CHILDREN'S PRATTLE

AT the rich merchant's there was a children's party；rich people's children and grand people's children were there．The merchant was a learned man：he had once gone through the college examination，for his honest father had kept him to this，his father who had at first only been a cattle dealer；but always an honest and industrious man．The trade had brought money，and the merchant had man－aged to increase the store．Clever he was，and he had also a heart，but there was less said of his heart than of his money．At the merchant's，grand people went in and out—people of blood，as it is called，and people of intellect，and people who had both of these，and people who had neither．Now there was a children's party there，and children's prattle，and children speak frankly from the heart．Among the rest there was a beautiful little girl，and the little one was terribly proud．However，the servants had taught her that，not her parents，who were far too sensible people．Her father was a groom of the bed－chamber，and that is a very grand office，and she knew it．

“I am a child of the bed-chamber，”she said．

Now she might just as well have been a child of the cellar，for nobody can help his birth；and then she told the other children that she was“well born”，and said that no one who was not well born could get on far in the world：it was of no use to read and be industrious；if one was not well born one could not achieve anything．

“And those whose names end with‘sen’，”said she，“they cannot be anything at all．One must put one's arms akimbo，and keep them at a great distance，these‘sen’！”

And she stuck out her pretty little arms，and made the elbows quite pointed，to show how it was to be done and her little arms were very pretty．She was sweet．

But the little daughter of the merchant became very angry at this speech，for her father's name was Madsen，and she knew that the name ended in‘sen’and therefore she said，as proudly as ever she could，

“But my papa can buy a hundred dollars’worth of bon－bons，and throw them to the children！Can your papa do that？”

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“Yes，but my papa，”said an author's little daughter，“can put your papa and everybody's papa into the newspaper．All people are afraid of him，my mamma says，for it is my father who rules in the paper．”

And the little maiden looked exceedingly proud，as though she had been a real Princess，who is expected to look proud．

But outside at the door，which was ajar，stood a poor boy，peeping through the crack．He was of such lowly station that he was not even allowed to enter the room．He had turned the spit for the cook，and she had allowed him to stand behind the door，and to look at the well-dressed children who were making a merry day within，and for him that was a great deal．

“Oh，to be one of them！”thought he；and then he heard what was said，which was certainly calculated to make him very unhappy．His parents at home had not a penny to spare to buy a newspaper，much less could they write one；and what was worst of all，his father's name，and consequently his own，was a common one，ending in “sen”，and so he could not turn out well．That was terrible．But，after all，he had been born，and very well born as it seemed to him；there was no getting over that．

And that is what was done on that evening．

Many years have elapsed since then，and in the course of years children become grown－up persons．

In the town stood a splendid house；it was filled with all kinds of beautiful objects and treasures，and all people wished to see it；even people who dwelt out of town came in to see it．Which of the children of whom we have told might call this house his own？To know that is very easy．No，no；it is not so very easy．The house be－longed to the poor little boy—he had become something great，although his name ended in“sen”，—Thorwaldsen．

And the three other children？The children of blood and of money，and of spiritual pride？Well，they had nothing where with to reproach each other—they turned out well enough，for they had been well dowered by na－ture；and what they had thought and spoken on that evening was mere children's prattle．

孩子们的闲话

 

一个大商人举行了一个儿童招待会。有钱人的孩子和有名人的孩子都到了。这个商人很了不起，是个有学问的人：他曾经进过大学，因为他的可敬的父亲要他进。这位父亲本来是一个牛贩子，不过很老实和勤俭。这可以使他积钱，因此他的钱也就越积越多了。他很聪明，而且也有良心；不过人们谈到他的钱的时候多，谈到他的良心的时候少。

在这个商人的家里，常有名人出出进进——所谓有贵族血统的人，有知识的人和两者都有的，或两者完全没有的人。现在儿童招待会或儿童谈话会正在举行；孩子们心里想到什么就讲什么。他们之中有一位很美丽的小姑娘，她可是骄傲得不可一世。不过这种骄傲是因为佣人老吻她而造成的，不是她的父母，因为他们在这一点上还是非常有理智的。她的爸爸是一个“祗候人”，而这是一个很了不起的职位——她知道这一点。

“我是一个祗候人的女儿呀！”她说。

她也很可能是一个住在地下室的人的女儿，因为谁也没有办法安排自己的出身。她告诉别的孩子们，说她的“出身很好”；她还说，如果一个人的出身不好，那么他就不会有什么前途。因此他读书或者努力都没有什么用处。所以一个人的出身不好，自然什么成就也不会有。

“凡是那些名字的结尾是‘生’字的人，”她说，“他们在这世界上决弄不出一个什么名堂来的！一个人应该把手叉在腰上，跟他们这些‘生’字辈的人保持远远的距离！”于是她就把她美丽的小手臂叉起来，把她的胳膊肘儿弯着，来以身作则。她的小手臂真是非常漂亮。她也天真可爱。

不过那位商人的小姑娘却很生气，因为她爸爸的名字是叫做“马得生”，她知道他的名字的结尾是“生”。因此她尽量做出一种骄傲的神情说：

“但是我的爸爸能买一百块钱的麦芽糖，叫大家挤作一团地来抢！你的爸爸能吗？”

“是的，”一位作家的小女孩说，“但是我的爸爸能把你的爸爸和所有的‘爸爸’写在报纸上发表。我的妈妈说大家都怕他，因为他统治着报纸。”

这个小姑娘昂起头，好像一个真正的公主昂着头的那个样子。

不过在那扇半掩着的门外站着一个穷苦的孩子。他正在朝门缝里望。这小家伙是那么微贱，他甚至还没有资格走进这个房间里来。他帮女厨子转了一会儿烤肉叉，因此她准许他站在门后偷偷地瞧这些漂亮的孩子们在屋子里作乐。这对他说来已经是一件了不起的事情了。

“啊，如果我也在他们中间！”他想。于是他听到他们所讲的一些话。这些话无疑使他感到非常不快。他的父母在家里连一个买报纸的铜子也没有，更谈不上在报纸上写什么文章。最糟糕的是他爸爸的姓——因此也就是他自己的姓——是由一个“生”字结尾的！所以他决不会有什么前途的。这真叫人感到悲哀！不过他究竟是生出来了，而且就他看来，出生得也很好。

这是不用怀疑的。

这就是那个晚上的事情！

从那以后，许多年过去了，孩子们都已成了大人。这城里有一幢很漂亮的房子。它里面藏满了美丽的东西和珍宝，大家都喜欢来参观一下，甚至住在城外的人也跑来看它。我们刚才谈到的那些孩子之中，谁能说这房子是自己的呢？是的，这是很容易弄清楚的！不，不，也不是很容易。这幢房子是属于那个穷苦的孩子的——他已经成了一个伟大的人，虽然他的名字的结尾是一个“生”字——多瓦尔生。

至于其余的三个孩子呢？那个有贵族血统的孩子，那个有钱的孩子，那个在精神上非常骄傲的孩子呢？唔，他们彼此都没有什么话说——他们都是一样的人。他们的命运都很好。

那天晚上他们所想的和所讲的事情，不过都是孩子的闲话罢了。

 

这篇小品最初发表在1859年哥本哈根出版的《新的童话和故事集》第1卷第3辑。它的主题很清楚：那天晚上集在房间里自诩出身好，家境好，前途好的孩子们“所想的和所讲的事情，不过都是孩子们的闲话罢了”。因为事实证明真正创造出了伟大前途的是“在那扇半掩着的门外站着一个穷苦的孩子……这小家伙是那么微贱，他甚至还没有资格走进这个房间里来”。安徒生在写这篇作品的时候无疑也联想起了他自己和他的朋友，世界知名的雕刻大师多瓦尔生——他是一个乡下木匠的孩子。