CHAPTER I

 Near the fortress¹ of the little Swiss village above Altdorf are green meadows with fragrant² grass and fresh flowers. They are beautiful to look upon and wander over. Shady nut-trees stand here and there, and through the meadow rushes a foaming³ brook⁴ that makes wild leaps over the rocks that lie in its course.

 

At the end of this village, where stands an old ivy-covered tower, a path[2] runs along by the brook-side. Here is a very large old nut-tree, and it is a delight to the weary wanderer to throw himself down in its cool shade and gaze far up at the blue sky and high mountains whose tops are lost in the white clouds. Near the tree is a bridge over the dashing waters which rush down between the high mountains. Here the steep path leads to a small Swiss cottage with a little stall near by. Higher is a similar cottage and above them still another, the smallest of all perched up among the wild rocks. Before the low door is a grassy⁵ sward where the goats are milked, and in the summer the door stands always open.

 

Here lived Joseph, the gatherer of wild hay, and Afra, his tidy industrious[3] little wife. They seldom left their tiny home except to go to church, which they devoutly⁶ attended.

 

Their boy was born on Saint Sebastian’s day and so received the name of his patron Saint, but was commonly called Barty, and the little sister who came two years later was for the same reason named Franzelie.

 

But the good Joseph died and Afra was left a widow with the two children for whom she must toil⁷ early and late. Their scanty⁸ clothing was always clean and carefully mended. When the children went out together, Barty always held his little sister fast by the hand, and people said to the mother, “Your boy with his rosy⁹ face is like a strawberry apple, and little Franzelie, with her fair[4] face, blue eyes, and golden curls, is like an altar picture.”

 

But the mother said, [5]“They are dear sweet children and I am earnestly praying that the good God will keep them well and good and pure.”

 

It was a cold autumn and winter came early. In October deep snow fell, and in November the little home was nearly buried out of sight. The children sat in their corner by the stove and seldom went out of the house. Barty was now seven. Franzelie five.

 

But few passers-by came to make a path in the deep snow, and, when the mother was obliged to go to the village for bread, she came back well-nigh exhausted¹⁰. Deep sorrow and anxiety filled her heart, and if she could not earn[6] enough by knitting and spinning for the black bread, the little family must live upon the milk of the meager¹¹ goat, and there were still three long winter months before them.

 

Formerly¹² she had sung at night by her children’s bedside, but now she was too oppressed to sing.

 

One night she sat in silence listening to the wind. It howled and rattled¹³ around the little cottage as if it would blow it away. Franzelie was fast asleep—she had no care if her mother was by her side—but Barty’s eyes were wide open.

 

“Mother,” he said, “why do you never sing any more?”

 

“Alas, dear boy, I cannot.”

 

Have you forgotten the song? [7]Wait, I will tell you how it goes.” And he sat up in bed and sang:

 

“Now the shades of darkness

Fall o’er land and sea.

Father grant thy blessing¹⁴,

May we rest in Thee.”

He sang with clear pure tones, and a thought suddenly came to the mother.

 

“Barty,” said the mother, “perhaps you can do something for me.”

 

“Oh, yes, I will,” he said eagerly, jumping out of bed.

 

“No, No! Go back again, you will be cold,” and she tucked him again into his warm nest. [8]“To-morrow I will teach you a song for the New Year; perhaps you can sing it in the village and get bread, possibly nuts.”

 

Barty thought over the wonderful plan and was too excited to sleep for a long time. At last he called out, “Mother, is it almost morning?” But, finding it was not, he quietly settled himself for the slumber¹⁵ which soon came.

 

Early in the morning he was ready for his lesson, but his mother told him he must wait until she could sit down with her knitting, so in the mean time, he told Franzelie what he intended to do.

 

When the mother was ready she said, “I will sing the first verse twice, then you must try to sing it with me.”

 

Barty caught the air very quickly. “Now try it alone,” she said.

 

To her surprise Franzelie joined her brother, and with a light silvery voice gave the melody without mistake. Again[9] they tried. Barty forgot the air when half through, but his sister sang like a bird to the end.

 

The mother was delighted. “Franzelie must go with us,” she said. And day after day they sang together till words and music were alike familiar to both of the children.

 

New Year’s Day came at last. It was bright and cold, and the mother went early to church; that she never neglected. Then she hastened back to dress the patiently waiting children as warmly as possible.

 

Barty ran bravely through the high snow. Franzelie she helped over the hard places.

 

When they reached Altdorf, they[10] found many children singing carols before the houses, so they went on till they came to the great inn, near an old tower. The mother stationed the children by the door while she stood behind the tower. Soon the door opened and the children were called into the large guest-room. The people praised the song, and many pieces of bread and cheese and small coins found their way into the basket Barty carried on his arm. The landlady¹⁶ put in some nuts, saying, “One must have something besides bread on New Year’s Day.”

 

The children heartily¹⁷ thanked their kind friends, then ran joyfully¹⁸ to their mother. On they went to other houses.

 

Before some of them so many children were singing their different songs[11] that the mistress of the house said she would rather give bread than have such a disturbance²⁰. Some received them kindly²¹; others sent them empty away.

 

More than one called to Franzelie: “Here, little one, is something for you. Come in and get warm and then hurry home, you are shivering with cold.” And the mother said they could no longer stand in the keen air.

 

When they were once more by the warm fire in their little cottage, they opened the heavy basket. In it were many nice pieces of bread and cheese and nuts, and all were joyful¹⁹, and the mother deeply thankful that she would be spared many anxious fears.

1 fortress   

n.堡垒，防御工事

参考例句：

• They made an attempt on a fortress.他们试图夺取这一要塞。
• The soldier scaled the wall of the fortress by turret.士兵通过塔车攀登上了要塞的城墙。

2 fragrant   

adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的

参考例句：

• The Fragrant Hills are exceptionally beautiful in late autumn.深秋的香山格外美丽。
• The air was fragrant with lavender.空气中弥漫薰衣草香。

3 foaming   

adj.布满泡沫的；发泡

参考例句：

• He looked like a madman, foaming at the mouth. 他口吐白沫，看上去像个疯子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is foaming at the mouth about the committee's decision. 他正为委员会的决定大发其火。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

5 grassy   

adj.盖满草的；长满草的

参考例句：

• They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。
• Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。

6 devoutly   

adv.虔诚地，虔敬地，衷心地

参考例句：

• She was a devoutly Catholic. 她是一个虔诚地天主教徒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This was not a boast, but a hope, at once bold and devoutly humble. 这不是夸夸其谈，而是一个即大胆而又诚心、谦虚的希望。 来自辞典例句

7 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

8 scanty   

adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的

参考例句：

• There is scanty evidence to support their accusations.他们的指控证据不足。
• The rainfall was rather scanty this month.这个月的雨量不足。

9 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

10 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

11 meager   

adj.缺乏的，不足的，瘦的

参考例句：

• He could not support his family on his meager salary.他靠微薄的工资无法养家。
• The two men and the woman grouped about the fire and began their meager meal.两个男人同一个女人围着火，开始吃起少得可怜的午饭。

12 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

13 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

14 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

15 slumber   

n.睡眠，沉睡状态

参考例句：

• All the people in the hotels were wrapped in deep slumber.住在各旅馆里的人都已进入梦乡。
• Don't wake him from his slumber because he needs the rest.不要把他从睡眠中唤醒，因为他需要休息。

16 landlady   

n.女房东，女地主

参考例句：

• I heard my landlady creeping stealthily up to my door.我听到我的女房东偷偷地来到我的门前。
• The landlady came over to serve me.女店主过来接待我。

17 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

18 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

19 joyful   

adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的

参考例句：

• She was joyful of her good result of the scientific experiments.她为自己的科学实验取得好成果而高兴。
• They were singing and dancing to celebrate this joyful occasion.他们唱着、跳着庆祝这令人欢乐的时刻。

20 disturbance   

n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调

参考例句：

• He is suffering an emotional disturbance.他的情绪受到了困扰。
• You can work in here without any disturbance.在这儿你可不受任何干扰地工作。

21 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。