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野天鹅(三)
 更新时间:2024-03-28 23:45:34

In the morning twilight the air was pure and calm. As soon as the sun rose the swans flew away with Eliza from the island. The sea still ran high, and when they soared up aloft, the white foam looked like millions of white swans swimming upon the water.

野天鹅(三)

When the sun mounted higher, Eliza saw before her, half-floating in the air, a mountainous country with shining masses of ice on its hills, and in the midst of it rose a castle, apparently a mile long, with row above row of elegant columns, while beneath waved the palm woods and bright flowers as large as mill-wheels. She asked if this was the country to which they were bound, but the swans shook their heads, for what she beheld was the gorgeous, ever-changing palace of Fata Morgana, and into this they might bring no human being. As Eliza gazed at it, mountains, woods, and castle fell down, and twenty proud churches, all nearly alike, with high towers and pointed windows, stood before them. She fancied she heard the organs sounding, but it was the sea she heard. When she was quite near the churches they changed to a fleet sailing beneath her, but when she looked down it was only a sea mist gliding over the ocean. Thus she had a continual change before her eyes, till at last she saw the real land to which they were bound. There arose the most glorious blue mountains, with cedar forests, cities, and palaces. Long before the sun went down she sat on the rock, in front of a great cave overgrown with delicate green trailing plants looking like embroidered carpets.

"Now we shall see what you will dream of here tonight," said the youngest brother; and he showed her to her bed-chamber.

"Heaven grant that I may dream of a way to release you," she replied.

And this thought possessed her mightily, and she prayed ardently for help; yes, even in her sleep she continued to pray. Then it seemed to her as if she were flying high in the air to the cloudy palace of Fata Morgara; and the fairy came out to meet her, beautiful and radiant; and yet the fairy was quite like the old woman who had given her the berries in the wood, and had told her of the swans with golden crowns on their heads.

"Your brothers can be released,"said she. "But have you courage and perseverance? Certainly, water is softer than your delicate hands, and yet it changes the shape of stones; but it feels not the pain that your fingers, will feel; it has no heart, and does not suffer the agony and torment you will have to endure. Do you see the stinging-nettle which I hold in my hand? Many of the same kind grow around the cave in which you sleep; those only,and those that grow upon churchyard graves, are serviceable, remember that. Those you must pluck, though they will burn your hands into blisters. Break these nettles to pieces with your feet, and you will have flax; of this you must plait and weave eleven shirts of mail with long sleeves; throw these over the eleven swans, and the charm will be broken. But recollect well, from the moment you begin this work until it is finished, even though it should take years to accomplish, you must not speak. The first word you utter will pierce your brothers' hearts like a deadly dagger. Their lives hang on your tongue. Remember all this!"

And she touched her hand with the nettle; it was like a burning fire, and Eliza woke with the smart. It was broad daylight; and close by the spot where she had slept lay a nettle like the one she had seen in her dream.

She fell upon her knees and prayed gratefully, and went forth from the cave to begin her work. With her delicate hands she groped among the ugly nettles. These stung like fire, burning great blisters on her arms and hands; but she thought she would bear it gladly if she could only release her dear brothers. Then she bruised every nettle with her bare feet and plaited the green flax.

When the sun had set her brothers came, and they were frightened when they found her dumb. They thought it was some new sorcery of their wicked stepmother's; but when they saw her hands, they understood what she was doing for their sake, and the youngest brother wept. And where his tears dropped she felt no more pain, and the burning blisters vanished.

She passed the night at her work, for she could not sleep till she had delivered her dear brothers. The whole of the following day, while the swans were away, she sat in solitude, but never had time flown so quickly with her as now. One shirt of mail was already finished, and now she began the second.

Then a hunting horn sounded among the hills, and she was struck with fear. The noise came nearer and nearer; she heard the barking dogs, and timidly she fled into the cave, bound into a bundle the nettles she had collected and prepared, and sat upon the bundle.

Immediately a great dog came bounding out of the thicket, and then another, and another; they barked loudly, ran back, and then came again. Only a few minutes had gone before all the huntsmen stood before the cave, and the handsomest of them was the King of the country. He came forward to Eliza, for he had never seen a more beautiful maiden.

"How did you come hither, you delightful child?" he asked.

Eliza shook her head, for she might not speak--it would cost her brothers their deliverance and their lives. And she hid her hands under her apron, so that the King might not see what she was suffering.

"Come with me," said he."You cannot stop here. If you are as good as you are beautiful, I will dress you in velvet and silk, and place the golden crown on your head, and you shall dwell in my richest castle, and rule."

And then he lifted her on his horse. She wept and wrung her hands; but the King said.

"I only wish for your happiness. One day you will thank me for this."

And then he galloped away among the mountains with her on his horse, and the hunters galloped at their heels.

When the sun went down, the fair regal city lay before them, with its churches and cupolas; and the King led her into the castle, where great fountains plashed in the lofty marble halls, and where walls and ceilings were covered with glorious pictures. But she had no eyes for all this--she only wept and mourned. Passively she let the women put royal robes upon her, and weave pearls in her hair, and draw dainty gloves over her blistered fingers.

When she stood there in full array, she was dazzlingly beautiful, so that the Court bowed deeper than ever. And the King chose her for his bride, although the archbishop shook his head and whispered that the beauteous forest maid was certainly a witch, who blinded the eyes and led astray the heart of the King.

But the King gave no ear to this, but ordered that the music should sound, and the costliest dishes should be served, and the most beautiful maidens should dance before them. And she was led through fragrant gardens into gorgeous halls; but never a smile came upon her lips or shone in her eyes: there she stood, a picture of grief. Then the King opened a little chamber close by, where she was to sleep. This chamber was decked with splendid green tapestry, and completely resembled the cave in which she had been. On the floor lay the bundle of flax which she had prepared from the nettles, and under the ceiling hung the shirt of mail she had completed. All these things one of the huntsmen had brought with him as curiosities.

"Here you may dream yourself back in your former home," said the King. "Here is the work which occupied you there, and now, in the midst of all your splendour, it will amuse you to think of that time."

When Eliza saw this that lay so near her heart, a smile played round her mouth and the crimson blood came back into her cheeks. She thought of her brothers' deliverance, and kissed the King' s hand; and he pressed her to his heart, and caused the marriage feast to be announced by all the church bells. The beautiful dumb girl out of the wood became the Queen of the country.(To be continued)

黎明时分,天空变得明净、安祥。太阳一浮出来,天鹅们就带着爱丽莎飞离了礁石。海面上依然是波涛汹涌,白色的浪花看起来像是千万只白天鹅在水中游泳。

太阳升高以后,爱丽莎看见前面有一片山脉,半浮在空中。山脉中间立起一座城堡,大约有一英里长,全是一排排精美的石柱。在山脉的下部,起伏的是一片棕榈树林,还有像水车轮一般大小的花朵。她问这里是不是他们要去的地方,但天鹅们都摇摇头,因为她所见的只是仙女莫尔甘娜变幻无穷的海市蜃楼。进到那里面,天鹅们是变不成人形的。等爱丽莎再次凝望的时候,山脉、城堡和森林都不见了,眼前是20座庄严的教堂,彼此十分相似,都有高高的钟塔和尖尖的窗户。她觉得自己听到了风琴的声音,但事实上那是海浪的咆哮声。当她靠近教堂以后,教堂又变成了一支舰队,在她下面航行;等她低下头看的时候,发现那只是飘浮在海面的雾气。就这样,她眼前的景象不停地变幻,最后终于看到了他们的目的地。在美丽的青山怀抱中,可以看见松林、城市和王宫。太阳离落山还有很长时间,她就落在一个山洞前的岩石上。山洞上长着美丽的藤蔓,像是一张张绣花的地毯。

“现在我们要看看你今晚会做什么样的梦,”最小的哥哥说。他把爱丽莎领到她的卧室。

“上帝保佑,让我梦见一个解救你们的办法。”

她的这种愿望是那么强烈,她热切向上帝祈求帮助。的确,在她睡着以后,她还在默默地祈祷呢。她觉得自己好像飞进了莫尔甘娜的云中宫殿。仙女出来迎接,她是那么漂亮,辉光四射。但仙女长得很像她原先遇到的老太婆,她曾经给自己草莓吃,还告诉她有关头戴金冠的天鹅的事情。

“你的哥哥们会得救的,”她说,“但你有勇气和韧性吗?你知道,海水比你的细嫩的手更柔软,但它却能让石头变形。不过,海水在这么做时感觉不到疼痛,你却感受得到。海水没有心,不会有苦恼和折磨,而你却得承受。你看见我手中的带刺的荨麻了吗?在你睡觉的洞口,长着许多这种植物。只有它们,那些长在教堂墓地上的荨麻,才会发生效力,这一点你要牢记。你得拔掉它们,尽管它们会把你手戳得起泡。用你的脚将这些东西踩碎,你就能弄出麻丝来。你要用这些麻丝织出11件长袖铠甲,再把它们扔到天鹅身上,魔法就被解除了。但你要记住,从你开始工作的这一刻,一直到工作完成,要花费几年的时间,这期间你不得说话。只要你说出一个字,它就会像一把致命的匕首一样,戳进你哥哥的胸膛。他们的生命都系于你的舌头。千万牢记这一切。”

仙女用荨麻触了一下她的手。那种感觉好像是被火烧一样,爱丽莎一下被惊醒了。天已经大亮。在她睡觉的附近,果然有一株荨麻,就像她在梦里见到的一样。她用自己细嫩的手去拔这些荨麻,刺痛的感觉就像是火烧一样,手和臂马上烧起了大泡。但她想,只要能救出亲爱的哥哥们,自己就甘愿忍受这种痛苦。然后她赤着脚,踩碎荨麻,并用绿色的麻丝编织起铠甲来。

太阳落山以后,她的哥哥们回来了。他们见她不再开口说话,都感到非常震惊。他们以为这又是恶毒的继母使的魔法。但当他们看见她的手以后,就明白她是为了救他们才这么做的。最小的哥哥哭了起来,泪珠落在她手臂上的地方,爱丽莎就不再觉得疼痛,烧起的水泡也消下去了。

她一整夜都在工作,因为她在把哥哥们救赎出来以前,她是睡不着觉的。第二天整个白天,天鹅不在家的时间,她都一个人孤独地坐着干活。对于她来说,从没有觉得时间过得这么快。一件铠甲织好后,她又开始织第二件。

这时,山里响起一阵打猎的号角声,她被吓了一跳。声音越来越近,她已经听到了狗叫声。她吓得赶紧逃进洞里,把自己采集的荨麻捆起一捆,自己坐在上面。

一只大狗马上从荆棘丛中蹿出来,然后一只接一只地出现。它们狂叫着,跑回去,又转过来。只过几分钟,所有的猎人都站在了洞口,那个最漂亮的就是这个国家的国王。他走到爱丽莎身边,因为他从没见过这么漂亮的姑娘。

“你怎么到这儿来啦,可爱的女孩?”他问道。

爱丽莎摇摇头,因为她不敢张口说话――如果说话,就解救不了哥哥们,还会要了他们的命。她把手藏在围裙下,不让国王看到她所受的痛苦。

“跟我走吧,”他说,“你不能留在这儿。如果你的心地像你的容貌一样美的话,我就给你穿上天鹅绒和丝绸衣服,把金冠戴在你的头上,让你住在我最豪华的宫殿里,并且交给你掌管。”

于是他把爱丽莎抱上了自己的马。她又哭又搓手,但国王说,“我是为了让你得到快乐。总有一天你会感谢我这么做的。”

然后,他带着爱丽莎,骑马飞奔,越过山脉。他的猎手们紧随其后。

太阳落山的时候,美丽的首都出现在他们眼前,城里耸立着许多教堂和钟形圆塔。国王将她带进王宫。巨大的喷泉在豪华的大理石大厅里喷射,墙面和屋棚都装饰着美丽的图画。但她顾不上欣赏这些,只是一个劲地悲伤哭泣。尽管她不情愿,宫女们还是给她穿上王袍,在她的头发上插了珠宝,还用漂亮的手套护住她起泡的手指。

她身着华服站在那里,美得让人晕眩,因此大臣们鞠躬比以往鞠得都要深。国王选她做王后,尽管主教不停地摇头,嘟哝说美丽的森林姑娘肯定是个女巫,她蒙骗了人们的眼睛,迷住了国王的心。

但国王根本不理会这些话。他下令奏乐,摆上最奢华的酒席,让最美丽的姑娘献舞。她被领着穿过芬芳的花园,来到豪华的大厅。但她的嘴唇、她的眼角还是没有一丝笑意。她立在那里,像是悲痛的化身。这时,国王打开了附近的一个小房间,这是她的卧室。这个房间就跟她住的那个洞很相似,但装饰着华丽的绿色挂毯。地上摆着那捆从荨麻上弄下来的麻丝,棚顶上垂下自己织好的那件铠甲。这都是一个猎人当作稀罕的物品带回来的。

“在这里,你会梦见以前的住处的,”国王说,“这是你在那儿做的活,现在,在这个豪华的房间里,你又可以回想那段时光了。”

当爱丽莎看见这些她心爱的东西时,嘴角露出了笑容,脸色也恢复了原来的红晕。她想到救赎自己的哥哥们的事,就吻了国王的手。国王把她的手紧紧地贴在自己的胸前,下令所有的教堂都敲钟,宣布婚宴开始。林中美丽的哑姑娘现在成了王后。 (未完待续)

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