Andersen's Fairy Tale "The Gatekeeper's Son"

The general lives on the second floor; The janitor's house lives in the basement. The distance between the two houses is far away, separated by a whole floor; And their status is different. But they live under the same roof, facing the same street and the same yard. There is a lawn and a flowering locust tree in the yard-that is to say, when the locust tree is in bloom, a beautifully dressed nanny and a general's more beautifully dressed child "Little Emily" sometimes sit under the tree.

The boy with big brown eyes and a doorman with black hair often dance barefoot in front of them. The little girl laughed at him and held out a pair of small hands to him. The general saw this scene at the window and nodded and said, "Great!" The general's wife is very young. She is almost like the daughter of his first wife. She never looked into the yard, but she gave an order that the children of the family living in the basement could play in front of her daughter, but they could not touch her. The nanny strictly follows his wife's instructions.

The sun shines on people who live on the first floor as well as those who live in the basement. Sophora japonica bloomed, and these flowers fell again, and bloomed again the next year. The tree is blooming, and so is the janitor's youngest son-he looks like a bright tulip.

The general's daughter is tender and white, like the pink petals of Sophora japonica. She seldom comes under this tree now. When she wanted to breathe fresh air, she got into the carriage. And she always sits with her mother when she goes out. As soon as she saw the janitor's son George, she nodded to him and blew a kiss with her finger until her mother told her that she was old enough to do such a thing again.

One morning, he handed the letter and newspaper he received at the concierge in the morning to the general. When he climbed the stairs and passed the door of the sand hole, he heard a buzzing sound inside. He thought there was a chicken crowing inside, but it was actually the general's little daughter wearing a lace coat.

(1) In buildings in northern Europe, there is always a small room next to the stairs with brooms and odds and ends. This small room is called "Shawu".

"Don't tell mom and dad, they will be angry when they know!"

"What's this, miss?" George asked.

"Everything is burning!" She said. "The fire is really bright!"

George pushed open the door of the nursery; The curtains were almost burnt out; The pole hanging the curtain is also red, and flames come out. George jumped up and pulled it down and shouted at the same time. But for him, I'm afraid the whole house would burn down.

The general and his wife questioned little Emily.

"I just struck a match," she said, "but it lit up at once, and so did the window post. I vomited and wanted to spit it out, but I didn't spit enough, so I ran out to avoid it because I was afraid my parents would be angry. "

"Tucao!" The general said, "What is this word? When did you hear mom and dad say' spit'? You must have learned it from those people downstairs. "

But little George got a coin. Instead of spending money on the bakery, he stuffed it into a storage box. Before long, he had enough money to buy a box of paint. He began to draw colorful pictures and drew a lot. They seem to jump straight out of his pencil and fingertips. He gave his first few color paintings to little Emily.

"Great!" The general said. The general's wife admitted that people could see the little guy's intentions at a glance. "He has a genius!" This is what the janitor's wife brought to the basement.

The general and his wife are important people: their cars are painted with two family badges-each representing a family. Madam also has a family badge on every dress, both inside and outside; It's on the hat, even on the pajamas. Her family emblem is very expensive. Her father bought it with a shiny modern dress, because he was not born, and of course she was not born: she was born too early, seven years before the family emblem. Most people remember, but this family can't. The general's family emblem is old and big: it can crush bones when pressed on his shoulders-not to mention two such family emblems. When the lady put on a stiff and solemn shelf to attend the court dance, her bones were broken.

In European feudal society, only nobles could have family emblems. What this means here is that this man's noble title was bought with money, not inherited.

The general is an old man with some gray hair, but his riding skills are not bad. He knew this, so he rode outside every day and asked his groom to keep a considerable distance behind him. So he always seems to ride a big horse when he goes to parties. He wears medals, and there are many, which puzzles many people, but it can't be blamed on him. When he was young, he served in the army and participated in a grand autumn exercise-an exercise held by the army in peacetime. From then on, he had a little story about himself-the only story he often told: one of his officers intercepted a maharaja on the road. The maharaja and several of his captured soldiers had to follow the general and go to town together. The maharaja himself is a prisoner. This is really an unforgettable event. For many years, the general has been talking about this matter. He always talks about it with the same unforgettable words: these words were said when he returned the sword to the maharaja: "Only my men will take you as a prisoner; I will never! " So the maharaja replied, "You are incomparable!"

To be honest, the general did not take part in the war. When the country was at war, he turned to foreign affairs. He was a special envoy of three countries. He speaks French so well that he almost forgot his own language. He dances well and rides well. The number of medals hanging on his coat is unimaginable. The guard saluted him and a very beautiful woman volunteered to be his wife. They gave birth to a beautiful child. She seems to have fallen from the sky, so beautiful. When she began to play, the gatekeeper's children danced for her in the yard and presented her with many colorful paintings. She played with these things for a while and then tore them to pieces. She is so beautiful, so lovely!

"My rose petals!" The general's wife said, "You were born for the prince!" " "

The prince has stood at their door, but people don't know it. People's eyes are always blind to what is outside the door.

"Our child gave her bread and butter the day before yesterday," said the janitor's wife. "There is no cheese or meat on it, but she tastes like roast beef. The general's family would make a scene if they saw this food, but they didn't see it. "

George and little Emily share bread and butter. If he can make her happy, he is willing to share his heart with her. He is a good boy, smart and lively. He is now studying painting at the evening school of the Academy of Fine Arts. Little Emily has also made some progress in her studies. She learned to speak French from a nanny and a teacher taught her to dance.

"By Easter, George should be confirmed!" Said the janitor's wife. George is very old.

"It's time for him to learn a trade," dad said. "Of course, learn a good craft, so you can also ask him to live independently."

"But he must go home and sleep at night," said his mother. "It is not easy to find a teacher who has a place to live for him. We must make clothes for him; The food he eats is not too expensive-he is happy to have one or two cooked potatoes to eat; Besides, he doesn't spend money on reading. Let him choose for himself; You will see it in the future, which will bring us great comfort; That's what the professor said. "

The new clothes for the confirmation ceremony have been made. His mother sewed it herself, but it was cut by a tailor who did odd jobs. It was very good. The janitor's wife said that if he was in a better situation, he had a facade and a waiter, and he was qualified to make clothes for the people in the court.

The clothes for the confirmation ceremony are ready, and the confirmation ceremony is also ready. On the confirmation day, George got a brass watch from his godfather. This godfather is a buddy of a hemp merchant and is rich among George's godfathers. This watch is very old and has stood the test: it goes fast, but much slower than it does. This is a very expensive gift. The general's family sent a book of poems bound in tanned leather, which was given by the little girl, just like the painting that George gave her. His name and her name are written on the title page of the book, which also says "I wish you all the best". This was read by the general's wife and written by someone else. The general looked at it carefully and said, "Great!"

"Such a noble gentleman really looks up to us!" Said the janitor's wife. George must put on his confirmation costume and go upstairs with a hymn to thank him personally.

The general's wife wears a lot of clothes and suffers from a malignant headache-she always suffers from this disease when she is tired of life. She is very kind to George, wishing him all the best, and also hoping that she will never have a headache again. The general is wearing pajamas, a hat with tassels and a pair of Russian red boots. He walked back and forth three times with many feelings and memories, then stopped and said:

"Little George is a Christian now! Let him also become an honest man who respects his elders! When you are old in the future, it can be said that the general taught you this sentence! "

This is much longer than his usual speech! So he was lost in thought again and showed a very serious look. But of all the things George heard and saw here, Miss Emily is the one he remembers most clearly. How lovely, gentle, light and delicate she is! If he wants to draw her, he should draw her on soap bubbles. Her clothes, her thin blonde hair, all exude a fragrance, as if she were a rose tree with flowers; He once gave her bread and butter! She ate with relish and nodded at him with every bite. Can she remember it now? Yes, of course I remember. She also gave him a beautiful Book of Poetry as a souvenir. So when the new moon first appeared after the New Year, he went outside with bread and a dime. He opened the book to see which poem he would turn to. He turned to a poem of praise and gratitude; So he opened it again to see what poems little Emily would get. He was careful not to sing lamentations; But he turned to the pages between death and the grave. Of course this kind of thing is incredible! But he was afraid, because the young girl soon fell ill in bed, and the doctor's car would stop at her door every noon.

"They can't keep her!" Said the janitor's wife; "Our God knows who he should take back!"

However, they left her. George painted some pictures for her: he painted the Tsar's palace-the ancient Kremlin in Moscow-without losing its shape at all: there are minarets and round towers that look like green and golden cucumbers-at least in George's paintings. Little Emily likes them very much, so within a week, George sent her some more pictures-all buildings, because she can imagine many things about buildings-things in doors and windows.

He drew a house in China; It has 16 floors, and each floor has a clock instrument. He painted two Greek temples, surrounded by slender marble columns and steps. He painted a church in Norway. You can see at a glance that it is completely made of wood with flowers engraved on it. It is very well built, and each floor is like a bent pole under the cradle. But the most beautiful picture is a palace. Its name is Little Emily's Palace. She will live in such a house. This is entirely George's original idea; He moved all the most beautiful things in other buildings to this palace. Like the church in Norway, it has carved beams; Like Greek temples, there are marble columns; There are bell instruments on each floor, and at the top of the highest floor, there is a green gold-plated round tower, like the czar's Kremlin. This is really a children's castle! Under each window, the purpose of the room and hall is marked: "This is where Emily sleeps", "This is where Emily dances" and "This is where Emily plays the game of meeting visitors". It looks interesting and people really come to see it.

"Great!" The general said.

But the old count made no comment. That count is more famous than the general. He also owns a palace and a grange. He heard that it was designed and painted by the younger son of a janitor. But now that he has accepted the confirmation ceremony, he should no longer be treated as a child. The old count looked at these paintings and thought they were cool.

One day, the weather was very-cloudy-gloomy, wet and terrible. This is the clearest and best time for little George. The professor of the Art Institute called him in.

"Please listen, my friend," he said. "Let's talk about it! God is good to you and gives you some talents. He is also very kind to you, allowing you to associate with many good people. The old count who lives on the corner told me about you. I've seen your photos, too. We can make up a few strokes on it, because there are many places to be corrected. Please come to my painting school twice a week; You can draw better in the future. I believe that you can be an excellent architect, not a painter; You still have time to think about it. But please go to the old count who lives on the street corner today and thank our God that you have met such a person! "

The house around the corner is very big; Its windows are carved with elephants and single camels-both ancient handicrafts. But the old count likes the new era and its benefits best, whether they come from the second floor, basement or attic.

"I believe," said the janitor's wife, "that a truly great man will not be too proud. How lovely and straightforward that old count is! He speaks in exactly the same way as you and I; The general's family can't do this! You see, George was warmly received by the count yesterday. He was so happy that he didn't know what to do. I chatted with this great man today and felt the same way. Isn't it a good thing that we don't have Jeangeorges as an apprentice? He is a talented person. "

"But he needs outside help," said his father.

"He gets help now," said his mother. "The count has made it very clear."

"Things have such a result, and the relationship with the general's family is inseparable!" Dad said. "We should also thank them."

"Nature!" Mom said, "But I don't think they have anything to thank. I should thank our God. " One more thing I should thank him for: Emily is sensible now! "

Emily is making progress, and so is George. In this year, he won a small silver medal; It wasn't long before I got a bigger medal.

"If only we sent him to learn a trade!" Mother said, crying at the same time; "So we can leave him! What did he do in Rome? Even if he comes back, I will never see him again; But he won't come back, my lovely child! "

"But this is his luck and glory!" Dad said.

"Yes, thank you, my friend!" Mom said, "But you didn't say what you were thinking!" " You are as sad as I am! "

Speaking of missing and parting, it's true. Everyone says that this young man is really lucky.

George said goodbye and then went to the general's house to say goodbye. But the general's wife didn't come out because she had a bad headache again. As a farewell message, the general once again told his unique story-what he said to the maharaja, what the maharaja said to him: "You are unique in the world!" "So he held out his hand to George-a soft hand.

Emily also held out her hand to George. She looked almost sad. But George is the saddest.

When a person is busy, time passes; When a person is idle, time will pass. The time is the same, but it is not necessarily as useful. Time is very useful to George, and it doesn't seem to last long unless he is homesick. How are you living upstairs and downstairs? Well, it was also mentioned in the letter; And there is still a lot to write on the letter; You can write about sunny days or gloomy days. Their stories are all in the letter: dad is dead, only mom is still alive. Emily has always been a comforting angel. Mother wrote in the letter: She often comes downstairs to see her. The letter also said that the shopkeeper allowed her to keep the post of janitor.

Mrs. General keeps a diary every day. In her diary, she recorded every banquet, every dance and every guest she met. There are also some business cards of diplomats and politicians in the diary as illustrations. She is proud of her diary. The longer the days go by, the more space there is: she has suffered from many serious headaches and attended many lively parties-that is, court dances.

When Emily first went to the court ball, her mother wore a pink dress with black lace. This is Spanish clothing! My daughter is dressed in white, so bright and beautiful! The green ribbon fluttered in her golden curly hair with the crown of water lilies, like rushes. Her eyes are so blue and clear; Her mouth is red and small; She looks like a little mermaid, beautiful beyond imagination. Three princes danced with her, that is, the first one jumped, and then the second one jumped. The general's wife has had no headache for a whole week.

The first dance was not the last, but Emily was too tired. Fortunately, summer has arrived; It brings rest and fresh air. The family was invited to the old count's palace.

There is a garden in the palace, which is worth seeing. Part of it is antique, with solemn green walls. People walk between them, as if they were between green screens with peepholes. Poplar and water cypress are cut into the shape of stars and pyramids, and water flows out of caves embedded with shells. There are many huge stone statues around-you can recognize them from their clothes and faces; The shape of each flower bed is either fish, shield or spelling. This is part of the rich French flavor of the garden. You can walk into a fresh and open forest from here. Trees can grow freely here, so they are big and beautiful. The grass is green, you can walk on it. It has been cut flat and well protected. This is part of a garden with a strong British flavor.

"Old times and new times," said the count, "are harmonious here! This house will have its own unique style in two years. It will completely change for the better. Something better. I'll show it to you, or I can introduce the architect to you. He came here for lunch today! "

"Great!" The general said.