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安徒生童話(huà)故事：園丁和主人The Gardener and the Manor
引導(dǎo)語(yǔ)：著名丹麥作家安徒生的童話(huà)故事《園丁和主人》講述忠實(shí)的園丁用高超的園藝技術(shù)照顧主人的院子，但是主人卻視而不見(jiàn)。終于在一次暴風(fēng)雨后，主人認(rèn)識(shí)了園丁拉爾森的忠實(shí)和聰明。下面是小編收集的中英文版本，歡迎大家閱讀!
內(nèi)容簡(jiǎn)介
拉爾森是一個(gè)忠誠(chéng)的、有天賦的園丁，他一生都在照顧主人的園子。但是，主人卻對(duì)他的天才園藝視而不見(jiàn)，只有不停的抱怨。在經(jīng)歷一場(chǎng)暴風(fēng)雨后，主人終于認(rèn)識(shí)到了拉爾森的忠實(shí)和聰明。
這個(gè)故事告訴我們：要尊重每一個(gè)人的勞動(dòng)，無(wú)論他出身低微還是高貴；同時(shí)，在生活中，有時(shí)候你的優(yōu)點(diǎn)也許會(huì)被人忽視，但是只要你有自信，堅(jiān)持自己的做法，終究有一天你的優(yōu)點(diǎn)會(huì)被人們承認(rèn)的。
作者簡(jiǎn)介
安徒生1805年出生于丹麥一個(gè)鞋匠家庭，年輕時(shí)當(dāng)過(guò)學(xué)徒，學(xué)過(guò)裁縫，也曾在濟(jì)貧學(xué)校上過(guò)學(xué)，1828年進(jìn)哥本哈根大學(xué)學(xué)習(xí)。
安徒生寫(xiě)過(guò)小說(shuō)、劇本、游記、詩(shī)歌，但他最大的才能表現(xiàn)在童話(huà)創(chuàng)作上。他的第一本童話(huà)故事集《講給孩子們聽(tīng)的故事》發(fā)表于1835年。全世界一代又一代的人閱讀著安徒生的《海的女兒》、《賣(mài)火柴的小女孩》、《皇帝的新衣》、《丑小鴨》、《豌豆公主》等經(jīng)典童話(huà)度過(guò)美好的童年。
安徒生一生共寫(xiě)了160多篇童話(huà)故事，作品被翻譯成80多種語(yǔ)言。他的作品以奇妙的幻想，深邃的智慧，幽默的諷刺反映窮人的悲慘生活，諷刺統(tǒng)治者及其附庸的昏庸和阿諛丑態(tài)，嘲笑富人無(wú)知和嬌柔，歌頌真善美的理想和信念，百余年來(lái)一直為世界各國(guó)的小孩和大人所喜愛(ài)。
《園丁和主人》
離京城十四、五里地的地方，有一幢古老的房子。它的墻壁很厚，并有塔樓和尖尖的山形墻。
每年夏天，有一個(gè)富有的貴族家庭搬到這里來(lái)住。這是他們所有的產(chǎn)業(yè)中最好和最漂亮的一幢房子。從外表上看，它好像是最近才蓋的;但是它的內(nèi)部卻是非常舒適和安靜。門(mén)上有一塊石頭刻著他們的族徽;這族徽的周?chē)烷T(mén)上的扇形窗上盤(pán)著許多美麗的玫瑰花。房子前面是一片整齊的草場(chǎng)。這兒有紅山楂和白山楂，還有名貴的花——至于溫室外面，那當(dāng)然更不用說(shuō)了。
這家還有一個(gè)很能干的園丁�？戳诉@些花圃、果樹(shù)園和菜園，真叫人感到愉快。老花園的本來(lái)面目還有一部分沒(méi)有改動(dòng)，這包括那剪成王冠和金字塔形狀的黃楊樹(shù)籬笆�；h笆后面有兩棵莊嚴(yán)的古樹(shù)。它們幾乎一年四季都是光禿禿的。你很可能以為有一陣暴風(fēng)或者海龍卷①曾經(jīng)卷起許多垃圾撒到它們身上去。不過(guò)每堆垃圾卻是一個(gè)鳥(niǎo)雀窠。
從古代起，一群喧鬧的烏鴉和白嘴雀就在這兒做窠。這地方簡(jiǎn)直像一個(gè)鳥(niǎo)村子。鳥(niǎo)就是這兒的主人，這兒最古的家族，這屋子的所有者。在它們眼中，下面住著的人是算不了什么的。它們?nèi)萑踢@些步行動(dòng)物存在，雖然他們有時(shí)放放槍?zhuān)阉鼈儑樀冒l(fā)抖和亂飛亂叫：“呱!呱!”
園丁常常對(duì)主人建議把這些老樹(shù)砍掉，因?yàn)樗鼈儾⒉缓每?假如沒(méi)有它們，這些喧鬧的鳥(niǎo)兒也可能會(huì)不來(lái)——它們可能遷到別的地方去。但是主人既不愿意砍掉樹(shù)，也不愿意趕走這群鳥(niǎo)兒。這些東西是古時(shí)遺留下來(lái)的，跟房子有密切關(guān)系，不能隨便去掉。
“親愛(ài)的拉爾森，這些樹(shù)是鳥(niǎo)兒繼承的遺產(chǎn)，讓它們住下來(lái)吧!”
園丁的名字叫拉爾森，不過(guò)這跟故事沒(méi)有什么關(guān)系。
“拉爾森，你還嫌工作的空間不夠多么?整個(gè)的花圃、溫室、果樹(shù)園和菜園，夠你忙的呀!”
這就是他忙的幾塊地方。他熱情地、內(nèi)行地保養(yǎng)它們，愛(ài)護(hù)它們和照顧它們。主人都知道他勤快。但是有一件事他們卻不瞞他：他們?cè)趧e人家里看到的花兒和嘗到的果子，全都比自己花園里的好。園丁聽(tīng)到非常難過(guò)，因?yàn)樗偸窍氡M一切辦法把事情做好的，而事實(shí)上他也盡了最大的努力。他是一個(gè)好心腸的人，也是一個(gè)工作認(rèn)真的人。
有一天主人把他喊去，溫和而嚴(yán)肅地對(duì)他說(shuō)：前天他們?nèi)タ催^(guò)一位有名的朋友;這位朋友拿出來(lái)待客的幾種蘋(píng)果和梨子是那么香，那么甜，所有的客人都嘖嘖稱(chēng)贊，羨慕得不得了。這些水果當(dāng)然不是本地產(chǎn)的，不過(guò)假如我們的氣候準(zhǔn)許的話(huà)，那么就應(yīng)該設(shè)法移植過(guò)來(lái)，讓它們?cè)诖说亻_(kāi)花結(jié)果。大家知道，這些水果是在城里一家最好的水果店里買(mǎi)來(lái)的，因此園丁應(yīng)該騎馬去打聽(tīng)一下，這些蘋(píng)果和梨子是什么地方的產(chǎn)品，同時(shí)設(shè)法弄幾根插枝來(lái)栽培。
園丁跟水果商非常熟，因?yàn)閳@里種著果樹(shù)，每逢主人吃不完果子，他就拿去賣(mài)給這個(gè)商人。
園丁到城里去，向水果商打聽(tīng)這些第一流蘋(píng)果和梨子的來(lái)歷。
“從你的園子里弄來(lái)的!”水果商說(shuō)，同時(shí)把蘋(píng)果和梨子拿給他看。他馬上就認(rèn)出來(lái)了。
嗨，園丁才高興呢!他趕快回來(lái)，告訴主人說(shuō)，蘋(píng)果和梨子都是他們園子里的產(chǎn)品。
主人不相信。
“拉爾森，這是不可能的!你能叫水果商給你一個(gè)書(shū)面證明嗎?”
這倒不難，他取來(lái)了一個(gè)書(shū)面證明。
“這真出乎意料!”主人說(shuō)。
他們的桌子上每天擺著大盤(pán)的自己園子里產(chǎn)的這種鮮美的水果。他們有時(shí)還把這種水果整筐整桶送給城里城外的朋友，甚至裝運(yùn)到外國(guó)去。這真是一件非常愉快的事情!不過(guò)有一點(diǎn)必須說(shuō)明：最近兩年的夏天是特別適宜于水果生長(zhǎng)的;全國(guó)各地的收成都很好。
過(guò)了一些時(shí)候，有一天主人參加宮廷里的宴會(huì)。他們?cè)谘鐣?huì)中吃到了皇家溫室里生長(zhǎng)的西瓜——又甜又香的西瓜。
第二天主人把園丁喊進(jìn)來(lái)。
“親愛(ài)的拉爾森，請(qǐng)你跟皇家園丁說(shuō)，替我們弄點(diǎn)這種鮮美的西瓜的種子來(lái)吧!”
“但是皇家園丁的瓜子是向我們要去的呀!”園丁高興地說(shuō)。
“那么皇家園丁一定知道怎樣用最好的方法培植出最好的瓜了!”主人回答說(shuō)�！八墓虾贸詷O了!”
“這樣說(shuō)來(lái)，我倒要感到驕傲呢!”園丁說(shuō)。“我可以告訴您老人家，皇家園丁去年的瓜種得并不太好。他看到我們的瓜長(zhǎng)得好，嘗了幾個(gè)以后，就定了三個(gè)，叫我送到宮里去�！�
“拉爾森，千萬(wàn)不要以為這就是我們園里產(chǎn)的瓜啦!”
“我有根據(jù)!”園丁說(shuō)。
于是他向皇家園丁要來(lái)一張字據(jù)，證明皇家餐桌上的西瓜是這位貴族園子里的產(chǎn)品。
這在主人看來(lái)真是一樁驚人的事情。他們并不保守秘密。
他們把字據(jù)給大家看，把西瓜子到處分送，正如他們從前分送插枝一樣。
關(guān)于這些樹(shù)枝，他們后來(lái)聽(tīng)說(shuō)成績(jī)非常好，都結(jié)出了鮮美的果子，而且還用他們的園子命名。這名字現(xiàn)在在英文、德文和法文里都可以讀到。
這是誰(shuí)也沒(méi)有料到的事情。
“我們只希望園丁不要自以為了不起就得了。”主人說(shuō)。
不過(guò)園丁有另一種看法：他要讓大家都知道他的名字——全國(guó)一個(gè)最好的園丁。他每年設(shè)法在園藝方面創(chuàng)造出一點(diǎn)特別好的東西來(lái)，而且事實(shí)上他也做到了。不過(guò)他常常聽(tīng)別人說(shuō)，他最先培養(yǎng)出的一批果子，比如蘋(píng)果和梨子，的確是最好的;但以后的品種就差得遠(yuǎn)了。西瓜確確實(shí)實(shí)是非常好的，不過(guò)這是另外一回事。草莓也可以說(shuō)是很鮮美的，但并不比別的園子里產(chǎn)的好多少。有一年他種蘿卜失敗了，這時(shí)人們只談?wù)撝@倒霉的蘿卜，而對(duì)別的好東西卻一字不提。
看樣子，主人說(shuō)這樣的話(huà)的時(shí)候，心里似乎倒感到很舒服：“親愛(ài)的拉爾森，今年的運(yùn)氣可不好啊!”
他們似乎覺(jué)得能說(shuō)出“今年的運(yùn)氣可不好啊!”這句話(huà)，是一樁愉快的事情。
園丁每星期到各個(gè)房間里去換兩次鮮花;他把這些花布置得非常有藝術(shù)性，使它們的顏色互相輝映，以襯托出它們的鮮艷。
“拉爾森，你這個(gè)人很懂得藝術(shù)，”主人說(shuō)，“這是我們的上帝給你的一種天才，不是你本身就有的!”
有一天園丁拿著一個(gè)大水晶杯子進(jìn)來(lái)，里面浮著一片睡蓮的葉子。葉子上有一朵像向日葵一樣的鮮艷的藍(lán)色的花——它的又粗又長(zhǎng)的梗子浸在水里。
“印度的蓮花!”主人不禁發(fā)出一個(gè)驚奇的叫聲。
他們從來(lái)沒(méi)有看見(jiàn)過(guò)這樣的花。白天它被放在陽(yáng)光里，晚間它得到人造的陽(yáng)光。凡是看到的人都認(rèn)為它是出奇的美麗和珍貴，甚至這國(guó)家里最高貴的一位小姐都這樣說(shuō)。她就是公主——一個(gè)聰明和善的人。
主人榮幸地把這朵花獻(xiàn)給她。于是這花便和她一道到宮里去了。
現(xiàn)在主人要親自到花園里去摘一朵同樣的花——如果他找得到的話(huà)。但是他卻找不到，因此就把園丁喊來(lái)，問(wèn)他在什么地方弄到這朵藍(lán)色的蓮花的。
“我們?cè)趺匆舱也坏?”主人說(shuō)。“我們到溫室里去過(guò)，到花園里的每一個(gè)角落都去過(guò)!”
“唔，在這些地方你當(dāng)然找不到的!”園丁說(shuō)。“它是菜園里的一種普通的花!不過(guò)，老實(shí)講，它不是夠美的么?它看起來(lái)像仙人掌，事實(shí)上它不過(guò)是朝鮮薊②開(kāi)的一朵花。”
“你早就該把實(shí)情告訴我們!”主人說(shuō)。“我們以為它是一種稀有的外國(guó)花。你在公主面前拿我們開(kāi)了一個(gè)大玩笑!她一看到這花就覺(jué)得很美，但是卻不認(rèn)識(shí)它。她對(duì)于植物學(xué)很有研究，不過(guò)科學(xué)和蔬菜是聯(lián)系不上來(lái)的。拉爾森，你怎么會(huì)想起把這種花送到房間里來(lái)呢?我們現(xiàn)在成了一個(gè)笑柄!”
于是這朵從菜園里采來(lái)的美麗的藍(lán)色的花，就從客廳里拿走了，因?yàn)樗皇强蛷d里的花。主人對(duì)公主道歉了一番，同時(shí)告訴她說(shuō)，那不過(guò)是一朵菜花，園丁一時(shí)心血來(lái)潮，把它獻(xiàn)上，他已經(jīng)把園丁痛罵了一頓。
“這樣做是不對(duì)的!”公主說(shuō)�！八形覀儽犻_(kāi)眼睛看一朵我們從來(lái)不注意的、美麗的花。他把我們想不到的美指給我們看!只要朝鮮薊開(kāi)花，御花園的園丁每天就得送一朵到我房間里來(lái)!”
事情就這樣照辦了。
主人告訴園丁說(shuō)，他現(xiàn)在可以繼續(xù)送新鮮的朝鮮薊到房間里來(lái)。
“那的確是美麗的花!”男主人和女主人齊聲說(shuō)。“非常珍貴!”
園丁受到了稱(chēng)贊。
“拉爾森喜歡這一套!”主人說(shuō)。“他簡(jiǎn)直是一個(gè)慣壞了的孩子!”
秋天里，有一天起了一陣可怕的暴風(fēng)。暴風(fēng)吹得非常厲害，一夜就把樹(shù)林邊上的許多樹(shù)連根吹倒了。一件使主人感到悲哀——是的，他們把這叫做悲哀——但使園丁感到快樂(lè)的事情是：那兩棵布滿(mǎn)了鳥(niǎo)雀窠的大樹(shù)被吹倒了。人們可以聽(tīng)到烏鴉和白嘴雀在暴風(fēng)中哀鳴。屋子里的人說(shuō)，它們?cè)?jīng)用翅膀撲打過(guò)窗子。
“拉爾森，現(xiàn)在你可高興了!”主人說(shuō)。“暴風(fēng)把樹(shù)吹倒了，鳥(niǎo)兒都遷到樹(shù)林里去了，古時(shí)的遺跡全都沒(méi)有了，所有的痕跡和紀(jì)念都不見(jiàn)了!我們感到非常難過(guò)!”
園丁什么話(huà)也不說(shuō)，但是他心里在盤(pán)算著他早就想要做的一件事情：怎樣利用他從前沒(méi)有辦法處理的這塊美麗的、充滿(mǎn)了陽(yáng)光的土地。他要使它變成花園的驕傲和主人的快樂(lè)。
大樹(shù)在倒下的時(shí)候把老黃楊樹(shù)籬笆編成的圖案全都?xì)У袅�。他在這兒種出一片濃密的植物——全都是從田野和樹(shù)林里移來(lái)的本鄉(xiāng)本土的植物。
別的園丁認(rèn)為不能在一個(gè)府邸花園里大量種植的東西，他卻種植了。他把每種植物種在適宜的土壤里，同時(shí)根據(jù)各種植物的特點(diǎn)種在陰處或有陽(yáng)光的地方。他用深厚的感情去培育它們，因此它們長(zhǎng)得非常茂盛。
從西蘭荒地上移來(lái)的杜松，在形狀和顏色方面長(zhǎng)得跟意大利柏樹(shù)沒(méi)有什么分別;平滑的、多刺的冬青，不論在寒冷的冬天或炎熱的夏天里，總是青翠可愛(ài)。前面一排長(zhǎng)著的是各種各色的鳳尾草：有的像棕櫚樹(shù)的孩子，有的像我們叫做“維納斯③的頭發(fā)”的那種又細(xì)又美的植物的父母。這兒還有人們瞧不起的牛蒡;它是那么新鮮美麗，人們簡(jiǎn)直可以把它扎進(jìn)花束中去。牛蒡是種在干燥的高地上的;在較低的潮地上則種著款冬。這也是一種被人瞧不起的植物，但它纖秀的梗子和寬大的葉子使它顯得非常雅致。五六尺高的毛蕊花，開(kāi)著一層一層的花朵，昂然地立著，像一座有許多枝干的大燭臺(tái)。這兒還有車(chē)葉草、櫻草花、鈴蘭花、野水芋和長(zhǎng)著三片葉子的、美麗的酢醬草。它們真是好看。
從法國(guó)土地上移植過(guò)來(lái)的小梨樹(shù)，支在鐵絲架上，成行地立在前排。它們得到充分的陽(yáng)光和培養(yǎng)，因此很快就結(jié)出了水汪汪的大果子，好像是本國(guó)產(chǎn)的一樣。
在原來(lái)是兩棵老樹(shù)的地方，現(xiàn)在豎起了一根很高的旗桿，上邊飄著丹麥國(guó)旗。旗桿旁邊另外有一根桿子，在夏天和收獲的季節(jié)，它上面懸著啤酒花藤和它的香甜的一簇簇花朵。但是在冬天，根據(jù)古老的習(xí)慣，它上面掛著一束燕麥，好使天空的飛鳥(niǎo)在歡樂(lè)的圣誕節(jié)能夠飽吃一餐。
“拉爾森越老越感情用事起來(lái)，”主人說(shuō)。“不過(guò)他對(duì)我們是真誠(chéng)和忠心的。”
新年的時(shí)候，城里有一個(gè)畫(huà)刊登載了一幅關(guān)于這幢老房子的畫(huà)片。人們可以在畫(huà)上看到旗桿和為鳥(niǎo)雀過(guò)歡樂(lè)的圣誕節(jié)而掛起來(lái)的那一束燕麥。畫(huà)刊上說(shuō)，尊重一個(gè)古老的風(fēng)俗是一種美好的行為，而且這對(duì)于一個(gè)古老的府邸說(shuō)來(lái)，是很相稱(chēng)的。
“這全是拉爾森的成績(jī)，”主人說(shuō)，“人們?yōu)樗蟠荡罄蕖?/p>
他是一個(gè)幸運(yùn)的人!我們因?yàn)橛辛怂矌缀跻械津湴亮?”
但是他們卻不感到驕傲!他們覺(jué)得自己是主人，他們可以隨時(shí)把拉爾森解雇。不過(guò)他們沒(méi)有這樣做，因?yàn)樗麄兪呛萌恕麄冞@個(gè)階級(jí)里也有許多好人——這對(duì)于像拉爾森這樣的人說(shuō)來(lái)也算是一樁幸事。
The Gardener and the Manor
About one Danish mile from the capital stood an old manor-house, with thick walls, towers, and pointed gable-ends. Here lived, but only in the summer-season, a rich and courtly family. This manor-house was the best and the most beautiful of all the houses they owned. It looked outside as if it had just been cast in a foundry, and within it was comfort itself. The family arms were carved in stone over the door; beautiful roses twined about the arms and the balcony; a grass-plot extended before the house with red-thorn and white-thorn, and many rare flowers grew even outside the conservatory. The manor kept also a very skillful gardener. It was a real pleasure to see the flower-garden, the orchard, and the kitchen-garden. There was still to be seen a portion of the manor's original garden, a few box-tree hedges cut in shape of crowns and pyramids, and behind these two mighty old trees almost always without leaves. One might almost think that a storm or water-spout had scattered great lumps of manure on their branches, but each lump was a bird's-nest. A swarm of rooks and crows from time immemorial had built their nests here. It was a townful of birds, and the birds were the manorial lords here. They did not care for the proprietors, the manor's oldest family branch, nor for the present owner of the manor,-these were nothing to them; but they bore with the wandering creatures below them, notwithstanding that once in a while they shot with guns in a way that made the birds' back-bones shiver, and made every bird fly up, crying "Rak, Rak!"
The gardener very often explained to the master the necessity of felling the old trees, as they did not look well, and by taking them away they would probably also get rid of the screaming birds, which would seek another place. But he never could be induced either to give up the trees or the swarm of birds the manor could not spare them, as they were relics of the good old times, that ought always to be kept in remembrance.
"The trees are the birds' heritage by this time!" said the master. "So let them keep them, my good Larsen." Larsen was the gardener's name, but that is of very little consequence in this story. "Haven't you room enough to work in, little Larsen? Have you not the flower-garden, the green-houses, the orchard and the kitchen-garden!" He cared for them, he kept them in order and cultivated them with zeal and ability, and the family knew it; but they did not conceal from him that they often tasted fruits and saw flowers in other houses that surpassed what he had in his garden, and that was a sore trial to the gardener, who always wished to do the best, and really did the best he could. He was good-hearted, and a faithful servant.
The owner sent one day for him, and told him kindly that the day before, at a party given by some friends of rank, they had eaten apples and pears which were so juicy and well-flavored that all the guests had loudly expressed their admiration. To be sure, they were not native fruits, but they ought by all means to be introduced here, and to be acclimatized if possible. They learned that the frtiit was bought of one of the first fruit-dealers in the city, and the gardener was to ride to town and find out about where they came from, and then order some slips for grafting. The gardener was very well acquainted with the dealer, because he was the very person to whom he sold the fruit that grew in the manor-garden, beyond what was needed by the family. So the gardener went to town and asked the fruit-dealer where he had found those apples and pears that were praised so highly.
"They are from your own garden," said the fruit-dealer, and he showed him, both the apples and pears, which he recognized. Now, how happy the gardener felt! He hastened back to his master, and told him that the apples and pears were all from his own garden. But he would not believe it.
"It cannot be possible, Larsen. Can you get a written certificate of that from the fruit-dealer?" And that he could; and brought him a written certificate.
"That is certainly wonderful!" said the family.
And now every day were set on the table great dishes filled with beautiful apples and pears from their own garden; bushels and barrels of these fruits were sent to friends in the city and country, nay, were even sent abroad. It was exceedifigly pleasant; but when they talked with the gardener they said that the last two seasons had been remarkably favorable for fruits, and that fruits had done well all over the country.
Some time passed. The family were at dinner at court. The next day the gardener was sent for. They had eaten melons at the royal table which they found very juicy and well-flavored; they came from his Majesty's green-house. "You must go and see the court-gardener, and let him give you some seeds of those melons."
"But the gardener at the court got his melon-seeds from us," said the gardener, highly delighted.
"But then that man understands how to bring the fruit to a higher perfection," was the answer. "Each particular melon was delicious."
"Well; then, I really may feel proud," said the gardener. "I must tell your lordship that the gardener at the court did not succeed very well with his melons this year, and so, seeing how beautiful ours looked, he tasted them and ordered from me three of them for the castle."
"Larsen, do not pretend to say that those were melons from our garden."
"Really, I dare say as much," said the gardener, who went to the court-gardener and got from him a written certificate to the effect that the melons on the royal. table were from the manor. That was certainly a great surprise to the family, and they did not keep the story to themselves. Melon-seeds were sent far and wide, in the same way as had been done with the slips, which they were now hearing had begun to take, and to bear fruit of an excellent kind. The fruit was named after the manor, and the name was written in English, German, and French.
This was something they never had dreamed of.
"We are afraid that the gardener will come to think too much of himself," said they; but he looked on it in another way: what he wished was to get the reputation of being one of the best gardeners in the country, and to produce every year something exquisite out of all sorts of garden stuff, and that he did. But he often had to hear that the fruits which he first brought, the apples and pears, were after all the best. All other kinds of fruits were inferior to these. The melons, too, were very good, but they belonged to quite another species. His strawberries were very excellent, but by no means better than many others; and when it happened one year that his radishes did not succeed, they only spoke of them, and not of other good things he had made succeed.
It really seemed as if the family felt some relief in saying "It won't turn out well this year, little Larsen!" They seemed quite glad when they could say "It won't turn out well!"
The gardener used always twice a week to bring them fresh flowers, tastefully arranged, and the colors by his arrangements were brought out in stronger light.
"You have good taste, Larsen," said the owner, "but that is a gift from our Lord, not from yourself."
One day the gardener brought a great crystal vase with a floating leaf of a white water-lily, upon which was laid, with its long thick stalk descending into the water, a sparkling blue flower as large as a sunflower.
"The sacred lotos of Hindostan!" exclaimed the family. They had never seen such a flower; it was placed every day in the sunshine, and in the evening under artificial light. Every one who saw it found it wonderfully beautiful and rare; and that said the most noble young lady in the country, the wise and kind-hearted princess. The lord of the manor deemed it an honor to present her with the flower, and the princess took it with her to the castle. Now the master of the house went down to the garden to pluck another flower of the same sort, but he could not find any. So he sent for the gardener, and asked him where he kept the blue lotos. "I have been looking for it in vain," said he. "I went into the conservatory, and round about the flower-garden."
"No, it is not there!" said the gardener. "It is nothing else than a common flower from the kitchen-garden, but do you not find it beautiful? It looks as if it was the blue cactus, and yet it is only a kitchen-herb. It is the flower of the artichoke!"
"You should have told us that at the time!" said the master. "We supposed of course that it was a strange and rare flower. You have made us ridiculous in the eyes of the young princess! She saw the flower in our house and thought it beautiful. She did not know the flower, and she is versed in botany, too, but then that has nothing to do with kitchen-herbs. How could you take it into your head, my good Larsen, to put such a flower up in our drawing-room? It makes us ridiculous."
And the magnificent blue flower from the kitchen-garden was turned out of the drawing-room, which was not at all the place for it. The master made his apology to the princess, telling her that it was only a kitchen-herb which the gardener had taken into his head to exhibit, but that he had been well reprimanded for it.
"That was a pity," said the princess, "for he has really opened our eyes to see the beauty of a flower in a place where we should not have thought of looking for it. Our gardener shall every day, as long as the artichoke is in bloom, bring one of them up into the drawing-room."
Then the master told his gardener that he might again bring them a fresh artichoke-flower. "It is, after all, a very nice flower," said he, "and a truly remarkable one." And so the gardener was praised again. "Larsen likes that," said the master; "he is a spoiled child."
In the autumn there came up a great gale, which increased so violently in the night that. several large trees in the outskirts of the wood were torn up by the roots; and to the great grief of the household, but to the gardener's delight, the two big trees blew down, with all their birds'-nests on them. In the manor-house they heard during the storm the screaming of rooks and crows, beating their wings against the windows.
"Now I suppose you are happy, Larsen," said the master: "the storm has felled the trees, and the birds have gone off to the woods; there is nothing left from the good old days; it is all gone, and we are very sorry for it."
The gardener said nothing, but he thought of what he long had turned over in his mind, how he could make that pretty sunny spot very useful, so that it could become an ornament to the garden and a pride to the family. The great trees which had been blown down had shattered the venerable hedge of box, that was cut into fanciful shapes.
Here he set out a multitude of plants that were not to be seen in other gardens. He made an earthen wall, on which he planted all sorts of native flowers from the fields and woods. What no other gardener had ever thought of planting in the manor-garden he planted, giving each its appropriate soil, and the plants were in sunlight or shadow according as each species required. He cared tenderly for them, and they grew up finely. The juniper-tree from the heaths of Jutland rose in shape and color like the Italian cypress; the shining, thorny Christ-thorn, as green in the winter's cold as in the summer's sun, was splendid to see. In the foreground grew ferns of various species: some of them looked as if they were children of the palm-tree; others, as if they were parents of the pretty plants called "Venus's golden locks" or "Maiden-hair." Here stood the despised burdock, which is so beautiful in its freshness that it looks well even in a bouquet. The burdock stood in a dry place, but below in the moist soil grew the colt's-foot, also a despised plant, but yet most picturesque, with its tall stem and large leaf. Like a candelabrum with a multitude of branches six feet high, and with flower over against flower, rose the mullein, a mere field plant. Here stood the woodroof and the lily of the valley, the wild calla and the fine three-leaved wood-sorrel. It was a wonder to see all this beauty!
In the front grew in rows very small peartrees from French soil, trained on wires. By plenty of sun and good care they soon bore as juicy fruits as in their own country. Instead of the two old leafless trees was placed a tall flag-staff, where the flag of Dannebrog was displayed; and near by stood another pole, where the hop-tendril in summer or harvest-time wound its fragrant flowers; but in winter-time, after ancient custom, oat-sheaves were fastened to it, that the birds of the air might find here a good meal in the happy Christmas-time.
"Our good Larsen is growing sentimental as he grows old," said the family; "but he is faithful, and quite attached to us."
In one of the illustrated papers there was a picture at New Year's of the old manor, with the flag-staff and the oat-sheaves for the birds of the air, and the paper said that the old manor had preserved that beautiful old custom, and deserved great credit for it.
"They beat the drum for all Larsen's doings," said the family. "He is a lucky fellow, and we may almost be proud of having such a man in our service."
But they were not a bit proud of it. They were very well aware that they were the lords of the manor; they could give Larsen warning, in fact, but they did not. They were good people, and fortunate it is for every Mr. Larsen that there are so many good people like them.
Yes, that is the story of the gardener and the manor. Now you may think a little about it.
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