野天鵝（上）

Ｆar away， where the swallows fly when our winter comes on， lived a King， who had eleven sons， and one daughter named Eliza. The eleven brothers were Princes， and each went to school with a star on his breast and his sword by his side. They wrote with pencils of diamond upon slates of gold， and learned by heart just as well as they read; one could see directly that they were Princes. Their sister Eliza sat upon a little stool of plate glass， and had a picture-book which had been bought for the value of half a kingdom.

Oh， the children were particularly well off; but it was not always to remain so.

Their father， who was King of the whole country， married a bad Queen who did not 1ove the poor children at all. On the very first day they could notice this. In the whole palace there was great feasting， and the children were playing at receiving guests; but instead of these children receiving， as they had been accustomed to do， all the spare cake and all the roasted apples， they only had some sand given them in a tea-cup， and were told that they might make believe that was something good.

The next week the Queen took the little sister Eliza into the country， to a peasant and his wife; and but a short time had elapsed before she told the King so many 1hoods about the poor Princes that he did not trouble himself any more about them.

\"Fly out into the world and get your own living，\" said the wicked Queen.\"Fly like great birds without a voice.\"

But she could not make it so bad for them as she would have liked， for they became eleven magnificent wild swans. With a strange cry they flew out of the palace windows， far over the park and into the wood.

It was yet quite early morning when they came by the place where their sister Eliza lay asleep in the peasant's room. Here they hovered over the roof， turned their long necks， and flapped their wings; but no one heard or saw it. They were obliged to fly on， high up towards the clouds， far away into the wide world; there they flew into a great dark wood， which stretched away to the sea shore.

Poor little Eliza stood in the peasant' s room and played with a green leaf， for she had no other playthings. And she pricked a hole in the leaf， and looked through it up at the sun， and it seemed to her that she saw her brothers' clear eyes; each time the warm sun shone upon her cheeks she thought of all the kisses they had given her.

Each day passed just like the rest. When the wind swept through the great rose hedges outside the house， it seemed to whisper to them， \"What can be more beautiful than you?\" But the roses shook their heads and answered，\"Eliza!\" And when the old woman sat in front of her door on Sunday and read in her hymn-book， the wind turned the leaves and said to the book，\"Who can be more pious than you?\" and the hymn-book said， \"Eliza!\" And what the rose bushes and the hymn-book said was the simple truth.

When she was fifteen years old she was to go home. And when the Queen saw how beautiful she was， she became spiteful and filled with hatred towards her. She would have been glad to change her into a wild swan， like her brothers， but she did not dare to do so at once， because the King wished to see his daughter.

Early in the morning the Queen went into the bath， which was built of white marble， and decked with soft cushions and the most splendid tapestry; and she took three toads and kissed them， and said to the first，\"Sit upon Eliza's head when she comes into the bath， that she may become as stupid as you. --Seat yourself upon her forehead，\" she said to the second，\"that she may become as ugly as you， and her father may not know her. --Rest on her heart，\" she whispered to the third， \"that she may receive an evil mind and suffer pain from it.\"

Then she put the toads into the clear water， which at once assumed a green colour; and calling Eliza， caused her to undress and step into the water. And while Eliza dived， one of the toads sat upon her hair， and the second on her forehead， and the third on her heart; but she did not seem to notice it; and as soon as she rose， three red poppies were floating on the water. If the creatures had not been poisonous， and if the witch had not kissed them， they would have been changed into red roses. But at any rate they became flowers， because they had rested on the girl's head， and forehead， and heart. She was too good and innocent for sorcery to have power over her.

When the wicked Queen saw that， she rubbed Eliza with walnut juice， so that the girl became dark brown， and smeared an evil-smelling ointment on her face， and let her beautiful hair hang in confusion. It was quite impossible to recognize the pretty Eliza.

When her father saw her he was much shocked， and declared this was not his daughter. No one but the yard dog and the swallows would recognize her; but they were poor animals who had nothing to say in the matter.

Then poor Eliza wept， and thought of her eleven brothers who were all away. Sorrowfully she crept out of the castle， and walked all day over field and moor till she came into the great wood. She did not know whither she wished to go， only she felt very downcast and longed for her brothers; they had certainly been， like herself， thrust forth into the world， and she would seek for them and find them.

She had been only a short time in the wood when the night fell; she quite lost the path， therefore she lay down upon the soft moss， said her evening prayer， and leaned her head against the stump of a tree. Deep silence reigned around， the air was mild， and in the grass and in the moss gleamed like a green fire hundreds of glowworms when she lightly touched one of the twigs with her hand， the shining insects fell down upon her like shooting stars.

The whole night long she dreamed of her brothers. They were children again playing together， writing with their diamond pencils upon their golden slates， and looking at the beautiful picture -- book which had cost half a kingdom. But on the slates they were not writing， as they had been accustomed to do， lines and letters， but the brave deeds they done， and all they had seen and experienced; and in the picture-book everything was alive--the birds sang， and the people went out of the book and spoke with Eliza and her brothers. But when the leaf was turned， they jumped back again directly， so that there should be no confusion.

When she awoke， the sun was already standing high. She could certainly not see it， for the lofty trees spread their branches far and wide above her. But the rays played above them like a gauzy veil， there was a fragrance from the fresh verdures and the birds almost perched upon her shoulders. She heard the plashing of water; it was from a number of springs all flowing into a lake which had the most delightful sandy bottom. It was surrounded by thick growing bushes， but at one part the stags had made a large opening， and here Eliza went down to the water. The lake was so clear， that if the wind had not stirred the branches and the bushes， so that they moved， one would have thought they were painted upon the depths of the lake， so clearly was every leaf mirrored， whether the sun shone upon it or whether it lay in shadow.

When Eliza saw her own face she was terrified--so brown and ugly was she; but when she wetted her little hand and rubbed her eyes and her forehead， the white skin gleamed forth again. Then she undressed and went down into the fresh water: a more beautiful King's daughter than she was could not be found in the world.

And when she had dressed herself again and plaited her long hair， she went to the bubbling spring， drank out of her hollow hand， and then wandered farther into the wood， not knowing whither she went. She thought of her dear brothers， and thought that Heaven would certainly not forsake her. It is God who lets the wild apples grow， to satisfy the hungry. He showed her a wild apple tree， with the boughs bending under the weight of the fruit. Here she took her midday meal， placed props under the boughs， and then went into the darkest part of the forest.（to be continued）

在遙遠的地方，就是燕子飛去過冬天的地方，住著一個國王。他有11個兒子，還有一個女兒，名叫愛麗莎。11個兄弟都是王子，每人上學時，都帶著一個星狀的徽章，挎著寶劍。他們用鉆石筆在金板上寫字，而且他們學起來過目不忘。人們一眼就能看出他們是王子。他們的妹妹愛麗莎坐在玻璃面的凳子上。她有一本圖畫書，那是花了王國一半的財產才買來的。

啊，孩子們都過得很開心，但人生無常，不會一帆風順的。

他們的父親，就是統治全國的國王，又娶了一個很壞的王后為妻，她一點也不喜歡那些可憐的孩子們。在結婚的第一天，孩子們就感覺到了。整個王宮里舉行了盛大的宴會，孩子們做起了請客吃飯的游戲。但和往常不同的是，孩子們沒有得到多余的蛋糕和烤蘋果，而是得到一茶杯的沙子。她還對孩子們說，就把這些東西當成好東西吧。

在接下來的一個星期，王后把小公主愛麗莎送到鄉下，放在一個農民和他的妻子家里。但過了不久，她又編了許多關于王子們的瞎話，欺騙國王。這樣，國王也不再關心王子們了。

“飛到外面去，自己謀生吧，”惡毒的王后說，“就像那些大笨鳥一樣，一聲不響地飛走吧。”

但她也不能事事隨心所欲。他們變成了11只美麗的野天鵝。隨著一聲奇怪的鳴叫，他們飛出了王宮的窗戶，越過王家花園，飛到森林里去了。

大清早，他們飛到了妹妹愛麗莎所在的農家小屋，她正在里面睡覺呢。他們在屋頂盤旋，轉動著自己的長脖子，還拍打著翅膀。但沒有人聽到或看到。他們只好繼續飛，穿入云霄，飛向陌生的地方。他們飛進了一個黑森林，森林一直延伸到大海邊。

可憐的小愛麗莎站在農民的屋子里，手里拿著一片綠葉在地上玩，因為她沒有別的玩具。她在葉子中間穿了個洞，透過它朝太陽望去。她覺得自己好像看到了哥哥們明亮的眼睛。每當溫暖的太陽照在她臉龐上的時候，她都覺得那是哥哥們在親吻她。

日子一天天地過去了。當風兒吹過房子外面的玫瑰籬笆時，它好像悄悄地跟玫瑰花說，“哪有什么比你們還美麗的呢?”但玫瑰搖搖頭，說：“愛麗莎！”星期天，當老農婦坐在自家門前讀《贊美詩集》時，風兒就吹動書頁，對書說：“還有什么比你更善良的呢？”《贊美詩集》說：“愛麗莎！”玫瑰叢和《贊美詩集》說的可都是大實話。

她年滿十五歲，該回家了。王后看到她長得那么漂亮，心里就嫉妒得要命，恨死她了。王后也準備像對付她哥哥們一樣，把她變成天鵝。但她不敢倉促行動，因為國王還想見到自己的女兒呢。

一大早，王后去浴室洗澡。浴室是用白色大理石造的，還配有軟軟的坐墊和最華麗的地毯。她帶著三只蛤蟆進去，并且對第一只說，“當愛麗莎進來時，你就坐到她的頭上，這樣她就和你一樣傻了。”她又對第二只說，“坐在她的前額上，讓她變得像你一樣丑陋，這樣她父親就認不出她了?！彼智那牡貙Φ谌徽f，“躺在她的心上，讓她產生罪惡的念頭，并因此而感到痛苦?！?/p>

她把三只蛤蟆放進清水里，水馬上變綠了。她叫來愛麗莎，讓她脫下衣服，走進水里。當愛麗莎在水里的時候，一只蛤蟆蹲在她的頭發上，第二只蹲在她的額頭上，第三只蹲在她的心上。但愛麗莎似乎沒有在意。當她從水里起身的時候，發現有三朵紅罌粟漂在水上。如果這些蛤蟆沒有毒，或者王后這個巫婆沒有吻過它們，它們就會變成三朵紅玫瑰。但不管怎樣，它們都會變成花的，因為它們蹲在愛麗莎的頭上、前額上和心上了。她是那么善良、無辜，魔力沒有辦法在她身上顯現。

當惡毒的王后看到這種情況時，她就用核桃汁來擦愛麗莎的身體，把孩子染成棕黑色，還在她的臉上涂了難聞的油，把她的頭發搞得蓬亂不堪。人們很難認出那是愛麗莎了。

當她的父親看到她時，不由得大吃一驚，說這不是他的女兒。只有院子里的狗和燕子還能認出她，但這些可憐的動物無法把這件事給說出來。

可憐的愛麗莎痛哭起來。她想到自己的11個哥哥，他們都遠走高飛了。在悲哀中，她悄悄地走出王宮，走了一整天，穿過田野和沼澤，最后來到了大森林。她不知道自己該去哪兒，只是沉浸在悲傷之中，思念自己的哥哥們。他們肯定也和自己一樣，被趕到了野外。她決心要尋找他們，找到他們。

她剛走進森林不久，天就黑了。她迷了路，只好躺在柔軟的青苔上做晚禱，把頭靠在一個樹根上。四周一片寂靜，天氣溫和，在樹叢里，在青苔里，千百只螢火蟲兒像綠火一樣閃爍。當她搖動一根枝條的時候，亮晶晶的螢火蟲兒紛紛落到她身上，像流星—樣。

一整夜她都夢著自己的哥哥們。在夢里，他們還是孩子，在一塊兒玩耍，用鉆石筆在金板上寫字，看漂亮的畫書——那是花半個王國的財產買來的。但他們在金板上寫的東西和以前不同，不再是線條和字母，而是他們偉大的事跡，都是他們親眼看到和親身經歷過的。在畫書上，一切東西都是活生生的——鳥在鳴叫，人們從書本里走出來，同愛麗莎和她的哥哥們說話。但當這一頁翻過去的時候，它們又跳回到那頁紙上，所以書本是不會被打亂的。

當她醒來的時候，太陽已經高高地掛在天上了。但她肯定沒有看到，因為高大樹木的深密枝葉遮住了她的視線。陽光在枝葉上玩耍，像一層薄而輕的面紗。從新鮮的綠枝上散發出陣陣清香，鳥兒差點就落到她的肩頭了。她聽到一陣水流的聲音，是從幾道泉水那兒傳過來的。這些泉水都流進一個湖里，湖底是最美麗的沙石。湖四圍繞著密密的灌木，但其中一角被鹿弄出了個缺口，于是愛麗莎就沿著缺口走到水邊。湖水那么清澈，要不是有風吹動樹枝和灌木的話，你會覺得湖中的倒影是畫上去的。不管被陽光照耀，還是身處濃蔭之中，每片葉子都清晰可見。

當愛麗莎從湖里看到自己的面龐時，不由得不吃一驚——她被搞得那么黑，那么丑。

不過她用手沾了些水，擦干凈自己的眼睛和額頭后，她潔白的皮膚又變得亮麗了。她脫下衣服，趟進清水里。世上恐怕再也找不到一個比她更漂亮的公主了。

當她重新穿好衣服，扎好長發后，她朝一個嘩嘩流動的泉水走去。她用手捧了些水喝，然后繼續在叢林中行進，她自己也不知道自己是去哪里。她思念著親愛的哥哥們，相信老天不會辜負她的。上帝讓野蘋果樹生長，好滿足那些饑餓的旅人。上帝引領她來到一棵野蘋果樹旁，上面果實累累，把樹枝都壓彎了。她在這兒吃了午飯，并且在壓彎的枝條下面撐了些樹棍，然后走入了叢林最深處。（未完待續）