Andersen's fairy tales
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The story we have for you here is really divided into two parts. The first part could be omitted, but it gives us some preliminary information which is useful.
Det er egentligt en historie i to dele, vi her kommer med; første del kunne gerne være borte, – men den giver forkundskaber, og de er nyttige!
We were staying at a manor house in the country, and it happened that the owner was absent for a day or so. Meanwhile a lady with a pug dog arrived from the next town; come, she explained, to dispose of the shares in her tannery. She had her certificates with her, and we advised her to seal them in an envelope and to write on it the address of the proprietor of the estate, "General War Commissary, Knight," etc.
Vi opholdt os inde i landet på en herregård, og så traf det sig, at herskabet der, for en dags tid, tog bort. Da kom der fra nærmeste købstad en madamme, hun havde sin moppe med og kom for, som hun sagde, at man skulle tage "aktier" i hendes garveri. Sine papirer havde hun med, og vi rådede hende, at slå en konvolut om dem og uden på at skrive gårdejerens adresse: "Generalkrigskommissær, Ridder, etcetera."
She listened to us, took up the pen, then hesitated, and begged us to repeat the address slowly. We complied and she wrote, but in the middle of the "General War--" she stopped, sighed, and said, "I'm only a woman!" While she wrote, she had placed her Puggie on the floor, and he was growling, for the dog had come with her for pleasure and health's sake, and a visitor shouldn't be placed on the floor. He was characterized outwardly by a snub nose and a fleshy back.
Hun hørte på os, hun tog pennen, standsede, og bad os om at gentage udskriften, men langsomt. Vi gjorde det, og hun skrev; men midt i "Generalkrigs" blev hun stående, sukkede og sagde: "Jeg er kun et fruentimmer!" Moppen havde hun sat på gulvet, mens hun skrev, og han knurrede; han var jo også taget med for sin fornøjelse og sundheds skyld, og så skal man ikke sættes på gulvet. Braknæse og flæskeryg var hans udvortes.
"He doesn't bite," said the woman. "He hasn't any teeth. He's like one of the family, faithful and grouchy; but the latter is the fault of my grandchildren for teasing him. They play wedding, and want to make him the bridesmaid, and that's too strenuous for the poor old fellow."
"Han bider ikke!" sagde madammen, "han har ingen tænder. Han er ligesom medlem af familien, trofast og arrig, men dette er han tirret til af mine børnebørn; de leger bryllup, og så vil de have ham til at være brudepige, og det anstrenger ham, det gamle skind!"
Then she delivered her certificates and took Puggie up in her arms. And that's the first part of the story, which could have been omitted.
Og hun afleverede sine papirer og tog moppen på armen. Det er første del – som nok kunne undværes!
Puggie died! That's the second part.
"Moppen døde!" det er anden del.
About a week later we arrived in the town and put up at the inn. Our windows looked out into the tannery yard, which was divided into two parts by a wooden fence; in one section were hides and skin caps, raw and tanned. Here was all the equipment for carrying on a tanning business, and it belonged to the widow. Puggie had died that morning and was to be buried in this section of the yard. The widow's grandchildren (that is, the tanner's widow's, for Puggie had never married) covered the grave-a grave so beautiful it must have been quite pleasant to lie there.
Det var en uges tid efter; vi kom til købstaden og tog ind på gæstgiverstedet. Vore vinduer vendte ud til gården, der ved et plankeværk var delt i to dele; i den ene her hang skind og huder, rå og barkede; her stod alle materialer til et garveri, og det var enkens. – Moppen var død i denne morgen og begravet her i gården; enkens børnebørn, det vil sige garverenkens, for moppen havde ikke været gift, klappede graven til, og det var en dejlig grav, det måtte være en fornøjelse at ligge der.
The grave was bordered with broken flowerpots and strewn over with sand; at its head they had stuck up a small beer bottle with the neck upward, and that wasn't at all symbolic.
Graven var indhegnet med potteskår, og bestrøet med sand; øverst på den havde de sat en halv ølflaske med halsen op, og det var slet ikke allegorisk.
The children danced around the grave, and then the oldest of the boys, a practical youngster of seven, proposed that there should be an exhibition of Puggie's grave for everybody living in the street. The price of admission would be one trouser button; that was something every boy would be sure to have and which he also could give to the little girls. This suggestion was adopted by acclamation.
Børnene dansede rundt om graven, og den ældste af drengene, en praktisk yngling på syv år, foreslog, at der skulle være en udstilling af moppens grav og det for alle fra strædet; adgangen måtte betales med en seleknap, det var noget enhver dreng havde, og han også kunne levere for småpigerne; og det forslag blev enstemmigt antaget.
And all the children from the street, and even from the little lane behind, came, and each gave a button. Many were seen that afternoon going about with one suspender, but then they had seen Puggie's grave, and that sight was worth it.
Og alle børn fra strædet og bagstrædet med kom og gav deres knap, der var mange, der kom til at gå med én sele den eftermiddag, men så havde man set moppens grav, og det var nok så meget værd.
But outside the tannery yard, close to the entrance, stood a ragged little girl, very beautiful, with the prettiest curly hair, and eyes so clear and blue that it was a pleasure to look into them. She didn't say a word, nor did she cry, but every time the gate was opened she looked into the yard as long as she could. She had no button, as she knew very well, so she had to stand sorrowfully outside, until all the others had seen the grave and everyone had left. Then she sat down, put her little brown hands before her eyes, and burst into tears, for she alone hadn't seen Puggie's grave. It was a heartache as great as any grown-up can experience.
Men uden for garvergården, tæt op til lågen der, stod en lille pjaltet unge, så yndigt skabt, med det dejligste krøllede hår og øjne så blå og klare, at det var en lyst; hun sagde ikke et ord, hun græd ikke heller, men så så langt hun kunne, hver gang lågen åbnedes. Hun ejede ikke en knap, vidste hun, og blev derfor sørgmodig stående udenfor, stod der til de alle havde set af, og alle var gået bort; da satte hun sig ned, holdt de små brune hænder for øjnene og brast i gråd; hun alene havde ikke set moppens grav. Det var hjertesorg og stor, som den voksnes tit kan være det.
We saw this from above-and seen from above, this, like many of our own and others' griefs could, made us smile! That's the story, and anyone who doesn't understand it can go and buy a share in the widow's tannery.
Vi så det ovenfra – og ovenfra set – denne, som mange af vore og andres sorger, – ja så kan vi le af dem! – det er historien, og den, som ikke forstår den, kan tage aktier i enkens garveri.