打火盒 第8期

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Tere came a soldier marching along the high mad-- one, two! one, two! He had his knapsack on his back and a sabre by his side, for he had been in the wars, and now he wanted to go home. And on the way he met with an old witch: she was very hideous, and her under lip hung down upon her breast. She said, "Good evening, soldier. What a fine sword you have, and what a big knapsack! You're a proper soldier! Now you shall have as much money as you like to have."

"Ｉ thank you, you old witch!" said the soldier.

"Do you see that great tree ？" quoth the witch; and she pointed to a tree which stood beside them."It's quite hollow inside. You must climb to the top, and then you'll see a hole, through which you can let yourself down and get deep into the tree. I'll tie a rope round your body, so that I can pull you up again when you call me."

"What am I to do down in the tree？" asked the soldier.

"Get money," replied the witch."Listen to me. When you come down to the earth under the tree, you will find yourself in a great hall: it is quite light, for many hundred lamps are burning there. Then you will see three doors; these you can open, for the keys are in the locks. If you go into the first chamber, you'll see a great chest in the middle of the floor; on this chest sits a dog, and he's got a pair of eyes as big as two tea-cups. But you need not care for that. I'll give you my blue-checked apron, and you can spread it out upon the floor; then go up quickly and take the dog, and set him on my apron; then open the chest, and take as many farthings as you like. They are of copper. If you prefer silver, you must go into the second chamber. But there sits a dog with a pair of eyes as big as mill-wheels. But do not you care for that. Set him upon my apron, and take some of the money. And if you want gold, you can have that too--in fact, as much as you can carry--if you go into the third chamber. But the dog that sits on the money-chest there has two eyes as big as the round tower of Copenhagen. He is a fierce dog, you may be sure; but you needn't be afraid, for all that. Only set him on my apron, and he won't hurt you; and take out of the chest as much gold as you like."

"That's not so bad," said the soldier. "But what am I to give you, you old witch? For you will not do it for nothing, I fancy."

"No," replied the witch, "not a single farthing will I have. You shall only bring me an old tinder-box which my grandmother forgot when she was down there last."

"Then tie the rope round my body," cried the soldier.

"Here it is," said the witch, "and here's my blue-checked apron."

Then the soldier climbed up into the tree, let himself slip down into the hole, and stood, as the witch had said, in the great hall where the many hundred lamps were burning.

Now he opened the first door. Ugh! There sat the dog with eyes as big as tea-cups, staring at him. "You're a nice fellow!" exclaimed the soldier; and he set him on the witch's apron, and took as many copper farthings as his pockets would hold, and then locked the chest, set the dog on it again, and went into the second chamber. Aha! There sat the dog with eyes as big as mill-wheels.

"You should not stare so hard at me," said the soldier; "you might strain your eyes." And he set the dog up on the witch's apron. When he saw the silver money in the chest, he threw away all the copper money he had, and filled his pockets and his knapsack with silver only. Then he went into the third chamber. Oh, but that was horrid! The dog there really had eyes as big as the round tower and they turned round and round in his head like wheels.

"Good evening!" said the soldier; and he touched his cap, for he had never seen such a dog as that before. When he had looked at him a little more closely, he thought, "That will do," and lifted him down to the floor, and opened the chest. Mercy! What a quantity of gold was there!He could buy with it the whole of Copenhagen, and the sugar pigs of the cake-woman, and all the tin soldiers, whips, and rocking-horses in the whole world. Yes, that was a quantity of money! Now the soldier threw away all the silver coin with which he had filled his pockets and his knapsack, and took gold instead. Yes, all his pockets, his knapsack, his boots, and his cap were filled, so that he could scarcely walk. Now indeed he had plenty of money. He put the dog, on the chest, shut the door, and then called up through the tree, "Now pull me up, you old witch."

"Have you the tinder-box?" asked the witch.

"Plague on it!" exclaimed the soldier, "I had clean forgotten that." And he went and brought it.

The witch drew him up, and he stood on the high road again, with pockets, boots, knapsack, and cap full of gold.

"What are you going to do with the tinder-box?" asked the soldier.

"That's nothing to you," retorted the witch."You've had your money--just give me the tinder-box."

"Nonsense!" said the soldier. "Tell me directly what you're going to do with it, or I'll draw my sword and cut off your head."

"No !" cried the witch.

So the soldier cut off her head. There she lay! But he tied up all his money in her apron, took it on his back like a bundle, put the tinder-box in his pocket, and went straight off towards the town.

That was a splendid town! He put up at the very best inn, asked for the finest rooms, and ordered his favourite dishes, for now he was rich, having got so much money. The servant who had to clean his boots certainly thought them a remarkably old pair for such a rich gentleman; but he had not bought any new ones yet. The next day he procured proper boots and handsome clothes. Now our soldier had become a fine gentleman; and the people told him of all the splendid things which were in their city, and about the king, and what a pretty princess the king's daughter was.

"Where can one get to see her?" asked the soldier.

"She is not to be seen at all," said they all together;"she lives in a geat copper castle, with a great many walls and towers round about it; no one but the king may go in and out there, for it has been prophesied that she shall marry a common soldier, and the king can't bear that."

"I should like to see her," thought the soldier; but he could not get leave to do so. Now he lived merrily, went to the theatre, drove in the king's garden, and gave much money to the poor; and this was very kind of him, for he knew from old times how hard it is when one has not a shilling. Now he was rich, had fine clothes, and gained many friends, who all said he was a rare one, a true cavalier; and that pleased the soldier well. But as he spent money every day and never earned any, he had at last only two shillings left; and he was obliged to turn out of the fine rooms in which he had dwelt, and had to live in a little garret under the roof, and clean his boots for himself, and mend them with a darning-needle. None of his friends came to see him, for there were too many stairs to climb.

It was quite dark one evening, and he could not even buy himself a candle, when it occurred to him that there was a candle-end in the tinder-box which he had taken out of the hollow tree into which the witch had helped him. He brought out the tinder-box and the candle-end; but as soon as he struck fire and the sparks rose up from the flint, the door flew open, and the dog who had eyes as big as a couple of tea-cups, and whom he had seen in the tree, stood before him, and said:

"What are my lord's commands?"

"What is this?" said the soldier."That's a famous tinder-box, if I can get everything with it that I want! Bring me some money," said he to the dog; and whisk! the dog was gone, and whisk! he was back again, with a great bag full of shillings in his mouth.

Now the soldier knew what a capital tinder-box this was. If he struck it once, the dog came who sat upon the chest of copper money; if he struck it twice, the dog came who had the silver; and if he struck it three times, then appeared the dog who had the gold. Now the soldier moved back into the fine rooms, and appeared again in handsome clothes; and all his friends knew him again, and cared very much for him indeed.

Once he thought to himself, "It is a very strange thing that one cannot get to see the princess. They all say she is very beautiful; but what is the use of that, if she has always to sit in the great copper castle with the many towers? Can I not get to see her at all? Where is my tinder-box?" And so he struck a light, and whisk! came the dog with eyes as big as tea-cups.

"It is midnight, certainly," said the soldier,"but I should very much like to see the princess, only for one little moment."

The dog was outside the door directly, and, before the soldier thought it, came back with the princess. She sat upon the dog's back and slept; and every one could see she was a real princess, for she was so lovely. The soldier could not refrain from kissing her, for he was a thorough soldier.

Then the dog ran back again with the princess. But when morning came, and the King and Queen were drinking tea, the princess said she had had a strange dream the night before, about a dog and a soldier--that she had ridden upon the dog, and the soldier had kissed her.

"That would be a fine history!" said the Queen.

So one of the old Court ladies had to watch the next night by the princess's bed, to see if this was really a dream, or what it might be.

The soldier had a great longing to see the lovely princess again; so the dog came in the night, took her away, and ran as fast as he could. But the old lady put on waterboots, and ran just as fast after him. When she saw that they both entered a great house, she thought; "Now I know where it is;" and with a bit of chalk she drew a great cross on the door. Then she went home and lay down, and the dog came up with the princess; but when he saw that there was a cross drawn on the door where the soldier lived, he took a piece of chalk too, and drew crosses on all the doors in the town. And that was cleverly done, for now the lady could not find the right door, because all the doors had crosses upon them.

In the morning early came the King and the Queen, the old court lady and all the officers, to see where it was the princess had been. "Here it is!" said the King, when he saw the first door with a cross upon it."No, my dear husband, it is there!" said the Queen, who descried another door which also showed a cross."But there is one, and there is one!" said all, for wherever they looked there were crosses on the doors. So they saw that it would avail them nothing if they searched on.

But the Queen was an exceedingly clever woman, who could do more than ride in a coach. She took her great gold scissors, cut a piece of silk into pieces, and made a neat little bag; this bag she filled with fine wheat flour, and tied it on the princess's back; and when that was done, she cut a little hole in the bag, so that the flour would be scattered along all the way which the princess should take.

In the night the dog came again, took the princess on his back, and ran with her to the soldier, who loved her very much, and would gladly have been a prince, so that he might have her for his wife. The dog did not notice at all how the flour ran out in a stream from the castle to the windows of the soldier's house, where he ran up the wall with the princess. In the morning the King and the Queen saw well enough where their daughter had been, and they took the soldier and put him in prison.

There he sat. Oh, but it was dark and disagreeable there! And they said to him. "Tomorrow you shall be hanged." That was not amusing to hear, and he had left his tinder-box at the inn. In the morning he could see, through the iron grating of the little window, how the people were hurrying out of the town to see him hanged. He heard the drums beat and saw the soldiers marching. All the people were running out, and among them was a shoemaker's boy with leather apron and slippers, and he galloped so fast that one of his slippers flew off, and came right against the wall where the soldier sat looking through the iron grating.

"Halloo, you shoemaker's boy! You needn't be in such a hurry," cried the soldier to him: "it will not begin till I come. But if you will run to where I lived, and bring me my tinder-box, you shall have four shillings, but you must put your best leg foremost."

The shoemaker's boy wanted to get the four shillings, so he went and brought the tinder-box, and--well, we shall hear now what happened.

Outside the town a great gallows had been built, and round it stood the soldiers and many hundred thousand people. The King and Queen sat on a splendid throne, opposite to the judges and the whole council. The soldier already stood upon the ladder; but as they were about to put the rope round his neck, he said that before a poor criminal suffered his punishment an innocent request was always granted to him. He wanted very much to smoke a pipe of tobacco, and it would be the last pipe he should smoke in the world. The King would not say "No" to this; so the soldier took his tinder-box, and struck fire. One-- two--three!--and there suddenly stood all the dogs--the one with eyes as big as tea-cups, the one with eyes as large as mill-wheels, and the one whose eyes were as big as the round tower.

"Help me now, so that I may not be hanged," said the soldier.

And the dogs fell upon the judge and all the council, seized one by the leg and another by the nose, and tossed them all many feet into the air, so that they fell down and were all broken to pieces.

"I won't!" cried the King; but the biggest dog took him and the Queen, and threw them after the others. Then the soldiers were afraid, and the people cried, "Little soldier, you shall be our king, and marry the beautiful princess!"

So they put the soldier into the king's coach, and all the three dogs danced in front and cried "Hurrah !" and the boys whistled through their fingers, and the soldiers presented arms. The princess came out of the copper castle, and became queen, and she liked that well enough. The wedding lasted a whole week, and the three dogs sat at the table too, and opened their eyes wider than ever at all they saw.

一个士兵在马路上大踏步走来，一二一！一二一！他背挂军用背包，腰挎长剑。他多次参加战斗，现在正准备回家。路上，他遇见一个老巫婆，这个老巫婆长得面目可憎，下嘴唇一直耷拉到奶上。她说：“晚上好，当兵的。你的剑可真棒，背包也真够大的呀！你真是个名副其实的士兵！这回你想要多少钱就有多少钱了。”

“谢谢，老巫婆！”士兵说。

“你看到那棵大树了吗？”老巫婆指着他们身旁的一棵树问，“这棵树中间是空的。你要是爬到树梢，就能看见下面是个洞。你顺着洞朝下滑，下到里面去。我用根绳子套在你身上。你一喊我，我就把你拉上来。”

“我下到树洞底下干什么呀？”士兵问道。

“捞钱呀！”老巫婆答道，“听我说，你只要下到树底下，就会发现一个大洞。里面亮得很，因为有成百上千盏灯在照着。你会看见三个门，你可以打开，钥匙就插在锁孔里。

你走进第一间房子，会看见地上有个巨大的箱子，箱子上蹲着一条狗，两只眼睛有两个大茶杯那么大。但你甭管这些。我会把自己的蓝格子围裙交给你，你把它铺在地上。然后你赶紧起身，抓住那条狗，把它放在我的围裙上。这时你打开箱子，你爱拿多少钱就拿多少，不过这都是些铜钱。如果你想要银子，那你还得进到第二个房间。那儿也坐着一条狗，眼睛大如水车轮子。但别在乎它，把它放到我的围裙上，再拿些钱。如果你还想得到金子，你也能得到――实际上，你想能带多少就可以拿多少，只要再进第三个房间就是了。那儿蹲在钱箱上的狗，两只眼睛足有哥本哈根的圆塔那么大！你应该知道，这只狗很凶。但尽管如此，你也别害怕。只管把它放在我的围裙上好了，它不会伤害你的。你从那只箱子里想拿多少钱，就拿多少。”

“这真不赖，”士兵说，“但我该给你什么呢，你这个老巫婆？我想你肯定不会白帮忙吧。”

“我不要什么，”老巫婆说，“我一个子儿都不要。你只要把一个旧打火盒给我带上来就行了，那是我奶奶上次下去时忘了给落下的。”

“那就把绳子系在我身上吧。”士兵大叫道。

于是士兵爬上树，让自己滑到那个洞里。正像老巫婆讲的那样，他站在了一个大厅里，里面有成百上千盏灯照着。

他打开第一扇门。哇！一条眼睛有茶杯那么大的狗坐在那儿，直瞪着他。“你真是个好伙计！”士兵叫道。他把狗放在老巫婆的围裙上，在自己的衣服口袋里装满了铜钱。然后他锁好箱子，又把狗放在上面，来到第二个房间。啊哈！这儿蹲着的狗，眼睛有水车轮子那么大。

“你别那么死盯着我，”士兵说，“别把你眼睛给瞪坏了。”他把狗放到巫婆的围裙上。当他看到箱子里的银钱时，就把他身上的铜钱全给扔了，只把银钱装在自己的衣袋和背包里。然后他走进第三个房间。噢!太可怕了！那只狗的眼睛足有圆塔那么大，两只眼在头上转来转去，像两只大车轮一般。

“晚上好！”士兵说。他摸了一下帽子，表示敬意，因为他还从未见过这样的狗。他又细细地观察一会儿，心想：“就这么干吧。”他把狗抱到地上，打开了箱子。天哪！里面有那么多金子！他可以用这些金子把整个哥本哈根都买下来！连带上卖饼妇女做的糖猪，还有世上所有的锡兵、马鞭和摇摇晃晃的木马！的确，钱就是有那么多！这下士兵把自己衣袋、背包里满满的银币全都扔了，换成了金子。瞧，他所有的衣服口袋、背包、马靴、帽子里，全都塞满了，简直动弹不得了。他把狗又放回到箱子上去，关上门，朝树外大喊：“快把我拉上去，老巫婆。”

“你拿到打火盒了吗？”巫婆问。

“真该死！”士兵大叫道：“我竟然把这事全忘到脑后了。”他走过去，把打火盒带上。

老巫婆把他拉了上来，他又站到了大路上，口袋里、背包里、靴子里、帽子里全装满了金子。

“你要这个打火盒有什么用？”士兵问。

“这你就甭管了，”老巫婆反驳道，“你拿你的钱――把打火盒给我好了。”

“少罗嗦！”士兵说，“把话挑明了，你要这东西有什么用？不然我就拔剑剁掉你的脑袋！”巫婆叫道：“我就是不说！”

于是士兵就砍掉了巫婆的脑袋。她倒地而死！士兵把所有的钱都扎进老巫婆的围裙里，像背个包袱一样甩在背上，把打火盒放进自己的衣服口袋，直奔城里走去。

那真是座壮丽的城市!他住进了最好的旅馆，订了最高档的房间，点了最可口的饭菜，因为现在他已成为富人，手头有那么多钱。给他擦靴子的仆人肯定会想，对于这么一个富有的绅士来说，这双靴子真是太旧了。第二天，他买了与自己身份相符的靴子和漂亮的衣服。这下我们的士兵成为一个优雅的绅士了。人们告诉他城里的各种好东西，有关于国王的事情，还谈到公主有多么漂亮。

“到哪儿才能见着她呢？”士兵问。

“她根本就不露面，”大家一起说，“她住在一个巨大的铜城堡里，四周有许多墙和塔，除了国王，其他人一律不得进出。因为根据预言，她将嫁给一个普通的士兵，这可让国王受不了。”

士兵想：“我倒想见见她。”但他却没有办法。现在他生活得很快乐，去剧院，在国王的御园里驾车，大把大把地给穷人钱。他就是这样慷慨，因为他早就知道，一个人身无分文有多么艰难。现在他有钱了，有好衣服穿，还结交了许多朋友，他们都说他出类拔萃，是个真正的骑士。士兵听了心里美滋滋的。但他每天都在挥霍，却没有一点儿进账，最后身上只剩下两块钱了。他被迫搬出自己住的豪华房间，住在屋顶的一个小阁楼上。他不得不自己擦靴子，还自己动手缝缝补补。没有一个朋友过来看他，因为要找他就得爬很长很长的楼梯。

一天晚上，天已经黑透了，他连一支蜡烛也买不起。他突然想起来，在巫婆帮他进去的树洞里，他带出的那个打火盒，里面有一截蜡烛头。他拿出打火盒，取出蜡烛头。他擦了一下火石，火星刚冒出来，门就开了，眼睛大如茶杯的狗，就是他在树里见过的那只，站到他面前，说：“主人有什么吩咐？”

“这是怎么回事？”士兵说，“这原来是个不平常的打火盒，要是我想要什么，它就能给我带来什么，那才好呢。”“给我弄些钱来！”他对狗说，还打了个口哨。狗跑开了，又一声口哨，狗又回来了，嘴里衔来一大袋子钱。

士兵这才知道，这个打火盒有多么神奇。如果他擦一下，坐在那箱铜钱上的狗就会过来；如果他擦两下，有银子的狗就会过来；如果他擦三下，有金子的狗就会过来。现在士兵又搬回了自己住过的高档房间，身着漂亮衣服露面了。所有的朋友又认得他了，而且都特别关心他。

有一次，他想：“人们无法去见公主，真是太离奇了。大家都说她长得十分美貌，但如果她永远坐在有许多高塔的大铜城堡里，再漂亮又有什么意思呢？难道我就不能去见见她吗?我的打火盒在哪儿？”于是他擦了一下火，打了个口哨，两个眼睛大如茶杯的狗就过来士兵说：“不错，现在已经是半夜了。不过我特别想见到公主，只要见一下就行。”

狗马上跑到门外。令士兵意想不到的是，它马上就把公主带了过来。她在狗背上，熟睡着。谁都能看出她是位名不虚传的公主，因为她的模样实在太可爱了。士兵忍不住亲吻了她，因为他毕竟还是个大兵呀。

然后狗就驮着公主回去了。第二天一早，国王和王后在喝茶，公主说头天夜里自己做了个很怪的梦，梦见了一条狗和一个士兵。她骑在狗背上，士兵亲吻了她。

“这真是个有趣的故事！”王后说。

因此，第二天夜里，就有一位老宫女守在公主床边，看看这到底是个梦，还是真有这回事。

那个士兵十分渴望再见到可爱的公主。于是，夜里狗又来了，带着公主，一个劲儿朝前跑。老宫女穿的是筒靴，她紧追不舍。她看见狗儿背着公主进了一座大房子，心想：“我知道这是什么地方了。”她用一小截粉笔在门上划了个大大的十字，然后她回到房间里躺下睡觉。一会儿狗就把公主送回来了，但它看到士兵住的房门被划了个十字，它也拿过一截粉笔，在城里所有人家的门上都划了个十字。这事做得很聪明，老宫女无法找到要找的房子，因为所有的门上都有个十字。

一大早，国王和王后，老宫女和所有侍臣，全都来了，想看看公主到底去过哪里。“是这儿！”国王说，他看见了第一个门上有十字的房子。“不，亲爱的丈夫，是这儿。”王后说，她看见了另外一个印有十字的房门。大家都说：“那儿有一个，那儿也有一个。”因为不管朝哪儿看，都是印有十字的房门。这回他们才明白，再找也是白费功夫了。

但王后是个聪明过人的女人，可不光会坐马车。她拿过自己的一把大金剪子，把一块丝绸剪成几片，做了一个精巧的小口袋。她将袋子里塞满了上等的麦面，然后系在公主的背上。做好后，她又在袋子上剪了个洞，这样面粉就会撒在公主经过的路上。

夜里，狗又来了，背上公主，跑到士兵那里。那个士兵深深地爱上了她，他想自己要是个王子该多好，就可以娶公主为妻了。面粉从城堡一直撒到士兵住的房子的窗户，狗就是从那儿爬进来了。狗根本没有觉察到。早晨，国王和王后清清楚楚地看到女儿去过什么地方，他们抓住士兵，把他关进监狱。

士兵坐在那儿。唉，那儿真黑，真难受啊!人们告诉他：“明天你就要被吊死。”这可不是开玩笑的，他还把打火盒丢在旅馆里了。早晨，他通过小窗户的铁护栏，看见人们蜂拥出城，来看他被上绞刑。他听见鼓敲了起来，士兵们在列队行进。所有人都跑出来了，人群中间有个鞋匠家的小伙计，系着皮围裙，穿着拖鞋。他快跑如飞，一只拖鞋甩了出去，正落到士兵身边的墙上，士兵这时正通过铁护栏朝外张望呢。

“嘿，你这个鞋匠铺的小伙计！不必这么匆忙！”士兵冲他喊，“我到场前是不会行刑的。但如果你跑到我住过的那个地方，把我的打火盒拿给我，你能得到四块钱。但你必须甩开腿猛跑才行。”

鞋匠的小伙计想得到四块钱，就跑去取了打火盒。这下我们来看看会发生什么事吧。

在城外，一个大绞刑架已经搭好，四周围满了士兵和成千上万的群众。国王和王后坐在华美的王座上，对面是法官和所有审判人员。士兵已经站在了梯子上，但正当他们准备把绳套上他的脖子时，士兵说，在一个可怜的罪犯受到惩罚以前，都会让他提出一项于别人无害的请求。他非常想吸一管烟，这恐怕是他在这个世界上抽的最后一管烟了。国王对这个请求无法说“不”，于是士兵拿过自己的打火盒，擦起火来。一二三！三条狗都来了，一条眼睛大如茶杯，一条眼睛大如水车轮，一条眼睛大如圆塔。

“请帮帮忙，别让我被吊死。”士兵说。

三条狗一齐扑向法官和所有审判人员，抓住这个的胳膊，扭住那个的鼻子，把他们向空中抛得老高，落下来时全都给摔得四分五裂。

“别这样！”国王叫道。但最大的狗瞪着他和王后，接着也把他们扔了出去。这下士兵们都害怕了，人群大叫起来：“小兵，你做我们的国王，娶了公主吧！”

于是他们把士兵拥上马车，三条狗在前面蹦蹦跳跳，叫着：“好啊!”小孩们用手指打响哨，士兵们一齐举手敬礼。公主从铜城堡里出来了，她也很高兴。婚礼持续了整整一个星期，三条狗也上了桌，眼睛睁得比以往任何时候都要大。