FIVE OUT OF ONE POD

THERE were five peas in one pod：they were green，and the pod was green，and so they thought all the world was green；and that was just as it should be！The pod grew，and the peas grew；they accommodated themselves to circumstances，sitting all in a row．The sun shone without，and warmed the husk，and the rain made it clear and transparent；it was mild and agreeable during the clear day and dark during the night，just as it should be，and the peas as they sat there became bigger and bigger，and more and more thoughtful，for something they must do．

“Are we to sit here everlastingly？”asked one．“I’ m afraid we shall become hard by long sitting．It seems to me there must be something outside-I have a kind of inkling of it．

And weeks went by．The peas became yellow， and the pod also．

“All the world’ s turning yellow，”said they；and they had a right to say it．

Suddenly they felt a tug at the pod．It was torn off，passed through human hands，and glided down into the pocket of a jacket，in company with other full pods．

“Now we shall soon be opened！”they said；and that is just what they were waiting for．

“I should like to know who of us will get farthest！”said the smallest of the five．“Yes，now it will soon show itself．”

“What is to be will be，” said the biggest．

“Crack！”the pod burst，and all the five peas rolled out into the bright sunshine．There they lay in a child's hand．A little boy was clutching them，and said they were fine peas for his pea-shooter；and he put one in at once and shot it out．

“Now I'm flying out into the wide world，catch me if you can！”And he was gone．“I，” said the second，“I shall fly straight into the sun．That's a pod worth looking at，and one that exactly suits me．” And away he went．

“We sleep where we come，”said the two next，“but we shall roll on all the same．”And so they rolled first on the floor before they got into the pea-shooter；but they were put in for all that．“We shall go farthest，”said they． “What is to happen will happen，said the last，as he was shot forth out of the pea-shooter；and he flew up against the old board under the garret window，just into a crack which was filled up with moss and soft mould；and the moss closed round him；there he lay，a prisoner in-deed，but not forgotten by our Lord．

“What is to happen will happen，”said he．

Within，in the little garret，lived a poor woman，who went out in the day to clean stoves，saw wood，and to do other hard work of the same kind，for she was strong and industrious too．But she always remained poor；and at home in the garret lay her half-grown only daughter，who was very delicate and weak；for a whole year she had kept her bed，and it seemed as if she could neither live nor die．

“She is going to her little sister，”the woman said．“I had only the two children，and it was not an easy thing to provide for both，but the good God provided for one of them by taking her home to Himself；now I should be glad to keep the other that was left me；but I suppose they are not to remain separated，and she will go to her sister in heaven．

But the sick girl remained where she was．She lay quiet and qatient all day long while her mother went to earn money out of doors．It was spring，and early in the morn-in，just as the mother was about to go out to work，the sun shone mildly and pleasantly through the little window，and threw its rays across the floor；and the sick girl fixed her eyes on the lowest pane in the window．

“What may that green thing be that looks in at the window？It is moving in the wind．”

And the mother stepped to the window，and half opened it．“Oh！”said she，“on my word，it is a little pea which has taken root here，and is putting out its little leaves．How can it have got here into the crack？There you have a little garden to look at．”

And the sick girl's bed was moved nearer to the window，so that she could always see the growing pea；and the mother went forth to her work．

“Mother，I think I shall get well，”said the sick child in the evening．“The sun shone in upon me today delight-fully warm．The little pea is thriving famously，and I shall thrive too，and get up，and go out into the warm sun-shine．

“God grant it！”said the mother，but she did not believe it would be so；but she took carec to prop with a little stick the green plant which had given her daughter the pleasant thoughts of life，so that it might not be broken by the wind；she tied a piece of string to the window-sill and to the upper part of the frame，so that the pea might have something round which it could twine，when it shot up：and it did shoot up indeed-one could see how it grew every day．

“Really，here is a flower coming！”said the woman one day；and now she began to cherish the hope that her sick daughter would recover．She remembered that lately the child had spoken much more cheerfully than before，that in the last few days she had risen up in bed of her own accord，and had sat upright，looking with delighted eyes at the little garden in which only one plant grew．A week afterwards the invalid for the first time sat up for a whole hour．Quite happy，she sat there in the warm sunshine；the window was opened，and in front of it outside stood a pink pea blossom，fully blown．The sick girl bent down and gently kissed the delicate leaves．This day was like a festival． “The Heavenly Father Himself has planted that pea，and caused it to thrive，to be a joy to you，and to me also，my blessed child！”said the glad mother；and she smiled at the flower，as if it had been a good angel．

But about the other peas？Why，the one who flew out into the wide world and said，“Catch me if you can，”fell into the gutter on the roof，and found a home in a pigeon's crop，and lay there like Jonah in the whale；the two lazy ones got just as far，for they，too，were eaten up by pigeons，and thus，at any rate，they were of some real use；but the fourth，who wanted to go up into the sun，fell into the gutter，and lay there in the dirty water for days and weeks，and swelled prodigiously． “How beautifully fat I'm growing！”said the Pea．“I shall burst at last；and I don't think any pea can do more than that．I'm the most remarkable of all the five that were in the pod．”

And the Gutter said he was right．

But the young girl at the garret window stood there with gleaming eyes，with the hue of health on her cheeks，and folded her thin hands over the pea blossom，and thanked Heaven for it．

“I，” said the Gutter，“stand up for my own pea．”

一个豆荚里的五粒豆

 

有一个豆荚，里面有五粒豌豆。它们都是绿的，豆荚也是绿的，因此它们就以为整个世界都是绿的。事实也正是这样！豆荚在生长，豆粒也在生长。它们按照它们在家庭里的地位，坐成一排。太阳在外边照着，把豆荚晒得暖洋洋的；雨把它洗得洁净透明。这儿是既温暖，又舒适；白天有亮，晚间黑暗，这本是必然的规律。豌豆粒坐在那儿越长越大，同时也越变得沉思起来，因为它们多少得做点事情呀。

“难道我们永远就在这儿坐下去么？”它们中的一个问。“我恐怕老这样坐下去，我们会变得僵硬起来。我似乎觉得外面发生了一些事情——我有这种预感！”

许多星期过去了。这几粒豌豆变黄了，豆荚也变黄了。

“整个世界都在变黄啦！”它们说。它们也可以这样说。

忽然它们觉得豆荚震动了一下。它被摘下来了，落到人的手上，跟许多别的丰满的豆荚在一起，溜到一件马甲的口袋里去。

“我们不久就要被打开了！”它们说。于是它们就等待这件事情的到来。

“我倒想要知道，我们之中谁会走得最远！”最小的一粒豆说。“是的，事情马上就要揭晓了。”

“该怎么办就怎么办！”最大的那一粒说。

“啪！”豆荚裂开来了。那五粒豆子全都滚到太阳光里来了。它们躺在一个孩子的手中。这个孩子紧紧地捏着它们，同时说它们正好可以当作豆枪的子弹用。他马上安一粒进去，把它射出来。

“现在我要飞向广大的世界里去了！如果你能捉住我，那么就请你来吧！”于是它就飞走了。“我，”第二粒说，“我将直接飞进太阳里去。这才像一个豆荚呢，而且与我的身份非常相称！”于是它就飞走了。

“我们到了什么地方；就在什么地方睡，”其余的两粒说。“不过我们仍得向前滚。”因此它们在没有到达豆枪以前，就先在地上滚起来。但是它们终于被装进去了。它们说：“我们才会射得最远呢！”

“该怎么样就怎么样！”最后的那一粒说。它射到空中去了。它射到顶楼窗子下面一块旧板子上，正好钻进一个长满了青苔和霉菌的裂缝里去。青苔把它裹起来。它躺在那儿真可以说成了一个囚犯，可是我们的上帝并没忘记它。

“应该怎么样就会怎么样！”它说。

在这个小小的顶楼里住着一个穷苦的女人。她白天到外面去擦炉子，锯木材，并且做许多类似的粗活，因为她很强壮，而且也很勤俭，不过她仍然是很穷。她有一个发育不全的独生女儿，躺在这顶楼上的家里。她的身体非常虚弱。她在床上躺了一整年；看样子既活不下去，也死不了。

“她快要到她亲爱的姐姐那儿去了！”女人说。“我只有两个孩子，但是养活她们两个人是够困难的。善良的上帝分担我的愁苦，已经接走一个了。我现在把留下的这一个养着。不过我想他不会让她们分开的；她也会到她天上的姐姐那儿去的。”

可是这个病孩子并没有离开。她安静地、耐心地整天在家里躺着，她的母亲到外面去挣点生活的费用。这正是春天。一大早，当母亲正要出去工作的时候，太阳温和地、愉快地从那个小窗子射进来，一直射到地上。这个病孩子望着最低的那块窗玻璃。

“从窗玻璃旁边探出头来的那个绿东西是什么呢？它在风里摆动！”

母亲走到窗子那儿去，把窗打开一半。“啊！”她说，“我的天，原来是一粒小豌豆在这儿生了根。还长出小叶子来了。它怎样钻进这个缝隙里去的？你现在可有一个小花园来供你欣赏了！”

病孩子的床搬得更挨近窗子，好让她看到这粒正在生长着的豌豆。于是母亲便出去做她的工作了。

“妈妈，我觉得我好了一些！”这个小姑娘在晚间说。“太阳今天在我身上照得怪温暖的。这粒豆子长得好极了，我也会长得好的；我将爬起床来，走到温暖的太阳光中去。”

“愿上帝准我们这样！”母亲说，但是她不相信事情就会这样。不过她仔细地用一根小棍子把这植物支起来，好使它不致被风吹断，因为它使她的女儿对生命起了愉快的想象。她从窗台上牵了一根线到窗框的上端去，使这粒豆可以盘绕着它向上长，它的确在向上长——人们每天可以看到它在生长。

“真的，它现在要开花了！”女人有一天[早 晨]说。她现在开始希望和相信，她的病孩子会好起来。她记起最近这孩子讲话时要比以前愉快得多，而且最近几天她自己也能爬起来，直直地坐在床上，用高兴的眼光望着这一棵豌豆所形成的小花园。一星期以后，这个病孩子第一次能够坐一整个钟头。她快乐地坐在温暖的太阳光里。窗子打开了，它面前是一朵盛开的、粉红色的豌豆花，小姑娘低下头来，把它柔嫩的叶子轻轻地吻了一下。这一天简直像一个节日。

“我幸福的孩子，上帝亲自种下这棵豌豆，叫它长得枝叶茂盛，成为你我的希望和快乐！”高兴的母亲说。她对这花儿微笑，好像它就是上帝送下来的一位善良的安琪儿。

但是其余的几粒豌豆呢？嗯，那一位曾经飞到广大的世界里去，并且还说过“如果你能捉住我，那末就请你来吧！”它落到屋顶的水览里去了，在一个鸽子的嗉囊里躺下来，正如约拿躺在鲸鱼肚中一样。那两粒懒惰的豆子也不过只走了这么远，因为它们也被鸽子吃掉了。

总之，它们总还算有些实际的用途。可是那第四粒，它本来想飞进太阳里去，但是却落到水沟里去了，在脏水里躺了好几个星期，而且涨大得相当可观。

“我胖得够美了！”这粒豌豆说。“我胖得要爆裂开来。我想，任何豆子从来不曾、也永远不会达到这种地步的。我是豆荚里五粒豆子中最了不起的一粒。”

水沟说它讲得很有道理。

可是顶楼窗子旁那个年轻的女孩子——她脸上射出健康的光彩，她的眼睛发着亮光——正在豌豆花上面交叉着一双小手，感谢上帝。

水沟说：“我支持我的那位豆子。”

 

这个小故事，首先发表在1853年的《丹麦历书》上。成熟了的豆荚裂开了，里面的五个豆粒飞到广大的世界里去，各奔前程，对各自的经历都很满意。但是那粒飞进窗子，落入“一个长满了青苔和霉菌的裂缝里去”的豆粒的经历，却最值得称赞，因为它发芽、开花，给窗子里的躺着的一个小病女孩带来了快乐和生机。关于这个小故事，安徒生在手记中写道：“这个故事来自我儿时的回忆，那时我有一个小木盒，里面盛了一点土，我种了一根葱和一粒豆。这就是我的开满了花的花园。”