大小克劳斯(下):克劳斯和卡罗琳

　　 "What" s that?" said Great Claus. "Have I not killed him? I must go myself and see to this." And so he went over himself with the bushel to Little Claus.
　　 "Now, where did you get all that money from?" he asked; and he opened his eyes wide when he saw all that had been brought together.
　　 "You killed my grandmother, and not me," replied Little Claus;"and I"ve sold her, and got a whole bushel of money for her."
　　 "That" s really being well paid," said Great Claus; and he hastened home, took an axe, and killed his own grandmother directly. Then he put her on a carriage, and drove off to the town with her, to where the apothecary lived, and asked him if he would buy a dead person.
　　 "Who is it, and where did you get him from?" asked the apothecary.
　　 "It" s my grandmother," answered Great Claus."I"ve killed her to get a bushel of money for her."
　　 "Heaven save us!" cried the apothecaly, "you" re raving! Don" t say such things, or you may lose your head." And he told him earnestly what a bad deed this was that he had done, and what a bad man he was, and that he must be punished. And Great Claus was so frightened that he jumped out of the surgery straight into his carriage, and whipped the horses, and drove home. But the apothecary and all the people thought him mad, and so they let him drive whither he would.
　　 "You shall pay for this!" said Great Claus, when he was out upon the high road: "yes, you shall pay me for this, Little Claus!" And directly he got home he took the biggest sack he could find, and went over to Little Claus and said,"Now, you" ve tricked me again! First I killed my horses, and then my old grandmother! That" s all your fault; but you shall never trick me any more." And he seized Little Claus round the body, and thrust him into the sack, and took him upon his back, and called out to him, "Now I shall go off with you and drown you."
　　 It was a long way that he had to travel before he came to the river, and Little Claus was not too light to carry. The road led him close to a church; the organ was playing, and the people were singing, so beautifully! Then Great Claus put down his sack, with Little Claus in it, close to the church door, and thought it would be a very good thing to go in and hear a psalm before he went farther; for Little Claus could not get out, and all the people were in church; and so he went in.
　　 "Oh, dear!Oh, dear!"sighed Little Claus in the sack. And he turned and twisted, but he found it impossible to loosen the cord. Then there came by an old drover with snow-white hair, and a great staff in his hand; he was driving a whole herd of cows and oxen before him, and they stumbled against the sack in which Little Claus was confined, so that it was overthrown.
　　 "Oh, dear!"sighed Little Claus, "I" m so young yet, and am to go to heaven directly?"
　　 "And I, poor fellow," said the drover, "am so old, already, and can"t get there yet?"
　　 "Open the sack," cried Little Claus; "creep into it instead of me, and you will get to heaven directly."
　　 "With all my heart," replied the drover; and he untied the sack, out of which Little Claus crept forth immediately.
　　 "But will you look after the cattle?" said the old man; and he crept into the sack at once, whereupon Little Claus tied it up, and went his way with all the cows and oxen.
　　 Soon afterwards Great Claus came out of the church. He took the sack on his shoulders again, although it seemed to him as if the sack had become lighter; for the old drover was only half as heavy as Little Claus.
　　"How light he is to carry now! Yes, that is because I have heard a psalm."
　　 So he went to the river, which was deep and broad, threw the sack with the old drover in it into the water, and called after him, thinking that it was Little Claus, "You lie there! Now you shan"t trick me any more!"
　　 Then he went home; but when he came to a place where there was a cross-road, he met Little Claus driving all his beasts.
　　 "What"s this?" cried Great Claus. "Have I not drowned you?"
　　 "Yes, "replied Little Claus, "you threw me into the river less than half an hour ago."
　　 "But wherever did you get all those fine beasts from?" asked Great Claus.
　　 "These beasts are sea-cattle, "replied Little Claus. "I"ll tell you the whole story--and thank you for drowning me, for now I"m at the top of the tree. I am really rich! How frightened I was when I lay huddled in the sack, and the wind whistled about my ears when you threw me down from the bridge into the cold water! I sank to the bottom immediately; but I did not knock myself, for the most splendid soft glass grows down there. Upon that I fell; and immediately the sack was opened, and the loveliest maiden, with snow-white garments and a green wreath upon her wet hair, took me by the hand, and said, "Are you come, Little Claus? Here you have some cattle to begin with. A mile farther along the road there is a whole herd more, which I will give to you. " And now I saw that the river formed a great highway for the people of the sea. Down in its bed they walked and drove directly from the sea, and straight into the land, to where the river ends. There it was so beautifully full of flowers and of the freshest grass; the fishes, which swam in the water, shot past my ears, just as here the birds in the air. What pretty people there were there, and what fine cattle pasturing on mounds and in ditches!"
　　 "But why did you come up again to us directly?" asked Great Claus."I should not have done that, if it is so beautiful down there."
　　 "Why," replied Little Claus, "just in that I acted with good policy. You heard me tell you that the sea-maiden said"A mile farther along the road"--and by the road she meant the river, for she can"t go anywhere else-- " there is a whole herd of cattle for you."But I know what bends the stream makes--sometimes this way, sometimes that; there"s a long way to go round; no, the thing can be managed in a shorter way by coming here to the land, and driving across the fields towards the river again. In this manner I save myself almost half a mile, and get all the quicker to my sea-cattle!"
　　"Oh, you are a fortunate man!" said Great Claus."Do you think I should get some sea-cattle too if I went down to the bottom of the river?"
　　"Yes, I think so," replied Little Claus. "But I cannot carry you in the sack as far as the river; you are too heavy for me! But if you will go there, and creep into the sack yourself, I will throw you in with a great deal of pleasure."
　　"Thanks!"said Great Claus; "but if I don"t get any sea-cattle when I am down there, I shall beat you, you may be sure!"
　　 "Oh, no; don"t be so fierce!"
　　 And so they went together to the river. When the beasts, which were thirsty, saw the stream, they ran as fast as they could to get at the water.
　　 "See how they hurry!"cried Little Claus. "They are longing to get back to the bottom."
　　 "Yes, but help me first!" said Great Claus, "or else you shall be beaten."
　　 And so he crept into the great sack, which had been laid across the back of one of the oxen.
　　 "Rut a stone in, for I"m afraid I shan"t sink else, "said Great Claus.
　　 "That will be all right," replied Little Claus; and he put a big stone into the sack, tied the rope tightly, and pushed against it. Plump!There lay Gleat Claus in the river, and sank at once to the bottom.
　　 "I" m afraid he won" t find the cattle!" said Little Claus and then he drove homeward with what he had.
　　
　　“这是怎么回事?”大克劳斯说,“难道我没把他杀死吗?我得亲眼去看看。”于是带上量斗,亲自去见小克劳斯。
　　“这回你又从哪儿搞这么多钱?”他问。当他看到所有的钱堆在一起时,他瞪大了眼睛。
　　“你杀的是我奶奶,不是我。”小克劳斯答道。“我把她卖了,得了满满一斗钱。”
　　“真是太值了!”大克劳斯说。他急忙回家,操起斧头,一下把自己的奶奶砸死了。然后他把尸体抱上马车,驾车直奔城里,找到药剂师,问他要不要买死人。
　　“是谁呀?你从哪儿搞的?”药剂师问。
　　“是我奶奶,”大克劳斯答道, “我杀了她,想换一斗钱。”
　　“老天保佑!”药剂师叫道,“你疯了吗,再也别提这事,否则你会掉脑袋的。”药剂师真诚地告诉他,他做了一件多坏的事儿,他是一个多坏的人,应该受到怎样的惩罚。大克劳斯大惊失色,他一头从药房里蹿出来,直奔自己的马车,挥鞭打马,急忙往家赶。但药剂师和所有人都以为他疯了,就随他跑到哪儿去。
　　“你必须还这笔债!”大克劳斯在公路上说,“是的,你得还这笔债,小克劳斯!”他径直回到家,拿了最大的袋子,去找小克劳斯,说,“这次你又耍弄了我!第一次我打死了自己的马,这次我又杀死了自己的奶奶!这都是你惹的祸,不过你再也耍不了我啦。”他抱住小克劳斯,把他扔进袋子,大声对他说:“现在我要带你出去,把你淹死。”
　　要到河边,他还得走很长一段路。而且小克劳斯也不轻,不容易扛的。那条路通往教堂附近。教堂里正在弹风琴,人们都在唱歌,声音真是好听!大克劳斯把袋子放在教堂门口,里面还装着小克劳斯呢。他想:“在赶路前,听人们唱一首赞美诗,倒是一件美事!反正小克劳斯也出不来,而且人们都在教堂里面。”于是他就进去了。
　　“噢,天哪!噢,天哪!”小克劳斯在袋子里叹道。他扭来扭去,但他发现根本不可能把绳子解开。这时正好有一个白发苍苍的赶牲口的老人路过,手里拿着一根大木棍,正赶着一群母牛和公牛。它们踢到了那个装小克劳斯的袋子,把袋子踢翻了。
　　“噢,天哪!”小克劳斯叫道,“我还这么年轻,就要进天堂了。”
　　“而我呢,真可怜,已经这么老了,还是进不了天堂!”赶牲口的老人说。
　　“打开袋子,”小克劳斯说,“爬进来换我,你就可以直接进天堂了。”
　　“那我真是太高兴了!”赶牲口的答道。他解开袋子,小克劳斯赶紧爬了出来。
　　“但你能帮我照看牲口吗?”老人说。他马上钻进袋子,小克劳斯把袋口系紧,赶着所有的母牛和公牛走了。
　　不久大克劳斯就从教堂里出来了。他又把袋子扛上,但他觉得袋子好像变轻了,因为老人只有小克劳斯一半重。
　　“这下扛起来多轻快!是啊,那是因为我听了一首赞美诗。”
　　他来到河边,河又深又宽。他把装老人的袋子扔进河里,还跟在后面喊,他以为那是小克劳斯呢。
　　“你躺在里面吧,这下你再也不能捉弄我了!”
　　然后他朝家走去。但当他来到一个十字路口时,遇见小克劳斯正赶着一群牲口。
　　“这是怎么回事?”大克劳斯叫道,“我没把你淹死吗?”
　　“是啊,”小克劳斯答道,“不到半小时前,你确实把我扔进河里了。”
　　“但你从哪儿搞到这么多好牲口的?”大克劳斯问道。
　　“这些都是海洋牲口啊,”小克劳斯答道,“我来把全部经过告诉你――谢谢你把我扔进河里,因为我现在撞了大运了。我十分富有!我躺在袋子里的时候,心里有多害怕呀!当你把我从桥上扔到冰冷的水里时,风从我的耳边呼啸而过。我马上就沉入河底,但我没有摔着,因为底下是最好的软草儿。我就是掉在那上面的。袋口马上开了,走过来一个姑娘,穿着雪白的裙子,湿湿的头发上戴着绿底的花环。她拉住我的手,说,‘你来啦,小克劳斯?先给你一些牲口吧。顺着这条路再走一英里,你还能见到一大群,那也是我要给你的。’这下我明白了,原来这条河是海底居住的人们的一条公路。他们在河床上行走,从海底可以走到陆地,一直到达河的尽头。那儿真是美极了,繁花盛开,新草青青,游在河底的鱼儿,从我的耳朵旁边穿过,就像空中的鸟儿一样。那儿的人都那么美,那些在山坡上、山沟里吃草的牲口又是多么漂亮呀!”
　　“但你为什么还回到我们这儿来呢?”大克劳斯问,“如果那底下果真是那么漂亮,我是不会回来的。”
　　“你问我为什么回来?”小克劳斯答道,“这就是我高明之处。我告诉过你,美人鱼说‘顺着大路再走一英里’――她说的‘路’就是‘河’的意思,因为她不能走别的路――‘那儿还有一大群,也是给你的’。但我知道河流是多么弯弯曲曲,有时往这儿拐,有时往那儿拐,得走很长很长的路。这可不行,从这儿到那片土地去有条捷径,只要驾车穿过田地,直奔大河里去就行了。这样就可以抄近一半的路程,能更快地得到我的海牲口了。”
　　“啊,你真是个幸运儿!”大克劳斯说, “你觉得如果我到河底去,也能弄到海牲口吗?”
　　“是的,我想是这样。”小克劳斯答道,“但河离这儿那么远,你又那么沉,我可没办法把你装在袋子里拖过去。如果你到了河边,自己爬进袋子,我倒是很乐意把你扔进去。”
　　“太感谢了!”大克劳斯说,“但我要是在河底下没弄到牲口,我会痛揍你的,你可要明白。”
　　“噢,别,别那么狠!”
　　于是他俩一同朝河边走去。那些口渴的牲口一见到河,一下子冲到河边。
　　“瞧它们急的!”小克劳斯叫道,“它们太想再回到河底了。”
　　“是啊,不过还是先帮我下去!”大克劳斯说,“要不然你得挨一顿揍。”
　　于是他爬进大袋子,那个大袋子一直放在一头公牛的背上。
　　“搬块石头放进袋子,要不我怕自己沉不下去。”大克劳斯说。
　　“好吧,”小克劳斯答道。他把一块大石头放进袋子,扎紧袋口,把它朝河里一推。只听得扑通一声,大克劳斯就掉进了河里,转眼就沉下去了。
　　“我担心他恐怕找不到那些牲口!”小克劳斯说。然后,他赶着自己的牲口回家了。(全文完)