| A few miles from Copenhagen
stood an old castle with thick walls, towers, and corbie gables.
|
En Miils Vei fra Hovedstaden
stod en gammel Herregaard med tykke Mure, Taarne og takkede
Gavle. |
| Here lived, in the summertime,
a noble family. This castle was the handsomest of all the castles
and farms they owned. It was in such good repair that it looked
as if it had been newly built. Inside it was both cozy and comfortable.
Over the entrance portal had been cut in stone the coat of arms
of the family. Rose vines grew up the wall and made a frame
around the shield and the windows. A big lawn that was smooth
as a carpet stretched in front of the castle; hawthorn bushes,
both red and white, grew in the garden, besides beautiful and
rare flowers seldom seen outside the hothouse. |
Her boede, men dog kun
i Sommertiden, et rigt, høiadeligt Herskab; denne Gaard var
den bedste og smukkeste af alle de Gaarde, det eiede; den stod
som nystøbt udenpaa, og med Hygge og Beqvemmelighed indeni.
Slægtens Vaaben var hugget i Steen over Porten, deilige Roser
slyngede sig om Vaaben og Karnap, et heelt Græstæppe bredte
sig ud foran Gaarden; der var Rødtjørn og Hvidtjørn, der var
sjeldne Blomster, selv udenfor Drivhuset. |
| The noble family had
an excellent gardener. It was a pleasure to look not only at
the flower garden but at the vegetable garden and the fruit
orchard as well. Near the orchard a small part of the original
garden was still to be seen. It was filled with bushes cut in
the shapes of pyramids and crowns. Among these stood two big
ancient trees. They had but few leaves on them, even in summer;
and if one did not know better, one could have believed that
all the branches that had been cut off the bushes had been carried
by the wind into the trees. But all the little bunches of twigs
had been flown up there: they were birds' nests. |
Herskabet havde ogsaa
en dygtig Gartner; det var en Lyst at see Blomsterhaven, Frugt-
og Kjøkkenhaven. Op til denne var endnu en Rest af Gaardens
oprindelige gamle Have: nogle Buxbom-Hækker, beklippede saa
at de dannede Kroner og Pyramider. Bag disse stode to mægtige
gamle Træer; de vare altid næsten bladløse, og man kunde let
falde paa at troe, at en Stormvind eller en Skypompe havde strøet
dem over med store Klumper Gjødning, men hver Klump var en Fuglerede.
|
| From ancient times,
rooks and crows had nested there. The two old trees were a city
of birds, and the birds were the proprietors. They were the
oldest family in the castle, and they felt that they were the
masters. They tolerated the two-legged ones that could not fly
but had to stay forever on the ground. But human beings did
not interest them, even when they came with their guns and frightened
them, so they flew out of their trees, screaming with hoarse
voices: "Caw! Caw!" |
Her byggede fra umindelige
Tider en Vrimmel skrigende Raager og Krager: det var en heel
Fugleby, og Fuglene vare Herskabet, Eiendomsbesidderne, Herresædets
ældste Slægt, det egenlige Herskab paa Gaarden. Ingen af Menneskene
dernede kom dem ved, men de taalte disse lavt gaaende Skabninger,
uagtet disse imellem knaldede med Bøsse, saa det krillede i
Fuglenes Rygrad, saa at hver Fugl fløi op derved i Forskrækkelse
og skreg: "Rak! Rak!" |
| The gardener had often
asked his master for permission to have the old trees cut down;
they were half dead as it was, and ugly. If they were gone,
the birds would be gone too, and one would be spared listening
to their screaming. But the master wanted to get rid of neither
trees nor birds. He said they had been there from ancient times,
and they belonged to the castle. |
Gartneren talte tidt
til sit Herskab om at lade fælde de gamle Træer, de saae ikke
godt ud, og kom de bort blev man rimeligviis fri for de skrigende
Fugle, de vilde søge andetsteds hen. Men Herskabet vilde hverken
af med Træerne eller med Fuglevrimlen, det var Noget, Gaarden
ikke kunde miste, det var Noget fra den gamle Tid, og den skulde
man ikke aldeles slette ud. |
| "Those trees are the
birds' inheritance; let them keep it, my good Larsen," he would
say. |
"De Træer ere nu Fuglenes
Arvegods, lad dem beholde det, min gode Larsen!" |
| The gardener's name
was Larsen--but that is neither here nor there, as far as my
story is concerned. |
Gartneren hed Larsen,
men det har her nu ikke videre at betyde. |
| "Haven't you enough
land, little Larsen? Why do you need to take the birds'? If
the park isn't big enough, you have a kitchen garden, the orchard,
and the hothouse." |
"Har De, lille Larsen,
ikke Virkeplads nok? hele Blomsterhaven, Drivhusene, Frugt-
og Kjøkkenhaven?" |
| And what the master
said was true, the gardener had a large domain that he took
great pains to keep. His master and mistress acknowledged it,
but at times they could not help informing him that they had
seen flowers or eaten fruits at the table of friends that were
superior to what he could produce. This made the gardener quite
sad, for he always did his very best. He had a simple, loving
heart and took great pride in his work. |
Dem havde han, dem pleiede,
passede og opelskede han med Iver og Dygtighed, og det blev
erkjendt af Herskabet, men de dulgte ikke for ham, at de hos
Fremmede tidt spiste Frugter og saae Blomster, som overgik hvad
de havde i deres Have, og det bedrøvede Gartneren, for han vilde
det Bedste og gjorde det Bedste. Han var god i Hjertet, god
i Embedet. |
| One day his master called
him to the castle and told him, in a most courteous but patronizing
way, that while dining with some noble friends the day before
they had been served some pears and apples so succulent that
they and all the other guests had never before tasted their
like. The fruits we're not native, of that he felt sure, but
they ought to be imported; that is, if they could be made to
grow here. They had been bought in the biggest greengrocery
in the city, and the master wanted the gardener to ride in immediately
and inquire what the names of the fruit were and if shoots for
grafting could be sent for. |
En Dag lod Herskabet
ham kalde og sagde i al Mildhed og Herskabelighed, at de Dagen
forud hos fornemme Venner havde faaet en Art Æbler og Pærer,
saa saftholdige, saa velsmagende, at de og alle Gjester havde
udtalt sig i Beundring. Frugterne vare vistnok ikke indenlandske,
men de burde indføres, blive hjemme her, om vort Klima tillod
det. Man vidste at de vare kjøbte inde i Byen hos den første
Frugthandler, Gartneren skulde ride derind og faae at vide,
hvorfra disse Æbler og Pærer vare komne og da forskrive Podeqviste.
|
| The gardener knew the
greengrocer well, for it was to him that he sold, with his master's
permission, the surplus fruit and vegetables from the gardens. |
Gartneren kjendte godt
Frugthandleren, det var netop til ham, han paa Herskabets Vegne
solgte den Overflødighed af Frugt, der groede i Herregaardshaven.
|
| He saddled a horse
and rode to town and asked the greengrocer where the much-praised
apples and pears had come from. |
Og Gartneren tog til
Byen og spurgte Frugthandleren, hvorfra han havde disse høitpriste
Æbler og Pærer. |
| "They are from your
own orchard," said the greengrocer, and showed the gardener
some of the fruit, which he recognized at once. |
"De ere fra Deres egen
Have!" sagde Frugthandleren og viste ham baade Æble og Pære,
som han kjendte igjen. |
| He hurried back and
told his master the good news that the apples and pears he had
found so delicious had come from his own garden. |
Naa, hvor blev han glad,
Gartneren; han skyndte sig til Herskabet og fortalte, at baade
Æblerne og Pærerne vare fra deres egen Have. |
| Both the master and
mistress refused to believe it. "I don't think it possible,
Larsen," said the master. "You will have to get it in from the
greengrocer before I will believe it." |
Det kunde Herskabet
slet ikke troe. "Det er ikke muligt, Larsen! kan De skaffe skriftlig
Forsikkring fra Frugthandleren?" |
| The gardener rode to
town once more, and this time he returned with a testimonial
from the greengrocer. |
Og det kunde han, skriftlig
Attest bragte han. |
| "It is strange, but
I guess it must be true," said the master. |
"Det var da mærkeligt!"
sagde Herskabet. |
| From then on great bowls
filled with pears and apples from their garden stood on the
table, and they were proud of them. Crates were sent to all
their friends in town, in the country, and even to some in foreign
lands. It really was quite exciting, quite an honor; but it
had to be remembered that that particular year had been a good
year for fruit everywhere. |
Nu kom hver Dag paa
Herskabsbordet store Skaaler med disse prægtige Æbler og Pærer
fra deres egen Have; der sendtes skjeppe- og tøndeviis af disse
Frugter til Venner i Byen og udenfor Byen, ja selv til Udlandet.
Det var en heel Fornøielse! dog maatte de tilføie, at det havde
jo ogsaa været to mærkelig gode Somre for Træfrugterne, disse
vare overalt i Landet lykkedes godt. |
| Some months later the
master and the mistress were invited to the king's table. The
day after, the gardener was called into the drawing room again.
For dessert His Majesty had served some melons, from the royal
hothouses, that had been most succulent and tasty. |
Nogen Tid gik; Herskabet
spiste en Middag ved Hoffet. Dagen derpaa blev Gartneren kaldet
til sit Herskab. De havde ved Taffelet faaet Meloner, saa saftfulde,
smagfulde, fra Majestætens Drivhuus. |
| "You must go to the
royal gardener, Larsen, and get some melon seeds so we can grow
them ourselves." |
"De maa gaae til Hofgartneren,
gode Larsen, og skaffe os nogle af Kjærnerne fra disse kostelige
Meloner!" |
| "But the royal gardener
got his seeds from us," answered the gardener, very pleased.
|
"Men Hofgartneren har
faaet Kjærnerne fra os!" sagde Gartneren ganske fornøiet. |
| "In that case, the royal
gardener has understood how to grow them. Every one of them
was superb," said the master, looking more annoyed than pleased.
|
"Saa har den Mand vidst
at bringe Frugten til en høiere Udvikling!" svarede Herskabet.
"Hver Melon var udmærket!" |
| "I guess I can be proud
of them," said the gardener, "for it will please you to know
that the royal gardener had no luck with his melons this year;
when he saw ours he asked for three of them for the royal table."
|
"Ja, saa kan jeg være
stolt!" sagde Gartneren. "Jeg skal sige det naadige Herskab,
Slotsgartneren har i Aar ikke havt Held med sine Meloner, og
da han saae hvor prægtige vore stode og smagte dem, saa bestilte
han tre af disse op paa Slottet!" |
| "Larsen! Don't tell
me that it was our own melons we ate." |
"Larsen! bild sig ikke
ind, at det var de Meloner fra vor Have!" |
| "I am sure they were,"
said the gardener. "But I will go and ask." And he did and it
was their own melons they had eaten and he got it in writing
from the royal gardener. |
"Jeg troer det!" sagde
Gartneren, gik til Slotsgartneren og fik af ham skriftlig Bevidnelse
om at Melonerne paa det kongelige Taffel vare komne fra Herregaarden.
|
| His master and mistress
were both pleased and surprised, and told everyone the story
and even showed the testimonial from the royal gardener. Melon
seeds were dispatched to their friends, as apples and pears
and shoots for grafting had been sent before. |
Det var virkelig en
Overraskelse for Herskabet, og det fortiede ikke Historien,
det fremviste Attesten, ja der blev sendt Melonkjærner vidt
om, ligesom tidligere Podeqvistene. |
| Seeds from the new type
of melon were exported. They were named after the castle, so
now its name could be read in French, German, and English. |
Om disse fik man Efterretninger
at de sloge an, satte Frugt, ganske udmærket, og den var kaldt
op efter Herskabets Herregaard, saa at det Navn derved nu var
at læse paa Engelsk, Tydsk og Fransk. |
| It was all quite unexpected.
|
Det havde man aldrig
forud tænkt sig. |
| "I hope the gardener
won't begin thinking too much of himself," said the master to
the mistress. |
"Bare Gartneren ikke
faaer for store Ideer om sig selv!" sagde Herskabet. |
| He didn't; but the fame
was a spur, he wanted to be one of the best gardeners in the
country. Every year he tried to improve some of the vegetables
and fruits, and often he was successful. It was not always appreciated.
He would be told that the pears and apples were good but not
as good as the ones last year. The melons were excellent but
not quite up to the standard of the first ones he had grown.
As for the strawberries, they were fine, but berries as big
and juicy were served at other tables. The year the worms ate
the radishes, no one seemed to be interested in talking about
anything else, even though so many other things had grown well
that year. |
Han tog det paa en anden
Maade: han vilde just stræbe nu, at hævde sit Navn som en af
Landets bedste Gartnere, forsøge hvert Aar at bringe noget Fortrinligt
af alle Havearter, og det gjorde han; men tidt fik han dog at
høre, at de allerførste Frugter han havde bragt, Æblerne og
Pærerne, vare de egenlige bedste, alle senere Arter stode langt
under. Melonerne havde rigtignok været meget gode, men det var
jo et ganske andet Slags; Jordbærrene kunde kaldes fortræffelige,
men dog ikke bedre end de, de andre Herskaber havde, og da Ræddikerne
eet Aar ikke lykkedes, saa taltes kun om de uheldige Ræddiker
og ikke om hvad andet Godt der var bragt. |
| It was as if his master
felt relieved at being able to point to a failure. |
Det var næsten som om
Herskabet følte Lettelse ved at sige: |
| "The radishes didn't
work out this year, little Larsen," they would say, and repeat
it. "The radishes didn't work out." |
"Det gik ikke i Aar,
lille Larsen!" De vare ganske glade ved at kunne sige: "det
gik ikke i Aar!" |
| Twice a week the gardener
took fresh flowers up to the castle. He arranged them marvelously
so each color complemented the others; his bouquets were a delight.
|
Et Par Gange om Ugen
bragte Gartneren friske Blomster op i Stuen, altid saa smagfuldt
ordnede; Farverne kom ved Sammenstillingen ligesom i et stærkere
Lys. |
| "You have taste, Larsen,"
his mistress would say. "But remember, taste is a gift from
God, not of your own making." |
"De har Smag, Larsen!"
sagde Herskabet, "det er en Gave, der er givet Dem af Vor Herre,
ikke af Dem selv!" |
| One day he arranged
in a crystal bowl a water-lily leaf and a strange blue flower
as big as a sunflower. |
En Dag kom Gartneren
med en stor Krystal-Skaal, i den laae et Aakandeblad; hen paa
dette var lagt, med sin lange, tykke Stilk ned i Vandet, en
straalende, blaa Blomst, stor som en Solsikke. |
| "It is the lotus flower
from Hindustan!" exclaimed the mistress. |
"Hindostans Lotus!"
udbrød Herskabet. |
| She had never seen
anything so beautiful before. The bowl was put where the sun
could shine on it in the daytime, and at night it was illuminated
with candles. Everyone who saw it found it lovely and rare,
and said they had never seen a flower like it before. The young
princess, who was both good and kind, was so delighted with
it that |
En saadan Blomst havde
de aldrig seet; og den blev om Dagen stillet hen i Solskinnet
og om Aftenen i Reflex-Lys. Enhver som saae den, fandt den mærkværdig
deilig og sjelden, ja det sagde selv den Fornemste af Landets
unge Damer, og hun var Prindsesse; klog og hjertensgod var hun. |
| she was given the flower
to take home with her to her castle. |
Herskabet satte en Ære
i at overrække hende Blomsten, og den kom med Prindsessen op
paa Slottet. |
| The next day the master
and mistress went down into the garden. They wanted to pick
one of the marvelous flowers themselves. They looked everywhere,
but they couldn't find it. At last they called the gardener
and asked him where the blue lotus flower grew. |
Nu gik Herskabet ned
i Haven for selv at plukke en Blomst af samme Slags, om en saadan
endnu fandtes, men den var ikke at finde. Saa kaldte de paa
Gartneren og spurgte, hvorfra han havde den blaa Lotus: |
| "We have looked everywhere,"
they said, "both in the flower garden and in the hothouse."
|
"Vi have søgt forgjeves!"
sagde de. "Vi have været i Drivhusene og rundt om i Blomsterhaven!"
|
| "You won't find it either
place," answered the gardener. "It is only a humble flower from
the kitchen garden. But beautiful it is, like a blue cactus,
though it is only an artichoke." |
"Nei, der er den rigtignok
ikke!" sagde Gartneren. "Den er kun en ringe Blomst fra Kjøkkenhaven!
men, ikke sandt, hvor er den smuk! den seer ud som var den en
blaa Kactus, og er dog kun Blomsten paa Ærteskokken!" |
| "I wish you had told
us that." The master sounded annoyed. "We thought it was a rare
foreign flower. How could we have thought anything else? It
is most embarrassing. The young princess was so enamored of
it that we gave it to her. Although she is very well versed
in botany, she did not recognize it; but then I am sure botany
has little to do with vegetables. My good Larsen, how could
you bring such a flower up into the rooms of the castle? You
have made us appear ridiculous." |
"Det skulde De have
sagt os strax!" sagde Herskabet. "Vi maatte troe at det var
en fremmed, sjelden Blomst. De har prostitueret os for den unge
Prindsesse! hun saae Blomsten hos os, fandt den saa smuk, kjendte
den ikke, og hun er ganske inde i Botaniken, men den Videnskab
har ikke med Kjøkkenurter at gjøre. Hvor kunde det falde Dem
ind, gode Larsen, at sætte en saadan Blomst op i Stuen. Det
er at gjøre os latterlige!" |
| The beautiful blue flower
from the kitchen garden was banished from the elegant rooms
of the old castle. It didn't belong there! The master and mistress
excused themselves to the princess and explained that the beautiful
blue lotus flower was only a common vegetable. Their gardener
was the culprit who had been so impertinent; they had reprimanded
him severely. |
Og den smukke blaa Pragtblomst,
der var hentet fra Kjøkkenhaven, blev sat ud af Herskabs-Stuen,
hvor den ikke hørte hjemme, ja Herskabet gjorde en Undskyldning
hos Prindsessen, og fortalte at Blomsten var kun en Kjøkkenurt,
som Gartneren havde fundet paa at stille frem, men at han derfor
havde faaet en alvorlig Irettesættelse. |
| "Oh, what a pity! How
unjust!" exclaimed the princess. "He has opened our eyes, showed
us a beautiful flower, where we would never have thought of
looking for it. I will order the royal gardener to bring me
an artichoke flower every day as long as they are in bloom." |
"Det var Synd og Uret!"
sagde Prindsessen. "Han har jo lukket vore Øine op for en Pragtblomst,
vi slet ikke lagde Mærke til, han har viist os Deiligheden der,
hvor vi ikke faldt paa at søge den! Slotsgartneren skal hver
Dag, saalænge Ærteskokkene have Blomst, bringe mig een op i
min Stue!" |
| And the royal gardener
did; |
Og det skete. |
| and the master and the
mistress told Larsen that he, too, could bring a freshly cut
artichoke flower to their rooms every day. |
Herskabet lod Gartneren
sige, at han igjen kunde bringe dem en frisk Ærteskok-Blomst.
|
| "It is really quite
a fascinating flower," they said, and complimented the gardener.
|
"Den er i Grunden smuk!"
sagde de, "høist mærkværdig!" og Gartneren fik Roes. |
| "Larsen loves praise,
he is like a spoiled child," the mistress said, and the master
nodded in agreement. |
"Det kan Larsen godt
lide!" sagde Herskabet. "Han er et forkjælet Barn!" |
| That autumn there was
a terrible storm. During the night it grew worse and on the
outskirts of the forest great trees fell; their roots were pulled
right out of the earth. The two great old trees that housed
the colony of birds did not fare better. Down they came, nests
and all. Inside the castle one could hear the angry screams
of the birds, and some of the servants said that the birds knocked
on the windowpanes with their wings. The master said it was
an affliction. The gardener said nothing; he was happy to see
the old trees gone. |
I Efteraaret blev det
en forfærdelig Storm; den tog til ud paa Natten, saa voldsomt,
at mange store Træer i Udkanten af Skoven bleve rykkede op med
Rod, og til stor Sorg for Herskabet, Sorg, som de kaldte det,
men til Glæde for Gartneren, blæste de to store Træer om med
alle Fuglerederne. Man hørte i Stormen Raagers og Kragers Skrig,
de sloge med Vingerne paa Ruderne, sagde Folkene paa Gaarden.
|
| "Now you are contented,
Larsen." The master looked at the fallen trees. "The storm has
cut them down for you; the birds have departed for the forest,
a part of the old times has gone. Soon there will be nothing
left to remind us of it. You, this has delighted; me, it has
grieved." |
"Nu er De da glad, Larsen!"
sagde Herskabet; "Stormen har fældet Træerne, og Fuglene have
søgt til Skoven. Her er ikke mere Syn af gammel Tid; hvert Tegn
og hver Hentydning er borte! os har det bedrøvet!" |
| The gardener had a plan--it
was an old one he had thought of long ago--as to what he would
do with the area where the trees had stood. It was a sunny spot
and he meant to make it the most beautiful part of the park.
|
Gartneren sagde ikke
Noget, men han tænkte paa, hvad han længe havde tænkt, ret at
benytte den prægtige Solskinsplads, han før ikke raadede over,
den skulde blive til Havens Pryd og Herskabets Glæde. |
| The trees had smashed
the bushes in their fall, and they could not be saved. In the
cleared plot of land he now planted all the typical common plants
of Denmark, gathered from forests and fields. |
De store omblæste Træer
havde qvaset og knuust de ældgamle Buxbom-Hækker, med hele deres
Udklipning. Han reiste her en Tykning af Væxter, Hjemlands-Planter
fra Marken og Skoven. |
| Bushes, trees, and flowers
that no other gardener had ever dreamed of introducing into
the park of a castle he planted there. Each got the soil, the
sun or shade it desired; he nursed them with devotion and the
plants grew and flourished. |
Hvad ingen anden Gartner
havde tænkt paa i rig Fylde at plante ind i Herskabshaven, satte
han her i den Jord hver skulde have, og i Skygge og i Solskin
som hver Art behøvede det. Han pleiede i Kjærlighed og det voxte
i Herlighed. |
| The juniper from the
heath of Jutland thrived. It rose like a miniature Italian cypress.
Near it grew the holly, green in winter and summer. And in front
of them were ferns of all different types, like dwarf palm trees.
The great thistle, the most despised of all weeds, bloomed with
flowers so beautiful that they would have enhanced any bouquet.
Not far from them, where the soil was a little more moist, the
common dock was allowed to flourish, with its big picturesque
leaves. From the fields had been brought great mulleins that
looked like giant candelabra. Woodruff, primrose, lily of the
valley, the calla, and the three-leafed wood sorrel: all were
there; none had been forgotten. It was a marvel to look at.
|
Enebærbusken fra den
jydske Hede løftede sig, i Form og Farve som Italiens Cypres,
den blanke piggede Christtjørn, altid grøn, i Vinterkulde og
i Sommersol, stod deilig at see. Foran groede Bregnerne, mange
forskjellige Arter, nogle saae ud som vare de Børn af Palmetræet,
og andre, som vare de Forældre til den fine, deilige Plantevæxt,
vi kalde Venushaar. Her stod den ringeagtede Borre, der i sin
Friskhed er saa smuk, at den kan tage sig ud i Bouquet. Borren
stod paa det Tørre, men lavere, i den fugtigere Grund, groede
Skræppen, ogsaa en ringeagtet Plante og dog ved sin Høide og
sit mægtige Blad saa malerisk smuk. Favnehøi, med Blomst ved
Blomst, som en mægtig, mangearmet Candelaber, løftede sig Kongelyset,
plantet ind fra Marken. Her stod Skovmærker, Kodriver og Skovlilieconvaller,
den vilde Calla og den trebladede, fine Skovsyre. Det var en
Deilighed at see. |
| In the direction of
the fields the garden was fenced by a row of dwarf pear trees.
They had been imported from France but, having been given plenty
of sun and careful nursing, they soon bore fruits as big and
succulent as in their own country. |
Foran, støttede til
Staaltraads-Snore, voxte i Række ganske smaa Pæretræer fra fransk
Jordbund; de fik Sol og god Pleie og bare snart store, saftfulde
Frugter, som i Landet de kom fra. |
| Where the two old trees
had stood a flagpole was erected and from its top the white
and red flag of Denmark flew. Near the flagpole another smaller
pole stood, around which the vines of the hops twisted themselves;
in the late summer the sweet scent of their flowers could be
smelled far away. In the winter a sheaf of oats hung from the
pole; it is an old custom to provide a meal in this way for
the birds at Christmas. |
Istedetfor de to gamle,
bladløse Træer, blev sat en høi Flagstang, hvor Danebrogen vaiede,
og tæt ved endnu en Stang, hvor i Sommertid og Høstens Tid Humleranken
med sine duftende Blomster-Kogler snoede sig, men hvor i Vinteren,
efter gammel Skik, blev ophængt en Havre-Kjærv, at Himlens Fugle
kunde have Maaltid i den glade Juul. |
| "Larsen is getting sentimental
in his old age," said the master. "But he is loyal and true,"
added the mistress. |
"Den gode Larsen bliver
sentimental i sine ældre Aar!" sagde Herskabet. "Men han er
os tro og hengiven!" |
| At New Year's, one of
the illustrated papers from Copenhagen carried a picture of
the old castle. One could see the flagpole and the sheaf of
oats for the birds. It was particularly mentioned how pleasing
it was to see that such an old tradition was kept alive. |
Ved Nytaar kom, i et
af Hovedstadens illustrerede Blade, et Billede af den gamle
Gaard; man saae Flagstangen og Havre-Neget for Himlens Fugle
i den glade Juul, og det stod omtalt og fremhævet som en smuk
Tanke, at en gammel Skik her var bragt i Hævd og Ære, saa betegnende
just for den gamle Gaard. |
| "It does not matter
what Larsen does," the master remarked. "The whole world will
beat the drums for it. There is a happy man. We must be almost
proud of having him." |
"Alt hvad den Larsen
gjør," sagde Herskabet, "slaaer man paa Tromme for. Det er en
lykkelig Mand! vi maae jo næsten være stolte af at vi have ham!"
|
| But they weren't really
proud of it. They felt that they were the owners and that they
could dismiss Larsen if they wanted to. They didn't, for they
were decent people, and there are lots of their kind, which
is fortunate for the Larsens. That was the story of the gardener
and his master. I have told it, now why don't you think about
it. |
Men de vare slet ikke
stolte deraf! de følte at de vare Herskabet, de kunde sige Larsen
op, men det gjorde de ikke, de vare gode Mennesker og af deres
Slags er der saa mange gode Mennesker, og det er glædeligt for
enhver Larsen. Ja, det er Historien om "Gartneren og Herskabet".
Nu kan Du tænke over den! |