chapter32

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从前有一个很小的孩子，他病倒了。有一位善良的老人陪着他，给他讲了一个关于接骨木花的故事。故事中，有一位接骨木树妈妈，她回忆着她和丈夫年少时的往事。

"'But I did not know it was you. You arrived as soon as your letter, and you were so handsome--that you still are--and had a long yellow silk handkerchief round your neck, and a bran（糠，麦麸） new hat on;

oh, you were so dashing（勇敢的）! Good heavens! What weather it was, and what a state the street was in!'

"'And then we married,' said he. 'Don't you remember? And then we had our first little boy, and then Mary, and Nicholas, and Peter, and Christian.'

"'Yes, and how they all grew up to be honest people, and were beloved by everybody.'

"'And their children also have children,' said the old sailor; 'yes, those are our grand-children, full of strength and vigor（活力）. It was, methinks（据我看来（古英语）） about this season that we had our wedding.'

"'Yes, this very day is the fiftieth anniversary of the marriage,' said old Granny, sticking her head between the two old people; who thought it was their neighbor who nodded to them. They looked at each other and held one another by the hand.

Soon after came their children, and their grand-children; for they knew well enough that it was the day of the fiftieth anniversary, and had come with their gratulations（祝贺） that very morning;

but the old people had forgotten it, although they were able to remember all that had happened many years ago. And the Elderbush sent forth a strong odour in the sun, that was just about to set, and shone right in the old people's faces.

They both looked so rosy-cheeked（脸颊红润的）; and the youngest of the grandchildren danced around them, and called out quite delighted, that there was to be something very splendid that evening--they were all to have hot potatoes.

And old Nanny nodded in the bush, and shouted 'hurrah!' with the rest."

"But that is no fairy tale," said the little boy, who was listening to the story.

"The thing is, you must understand it," said the narrator; "let us ask old Nanny."

"That was no fairy tale, 'tis true," said old Nanny; "but now it's coming. The most wonderful fairy tales grow out of that which is reality; were that not the case, you know, my magnificent Elderbush could not have grown out of the tea-pot."

And then she took the little boy out of bed, laid him on her bosom（胸膛）, and the branches of the Elder Tree, full of flowers, closed around her. They sat in an aerial dwelling, and it flew with them through the air.

Oh, it was wondrous beautiful! Old Nanny had grown all of a sudden a young and pretty maiden; but her robe was still the same green stuff with white flowers, which she had worn before.

On her bosom she had a real Elderflower, and in her yellow waving hair a wreath of the flowers; her eyes were so large and blue that it was a pleasure to look at them; she kissed the boy, and now they were of the same age and felt alike.

Hand in hand they went out of the bower（树荫处）, and they were standing in the beautiful garden of their home.

Near the green lawn（草地） papa's walking-stick was tied, and for the little ones it seemed to be endowed with life;

for as soon as they got astride（在两边） it, the round polished knob was turned into a magnificent neighing（正在嘶鸣的） head, a long black mane fluttered in the breeze, and four slender yet strong legs shot out.

The animal was strong and handsome, and away they went at full gallop（疾驰） round the lawn.

"Huzza! Now we are riding miles off," said the boy. "We are riding away to the castle where we were last year!"

And on they rode round the grass-plot; and the little maiden, who, we know, was no one else but old Nanny, kept on crying out, "Now we are in the country! Don't you see the farm-house yonder（远处，那边）?

And there is an Elder Tree standing beside it; and the cock is scraping away the earth for the hens, look, how he struts（趾高气扬地）!

And now we are close to the church. It lies high upon the hill, between the large oak-trees, one of which is half decayed.

And now we are by the smithy（铁匠）, where the fire is blazing, and where the half-naked men are banging with their hammers till the sparks fly about.

Away! away! To the beautiful country-seat!"

And all that the little maiden, who sat behind on the stick, spoke of, flew by in reality. The boy saw it all, and yet they were only going round the grass-plot.

Then they played in a side avenue, and marked out a little garden on the earth; and they took Elder-blossoms from their hair, planted them, and they grew just like those the old people planted when they were children, as related before.

They went hand in hand, as the old people had done when they were children;

but not to the Round Tower, or to Friedericksberg（佛列得里克斯堡公园）; no, the little damsel（少女） wound her arms round the boy, and then they flew far away through all Denmark（丹麦）.

And spring came, and summer; and then it was autumn, and then winter; and a thousand pictures were reflected in the eye and in the heart of the boy; and the little girl always sang to him, "This you will never forget."

And during their whole flight the Elder Tree smelt so sweet and odorous; he remarked the roses and the fresh beeches, but the Elder Tree had a more wondrous fragrance, for its flowers hung on the breast of the little maiden;

and there, too, did he often lay his head during the flight.

（1063 words）

今日短语

1. hand in hand手牵手

2. be endowed with被赋予；天生具有

3. go at a gallop疾驰

4. hang on坚持下去,握住不放

5. shoot out射出，伸出

6. send forth长出，生出

7. nod to向…点头

8. Good heavens天哪！

9. as soon as和…一样快

10. be of the same age年龄相同

11. ride off骑马而去

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