THE WICKED PRINCE

THERE was once a wicked and arrogant Prince． His whole ambition was to conquer all the countries in the world， and to inspire all men with fear． He went about with fire and sword， and his soldiers trampled down the corn in the fields，and set fire to the peasants’ houses，so that the red flames licked the leaves from the trees， and the fruit hung burnedd on the black charred branches． With her naked baby in her arms，many a poor mother took refuge behind the still smoking walls of her burned house；and the soldiers sought for her，and if they found her， it was new food for their demoniac fury： evil spirits could not have raged worse than did these soldiers； but the Prince thought their deeds were right，and that it must be so．Every day his power increased； his name was feared by all，and fortune accompanied him in all his actions．From con-quered towns he brought vast treasures home，and in his capital was heaped an amount of wealth unequaled in any other place．And he caused gorgeous palaces， churches，and halls to be built， and every one who saw all this grandeur，said，“What a great Prince！” They thought not of the misery he had brought upon other lands； they heard not all the sighs and all the moanings that arose from among the demolished towns．

The Prince looked upon his gold， and upon his mighty buildings， and his thoughts were like those of the crowd．

“What a great Prince！ But， I must have more，far more！No power may be equal to mine，much less exceed it！”

And he made war upon all his neighbours， and over-came them all． The conquered Kings he caused to be bound with fetters of gold to his chariot when he drove through the streets of his capital； when he banqueted，those Kings were compelled to kneel at his feet， and at the feet of his courtiers，and receive the broken pieces which were thrown to them trom the table．

At last the Prince caused his own statue to be set up in the open squares and in the royal palaces， and he even wished to place it in the churches before the altars； but the priests said，

“Prince， thou art mighty， but Heaven is mightier，and we dare not do it．”

“Good： then，”said the Prince，“I will vanquish Heaven likewise．”

And in his pride and impious haughtiness he caused an ingenious ship to be built， in which he could sail through the air：it was gay to behold， like the tail of a peacock， and seemed to be studded with thousands of eyes； but each eye was the muzzle of a gun． The Prince sat in the midst of the ship， and needed only to press on a spring， and a thousand bullets flew out on all sides，while the gun barrels were reloaded immediately． Hundreds of eagles were harnessed in front of the ship， and in this way he now flew towards the sun．Deep lay the earth below him！With its mountains and forests． it seemed but a ploughed field where the green peeps out from the over-turned grass turf；soon it appeared only like a flat map；and at last it lay completely hidden in mist and cloud．Ever higher flew the eagles， up into the air；then one of the innumerable angels appeared．The wicked Prince hurled thousands of bullets against him；but the bulletssprang back from the angel's shining pinions，and fell down like hail-stones；but a drop of blood， one single drop， fell from one of the white wing－feathers， and this drop fell upon the ship in which the Prince sat， and burned its way deep into the ship，and weighing like a thousand hundred weight of lead，dragged down the ship in headlong fall towards the earth； the strongest pinions of the eagles broke； the wind roared round the Prince's head， and the clouds—formed from the smoke of burned cities—drew themselves together in threatening shaps，like huge sea－crabs stretching forth their claws and nippers towards him，like rolling masses of rock and fire-vomiting dragons，till the Prince lay half dead in the ship， which at last remained hanging in the thick branch－Es of a forest．

“I will conquer Heaven！”said the Prince．“I have sworn it， and my will must be done！”

And for seven years he caused his men to work at making ships for sailing through the air，and had thunder-bolts made of the hardest steel，for he wished to storm the fortress of Heaven； out of all his dominions he gathered armies together，so that when they were drawn up in rank and file they covered a space of several miles．The armies went on board the ships，and the Prince approached his own vessel． Then there was sent out against him a swarm of gnats， a single swarm of little gnats． The swarm buzzed round the Prince，and stung his face and hands： raging with anger， he drew his sword and struck all round him；but he only struck the empty air， for he could not hit the gnats．Then he commanded people to bring costly hangings，and to wrap them around him，so that no gnat might further sting him； and the servants did as he commanded them ．But a single gnat had attached itself to the inner side of the hangings，and crept into the ear of the Prince， and stung him there．It burned like fire， and the poison penetrated to his brain：like a madman he tore the hangings form his body，tore his clothes and danced about naked before the eyes of his rude，savage soldiers， who now jeered at the mad Prince who wanted to overcome Heaven， and who himself was conquered by one single little gnat．

恶毒的王子

 

——一个传说

 

从前有一个恶毒而傲慢的王子；他的全部野心是想要征服世界上所有的国家，使人一听到他的名字就害怕。他带着火和剑出征；他的兵士践踏着田野里的麦子，放火焚烧农民的房屋。鲜红的火焰燎着树上的叶子，把果子烧毁，挂在焦黑的树枝上；许多可怜的母亲，抱着赤裸的、仍然在吃奶的孩子藏到那些冒着烟的墙后面去。兵士搜寻着她们。如果找到了她们和孩子，那么他们的恶作剧就开始了。恶魔都做不出像他们那样坏的事情，但是这位王子却认为他们的行为很好。他的威力一天一天地增大；他的名字大家一提起来就害怕；他做什么事情都得到成功。他从被征服了的城市中搜刮来许多金子和大量财富。他在京城里积蓄的财富，比什么地方都多。他下令建立起许多辉煌的宫殿、教堂和拱廊。凡是见过这些华丽场面的人都说：“多么伟大的王子啊！”他们没有想到他在别的国家里造成的灾难，他们没有听到从那些烧毁了的城市的废墟中发出的呻吟和叹息声。

这位王子瞧瞧他的金子，瞧瞧他那些雄伟的建筑物，也不禁有与众人同样的想法：

“多么伟大的王子啊！不过，我还要有更多、更多的东西！我不准世上有任何其他的威力赶上我，更不用说超过我！”

于是他对所有的邻国掀起战争，并且征服了它们。当他乘着车子在街道上走过的时候，他就把那些俘虏来的国王套上金链条，系在他的车上。吃饭的时候，他强迫这些国王跪在他和他的朝臣们的脚下，同时从餐桌上扔下面包屑，要他们吃。

现在王子下令要把他的雕像竖在所有的广场上和宫殿里，甚至还想竖在教堂神龛面前呢。不过祭司们说：

“你的确是威力不小，不过上帝的威力比你的要大得多。我们不敢做这样的事情。”

“那么好吧，”恶毒的王子说。“我要征服上帝！”

他心里充满了傲慢和邪恶的自负，他下令要建造一只巧妙的船，他要坐上这条船在空中航行。这条船必须像孔雀尾巴一样色彩鲜艳，必须像是嵌着几千只眼睛——但是每只眼睛却是一个炮孔。王子只须坐在船的中央，按一下弹簧就有1000颗子弹向四面射出，同时这些枪就立刻自动地装上子弹。船的前面套着几百只大鹰——他就这样向太阳飞去。

大地低低地横在下面。地上的大山和森林，第一眼看来就像加过工的田野：绿苗从它犁过了的草皮里冒出来。不一会儿就像一张平整的地图；最后它就完全在云雾中不见了。这些鹰在空中越飞越高。这时上帝从他无数的安琪儿当中，先派遣了一位安琪儿。这个邪恶的王子就马上向他射出几千发子弹；不过子弹像冰雹一样，都被安琪儿光耀的翅膀撞回来了。有一滴血——唯一的一滴血——从那雪白的翅膀上的羽毛上落下来，落在这位王子乘坐的船上。血在船里烧起来，像500多吨重的铅，击碎了这条船，同时把这条船沉沉地压下来。那些鹰的坚强的羽毛都断了。风在王子的头上呼啸。那焚烧着的船发出的烟雾在他周围集结成骇人的形状；像一些向他伸着尖锐前爪的庞大的螃蟹，也像一些滚动着的石堆和喷火的巨龙。王子在船里，吓得半死。这条船最后落在一个浓密的森林上面。

“我要战胜上帝！”他说。“我既起了这个誓言，我的意志必须实现！”

他花了七年工夫让手下的人制造出一些能在空中航行的［精巧的］船。他用最坚固的钢制造出闪电来，因为他希望攻破天上的堡垒。他在他的领土里招募了一支［强大的］军队。当这些军队排列成队形的时候，他们可以占满许多英里的面积。他们爬上这些船，王子也走进他的那条船。这时上帝送来一群蚊蚋——只是一群小蚊蚋。这些小虫子在王子的周围嗡嗡地叫，刺着他的脸和手。他一生气就抽出剑来，但是他只刺着不可捉摸的空气，刺不着蚊蚋。于是他命令他的部下拿最贵重的帷幔把他包起来，使得蚊蚋刺不着他。他的部下执行了他的命令。不过帷慢里面贴着一只小蚊蚋。它钻进王子的耳朵里，在那里面刺他。它刺得像火烧一样，它的毒穿进他的脑子。他像疯子一样把帷幔从身上撕掉，把衣服也撕掉。他在那些粗鲁、野蛮的兵士面前一丝不挂地跳起舞来。这些兵士现在都讥笑着这个疯了的王子——这个想向上帝进攻，而自己却被一个小蚊蚋征服了的王子。

 

这篇小故事最初发表于1840年10月在哥本哈根出版的《沙龙》杂志上。安徒生在他的手记中说，这是一个在民间口头上流传的故事，他记得很清楚。于是，就写成一篇童话，把这个故事的这样的内涵意义表达出来：一个貌似凶猛、不可一世的暴君——即现代所谓的独裁者——往往会在一些渺小的人物手上栽跟头，导致他的“伟大事业彻底失败”。这个故事中的王子做梦也没有想到，他会被一个钻进他耳朵里去的小蚊虫弄得最后发了疯。