| Now I want to tell you
a story that I heard myself when I was a very little boy, and
every time that I have thought of it since, it has seemed to
me to be more beautiful. For stories are like people: some--though
not all--improve with age, and that is a blessing. |
Nu skal jeg fortælle
Dig en Historie, som jeg har hørt, da jeg var Lille, og hver
Gang jeg siden har tænkt paa den, synes jeg at den blev meget
kjønnere; for det gaaer med Historier ligesom med mange Mennesker,
de blive kjønnere og kjønnere med Alderen, og det er saa fornøieligt! |
| Have you ever been in
Denmark and seen the countryside? If you have, then you must
have seen one of those really old cottages that has a thatched
roof that is overgrown with moss and a stork's nest perched
on its ridge. The walls are crooked. The windows are small,
and only one of them has a hasp and hinges so that it can be
opened. The oven for baking bread juts out of the wall like
a well-filled stomach. There is a hedge of elderberries and
a tiny pond surrounded by willow trees, where a duck and some
ducklings swim. In the yard there is an old dog that barks at
everyone who goes by. |
Du har jo været ude
paa Landet? Du har seet et rigtigt gammelt Bondehuus med Straatag;
Mos og Urter voxe der af sig selv; en Storkerede er der paa
Rygningen, Storken kan man ikke undvære, Væggene ere skjeve,
Vinduerne lave, ja, der er kun et eneste, der kan lukkes op;
Bagerovnen strutter frem ligesom en lille tyk Mave, og Hyldebusken
helder hen over Gjerdet, hvor der er en lille Pyt Vand med en
And eller Ællinger, lige under det knudrede Piletræ. Ja, og
saa er der en Lænkehund, der gjøer af Alle og Enhver. |
| In such a cottage, far
out in the country, there once lived a farmer and his wife.
They had little that they could get along without, but they
did have something, and that was a horse that had to graze at
the edge of the road because they didn't have a paddock. Sometimes
the farmer rode on the horse when he went to town; and sometimes
his neighbor borrowed it, and that was to the farmer's advantage,
for country people believe that one good turn deserves another.
But one day the farmer realized that he'd be doing himself a
better turn if he sold the horse or traded it for something
which he had more use for, though he didn't know what it could
be. |
Netop saadant et Bondehuus
var der ude paa Landet, og i det boede et Par Folk, Bondemand
og Bondekone. I hvor Lidt de havde, kunde de dog undvære eet
Stykke, det var en Hest, der gik og græssede paa Landeveis-Grøften.
Fader red paa den til Byen, Naboerne laante den, og han fik
Tjeneste for Tjeneste, men det var nok mere tjensomt for dem
at sælge Hesten eller bytte den for Eet og Andet, der endnu
mere kunde være dem til Gavn. Men hvad skulde det være. |
| "That you'Il find out
soon enough," said his wife. "You know best, Father. There's
a market in town today. Why don't you ride in on the horse,
and there you can sell it or trade it for something else. Whatever
you do, I am sure it will be right." |
"Det vil Du, Fatter,
bedst forstaae!" sagde Konen, "nu er der Marked i Kjøbstaden,
rid Du derind, faae Penge for Hesten eller gjør et godt Bytte;
som Du gjør, er det altid det Rigtige. Rid til Markedet!" |
| She tied his cravat,
which she knew how to do better than anybody else. She made
a double bow because that made him look more gallant. She brushed
his hat with the palm of her hand, and then she kissed him warmly
on the lips. Off he rode on the horse that was to be sold or
traded, just as he saw fit; for striking a bargain was something
he knew how to do. |
Og saa bandt hun hans
Halsklud, for det forstod hun dog bedre end han; hun bandt med
dobbelt Sløife, det saae galant ud, og saa pudsede hun hans
Hat med sin flade Haand, og hun kyssede ham paa hans varme Mund,
og saa red han afsted paa Hesten, som skulde sælges eller byttes
bort. Jo, Fatter forstod det. |
| The sun was shining
and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The dusty road was filled
with folk on their way to market; some in wagons, others on
horses, and many on their own poor legs. It was terribly hot
and there was not a scrap of shade along the road. |
Solen brændte, der var
ingen Skyer oppe! Veien støvede, der vare saa mange Markedsfolk,
til Vogns og til Hest og paa deres egne Been. Det var en Solhede,
og der var ikke Skygge skabt paa Veien. |
| The farmer noticed a
man who was leading a cow that was as beautiful as any cow could
be; and he thought, "I'll. bet that cow gives a lot of good
milk." Then he called to the man, "Listen--you with the cow--
I'd like to talk with you!" And when the other man turned around,
he continued: "I know that a horse is worth more than a cow.
But a cow would be more useful to me. Shall we trade?" |
Der gik En og drev en
Ko, den var saa nydelig, som en Ko kan være. "Den giver vist
deilig Melk!" tænkte Bondemanden, det kunde være et ganske godt
Bytte at faae den. "Veed Du hvad, Du med Koen!" sagde han, "skulle
vi To ikke tale lidt sammen! seer Du, en Hest, troer jeg nok,
koster mere end en Ko, men det er det Samme! jeg har mere Gavn
af Koen; skal vi bytte?" |
| "Why not?" said the
man. |
"Ja nok!" sagde Manden
med Koen og saa byttede de. |
| Now here is where the
story should have ended but then it wouldn't have been worth
telling. The farmer had done what he had set out to do, and
so he should have turned around and gone back home with his
new cow. But he thought that, since he had meant to go to the
market, it was a pity to miss seeing it. He walked quickly and
the cow walked quickly, and pretty soon they had caught up with
a man who was leading a sheep. It was a fine animal with a heavy
coat of wool. |
Nu var det gjort, og
saa kunde Bondemanden have vendt om, han havde jo udrettet,
hvad han vilde, men da han nu engang havde betænkt at ville
komme til Marked, saa vilde han komme til Marked, bare for at
see paa det; og saa gik han med sin Ko. Han gik rask til, og
Koen gik rask til, og saa kom de snart til at gaae lige ved
Siden af en Mand, der førte et Faar. Det var et godt Faar, godt
istand og godt med Uld. |
| "A sheep like that I
wouldn't mind owning," he thought. "In the winter when it gets
too cold you can always take a sheep inside with you. Besides,
I don't have enough grazing for a cow, and a sheep is satisfied
with what it can find on the side of the road." And the more
he looked at the sheep, the better he liked it. "How would you
like to trade your sheep for my cow?" he finally asked. |
"Det gad jeg nok eie!"
tænkte Bonden. "Det vilde ikke komme til at savne Græsning paa
vor Grøftekant, og til Vinter kunde man tage det ind i Stuen
hos sig. I Grunden var det rigtigere af os at holde Faar, end
holde Ko. Skal vi bytte?" |
| And that bargain was
made. He hadn't gone far with his sheep when he spied a man
who was sitting and resting on a big stone. He had good reason
for wanting to rest: he was carrying a goose that was bigger
than most ganders. |
Ja, det vilde da nok
Manden, som havde Faaret, og saa blev det Bytte gjort, og Bondemanden
gik med sit Faar hen ad Landeveien. Der ved Stenten saae han
en Mand med en stor Gaas under Armen. |
| "A fine fat goose!"
the farmer cried as he lifted his hat. "How pretty it would
look in our pond and then Mother would have someone to give
the potato peelings to. How often has she said that we ought
to have a goose. And now she can have one! What about trading?
I'll give you a sheep for a goose and throw a thank you into
the bargain." |
"Det er en svær Een,
Du der har!" sagde Bondemanden, "den har baade Fjer og Fedt!
den kunde tage sig godt ud i Tøir ved vor Vandpyt! den var Noget
for Moder at samle Skrællinger til! Hun har tidt sagt, "bare
vi havde en Gaas!" nu kan hun da faae den - og hun skal faae
den! vil Du bytte? Jeg giver Dig Faaret for Gaasen og Tak til!" |
| "A sheep for my goose?"
said the stranger. "Why not? And you can keep your thank you,
for I don't like to drive too hard a bargain." The farmer tucked
the goose under his arm and walked on. As he came nearer the
town the traffic became greater and greater. All about him were
people and animals. There wasn't space for them all on the road;
they walked in the gutters and the embankments, and even on
the fields. The town's gatekeeper had tethered his hen in his
potato patch for fear that she might get frightened by all the
confusion and run away. The hen's tail was as finely feathered
as a cock's, and as she said, "Cluck! Cluck . . ." she winked.
What that meant I cannot tell you, but I do know what the farmer
thought: "That hen is as good as the minister's best hen, the
one that won the prize at the fair. I wish it were mine. A hen
can always find a grain of corn by itself; besides, it can lay
eggs. I think I will strike a bargain." From thought to action
is no further than the tongue can travel in a few seconds. The
gatekeeper got the goose and the farmer the white hen. |
Ja, det vilde da den
Anden nok, og saa byttede de; Bondemanden fik Gaasen. Nær ved
Byen var han, Trængselen paa Veien tog til, der var en Mylren
af Folk og Fæ; de gik paa Vei og paa Grøft lige op i Bommandens
Kartofler, hvor hans Høne stod tøiret for ikke i Forskrækkelse
at forvilde sig og blive borte. Det var en stumprumpet Høne,
der blinkede med det ene Øie, saae godt ud. "Kluk, kluk!" sagde
den; hvad den tænkte derved, kan jeg ikke sige, men Bondemanden
tænkte, da han saae hende: hun er den skjønneste Høne, jeg endnu
har seet, hun er kjønnere end Præstens Liggehøne, den gad jeg
nok eie! en Høne finder altid et Korn, den kan næsten sørge
for sig selv! jeg troer, at det er et godt Bytte, om jeg fik
den for Gaasen! "skal vi bytte?" spurgte han. "Bytte!" sagde
den Anden, "ja det var jo ikke saa galt!" og saa byttede de.
Bommanden fik Gaasen, Bondemanden fik Hønen. |
| The farmer had done
a lot that morning and traveled far. He was thirsty and hungry.
The sun was baking hot, as if it had been hired by the innkeeper.
As he was entering the inn, the farmer collided with one of
the servants, who was carrying a sack over his shoulder. |
Det var en heel Deel,
han havde udrettet paa den Reise til Byen; og varmt var det,
og træt var han. En Dram og en Bid Brød trængte han til; nu
var han ved Kroen, der vilde han ind; men Krokarlen vilde ud,
ham mødte han lige i Døren med en Pose svingende fuld af Noget. |
| "What have you got in
the sack?" the farmer asked. |
"Hvad har Du der?" spurgte
Bondemanden. |
| "Rotten apples," the
other man replied, "and I am on my way to the pig pen with them." |
"Raadne Æbler!" svarede
Karlen, "en heel Sæk fuld til Svinene!" |
| "A whole sackful, what
an awful lot that is! I wish Mother could see it. Last year,
on our old apple tree next to the woodshed, there was only one
single apple. Mother put it in the cupboard and there it lay
till it was all dried up and no bigger than a walnut. 'It makes
me feel rich just to look at it,' she used to say. Think how
she would feel if she had a sackful." |
"Det er da en farlig
Mængde! det Syn undte jeg Mo'er. Vi havde ifjor kun et eneste
Æble paa det gamle Træ ved Tørvehuset i det Æble skulde gjemmes,
og det stod paa, Dragkisten til det sprak. Det er altid en Velstand!
sagde vor Mo'er, her kunde hun faae Velstand at see! ja, jeg
kunde unde hende det!" |
| "What will you give
me for it?" asked the servant. |
"Ja, hvad giver I?"
spurgte Karlen. |
| "My hen," the farmer
replied; and the words were no sooner said than he found he
had a sack of rotten apples in his hands instead of a hen. He
went into the taproom, which was crowded with people. There
were butchers, farmers, merchants, horse dealers, and even a
couple of Englishmen, who were so rich that their pockets were
bursting with gold coins. All Englishmen like to gamble, that's
a tradition in their country. Now just listen to what happened. |
"Giver? Jeg giver min
Høne i Bytte," og saa gav han Hønen i Bytte, fik Æblerne og
gik ind i Krostuen, lige hen til Skjenken, sin Sæk med Æblerne
stillede han op mod Kakkelovnen, og der var lagt i, det betænkte
han ikke. Mange Fremmede var her i Stuen, Hestehandlere, Studehandlere
og to Englændere, og de ere saa rige, at deres Lommer revne
af Guldpenge; Veddemaal gjøre de, nu skal Du høre! |
| The taproom was next
to the kitchen, and the stove that was used for cooking extended
right through the kitchen wall into the taproom. Innkeepers
are economical and this kind of stove is a great saving in winter.
The farmer, without giving it a thought, put his sack of apples
down on the stove, and soon they began to simmer and sputter.
"Suss! Suss!" the apples said, and aroused the curiosity of
one of the Englishmen. |
"Susss! susss!" hvad
var det for en Lyd ved Kakkelovnen? Æblerne begyndte at stege. |
| "What's that?" he asked.
And the farmer told him the whole story of how he had traded
his horse for a cow, his cow for a sheep, his sheep for a goose,
his goose for a hen, and finally the hen for a sack of rotten
apples. |
"Hvad er det?" Ja, det
fik de da snart at vide! hele Historien om Hesten, der var byttet
bort for Koen og lige ned til de raadne Æbler. |
| "Your wife will beat
you with a rolling pin when you get home. She'll raise the roof,"
the Englishman commented. |
"Naa! Du faaer Knubs
af Mutter, naar Du kommer hjem!" sagde Englænderne, "der vil
ligge et Huus!" |
| "Beat me?" exclaimed
the farmer. "She'll kiss me and say that what Father does is
always right." |
"Jeg faaer Kys og ikke
Knubs!" sagde Bondemanden, "vor Mo'er vil sige: hvad Fatter
gjør, er det Rigtige!" |
| "I'll make you a wager,"
said the two Englishmen both at once. "A barrel of gold and
a sackful of silver." |
"Skal vi vedde!" sagde
de, "Guldmønt i Pundeviis! hundrede Pund er et Skippund!" |
| "The barrel of gold
is enough and, if I lose, I'll fill a barrel with rotten apples
and you can have Mother and me for good measure." |
"Det er nok at give
Skjeppen fuld!" sagde Bondemanden, "jeg kan kun stille Skjeppen
fuld med Æbler og mig selv og Mutter med, men det er da Mere
end Strygmaal, det er Topmaal!" |
| "Done! Done!" cried
the Englishmen, for betting is in their blood. They hired the
innkeeper's horses and his carriage, and off they went, rotten
apples and all. When they came to the farmer's house they drove
right up to the door; the old dog barked, and the famer's wife
came out to greet them. |
"Top! top!" sagde de,
og saa var Veddemaalet gjort. Kromandens Vogn kom frem, Englænderne
kom op, Bondemanden kom op, de raadne Æbler kom op, og saa kom
de til Bondens Huus. |
| "Good evening, Mother,"
said the farmer. |
"God Aften, Mo'er!" |
| "Thank God you arrived
home safely," his wife replied. |
"Tak, Fa'er!" |
| "Well, I traded the
horse." |
"Nu har jeg gjort Bytte!" |
| "Trading is a man's
business," she said and, in spite of the strangers, she threw
her arms around him. |
"Ja, Du forstaaer det!"
sagde Konen, tog ham om Livet og glemte baade Pose og de Fremmede. |
| "I traded it for a cow." |
"Jeg har byttet Hesten
bort for en Ko!" |
| "Thank God for the milk,"
she exclaimed. "Now we'll have both butter and cheese. That
was a good bargain." |
"Gud skee Lov for Melken!"
sagde Konen, "nu kan vi faae Melkemad, Smør og Ost paa Bordet.
Det var et deiligt Bytte!" |
| "But I traded the cow
for a sheep." |
"Ja, men Koen byttede
jeg igjen bort for et Faar!" |
| "How clever of you,"
she said happily. "We have just enough grass for a sheep; and
sheep's milk is good and the cheese is good too. I can knit
socks and a nightshirt from the wool; and I wouldn't have been
able to do anything with cow's hair. A cow just sheds her hair
and that's all. What a wise and thoughtful husband you are!" |
"Det er bestemt ogsaa
bedre!" sagde Konen, "Du er altid betænksom; til et Faar har
vi just fuldt op af Græsning. Nu kan vi faae Faaremelk og Faareost
og uldne Strømper, ja, ulden Nattrøie! den giver Koen ikke!
hun taber Haarene! Du er en inderlig betænksom Mand!" |
| "But I traded the sheep
for a fat goose." |
"Men Faaret har jeg
byttet bort for en Gaas!" |
| "Oh, my good husband,
are we really going to have goose on St. Martin's Eve? You are
always thinking of ways to please me. We will tether the goose
in the ditch and by November shall be even fatter." |
"Skal vi virkelig have
Mortensgaas iaar, lille Fatter! Du tænker altid paa at fornøie
mig! det er en yndig Tanke af Dig! Gaasen kan staae i Tøir og
blive endnu mere fed til Mortensdag!" |
| "I traded the goose
for a hen," he said proudly, for now he realized how very well
he had done that day. |
"Men Gaasen har jeg
byttet bort for en Høne!" sagde Manden. |
| "That was a good exchange,"
said the wife. "Hens lay eggs and from eggs come little chicks.
Soon we shall have a real henyard and that is something I have
always wanted." |
"Høne! det var et godt
Bytte", sagde Konen, "Hønen lægger Æg, den ruger ud, vi faae
Kyllinger, vi faae Hønsegaard! det har jeg just saa inderligt
ønsket mig!" |
| "I traded the hen
for a sackful of rotten apples." |
"Ja, men Hønen byttede
jeg bort for en Pose raadne Æbler!" |
| "Now I must kiss you,
my dear husband! While you were away I thought that I should
like to make a fine supper for you to eat when you got home;
and I decided to make an omelet with chives. I had eggs but
no chives. Our neighbor, the schoolmaster, has chives; but,
as all the world knows, his wife is a stingy old crow, and when
I asked her whether I could borrow some chives, 'Borrow!' she
squawked. 'Nothing grows in your garden, not even a rotten apple.'
Now I can lend her ten rotten apples, or even a whole sackful,
if she wants them. That was the best bargain of all; and now
I must give you a kiss." And she kissed him full on the mouth. |
"Nu maa jeg kysse Dig!"
sagde Konen, "Tak, min egen Mand i Nu skal jeg fortælle Dig
Noget. Da Du var afsted, tænkte jeg paa at lave et rigtigt godt
Maaltid til Dig: Æggekage med Purløg. Æggene havde jeg, Løgene
manglede mig. Saa gik jeg over til Skoleholderens, der har de
Purløg, veed jeg, men Konen er gjerrig, det søde Asen! jeg bad
om at laane -! laane? sagde hun. Ingenting groer i vor Have,
ikke engang et raaddent Æble! ikke det kan jeg laane hende!
nu kan jeg laane hende ti, ja, en heel Pose fuld i det er Grin,
Fa'er!" og saa kyssede hun ham lige midt paa Munden. |
| "I like that!" cried
one of the Englishmen, while the other laughed. "From bad to
worse, and they do not even know it! Always happy, always contented.
That was worth the money!" And they gave a barrel full of gold
coins to the farmer whose wife gave him kisses instead of blows. |
"Det kan jeg lide!"
sagde Englænderne. "Altid ned ad Bakke og altid lige glad! det
er nok Pengene værd!," og saa betalte de et Skippund Guldpenge
til Bondemanden, som fik Kys og ikke Knubs. |
| Yes, it pays for a wife
to admit that her husband is cleverer than she is. |
Jo, det lønner sig altid,
at Konen indseer og forklarer at Fatter er den Klogeste, og
hvad han gjør, er det Rigtige. |
| Well, that was that
story. I heard it when I was a boy and now you have heard it
too; and now you know that what Father does is always right.
|
See, det er nu en Historie!
den har jeg hørt som Lille, og nu har Du ogsaa hørt den og veed,
at hvad Fatter gjør, det er altid det Rigtige. |