接骨木樹媽媽

THE ELDERBUSH

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Once upon a time there was a little boy who had taken cold. He had gone
out and got his feet wet; though nobody could imagine how it had happened, for
it was quite dry weather. So his mother undressed him, put him to bed, and
had the tea-pot brought in, to make him a good cup of Elderflower tea.
Just at that moment the merry old man came in who lived up a-top of the house
all alone; for he had neither wife nor children--but he liked children very
much, and knew so many fairy tales, that it was quite delightful.

"Now drink your tea," said the boy's mother; "then, perhaps, you may hear a
fairy tale."

"If I had but something new to tell," said the old man. "But how did the child
get his feet wet?"

"That is the very thing that nobody can make out," said his mother.

"Am I to hear a fairy tale?" asked the little boy.

"Yes, if you can tell me exactly--for I must know that first--how deep the
gutter is in the little street opposite, that you pass through in going to
school."

"Just up to the middle of my boot," said the child; "but then I must go into
the deep hole."

"Ah, ah! That's where the wet feet came from," said the old man. "I ought now
to tell you a story; but I don't know any more."

"You can make one in a moment," said the little boy. "My mother says that all
you look at can be turned into a fairy tale: and that you can find a story in
everything."

"Yes, but such tales and stories are good for nothing. The right sort come of
themselves; they tap at my forehead and say, 'Here we are.'"

"Won't there be a tap soon?" asked the little boy. And his mother laughed, put
some Elder-flowers in the tea-pot, and poured boiling water upon them.

"Do tell me something! Pray do!"

"Yes, if a fairy tale would come of its own accord; but they are proud and
haughty, and come only when they choose. Stop!" said he, all on a sudden. "I
have it! Pay attention! There is one in the tea-pot!"

And the little boy looked at the tea-pot. The cover rose more and more; and
the Elder-flowers came forth so fresh and white, and shot up long branches.
Out of the spout even did they spread themselves on all sides, and grew larger
and larger; it was a splendid Elderbush, a whole tree; and it reached into the
very bed, and pushed the curtains aside. How it bloomed! And what an odour! In
the middle of the bush sat a friendly-looking old woman in a most strange
dress. It was quite green, like the leaves of the elder, and was trimmed with
large white Elder-flowers; so that at first one could not tell whether it was
a stuff, or a natural green and real flowers.

"What's that woman's name?" asked the little boy.

"The Greeks and Romans," said the old man, "called her a Dryad; but that we do
not understand. The people who live in the New Booths* have a much better name
for her; they call her 'old Granny'--and she it is to whom you are to pay
attention. Now listen, and look at the beautiful Elderbush.

* A row of buildings for seamen in Copenhagen.

"Just such another large blooming Elder Tree stands near the New Booths. It
grew there in the corner of a little miserable court-yard; and under it sat,
of an afternoon, in the most splendid sunshine, two old people; an old, old
seaman, and his old, old wife. They had great-grand-children, and were soon to
celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage; but they could not
exactly recollect the date: and old Granny sat in the tree, and looked as
pleased as now. 'I know the date,' said she; but those below did not hear her,
for they were talking about old times.

"'Yes, can't you remember when we were very little,' said the old seaman, 'and
ran and played about? It was the very same court-yard where we now are, and we
stuck slips in the ground, and made a garden.'

"'I remember it well,' said the old woman; 'I remember it quite well. We
watered the slips, and one of them was an Elderbush. It took root, put forth
green shoots, and grew up to be the large tree under which we old folks are
now sitting.'

"'To be sure,' said he. 'And there in the corner stood a waterpail, where I
used to swim my boats.'

"'True; but first we went to school to learn somewhat,' said she; 'and then we
were confirmed. We both cried; but in the afternoon we went up the Round
Tower, and looked down on Copenhagen, and far, far away over the water; then
we went to Friedericksberg, where the King and the Queen were sailing about in
their splendid barges.'

"'But I had a different sort of sailing to that, later; and that, too, for
many a year; a long way off, on great voyages.'

"'Yes, many a time have I wept for your sake,' said she. 'I thought you
were dead and gone, and lying down in the deep waters. Many a night have I got
up to see if the wind had not changed: and changed it had, sure enough; but
you never came. I remember so well one day, when the rain was pouring down in
torrents, the scavengers were before the house where I was in service, and I
had come up with the dust, and remained standing at the door--it was dreadful
weather--when just as I was there, the postman came and gave me a letter. It
was from you! What a tour that letter had made! I opened it instantly and
read: I laughed and wept. I was so happy. In it I read that you were in warm
lands where the coffee-tree grows. What a blessed land that must be! You
related so much, and I saw it all the while the rain was pouring down, and I
standing there with the dust-box. At the same moment came someone who embraced
me.'

"'Yes; but you gave him a good box on his ear that made it tingle!'

"'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 new hat on; oh, you were so dashing! 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. It was, methinks 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 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; 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,
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, and they were standing in the
beautiful garden of their home. Near the green lawn 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 it, the round polished knob was turned into a magnificent
neighing 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 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? And there is an Elder Tree standing
beside it; and the cock is scraping away the earth for the hens, look, how he
struts! 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, 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; no, the
little damsel wound her arms round the boy, and then they flew far away
through all Denmark. 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.

"It is lovely here in spring!" said the young maiden. And they stood in a
beech-wood that had just put on its first green, where the woodroof* at their
feet sent forth its fragrance, and the pale-red anemony looked so pretty among
the verdure. "Oh, would it were always spring in the sweetly-smelling Danish
beech-forests!"

* Asperula odorata.

"It is lovely here in summer!" said she. And she flew past old castles of
by-gone days of chivalry, where the red walls and the embattled gables were
mirrored in the canal, where the swans were swimming, and peered up into the
old cool avenues. In the fields the corn was waving like the sea; in the
ditches red and yellow flowers were growing; while wild-drone flowers, and
blooming convolvuluses were creeping in the hedges; and towards evening the
moon rose round and large, and the haycocks in the meadows smelt so sweetly.
"This one never forgets!"

"It is lovely here in autumn!" said the little maiden. And suddenly the
atmosphere grew as blue again as before; the forest grew red, and green, and
yellow-colored. The dogs came leaping along, and whole flocks of wild-fowl
flew over the cairn, where blackberry-bushes were hanging round the old
stones. The sea was dark blue, covered with ships full of white sails; and in
the barn old women, maidens, and children were sitting picking hops into a
large cask; the young sang songs, but the old told fairy tales of
mountain-sprites and soothsayers. Nothing could be more charming.

"It is delightful here in winter!" said the little maiden. And all the trees
were covered with hoar-frost; they looked like white corals; the snow crackled
under foot, as if one had new boots on; and one falling star after the other
was seen in the sky. The Christmas-tree was lighted in the room; presents were
there, and good-humor reigned. In the country the violin sounded in the room
of the peasant; the newly-baked cakes were attacked; even the poorest child
said, "It is really delightful here in winter!"

Yes, it was delightful; and the little maiden showed the boy everything; and
the Elder Tree still was fragrant, and the red flag, with the white cross, was
still waving: the flag under which the old seaman in the New Booths had
sailed. And the boy grew up to be a lad, and was to go forth in the wide
world-far, far away to warm lands, where the coffee-tree grows; but at his
departure the little maiden took an Elder-blossom from her bosom, and
gave it him to keep; and it was placed between the leaves of his Prayer-Book;
and when in foreign lands he opened the book, it was always at the place where
the keepsake-flower lay; and the more he looked at it, the fresher it became;
he felt as it were, the fragrance of the Danish groves; and from among the
leaves of the flowers he could distinctly see the little maiden, peeping forth
with her bright blue eyes--and then she whispered, "It is delightful here in
Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter"; and a hundred visions glided before his
mind.

Thus passed many years, and he was now an old man, and sat with his old wife
under the blooming tree. They held each other by the hand, as the old
grand-father and grand-mother yonder in the New Booths did, and they talked
exactly like them of old times, and of the fiftieth anniversary of their
wedding. The little maiden, with the blue eyes, and with Elder-blossoms in her
hair, sat in the tree, nodded to both of them, and said, "To-day is the
fiftieth anniversary!" And then she took two flowers out of her hair, and
kissed them. First, they shone like silver, then like gold; and when they laid
them on the heads of the old people, each flower became a golden crown. So
there they both sat, like a king and a queen, under the fragrant tree, that
looked exactly like an elder: the old man told his wife the story of "Old
Nanny," as it had been told him when a boy. And it seemed to both of them it
contained much that resembled their own history; and those parts that were
like it pleased them best.

"Thus it is," said the little maiden in the tree, "some call me 'Old Nanny,'
others a 'Dryad,' but, in reality, my name is 'Remembrance'; 'tis I who sit in
the tree that grows and grows! I can remember; I can tell things! Let me see
if you have my flower still?"

And the old man opened his Prayer-Book. There lay the Elder-blossom, as fresh
as if it had been placed there but a short time before; and Remembrance
nodded, and the old people, decked with crowns of gold, sat in the flush of
the evening sun. They closed their eyes, and--and--! Yes, that's the end of
the story!

The little boy lay in his bed; he did not know if he had dreamed or not, or if
he had been listening while someone told him the story. The tea-pot was
standing on the table, but no Elder Tree was growing out of it! And the old
man, who had been talking, was just on the point of going out at the door, and
he did go.

"How splendid that was!" said the little boy. "Mother, I have been to warm
countries."

"So I should think," said his mother. "When one has drunk two good cupfuls of
Elder-flower tea, 'tis likely enough one goes into warm climates"; and she
tucked him up nicely, least he should take cold. "You have had a good sleep
while I have been sitting here, and arguing with him whether it was a story or
a fairy tale."

"And where is old Nanny?" asked the little boy.

"In the tea-pot," said his mother; "and there she may remain."

接骨木樹媽媽
從前有一個很小的孩子，他患了傷風，病倒了。他到外面去過，把一雙腳全打溼了。誰也不知道他是怎樣打溼的，因爲天氣很乾燥。現在他媽媽把他的衣服脫掉，送他上牀去睡，同時叫人把開水壺拿進來，爲他泡了一杯很香的接骨木茶①，因爲茶可以使人感到溫暖。這時有一個很有趣的老人走到門口來；他一個人住在這屋子的最高一層樓上，非常孤獨。因爲他沒有太太，也沒有孩子。但是他卻非常喜歡小孩，而且知道很多童話和故事。聽他講故事是很愉快的。

　　①接骨木樹是一種落葉灌木或小喬木。葉對生，羽狀複葉，卵形或橢圓形，揉碎後有臭氣。春季開黃色小花。莖枝可以入藥，味甘苦，功能祛風溼。這裏說的接骨木茶當是治病用的。

　　“現在你得喝茶，”母親說，“然後纔可以聽一個故事。”

　　“哎！我只希望我能講一個新的故事！”老人說，和善地點了點頭。“不過這小傢伙是在什麼地方把一雙腳弄溼了的呢？”他問。

　　“不錯，在什麼地方呢？”媽媽說，“誰也想象不出來。”

　　“講一個童話給我聽吧？”孩子問。

　　“好，不過我得先知道一件事情：你能不能確實地告訴我，你上學校時經過的那條街，那兒陰溝有多深。”

　　“如果我把腳伸到那條陰溝最深的地方，”孩子回答說，

　　“那麼水恰恰淹到我的小腿。”

　　“你看，我們的腳就是這樣弄溼了的，”老人說。“現在我卻是應該講一個童話給你聽了；不過我的童話都講完了。”

　　“你可以馬上編一個出來，”小孩說。“媽媽說，你能把你所看到的東西編成童話，你也能把你所摸過的東西都講成一個故事。”

　　“不錯，不過這些童話和故事算不了什麼！不，真正的故事是自己走來的。它們敲着我的前額，說：‘我來了！’”

　　“它們會不會馬上就來敲一下呢？”小孩問。媽媽大笑了一聲，把接骨木葉放進壺裏，然後把開水倒進去。

　　“講呀！講呀！”

　　“對，假如童話自動來了的話。不過這類東西架子是很大的；它只有高興的時候纔來——等着吧！”他忽然叫出聲來，“它現在來了。請看吧，它現在就在茶壺裏面。”

　　於是小孩向茶壺望去。茶壺蓋慢慢地自動立起來了，好幾朵接骨木花，又白又新鮮，從茶壺裏冒出來了。它們長出又粗又長的枝丫，並且從茶壺嘴那兒向四面展開，越展越寬，形成一個最美麗的接骨木叢——事實上是一棵完整的樹。這樹甚至伸到牀上來，把帳幔分向兩邊。它是多麼香，它的花開得多麼茂盛啊！在這樹的正中央坐着一個很親切的老太婆。她穿着奇異的服裝——它像接骨木葉子一樣，也是綠色的，同時還綴着大朵的白色接骨木花。第一眼誰也看不出來，這衣服究竟是布做的呢，還是活着的綠葉和花朵。

　　“這個老太婆的名字叫什麼？”小孩問。

　　老人回答說：“羅馬人和希臘人把她叫樹仙。不過我們不懂得這一套：我們住在水手區的人替她取了一個更好的名字。那兒的人把她叫做‘接骨木樹媽媽’。你應該注意的就是她：現在你注意聽着和看着這棵美麗的接骨木樹吧。

　　“水手住宅區裏就有這麼一棵開着花的大樹。它生長在一個簡陋的小院的角落裏。一天下午，當太陽照得非常美好的時候，有兩個老人坐在這棵樹下。他們一個是很老很老的水手；另一個是他很老很老的妻子。他們已經是曾祖父母了；不久他們就要慶祝他們的金婚①。不過他們記不清日期。接骨木樹媽媽坐在樹上，樣子很高興，正如她在這兒一樣。‘我知道金婚應該是在哪一天，’她說，但是他們沒有聽到——他們在談着他們過去的一些日子。

　　①歐洲人的風俗，把結婚五十週年叫做“金婚”。

　　“‘是的，’老水手說，‘你記得嗎，我們小的時候，常常在一起跑來跑去，在一起玩耍！那正是在這個院子裏，我們現在坐的這個院子裏。我們在這裏面栽過許多樹枝，把它變成一個花園。’

　　“‘是的，’老太婆回答說，‘我記得很清楚：我們在那些樹枝上澆過水，它們之中有一根是接骨木樹枝。這樹枝生了根，發了綠芽，現在變成了這樣一棵大樹——我們老年人現在就在它下面坐着。’

　　“‘一點也不錯，’他說，‘在那兒的一個角落裏有一個水盆；我把我的船放在那上面浮着——我自己剪的一隻船。它航行得真好！但是不久我自己也航行起來了，不過方式不同罷了。’

　　“‘是的，我們先進學校，學習了一點什麼東西，’她說，

　　“接着我們就受了堅信禮①；我們兩個人都哭起來了。不過在下午我們就手挽着手爬到圓塔上去，我們把哥本哈根和大海以外的這個廣大世界凝望了好一會兒。於是我們又到佛列得裏克斯堡公園②去——國王和王后常常在這兒的運河上駕着華麗的船航行。’

　　①在基督教國家中，一個小孩子出生不久以後，受一次入教的洗禮。到了十四五歲、能懂事的時候，必須再受一次洗禮，叫做堅信禮，以加強對宗教的信仰。一個小孩子受了這次洗禮以後，就算已經成人，可以自立謀生了。

　　②這是哥本哈根的一個大公園。

　　“‘不過我得用另一種方式去航行，而且一去就是幾年，那是很遼遠的長途航行。’

　　“‘對，我常常想你想得哭起來，’她說，‘我以爲你死了，沒有了，躺在深水底下，在跟波浪嬉戲。該是有多少個夜晚我爬起牀來，去看風信雞是不是在轉動。是的，它轉動起來了，但是你沒有回來。我記得很清楚，有一天雨是下得很大。那個收垃圾的人來到我主人的門口。我提着垃圾桶走下來，到門口那兒我就站着不動。——天氣是多麼壞啊！當我正在站着的時候，郵差走到我身旁來了，交給我一封信。是你寫來的信啦！這封信該是旅行了多少路程啊！我馬上把它撕開，念着。我笑着，我哭着，我是那麼高興呀。事情現在明白了，你正生活在一個出產咖啡豆的溫暖國度裏。那一定是一個非常美麗的國度！你信上寫了許多事情，我在大雨傾盆的時候讀它，站在一個垃圾桶旁邊讀它。正在這時候來了一個人，他雙手把我的腰抱住！——’

　　“‘——一點也不錯，於是你就結結實實地給了他一記耳光——一記很響亮的耳光。’

　　“‘我不知道那人就是你啦。你跟你的信來得一樣快。你那時是一個美男子——現在還是這樣。你袋裏裝着一條絲織的長手帕，你頭上戴着光亮的帽子。你是那麼漂亮！天啦，那時的天氣真壞，街上真難看！’

　　“‘接着我們就結婚了，’他說，‘你記得嗎？接着我們就得了第一個孩子，接着瑪莉，接着尼爾斯，接着比得和漢斯·克利斯仙都出生了。’

　　“‘他們大家都長得多麼好，成爲大家所喜受的、善良的人！’

　　“‘於是他們的孩子又生了他們自己的孩子，’老水手說。‘是的，那些都是孩子們的孩子！他們都長得很好。——假如我沒有記錯的話，我們正是在這個季節裏結婚的。——’

　　“‘是的，今天是你們的結婚紀念日，’接骨木樹媽媽說，同時把她的頭伸到這兩個老人的中間來。他們還以爲這是隔壁的一位太太在向他們點頭呢。他們互相望了一眼，同時彼此握着手。不一會兒，他們的兒子和孫子都來了；他們都知道這是金婚紀念日。他們早晨就已經來祝賀過，不過這對老夫婦卻把這日子忘記了，雖然多少年以前發生的一切事情，他們還能記得很清楚。接骨木樹發出強烈的香氣。正在下沉的太陽照在這對老夫婦的臉上，弄得他們的雙頰都泛出一陣紅暈來。他們最小的孫子們圍着他們跳舞，興高采烈地叫着，說是今晚將有一個宴會——那時他們將會吃到熱烘烘的土豆！接骨木樹媽媽在樹上點點頭，跟大家一起喊着：‘好！’”

　　“不過這並不是一個童話呀！”小孩聽完了說。

　　“唔，假如你能聽懂它的話，”講這段故事的老人說。“不過讓我來問問接骨木樹媽媽的意見吧。”

　　“這並不是一個童話，”接骨木樹媽媽說。“可是現在它來了；最奇異的童話是從真實的生活裏產生出來的，否則我的美麗的接骨木樹叢就不會從茶壺裏冒出來了。”

　　於是她把這孩子從牀上抱起來，摟到自己的懷裏，開滿了花的接骨木樹枝向他們合攏來，使他們好像坐在濃密的樹蔭裏一樣，而這片樹蔭帶着他們一起在空中飛行。這真是說不出的美麗！接骨木樹媽媽立刻變成了一個漂亮的少女，不過她的衣服依然跟接骨木樹媽媽所穿的一樣，是用綴着白花的綠色料子做成的。她的胸前戴着一朵真正的接骨木花，黃色的捲髮上有一個用接骨木花做成的花圈；她的一雙眼睛又大又藍。啊，她的樣子該是多麼美麗。啊！她和這個男孩互相吻着，他們現在是同樣的年紀，感覺到同樣的快樂。

　　他們手挽着手走出了這片樹蔭。他們現在是在家裏美麗的花園裏面。爸爸的手杖是系在新鮮草坪旁邊的一根木柱上。在這個孩子的眼中，它是有生命的。當他們一起到它上面的時候，它光亮的頭便變成了一個漂亮的嘶鳴的馬首，上面披着長長的黑色馬鬃，它還長出了四條瘦長而結實的腿。這牲口是既強壯而又有精神。他們騎着它沿着這草坪馳騁——真叫人喝彩！

　　“現在我們要騎到許多許多裏以外的地方去，”這孩子說；“我們要騎到一位貴族的莊園裏去！——我們去年到那兒去過。”

　　他們不停地繞着這個草坪奔馳。那個小女孩子——我們知道她就是接骨木樹媽媽——在不停地叫着：

　　“現在我們來到鄉下了！你看到那種田人的房子嗎？它的那個大面包爐，從牆壁裏凸出來，看起來像路旁的一隻龐大的蛋。接骨木樹在這屋子上面伸展着枝子，公雞在走來走去，爲它的母雞扒土。你看它那副高視闊步的神氣！——現在我們快要到教堂附近了。它高高地立在一座山丘上，在一叢櫟樹的中間——其中有一株已經半死了。——現在我們來到了熔鐵爐旁邊，火在熊熊地燒，打着赤膊的人在揮着錘子打鐵，弄得火星迸發。去啊，去啊，到那位貴族的華美的莊園裏去啊！”

　　那個在他後面坐在手杖上的小姑娘所講的東西，都一一在他們眼前出現了。雖然他們只不過在繞着一個草坪兜圈子，這男孩子卻能把這些東西都看得清清楚楚。他們在人行道上玩耍，還在地上劃出一個小花園來。於是她從她的頭髮上取出接骨木樹的花朵，把它們栽下，隨後它們就長大起來，像那對老年夫婦小時在水手住宅區裏所栽的樹一樣——這事我們已經講過了。他們手挽着手走着，完全像那對老年夫婦兒時的情形，不過他們不是走上圓塔，也不是走向佛列得裏克斯堡公園去。——不是的，這小女孩子抱着這男孩子的腰，他們在整個丹麥飛來飛去。

　　那時是春天，接着夏天到來了，於是又是秋天，最後冬天也到來了。成千成百的景物映在這孩子的眼裏和心上，這小姑娘也不停地對他唱：“這些東西你永遠也忘記不了的！”

　　在他們整個飛行的過程中，接骨木樹一直在散發着甜蜜和芬芳的香氣：他也聞到了玫瑰花和新鮮的山毛櫸，可是接骨木樹的香氣比它們還要美妙，因爲它的花朵就懸在這小女孩子的心上，而且當他們飛行的時候，他就常常把頭靠着這些花朵。

　　“春天在這兒是多麼美麗啊！”小姑娘說。

　　他們站在長滿了新葉子的山毛櫸林裏，綠色的車葉草在他們的腳下散發着香氣；淡紅的秋牡丹在這一片綠色中顯得分外的華麗。

　　“啊，惟願春天永遠留在這芬芳的丹麥山毛櫸林中！”

　　“夏天在這兒是多麼美麗啊！”她說。

　　於是他們走過騎士時代的那些古宮。這些古宮的紅牆和鋸齒形的山形牆倒映在小河裏——這兒有許多天鵝在遊着，在瞭望那古老的林蔭大道，在瞭望田野裏的小麥泛起一層波浪，好像這就是一個大海似的。田溝里長滿了黃色和紅色的花，籬笆上長着野蛇麻①和盛開的牽牛花。月亮在黃昏的時候向上升，又圓又大；草坪上的乾草堆發出甜蜜的香氣。“人們永遠也不會忘記這些東西！”

　　①蛇麻（Ｈｕｍｌｅ）是一種多年生草本植物，也叫忽布或啤酒花。它的果穗呈球果狀，是製造啤酒的重要原料。

　　“秋天在這兒是多麼美麗啊！”小姑娘說。

　　於是天空顯得比以前加倍的高闊，加倍的蔚藍；樹林染上最華美的紅色、黃色和綠色。獵犬在追逐着；整羣的雁兒在遠古的土墳上飛過，發出淒涼的叫聲；荊棘叢在古墓碑上糾做一團。海是深藍色的，上面點綴着一些白帆。老太婆、少女和小孩坐在打麥場上，把蛇麻的果穗摘下來扔進一隻大桶裏。這時年輕人唱着山歌，老年人講着關於小鬼和妖精的童話。什麼地方也沒有這兒好。

　　“冬天在這兒是多麼美麗啊！”小姑娘說。

　　於是所有的樹上全蓋滿了白霜，看起來像白色的珊瑚。雪在人們的腳下發出清脆的聲音，好像人們全穿上了新靴子似的。隕星一個接着一個從天上落下來。在屋子裏，聖誕節樹上的燈都亮起來了。這兒有禮品，有快樂。在鄉下，農人的屋子裏奏起了小提琴，人們在玩着搶蘋果的遊戲；就是最窮苦的孩子也說：“冬天是美麗的！”

　　是的，那是美麗的。小姑娘把每樣東西都指給這個孩子看；接骨木樹永遠在發出香氣；繪有白十字架的紅旗①永遠在飄動着——住在水手區的那個老水手就是在這個旗幟下出外去航海的。這個小孩子成了一個年輕人，他得走到廣大的世界裏去，遠遠地走到生長咖啡的那些熱帶的國度裏去。在別離的時候，小姑娘把她戴在胸前的那朵接骨木花取下來，送給他作爲紀念。它被夾在一本《讚美詩集》裏。在外國，當他一翻開這本詩集的時候，總是翻到夾着這朵紀念花的地方。他越看得久，這朵花就越顯得新鮮，他好像覺得呼吸到了丹麥樹林裏的新鮮空氣。這時他就清楚地看到，那個小姑娘正在花瓣之間睜着明朗的藍眼睛，向外面凝望。於是她低聲說：“春天、夏天、秋天和冬天在這兒是多麼美麗啊！”於是成千成百的畫面，就在他的思想中浮過去了。

　　①這就是丹麥的國旗。

　　這麼着，許多年過去了；他現在成了一個老頭兒，跟他年老的妻子坐在一棵開滿了花的樹下：他們兩人互相握着手，正如以前住在水手區的高祖母和高祖父一樣。也像這對老祖宗一樣，談着他們過去的日子，談着金婚。這位有一雙藍眼珠的、頭上戴着接骨木花的小姑娘，坐在樹上，向這對老夫婦點着頭，說：“今天是你們金婚的日子啦！”於是她從她的花環上取下兩朵花，把它們吻了一下；它們便射出光來，起先像銀子，然後像金子。當她把它們戴到這對老夫婦的頭上時，每朵花就變成了一個金色的王冠。他們兩人坐在那株散發着香氣的樹下，像國王和王后。這樹的樣子完全像一棵接骨木樹。他對他年老的妻子講着關於接骨木樹媽媽的故事，他把他兒時從別人那兒聽到的全都講出來。他們覺得這故事有許多地方像他們自己的生活，而這相似的一部分就是這故事中他們最喜歡的一部分。

　　“是的，事情的確是這樣！”坐在樹上的那個小姑娘說。

　　“有人把我叫做接骨木樹媽媽，也有人把我叫做樹神，不過我的真正的名字是‘回憶’。我就坐在樹裏，不停地生長；我能夠回憶過去，我能講出以往的事情。讓我看看，你是不是仍然保留着你的那朵花。”

　　老頭兒翻開他的《讚美詩集》；那朵接骨木花仍然夾在裏面，非常新鮮，好像剛剛纔放進去似的。於是“回憶”姑娘點點頭。這時頭戴金色王冠的老夫妻坐在紅色的斜陽裏，閉起眼睛，於是——於是——童話就完了。

　　那個躺在牀上的小孩子，不曉得自己是在做夢呢，還是有人對他講了這個童話。茶壺仍然在桌上：但是並沒有接骨木樹從它裏面長出來。講這童話的那個老人正在向門外走——事實上他已經走了。

　　“那是多麼美啊！”小孩子說。“媽媽，我剛纔到熱帶的國度裏去過一趟！”

　　“是的，我相信你去過！”媽媽回答說。“當你喝了兩滿杯滾熱的接骨木茶的時候，你很容易就會走到熱帶國度裏去的！”——於是她把他蓋好，免得他受到寒氣。“當我正在坐着、跟他爭論究竟那是一個故事還是一個童話的時候，你睡得香極了。”

　　“那麼接骨木樹媽媽到底在什麼地方呢？”小孩子問。“她在茶壺裏面，”媽媽回答說；“而且她儘可以在那裏面待下去！”

　　--------------------

　　（１８４５年）

　　這個故事首次在一個叫做《加埃亞》（Ｇａｅａ）的雜誌上發表的。接骨木樹的“真正的名字”是“回憶”，通過它的故事反映出一對老夫婦一生的經歷。他們從“兩小無猜”的時候開始就建立了感情，以後結爲眷屬。婚後他們就遠離故鄉，奔向廣大的世界，但他們的感情並不因爲遠離而有所減退，他們直至老年仍恩愛如故，坐在接骨木樹下，回味過去的日子，倍覺親密和可愛。這也反映出安徒生的善良和人道主義精神的一個側面。但安徒生在”回憶”中卻說：“這個故事的種子，是我在一個古老的傳說中得到的：在一棵接骨木樹裏活着一個生物，名叫‘接骨木樹媽媽’或‘接骨木樹女人’。任何人傷害這棵樹，她必然要向他報仇。曾經有一個人砍掉這棵樹，很快他就暴死了。這樣一個傳說，竟在安徒生的筆下引出一個主題思想完全不同的童話。這也說明在創作思維活動中，確也潛藏着一種無法解釋的“奧祕”。