Is You the Fable Is About -
Det er Dig, Fabelen sigter til!
1836
| The wise men in ancient
times had a way of telling people the truth without being rude.
They held up in front of them a mirror, in which animals and
the strangest things appeared. It was both amusing and edifying
to look at. They called it a fable, and whatever foolish or
wise deeds the animals did were meant as lessons to the men
who saw it. They would realize this and say to themselves, "The
fable is about me." But no one had said this to them, and therefore
there was no reason for anyone to become angry. Let me, as an
example, tell you one. |
Oldtidens Vise have
snildt opfundet, hvorledes man uden at være Folk grov lige op
i Ansigtet, kunde sige dem Sandheden. De holdt nemlig foran
dem et sælsomt Speil, i hvilket alle Slags Dyr og forunderlige
Ting kom tilsyne og frembragte et lige saa morende som opbyggeligt
Skue. Det kaldte de en Fabel, og hvad Taabeligt eller Klogt
nu Dyrene der udrettede maatte Menneskene føre over paa sig
og derved tænke: det er Dig Fabelen sigter til i Saaledes kunde
nu Ingen blive vred derover. Vi vine tage et Exempel: |
| There were two high
mountains, and on top of each of them there was a castle. Down
in the valley a dog ran sniffing about as if it were trying
to find the scent of a mouse or a partridge to still its hunger.
Suddenly, from one of the castles, the trumpet blew, which was
a signal that dinner was served. The dog immediately ran up
the mountain, hoping to get a few scraps too, but when it had
come halfway up that trumpet call ceased. Then the trumpet from
the other castle was being blown. Now the dog thought, "Here
they will have finished eating by the time I get there; but
in the other castle they are just sitting down to the table."
So it ran down again and started up the other mountain. But
before it had gone halfway up, the first trumpet was sounded
again, whereas the second one could be heard no more. The dog
ran down and up again, and so kept changing mountains until
both trumpets were silent and the meal was over in both of the
castles before the dog arrived at either one. |
Der vare to høie Bjerge,
og øverst oppe paa hvert Bjerg stod et Slot. Nede i Dalen løb
en Hund, den snusede henad Jorden ligesom om den, for at stille
Hungeren, søgte efter Muus eller Agerhøns. Da klang med eet,
fra det ene Slot, Trompeten, som forkyndte, at man nu skulde
der til Bords. Hunden løb strax op ad Bjerget for at faae lidt
med, men i det den var kommen Halvveien, holdt Trompeterne op
at blæse, og en Trompet fra det andet Slot begyndte. Da tænkte
Hunden, her har man nu afspist før jeg kommer, men derovre vil
man nu først til at spise; den løb derfor ned igjen og opad
det andet Bjerg. Men nu begyndte igjen Trompeten paa det første
Sted, derimod holdt den anden op. Hunden løb igjen ned ad, og
igjen opad, og blev saaledes ved, til endelig begge Trompeter
taug stille, og Maaltidet var endt paa hvilket Sted den kom. |
| Guess what the ancient
wise men wanted to tell with this fable, and who is the fool
that keeps running back and forth until he is tired, without
ever gaining anything! |
Gjæt nu engang, hvad
Oldtidens Vise ville sige med denne Fabel og hvem der er den
Nar, som saaledes løber sig træt uden at vinde, hverken her
eller der. |
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