Childrens prattle 孩子们的闲话

CHILDRENSPRATTLE

ATarichmerchant’shousetherewasachildren’sparty,andthechildrenofrichandgreatpeoplewerethere.themerchantwasalearnedman,fo.Hisfatherhadsenthimtocollege,andhehadpassedhisexamination.Hisfatherhadbeenatfirstonlyacattledealer,butalwayshonestandindustrious,sothathehadmademoney,andhisson,themerchant,hadmanagedtoincreasehisstore.Cleverashewas,hehadalsoaheart;buttherewaslesssaidofhisheartthanofhismoney.Alldescriptionsofpeoplevisitedatthemerchant’shouse,wellborn,aswellasintellectual,andsomewhopossessedneitheroftheserecommendations.
Nowitwasachildren’sparty,andtherewaschildren’sprattle,whichalwaysisspokenfreelyfromtheheart.Amongthemwasabeautifullittlegirl,whowasterriblyproud;butthishadbeentaughtherbytheservants,andnotbyherparents,whowerefartoosensiblepeople.HerfatherwasgroomoftheChambers,whichisahighofficeatcourt,andsheknewit."Iamachildofthecourt,"shesaid;nowshemightjustaswellhavebeenachildofthecellar,fornoonecanhelphisbirth;andthenshetoldtheotherchildrenthatshewaswell-born,andsaidthatnoonewhowasnotwell-borncouldriseintheworld.Itwasnousetoreadandbeindustrious,forifapersonwasnotwell-born,hecouldneverachieveanything."Andthosewhosenamesendwith’sen,’"saidshe,"canneverbeanythingatall.Wemustputourarmsakimbo,andmaketheelbowquitepointed,soastokeepthese’sen’peopleatagreatdistance."Andthenshestuckoutherprettylittlearms,andmadetheelbowsquitepointed,toshowhowitwastobedone;andherlittlearmswereverypretty,forshewasasweet-lookingchild.
Butthelittledaughterofthemerchantbecameveryangryatthisspeech,forherfather’snamewasPetersen,andsheknewthatthenameendedin"sen,"andthereforeshesaidasproudlyasshecould,"Butmypapacanbuyahundreddollars’worthofbonbons,andgivethemawaytochildren.Canyourpapadothat?"
"Yes;andmypapa,"saidthelittledaughteroftheeditorofapaper,"mypapacanputyourpapaandeverybody’spapaintothenewspaper.Allsortsofpeopleareafraidofhim,mymammasays,forhecandoashelikeswiththepaper."Andthelittlemaidenlookedexceedinglyproud,asifshehadbeenarealprincess,whomaybeexpectedtolookproud.
Butoutsidethedoor,whichstoodajar,wasapoorboy,peepingthroughthecrackofthedoor.Hewasofsuchalowlystationthathehadnotbeenallowedeventoentertheroom.
Hehadbeenturningthespitforthecook,andshehadgivenhimpermissiontostandbehindthedoorandpeepinatthewell-dressedchildren,whowerehavingsuchamerrytimewithin;andforhimthatwasagreatdeal."Oh,ifIcouldbeoneofthem,"thoughthe,andthenheheardwhatwassaidaboutnames,whichwasquiteenoughtomakehimmoreunhappy.
Hisparentsathomehadnotevenapennytosparetobuyanewspaper,muchlesscouldtheywriteinone;andworsethanall,hisfather’sname,andofcoursehisown,endedin"sen,"andthereforehecouldneverturnoutwell,whichwasaverysadthought.Butafterall,hehadbeenbornintotheworld,andthestationoflifehadbeenchosenforhim,thereforehemustbecontent.
Andthisiswhathappenedonthatevening.Manyyearspassed,andmostofthechildrenbecamegrown-uppersons.
Therestoodasplendidhouseinthetown,filledwithallkindsofbeautifulandvaluableobjects.Everybodywishedtoseeit,andpeopleevencameinfromthecountryroundtobepermittedtoviewthetreasuresitcontained.
Whichofthechildrenwhoseprattlewehavedescribed,couldcallthishousehisown?Onewouldsupposeitveryeasytoguess.No,no;itisnotsoveryeasy.Thehousebelongedtothepoorlittleboywhohadstoodonthatnightbehindthedoor.Hehadreallybecomesomethinggreat,althoughhisnameendedin"sen,"-foritwasThorwaldsen.
Andthethreeotherchildren-thechildrenofgoodbirth,ofmoney,andofintellectualpride,-well,theywererespectedandhonoredintheworld,fortheyhadbeenwellprovidedforbybirthandposition,andtheyhadnocausetoreproachthemselveswithwhattheyhadthoughtandspokenonthat
eveninglongago,for,afterall,itwasmere"children’sprattle."

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