THE ELFIN HILL故事

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　　THE ELFIN HILL故事
　　    A FEW large lizards were running nimbly about in the
　　    clefts of an old tree; they could understand one another very
　　    well, for they spoke the lizard language.
　　    "What a buzzing and a rumbling there is in the elfin
　　    hill," said one of the lizards; "I have not been able to close
　　    my eyes for two nights on account of the noise; I might just
　　    as well have had the toothache, for that always keeps me
　　    awake."
　　    "There is something going on within there," said the other
　　    lizard; "they propped up the top of the hill with four red
　　    posts, till cock-crow this morning, so that it is thoroughly
　　    aired, and the elfin girls have learnt new dances; there is
　　    something."
　　    "I spoke about it to an earth-worm of my acquaintance,"
　　    said a third lizard; "the earth-worm had just come from the
　　    elfin hill, where he has been groping about in the earth day
　　    and night. He has heard a great deal; although he cannot see,
　　    poor miserable creature, yet he understands very well how to
　　    wriggle and lurk about. They expect friends in the elfin hill,
　　    grand company, too; but who they are the earth-worm would not
　　    say, or, perhaps, he really did not know. All the
　　    will-o'-the-wisps are ordered to be there to hold a torch
　　    dance, as it is called. The silver and gold which is plentiful
　　    in the hill will be polished and placed out in the moonlight."
　　    "Who can the strangers be?" asked the lizards; "what can
　　    the matter be? Hark, what a buzzing and humming there is!"
　　    Just at this moment the elfin hill opened, and an old
　　    elfin maiden, hollow behind, came tripping out; she was the
　　    old elf king's housekeeper, and a distant relative of the
　　    family; therefore she wore an amber heart on the middle of her
　　    forehead. Her feet moved very fast, "trip, trip;" good
　　    gracious, how she could trip right down to the sea to the
　　    night-raven.
　　    "You are invited to the elf hill for this evening," said
　　    she; "but will you do me a great favor and undertake the
            
            

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　　    invitations? you ought to do something, for you have no
　　    housekeeping to attend to as I have. We are going to have some
　　    very grand people, conjurors, who have always something to
　　    say; and therefore the old elf king wishes to make a great
　　    display."
　　    "Who is to be invited?" asked the raven.
　　    "All the world may come to the great ball, even human
　　    beings, if they can only talk in their sleep, or do something
　　    after our fashion. But for the feast the company must be
　　    carefully selected; we can only admit persons of high rank; I
　　    have had a dispute myself with the elf king, as he thought we
　　    could not admit ghosts. The merman and his daughter must be
　　    invited first, although it may not be agreeable to them to
　　    remain so long on dry land, but they shall have a wet stone to
　　    sit on, or perhaps something better; so I think they will not
　　    refuse this time. We must have all the old demons of the first
　　    class, with tails, and the hobgoblins and imps; and then I
　　    think we ought not to leave out the death-horse, or the
　　    grave-pig, or even the church dwarf, although they do belong
　　    to the clergy, and are not reckoned among our people; but that
　　    is merely their office, they are nearly related to us, and
　　    visit us very frequently."
　　    "Croak," said the night-raven as he flew away with the
　　    invitations.
　　    The elfin maidens we're already dancing on the elf hill,
　　    and they danced in shawls woven from moonshine and mist, which
　　    look very pretty to those who like such things. The large hall
　　    within the elf hill was splendidly decorated; the floor had
　　    been washed with moonshine, and the walls had been rubbed with
　　    magic ointment, so that they glowed like tulip-leaves in the
　　bsp; light. In the kitchen were frogs roasting on the spit, and
　　    dishes preparing of snail skins, with children's fingers in
　　    them, salad of mushroom seed, hemlock, noses and marrow of
　　    mice, beer from the marsh woman's brewery, and sparkling
　　    salt-petre wine from the grave cellars. These were all
            
            

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　　    substantial food. Rusty nails and church-window glass formed
　　    the dessert. The old elf king had his gold crown polished up
　　    with powdered slate-pencil; it was like that used by the first
　　    form, and very difficult for an elf king to obtain. In the
　　    bedrooms, curtains were hung up and fastened with the slime of
　　    snails; there was, indeed, a buzzing and humming everywhere.
　　    "Now we must fumigate the place with burnt horse-hair and
　　    pig's bristles, and then I think I shall have done my part,"
　　    said the elf man-servant.
　　    "Father, dear," said the youngest daughter, "may I now
　　    hear who our high-born visitors are?"
　　    "Well, I suppose I must tell you now," he replied; "two of
　　    my daughters must prepare themselves to be married, for the
　　    marriages certainly will take place. The old goblin from
　　    Norway, who lives in the ancient Dovre mountains, and who
　　    possesses many castles built of rock and freestone, besides a
　　    gold mine, which is better than all, so it is thought, is
　　    coming with his two sons, who are both seeking a wife. The old
　　    goblin is a true-hearted, honest, old Norwegian graybeard;
　　    cheerful and straightforward. I knew him formerly, when we
　　    used to drink together to our good fellowship: he came here
　　    once to fetch his wife, she is dead now. She was the daughter
　　    of the king of the chalk-hills at Moen. They say he took his
　　    wife from chalk; I shall be delighted to see him again. It is
　　    said that the boys are ill-bred, forward lads, but perhaps
　　    that is not quite correct, and they will become better as they
　　    grow older. Let me see that you know how to teach them good
　　    manners."
　　    "And when are they coming?" asked the daughter.
　　    "That depends upon wind and weather," said the elf king;
　　    "they travel economically. They will come when there is the
　　    chance of a ship. I wanted them to come over to Sweden, but
　　    the old man was not inclined to take my advice. He does not go
　　    forward with the times, and that I do not like."
            
            

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　　    Two will-o'-the-wisps came jumping in, one quicker than
　　    the other, so of course, one arrived first. "They are coming!
　　    they are coming!" he cried.
　　    "Give me my crown," said the elf king, "and let me stand
　　    in the moonshine."
　　    The daughters drew on their shawls and bowed down to the
　　    ground. There stood the old goblin from the Dovre mountains,
　　    with his crown of hardened ice and polished fir-cones. Besides
　　    this, he wore a bear-skin, and great, warm boots, while his
　　    sons went with their throats bare and wore no braces, for they
　　    were strong men.
　　    "Is that a hill?" said the youngest of the boys, pointing
　　    to the elf hill, "we should call it a hole in Norway."
　　    "Boys," said the old man, "a hole goes in, and a hill
　　    stands out; have you no eyes in your heads?"
　　    Another thing they wondered at was, that they were able
　　    without trouble to understand the language.
　　    "Take care," said the old man, "or people will think you
　　    have not been well brought up."
　　    Then they entered the elfin hill, where the select and
　　    grand company were assembled, and so quickly had they appeared
　　    that they seemed to have been blown together. But for each
　　    guest the neatest and pleasantest arrangement had been made.
　　    The sea folks sat at table in great water-tubs, and they said
　　    it was just like being at home. All behaved themselves
　　    properly excepting the two young northern goblins; they put
　　    their legs on the table and thought they were all right.
　　    "Feet off the table-cloth!" said the old goblin. They
　　    obeyed, but not immediately. Then they tickled the ladies who
　　    waited at table, with the fir-cones, which they carried in
　　    their pockets. They took off their boots, that they might be
　　    more at ease, and gave them to the ladies to hold. But their
　　    father, the old goblin, was very different; he talked
　　    pleasantly about the stately Norwegian rocks, and told fine
　　    tales of the waterfalls which dashed over them with a
            
            

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　　    clattering noise like thunder or the sound of an organ,
　　    spreading their white foam on every side. He told of the
　　    salmon that leaps in the rushing waters, while the water-god
　　    plays on his golden harp. He spoke of the bright winter
　　    nights, when the sledge bells are ringing, and the boys run
　　    with burning torches across the smooth ice, which is so
　　    transparent that they can see the fishes dart forward beneath
　　    their feet. He described everything so clearly, that those who
　　    listened could see it all; they could see the saw-mills going,
　　    the men-servants and the maidens singing songs, and dancing a
　　    rattling dance,- when all at once the old goblin gave the old
　　    elfin maiden a kiss, such a tremendous kiss, and yet they were
　　    almost strangers to each other.
　　    Then the elfin girls had to dance, first in the usual way,
　　    and then with stamping feet, which they performed very well;
　　    then followed the artistic and solo dance. Dear me, how they
　　    did throw their legs about! No one could tell where the dance
　　    begun, or where it ended, nor indeed which were legs and which
　　    were arms, for they were all flying about together, like the
　　    shavings in a saw-pit! And then they spun round so quickly
　　    that the death-horse and the grave-pig became sick and giddy,
　　    and were obliged to leave the table.
　　    "Stop!" cried the old goblin," is that the only
　　    house-keeping they can perform? Can they do anything more than
　　    dance and throw about their legs, and make a whirlwind?"
　　    "You shall soon see what they can do," said the elf king.
　　    And then he called his youngest daughter to him. She was
　　    slender and fair as moonlight, and the most graceful of all
　　    the sisters. She took a white chip in her mouth, and vanished
　　    instantly; this was her accomplishment. But the old goblin
　　    said he should not like his wife to have such an
　　    accomplishment, and thought his boys would have the same
　　    objection. Another daughter could make a figure like herself
　　    follow her, as if she had a shadow, which none of the goblin
            
            

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　　    folk ever had. The third was of quite a different sort; she
　　    had learnt in the brew-house of the moor witch how to lard
　　    elfin puddings with glow-worms.
　　    "She will make a good housewife," said the old goblin, and
　　    then saluted her with his eyes instead of drinking her health;
　　    for he did not drink much.
　　    Now came the fourth daughter, with a large harp to play
　　    upon; and when she struck the first chord, every one lifted up
　　    the left leg (for the goblins are left-legged), and at the
　　    second chord they found they must all do just what she wanted.
　　    "That is a dangerous woman," said the old goblin; and the
　　    two sons walked out of the hill; they had had enough of it.
　　    "And what can the next daughter do?" asked the old goblin.
　　    "I have learnt everything that is Norwegian," said she;
　　    "and I will never marry, unless I can go to Norway."
　　    Then her youngest sister whispered to the old goblin,
　　    "That is only because she has heard, in a Norwegian song, that
　　    when the world shall decay, the cliffs of Norway will remain
　　    standing like monuments; and she wants to get there, that she
　　    may be safe; for she is so afraid of sinking."
　　    "Ho! ho!"said the old goblin, "is that what she means?
　　    Well, what can the seventh and last do?"
　　    "The sixth comes before the seventh," said the elf king,
　　    for he could reckon; but the sixth would not come forward.
　　    "I can only tell people the truth," said she. "No one
　　    cares for me, nor troubles himself about me; and I have enough
　　    to do to sew my grave clothes."
　　    So the seventh and last came; and what could she do? Why,
　　    she could tell stories, as many as you liked, on any subject.
　　    "Here are my five fingers," said the old goblin; "now tell
　　    me a story for each of them."
　　    So she took him by the wrist, and he laughed till he
　　    nearly choked; and when she came to the fourth finger, there
　　    was a gold ring on it, as if it knew there was to be a
            
            

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分页标题#e#　　    betrothal. Then the old goblin said, "Hold fast what you have:
　　    this hand is yours; for I will have you for a wife myself."
　　    Then the elfin girl said that the stories about the
　　    ring-finger and little Peter Playman had not yet been told.
　　    "We will hear them in the winter," said the old goblin,
　　    "and also about the fir and the birch-trees, and the ghost
　　    stories, and of the tingling frost. You shall tell your tales,
　　    for no one over there can do it so well; and we will sit in
　　    the stone rooms, where the pine logs are burning, and drink
　　    mead out of the golden drinking-horn of the old Norwegian
　　    kings. The water-god has given me two; and when we sit there,
　　    Nix comes to pay us a visit, and will sing you all the songs
　　    of the mountain shepherdesses. How merry we shall be! The
　　    salmon will be leaping in the waterfalls, and dashing against
　　    the stone walls, but he will not be able to come in. It is
　　    indeed very pleasant to live in old Norway. But where are the
　　    lads?"
　　    Where indeed were they? Why, running about the fields, and
　　    blowing out the will-o'-the-wisps, who so good-naturedly came
　　    and brought their torches.
　　    "What tricks have you been playing?" said the old goblin.
　　    "I have taken a mother for you, and now you may take one of
　　    your aunts."
　　    But the youngsters said they would rather make a speech
　　    and drink to their good fellowship; they had no wish to marry.
　　    Then they made speeches and drank toasts, and tipped their
　　    glasses, to show that they were empty. Then they took off
　　    their coats, and lay down on the table to sleep; for they made
　　    themselves quite at home. But the old goblin danced about the
　　    room with his young bride, and exchanged boots with her, which
　　    is more fashionable than exchanging rings.
　　    "The cock is crowing," said the old elfin maiden who acted
　　    as housekeeper; now we must close the shutters, that the sun
　　    may not scorch us."
　　    Then the hill closed up. But the lizards continued to run
            
            

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　　    up and down the riven tree; and one said to the other, "Oh,
　　    how much I was pleased with the old goblin!"
　　    "The boys pleased me better," said the earth-worm. But
　　    then the poor miserable creature could not see.
　　    THE END