A LEAF FROM THE SKY

HIGH up，in the thin clear air，flew an angel with a flower from the heavenly garden．As he was kissing the flower，a very little leaf fell down into the soft soil in the midst of the wood，and immediately took root，and sprouted，and sent forth shoots among the other plants．

“A funny kind of slip，that，”said the Plants．

And neither Thistle nor Stinging-Nettle would recognize the stranger．

“That must be a kind of garden plant，”said they．And they sneered；and the plant was despised by them as being a thing out of the garden，but it grew and grew，like none of the others，and shot its branches far and wide． “Where are you coming？”cried the lofty Thistles，whose leaves are all armed with thorns．“You give yourself a good deal of space！That's all nonsense-we are not here to support you！”

And winter came，and snow covered the plant；but the plant imparted to the snowy covering a lustre as if the sun was shining upon it from below as from above．When spring came，the plant appeared as flourishing and more beautiful than any growth of the forest．

And now appeared on the scene the botanical professor，who could show what he was in black and white．He inspected the plant and tested it，but found it was not included in his botanical system；and he could not possibly find out to what class it belonged．

“It must be some subordinate species，”he said．“I don't know it．It's not included in any system．”

“Not included in any system！”repeated the Thistles and the Nettles．

The great trees that stood round about heard what was said，and they also saw that it was not a tree of their kind but they said not a word，good or bad，which is the wisest thing for people to do who are stupid．

There came through the forest a poor innocent girl．Her heart was pure，and her understanding was enlarged by faith．Her whole inheritance was an old Bible；but out of its pages a voice said to her，“If people wish to do us evil，remember how it was said of Joseph：-they imagined evil in their hearts，but God turned it to good．If we suffer wrong-if we are misunderstood and despised-then we may recall the words of Him Who was purity and goodness itself，and Who forgave and prayed for those who buffeted and nailed Him to the cross．”

The girl stood still in front of the wonderful plant，whose great leaves exhaled a sweet and refreshing fragrance，and whose flowers glittered like coloured flames in the sun；and from each flower there came a sound as though it concealed within itself a deep fount of melody that thousands of years could not exhaust．With pious gratitude the girl looked on this beautiful work of the Creator，and bent down one of the branches towards herself to breathe its sweetness；and a light arose in her soul．It seemed to do her heart good；and gladly would she have plucked a flower，but she could not make up her mind to break one off，for it would soon fade if she did so．There-fore the girl only took a single leaf，and laid it in her Bible at home；and it lay there quite fresh，always green，and never fading．

Among the pages of the Bible it was kept；and，with the Bible，it was laid under the young girl's head when，a few weeks afterwards，she lay in her coffin，with the solemn calm of death on her gentle face，as if the earthly remains bore the impress of the truth that she now stood before her Creator．

But the wonderful plant still bloomed without in the forest．Soon it was like a tree to look upon；and all the birds of passage bowed before it，especially the swallow and the stork．

“These are foreign airsnow，”said the Thistles and the Burdocks；“we never behave like that here．”

And the black snails actually spat at the flower．

Then came the swinehed．He was collecting thistles and shrubs，to burn them for the ashes．The wonderful plant was pulled up with all its roots and placed in his bundle．

“It shall be made useful，he said；and so said，so done．

But for more than a year and a day，the King of the country was troubled with a terrible depression of spirits．He was busy and industrious，but that did him no good．They read him deep and learned books，and then they read from the very lightest that they could find；but it was of no use．Then one of the wise men of the world，to whom they had applied，sent a messenger to tell the King that there was one remedy to give him relief and to cure him．He said：

“In the King's own country there grows in a forest a plant of heavenly origin．Its appearance is thus and thus．It cannot be mistaken．”And here was added a drawing of the plant，which was easy to recognize．“It remains green winter and summer．Take every evening a fresh leaf of it ，and lay that on the King's forehead；then his thoughts will become clear，and during the night a beautiful dream will strengthen him for the coming day．”

This was all clear enough，and all the doctors and the professor of botany went out into the forest．-Yes，but where was the plant？

“I fancy it was taken up in my bundle，and burned to ashes long ago，”said the swineherd；“but I did not know any better．”

“You did not know any better！”said they all together．“O，ignorance，ignorance，how great thou art！”

And those words the swineherd might well take to himself，for they were meant for him，and for no one else．

Not another leaf was to be found；the only one lay in the coffin of the dead girl，and no one knew anything about that．

And the King himself，in his melancholy，wandered out to the spot in the wood．

“Here is where the plant stood，”he said；“it is a sacred place．”

And the place was surrounded with a golden railing，and a sentry was posted there both by night and by day．

The botanical professor wrote a long treatise upon the heavenly plant．For this he was decorated，and that was a great delight to him，and the decoration suited him and his family very well．

And indeed that was the most agreeable part of the whole story，for the plant was gone，and the King remained as low-spirited as before；but that he had always been，at least so the sentry said．

天上落下来的一片叶子

在稀薄的、清爽的空中，有一个安琪儿拿着天上花园中的一朵花在高高地飞。当他在吻着这朵花的时候，有一小片花瓣落到树林中 松软的地上。这花瓣马上就生了根，并且在许多别的植物中间冒出芽来。

“这真是一根很滑稽的插枝，”别的植物说。蓟和荨麻都不认识它。

“这一定是花园里长的一种植物！”它们说，并且还发出一声冷笑。它们认为它是花园里的一种植物而开它的玩笑。但是它跟别的植物不同；它在不停地生长；它把长枝子向四面伸开来。

“你要伸到什么地方去呢？”高大的蓟说。它的每片叶子部长满了刺。“你占的地方太多！这真是岂有此理！我们可不能扶持你呀！”

冬天来了；雪把植物盖住了。不过这棵植物给雪层增添了一片光彩，好像有太阳从底下照上来似的。在春天的时候，这棵植物开出花来；它比树林里的任何植物都要美丽。

这时来了一位植物学教授。他有许多学位来说明他的身份。他对这棵植物望了一眼，检验了一番；但是他发现他的植物体系内没有这种东西。他简直没有办法把它分类。

“它是一种变种！”他说。“我不认识它，它不属于任何一科！”

“不属于任何一科！”蓟和荨麻说。

周围的许多大树都听到了这些话。它们也看出来了，这种植物不属于它们的系统。但是它们什么话也不说——不说坏话，也不说好话。对于傻子说来，这是一种最聪明的办法。

这时有一个贫苦的天真女孩子走过树林。她的心很纯洁；因为她有信仰，所以她的理解力很强，她全部的财产只是一部很旧的《圣经》，不过她在每页书上都听见上帝的声音：如果有人想对你做坏事，你要记住约瑟的故事——“他们在心里想着坏事情，但是上帝把它变成好事情。”如果你受到委屈，被人误解或者被人侮辱，你只须记住上帝的话。他是一个最纯洁、最善良的人。他为那些讥笑他和把他钉上十字架的人祈祷：“[天父，请原谅他们吧，他们不知道他们自己在做什么事情！”]女孩子站在这棵稀奇的植物面前——它的绿叶发出甜蜜和清新的香气，它的花朵在太阳光中射出五光十色的焰火般的光彩。每朵花发出一种音乐，好像它里面有一股音乐的泉水，几千年也流不尽。女孩子怀着虔诚的心情，望着造物主的这些美丽的创造。她顺手把一根枝条拉过来，细看上面的花朵，闻一闻这些花朵的香气。她心里轻松起来，感到一种愉快。她很想摘下一朵花，但是她不忍把它折断，因为这样花就会凋谢了。她只是摘下一片绿叶。她把它带回家来，夹在《圣经》里。叶子在这本书里永远保持新鲜，从来没有凋谢。

叶子就这样藏在《圣经》里。几个星期以后，当这女孩子躺在棺材里的时候，《圣经》就放在她的头底下。她温柔的脸上露出了一种死亡的庄严和宁静，好像她的这个尘世的躯壳，就是说明她现在已经在上帝面前的印证。

但是那棵奇异的植物仍然在树林里开着花。它很快就要长成一棵树了。许多候鸟，特别是鹳鸟和燕子，都飞到这儿来，在它面前低头致敬。

“这东西已经有点洋派头了！”蓟和牛蒡说。“我们这些本乡生长的植物从来没有这副样子！”

黑蜗牛实际上已经在这植物身上吐粘液了。

这时有一个猪倌来了。他正在采集荨麻和蔓藤，目的是要把它们烧出一点灰来。这棵奇异的植物也被连根拔起来了，扎在一个柴捆里。

“也叫它能够有点用处！”他说，同时他也就这样做了。

但是这个国家的君主多少年以来一直害着很重的忧郁病。他是非常忙碌和勤俭，但是这对他的病却没有什么帮助。人们念些深奥的书给他听，或念些世上最轻松的读物给他听，但这对他的病也没有什么好处。人们请教世界上一个最聪明的人，这人派来一个信使。信使对大家说，要减轻和治好国王的病，现在只有一种药方。他说：“在国王的领土里，有一个树林里长着一棵来自天上的植物。它的形状是如此这般，人们决不会弄错。”这儿还附带有一张关于这棵植物的图解，谁一看就可以认得出来。“它不论在冬天或夏天都是绿的。人们只须每天晚上摘下一片新鲜的叶子，把它放在国王的额上，那么国王的头脑就会变得清新，他夜间就会做一个美丽的梦，他第二天也就会有精神了。”

这个说明已经是够清楚了。所有的医生和那位植物学教授都到树林里去——是的，不过这棵植物在什么地方呢？

“我想我已经把它扎进柴捆里去了！”猪倌 说；“它早就已经烧成灰了。别的事情我不知道！”

“你不知道！”大家齐声说。“啊，愚蠢啊！愚蠢啊！你是多么伟大啊！”

猪倌听到这话可能感到非常难过，因为这是专讲给他一个人听的。

他们连一片叶子也没有找到。那唯一的一片叶子是藏在那个死女孩的棺材里，而这事情谁也不知道。

于是国王在极度的忧郁中亲自走到树林中的那块地方去。

“那棵植物曾经在这儿生长过！”他说。“这是一块神圣的地方！”

于是这块地的周围就竖起了一道金栏杆。有一个哨兵日夜在这儿站岗。

植物学教授写了一篇关于这棵天上植物的论文。他凭这篇论文得到了勋章。这对他说来是一件很愉快的事情，而且对于他和他的家庭也非常相称。

事实上这是这整个故事最有趣的一段，因为这棵植物不见了。国王仍然是忧郁和沮丧的。“不过他一直就是这样，”哨兵这么说。

 

这篇作品首先发表在1855年出版的新版《故事集》里。它是安徒生有所感而写的，而且主要牵涉到他自己：他的作品一直被某些人忽视，没有能得到应当的评价，正如“天上落下的一片叶子”。但这片叶子却得到了一个女孩的喜爱，珍藏在《圣经》里，死时还带进她的棺材，但是“谁也不知道”。这里安徒生是在讽刺当时的一些“评论家”——他们并不懂得真正艺术作品的价值。