| Once upon a time there was a woman whose only
desire was to have a tiny little child. Now she had no idea
where she could get one; so she went to an old witch and asked
her: "Please, could you tell me where I could get a tiny little
child? I would so love to have one." |
Der var engang en Kone, som saa gjerne vilde have
sig et lille bitte Barn, men hun vidste slet ikke, hvor hun
skulde faae et fra; saa gik hun hen til en gammel Hex og sagde
til hende: "Jeg vilde saa inderlig gjerne have et lille Barn,
vil Du ikke sige mig, hvor jeg dog skal faae et fra?" |
| "That is not so difficult," said the witch. "Here
is a grain of barley; it is not the kind that grows in the farmer's
fields or that you can feed to the chickens. Plant it in a flowerpot
and watch what happens." |
"Jo, det skal vi nok komme ud af!" sagde Hexen.
"Der har Du et Bygkorn, det er slet ikke af den Slags, som groer
paa Bondemandens Mark, eller som Hønsene faae at spise, læg
det i en Urtepotte, saa skal Du faae noget at see!" |
| "Thank you," said the woman. She handed the witch
twelve pennies, and she went home to plant the grain of barley.
No sooner was it in the earth than it started to sprout. A beautiful
big flower grew up; it looked like a tulip that was just about
to bloom. |
"Tak skal Du have!" sagde Konen og gav Hexen tolv
Skilling, gik saa hjem, plantede Bygkornet, og strax voxte der
en deilig stor Blomst op, den saae ganske ud, som en Tulipan,
men Bladene lukkede sig tæt sammen, ligesom om den endnu var
i Knop. |
| "What a lovely flower," said the woman, and kissed
the red and yellow petals that were closed so tightly. With
a snap they opened and one could see that it was a real tulip.
In the center of the flower on the green stigma sat a tiny little
girl. She was so beautiful and so delicate, and exactly one
inch long. "I will call her Inchelina," thought the woman. |
"Det er en nydelig Blomst!" sagde Konen, og kyssede
den paa de smukke røde og gule Blade, men lige i det hun kyssede,
gav Blomsten et stort Knald, og aabnede sig. Det var en virkelig
Tulipan, kunde man nu see, men midt inde i Blomsten, paa den
grønne Stol, sad der en lille bitte Pige, saa fiin og nydelig,
hun var ikke uden en Tomme lang, og derfor kaldtes hun Tommelise. |
| The lacquered shell of a walnut became Inchelina's
cradle, the blue petals of violets her mattress, and a rose
petal her cover. Here she slept at night; in the daytime she
played on the table by the window. The woman had put a bowl
of water there with a garland of flowers around it. In this
tiny "lake" there floated a tulip petal, on which Inchelina
could row from one side of the plate to the other, using two
white horsehairs as oars; it was an exquisite sight. And Inchelina
could sing, as no one has ever sung before--so clearly and delicately. |
En nydelig lakeret Valdnødskal fik hun til Vugge,
blaa Violblade vare hendes Matrasser og et Rosenblad hendes
Overdyne; der sov hun om Natten, men om Dagen legede hun paa
Bordet, hvor Konen havde sat en Tallerken, som hun havde lagt
en heel Krands om med Blomster, der stak deres Stilke ned i
Vandet; her flød et stort Tulipanblad, og paa dette maatte Tommelise
sidde og seile fra den ene Side af Tallerkenen til den anden;
hun havde to hvide Hestehaar at roe med. Det saae just deiligt
ud. Hun kunde ogsaa synge, o saa fiint og nydeligt, som man
aldrig her havde hørt. |
| One night as she lay sleeping in her beautiful
little bed a toad came into the room through a broken windowpane.
The toad was big and wet and ugly; she jumped down upon the
table where Inchelina was sleeping under her red rose petal. |
En Nat, som hun laae i sin smukke Seng, kom der
en hæslig Skruptudse hoppende ind af Vinduet; der var en Rude
itu. Skruptudsen var saa styg, stor og vaad, den hoppede lige
ned paa Bordet, hvor Tommelise laae og sov under det røde Rosenblad. |
| "She would make a lovely wife for my son," said
the toad; and grabbing the walnut shell in which Inchelina slept,
she leaped through the broken window and down into the garden. |
"Det var en deilig Kone til min Søn!" sagde Skruptudsen,
og saa tog hun fat i Valdnødskallen, hvor Tommelise sov, og
hoppede bort med hende gjennem Ruden, ned i Haven. |
| On the banks of a broad stream, just where it
was muddiest, lived the toad with her son. He had taken after
his mother and was very ugly. "Croak . . . Croak . . . Croak!"
was all he said when he saw the beautiful little girl in the
walnut shell. |
Der løb en stor, bred Aa; men lige ved Bredden
var det sumpet og muddret; her boede Skruptudsen med sin Søn.
Uh! han var ogsaa styg og fæl, lignede ganske sin Moder: "koax,
koax, brekke-ke-kex!" det var alt hvad han kunde sige, da han
saae den nydelige lille Pige i Valdnødskallen. |
| "Don't talk so loud or you will wake her," scolded
the mother. "She could run away and we wouldn't be able to catch
her, for she is as light as the down of a swan. I will put her
on a water-lily leaf, it will be just like an island to her.
In the meantime, we shall get your apartment, down in the mud,
ready for your marriage." |
"Snak ikke saa høit, for ellers vaagner hun!"
sagde den gamle Skruptudse, "hun kunde endnu løbe fra os, for
hun er saa let, som et Svaneduun! vi ville sætte hende ud i
Aaen paa et af de brede Aakandeblade, det er for hende, der
er saa let og lille, ligesom en Ø! der kan hun ikke løbe bort,
mens vi gjøre Stadsestuen istand nede under Mudderet, hvor I
skulle boe og bygge!" |
| Out in the stream grew many water lilies, and
all of their leaves looked as if they were floating in the water.
The biggest of them was the farthest from shore; on that one
the old toad put Inchelina's little bed. |
Ude i Aaen voxte der saa mange Aakander med de
brede grønne Blade, der see ud som de flyde oven paa Vandet;
det Blad, som var længst ude, var ogsaa det allerstørste; der
svømmede den gamle Skruptudse ud og satte Valdnødskallen med
Tommelise. |
| When the poor little girl woke in the morning
and saw where she was--on a green leaf with water all around
her--she began to cry bitterly. There was no way of getting
to shore at all. |
Den lillebitte Stakkel vaagnede ganske tidlig
om Morgenen, og da hun saae, hvor hun var, begyndte hun saa
bitterligt at græde, for der var Vand paa alle Sider af det
store grønne Blad, hun kunde slet ikke komme i Land. |
| The old toad was very busy down in her mud house,
decorating the walls with reeds and yellow flowers that grew
near the shore. She meant to do her best for her new daughter-in-law.
After she had finished, she and her ugly son swam out to the
water-lily leaf to fetch Inchelina's bed. It was to be put in
the bridal chamber. The old toad curtsied and that is not easy
to do while you are swimming; then she said, "Here is my son.
He is to be your husband; you two will live happily down in
the mud." |
Den gamle Skruptudse sad nede i Mudderet og pyntede
sin Stue op med Siv og gule Aaknappe, - der skulde være rigtigt
net for den nye Svigerdatter, - svømmede saa med den stygge
Søn ud til Bladet, hvor Tommelise stod, de vilde hente hendes
pæne Seng, den skulde sættes op i Brudekammeret, før hun selv
kom der. Den gamle Skruptudse neiede saa dybt i Vandet for hende
og sagde: "her skal Du see min Søn, han skal være Din Mand,
og I skal boe saa deiligt nede i Mudderet!" |
| "Croak! . . Croak!" was all the son said. |
"Koax, koax! brekkekekex!" det var Alt, hvad Sønnen
kunde sige. |
| Then they took the bed and swam away with it.
Poor Inchelina sat on the green leaf and wept and wept, for
she did not want to live with the ugly toad and have her hideous
son as a husband. The little fishes that were swimming about
in the water had heard what the old toad said; they stuck their
heads out of the water to take a look at the tiny girl. When
they saw how beautiful she was, it hurt them to think that she
should have to marry the ugly toad and live in the mud. They
decided that they would not let it happen, and gathered around
the green stalk that held the leaf anchored to the bottom of
the stream. They all nibbled on the stem, and soon the leaf
was free. It drifted down the stream, bearing Inchelina far
away from the ugly toad. |
Saa toge de den nydelige lille Seng og svømmede
bort med den, men Tommelise sad ganske alene og græd paa det
grønne Blad, for hun vilde ikke boe hos den fæle Skruptudse
eller have hendes hæslige Søn til sin Mand. De smaa Fiske, som
svømmede nede i Vandet, havde nok seet Skruptudsen og hørt hvad
hun sagde, derfor stak de Hovederne op, de vilde dog see den
lille Pige. Saa snart de fik hende at see, fandt de hende saa
nydelig, og det gjorde dem saa ondt, at hun skulde ned til den
stygge Skruptudse. Nei, det skulde aldrig skee. De flokkede
sig nede i Vandet rundt om den grønne Stilk, der holdt Bladet,
hun stod paa, gnavede med Tænderne Stilken over, og saa flød
Bladet ned af Aaen, bort med Tommelise, langtbort, hvor Skruptudsen
ikke kunde komme. |
| As Inchelina sailed by, the little birds on the
shore saw her and sang, "What a lovely little girl." Farther
and farther sailed the leaf with its little passenger, taking
her on a journey to foreign lands. |
Tommelise seilede forbi saa mange Stæder, og de
smaa Fugle sad i Buskene, saae hende og sang "hvilken nydelig
lille Jomfrue!" Bladet med hende svømmede længer og længer bort;
saaledes reiste Tommelise udenlands. |
| For a long time a lovely white butterfly flew
around her, then landed on the leaf. It had taken a fancy to
Inchelina. The tiny girl laughed, for she was so happy to have
escaped the toad; and the stream was so beautiful, golden in
the sunshine. She took the little silk ribbon which she wore
around her waist and tied one end of it to the butterfly and
the other to the water-lily leaf. Now the leaf raced down the
stream--and so did Inchelina, for she was standing on it. |
En nydelig lille hvid Sommerfugl blev ved at flyve
rundt omkring hende, og satte sig tilsidst ned paa Bladet, for
den kunde saa godt lide Tommelise, og hun var saa fornøiet,
for nu kunde Skruptudsen ikke naae hende og der var saa deiligt,
hvor hun seilede; Solen skinnede paa Vandet, det var ligesom
det deiligste Guld. Saa tog hun sit Livbaand, bandt den ene
Ende om Sommerfuglen, den anden Ende af Baandet satte hun fast
i Bladet; det gled da meget hurtigere afsted og hun med, for
hun stod jo paa Bladet. |
| At that moment a big May bug flew by; when it
spied Inchelina, it swooped down and with its claws grabbed
the poor girl around her tiny waist and flew up into a tree
with her. The leaf floated on down the stream, and the butterfly
had to follow it. |
I det samme kom der en stor Oldenborre flyvende,
den fik hende at see og i Øieblikket slog den sin Klo om hendes
smækkre Liv og fløi op i Træet med hende, men det grønne Blad
svømmede ned af Aaen og Sommerfuglen fløi med, for han var bundet
til Bladet og kunde ikke komme løs. |
| Oh God, little Inchelina was terrified as the
May bug flew away with her, but stronger than her fear was her
grief for the poor little white butterfly that she had chained
to the leaf with her ribbon. If he did not get loose, he would
starve to death. The May bug didn't care what happened to the
butterfly. He placed Inchelina on the biggest leaf on the tree.
He gave her honey from the flowers to eat, and told her that
she was the loveliest thing he had ever seen, even though she
didn't look like a May bug. Soon all the other May bugs that
lived in the tree came visiting. Two young lady May bugs--they
were still unmarried--wiggled their antennae and said: "She
has only two legs, how wretched. No antennae and a thin waist,
how disgusting! She looks like a human being: how ugly!" All
the other female May bugs agreed with them. The May bug who
had caught Inchelina still thought her lovely; but when all
the others kept insisting that she was ugly, he soon was convinced
of it too. Now he didn't want her any longer, and put her down
on a daisy at the foot of the tree and told her she could go
wherever she wanted to, for all he cared. Poor Inchelina cried;
she thought it terrible to be so ugly that even a May bug would
not want her, and that in spite of her being more beautiful
than you can imagine, more lovely than the petal of the most
beautiful rose. |
Gud, hvor den stakkels Tommelise blev forskrækket,
da Oldenborren fløi op i Træet med hende, men hun var dog allermeest
bedrøvet for den smukke, hvide Sommerfugl, hun havde bundet
fast til Bladet; dersom han nu ikke kunde komme løs, maatte
han jo sulte ihjel. Men det brød Oldenborren sig ikke noget
om. Den satte sig med hende paa det største, grønne Blad i Træet,
gav hende det Søde af Blomsterne at spise og sagde, at hun var
saa nydelig, skjøndt hun slet ikke lignede en Oldenborre. Siden
kom alle de andre Oldenborrer, der boede i Træet, og gjorde
Visit; de saae paa Tommelise, og Frøken Oldenborrerne trak paa
Følehornene og sagde: "hun har dog ikke mere end to Been, det
seer ynkeligt ud. Hun har ingen Følehorn!" sagde den anden.
"Hun er saa smækker i Livet, fy! hun seer ud ligesom et Menneske!
Hvor hun er styg!" sagde alle Hun-Oldenborrerne, og saa var
Tommelise dog saa nydelig; det syntes ogsaa den Oldenborre,
som havde taget hende, men da alle de andre sagde, hun var hæslig,
saa troede han det tilsidst ogsaa og ville slet ikke have hende;
hun kunde gaae, hvor hun vilde. De fløi ned af Træet med hende
og satte hende paa en Gaaseurt; der græd hun, fordi hun var
saa styg, at Oldenborrerne ikke vilde have hende, og saa var
hun dog den deiligste, man kunde tænke sig, saa fiin og klar
som det skjønneste Rosenblad. |
| All summer long poor Inchelina lived all alone
in the forest. She wove a hammock out of grass and hung it underneath
a dock leaf so that it would not rain on her while she slept.
She ate the honey in the flowers and drank the dew that was
on their leaves every morning. Summer and autumn passed. But
then came winter: the long, cold winter. All the birds that
had sung so beautifully flew away. The flowers withered, the
trees lost their leaves; and the dock leaf that had protected
her rolled itself up and became a shriveled yellow stalk. She
was so terribly cold. Her clothes were in shreds; and she was
so thin and delicate. Poor Inchelina, she was bound to freeze
to death. It started to snow and each snowflake that fell on
her was like a whole shovelful of snow would be to us, because
we are so big, and she was only one inch tall. She wrapped herself
in a wizened leaf, but it gave no warmth and she shivered from
the cold. |
Hele Sommeren igjennem levede den stakkels Tommelise
ganske alene i den store Skov. Hun flettede sig en Seng af Græsstraa
og hang den under et stort Skræppeblad, saa kunde det ikke regne
paa hende; hun pillede det Søde af Blomsterne og spiste, og
drak af Duggen, der hver Morgen stod paa Bladene; saaledes gik
Sommer og Efteraar, men nu kom Vinteren, den kolde, lange Vinter.
Alle Fuglene, der havde sjunget saa smukt for hende, fløi deres
Vei, Træerne og Blomsterne visnede, det store Skræppeblad, hun
havde boet under, rullede sammen og blev kun en guul, vissen
Stilk, og hun frøs saa forskrækkeligt, for hendes Klæder vare
itu og hun var selv saa fiin og lille, den stakkels Tommelise,
hun maatte fryse ihjel. Det begyndte at snee og hver Sneefnug,
der faldt paa hende, var, som naar man kaster en heel Skuffe
fuld paa os, thi vi ere store og hun var kun en Tomme lang.
Saa svøbte hun sig ind i et vissent Blad, men det vilde ikke
varme, hun rystede af Kulde. |
| Not far from the forest was a big field where
grain had grown; only a few dry stubbles still rose from the
frozen ground, pointing up to the heavens. To Inchelina these
straws were like a forest. Trembling, she wandered through them
and came to the entrance of a field mouse's house. It was only
a little hole in the ground. But deep down below the mouse lived
in warmth and comfort, with a full larder and a nice kitchen.
Like a beggar child, Inchelina stood outside the door and begged
for a single grain of barley. It was several days since she
had last eaten. |
Tæt udenfor Skoven, hvor hun nu var kommet, laae
en stor Kornmark, men Kornet var forlænge siden borte, kun de
nøgne, tørre Stubbe stode op af den frosne Jord. De vare ligesom
en heel Skov for hende at gaae imellem, o, hun rystede saadan
af Kulde. Saa kom hun til Markmusens Dør. Den var et lille Hul
inde under Korn-Stubbene. Der boede Markmusen luunt og godt,
havde hele Stuen fuld af Korn, et deiligt Kjøkken og Spiiskammer.
Den stakkels Tommelise stillede sig indenfor Døren, ligesom
en anden fattig Tiggerpige og bad om et lille Stykke af et Bygkorn,
for hun havde i to Dage ikke faaet det mindste at spise. |
| "Poor little wretch," said the field mouse, for
she had a kind heart. "Come down into my warm living room and
dine with me." |
"Din lille Stakkel!" sagde Markmusen, for det
var igrunden en god gammel Markmuus, "kom Du ind i min varme
Stue og spiis med mig!" |
| The field mouse liked Inchelina. "You can stay
the winter," she said. "But you must keep the room tidy and
tell me a story every day, for I like a good story." Inchelina
did what the kind old mouse demanded, and she lived quite happily. |
Da hun nu syntes godt om Tommelise, sagde hun:
"Du kan gjerne blive hos mig i Vinter, men Du skal holde min
Stue pæn reen og fortælle mig Historier, for dem holder jeg
meget af," og Tommelise gjorde, hvad den gode, gamle Markmuus
forlangte og havde det da grumme godt. |
| "Soon we shall have a visitor," said the mouse.
"Once a week my neighbor comes. He lives even more comfortably
than I do. He has a drawing room, and wears the most exquisite
black fur coat. If only he would marry you, then you would be
well provided for. He can't see you, for he is blind, so you
will have to tell him the very best of your stories." |
"Nu faae vi nok snart Besøg!" sagde Markmusen,
"min Naboe pleier hver Ugesdag at besøge mig. Han sidder bedre
endnu inden Vægge, end jeg; har store Sale og gaaer med saadan
en deilig, sort Fløielspels! bare Du kunde faae ham til Mand,
saa var Du godt forsørget; men han kan ikke see. Du maa fortælle
ham de nydeligste Historier, Du veed!" |
| But Inchelina did not want to marry the mouse's
neighbor, for he was a mole. The next day he came visiting,
dressed in his black velvet fur coat. The field mouse had said
that he was both rich and wise. His house was twenty times as
big as the mouse's; and learned he was, too; but he did not
like the sun and the beautiful flowers, he said they were "abominable,"
for he had never seen them. Inchelina had to sing for him; and
when she sang "Frere Jacques, dormez vous?" he fell in
love with her because of her beautiful voice; but he didn't
show it, for he was sober-minded and never made a spectacle
of himself. |
Men det brød Tommelise sig ikke om, hun vilde
slet ikke have Naboen, for han var en Muldvarp. Han kom og gjorde
Visit i sin sorte Fløielspels, han var saa riig og saa lærd,
sagde Markmusen, hans Huusleilighed var ogsaa over tyve Gange
større, end Markmusens, og Lærdom havde han, men Solen og de
smukke Blomster kunde han slet ikke lide, dem snakkede han ondt
om, for han havde aldrig seet dem. Tommelise maatte synge og
hun sang baade "Oldenborre flyv, flyv!" og "Munken gaaer i Enge,"
saa blev Muldvarpen forliebt i hende, for den smukke Stemmes
Skyld, men han sagde ikke noget, han var saadan en sindig Mand. |
| He had recently dug a passage from his own house
to theirs, and he invited Inchelina and the field mouse to use
it as often as they pleased. He told them not to be afraid of
the dead bird in the corridor. It had died only a few days before.
It was still whole and had all its feathers. By chance it had
been buried in his passageway. |
Han havde nylig gravet sig en lang Gang gjennem
Jorden fra sit til deres Huus, i den fik Markmusen og Tommelise
Lov til at spadsere, naar de vilde. Men han bad dem ikke blive
bange for den døde Fugl, som laae i Gangen; det var en heel
Fugl med Fjær og Næb, der vist var død for ganske nylig, da
Vinteren begyndte, og nu gravet ned, just hvor han havde gjort
sin Gang. |
| The mole took a piece of dry rotten wood in his
mouth; it shone as brightly as fire in the darkness; then he
led the way down through the long corridor. When they came to
the place where the dead bird lay, the mole made a hole with
his broad nose, up through the earth, so that light could come
through. Almost blocking the passageway was a dead swallow,
with its beautiful wings pressed close to its body, its feet
almost hidden by feathers, and its head nestled under a wing.
The poor bird undoubtedly had frozen to death. Inchelina felt
a great sadness; she had loved all the birds that twittered
and sang for her that summer. The mole kicked the bird with
one of his short legs and said, "Now it has stopped chirping.
What a misfortune it is to be born a bird. Thank God, none of
my children will be born birds! All they can do is chirp, and
then die of starvation when winter comes." |
Muldvarpen tog et Stykke Trøske i Munden, for
det skinner jo ligesom Ild i Mørke, og gik saa foran og lyste
for dem i den lange, mørke Gang; da de saa kom, hvor den døde
Fugl laae, satte Muldvarpen sin brede Næse mod Loftet og stødte
Jorden op, saa der blev et stort Hul, som Lyset kunde skinne
ned igjennem. Midt paa Gulvet laae en død Svale, med de smukke
Vinger trykkede fast ind om Siderne, Benene og Hovedet trukne
ind under Fjedrene; den stakkels Fugl var bestemt død af Kulde.
Det gjorde Tommelise saa ondt for den, hun holdt saa meget af
alle de smaa Fugle, de havde jo hele Sommeren sjunget og qviddret
saa smukt for hende, men Muldvarpen stødte til den med sine
korte Been og sagde: "Nu piber den ikke meer! det maa være ynkeligt
at blive født til en lille Fugl! Gud skee Lov, at ingen af mine
Børn blive det; saadan en Fugl har jo ingen Ting uden sit Quivit
og maa sulte ihjel til Vinteren!" |
| "Yes, that's what all sensible people think,"
said the field mouse. "What does all that chirping lead to?
Starvation and cold when winter comes. But I suppose they think
it is romantic." |
"Ja, det maa I, som en fornuftig Mand, nok sige,"
sagde Markmusen. "Hvad har Fuglen for al sit Quivit, naar Vinteren
kommer? Den maa sulte og fryse; men det skal vel ogsaa være
saa stort!" |
| Inchelina didn't say anything, but when the mouse
and mole had their backs turned, she leaned down and kissed
the closed eye of the swallow. "Maybe that was one of the birds
that sang so beautifully for me this summer," she thought. "How
much joy you gave me, beautiful little bird." |
Tommelise sagde ikke noget, men da de to andre
vendte Ryggen til Fuglen, bøiede hun sig ned, skjød Fjedrene
tilside, der laae over dens Hoved, og kyssede den paa de lukkede
Øine. "Maaskee var det den, som sang saa smukt for mig i Sommer,"
tænkte hun, "hvor den skaffede mig megen Glæde, den kjære, smukke
Fugl!" |
| The mole closed the hole through which the daylight
had entered and then escorted the ladies home. That night Inchelina
could not sleep; she rose and wove as large a blanket as she
could, out of hay. She carried it down in the dark passage and
covered the little bird with it. In the field mouse's living
room she had found bits of cotton; she tucked them under the
swallow wherever she could, to protect it from the cold earth. |
Muldvarpen stoppede nu Hullet til, som Dagen skinnede
igjennem, og fulgte saa Damerne hjem. Men om Natten kunde Tommelise
slet ikke sove, saa stod hun op af sin Seng og flettede af Hø
et stort smukt Teppe, og det bar hun ned og bredte rundt om
den døde Fugl, lagde blød Bomuld, hun havde fundet i Markmusens
Stue, paa Siderne af Fuglen, for at den kunde ligge varmt i
den kolde Jord. |
| "Good-by, beautiful bird," she said. "Good-by,
and thank you for the songs you sang for me when it was summer
and all the trees were green and the sun warmed us." She put
her head on the bird's breast; then she jumped up! Something
was ticking inside: it was the bird's heart, for the swallow
was not really dead, and now the warmth had revived it. |
"Farvel Du smukke lille Fugl!" sagde hun, "Farvel
og Tak for din deilige Sang i Sommer, da alle Træerne vare grønne
og Solen skinnede saa varmt paa os!" Saa lagde hun sit Hoved
op til Fuglens Bryst, men blev i det samme ganske forskrækket,
thi det var ligesom noget bankede der indenfor. Det var Fuglens
Hjerte. Fuglen var ikke død, den laae i Dvale, og var nu bleven
opvarmet og fik Liv igjen. |
| In the fall all the swallows fly to the warm countries.
If one tarries too long and is caught by the first frost, he
lies down on the ground as if he were dead, and the cold snow
covers him. |
Om Efteraaret saa flyve alle Svalerne bort til
de varme Lande, men er der een der forsinker sig, saa fryser
den saaledes, at den falder ganske død ned, bliver liggende,
hvor den falder, og den kolde Snee lægger sig ovenover. |
| Inchelina shook with fear. The swallow was huge
to a girl so tiny that she only measured an inch. But she gathered
her courage and pressed the blanket closer to the bird's body.
She even went to fetch the little mint leaf that she herself
used as a cover and put it over the bird's head. |
Tommelise rystede ordentligt, saa forskrækket
var hun blevet, for Fuglen var jo en stor, stor en imod hende,
der kun var en Tomme lang, men hun tog dog Mod til sig, lagde
Bomulden tættere om den stakkels Svale, og hentede et Krusemynteblad,
hun selv havde havt til Overdyne, og lagde det over Fuglens
Hoved. |
| The next night she sneaked down to the passageway
again; the bird was better although still very weak. He opened
his eyes just long enough to see Inchelina standing in the dark
with a little piece of dry rotten wood in her hand, as a lamp. |
Næste Nat listede hun sig igjen ned til den, og
da var den ganske levende, men saa mat, den kunde kun et lille
Øieblik lukke sine Øine op og see Tommelise, der stod med et
Stykke Trøske i Haanden, for anden Lygte havde hun ikke. |
| "Thank you, you sweet little child," said the
sick swallow, "I feel so much better. I am not cold now. Soon
I shall be strong again and can fly out into the sunshine." |
"Tak skal Du have, Du nydelige lille Barn!" sagde
den syge Svale til hende, "jeg er blevet saa deilig opvarmet!
snart faaer jeg mine Kræfter og kan flyve igjen, ude i det varme
Solskin!" |
| "Oh no," she said. "It is cold and snowing outside
now and you would freeze. Stay down here in your warm bed, I
will nurse you." |
"0!" sagde hun, "det er saa koldt udenfor, det
sneer og fryser! bliv Du i din varme Seng, jeg skal nok pleie
Dig!" |
| She brought the swallow water on a leaf. After
he had drunk it, he told her his story. He had torn his wing
on a rosebush, and therefore could not fly as swiftly as the
other swallows, so he had stayed behind when the others left;
then one morning he had fainted from cold. That was all he could
remember. He did not know how he came to be in the mole's passageway. |
Hun bragte da Svalen Vand i et Blomsterblad, og
den drak og fortalte hende, hvorledes den havde revet sin ene
Vinge paa en Tornebusk og kunde derfor ikke flyve saa stærkt,
som de andre Svaler, som da fløi bort, langt bort til de varme
Lande. Den var da tilsidst faldet ned paa Jorden, men mere kunde
den ikke huske, og vidste slet ikke, hvorledes den var kommet
her. |
| The bird stayed all winter. Inchelina took good
care of him, grew very fond of him, and breathed not a word
about him to either the mole or the field mouse, for she knew
that they didn't like the poor swallow. |
Hele Vinteren blev den nu hernede og Tommelise
var god imod den og holdt saa meget af den; hverken Muldvarpen
eller Markmusen fik det mindste at vide derom, for de kunde
jo ikke lide den stakkels fattige Svale. |
| As soon as spring came and the warmth of the sun
could be felt through the earth, the swallow said good-by to
Inchelina, who opened the hole that the mole had made. The sun
shone down so pleasantly. The swallow asked her if she did not
want to come along with him; she could sit on his back and he
would fly with her out into the great forest. But Inchelina
knew that the field mouse would be sad and lonely if she left. |
Saasnart Foraaret kom og Solen varmede ind i Jorden,
sagde Svalen Farvel til Tommelise, der aabnede Hullet, som Muldvarpen
havde gjort ovenover. Solen skinnede saa deiligt ind til dem,
og Svalen spurgte, om hun ikke vilde følge med, hun kunde sidde
paa dens Ryg, de vilde flyve langt ud i den grønne Skov. Men
Tommelise vidste, det vilde bedrøve den gamle Markmuus, om hun
saaledes forlod hende. |
| "I cannot," she said. The bird thanked her once
more. "Farewell. . . . Farewell, lovely girl," he sang, and
flew out into the sunshine. Inchelina's eyes filled with tears
as she watched the swallow fly away, for she cared so much for
the bird. |
"Nei, jeg kan ikke!" sagde Tommelise. "Farvel,
farvel! Du gode, nydelige Pige!" sagde Svalen og fløi ud i Solskinnet.
Tommelise saae efter den, og Vandet kom i hendes Øine, for hun
holdt saa meget af den stakkels Svale. |
| "Tweet . . . tweet," he sang, and disappeared
in the forest. |
"Qvivit! qvivit!" sang Fuglen og fløi ind i den
grønne Skov. |
| Poor Inchelina was miserable. Soon the grain would
be so tall that the field would be in shade, and she would no
longer be able to enjoy the warm sunshine. |
Tommelise var saa bedrøvet. Hun fik slet ikke
Lov at komme ud i det varme Solskin; Kornet, der var saaet paa
Ageren, henover Markmusens Huus, voxte ogsaa høit op i Veiret,
det var en heel tyk Skov for den stakkels lille Pige, som jo
kun var en Tomme lang. |
| "This summer you must spend getting your trousseau
ready," said the field mouse, for the sober mole in the velvet
coat had proposed to her. "You must have both woolens and linen
to wear and to use in housekeeping when you become Mrs. Mole." |
"Nu skal Du i Sommer sye paa dit Udstyr!" sagde
Markmusen til hende, for nu havde Naboen, den kjedelige Muldvarp
i den sorte Fløielspels, friet til hende. "Du skal have baade
Uldent og Linned! Du skal have at sidde og ligge paa, naar Du
bliver Muldvarpens Kone!" |
| Inchelina had to spin by hand and the field mouse
hired four spiders to weave both night and day. Every evening
the mole came visiting, but all he talked about was how nice
it would be when the summer was over. He didn't like the way
the sun baked the earth; it made it so hard to dig in. As soon
as autumn came they would get married. But Inchelina was not
happy; she thought the mole was dull and she did not love him.
Every day, at sunrise and at sunset, she tiptoed to the entrance
of the field mouse's house, so that when the wind blew and parted
the grain, she could see the blue sky above her. She thought
of how light and beautiful it was out there, and she longed
for her friend the swallow but he never came back. "He is probably
far away in the wonderful green forest!" she thought. |
Tommelise maatte spinde paa Haandteen, og Markmusen
leiede fire Ædderkoppe til at spinde og væve Nat og Dag. Hver
Aften gjorde Muldvarpen Visit og snakkede da altid om, at naar
Sommeren fik Ende, saa skinnede Solen ikke nær saa varmt, den
brændte jo nu Jorden fast, som en Steen; ja naar Sommeren var
ude, saa skulde Brylluppet staae med Tommelise; men hun var
slet ikke fornøiet, for hun holdt ikke noget af den kjedelige
Muldvarp. Hver Morgen, naar Solen stod op, og hver Aften, naar
den gik ned, listede hun sig ud i Døren og naar saa Vinden skilte
Toppene af Kornet ad, saa at hun kunde see den blaa Himmel,
tænkte hun paa, hvor lyst og smukt der var herude, og ønskede
saameget, at hun igjen maatte faae den kjære Svale at see; men
den kom aldrig mere, den fløi vist langt borte i den smukke
grønne Skov. |
| Autumn came and Inchelina's trousseau was finished. |
Da det nu blev Efteraar, havde Tommelise hele
sit Udstyr færdigt. |
| "In four weeks we shall hold your wedding," said
the field mouse. Inchelina cried and said she did not want to
marry the boring old mole. |
"Om fire Uger skal Du have Bryllup!" sagde Markmusen
til hende. Men Tommelise græd og sagde, hun vilde ikke have
den kjedelige Muldvarp. |
| "Fiddlesticks!" squeaked the field mouse. "Don't
be stubborn or I will bite you with my white teeth. You are
getting an excellent husband; he has a velvet coat so fine that
the queen does not have one that is better. He has both a larder
and kitchen, you ought to thank God for giving you such a good
husband." |
"Snik snak!" sagde Markmusen, "gjør Dig ikke obsternasig,
for ellers skal jeg bide Dig med min hvide Tand! Det er jo en
deilig Mand, Du faaer! hans sorte Fløielspels har Dronningen
selv ikke Mage til! Han har baade i Kjøkken og Kjælder. Tak
Du Gud for ham!" |
| The day of the wedding came; the mole had already
arrived. Inchelina grieved. Now she would never see the warm
sun again. The mole lived far down under the ground, for he
didn't like the sun. While she lived with the field mouse, she
at least had been allowed to walk as far as the entrance of
the little house and look at the sun. |
Saa skulde de have Bryllup. Muldvarpen var allerede
kommet, for at hente Tommelise; hun skulde boe med ham, dybt
nede under Jorden, aldrig komme ud i den varme Sol, for den
kunde han ikke lide. Det stakkels Barn var saa bedrøvet, hun
skulde nu sige den smukke Sol farvel, som hun dog hos Markmusen
havde faaet Lov at see paa i Døren. |
| "Farewell. . . . Farewell, you beautiful sun!"
Inchelina lifted her hands up toward the sky and then took a
few steps out upon the field. The harvest was over and only
the stubbles were left. She saw a little red flower. Embracing
it, she said: "Farewell! And give my love to the swallow if
you ever see him." |
"Farvel, Du klare Sol!" sagde hun og rakte Armene
høit op i Veiret, gik ogsaa en lille Smule udenfor Markmusens
Huus; thi nu var Kornet høstet, og her stod kun de tørre Stubbe.
"Farvel, farvel!," sagde hun og slog sine smaa Arme om en lille
rød Blomst, der stod. "Hils den lille Svale fra mig, dersom
Du faaer den at see!" |
| "Tweet . . . Tweet. . ." something said in the
air above her. She looked up. It was the little swallow. As
soon as he saw Inchelina he chirped with joy. And she told the
bird how she had to marry the awful mole, and live forever down
under the ground, and never see the sun again. The very telling
of her future brought tears to her eyes. |
"Qvivit, qvivit!" sagde det i det samme over hendes
Hoved; hun saae op, det var den lille Svale, der just kom forbi.
Saasnart den saae Tommelise, blev den saa fornøiet; hun fortalte
den, hvor nødig hun vilde have den stygge Muldvarp til Mand,
og at hun saa skulde boe dybt under Jorden, hvor aldrig Solen
skinnede. Hun kunde ikke lade være at græde derved. |
| "Now comes the cold winter," said the swallow,
"and I fly far away to the warm countries. Why don't you come
with me? You can sit on my back; tie yourself on so you won't
fall off and we will, fly far away from the ugly mole and his
dismal house; across the great mountains, to the countries where
the sun shines more beautifully than here and the loveliest
flowers grow and it is always summer. Fly with me, Inchelina.
You saved my life when I lay freezing in the cold cellar of
the earth." |
"Nu kommer den kolde Vinter," sagde den lille
Svale, "jeg flyver langt bort til de varme Lande, vil Du følge
med mig? Du kan sidde paa min Ryg! bind Dig kun fast med dit
Livbaand, saa flyve vi bort fra den stygge Muldvarp og hans
mørke Stue, langt bort over Bjergene til de varme Lande, hvor
Solen skinner smukkere end her, hvor der altid er Sommer og
deilige Blomster. Flyv kun med mig, Du søde lille Tommelise,
som har reddet mit Liv, da jeg laae forfrossen i den mørke Jordkjelder!" |
| "Yes, I will come," cried Inchelina, and climbed
up on the bird's back. She tied herself with a ribbon to one
of his feathers, and the swallow flew high up into the air,
above the forests and lakes and over the high mountains that
are always snow-covered. Inchelina froze in the cold air, but
she crawled underneath the warm feathers of the bird and only
stuck her little head out to see all the beauty below her. |
"Ja, jeg vil følge med Dig!" sagde Tommelise,
og satte sig op paa Fuglens Ryg, med Fødderne paa dens udbredte
Vinge, bandt sit Belte fast i een af de stærkeste Fjær og saa
fløi Svalen høit op i Luften, over Skov og over Sø, høit op
over de store Bjerge, hvor der altid ligger Snee, og Tommelise
frøs i den kolde Luft, men saa krøb hun ind under Fuglens varme
Fjær og stak kun det lille Hoved frem for at see al den Deilighed
under sig. |
| They came to the warm countries. And it was true
what the swallow had said: the sun shone more brightly and the
sky seemed twice as high. Along the fences grew the loveliest
green and blue grapes. From the trees in the forests hung oranges
and lemons. Along the roads the most beautiful children ran,
chasing many-colored butterflies. The swallow flew even farther
south, and the landscape beneath them became more and more beautiful.
Near a forest, on the shores of a lake, stood the ruins of an
ancient temple; ivy wound itself around the white pillars. On
top of these were many swallows' nests and one of them belonged
to the little swallow that was carrying Inchelina. |
Saa kom de til de varme Lande. Der skinnede Solen
meget klarere end her, Himlen var to Gange saa høi og paa Grøfter
og Gjærder voxte de deiligste grønne og blaa Viindruer. I Skovene
hang Citroner og Appelsiner, her duftede af Myrther og Krusemynter,
og paa Landeveien løb de nydeligste Børn og legede med store
brogede Sommerfugle. Men Svalen fløi endnu længer bort, og det
blev smukkere og smukkere. Under de deiligste grønne Træer ved
den blaa Søe, stod et skinnende hvidt Marmorslot, fra de gamle
Tider, Viinrankerne snoede sig op om de høie Piller; der øverst
oppe vare mange Svalereder, og i en af disse boede Svalen, som
bar Tommelise. |
| "This is my house," he said. "Now choose for yourself
one of the beautiful flowers down below and I will set you down
on it, it will make a lovely home for you." |
"Her er mit Huus!" sagde Svalen; "men vil Du nu
selv søge Dig een af de prægtige Blomster ud, som groe dernede,
saa skal jeg sætte Dig der og Du skal faae det saa nydeligt,
Du vil ønske det!" |
| "How wonderful!" exclaimed Inchelina, and clapped
her hands. |
"Det var deiligt!" sagde hun, og klappede med
de smaa Hænder. |
| Among the broken white marble pillars grew tall,
lovely white flowers. The swallow sat her down on the leaves
of one of them; and to Inchelina's astonishment, she saw a little
man sitting in the center of the flower. He was white and almost
transparent, as if he were made of glass. On his head he wore
a golden crown. On his back were a pair of wings. He was no
taller than Inchelina. In every one of the flowers there lived
such a tiny angel; and this one was the king of them all. |
Der laae en stor hvid Marmorsøile, som var faldet
om paa Jorden og knækket i tre Stykker, men mellem disse voxte
de smukkeste store hvide Blomster. Svalen fløi ned med Tommelise
og satte hende paa et af de brede Blade; men hvor forundret
blev hun ikke! der sad en lille Mand midt i Blomsten, saa hvid
og gjennemsigtig, som han var af Glas; den nydeligste Guldkrone
havde han paa Hovedet og de deiligste klare Vinger paa Skuldrene,
selv var han ikke større end Tommelise. Han var Blomstens Engel.
I hver Blomst boede der saadan en lille Mand eller Kone, men
denne var Konge over dem allesammen. |
| "How handsome he is!" whispered Inchelina to the
swallow. The tiny little king was terrified of the bird, who
was several times larger than he was. But when he saw Inchelina
he forgot his fear. She was the loveliest creature he had ever
seen; and so he took the crown off his own head and put it on
hers. Then he asked her what her name was and whether she wanted
to be queen of the flowers. Now here was a better husband than
old mother toad's ugly son or the mole with the velvet coat.
Inchelina said yes; and from every flower came a lovely little
angel to pay homage to their queen. How lovely and delicate
they all were; and they brought her gifts, and the best of these
was a pair of wings, so she would be able to fly, as they all
did, from flower to flower. It was a day of happiness. And the
swallow, from his nest in the temple, sang for them as well
as he could. But in his heart he was ever so sad, for he, too,
loved Inchelina and had hoped never to be parted from her. |
"Gud, hvor han er smuk!" hvidskede Tommelise til
Svalen. Den lille Prinds blev saa forskrækket for Svalen, thi
den var jo en heel Kjæmpefugl imod ham, der var saa lille og
fiin, men da han saae Tommelise, blev han saa glad, hun var
den allersmukkeste Pige, han endnu havde seet. Derfor tog han
sin Guldkrone af sit Hoved og satte paa hendes, spurgte, hvad
hun hed og om hun vilde være hans Kone, saa skulde hun blive
Dronning over alle Blomsterne! Ja det var rigtignok en Mand,
anderledes, end Skruptudsens Søn og Muldvarpen med den sorte
Fløielspels. Hun sagde derfor ja til den deilige Prinds og fra
hver Blomst kom en Dame eller Herre, saa nydelig, det var en
Lyst, hver bragte Tommelise en Present, men den bedste af alle
var et Par smukke Vinger af en stor hvid Flue; de bleve hæftede
paa Tommelises Ryg og saa kunde hun ogsaa flyve fra Blomst til
Blomst; der var saadan en Glæde og den lille Svale sad oppe
i sin Rede og sang for dem, saa godt den kunde, men i Hjertet
var den dog bedrøvet, for den holdt saa meget af Tommelise og
vilde aldrig have været skilt fra hende. |
| "You shall not be called Inchelina any longer,"
said the king. "It is an ugly name. From now on we shall call
you Maja." |
"Du skal ikke hedde Tommelise!" sagde Blomstens
Engel til hende, "det er et stygt Navn, og Du er saa smuk. Vi
ville kalde Dig Maja!" |
| "Farewell! Farewell!" called the little swallow.
He flew back to the north, away from the warm countries. He
came to Denmark; and there he has his nest, above the window
of a man who can tell fairy tales. "Tweet . . . tweet," sang
the swallow. And the man heard it and wrote down the whole story.
|
"Farvel! farvel!" sagde den lille Svale, og fløi
igjen bort fra de varme Lande, langt bort tilbage til Danmark;
der havde den en lille Rede over Vinduet, hvor Manden boer,
som kan fortælle Eventyr, for ham sang den "quivit, quivit!"
derfra have vi hele Historien. |
|