| Once upon a time there
lived in a village two men who had the same name; they were
both called Claus. But one of them owned four horses, while
the other had only one; so to tell them apart the richer man
was called Big Claus and the poorer one Little Claus. Now let's
hear what happened to the two of them because that's a real
story! |
Der vare i en By to
Mænd, som begge havde selv samme Navn, begge to hed de Claus,
men den ene eiede fire Heste og den anden kun en eneste Hest;
for nu at kunne skille dem fra hinanden, kaldte man ham, som
havde fire Heste, den store Claus, og ham, som kun havde den
ene Hest, lille Claus. Nu skulle vi høre, hvorledes de to havde
det, for det er en virkelig Historie! |
| Six days a week Little
Claus had to work for Big Claus and loan him his horse; and
in return Big Claus had to let Little Claus borrow his four
horses on Sunday. One day a week Little Claus felt as if all
the horses belonged to him, and he would crack his whip in the
air and shout orders to them merrily. One morning when the sun
was shining brightly and the villagers, all dressed up in their
Sunday best, with their prayer books under their arms, were
passing his field, Little Claus cracked his whip in the air,
whistled, and called out very loudly, "Gee up, all my horses!" |
Hele Ugen igjennem maatte
lille Claus pløie for store Claus, og laane ham sin eneste Hest;
saa hjalp store Claus ham igjen med alle sine fire, men kun
eengang om Ugen, og det var om Søndagen. Hussa! hvor smeldede
lille Claus med sin Pidsk over alle fem Heste, de vare jo nu
saa godt som hans, den ene Dag. Solen skinnede saa deiligt,
og alle Klokker i Kirketaarnet ringede til Kirke, Folk vare
saa pyntede, og gik med Psalmebog under Armen hen at høre Præsten
prædike og de saae paa lille Claus, der pløiede med fem Heste,
og han var saa fornøiet, at han smeldede igjen med Pidsken og
raabte: "hyp, alle mine Heste!" |
| "You may not say that!"
exclaimed Big Claus. "Only one of the horses is yours." |
"Det maa Du ikke
sige," sagde store Claus, "det er jo kun den ene Hest,
der er din?" |
| But Little Claus forgot
very quickly what Big Claus had said, and the next time someone
went by and nodded kindly in his direction, he shouted, "Gee
up, all my horses!" |
Men da der igjen gik
Nogen forbi til Kirke, glemte lille Claus, at han ikke maatte
sige det, og raabte da: "hyp, alle mine Heste!" |
| Big Claus turned around
and shouted! "I beg you for the last time not to call all those
horses yours because if you do it once more I'll take the mallet
that I use to drive in the stake for tethering my four horses
and hit your one horse so hard that it will drop dead on the
spot." |
"Ja, nu vil jeg
bede Dig at lade være!" sagde store Claus, "for siger
Du det endnu eengang, saa slaaer jeg din Hest for Panden, saa
den skal ligge død paa Stedet, da er det forbi med den!" |
| "I promise never to
say it again," said Little Claus meekly. But the words were
hardly out of his mouth when still another group of churchgoers
stopped to watch him plow. They smiled and said good morning
in a very friendly way. "What a fine figure I must cut, driving
five horses," he thought; and without realizing what he was
doing, he cracked the whip and cried, "Gee up, all my horses!" |
"Jeg skal saamæn
ikke sige det mere!" sagde lille Claus, men da der kom
Folk forbi, og de nikkede god Dag, blev han saa fornøiet, og
syntes det saae dog saa raskt ud, at han havde fem Heste til
at pløie sin Mark, og saa smeldede han med Pidsken, og raabte:
"hyp, alle mine Heste!" |
| "I'll give your horse
gee up!" screamed Big Claus in a rage; and he took his tethering
mallet and hit Little Claus' only horse so hard on the forehead
that it fell down quite dead. |
"Jeg skal hyppe
dine Heste!" sagde store Claus, og tog Tøirekøllen og slog
lille Claus's eneste Hest for Panden, saa at den faldt om, og
var ganske død. |
| "Poor me!" cried Little
Claus. "Now I don't have any horse at all!" And he sat down
and wept. But as there was nothing else to do he flayed the
horse and hung the hide up to dry. When the wind had done its
work, Little Claus put the hide in a sack and set off for town
to sell it in the market place. |
"Ak nu har jeg
slet ingen Heste mere!" sagde lille Claus og gav sig til
at græde. Siden flaaede han Hesten, tog Huden og lod den godt
tørre i Vinden, puttede den saa i en Pose, som han tog paa Nakken,
og gik ad Byen til for at sælge sin Hestehud. |
| It was a long way and
the road led through a forest. The weather turned bad and among
the dark shadows Little Claus lost his way. He turned first
in one direction and then in another. Finally he did find his
way again; but by then it was late afternoon and too late to
reach town before nightfall. |
Han havde saadan en
lang Vei at gaae, skulde igjennem en stor mørk Skov, og nu blev
det et frygteligt ondt Veir; han gik ganske vild, og før han
kom paa den rette Vei, var det Aften, og altfor langt til at
komme til Byen eller hjem igjen, før det blev Nat. |
| Not far from the road
he saw a farmhouse. The shutters were closed but above them
there shone tiny streams of light. "There I may ask for
shelter for the night," Little Claus thought, and made his way
to the front door and knocked. |
Tæt ved Veien laae der
en stor Bondegaard, Skudderne udenfor vare skudte for Vinduerne,
men Lyset kunde dog ovenfor skinne ud. Der kan jeg vel faae
Lov at blive Natten over, tænkte lille Claus, og gik hen at
banke paa. |
| The farmer's wife answered
the door, but when she heard what he wanted she shook her head.
"You'll have to go away," she ordered. "My husband isn't home
and I cannot allow a stranger to come in." |
Bondekonen lukkede op,
men da hun hørte, hvad han vilde, sagde hun, at han skulde gaae
sin Vei, hendes Mand var ikke hjemme, og hun tog ikke imod nogen
Fremmede. |
| "Then I'll have to sleep
outside," said Little Claus. The farmer's wife shut the door
without another word; and Little Claus looked about him. |
"Naa, saa maa jeg
da ligge udenfor," sagde lille Claus, og Bondekonen lukkede
Døren for ham. |
| Near the house was a
haystack, and between that and the dwelling there was a shed
with a flat thatched roof. |
Tæt ved stod en stor
Høstak, og mellem den og Huset var bygget et lille Skuur med
et fladt Straatag. |
| "I'll stretch out on
that," Little Claus mumbled, looking at the roof. "It will make
a fine bed and I doubt that the stork will fly down and bite
me." The latter was said in jest because there was a stork's
nest on the roof of the farmhouse. |
"Der kan jeg ligge
oppe!" sagde lille Claus, da han saae Taget, "det
er jo en deilig Seng, Storken flyver vel ikke ned og bider mig
i Benene." For der stod en levende Stork oppe paa Taget,
hvor den havde sin Rede. |
| Little Claus climbed
up on the roof of the shack; and while he was twisting and turning
to make himself comfortable, he realized that from where he
lay he could see right into the kitchen of the farmhouse because,
at the top, the shutters did not close tightly. |
Nu krøb lille Claus
op paa Skuret, hvor han laae og vendte sig, for at ligge rigtig
godt. Træskudderne for Vinduerne sluttede ikke oventil, og saa
kunde han see lige ind i Stuen. |
| A fine white linen cloth
covered the large table and on it were not only a roast and
wine but a platter of fish as well. On one side of the table
sat the farmer's wife and on the other the deacon; and while
she filled his glass with wine, he filled himself with fish
because that was his favorite food. |
Der var dækket et stort
Bord med Viin og Steg og saadan en deilig Fisk, Bondekonen og
Degnen sad til Bords og ellers slet ingen andre, og hun skjænkede
for ham og han stak paa Fisken, for det var noget han holdt
af. |
| "If only I had been
invited too!" Little Claus sighed, and pushed himself as near
to the window as he could without touching the shutters. There
was a cake on the table too; this was better than a party, it
was a feast! |
"Hvem der dog kunde
faae noget med!" sagde lille Claus, og rakte Hovedet lige
hen mod Vinduet. Gud, hvilken deilig Kage han kunde see staae
derinde! Jo, det var Gilde! |
| He heard someone galloping
on the road; he turned and saw the rider: it was the farmer
coming home. |
Nu hørte han Een komme
ridende paa Landeveien hen imod Huset, det var Bondekonens Mand,
som kom hjem. |
| Now this farmer was
known for two things: one, that he was a good fellow, and the
other, that he suffered from a strange disease; he couldn't
bear the sight of a deacon. One glance and he went into a rage.
And that, of course, was the reason why the deacon had come
visiting on a day when the farmer wasn't at home; and that too
was why the farmer's wife had made the most delicious food she
could for her guest.When they heard the farmer riding up to
the door of his house, both the farmer's wife and the deacon
were terrified; and she told him to climb into a large empty
chest that stood in the comer. The poor man, trembling with
fear, obeyed her. Then the woman hid all the food and the wine
in the oven, for she knew that if her husband saw all the delicacies
he was certain to ask her why she had made them. |
Det var saadan en god
Mand, men han havde den forunderlige Sygdom, at han aldrig kunde
taale at see Degne; kom der en Degn for hans Øine, blev han
ganske rasende. Derfor var det ogsaa, at Degnen var gaaet ind
for at sige god Dag til Konen, da han vidste Manden ikke var
hjemme, og den gode Kone satte derfor al den deiligste Mad,
hun havde, for ham; da de nu hørte Manden kom, bleve de saa
forskrækkede, og Konen bad Degnen krybe ned i en stor tom Kiste,
der stod henne i Krogen; det gjorde han, for han vidste jo,
at den stakkels Mand ikke kunde taale at see Degne. Konen gjemte
gesvindt al den deilige Mad og Viin inde i sin Bagerovn, for
havde Manden faaet den at see, saa havde han nok spurgt, hvad
den skulde betyde. |
| "Ow!" groaned Little
Claus when he saw the last of the food disappear into the bread
oven. |
"Ak ja!" sukkede
lille Claus oppe paa Skuret, da han saae al Maden blive borte. |
| "Is there someone up
there?" the farmer called, and when he saw Little Claus lying
on the roof of the shed he told him to come down. "What were
you doing up there?" |
"Er der nogen der
oppe?" spurgte Bondemanden og kigede op paa lille Claus.
"Hvorfor ligger Du der? kom heller med ind i Stuen!" |
| Little Claus explained
how he had lost his way in the forest and asked the farmer to
be allowed to spend the night in his house. |
Saa fortalte lille Claus,
hvorledes han havde forvildet sig, og bad om han maatte blive
Natten over. |
| "You are most welcome,"
said the farmer, who was the kindest of men, as long as there
was no deacon in sight. "But first let's have a bite to eat." |
"Ja vist!"
sagde Bondemanden, "men nu skulle vi først have lidt at
leve af!" |
| The farmer's wife greeted
them both very politely, set the table, and served them a large
bowl of porridge. The farmer, who was very hungry, ate with
relish; but Little Claus kept thinking of all the delicious
food in the oven and couldn't swallow a spoonful. |
Konen tog meget venlig
imod dem begge to, dækkede et langt Bord og gav dem et stort
Fad Grød. Bondemanden var sulten og spiste med rigtig Appetit,
men lille Claus kunde ikke lade være at tænke paa den deilige
Steg, Fisk og Kage, han vidste stod inde i Ovnen. |
| At his feet under the
table lay the sack with the horse hide in it. He stepped on
the sack and the horse hide squeaked. |
Under Bordet ved sine
Fødder havde han lagt sin Sæk med Hestehuden i, for vi veed
jo, at det var den han var gaaet hjemme fra med, for at faae
den solgt i Byen. Grøden vilde slet ikke smage ham, og saa traadte
han paa sin Pose, og den tørre Hud i Sækken knirkede ganske
høit. |
| "Shhhhhhhh!" whispered
Little Claus to the sack; but at the same time he pressed his
foot down on it even harder and it squeaked even louder. |
"Hys!" sagde
lille Claus til sin Sæk, men traadte i det samme paa den igjen,
saa knirkede det meget høiere end før. |
| "What have you sot
in the bag?" asked the farmer. |
"Nei! hvad har
du i din Pose?" spurgte Bonden igjen. |
| "Oh, it's only a wizard,"
Little Claus replied. "He was telling me that there's no reason
for us to eat porridge when he has just conjured both fish and
meat for us, and even a cake. Look in the oven." |
"0, det er en Troldmand!"
sagde lille Claus, "han siger, at vi skal ikke spise Grød,
han har hexet hele Ovnen fuld af Steg og Fisk og Kage." |
| "What!" exclaimed the
farmer; and he ran to the oven and opened it. There he saw all
the good food that his wife had made for the deacon; and she--not
daring to tell him the truth---silently served the roast, the
fish, and the cake. After he had taken a few mouthfuls, Little
Claus stepped on the sack again so that the hide squeaked. |
"Hvad for noget!"
sagde Bonden, og lukkede gesvindt Ovnen op, hvor han saae al
den deilige Mad, Konen havde gjemt, men som han nu troede, at
Troldmanden i Posen havde hexet til dem. Konen turde ikke sige
noget, men satte strax Maden paa Bordet, og saa spiste de baade
af Fisken og Stegen og Kagen. Nu traadte lille Claus paa sin
Pose igjen, saa Huden knirkede. |
| "What is the wizard
saying now?" asked the farmer eagerly. |
"Hvad siger han
nu?" spurgte Bonden. |
| "He says that he has
conjured three bottles of wine for us and that you will find
them in the corner next to the oven." The farmer's poor wife
brought out the wine, which she had hidden, and poured it for
Little Claus and her husband, who made so many toasts to each
other's health that they were soon very merry. Then the farmer
began to think about Little Claus' sack and what a wonderful
thing it must be to have a wizard. |
"Han siger,"
sagde lille Claus, "at han ogsaa har hexet tre Flasker
Viin til os, de staae henne i Krogen ved Ovnen!" Nu maatte
Konen tage Vinen frem, hun havde gjemt, og Bondemanden drak
og blev saa lystig, saadan en Troldmand, som lille Claus havde
i Posen, vilde han da grumme gjerne eie. |
| "Do you think he could
conjure the Devil?" the farmer asked. "For now that I have the
courage I wouldn't mind seeing what he looks like." |
"Kan han ogsaa
hexe Fanden frem?" spurgte Bonden, "ham gad jeg nok
see, for nu er jeg lystig!" |
| "Why not?" replied Little
Claus. "My wizard will do anything I tell him to. . . . Won't
you?" he added, stepping on the sack so that it squeaked. Turning
to the farmer, Little Claus smiled. "Can't you bear that he
said yes? But the Devil has such an ugly face that he's not
worth looking at." |
"Ja," sagde
lille Claus, "min Troldmand kan Alt, hvad jeg vil forlange.
Ikke sandt Du?" spurgte han og traadte paa Posen, saa det
knirkede. "Kan Du høre, han siger jo? Men Fanden seer saa
fæl ud, det er ikke værd at see ham!" |
| "I'm not afraid," said
the farmer, and hiccupped. "How terrible can he look?" |
"0, jeg er slet
ikke bange, hvorledes kan han vel see ud? |
| "He looks just like
a deacon!" |
"Ja, han vil vise
sig ganske livagtig som en Degn!" |
| "Pooh!" returned the
farmer. "Thats worse than I thought! I must confess that I cannot
stand the sight of a deacon; but now that I know that it is
only the Devil I will be looking at, maybe I can bear it. But
don't let him come too near me and let's get it over with before
I lose my courage." |
"Hu!" sagde
Bonden, "det var fælt! I maa vide, at jeg kan ikke taale
at see Degne! men det er nu det samme, jeg veed jo, det er Fanden,
saa finder jeg mig vel bedre i det! Nu har jeg Courage! men
han maa ikke komme mig for nær." |
| "I'll tell my wizard,"
said Little Claus and stepped on the hide; then he cocked his
head as if he were listening to someone. |
"Nu skal jeg spørge
min Troldmand," sagde lille Claus, traadte paa Posen og
holdt sit Øre til. |
| "What is he saying?"
asked the farmer, who could only hear the hide squeak. |
"Hvad siger han?" |
| "He says that if we
go over to the chest in the corner and open it up we shall see
the Devil sitting inside. But we must be careful when we lift
the lid, not to lift it too high, so the Devil can escape." |
"Han siger, at
I kan gaae hen og lukke Kisten op, der staaer i Krogen, saa
vil I see Fanden, hvor han kukkelurer, men I maae holde paa
Laaget at han ikke slipper ud." |
| "Then you must hold
onto the lid while I lift it," whispered the farmer to Little
Claus as he tiptoed to the chest in which the deacon was hiding.
This poor fellow had heard every word that Little Claus and
the farmer had said and was quaking with fear. |
"Vil I hjelpe mig
med at holde paa det!" sagde Bonden og gik hen til Kisten,
hvor Konen havde gjemt den virkelige Degn, der sad og var saa
bange. |
| The farmer opened the
chest no more than an inch or two and peeped inside. "Ah!" he
screamed and jumped up, letting the lid fall back into place.
"I saw him! He looked exactly like our deacon! It was a dreadful
sight!" |
Bonden løftede Laaget
lidt og kigede ind under det: "hu!" skreg han, og
sprang tilbage. "Jo, nu saae jeg ham, han saae ganske ud,
som vores Degn! nei, det var forskrækkeligt!" |
| After such an experience
you need a drink; and Little Claus and the farmer had many,
for they drank late into the night. |
Det maatte der drikkes
paa, og saa drak de endnu til langt ud paa Natten. |
| "You must sell me that
wizard," the farmer finally said. "Ask whatever you want for
it. . . . I'll give you a bushel basket full of money, if that's
what you'd like." |
"Den Troldmand
maa Du sælge mig," sagde Bonden, "forlang for den
Alt, hvad Du vil! ja, jeg giver dig strax en heel Skjeppe Penge!" |
| "You must sell me that
wizard," the farmer finally said. "Ask whatever you want for
it. . . . I'll give you a bushel basket full of money, if that's
what you'd like." |
"Nei, det kan jeg
ikke!" sagde lille Claus, "tænk dog, hvor meget Gavn
jeg kan have af denne Troldmand!" |
| "But I want it with
all my heart," begged the farmer; and he kept on pleading with
Little Claus until at last he agreed. |
"Ak, jeg vilde
saa grumme gjerne have den," sagde Bonden, og blev ved
at bede. |
| "I cannot forget that
you gave me a night's lodging," Little Claus said. "Take my
wizard, but remember to fill the bushel basket to the very top." |
"Ja," sagde
da lille Claus tilsidst, "da Du har været saa god at give
mig Huusly i Nat, saa kan det være det samme, Du skal faae Troldmanden
for en Skjeppe Penge, men jeg vil have Skjeppen topfuld." |
| "I shall! I shall!"
exclaimed the farmer. "But you must take the chest along too.
I won't have it in my house. Who knows but that the Devil isn't
still inside it?" |
"Det skal Du faae,"
sagde Bonden, "men Kisten derhenne maa Du tage med Dig,
jeg vil ikke have den en Time i Huset, man kan ikke vide, om
han sidder deri endnu." |
| And that's how it happened
that Little Claus gave the farmer a sack with a horse hide in
it and in return was given not only a bushel full of money and
a chest but a wheelbarrow to carry them away. |
Lille Claus gav Bonden
sin Sæk med den tørre Hud i, og fik en heel Skjeppe Penge, og
det topmaalt, for den. Bondemanden forærede ham endogsaa en
stor Trillebør til at kjøre Pengene og Kisten paa. |
| "Good-by!" called Little
Claus, and off he went. |
"Farvel!"
sagde lille Claus, og saa kjørte han med sine Penge og den store
Kiste, hvori endnu Degnen sad. |
| On the other side of
the forest there was a deep river with a current that flowed
so swiftly that you could not swim against it. But the river
had to be crossed and so a bridge had been built. When Little
Claus reached the middle of that bridge, he said very loudly
so the deacon, who was still inside the chest, could hear him-- |
Paa den anden Side af
Skoven var en stor dyb Aa, Vandet løb saa stærkt afsted, at
man knap kunde svømme imod Strømmen; man havde gjort
en stor ny Bro derover, lille Claus holdt midt paa den, og sagde
ganske høit, for at Degnen inde i Kisten kunde høre det: |
| "What's the point of
dragging this chest any farther? It's so heavy, you'd think
it was filled with stones. I'm all worn out. I know what I'll
do, I'll dump the chest into the stream and if the current carries
it home to me, all well and good; and if not, it doesn't matter."
|
"Nei, hvad skal
jeg dog med den tossede Kiste? den er saa tung, som der var
Stene i! jeg bliver ganske træt af at kjøre den længer, jeg
vil derfor kaste den ud i Aaen, seiler den saa hjem til mig,
er det godt, og gjør den det ikke, saa kan det ogsaa være det
samme." |
| Then he took hold of
the chest and pushed it, as if he were about to lift it out
of the wheelbarrow and let it fall into the water. |
Nu tog han i Kisten
med den ene Haand, og løftede lidt paa den, ligesom om han vilde
styrte den ned i Vandet. |
| "No, stop it!" cried
the deacon from inside the chest. "Let me out! Please, let me
out!" |
"Nei lad være!"
raabte Degnen inde i Kisten, "lad mig bare komme ud!" |
| "Oh!" shouted Little
Claus as if he were frightened. "The Devil is still in there.
I'd better throw the chest right into the river and drown him." |
"Hu!" sagde
lille Claus, og lod som han blev bange. "Han sidder endnu
der inde! saa maa jeg gesvindt have den ud i Aaen, at han kan
drukne!" |
| "No! No!" screamed the
deacon. "I'll give you a bushel of money if you'll let me out!" |
"0 nei, o nei!"
raabte Degnen, "jeg vil give Dig en heel Skjeppe Penge,
vil Du lade være!" |
| "That's a different
tune," said Little Claus, and opened the chest. The deacon climbed
out and shoved the chest into the river. Together Little Claus
and the deacon went to the deacon's home, where he gave Little
Claus the bushel of coins that he had promised him. Now Little
Claus had a whole Wheelbarrow full of Money. |
"Ja det er en anden
Sag!" sagde lille Claus, og lukkede Kisten op. Degnen krøb
strax ud og stødte den tomme Kiste ud i Vandet, og gik til sit
Hjem, hvor lille Claus fik en heel Skjeppe Penge, een havde
han jo faaet forud af Bondemanden, nu havde han da hele sin
Trillebør fuld af Penge! |
| "That wasn't bad payment
for my old horse," he said to himself as he dumped all the coins
out on the floor of his own living room. "What a big pile it
is! It will annoy Big Claus to find out how rich I have become,
all because of my horse. I won't tell him but let him find out
for himself." |
"See, den Hest
fik jeg da ganske godt betalt!" sagde han til sig selv
da han kom hjem i sin egen Stue, og væltede alle Pengene af
i en stor Hob midt paa Gulvet. "Det vil ærgre store Claus,
naar han faaer at vide, hvor riig jeg er blevet ved min ene
Hest, men jeg vil dog ikke lige reent ud sige ham det!" |
| A few minutes later
a boy banged on Big Claus' door and asked him if he could borrow
his grain measure for Little Claus. |
Nu sendte han en Dreng
hen til store Claus, for at laane et Skjeppemaal. |
| "I wonder what he is
going to use that for," thought Big Claus; and in order to find
out he dabbed a bit of tar in the bottom of the measuring pail,
which was quite clever of him because when it was returned he
found a silver coin stuck to the spot. |
"Hvad mon han vil
med det!" tænkte store Claus, og smurte Tjære under Bunden
for at der kunde hænge lidt ved af det, som maaltes, og det
gjorde der da ogsaa, thi da han fik Skjeppen tilbage, hang der
tre nye Sølv-Otte-Skillinger ved. |
| "Where did that come
from?" shouted Big Claus, and ran as fast as he could to Little
Claus' house. When he saw Little Claus in the midst of his riches,
he shouted even louder, "Where did you get all that money from?" |
"Hvad for noget?"
sagde den store Claus, og løb strax hen til den Lille: "Hvor
har Du faaet alle de mange Penge fra?" |
| "Oh, that was for my
horse hide, I sold it last night." |
"0 det er for min
Hestehud, jeg solgte den i Aftes!" |
| "You were certainly
well paid!" said Big Claus; and hurried home where he took an
ax and killed all four of his horses; then he flayed them and
set off for town with their hides. |
"Det var saamæn
godt betalt!" sagde store Claus, løb gesvindt hjem, tog
en Øxe, og slog alle sine fire Heste for Panden, trak Huden
af dem, og kjørte med disse ind til Byen. |
| "Hides for sale! Hides
for sale! Who wants to buy hides?" Big Claus shouted from street
to street. |
"Huder! Huder!
hvem vil kjøbe Huder!" raabte han igjennem Gaderne. |
| All the shoemakers and
tanners came out of their workshops to ask him the price of
his wares. |
Alle Skomagere og Garvere
kom løbende, og spurgte, hvad han vilde have for dem. |
| "A bushel full of coins
for each hide," he replied. |
"En Skjeppe Penge
for hver," sagde store Claus. |
| "You must be mad!" they
all shouted at once. "Do you think we count money by the bushel?" |
"Er Du gal?"
sagde de allesammen, "troer Du, vi have Penge i Skjeppeviis?" |
| "Hides for sale! Hides
for sale!" Big Claus repeated. And every time that someone asked
him the price he said again, "A bushel full of coins." |
"Huder, Huder!
hvem vil kjøbe Huder," raabte han igjen, men alle dem,
som spurgte, hvad Huderne kostede, svarede han: "en Skjeppe
Penge." |
| "Are you trying to make
fools of us?" the shoemakers and the tanners shouted. And while
the crowd continued to gather around them, the tanners took
their leather aprons and the shoemakers their straps and began
to beat Big Claus. |
"Han vil gjøre
Nar af os," sagde de Allesammen, og saa toge Skomagerne
deres Spanderemme og Garverne deres Skjødskind, og begyndte
at prygle paa store Claus. |
| "Hides . . ." screamed
one of the tanners. "Well see to it that your hide spits red!"
"Out of town with him!" they shouted. And certainly Big Claus
did his best to get out of town as fast as he could; never in
his whole life had he gotten such a beating. |
"Huder, Huder!"
vrængede de af ham, "ja vi skal give Dig en Hud, der skal
spytte røde Grise! ud af Byen med ham!" raabte de, og store
Claus maatte skynde sig alt hvad han kunde, saa pryglet havde
han aldrig været. |
| "Little Claus is going
to pay for this!" he decided when he got home. "He is going
to pay with his life." |
"Naa!" sagde
han, da han kom hjem, "det skal lille Claus faae betalt,
jeg vil slaae ham ihjel for det!" |
| But while Big Claus
was in town, something unfortunate had occurred: Little Claus'
grandmother had died. And although she had been a very mean
and scolding hag, who had never been kind to Little Claus, he
felt very sad. Thinking that it might bring her back to life,
he put his old grandmother in his own warm bed and decided to
let her stay there all night, even though this meant that he
would have to sleep in a chair. |
Men hjemme hos den lille
Claus var den gamle Bedstemoder død; hun havde rigtignok været
saa arrig og slem imod ham, men han var dog ganske bedrøvet,
og tog den døde Kone og lagde hende i sin varme Seng, om hun
ikke kunde komme til Live igjen; der skulde hun ligge hele Natten,
selv vilde han sidde henne i Krogen og sove paa en Stol, det
havde han gjort før. |
| It was not the first
time that Little Claus had tried sleeping in a chair, but he
could not sleep anyway; so he was wide awake when Big Claus
came and tiptoed across the room to the bed in which he thought
Little Claus was sleeping. With an ax Big Claus hit the old
grandmother on top of the head as hard as he could. |
Som han nu sad der om
Natten, gik Døren op og store Claus kom ind med sin Øxe; han
vidste nok, hvor lille Claus's Seng var, gik lige hen til den
og slog nu den døde Bedstemoder for Panden, idet han troede,
det var lille Claus. |
| "That's what you get
for making a fool out of me," he explained. "And now you won't
be able to do it again," he added and went home. |
"See saa!"
sagde han, "nu skal Du ikke narre mig mere!" og saa
gik han hjem igjen. |
| "What a wicked man!"
thought Little Claus. "If my grandmother hadn't already been
dead, he would have killed her." |
"Det er dog en
slem ond Mand!" sagde lille Claus, "der vilde han
slaae mig ihjel, det var dog godt for den gamle Mutter, hun
allerede var død, ellers havde han taget Livet af hende!" |
| Very early the next
morning he dressed his grandmother in her Sunday best; then
he borrowed a horse from his neighbor and harnessed it to his
cart. On the small seat in the back of the cart, he put the
old woman in a sitting position with bundles on either side
of her, so she wouldn't fall out of the cart while he was driving.
He went through the forest and just as the sun was rising he
reached an inn. "I'd better stop to get something to keep me
alive," he said. |
Nu gav han den gamle
Bedstemoder Søndagsklæderne paa, laante en Hest af sin Nabo,
spændte den for Vognen og satte den gamle Bedstemoder op i det
bageste Sæde, saaledes at hun ikke kunde falde ud, naar han
kjørte til, og saa rullede de afsted igjennem Skoven; da Solen
stod op, vare de udenfor en stor Kro, der holdt lille Claus
stille, og gik ind for at faae noget at leve af. |
| It was a large inn,
and the innkeeper was very rich. He was also very kind, but
he had a ferocious temper, as if he had nothing inside him but
pepper and tobacco. |
Kromanden havde saa
mange, mange Penge, han var ogsaa en meget god Mand, men hidsig,
som der var Peber og Tobak i ham. |
| "Good morning," he said
to Little Claus. "You're dressed very finely for so early in
the morning." |
"God Morgen!"
sagde han til lille Claus, "Du er tidlig kommet i Stadsklæderne
i Dag!" |
| "I'm driving to town
with my grandmother," he replied. "She's sitting out in the
cart because I couldn't persuade her to come in here with me.
I wonder if you would be so kind as to take a glass of mead
out to her; but speak a little loudly because she is a bit hard
of hearing." |
"Ja," sagde
lille Claus, "jeg skal til Byen med min gamle Bedstemoder,
hun sidder der ude paa Vognen, jeg kan ikke faae hende ind i
Stuen. Vil I ikke bringe hende et Glas Mjød, men I maa tale
lovlig høit, for hun kan ikke godt høre." |
| "No sooner said than
done," answered the innkeeper; and he poured a large glass of
mead which he carried out to the dead woman. |
"Jo, det skal jeg!"
sagde Kromanden, og skjænkede et stort Glas Mjød, som han gik
ud med til den døde Bedstemoder, der var stillet op i Vognen. |
| "Here is a glass of
mead, which your son ordered for you," said the innkeeper loudly
but politely; but the dead woman sat perfectly still and said
not a word. |
"Her er et Glas
Mjød fra hendes Søn!" sagde Kromanden, men den døde Kone
sagde da ikke et Ord, men sad ganske stille! |
| "Can't you hear me?"
he shouted. "Here is mead from your son!" |
"Hører I ikke!"
raabte Kromanden ligesaa høit, han kunde, "her er et Glas
Mjød fra hendes Søn!" |
| He shouted the same
words again as loud as he could, and still the old woman sat
staring straight ahead. The more he shouted, the madder the
innkeeper got, until finally he lost his temper and threw the
mead, glass and all, right into the woman's face. With the mead
dripping down her nose, she fell over backward, for little Claus
had not tied her to the seat. |
Endnu engang raabte
han det samme og saa nok engang, men da hun slet ikke rørte
sig ud af Stedet, blev han vred og kastede hende Glasset lige
ind i Ansigtet, saa Mjøden løb hende lige ned over Næsen, og
hun faldt baglænds om i Vognen, for hun var kun stillet op og
ikke bundet fast. |
| "What have you done?"
shouted Little Claus as he flung open the door of the inn. "Why,
you have killed my grandmother!" he cried, grabbing the innkeeper
by the shirt "Look at the wound she has on her head!" |
"Naada!" raabte
lille Claus, sprang ud af Døren og tog Kromanden i Brystet!
"der har Du slaaet min Bedstemoder ihjel! Vil Du bare see,
der er et stort Hul i hendes Pande!" |
| "Oh, what a calamity!"
the innkeeper exclaimed, and wrung his hands. "It is all because
of that temper of mine! Sweet, good Little Claus, I will give
you a bushel full of money and bury your grandmother as if she
were my own, as long as you'll, keep quiet about what really
happened, because if you don't they'll chop my head off; and
that's so nasty." |
"0 det var en Ulykke!"
raabte Kromanden og slog Hænderne sammen! "det kommer altsammen
af min Hidsighed! Søde lille Claus, jeg vil give dig en heel
Skjeppe Penge og lade din Bedstemoder begrave, som om det var
min egen, men tie bare stille, for ellers hugge de Hovedet af
mig, og det er saa ækelt!" |
| And that was how Little
Claus got another bushel full of coins; and the innkeeper, true
to his word, buried the old woman as well as he would have had
she been his own grandmother. |
Saa fik lille Claus
en heel Skjeppe Penge, og Kromanden begravede den gamle Bedstemoder,
som det kunde være hans egen. |
| As soon as he got home
Little Claus sent his boy to borrow Big Claus's grain measure. |
Da nu lille Claus kom
hjem igjen med de mange Penge, sendte han strax sin Dreng over
til store Claus, for at bede, om han ikke maatte laane et Skjeppemaal. |
| "What, haven't I killed
him?" Big Claus exclaimed. "I must find out what's happened.
I'll take the measure over there myself." When he arrived at
Little Claus's and saw all the money, his eyes grew wide with
wonder and greed. |
"Hvad for Noget?"
sagde store Claus, "har jeg ikke slaaet ham ihjel! Da maa
jeg dog selv see efter," og saa gik han selv over med Skjeppen
til lille Claus. |
| "Where did you get all
that from?" he demanded. |
"Nei hvor har Du
dog faaet alle de Penge fra?" spurgte han, og spilede rigtigt
Øinene op ved at see alle dem, der vare komne til. |
| "It was my grandmother
and not me that you killed, and now I have sold her body for
a bushel full of money." |
"Det var min Bedstemoder
og ikke mig, Du slog ihjel!" sagde lille Claus, "hende
har jeg nu solgt og faaet en Skjeppe Penge for!" |
| "You were certainly
well paid," said Big Claus, and hurried home. When he got there
he took an ax and killed his old grandmother; then he dumped
the poor old woman's body in his carriage and drove into town.
He went at once to the apothecary and asked if he wanted to
buy a corpse. |
"Det var saamæn
godt betalt!" sagde store Claus og skyndte sig hjem, tog
en Øxe og slog strax sin gamle Bedstemoder ihjel, lagde hende
op i Vognen, kjørte ind til Byen, hvor Apothekeren boede, og
spurgte, om han ville kjøbe et dødt Menneske. |
| "Who is it and where
did you get it from?" the apothecary inquired. |
"Hvem er det, og
hvor har I faaet det fra?" spurgte Apothekeren. |
| "Oh, it is my grandmother,
and I have killed her so I could sell her body for a bushel
of money," Big Claus said. |
"Det er min Bedstemoder!"
sagde store Claus, "jeg har slaaet hende ihjel, for en
Skjeppe Penge!" |
| "God save us!" cried
the apothecary. "You don't know what you're saying. . . . If
you talk like that you'll lose your head." And the apothecary
lectured him, telling him how wicked a crime murder was and
that it was committed only by the most evil of men, who deserved
the severest punishment. Big Claus was terrified and leaped
into his carriage. He set off in the direction of his home,
wildly whipping his horses. But no one tried to stop him, for
everyone believed that he had gone mad. |
"Gud bevare os!"
sagde Apothekeren. "I snakker over Eder! siig dog ikke
saadan noget, for saa kan I miste Hovedet!" - Og nu sagde
han ham rigtigt, hvad det var for noget forskrækkeligt Ondt,
han havde gjort, og hvilket slet Menneske han var, og at han
burde straffes; store Claus blev da saa forskrækket, at han
sprang lige fra Apotheket ud i Vognen, pidskede paa Hestene
og foer hjem, men Apothekeren og alle Folk troede han var gal,
og lod ham derfor kjøre, hvorhen han vilde. |
| "I'll make you pay for
this!" Big Claus cried as soon as he was well out of town. "Little
Claus is going to pay for this," he repeated when he got home.
Then he took a large sack and went to see Little Claus. "So
you fooled me again!" he shouted. "First I killed my horses
and then my grandmother; and it's all your fault. But you have
fooled me for the last time!" Grabbing Little Claus around the
waist, he shoved him into the sack. As he flung the sack over
his shoulder he said loudly, "And now I am going to drown you!" |
"Det skal Du faae
betalt!" sagde store Claus, da han var ude paa Landeveien!
"ja det skal Du faae betalt, lille Claus!" og nu tog
han, saasnart han kom hjem, den største Sæk, han kunde finde,
gik over til lille Claus og sagde, "nu har Du narret mig
igjen! først slog jeg mine Heste ihjel, saa min gamle Bedstemoder!
Det er altsammen din Skyld, men aldrig skal Du narre mig meer,"
og saa tog han lille Claus om Livet og puttede ham i sin Sæk,
tog ham saa paa Nakken og raabte til ham: "nu gaaer jeg
ud og drukner dig!" |
| It was quite far to
the river, and as he walked the sack with Little Claus in it
seemed to grow heavier and heavier. The road went past the church,
and Big Claus heard the organ being played and the congregation
singing. "It would be nice to hear a hymn or two before I go
on," he thought. "Everybody's in church and Little Claus can't
get out of the sack." So Big Claus put down the sack near the
entrance and went into the church. |
Det var et langt Stykke
at gaae, før han kom til Aaen, og lille Claus var ikke saa let
at bære. Veien gik lige tæt forbi Kirken, Orgelet spillede og
Folk sang saa smukt derinde; saa satte store Claus sin Sæk med
lille Claus i tæt ved Kirkedøren, og tænkte, det kunde være
ganske godt, at gaae ind og høre en Psalme først, før han gik
videre: lille Claus kunde jo ikke slippe ud og alle Folk vare
i Kirken; saa gik han derind. |
| "Poor me! Poor me!"
sighed Little Claus. He twisted and turned but he could not
loosen the cord that had been tied around the opening of the
sack. At that moment an old herdsman happened to pass. He had
snowwhite hair and walked with a long crook. In front of him
he drove a large herd of cows and bulls. One of the bulls bumped
into the sack and Little Claus was turned over. |
"Ak ja! ak ja!"
sukkede lille Claus inde i Sækken; han vendte sig og vendte
sig, men det var ham ikke mueligt at faae løst Baandet op; i
det samme kom der en gammel, gammel Qvægdriver, med kridhvidt
Haar og en stor Støttekjæp i Haanden; han drev en heel Drift
af Køer og Tyre foran sig, de løb paa Sækken, som lille Claus
sad i, saa den væltede. |
| "Poor me! Poor me!"
cried Little Claus. "I am so young and am already bound for
heaven." |
"Ak ja!" sukkede
lille Claus, "jeg er saa ung og skal allerede til Himmerig!" |
| "Think of poor me; I
am an old man," said the herdsman, "and am not allowed to enter
it." |
"Og jeg Stakkel!"
sagde Qvægdriveren, "er saa gammel og kan ikke komme der
endnu!" |
| "Open up the sack!"
shouted Little Claus. "You get inside it, instead of me, and
then you will get to heaven right away!" |
"Luk op for Sækken!"
raabte lille Claus, "kryb i mit Sted derind, saa kommer
Du strax til Himmerige!" |
| "Nothing could be better,"
said the old man. He untied the sack and Little Claus crawled
out at once. |
"Ja det vil jeg
grumme gjerne," sagde Qvægdriveren og løste op for lille
Claus, der strax sprang ud. |
| "Take good care of my
cattle," the herdsman begged as he climbed into the sack. Little
Claus promised that he would and tied the sack securely. Then
he went on his way, driving the herd before him. |
"Vil Du saa passe
Qvæget," sagde den gamle Mand, og krøb nu ind i Posen,
som lille Claus bandt for, og gik saa sin Vei med alle Køerne
og Tyrene. |
| A little later Big Claus
came out of the church and lifted the sack onto his back. He
was surprised how much lighter it was now, for the old man weighed
only half as much as Little Claus. "How easy it is to carry
now; it did do me good to hear a hymn!" he thought. Big Claus
went directly down to the river that was both deep and wide
and dumped the sack into the water, shouting after it: "You
have made a fool of me for the last time!" For of course he
believed that Little Claus was still inside the sack that was
disappearing into the river. |
Lidt efter kom store
Claus ud af Kirken, han tog sin Sæk igjen paa Nakken, syntes
rigtignok at den var bleven saa let, for den gamle Qvægdriver
var ikke mere end halv saa tung, som lille Claus! "hvor
han er blevet let at bære! ja det er nok fordi jeg har hørt
en Psalme!" saa gik han hen til Aaen, der var dyb og stor,
kastede Sækken med den gamle Qvægdriver ud i Vandet og raabte
efter ham, for han troede jo, at det var lille Claus: "See
saa! nu skal Du ikke narre mig mere!" |
| On his way home he met
Little Claus with all his cattle at the crossroads. |
Saa gik han hjemad,
men da han kom hen, hvor Veiene krydsede, mødte han lille Claus,
som drev afsted med alt sit Qvæg. |
| "What!" exclaimed Big
Claus. "Haven't I drowned you?" |
"Hvad for noget!"
sagde store Claus, "har jeg ikke druknet dig?" |
| "Oh yes," answered Little
Claus, "You threw me in the river about half an hour ago." |
"Jo!" sagde
lille Claus, "Du kastede mig jo ned i Aaen for en lille
halv Time siden!" |
| "But where did you get
that huge herd of cattle?" Big Claus demanded. |
"Men hvor har Du
faaet alt det deilige Qvæg fra?" spurgte store Claus. |
| "They are river cattle,"
replied Little Claus. "I'll tell you everything that happened
to me. But, by the way, first I want to thank you for drowning
me. For now I shall never have anything to worry about again,
I am really rich. . . . Believe me, I was frightened when you
threw me over the bridge. The wind whistled in my ears as I
fell into the cold water. I sank straight to the bottom; but
I didn't hurt myself because I landed on the softest, most beautiful
green grass you can imagine. Then the sack was opened by the
loveliest maiden. She was all dressed in white except for the
green wreath in her wet hair. Taking my hand, she asked, 'Aren't
you Little Claus?' When I nodded she said, 'Here are some cattle
for you and six miles up the road there is an even bigger herd
waiting for you.' Then I realized that to the water people the
streams and rivers were as roads are to us. They use them to
travel on. Far from their homes under the oceans, they follow
the streams and the rivers until they finally become too shallow
and come to an end. There are the most beautiful flowers growing
down there and the finest, freshest grass; the fish swimming
around above your head remind you of the birds flying in the
air. The people are as nice as they can be; and the cattle fat
and friendly." |
"Det er Søqvæg!"
sagde lille Claus, "jeg skal fortælle dig den hele Historie,
og Tak skal Du ogsaa have, fordi Du druknede i mig, nu er jeg
ovenpaa, er rigtig riig, kan Du troe! - Jeg var saa bange, da
jeg laae inde i Sækken, og Vinden peeb mig om Ørene, da du kastede
mig ned fra Broen i det kolde Vand. Jeg sank ligestrax til Bunds,
men jeg stødte mig ikke, for dernede voxer det deiligste bløde
Græs. Det faldt jeg paa, og strax blev Posen lukket op, og den
deiligste Jomfru, i kridhvide Klæder og med en grøn Krands om
det vaade Haar, tog mig i Haanden, og sagde: "Er Du der
lille Claus? der har Du for det første noget Qvæg! en Miil oppe
paa Veien staaer endnu en heel Drift, som jeg vil forære dig!"
- Nu saae jeg, at Aaen var en stor Landevei for Havfolkene.
Nede paa Bunden gik og kjørte de lige ud fra Søen og heelt ind
i Landet, til hvor Aaen ender. Der var saa deiligt med Blomster,
og det friskeste Græs, og Fiskene, som svømmede i Vandet, de
smuttede mig om Ørene, ligesom her Fuglene i Luften. Hvor der
var pene Folk og hvor der var Qvæg, det gik paa Grøfter og Gjærder! |
| "Then tell me why you
came up here on land again?" asked Big Claus. "I never would
have left a place as wonderful as that." |
"Men hvorfor er
Du strax gaaet herop til os igjen," spurgte store Claus.
"Det havde jeg ikke gjort, naar der var saa nydeligt dernede!" |
| "Well," said Little
Claus, "that is just because I am smart. I told you that the
water maiden said that another herd of cattle would be waiting
for me six miles up the road. By 'road,' she meant the river;
and I am eager to see my cattle. You know how the river twists
and turns while the road up here on land is straight; so I thought
that if I used the road instead of the river I would get there
much faster and save myself at least two miles of walking." |
"Jo," sagde
lille Claus, "det er just polidsk gjort af mig! Du hører
jo nok, at jeg siger dig: Havpigen sagde, at en Miil oppe paa
Veien, - og ved Veien mener hun jo Aaen, for andet Sted kan
hun ikke komme, - staaer endnu en heel Drift Qvæg til mig. Men
jeg veed hvor Aaen gaaer i Bugter, snart her, snart der, det
er jo en heel Omvei, nei saa gjør man det kortere af, naar man
kan det, at komme her op paa Land og drive tvers over til Aaen
igjen, derved sparer jeg jo næsten en halv Miil og kommer gesvindere
til mit Havqvæg!" |
| "Oh, you are a lucky
man!" exclaimed Big Claus. "Do you think that if I were thrown
into the river I would be given cattle too?" |
"0 du er en lykkelig
Mand!" sagde store Claus, "troer Du, jeg ogsaa faaer
Havqvæg, naar jeg kommer ned paa Bunden af Aaen!" |
| "I don't know why not,"
replied Little Claus. "But I cannot carry you, as you did me,
you're too heavy. But if you'll find a sack and climb into it
yourself I'lI be glad to go to the bridge with you and push
you into the water." |
"Jo, det skulde
jeg tænke," sagde lille Claus, "men jeg kan ikke bære
dig i Sækken hen til Aaen, Du er mig for tung, vil Du selv gaae
der hen og saa krybe i Posen, saa skal jeg med største Fornøielse
kaste dig ud." |
| "Thank you very much,"
said Big Claus. "But if I don't get a herd of cattle when I
get down there I'll beat you as you have never been beaten before." |
"Tak skal Du have!"
sagde store Claus, "men faaer jeg ikke Havqvæg, naar jeg
kommer ned, saa skal jeg prygle dig, kan Du troe!" |
| "Oh no! How can you
think of being so mean!" whimpered Little Claus as they made
their way to the river. It was a hot day and when the cattle
spied the water they started running toward it, for they were
very thirsty. |
"0 nei! vær ikke
saa slem!" og saa gik de hen til Aaen. Da Qvæget, som var
tørstig, saae Vandet, løb det alt hvad det kunde, for at komme
ned at drikke. |
| "See how eager they
are to get to the river," remarked Little Claus. "They are longing
for their home under the water." |
"See, hvor det
skynder sig!" sagde lille Claus; "det længes efter
at komme ned paa Bunden igjen!" |
| "Never mind them!" shouted
Big Claus. "Or I'll give you a beating right here and now."
He grabbed a sack that was lying on one of the bulls' backs
and climbed up on the bridge. "Get a rock and put it in with
me, I'm afraid that I might float." |
"Ja hjælp nu først
mig!" sagde store Claus, "for ellers faaer Du Prygl!"
og saa krøb han i den store Sæk, som havde ligget tvers over
Ryggen paa en af Tyrene. "Læg en Steen i, for ellers er
jeg bange jeg ikke synker," sagde store Claus. |
| "Don't worry about that,"
said Little Claus. But he found a big stone anyway and rolled
it into the sack next to Big Claus before he tied the opening
as tightly as he could. Then he pushed the sack off the bridge.
Splash! Plop! Down went Big Claus into the river and straight
to the bottom he went. |
"Det gaaer nok!"
sagde lille Claus, men lagde dog en stor Steen i Sækken, bandt
Baandet fast til, og stødte saa til den: Plump! der laae store
Claus ude i Aaen og sank strax ned til Bunds. |
| I am afraid that he
will have trouble finding his cattle," said Little Claus, and
drove his own herd home. |
"Jeg er bange,
han ikke finder Qvæget!" sagde lille Claus, og drev saa
hjem med hvad han havde. |