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.

　　你大概听说过那个怕弄髒自己鞋子便踩麵包的小姑娘，听说过她遭了多大的殃吧。这些事是写在纸上印在纸上的。她是一个穷孩子，很骄傲，自觉很了不起，像俗话说的那样，她这个孩子本性不好。还在她很小的时候，她便逮苍蝇，撕下牠们的翅膀，让牠们只能爬，以此取乐。她还把大甲虫和金龟子抓来，各穿在一根针上，在牠们的脚下放一片绿叶或者一小块纸，可怜的小虫子便紧紧抓住叶子或者纸片，转过来，翻过去，想挣脱掉针。“大甲虫会看书了！”小英娥说道，“你看牠翻纸的那个样子！”

　　随着她渐渐长大，她不是变好一些而是更坏了。不过她长得很好看，这正是她的不幸，否则，她大概会被管束得和现在不一样。“你的头得拿浓碱水好好泡泡！”她母亲说道。“你还是个娃娃的时候，就踩我的围裙，我怕你长大了会时常踩在我的心口上。”

　　她真是这么干的。

　　现在她到乡下有钱人家去帮工了，人家对她就像对自己的孩子一样，於是她穿得很好。她很好看，就越以为自己了不起了。

　　她在外帮工一年，她的主人对她说：“小英娥，你该回去看看你的父亲母亲了！”

　　她倒也回去了，不过是为了显示给他们看看，她穿戴得多么漂亮。然而在走出乡下快到城里的时候，她看见一群姑娘和小伙子在街头的水池边闲谈，而她的母亲正坐在一块石头上休息，旁边放着一捆劈柴，是她从树林中拾回来的。於是英娥扭身就往回走。她觉得自己穿得这么漂亮竟会有这么一个破衣烂衫拾柴禾的妈妈，是很可耻的事。她对回头一点也不觉得难过，心里只是烦恼。

　　又过了半年的时间。“你一定得找一天回家去看看你的老父老母，小英娥！”她的女主人对她说道。“这里有一大块小麦麵包，你可以拿回去给他们；看见你他们会很高兴的。”

　　英娥穿上最好看的衣服，穿上她的新鞋。她把裙子提起来，很小心地走着。她想保持她的双脚光洁美丽，这自然不能责怪她；可是她来到一片泥泞地，道上有水，有污泥，於是她便把麵包扔到污泥里，她踩在上面走过去，不让鞋子沾上泥水。但是，当她一只脚踩在麵包上，另一只脚刚抬起来的时候，麵包带着她沉了下去，陷得越来越深直到她完全沉没，剩下的只是一个冒水泡的黑泥坑。

　　那个故事就是这样发生的。

　　那么英娥到哪里去了呢？她到了酿酒的那个沼泽女人那里去了。沼泽女人是妖女的姑妈。妖女们是很有名的，有许多关於她们的歌，还有不少她们的画，但是关於沼泽女人，大家知道的只是很少一点：夏天，草地上雾气腾腾的时候，那就是沼泽女人在蒸酒了。英娥就是沉到她的酿酒房里去了，那地方可是不能久呆的，和沼泽女人的酿酒房比起来，烂泥坑还算是明亮的上等房间呢！所有的酒缸都散发着怪味，熏得人晕晕乎乎，酒缸一个紧挨一个地排着，要是中间有一个小缝，容得下人挤过去的话，你也过不去，因为这里粘糊糊的癞蛤蟆和肥胖的水蛇缠在一起；小英娥便沉到了这里。所有这些叫人噁心的髒东西都是冰凉的，她浑身上下哆嗦起来，是啊，她的身子越来越僵了。她牢牢地踩着麵包，麵包又拽着她，就像是一颗琥珀钮扣吸着一根小草一样。

　　沼泽女人在家，魔鬼和魔鬼的曾祖母那天来酿酒房串门，她是一个十分毒辣的老女人，她总是闲不着；她如果不是带着她的手工活儿，就不会出门，今天她的手工活儿也在这儿。她专门给人的鞋子缝上“不停地走”之类的玩意儿，让穿着缝有这种玩意儿的人永远不得安宁。她还会绣谎话，会把掉到地上的一切胡言乱语都织在一起，拿来害人，诱人堕落。可不是，她会缝、会绣还会编，这老曾祖母！

　　她看见了英娥，接着又把眼镜戴上再看了她一眼：“这是个有灵性的姑娘！”她说道，“我请求把她给我，作为这次来访的纪念！她会成为装点我重孙子前庭的很合适的雕像。”於是她得到了她。小英娥就这样来到了地狱。一般说人并不是这样直接下到地狱去的，要是他们有灵性的话，他们便可以绕道去地狱。

　　那里是一片无边无际的大空间的前庭；往前看你会头昏眼花，往后看你也会眼花头昏。在这儿，一大群死人正在等着慈悲的大门打开；他们要等很久很久！又肥又大爬起来东歪西倒的蜘蛛在他们的脚上吐着千年老丝网。这些蜘蛛网像脚镣一样勒进他们的肉里，像铜链一样地锁住他们。因为这个缘故，他们的魂灵永远都不得安宁。守财奴站在那里，他忘了带他的钱柜钥匙，虽然他知道钥匙插在钱柜锁眼上。是啊，要是把大家遭受的痛苦和灾难都叙述一遍，那会是冗长费神的。作为一座雕像立在那里，英娥体验到了这种悲惨。下边，她的双脚牢牢地陷入那块麵包里。“为了不把脚弄髒便落得这么个下场！”她自言自语地说道。“瞧，他们都盯着我！”可不是，大家都看着她；恶毒的念头从他们的眼里表现出来。他们讲着，但嘴角没有出声，这些人看去真可怕。“看着我一定是件快事！”小英娥想道，“我的面庞很漂亮，穿着很好的衣服！”然后她转动她的眼睛，脖子太硬了，转不动。真糟糕，沼泽女人的酿酒房把她弄得多髒啊，她一点没想到。她的衣服就像被一整块粘液渗透；头发上爬着一条蛇，蛇头落在她的脖子上。她衣裙的每个褶纹里都有一只癞蛤蟆伸头往外看，像害着喘病的哈巴狗呱呱叫着。真不好受。“不过这里其他的人也都很吓人！”她这样自我安慰。

　　糟糕透顶的是她这时觉得饿得要死；她能不能弯下腰来掰一块脚下踩着的麵包？不行，背脊骨是僵硬的，胳膊和手是僵硬的，她的整个身子就像一尊石雕，只有她脸上的眼睛会转动，能整整转一周。於是眼睛可以看到背后，情景真可怕，真可怕。接着，苍蝇来了；苍蝇在她的眼上爬，爬来爬去，她眨着眼，但是苍蝇并不飞走，因为它们不能飞，它们的翅膀都被撕掉了，成了爬虫了1.真痛苦，还有飢饿；是的，到最后，她觉得她的五脏六腑都被自己吃掉了，她身内空空的，令人害怕地空。“再这样下去，我就吃不消了！”她说道，然而她得忍着。这情形继续着，没完没了地继续着。

　　这时，一滴热泪掉到她的头上，滚过她的脸和胸落到了麵包上，又掉了一滴，掉了许多滴。是谁在为小英娥哭泣？地面上不是有她一位母亲吗。一位母亲为她孩子而流的悲痛的泪总会掉到孩子身上的，可是这些泪珠并未减轻痛苦，泪珠在烧灸，只会使痛苦加剧。还有这无法忍受的飢饿和她够不着脚下踩着的那块麵包的那种折磨。最后她产生了一种感觉，她把自己的内脏都吃光了，她成了一个沉重、空洞的管子，把一切声音都吸收了进去的空管；她清楚地听见地面上的人们谈论她的一切话，她听到的全是尖锐地责备她的话。她的母亲的确哭得很厉害很悲痛，但接着又说：“是骄傲让你栽了个大觔斗，才遭这种罪2.这是你的不幸，英娥！你让你母亲伤透了心！”

　　她的母亲和上面所有的人都知道了她的罪恶，知道她踩着麵包走，知道她沉沦不见了；这是一个放牛的人说的，他在山坡上看见了。“你让你母亲伤透了心，英娥！”母亲说道：“是啊，我早料到了！”“要是我没有生到世上来就好了！”听了母亲的话，她想道，“那就好得多了。现在母亲哭又有甚么用呢。”

　她听见她的主人，那些体面的人，像亲生父母一样对待她的人在说：“她是一个罪孽深重的孩子！”他们还说，“她一点也不珍惜天父的礼物，而是把它踩在脚下，她难进慈悲之门啊。”“他们真该早些严严地管教我啊！”英娥想道。“如果我有邪念便把它们驱赶掉。”

　　她听见还有人编了一首歌说她，“高傲的姑娘，踩着麵包走，怕把鞋弄髒.”这首歌全国上下都在唱。“为了这件事我要听多少责骂啊！我要受多少罪啊！”英娥想道，“别人也真该因为他们的罪孽挨罚的！是啊，该惩罚的有多少啊！唉，我多痛苦啊！”

　　於是，她的心灵比起她的躯壳来更加僵硬了。“在这里和这些人混在一起，是没法变好的！我也不想变好！瞧他们的眼光！”

　　於是她的心灵愤怒了，对所有的人都产生了恶意。“这下子他们在上面有话可讲了！——唉，我多么痛苦啊！”

　　她听见他们在对他们的孩子讲她的事情，小孩子们都把她叫做亵渎神灵的英娥，——“她真叫人憎恶！”他们说道，“真坏，她活该受罚！”

　　小孩子的话总是尖刻而不饶人的。　　　　然而有一天，正当悲伤和飢饿在啖食她的空洞的躯体的时候，她听见有人对一个天真无邪的孩子，一个小姑娘提到她的名字，讲着她的事情，她觉得，小姑娘听到关於高傲和爱虚荣的英娥的事情时放声哭了起来。“可是，是不是她再也不会上来了呢？”小姑娘问道。得到的回答是：“她再也上不来了！”“要是她请求宽恕，以后再也不那么做了呢？”“可是，她是不会请求宽恕的！”他们说道。“我真希望她会请求宽恕！”小姑娘说道，无限地悲伤。“我愿把我所有的玩具娃娃都献出来，只要她能够再上来！这对可怜的小英娥是多么残酷啊！”

　　这席话涌进了英娥的心里，一下子感动了她；有人说：“可怜的英娥！”这还是头一回，而且一点没有提到她的过失，一个天真无邪的小孩子哭了，为她祈祷，她为此而产生了一种奇特的感觉，她自己也想哭一场，但是她不能哭，这也是一种痛苦。

　　上面的岁月流逝，而下面却没有一点变化，她很难再听到上面的声音，关於她的谈论越来越少，忽然有一天她觉得听到一声歎息：“英娥啊！英娥！你教我多么痛苦啊！我早说过！”这是她的母亲弥留时的歎息。

　　她还听到她的主人念叨她的名字，都是最充满温情的话，女主人说：“我真不知道我是不是还能见到你，英娥！谁知道到哪里去见你啊！”

　　但是英娥很清楚，她仁慈的女主人永远也到不了她所在的这个地方。

　　这样又过了一段时间，漫长而痛苦。

　　忽然英娥又听到有人提到了她的名字，看见在她的上方有两颗明亮的星星在闪动；那是两只温柔的眼睛在地上一眨一眨。自从那小姑娘为“可怜的英娥”而悲痛地哭泣以来，许多年已经过去了，小姑娘已经长成了老妇人，现在天父召唤她去了，就在这个时刻，她一生不忘的悬念都浮现在她的脑中；她记得她小时候，怎样为了英娥的事情而哭泣起来；在她临终的时刻那印象是多么生动地浮现在脑海中，她竟高声喊道：“天父，我的主，不知道我是不是也像英娥一样常在你恩赐的礼物上踩过却不自知，是不是我也在头脑中有过高傲的念头，但是你都仁慈地没有让我沉沦，而是让我留在世上！在我这最后一刻请不要松手放掉我！”

　　老人的眼睛闭上了，但心灵的眼睛却对一些隐蔽着的东西睁开了，因为英娥一直生动地存在她的思念之中，於是她看到了她，看到她陷得多么地深。看见这情景，虔诚的老妇人哭了，她在天国中站立着像一个小孩似地为可怜的小英娥哭泣；哭声和她的祈祷在空洞的躯壳里回响着，这躯壳包藏着那受囚禁的、痛苦的心灵，这心灵被天上来的未曾想到过的爱感化了；上帝的一个天使在为她哭泣！为甚么要赐给她这个！受苦的心灵也回想着它在人世土地上所做的一切，它颤抖着哭泣起来，是英娥没有过的哭泣；她身躯里充满了对自己的悔痛，她以为慈悲的门永远也不会为她敞开，就在她悲痛欲绝地认识到她的所作所为的时候，在这深渊中忽然闪现了一道亮光，这道光比融化小孩们在院子里堆起的雪人的阳光还要强烈，接着，比雪花掉在孩子们嘴里融化成水珠还要快得多，英娥僵硬直立的身躯融成一阵烟雾；一只小鸟闪电般地东躲西闪着朝人类世界飞去，它对四周的一切太害怕了，同时十分地羞赧，为自己感到羞愧，怕听见所有活生灵的声音。它匆匆地躲进一片倒塌的土墙上的一个黑洞里。它蹲在那里，缩成一团，浑身颤抖，发不出声音。它没有声音，它在那里躲了很久才渐渐地安静下来看一看周围，感觉一下它蹲的那个地方是多么地舒服。是的，这里很舒服，空气是新鲜的，温柔的，月亮明亮地照着，树林、丛林散发着香气；它栖息的那块地方是多么舒适啊。它的羽毛衣裳是那么清洁美丽。真的，造物主所创造的一切都充满了爱和美！鸟儿心中激荡着的一切思想都想像歌一样的迸发出来，可是鸟儿不能，它非常想唱，像春日的杜鹃和夜莺一样地唱。天父，他能听见虫儿无声的讚歌，也感觉到了这鸟儿的思想的和声，像大卫3，胸中的讚美诗还没有配上歌词和曲调一样。

　　这些无声的歌在鸟儿的思想中酝酿了许多星期，它一扇动翅膀做出善事，它心中的歌便会倾泻出来，必须做善事了。圣洁的圣诞节到了。农民在墙边放了一根竿子，上面绑着一束没有打净的小麦穗，天上的鸟儿也应该过一个愉快的圣诞节，应该在天父的这个节日里快乐地享受一番。

　　圣诞节的早晨太阳升起来，照在麦穗上，叽叽喳喳的鸟儿都围着带有食物的竿子转，这时墙里也传来唧唧的声音，那不断涌现的思想变成了声音，那微弱的唧唧声是一首欢乐的赞歌，善行的思想苏醒了，鸟儿从牠藏身的地方飞了出来；天国当然知道这是一只甚么样的鸟。

　　严峻的冬天逼来了，水都结成了厚实的冰；鸟和树林中的动物很难找到食物。那只小鸟飞到乡间大道上，在雪橇留下的辙迹里寻找着，偶尔也找到一个麦粒，在路旁人歇脚的地方找到一两块麵包屑。牠只吃它的一小部分，把其他飢饿的麻雀都唤来，让牠们在这里找吃的。牠飞进城里，到处望着，有时一只慈善的手会撕点麵包放在窗边给鸟儿吃，牠只吃很少的一点，把其余的都给了别的鸟。

　　一冬天，鸟儿分给大家的麵包屑加起来几乎已经和小英娥为了不弄髒自己的鞋而踩的那块麵包一样大了，在牠找到最后一块并且把它分出去的时候，这鸟儿的翅膀变成白色的了，宽宽地伸了开来。“海上有一只海燕在飞翔渡海峡呢！”看见了这只白色鸟儿的孩子们都说道；现在，牠时而冲向海面，时而在耀眼的阳光中高高昇起，看不见牠飞往哪里去了；人们说，牠一直飞进太阳里去了。

　　1这些苍蝇便是被英娥小时撕去翅膀的那些。

　　2圣经《箴言》第16章第18节：“高傲在败坏以先，狂心在跌倒之前。”

　　3大卫是犹太王和以色列王，他是圣经旧约中最引人注意的人物之一。大卫勇猛善战，才华横溢，又是一个宽厚的国王。大卫将以色列各支统一成一个王国。以前，大多认为圣经中的《诗篇》不少是大卫所作。