the races-第1章

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　RACES

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen



　　　　A　PRIZE；　or　rather　two　prizes；　a　great　one　and　a　small　one；　had

been　awarded　for　the　greatest　swiftness　in　running；…　not　in　a　single

race；　but　for　the　whole　year。

　　　　〃I　obtained　the　first　prize；〃　said　the　hare。　〃Justice　must　still

be　carried　out；　even　when　one　has　relations　and　good　friends　among　the

prize　committee；　but　that　the　snail　should　have　received　the　second

prize；　I　consider　almost　an　insult　to　myself〃

　　　　〃No；〃　said　the　fence…rail；　who　had　been　a　witness　at　the

distribution　of　prizes；　〃there　should　be　some　consideration　for

industry　and　perseverance。　I　have　heard　many　respectable　people　say

so；　and　I　can　quite　understand　it。　The　snail　certainly　took　half　a

year　to　get　over　the　threshold　of　the　door；　but　he　injured　himself；

and　broke　his　collar…bone　by　the　haste　he　made。　He　gave　himself　up

entirely　to　the　race；　and　ran　with　his　house　on　his　back；　which　was

all；　of　course；　very　praiseworthy；　and　therefore　he　obtained　the

second　prize。〃

　　　　〃I　think　I　ought　to　have　had　some　consideration　too；〃　said　the

swallow。　〃I　should　imagine　no　one　can　be　swifter　in　soaring　and　flight

than　I　am；　and　how　far　I　have　been！　far；　far　away。〃

　　　　〃Yes；　that　is　your　misfortune；〃　said　the　fence…rail；　〃you　are　so

fickle；　so　unsettled；　you　must　always　be　travelling　about　into　foreign

lands　when　the　cold　commences　here。　You　have　no　love　of　fatherland

in　you。　There　can　be　no　consideration　for　you。〃

　　　　〃But　now；　if　I　have　been　lying　the　whole　winter　in　the　moor；〃　said

the　swallow；　〃and　suppose　I　slept　the　whole　time；　would　that　be

taken　into　account？〃

　　　　〃Bring　a　certificate　from　the　old　moor…hen；〃　said　he；　〃that　you

have　slept　away　half　your　time　in　fatherland；　then　you　will　be　treated

with　some　consideration。〃

　　　　〃I　deserved　the　first　prize；　and　not　the　second；〃　said　the

snail。　〃I　know　so　much；　at　least；　that　the　hare　only　ran　from

cowardice；　and　because　he　thought　there　was　danger　in　delay。　I；　on　the

other　hand；　made　running　the　business　of　my　life；　and　have　become　a

cripple　in　the　service。　If　any　one　had　a　first　prize；　it　ought　to　have

been　myself。　But　I　do　not　understand　chattering　and　boasting；　on　the

contrary；　I　despise　it。〃　And　the　snail　spat　at　them　with　contempt。

　　　　〃I　am　able　to　affirm　with　word　of　oath；　that　each　prize…　at　least；

those　for　which　I　voted…　was　given　with　just　and　proper

consideration；〃　said　the　old　boundary　post　in　the　wood；　who　was　a

member　of　the　committee　of　judges。　〃I　always　act　with　due　order；

consideration；　and　calculation。　Seven　times　have　I　already　had　the

honor　to　be　present　at　the　distribution　of　the　prizes；　and　to　vote；

but　to…day　is　the　first　time　I　have　been　able　to　carry　out　my　will。

I　always　reckon　the　first　prize　by　going　through　the　alphabet　from　the

beginning；　and　the　second　by　going　through　from　the　end。　Be　so　kind　as

to　give　me　your　attention；　and　I　will　explain　to　you　how　I　reckon　from

the　beginning。　The　eighth　letter　from　A　is　H；　and　there　we　have　H

for　hare；　therefore　I　awarded　to　the　hare　the　first　prize。　The

eighth　letter　from　the　end　of　the　alphabet　is　S；　and　therefore　the

snail　received　the　second　prize。　Next　year；　the　letter　I　will　have　its

turn　for　the　first　prize；　and　the　letter　R　for　the　second。〃

　　　　〃I　should　really　have　voted　for　myself；〃　said　the　mule；　〃if　I

had　not　been　one　of　the　judges　on　the　committee。　Not　only　the　rapidity

with　which　advance　is　made；　but　every　other　quality　should　have　due

consideration；　as；　for　instance；　how　much　weight　a　candidate　is　able

to　draw；　but　I　have　not　brought　this　quality　forward　now；　nor　the

sagacity　of　the　hare　in　his　flight；　nor　the　cunning　with　which　he

suddenly　springs　aside　and　doubles；　to　lead　people　on　a　false　track；

thinking　he　has　concealed　himself。　No；　there　is　something　else　on

which　more　stress　should　be　laid；　and　which　ought　not　be　left

unnoticed。　I　mean　that　which　mankind　call　the　beautiful。　It　is　on

the　beautiful　that　I　particularly　fix　my　eyes。　I　observed　the

well…grown　ears　of　the　hare；　it　is　a　pleasure　to　me　to　observe　how

long　they　are。　It　seemed　as　if　I　saw　myself　again　in　the　days　of　my

childhood；　and　so　I　voted　for　the　hare。〃

　　　　〃Buz；〃　said　the　fly；　〃there；　I'm　not　going　to　make　a　long

speech；　but　I　wish　to　say　something　about　hares。　I　have　really

overtaken　more　than　one　hare；　when　I　have　been　seated　on　the　engine　in

front　of　a　railway　train。　I　often　do　so。　One　can　then　so　easily

judge　of　one's　own　swiftness。　Not　long　ago；　I　crushed　the　hind　legs　of

a　young　hare。　He　had　been　running　a　long　time　before　the　engine；　he

had　no　idea　that　I　was　travelling　there。　At　last　he　had　to　stop　in　his

career；　and　the　engine　ran　over　his　hind　legs；　and　crushed　them；　for　I

set　upon　it。　I　left　him　lying　there；　and　rode　on　farther。　I　call

that　conquering　him；　but　I　do　not　want　the　prize。〃

　　　　〃It　really　seems　to　me；〃　thought　the　wild　rose；　though　she　did　not

express　her　opinion　aloud…　it　is　not　in　her　nature　to　do　so；…　though

it　would　have　been　quite　as　well　if　she　had；　〃it　certainly　seems　to　me

that　the　sunbeam　ought　to　have　had　the　honor　of　receiving　the　first

prize。　The　sunbeam　flies　in　a　few　minutes　along　the　immeasurable

path　from　the　sun　to　us。　It　arrives　in　such　strength；　that　all

nature　awakes　to　loveliness　and　beauty；　we　roses　blush　and　exhale

fragrance　in　its　presence。　Our　worshipful　judges　don't　appear　to

have　noticed　this　at　all。　Were　I　the　sunbeam；　I　would　give　each　one　of

them　a　sun　stroke；　but　that　would　only　make　them　mad；　and　they　are　mad

enough　already。　I　only　hope；〃　continued　the　rose；　〃that　peace　may

reign　in　the　wood。　It　is　glorious　to　bloom；　to　be　fragrant；　and　to

live；　to　live　in　story　and　in　song。　The　sunbeam　will　outlive　us　all。〃

　　　　〃What　is　the　first　prize？〃　asked　the　earthworm；　who　had

overslept　the　time；　and　only　now　came　up。

　　　　〃It　contains　a　free　admission　to　a　cabbage…garden；〃　replied　the

mule。　〃I　proposed　that　as　one　of　the　prizes。　The　hare　most　decidedly

must　have　it；　and　I；　as　an　active　and　thoughtful　member　of　the

committee；　took　especial　care　that　the　prize　should　be　one　of

advantage　to　him；　so　now　he　is　provided　for。　The　snail　can　now　sit

on　the　fence；　and　lick　up　moss　and　sunshine。　He　has　also　been

appointed　one　of　the　first　judges　of　swiftness　in　racing。　It　is

worth　much　to　know　that　one　of　the　numbers　is　a　man　of　talent　in　the

thing　men　call　a　'committee。'　I　must　say　I　expect　much　in　the

future；　we　have　already　made　such　a　good　beginning。〃





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

。