安徒生童話:the Girl Who Trod on the Loaf 踩麵包的姑娘
the Girl Who Trod on the Loaf
by Hans Christian Andersen（1859）
theRE was once a girl who trod on a loaf to avoid soiling her shoes， and the misfortunes that happened to her in consequence are well known. Her name was Inge； she was a poor child， but proud and presuming， and with a bad and cruel disposition. When quite a little child she would delight in catching flies， and tearing off their wings， so as to make creeping things of them. When older， she would take cockchafers and beetles， and stick pins through them. Then she pushed a GREen leaf， or a little scrap of paper towards their feet， and when the poor creatures would seize it and hold it fast， and turn over and over in their struggles to get free from the pin， she would say， “The cockchafer is reading； see how he turns over the leaf.” She grew worse instead of better with years， and， unfortunately， she was pretty， which caused her to be excused， when she should have been sharply reproved.
“Your headstrong will requires severity to conquer it，” her mother often said to her. “As a little child you used to trample on my apron， but one day I fear you will trample on my heart.” And， alas！ this fear was realized.
Inge was taken to the house of some rich people， who lived at a distance， and who treated her as their own child， and dressed her so fine that her pride and arrogance increased.
When she had been there about a year， her patroness said to her， “You ought to go， for once， and see your parents， Inge.”
So Inge started to go and visit her parents； but she only wanted to show herself in her native place， that the people might see how fine she was. She reached the entrance of the village， and saw the young laboring men and maidens standing together chatting， and her own mother amongst them. Inge's mother was sitting on a stone to rest， with a fagot of sticks lying before her， which she had picked up in the wood. Then Inge turned back； she who was so finely dressed she felt ashamed of her mother， a poorly clad woman， who picked up wood in the forest. She did not turn back out of pity for her mother's poverty， but from pride.
Another half-year went by， and her mistress said， “you ought to go home again， and visit your parents， Inge， and I will give you a large wheaten loaf to take to them， they will be glad to see you， I am sure.”
So Inge put on her best clothes， and her new shoes， drew her dress up around her， and set out， stepping very carefully， that she might be clean and neat about the feet， and there was nothing wrong in doing so. But when she came to the place where the footpath led across the moor， she found small pools of water， and a GREat deal of mud， so she threw the loaf into the mud， and trod upon it， that she might pass without wetting her feet. But as she stood with one foot on the loaf and the other lifted up to step forward， the loaf began to sink under her， lower and lower， till she disappeared altogether， and only a few bubbles on the surface of the muddy pool remained to show where she had sunk. And this is the story.
But where did Inge go？ She sank into the ground， and went down to the marsh Woman， who is always brewing there.
the Marsh Woman is related to the elf maidens， who are well-known， for songs are sung and pictures painted about them. But of the Marsh Woman nothing is known， excepting that when a mist arises from the meadows， in summer time， it is because she is brewing beneath them. To the Marsh Woman's brewery Inge sunk down to a place which no one can endure for long. A heap of mud is a palace compared with the Marsh Woman's brewery； and as Inge fell she shuddered in every limb， and soon became cold and stiff as marble. Her foot was still fastened to the loaf， which bowed her down as a golden ear of corn bends the stem.
An evil spirit soon took possession of Inge， and carried her to a still worse place， in which she saw crowds of unhappy people， waiting in a state of agony for the gates of mercy to be opened to them， and in every heart was a miserable and eternal feeling of unrest. It would take too much time to describe the various tortures these people suffered， but Inge's punishment consisted in standing there as a statue， with her foot fastened to the loaf. She could move her eyes about， and see all the misery around her， but she could not turn her head； and when she saw the people looking at her she thought they were admiring her pretty face and fine clothes， for she was still vain and proud. But she had forgotten how soiled her clothes had become while in the Marsh Woman's brewery， and that they were covered with mud； a snake had also fastened itself in her hair， and hung down her back， while from each fold in her dress a GREat toad peeped out and croaked like an asthmatic poodle. Worse than all was the terrible hunger that tormented her， and she could not stoop to break off a piece of the loaf on which she stood. No； her back was too stiff， and her whole body like a pillar of stone. And then came creeping over her face and eyes flies without wings； she winked and blinked， but they could not fly away， for their wings had been pulled off； this， added to the hunger she felt， was horrible torture.
“If this lasts much longer，” she said， “I shall not be able to bear it.” But it did last， and she had to bear it， without being able to help herself.
A tear， followed by many scalding tears， fell upon her head， and rolled over her face and neck， down to the loaf on which she stood. Who could be weeping for Inge？ She had a mother in the world still， and the tears of sorrow which a mother sheds for her child will always find their way to the child's heart， but they often increase the torment instead of being a relief. And Inge could hear all that was said about her in the world she had left， and every one seemed cruel to her. The sin she had committed in treading on the loaf was known on earth， for she had been seen by the cowherd from the hill， when she was crossing the marsh and had disappeared.
When her mother wept and exclaimed， “Ah， Inge！ what grief thou hast caused thy mother” she would say， “Oh that I had never been born！ My mother's tears are useless now.”
And then the words of the kind people who had adopted her came to her ears， when they said， “Inge was a sinful girl， who did not value the gifts of God， but trampled them under her feet.”
“Ah，” thought Inge， “they should have punished me， and driven all my naughty tempers out of me.”
A song was made about “the girl who trod on a loaf to keep her shoes from being soiled，” and this song was sung everywhere. The story of her sin was also told to the little children， and they called her “wicked Inge，” and said she was so naughty that she ought to be punished. Inge heard all this， and her heart became hardened and full of bitterness.
But one day， while hunger and grief were gnawing in her hollow frame， she heard a little， innocent child， while listening to the tale of the vain， haughty Inge， burst into tears and exclaim， “But will she never come up again？”
And she heard the reply， “No， she will never come up again.”
“But if she were to say she was sorry， and ask pardon， and promise never to do so again？” asked the little one.
“Yes， then she might come； but she will not beg pardon，” was the answer.
“Oh， I wish she would！” said the child， who was quite unhappy about it. “I should be so glad. I would give up my doll and all my playthings， if she could only come here again. Poor Inge！ it is so dreadful for her.”
these pitying words penetrated to Inge's inmost heart， and seemed to do her good. It was the first time any one had said， “Poor Inge！” without saying something about her faults. A little innocent child was weeping， and praying for mercy for her. It made her feel quite strange， and she would gladly have wept herself， and it added to her torment to find she could not do so. And while she thus suffered in a place where nothing changed， years passed away on earth， and she heard her name less frequently mentioned. But one day a sigh reached her ear， and the words， “Inge！ Inge！ what a grief thou hast been to me！ I said it would be so.” It was the last sigh of her dying mother.
After this， Inge heard her kind mistress say， “Ah， poor Inge！ shall I ever see thee again？ Perhaps I may， for we know not what may happen in the future.” But Inge knew right well that her mistress would never come to that dreadful place.
Time-passed—a long bitter time—then Inge heard her name pronounced once more， and saw what seemed two bright stars shining above her. They were two gentle eyes closing on earth. Many years had passed since the little girl had lamented and wept about “poor Inge.” That child was now an old woman， whom God was taking to Himself. In the last hour of existence the events of a whole life often appear before us； and this hour the old woman remembered how， when a child， she had shed tears over the story of Inge， and she prayed for her now. As the eyes of the old woman closed to earth， the eyes of the soul opened upon the hidden things of eternity， and then she， in whose last thoughts Inge had been so vividly present， saw how deeply the poor girl had sunk. She burst into tears at the sight， and in heaven， as she had done when a little child on earth， she wept and prayed for poor Inge. Her tears and her prayers echoed through the dark void that surrounded the tormented captive soul， and the unexpected mercy was obtained for it through an angel's tears. As in thought Inge seemed to act over again every sin she had committed on earth， she trembled， and tears she had never yet been able to weep rushed to her eyes. It seemed impossible that the gates of mercy could ever be opened to her； but while she acknowledged this in deep penitence， a beam of radiant light shot suddenly into the depths upon her. More powerful than the sunbeam that dissolves the man of snow which the children have raised， more quickly than the snowflake melts and becomes a drop of water on the warm lips of a child， was the stony form of Inge changed， and as a little bird she soared， with the speed of lightning， upward to the world of mortals. A bird that felt timid and shy to all things around it， that seemed to shrink with shame from meeting any living creature， and hurriedly sought to conceal itself in a dark corner of an old ruined wall； there it sat cowering and unable to utter a sound， for it was voiceless. Yet how quickly the little bird discovered the beauty of everything around it. The sweet， fresh air； the soft radiance of the moon， as its light spread over the earth； the fragrance which exhaled from bush and tree， made it feel happy as it sat there clothed in its fresh， bright plumage. All creation seemed to speak of beneficence and love. The bird wanted to give utterance to thoughts that stirred in his breast， as the cuckoo and the nightingale in the spring， but it could not. Yet in heaven can be heard the song of praise， even from a worm； and the notes trembling in the breast of the bird were as audible to Heaven even as the psalms of David before they had fashioned themselves into words and song.
Christmas-time drew near， and a peasant who dwelt close by the old wall stuck up a pole with some ears of corn fastened to the top， that the birds of heaven might have feast， and rejoice in the happy， blessed time. And on Christmas morning the sun arose and shone upon the ears of corn， which were quickly surrounded by a number of twittering birds. Then， from a hole in the wall， gushed forth in song the swelling thoughts of the bird as he issued from his hiding place to perform his first good deed on earth，—and in heaven it was well known who that bird was.
the winter was very hard； the ponds were covered with ice， and there was very little food for either the beasts of the field or the birds of the air. Our little bird flew away into the public roads， and found here and there， in the ruts of the sledges， a grain of corn， and at the halting places some crumbs. Of these he ate only a few， but he called around him the other birds and the hungry sparrows， that they too might have food. He flew into the towns， and looked about， and wherever a kind hand had strewed bread on the window-sill for the birds， he only ate a single crumb himself， and gave all the rest to the rest of the other birds. In the course of the winter the bird had in this way collected many crumbs and given them to other birds， till they equalled the weight of the loaf on which Inge had trod to keep her shoes clean； and when the last bread-crumb had been found and given， the gray wings of the bird became white， and spread themselves out for flight.
“See， yonder is a sea-gull！” cried the children， when they saw the white bird， as it dived into the sea， and rose again into the clear sunlight， white and glittering. But no one could tell whither it went then although some declared it flew straight to the sun.
你大概聽說過那個怕弄髒自己鞋子便踩麵包的小姑娘，聽說過她遭了多大的殃吧。這些事是寫在紙上印在紙上的。她是一個窮孩子，很驕傲，自覺很了不起，像俗話說的那樣，她這個孩子本性不好。還在她很小的時候，她便逮蒼蠅，撕下牠們的翅膀，讓牠們只能爬，以此取樂。她還把大甲蟲和金龜子抓來，各穿在一根針上，在牠們的腳下放一片綠葉或者一小塊紙，可憐的小蟲子便緊緊抓住葉子或者紙片，轉過來，翻過去，想掙脫掉針。“大甲蟲會看書了！”小英娥說道，“你看牠翻紙的那個樣子！”
隨着她漸漸長大，她不是變好一些而是更壞了。不過她長得很好看，這正是她的不幸，否則，她大概會被管束得和現在不一樣。“你的頭得拿濃鹼水好好泡泡！”她母親說道。“你還是個娃娃的時候，就踩我的圍裙，我怕你長大了會時常踩在我的心口上。”
她真是這麼幹的。
現在她到鄉下有錢人家去幫工了，人家對她就像對自己的孩子一樣，於是她穿得很好。她很好看，就越以爲自己了不起了。
她在外幫工一年，她的主人對她說：“小英娥，你該回去看看你的父親母親了！”
她倒也回去了，不過是爲了顯示給他們看看，她穿戴得多麼漂亮。然而在走出鄉下快到城裏的時候，她看見一羣姑娘和小夥子在街頭的水池邊閒談，而她的母親正坐在一塊石頭上休息，旁邊放着一捆劈柴，是她從樹林中拾回來的。於是英娥扭身就往回走。她覺得自己穿得這麼漂亮竟會有這麼一個破衣爛衫拾柴禾的媽媽，是很可恥的事。她對回頭一點也不覺得難過，心裏只是煩惱。
又過了半年的時間。“你一定得找一天回家去看看你的老父老母，小英娥！”她的女主人對她說道。“這裏有一大塊小麥麵包，你可以拿回去給他們；看見你他們會很高興的。”
英娥穿上最好看的衣服，穿上她的新鞋。她把裙子提起來，很小心地走着。她想保持她的雙腳光潔美麗，這自然不能責怪她；可是她來到一片泥濘地，道上有水，有污泥，於是她便把麵包扔到污泥裏，她踩在上面走過去，不讓鞋子沾上泥水。但是，當她一隻腳踩在麵包上，另一隻腳剛擡起來的時候，麵包帶着她沉了下去，陷得越來越深直到她完全沉沒，剩下的只是一個冒水泡的黑泥坑。
那個故事就是這樣發生的。
那麼英娥到哪裏去了呢？她到了釀酒的那個沼澤女人那裏去了。沼澤女人是妖女的姑媽。妖女們是很有名的，有許多關於她們的歌，還有不少她們的畫，但是關於沼澤女人，大家知道的只是很少一點：夏天，草地上霧氣騰騰的時候，那就是沼澤女人在蒸酒了。英娥就是沉到她的釀酒房裏去了，那地方可是不能久呆的，和沼澤女人的釀酒房比起來，爛泥坑還算是明亮的上等房間呢！所有的酒缸都散發着怪味，薰得人暈暈乎乎，酒缸一個緊挨一個地排着，要是中間有一個小縫，容得下人擠過去的話，你也過不去，因爲這裏粘糊糊的癩蛤蟆和肥胖的水蛇纏在一起；小英娥便沉到了這裏。所有這些叫人噁心的髒東西都是冰涼的，她渾身上下哆嗦起來，是啊，她的身子越來越僵了。她牢牢地踩着麵包，麵包又拽着她，就像是一顆琥珀鈕釦吸着一根小草一樣。
沼澤女人在家，魔鬼和魔鬼的曾祖母那天來釀酒房串門，她是一個十分毒辣的老女人，她總是閒不着；她如果不是帶着她的手工活兒，就不會出門，今天她的手工活兒也在這兒。她專門給人的鞋子縫上“不停地走”之類的玩意兒，讓穿着縫有這種玩意兒的人永遠不得安寧。她還會繡謊話，會把掉到地上的一切胡言亂語都織在一起，拿來害人，誘人墮落。可不是，她會縫、會繡還會編，這老曾祖母！
她看見了英娥，接着又把眼鏡戴上再看了她一眼：“這是個有靈性的姑娘！”她說道，“我請求把她給我，作爲這次來訪的紀念！她會成爲裝點我重孫子前庭的很合適的雕像。”於是她得到了她。小英娥就這樣來到了地獄。一般說人並不是這樣直接下到地獄去的，要是他們有靈性的話，他們便可以繞道去地獄。
那裏是一片無邊無際的大空間的前庭；往前看你會頭昏眼花，往後看你也會眼花頭昏。在這兒，一大羣死人正在等着慈悲的大門打開；他們要等很久很久！又肥又大爬起來東歪西倒的蜘蛛在他們的腳上吐着千年老絲網。這些蜘蛛網像腳鐐一樣勒進他們的肉裏，像銅鏈一樣地鎖住他們。因爲這個緣故，他們的魂靈永遠都不得安寧。守財奴站在那裏，他忘了帶他的錢櫃鑰匙，雖然他知道鑰匙插在錢櫃鎖眼上。是啊，要是把大家遭受的痛苦和災難都敘述一遍，那會是冗長費神的。作爲一座雕像立在那裏，英娥體驗到了這種悲慘。下邊，她的雙腳牢牢地陷入那塊麵包裏。“爲了不把腳弄髒便落得這麼個下場！”她自言自語地說道。“瞧，他們都盯着我！”可不是，大家都看着她；惡毒的念頭從他們的眼裏表現出來。他們講着，但嘴角沒有出聲，這些人看去真可怕。“看着我一定是件快事！”小英娥想道，“我的面龐很漂亮，穿着很好的衣服！”然後她轉動她的眼睛，脖子太硬了，轉不動。真糟糕，沼澤女人的釀酒房把她弄得多髒啊，她一點沒想到。她的衣服就像被一整塊粘液滲透；頭髮上爬着一條蛇，蛇頭落在她的脖子上。她衣裙的每個褶紋裏都有一隻癩蛤蟆伸頭往外看，像害着喘病的哈巴狗呱呱叫着。真不好受。“不過這裏其他的人也都很嚇人！”她這樣自我安慰。
糟糕透頂的是她這時覺得餓得要死；她能不能彎下腰來掰一塊腳下踩着的麵包？不行，背脊骨是僵硬的，胳膊和手是僵硬的，她的整個身子就像一尊石雕，只有她臉上的眼睛會轉動，能整整轉一週。於是眼睛可以看到背後，情景真可怕，真可怕。接着，蒼蠅來了；蒼蠅在她的眼上爬，爬來爬去，她眨着眼，但是蒼蠅並不飛走，因爲它們不能飛，它們的翅膀都被撕掉了，成了爬蟲了1.真痛苦，還有飢餓；是的，到最後，她覺得她的五臟六腑都被自己吃掉了，她身內空空的，令人害怕地空。“再這樣下去，我就吃不消了！”她說道，然而她得忍着。這情形繼續着，沒完沒了地繼續着。
這時，一滴熱淚掉到她的頭上，滾過她的臉和胸落到了麵包上，又掉了一滴，掉了許多滴。是誰在爲小英娥哭泣？地面上不是有她一位母親嗎。一位母親爲她孩子而流的悲痛的淚總會掉到孩子身上的，可是這些淚珠並未減輕痛苦，淚珠在燒灸，只會使痛苦加劇。還有這無法忍受的飢餓和她夠不着腳下踩着的那塊麵包的那種折磨。最後她產生了一種感覺，她把自己的內臟都吃光了，她成了一個沉重、空洞的管子，把一切聲音都吸收了進去的空管；她清楚地聽見地面上的人們談論她的一切話，她聽到的全是尖銳地責備她的話。她的母親的確哭得很厲害很悲痛，但接着又說：“是驕傲讓你栽了個大觔斗，才遭這種罪2.這是你的不幸，英娥！你讓你母親傷透了心！”
她的母親和上面所有的人都知道了她的罪惡，知道她踩着麵包走，知道她沉淪不見了；這是一個放牛的人說的，他在山坡上看見了。“你讓你母親傷透了心，英娥！”母親說道：“是啊，我早料到了！”“要是我沒有生到世上來就好了！”聽了母親的話，她想道，“那就好得多了。現在母親哭又有甚麼用呢。”
她聽見她的主人，那些體面的人，像親生父母一樣對待她的人在說：“她是一個罪孽深重的孩子！”他們還說，“她一點也不珍惜天父的禮物，而是把它踩在腳下，她難進慈悲之門啊。”“他們真該早些嚴嚴地管教我啊！”英娥想道。“如果我有邪念便把它們驅趕掉。”
她聽見還有人編了一首歌說她，“高傲的姑娘，踩着麵包走，怕把鞋弄髒.”這首歌全國上下都在唱。“爲了這件事我要聽多少責罵啊！我要受多少罪啊！”英娥想道，“別人也真該因爲他們的罪孽挨罰的！是啊，該懲罰的有多少啊！唉，我多痛苦啊！”
於是，她的心靈比起她的軀殼來更加僵硬了。“在這裏和這些人混在一起，是沒法變好的！我也不想變好！瞧他們的眼光！”
於是她的心靈憤怒了，對所有的人都產生了惡意。“這下子他們在上面有話可講了！——唉，我多麼痛苦啊！”
她聽見他們在對他們的孩子講她的事情，小孩子們都把她叫做褻瀆神靈的英娥，——“她真叫人憎惡！”他們說道，“真壞，她活該受罰！”
小孩子的話總是尖刻而不饒人的。 然而有一天，正當悲傷和飢餓在啖食她的空洞的軀體的時候，她聽見有人對一個天真無邪的孩子，一個小姑娘提到她的名字，講着她的事情，她覺得，小姑娘聽到關於高傲和愛虛榮的英娥的事情時放聲哭了起來。“可是，是不是她再也不會上來了呢？”小姑娘問道。得到的回答是：“她再也上不來了！”“要是她請求寬恕，以後再也不那麼做了呢？”“可是，她是不會請求寬恕的！”他們說道。“我真希望她會請求寬恕！”小姑娘說道，無限地悲傷。“我願把我所有的玩具娃娃都獻出來，只要她能夠再上來！這對可憐的小英娥是多麼殘酷啊！”
這席話涌進了英娥的心裏，一下子感動了她；有人說：“可憐的英娥！”這還是頭一回，而且一點沒有提到她的過失，一個天真無邪的小孩子哭了，爲她祈禱，她爲此而產生了一種奇特的感覺，她自己也想哭一場，但是她不能哭，這也是一種痛苦。
上面的歲月流逝，而下面卻沒有一點變化，她很難再聽到上面的聲音，關於她的談論越來越少，忽然有一天她覺得聽到一聲歎息：“英娥啊！英娥！你教我多麼痛苦啊！我早說過！”這是她的母親彌留時的歎息。
她還聽到她的主人唸叨她的名字，都是最充滿溫情的話，女主人說：“我真不知道我是不是還能見到你，英娥！誰知道到哪裏去見你啊！”
但是英娥很清楚，她仁慈的女主人永遠也到不了她所在的這個地方。
這樣又過了一段時間，漫長而痛苦。
忽然英娥又聽到有人提到了她的名字，看見在她的上方有兩顆明亮的星星在閃動；那是兩隻溫柔的眼睛在地上一眨一眨。自從那小姑娘爲“可憐的英娥”而悲痛地哭泣以來，許多年已經過去了，小姑娘已經長成了老婦人，現在天父召喚她去了，就在這個時刻，她一生不忘的懸念都浮現在她的腦中；她記得她小時候，怎樣爲了英娥的事情而哭泣起來；在她臨終的時刻那印象是多麼生動地浮現在腦海中，她竟高聲喊道：“天父，我的主，不知道我是不是也像英娥一樣常在你恩賜的禮物上踩過卻不自知，是不是我也在頭腦中有過高傲的念頭，但是你都仁慈地沒有讓我沉淪，而是讓我留在世上！在我這最後一刻請不要鬆手放掉我！”
老人的眼睛閉上了，但心靈的眼睛卻對一些隱蔽着的東西睜開了，因爲英娥一直生動地存在她的思念之中，於是她看到了她，看到她陷得多麼地深。看見這情景，虔誠的老婦人哭了，她在天國中站立着像一個小孩似地爲可憐的小英娥哭泣；哭聲和她的祈禱在空洞的軀殼裏迴響着，這軀殼包藏着那受囚禁的、痛苦的心靈，這心靈被天上來的未曾想到過的愛感化了；上帝的一個天使在爲她哭泣！爲甚麼要賜給她這個！受苦的心靈也回想着它在人世土地上所做的一切，它顫抖着哭泣起來，是英娥沒有過的哭泣；她身軀裏充滿了對自己的悔痛，她以爲慈悲的門永遠也不會爲她敞開，就在她悲痛欲絕地認識到她的所作所爲的時候，在這深淵中忽然閃現了一道亮光，這道光比融化小孩們在院子裏堆起的雪人的陽光還要強烈，接着，比雪花掉在孩子們嘴裏融化成水珠還要快得多，英娥僵硬直立的身軀融成一陣煙霧；一隻小鳥閃電般地東躲西閃着朝人類世界飛去，它對四周的一切太害怕了，同時十分地羞赧，爲自己感到羞愧，怕聽見所有活生靈的聲音。它匆匆地躲進一片倒塌的土牆上的一個黑洞裏。它蹲在那裏，縮成一團，渾身顫抖，發不出聲音。它沒有聲音，它在那裏躲了很久才漸漸地安靜下來看一看周圍，感覺一下它蹲的那個地方是多麼地舒服。是的，這裏很舒服，空氣是新鮮的，溫柔的，月亮明亮地照着，樹林、叢林散發着香氣；它棲息的那塊地方是多麼舒適啊。它的羽毛衣裳是那麼清潔美麗。真的，造物主所創造的一切都充滿了愛和美！鳥兒心中激盪着的一切思想都想像歌一樣的迸發出來，可是鳥兒不能，它非常想唱，像春日的杜鵑和夜鶯一樣地唱。天父，他能聽見蟲兒無聲的讚歌，也感覺到了這鳥兒的思想的和聲，像大衛3，胸中的讚美詩還沒有配上歌詞和曲調一樣。
這些無聲的歌在鳥兒的思想中醞釀了許多星期，它一扇動翅膀做出善事，它心中的歌便會傾瀉出來，必須做善事了。聖潔的聖誕節到了。農民在牆邊放了一根竿子，上面綁着一束沒有打淨的小麥穗，天上的鳥兒也應該過一個愉快的聖誕節，應該在天父的這個節日裏快樂地享受一番。
聖誕節的早晨太陽升起來，照在麥穗上，嘰嘰喳喳的鳥兒都圍着帶有食物的竿子轉，這時牆裏也傳來唧唧的聲音，那不斷涌現的思想變成了聲音，那微弱的唧唧聲是一首歡樂的讚歌，善行的思想甦醒了，鳥兒從牠藏身的地方飛了出來；天國當然知道這是一隻甚麼樣的鳥。
嚴峻的冬天逼來了，水都結成了厚實的冰；鳥和樹林中的動物很難找到食物。那隻小鳥飛到鄉間大道上，在雪橇留下的轍跡裏尋找着，偶爾也找到一個麥粒，在路旁人歇腳的地方找到一兩塊麵包屑。牠只吃它的一小部分，把其他飢餓的麻雀都喚來，讓牠們在這裏找吃的。牠飛進城裏，到處望着，有時一隻慈善的手會撕點麵包放在窗邊給鳥兒吃，牠只吃很少的一點，把其餘的都給了別的鳥。
一冬天，鳥兒分給大家的麵包屑加起來幾乎已經和小英娥爲了不弄髒自己的鞋而踩的那塊麵包一樣大了，在牠找到最後一塊並且把它分出去的時候，這鳥兒的翅膀變成白色的了，寬寬地伸了開來。“海上有一隻海燕在飛翔渡海峽呢！”看見了這隻白色鳥兒的孩子們都說道；現在，牠時而衝向海面，時而在耀眼的陽光中高高昇起，看不見牠飛往哪裏去了；人們說，牠一直飛進太陽裏去了。
1這些蒼蠅便是被英娥小時撕去翅膀的那些。
2聖經《箴言》第16章第18節：“高傲在敗壞以先，狂心在跌倒之前。”
3大衛是猶太王和以色列王，他是聖經舊約中最引人注意的人物之一。大衛勇猛善戰，才華橫溢，又是一個寬厚的國王。大衛將以色列各支統一成一個王國。以前，大多認爲聖經中的《詩篇》不少是大衛所作。
