hans brinker-第1部分

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Hans　Brinker　　or　　The　Silver　Skates

by　Mary　Mapes　Dodge



To　my　father　James　J。　Mapes　this　book　is　dedicated　in　gratitude　and　love




Preface



This　little　work　aims　to　combine　the　instructive　features　of　a　book　of　travels　with　the　interest　of　a　domestic　tale。　　Throughout　its　pages　the　descriptions　of　Dutch　localities；　customs；　and　general　characteristics　have　been　given　with　scrupulous　care。　　Many　of　its　incidents　are　drawn　from　life；　and　the　story　of　Raff　Brinker　is　founded　strictly　upon　fact。

While　acknowledging　my　obligations　to　many　well…known　writers　on　Dutch　history；　literature；　and　art；　I　turn　with　especial　gratitude　to　those　kind　Holland　friends　who；　with　generous　zeal；　have　taken　many　a　backward　glance　at　their　country　for　my　sake；　seeing　it　as　it　looked　twenty　years　ago；　when　the　Brinker　home　stood　unnoticed　in　sunlight　and　shadow。

Should　this　simple　narrative　serve　to　give　my　young　readers　a　just　idea　of　Holland　and　its　resources；　or　present　true　pictures　of　its　inhabitants　and　their　every…day　life；　or　free　them　from　certain　current　prejudices　concerning　that　noble　and　enterprising　people；　the　leading　desire　in　writing　it　will　have　been　satisfied。

Should　it　cause　even　one　heart　to　feel　a　deeper　trust　in　God's　goodness　and　love；　or　aid　any　in　weaving　a　life；　wherein；　through　knots　and　entanglements；　the　golden　thread　shall　never　be　tarnished　or　broken；　the　prayer　with　which　it　was　begun　and　ended　will　have　been　answered。

M。M。D。




A　LETTER　FROM　HOLLAND



Amsterdam；　July　30；　1873


DEAR　BOYS　AND　GIRLS　AT　HOME：

If　you　all　could　be　here　with　me　today；　what　fine　times　we　might　have　walking　through　this　beautiful　Dutch　city！　　How　we　should　stare　at　the　crooked　houses；　standing　with　their　gable　ends　to　the　street；　at　the　little　slanting　mirrors　fastened　outside　of　the　windows；　at　the　wooden　shoes　and　dogcarts　nearby；　the　windmills　in　the　distance；　at　the　great　warehouses；　at　the　canals；　doing　the　double　duty　of　streets　and　rivers；　and　at　the　singular　mingling　of　trees　and　masts　to　be　seen　in　every　direction。　　Ah；　it　would　be　pleasant；　indeed！　　But　here　I　sit　in　a　great　hotel　looking　out　upon　all　these　things；　knowing　quite　well　that　not　even　the　spirit　of　the　Dutch；　which　seems　able　to　accomplish　anything；　can　bring　you　at　this　moment　across　the　moment。　　There　is　one　comfort；　however；　in　going　through　these　wonderful　Holland　towns　without　youit　would　be　dreadful　to　have　any　of　the　party　tumble　into　the　canals；　and　then　these　lumbering　Dutch　wagons；　with　their　heavy　wheels；　so　very　far　apart；　what　should　I　do　if　a　few　dozen　of　you　were　to　fall　under　THEM？　　And；　perhaps；　one　of　the　wildest　of　my　boys　might　harm　a　stork；　and　then　all　Holland　would　be　against　us！　　No。　　It　is　better　as　it　is。　　You　will　be　coming；　one　by　one；　as　years　go　on；　to　see　the　whole　thing　for　yourselves。

Holland　is　as　wonderful　today　as　it　was　when；　more　than　twenty　years　ago；　Hans　and　Gretel　skated　on　the　frozen　Y。　　In　fact；　more　wonderful；　for　every　day　increases　the　marvel　of　its　not　being　washed　away　by　the　sea。　　Its　cities　have　grown；　and　some　of　its　peculiarities　have　been　washed　away　by　contact　with　other　nations；　but　it　is　Holland　still；　and　always　will　befull　of　oddity；　courage　and　industrythe　pluckiest　little　country　on　earth。　　I　shall　not　tell　you　in　this　letter　of　its　customs；　its　cities；　its　palaces；　churches；　picture　galleries　and　museumsfor　these　are　described　in　the　storyexcept　to　say　that　they　are　here　still；　just　the　same；　in　this　good　year　1873；　for　I　have　seen　them　nearly　all　within　a　week。

Today　an　American　boy　and　I；　seeing　some　children　enter　an　old　house　in　the　business　part　of　Amsterdam；　followed　them　inand　what　do　you　think　we　found？　　An　old　woman；　here　in　the　middle　of　summer；　selling　hot　water　and　fire！　　She　makes　her　living　by　it。　　All　day　long　she　sits　tending　her　great　fires　of　peat　and　keeping　the　shining　copper　tanks　above　them　filled　with　water。　　The　children　who　come　and　go　carry　away　in　a　curious　stone　pail　their　kettle　of　boiling　water　and　their　blocks　of　burning　peat。　　For　these　they　give　her　a　Dutch　cent；　which　is　worth　less　than　half　of　one　of　ours。　　In　this　way　persons　who　cannot　afford　to　keep　a　fire　burning　in　hot　weather　may　yet　have　their　cup　of　tea　or　coffee　and　bit　of　boiled　fish　and　potato。

After　leaving　the　old　fire　woman；　who　nodded　a　pleasant　good…bye　to　us；　and　willingly　put　our　stivers　in　her　great　outside　pocket；　we　drove　through　the　streets　enjoying　the　singular　sights　of　a　public　washing　day。　　Yes；　in　certain　quarters　of　the　city；　away　from　the　canals；　the　streets　were　lively　with　washerwomen　hard　at　work。　　Hundreds　of　them　in　clumsy　wooden　shoes；　with　their　tucked…up　skirts；　bare　arms；　and　close…fitting　caps；　were　bending　over　tall　wooden　tubs　that　reached　as　high　as　their　waistsgossiping　and　rubbing；　rubbing　and　gossipingwith　perfect　unconcern；　in　the　public　thoroughfare；　and　all　washing　with　cold　water　instead　of　using　hot；　as　we　do。　　What　a　grand　thing　it　would　be　for　our　old　fire　woman　if　boiling　water　were　suddenly　to　become　the　fashion　on　these　public　washing　days！

And　now　goodbye。　　Oh！　　I　must　tell　you　one　more　thing。　　We　found　today　in　an　Amsterdam　bookstore　this　story　of　Hans　Brinker　told　in　Dutch。　　It　is　a　queer…looking　volume；　beautifully　printed；　and　with　colored　pictures；　but　filled　with　such　astounding　words　that　it　really　made　me　feel　sorry　for　the　little　Hollanders　who　are　to　read　them。

Good…bye　again；　in　the　touching　words　of　our　Dutch　translator　with　whom　I'm　sure　you'll　heartily　agree：　　Toch　ben　ik　er　mijn　landgenooten　dank　baar　voor；　die　mijn　arbeid　steeds　zoo　welwillend　outvangen　en　wier　genegenheid　ik　voortdurend　hoop　te　verdienen。

Yours　affectionately；　The　Author。




Contents



Hans　and　Gretel　Holland　The　Silver　Skates　Hans　and　Gretel　Find　a　Friend　Shadows　in　the　Home　Sunbeams　Hans　Has　His　Way　Introducing　Jacob　Poot　and　His　Cousin　The　Festival　of　Saint　Nicholas　What　the　Boys　Saw　and　Did　in　Amsterdam　Big　Manias　and　Little　Oddities　On　the　Way　to　Haarlem　A　Catastrophe　Hans　Homes　HaarlemThe　Boys　Hear　Voices　The　Man　with　Four　Heads　Friends　in　Need　On　the　Canal　Jacob　Poot　Changes　the　Plan　Mynheer　Kleef　and　His　Bill　of　Fare　The　Red　Lion　Becomes　Dangerous　Before　the　Court　The　Beleaguered　Cities　Leyden　The　Palace　in　the　Wood　The　Merchant　Prince　and　the　Sister…Princess　Through　the　Hague　A　Day　of　Rest　Homeward　Bound　Boys　and　Girls　The　Crisis　Gretel　and　Hilda　The　Awakening　Bones　and　Tongues　A　New　Alarm　The　Father's　Return　The　Thousand　Guilders　Glimpses　Looking　for　Work　The　Fairy　Godmother　The　Mysterious　Watch　A　Discovery　The　Race　Joy　in　the　Cottage　Mysterious　Disappearance　of　Thomas　Higgs　Broad　Sunshine　Conclusion




Hans　and　Gretel



On　a　bright　December　morning　long　ago；　two　thinly　clad　children　were　kneeling　upon　the　bank　of　a　frozen　canal　in　Holland。

The　sun　had　not　yet　appeared；　but　the　gray　sky　was　parted　near　the　horizon；　and　its　edges　shone　crimson　with　the　coming　day。　　Most　of　the　good　Hollanders　were　enjoying　a　placid　morning　nap。　　Even　Mynheer　von　Stoppelnoze；　that　worthy　old　Dutchman；　was　still　slumbering　〃in　beautiful　repose〃。

Now　and　then　some　peasant　woman；　poising　a　well…filled　basket　upon　her　head；　came　skimming　over　the　glassy　surface　of　the　canal；　or　a　lusty　boy；　skating　to　his　day's　work　in　the　town；　cast　a　good…natured　grimace　toward　the　shivering　pair　as　he　flew　along。

Meanwhile；　with　many　a　vigorous　puff　and　pull；　the　brother　and　sister；　for　such　they　were；　seemed　to　be　fastening　something　to　their　feetnot　skates；　certainly；　but　clumsy　pieces　of　wood　narrowed　and　smoothed　at　their　lower　edge；　and　pierced　with　holes；　through　which　were　threaded　strings　of　rawhide。

These　queer…looking　affairs　had　been　made　by　the　boy　Hans。　　His　mother　was　a　poor　peasant　woman；　too　poor　even　to　think　of　such　a　thing　as　buying　skates　for　her　little　ones。　　Rough　as　these　were；　they　had　afforded　the　children　many　a　happy　hour　upon　the　ice。　　And　now；　as　with　cold；　red　fingers　our　young　Hollanders　tugged　at　the　stringstheir　solemn　faces　bending　closely　over　their　kneesno　vision　of　impossible　iron　runners　came　to　dull　the　satisfaction　glowing　within。

In　a　moment　the　boy　arose　and；　with　a　pompous　swing　of　the　arms　and　a　careless　〃Come　on；　Gretel；〃　glided　easily　across　the　canal。

〃Ah；　Hans；〃　called　his　sister　plaintively；　〃this　foot　is　not　well　yet。　　The　strings　hurt　me　on　last　market　day；　and　now　I　cannot　bear　them　tied　in　the　same　place。〃

〃Tie　them　higher　up；　then；〃　answered　Hans；　as　without　looking　at　her　he　performed　a　wonderful　cat's　cradle　step　on　the　ice。

〃How　can　I？　　The　string　is　too　short。〃

Giving　vent　to　a　good…natured　Dutch　whistle；　the　English　of　which　was　that　girls　were　troublesome　creatures；　he　steered　toward　her。

〃You　are　foolish　to　wear　such　shoes；　Gretel；　when　you　have　a　stout　leather　pair。　　Your　klompen　*｛Wooden　shoes。｝　would　be　better　than　these。〃

〃Why；　Hans！　　Do　you　forget？　　The　father　threw　my　beautiful　new　shoes　in　the　fire。　　Before　I　knew　what　he　had　done；　they　were　all　curled　up　in　the　midst　o　the　burning　peat。　　I　can　skate　with　these；　but　not　with　my　wooden　ones。　　Be　careful　now〃

Hans　had　taken　a　string　from　his　pocket。　　Humming　a　tune　as　he　knelt　be