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Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Shadow, part 8

The Shadow, part 8

The learned man was not at all in the most enviable state; grief and torment followed him, and what he said about the true, and the good, and the beautiful, was, to most persons, like roses for a cow! He was quite ill at last.

"You really look like a shadow!" said his friends to him; and the learned man trembled, for he thought of it.

"You must go to a watering-place!" said the shadow, who came and visited him. "There is nothing else for it! I will take you with me for old acquaintance' sake; I will pay the travelling expenses, and you write the descriptions--and if they are a little amusing for me on the way! I will go to a watering-place--my beard does not grow out as it ought--that is also a sickness--and one must have a beard! Now you be wise and accept the offer; we shall travel as comrades!" And so they travelled; the shadow was master, and the master was the shadow; they drove with each other, they rode and walked together, side by side, before and behind, just as the sun was; the shadow always took care to keep itself in the master's place. Now the learned man didn't think much about that; he was a very kind-hearted man, and particularly mild and friendly, and so he said one day to the shadow: "As we have now become companions, and in this way have grown up together from childhood, shall we not drink 'thou' together, it is more familiar?" "You are right," said the shadow, who was now the proper master. "It is said in a very straight-forward and well-meant manner. You, as a learned man, certainly know how strange nature is. Some persons cannot bear to touch grey paper, or they become ill; others shiver in every limb if one rub a pane of glass with a nail: I have just such a feeling on hearing you say thou to me; I feel myself as if pressed to the earth in my first situation with you. You see that it is a feeling; that it is not pride: I cannot allow you to say THOU to me, but I will willingly say THOU to you, so it is half done!" So the shadow said THOU to its former master.

"This is rather too bad," thought he, "that I must say YOU and he say THOU," but he was now obliged to put up with it. So they came to a watering-place where there were many strangers, and amongst them was a princess, who was troubled with seeing too well; and that was so alarming!


The Shadow, part 8 Der Schatten, Teil 8 A Sombra, parte 8

The learned man was not at all in the most enviable state; grief and torment followed him, and what he said about the true, and the good, and the beautiful, was, to most persons, like roses for a cow! Der Gelehrte befand sich keineswegs in einem beneidenswerten Zustand; Kummer und Qualen verfolgten ihn, und was er über das Wahre, das Gute und das Schöne sagte, war für die meisten Menschen wie Rosen für eine Kuh! He was quite ill at last. Schließlich war er ziemlich krank.

"You really look like a shadow!" said his friends to him; and the learned man trembled, for he thought of it. sagten seine Freunde zu ihm, und der Gelehrte zitterte, denn er dachte daran.

"You must go to a watering-place!" "Du musst zu einer Wasserstelle gehen!" said the shadow, who came and visited him. "There is nothing else for it! "Es gibt nichts anderes dafür! I will take you with me for old acquaintance' sake; I will pay the travelling expenses, and you write the descriptions--and if they are a little amusing for me on the way! Ich werde Sie um der alten Bekanntschaft willen mitnehmen; ich bezahle die Reisekosten, und Sie schreiben die Beschreibungen - und wenn sie mich unterwegs ein wenig amüsieren! I will go to a watering-place--my beard does not grow out as it ought--that is also a sickness--and one must have a beard! Ich werde zu einer Tränke gehen - mein Bart wächst nicht, wie er sollte - das ist auch eine Krankheit - und man muss einen Bart haben! Now you be wise and accept the offer; we shall travel as comrades!" Nun sei klug und nimm das Angebot an; wir werden als Kameraden reisen!" And so they travelled; the shadow was master, and the master was the shadow; they drove with each other, they rode and walked together, side by side, before and behind, just as the sun was; the shadow always took care to keep itself in the master's place. Und so reisten sie; der Schatten war der Herr, und der Herr war der Schatten; sie fuhren miteinander, sie ritten und gingen zusammen, Seite an Seite, vor und hinter ihnen, so wie die Sonne war; der Schatten achtete immer darauf, sich an den Platz des Herrn zu halten. Now the learned man didn't think much about that; he was a very kind-hearted man, and particularly mild and friendly, and so he said one day to the shadow: "As we have now become companions, and in this way have grown up together from childhood, shall we not drink 'thou' together, it is more familiar?" Nun dachte der Gelehrte nicht viel darüber nach; er war ein sehr gutherziger Mann und besonders mild und freundlich, und so sagte er eines Tages zu dem Schatten: "Da wir nun Gefährten geworden und so von Kindheit an zusammen aufgewachsen sind, wollen wir nicht gemeinsam 'Du' trinken, das ist vertrauter?" "You are right," said the shadow, who was now the proper master. "Du hast Recht", sagte der Schatten, der nun der eigentliche Herr war. "It is said in a very straight-forward and well-meant manner. "Es ist sehr direkt und gut gemeint. You, as a learned man, certainly know how strange nature is. Sie als gelehrter Mann wissen sicherlich, wie seltsam die Natur ist. Some persons cannot bear to touch grey paper, or they become ill; others shiver in every limb if one rub a pane of glass with a nail: I have just such a feeling on hearing you say thou to me; I feel myself as if pressed to the earth in my first situation with you. Manche Menschen können es nicht ertragen, graues Papier zu berühren, oder sie werden krank; andere zittern in allen Gliedern, wenn man eine Glasscheibe mit einem Nagel reibt: Ich habe gerade ein solches Gefühl, wenn ich dich zu mir sagen höre; ich fühle mich in meiner ersten Situation mit dir wie auf die Erde gedrückt. You see that it is a feeling; that it is not pride: I cannot allow you to say THOU to me, but I will willingly say THOU to you, so it is half done!" Du siehst, dass es ein Gefühl ist, dass es kein Stolz ist: Ich kann nicht zulassen, dass du DICH zu mir sagst, aber ich will gerne DICH zu dir sagen, also ist es schon halb getan!" So the shadow said THOU to its former master. So sagte der Schatten DICH zu seinem früheren Herrn.

"This is rather too bad," thought he, "that I must say YOU and he say THOU," but he was now obliged to put up with it. "Das ist ziemlich schade", dachte er, "dass ich DICH sagen muss und er DICH", aber er musste sich damit abfinden. So they came to a watering-place where there were many strangers, and amongst them was a princess, who was troubled with seeing too well; and that was so alarming! So kamen sie an eine Wasserstelle, wo viele Fremde waren, und unter ihnen war eine Prinzessin, die zu gut sehen konnte, und das war so beunruhigend!