尼诺和忠狗4

One night during the week before Christmas Day, death came into the hut and took Jehan Daas away from this world forever.

　　He had been close to death for a long time. He could not move except for a weak gesture and could only speak softly. But his death was a great horror for the little boy and Patrasche. They cried very hard. The old man died while he was sleeping.

　　On a snowy, cold day they carried his body to a nameless grave near the little gray church. Only Nello and Patrasche were at his funeral. On the way to the church they were weeping.

　　The miller's wife didn't say anything, but after the grave was covered and Nello and Patrasche went home, she put a wreath into Alois's hands and told her to go and lay it on the grave.

　　Nello and Patrasche went home with broken hearts. After the funeral, he did not have a coin left. There was a month's rent on their little home which he had to pay. So he went to the owner of the hut and asked him to wait. The owner was a very good friend of the miller. He loved money very much and he said to Nello, "If you can't pay, leave everything in the hut and get out by tomorrow."

　　All night long the boy and the dog sat in the darkness by the fireplace which had no fire. When the pale sun rose over the white, cold earth, it was the morning of Christmas Eve. Nello held Patrasche in his arms and his hot tears fell on the dog's forehead. "Let's  go, Patrasche. We will not wait to be kicked out."

　　They began to walk to Antwerp. When they got to the city, the clock struck ten. The name of the winner of the drawing contest was to be announced at noon. So Nello went to the public building.

　　On the steps in the hall there were a lot of young people. They were all with their parents or relatives or friends. The great bells of the clock tower rang out the hour of noon. The doors of the inner hall opened and the people rushed in. The best picture was put above the others.

　　He saw the drawing─it was not his own! Nello fainted. When he came to his senses, he found himself lying on the stones and Patrasche was trying to call him back to life. The boy staggered to his feet and held the dog in his arms. "It is all over, Patrasche, dear Patrasche," he said in a weak voice.

　　The snow was falling fast. They went back to the village. It took them a long time to pass over the familiar road. Suddenly Patrasche stopped, gave a sniff in the snow, and drew out with his teeth a small case of brown leather. On it was the name of Mr. Cogez, and it had twenty thousand francs in it.

　　The boy put the case into his pocket, patted Patrasche, and went on. He went straight to the millhouse. When he reached the house, he knocked on the door. The miller's wife opened it weeping. Little Alois was holding tight to her mother's skirt. "Is it you, poor young boy?" she said kindly through her tears."You'd better go home before my husband sees you. We are in severe trouble tonight. He is out looking for a large amount of money that he lost on his way home. But in this snow he will never find it. It is Heaven's own judgement for the things we have done to you."

　　Nello put the case in her hand and called Patrasche into the house.  found the money tonight," he said quickly. "Please tell Mr. Cogez. Please ask him to keep the dog here and give him food. I hope he will not say no. Keep Patrasche from running after me."

　　Nello kissed the dog, closed the door quickly, went out of the house, and was gone. Patrasche barked at the door, but it was useless. Alois and her mother didn't let the dog go out of the house and tried to calm him down. They brought nice cake and juicy meat to him and tried to take him to the warm fireplace, but it was in vain. Patrasche would not leave the closed door.

　　It was six o'clock when the miller came in. He was tired, and his face looked as pale as ash. "We couldn't find it." His voice was trembling. "We have looked for it everywhere with lanterns. It is gone."

　　His wife put the money into his hands, and told him how it came to her. The strong man sank trembling into a seat and covered his face because he was ashamed and afraid.

　　"I'v been cruel to the young man," he said in a soft voice. "I don't deserve to be so well-treated."

　　Little Alois asked her father, "May I invite Nello here again? May I invite him tomorrow?" The miller held her in his arms and said, "Of course. Of course. I will invite him here on Christmas Day and any other day he wants to come. I will make up for my previous wrongs─I will."

　　Patrasche would neither lie in the warmth near the fireplace nor eat anything.

　　At last Patrasche slipped out of the house when a new guest opened the door carelessly, and ran away. He had only one thought─to follow Nello. He thought, "He has gone to find the one he loved." The gate of the church was open. Patrasche went into the building and found Nello lying on the stones. He went to the boy and licked his face. The boy got up with a moan and held the dog tight in his arms.

　　"Let's lie down here and die together," he said. "People don't need us. We are all alone." They lay close together in the severe cold.

　　Suddenly through the darkness a great white stream of light appeared. The moon was high in the sky. The moonlight fell on the two pictures through the window. The covers had been removed for Christmas. The pictures "The Elevation of the Cross" and "The Descent from the Cross" were seen.

　　Nello stood up and held out his arms to the pictures. The tears of joy shone on his face. "I have seen them at last!" he cried aloud. "Oh, God, it is enough." He staggered, and sank to his knees. The arms of the boy held the body of the dog to him again.

　　The next morning, the people of Antwerp found them in the church. They were both dead. After the sun rose, an old man came in weeping. He said, "I have been cruel to the boy, and now I have made up my mind to make amends─to give half of my money to him─to make him my son."

　　After a while, a famous painter came in. He said to the people, "I have been looking for this boy. I'm sorry we didn't give the prize to this boy yesterday. I wanted to find him, take him with me, and teach him art."

　　But the young pale face was turned upward to the paintings by the great Rubens, with a smile which seemed to answer them all: "It's too late." The people cried.

　　The arms of the boy were folded so tightly around the dog that they couldn't separate them. The people of the little village made one grave and laid them to rest side by side─forever!

　　圣诞节前那一周的一个晚上，死神降临了茅屋，把耶汉‧达斯永远带离人间。

　　有很长一段时间他都一直是奄奄一息。除了微弱的手势外，他根本不能动，只能轻声地说话。但他的死对尼洛和帕特拉斯基却宛如晴天霹雳。他们号啕痛哭。老先生是在睡眠中过世的。

　　在一个下雪寒冷的日子，他们把他的遗体带到灰色小教堂附近的一个无名冢。葬礼上只有尼洛和帕特拉斯基。在往教堂途中，他们一路上都在啜泣着。

　　磨坊主人的太太没有说什幺，但等坟墓埋好，且尼洛和帕特拉斯基回家后，她把一个花圈交到爱露薏丝手中，叫她去把它放在坟墓上。

　　尼洛和帕特拉斯基伤心地回到家。葬礼过后，他一毛钱也没剩了。这小茅屋还有一个月的租金他必须付。因此，他去找这茅屋的主人，请他宽限一些时日。屋主是磨坊主人非常要好的朋友。他爱钱如命，就对尼洛说：『假如你付不出来，就留下茅屋里的所有东西，明天就滚出去。』

　　整个晚上，男孩和狗在黑暗中坐在没有火的火炉旁边。当灰蒙蒙的太阳在这片雪白而冰冷的大地上空升起时，已是圣诞夜的早上了。尼洛把帕特拉斯基拥在怀里，热泪掉落在这狗的前额上。『我们走吧，帕特拉斯基。我们不要等着被人家踢出去。』

　　他们开始走向安特卫普。当他们抵达这个城市时，钟敲了十响。那项绘画比赛得奖人的名字将于中午时分宣布。于是尼洛便到那栋公共建筑去。

　　在大厅的台阶上有很多年轻人。他们都有父母、亲戚或朋友陪伴着。钟楼里的大钟敲出正午的时间。内厅的门开了，人们拥了进去。最佳作品被挂在其它作品的上面。

　　尼洛看见了那幅画──那不是他自己的！尼洛晕了过去。当他醒来时，发现自己躺在石板上，而帕特拉斯基正试着把他叫醒。男孩蹒跚地爬起来，把狗拥在怀里。『帕特拉斯基，亲爱的帕特拉斯基，一切都完了，』他微弱地说着。

　　雪下得正大。他们回到村子里。他们花了好长的时间才走完那段熟悉的路。突然间，帕特拉斯基停下来，在雪地上嗅了嗅，并用它的牙齿拖出一个小小的棕色皮制盒子。盒子上面有寇盖兹先生的名字，里面装着两万法朗。

　　男孩把这盒子放进口袋，拍拍帕特拉斯基，然后继续赶路。他直接到磨坊去。当他抵达时，他敲了门。磨坊主人的太太哭着来开门，小爱露薏丝则紧抓着妈妈的裙子。『是你吗？可怜的年轻男孩，』她含着泪水亲切地说道。『你最好赶快回家，别让我先生看到。我们今晚有了大麻烦。他现在人在外头，正在找寻在回家途中遗失的一大笔钱。但在这样的大雪中，他绝对找不到的。这是老天因为我们对你的所作所为而作的审判。』

　　尼洛把那只盒子交到她手中，并把帕特拉斯基叫进屋内。『帕特拉斯基今晚找到了这些钱，』他很快地说。『请告诉寇盖兹先生。请您求他把狗留在这里并给它东西吃。我希望他不要拒绝。不要让狗跑来追我。』

　　尼洛亲吻了狗，很快地关上门，跑出那栋房子走了。帕特拉斯基对着门吠叫，但没有用。爱露薏丝和她母亲没有让狗跑出去，并设法使它安静下来。他们拿给它好吃的蛋糕和多汁的肉，并试图把它带到温暖的壁炉旁，但一切都徒劳无功。帕特拉斯基不肯离开那扇紧闭的门。

　　磨坊主人回到家时已是六点钟了。他很疲倦，脸色和灰烬一样苍白。『我们找不到。』他的声音颤抖着。『我们提着灯笼到处都找遍了，它就是不见了。』

　　他太太把钱交到他手中，并告诉他钱是怎幺到她手上的。这坚强的男人颤抖地瘫坐在一张椅子上，双手掩面，因为他又惭愧又害怕。

　　『我一直对这年轻人太残酷了，』他低声地说。『我不应该受到这幺好的对待。』

　　小爱露薏丝问她父亲：『我可以再邀请尼洛来这里吗？我可以明天就邀请他吗？』磨坊主人把她拥在怀里说：『当然可以。当然可以。我会在圣诞节和任何他想来的日子邀请他来这里。我要弥补我先前的过错──我会的。』

　　帕特拉斯基不愿躺在温暖的壁炉旁，也不愿吃任何东西。

　　最后，帕特拉斯基趁一个新客人不小心打开门时，溜出那间房子跑走了。它只有一个念头──跟随尼洛。他想道：『他一定是跑去找他喜爱的那个地方了。』那间教堂的门正开着。帕特拉斯基进到那栋建筑物里面看见尼洛躺在石板上。它跑过去舔他的脸。男孩呻吟一声爬了起来，紧紧地把这只狗抱在怀里。

　　『让咱们躺在这里一起死吧，』他说。

　　『人们不需要我们，我们完全孤独了。』他们依偎着躺在酷寒之中。

　　突然间，在黑暗中出现了一道巨大的白色光芒。月亮高挂在天空。月光穿透窗户落在那两幅画上。遮住画的帷幔因为圣诞节已被取下，现出『基督受难图』和『基督下十字架』两幅画。

　　尼洛站起来，向这两幅画伸出双手，脸上闪烁着欢喜的眼泪。『我终于看到它们了！』他大声叫道。『哦，上帝，这就足够了。』他一个踉跄跪了下来。男孩的双手又抱住了狗儿的身躯。

　　隔天早晨，安特卫普的人们在教堂中发现了他们。两个都已魂归西天。太阳升起后，有个老先生哭着进来。他说：『我一直都对这男孩太无情了。现在，我决心要弥补──把我财产一半给他──让他做我的儿子。』

　　过了一会儿，一位名画家进来。他对人们说：『我一直都在找这个男孩，我很遗憾我们昨天没有把那个奖给他。我要找他，把他留在我身边教他艺术。』

　　但男孩年轻而苍白的脸庞却带着微笑，仰望着伟大的鲁本斯那两幅画作。那微笑仿佛在回答他们所有的人：『一切都太迟了。』在场的人不禁哭了起来。

　　男孩的双臂紧紧抱着那只狗，以致他们无法把他们两个分开。村子里的人造了一个坟墓并把他们俩并排安葬在一起──直到永远！