelise måtte synge, og hun sang baade»oldenborre, flyv, flyv!«og»munken gaaer i Enge,«saa blev Muldvarpen forlibt i hende, for den smukke Stemmes Skyld, men han sagde ikke Noget, han var saadan en sindig Mand. Han havde nylig gravet sig en lang Gang gjennem Jorden fra sit til deres Huus, i den fik Markmusen og Tommelise Lov til at spadsere, naar de vilde. Men han bad dem ikke blive bange for den døde Fugl, som laae i Gangen, det var en heel Fugl med Fjer og Næb, der vist var død for ganske nylig, da Vinteren begyndte, og nu var gravet ned, just hvor han havde gjort sin Gang. Muldvarpen tog et Stykke Trøske i Munden, for det skinner jo ligesom Ild i Mørke, og gik saa foran og lyste for dem i den lange, mørke Gang: da de kom, hvor den døde Fugl laae, satte Muldvarpen sin brede Næse mod Loftet og stødte Jorden op, saa der blev et stort Hul, som Lyset kunde skinne ned igjennem. Midt paa Gulvet laae en død Svale, med de smukke Vinger trykket fast ned mod siderne, Benene og Hovedet trukne ind under Fjerene; den stakkels Fugl var bestemt død af Kulde. Det gjorde Tommelise saa ondt for den, hun holdt saa meget af alle de smaa Fugle, de havde jo hele Sommeren sunget og qviddret saa smukt for hende, men Muldvarpen stødte til den med sine korte Been og sagde:»nu piber den ikke meer! Det maa være ynkeligt at blive født til en lille Fugl! Gud ske Lov, at ingen af mine Børn bliver det, saadan en Fugl har jo ingen Ting uden sit Qvivit og maa sulte ihjel til Vinteren!Ja, det maa I, som en fornuftig Mand, nok sige,«sagde Markmusen,»Hvad har Fuglen for wealthy and wise he was, and how his home was more than twenty times larger than hers. But for all of his knowledge he cared nothing at all for the sun and the flowers. He had nothing good to say for them, and had never laid eyes on them. As Thumbelina had to sing for him, she sang,»may-bug, May-bug, fly away home«, and»the Monk goes afield.«the mole fell in love with her because of her sweet voice, but he didn t say anything about it yet, for he was a most discreet fellow. He had just dug a long tunnel through the ground from his house to theirs, and the field mouse and Thumbelina were invited to use it whenever they pleased, though he warned them not to be alarmed by the dead bird which lay in this passage. It was a complete bird, with feather and beak. It must have died quite recently, when winter set in, and it was buried right in the middle of the tunnel. The mole took in his mouth a torch of decayed wood. In the darkness it glimmered like fire. He went ahead of them to light the way through the long, dark passage. When they came to where the dead bird lay, the moje put his broad nose to the ceiling and made a large hole through which daylight could fall. In. the middle of the floor lay a dead swallow, with his lovely wings folded at his sides and his head tucked under his feathers. The poor bird must certainly have died of the cold. Thumbelina felt so sorry for him. She loved all the little birds who had sung and sweetly twittered to her all through the summer. But the mole gave the body a kick with his short stumps, and said,»now he won t be chirping any more. What a wretched thing it is to be born a little bird. Thank goodness ndhe of my children can be a bird, who has nothing but his chirp, chirp, and must starve to death when winter comes along.yes, you are so right, you sensible man«, the field mouse agreed.»what good is all his chirpchirping to a bird in the winter time, when he starves and freezes?,but that s considered very grand, I imagine.«thumbelina kept silent, but when the others turned their back on the bird she bent over, smoothed aside the feathers that hid the bird s head, and kissed his closed eyes.»maybe it was he who sang so sweetly to me in the summertime«, she thought to herself.»what pleasure he gave me, the dear, pretty bird.«the mole closed up the hole that let in the 22