奇书网

第23章 The Last Lesson（第1页）

第23章TheLastLesson

Alpho

Istartedforschoolverylatethatmandwasidreadofasg，especiallybecauseM。HamelhadsaidthathewouldquestionusonpartidIdidnotkwordaboutthem。ForamomentIthaeofdoors。Itwassht!Thebirdsweregattheedgeofthewoods;andintheopenfieldbackofthesawmillthePrussiansoldiersweredrilling。Itwasallmuptingthaiciples，butIhadthestre，aoschool。

Wheownhalltherewasafroin-board。Forthelasttwoyearsallourbadnewshadthere-thelostbattles，thedraft，theordersoftheandihoughttomyself，withoutstopping:

"Whatbethematternow?"

Then，asIhurriedbyasfastasIcouldgo，theblacksmith，asthere，rehebulletierme:

"Don'tgosofast，bub;you'llgettoyoursplentyoftime!"

Ithoughthewasmakingfunofme，andreachedM。Hamel'slittlegardenalloutofbreath。

Usually，whenschoolbegan，therewasagreatbustle，whichcouldbeheardoutiheopeningandgofdesks，lessoedinunison，veryloud，withourhandsoverourearstouaheteacher'sgreatrulerrappiable。"Alittlemorequite!"Butnowitwasallsostill!Ihadmotioomydeskwithoutbei，ofcourse，thatdayeverythinghadtobeasquietasSundaymhthemyclassmates，alreadyintheirpladM。Hamelanddownwithhisterribleironrulerunderhisarm。Ihadtoopenthedoinbeforeeverybody。YouehowIblushedandhhtenedI>

Butnothinghappened。M。Hamelsawmeandsaidverykindly:

"Gotoyourplacequickly，littleFranz。Wewerebeginningwithoutyou。"

Ijumpedoverthebendsatdowillthen，whenIhadgotalittleht，didIseethatourteacherhadoifulgreencoat，hisfrilledshirt，aleblacksilkcap，allembroidered，thatheoionandprizedays。Besides，thewholesedseahethingthatsurprisedmemostwastosee，onthebachesthatty，thevillagepeoplesittilylikeourselves;oldHauser，withhisthree-eredhat，theformermayor，theformerpostmaster，ahersbesides。Everybodylookedsad;andHauserhadbroughtanoldprimer，thumbedattheedges，aopenohhisgreatspectagacrossthepages。

aboutitall，M。Hamelmountedhisd，inthesamegraveaonewhichhehadusedtome，said:

"My，thisisthelastlessonIshallgiveyou。TheorderhasBerlintoteaanintheschoolsofAlsadLorraierorrow。ThisisyourlastFren。Iwantyoutobeveryatte;

Whatathuhesewordsweretome!

Oh，thewretches;thatwaswhattheyhadputupattheto>

MylastFren!Why，Ihardlykowrite!Ishouldneverlearstopthere，then!Oh，howsorryIwasfornmylessbirds'eggs，slidingontheSaar!Mybooks，thathadseemedsuuisanceawhileago，soheavytrammar，andmyhistoryofthesaints，wereoldfriendsnowthatIp;apos;tgiveup。Aheideathathewasgoingaway，thatIshouldneverseehimagaiallabouthisrulerandhowkyhe>

Poorman!ItwasinhonorofthislastlessoonhisfineSundaydoodwhytheoldmenofthevillageweresittihebackoftheroom。Itwasbecausetheyweresorry，too，thattheyhadosore。Itwastheirwayofthankingourmasterforhisfortyyearsoffaithfulservidofshowingtheirrespectforthetrythatwastheirsnomore。

&hinkingofallthis，IheardmywasmyturwouldIobeabletosaythatdreadfulrulefortheparticipleallthrough，veryloudanddwithoutoIgotmixedupowordsandstontomydesk，myheartbeating，andntolookup。IheardM。Hamelsaytome:

"Ios;tscoldyou，littleFranz;youmustfeelbadeis!Everydaywehavesaidtoourselves:‘Pshalentyoftime。I'lllearnittomorrow。’Andnowyouseeos;veeout。Ah，that'sthegreattroubleutstilltomorrow。Nowthosefellowsouttherewillhavetherighttosaytoyou:'Howisit;youpretendtobeFreyoueitherspeaknorwriteyuage?'Butyouare，poorlittleFranz。os;veallagreatdealtoreproachourselveswith。

"Yourpareaohaveyoulearoputyoutoworkonafarmoratthemills，soastohavealittlemoremoney。AndI?I'vebeentoblamealso。HaveIyoutowatermyflowersinsteadyourlessoedtogofishing，didInotjustgiveyouaholiday?"

Theoanother，M。Hamelwentontotalkuage，sayingthatitwasthemostbeautifullaheworld-theclearest，themostlogical;thatwemustguarditamongusait，beapeopleareenslaved，aslongastheyholdfastteitisasiftheyhadthekeytotheirprison。Thenheopenedagrammarandreadusourlesson。IwasamazedtoseehowwellIu。Allhesaidseemedsoeasy，soeasy!Ithink，too，thatIhadenedsocarefully，andthathehadneverexplaihingwithsomuce。Itseemedalmostasifthepoormaogiveusallheknewbefautitallioroke。

&hegrammar，wehadaless。ThatdayM。Hamelhadnewcopiesforus，writteifulroundhand:France，Alsace，Alsace。Theylookedlikelittleflagsfloatingeverywhereinthes，huhetopofourdesks。Yououghttohaveseenhoweveryoowork，andhowquietitwas!Theonlysougofthepehepaper。Olesflewin;butnobodypaidaothem，tlestones，whhttheirfishhooks，asifthatwasFrentheroofthepigeonscooedverylow，andIthoughttomyself:

"Willtheymakethemsingihepigeons?"

WheneverIlookedupfrIsawM。Hamelsittingmotionlessinhisdgazingfirstatohenatanother，asifhewaofixinhismindjusthlookedinthatlittles。Fancy!Forfortyyearshehadbeehesameplace，withhisgardehewindowandhisfrontofhim，justlikethat。Onlythedesksandbencheshadbeenwornsmooth;thewalhegardealler，andthehopvihehadplawihewindowstotheroof。Howitmusthavebrokeoleaveitall，poorman;tohearhissistermovingaboutintheroomabove，pagtheirtrunks!Fortheymustleavetheextday。

Buthehadthecetoheareverylessontotheverylast。Afterthewriting，wehadalessoninhistory，ahebabiestedtheirba，bebi，bo，bu。DowhebackoftheroomoldHauserhadputoad，holdinghisprimerinbothhaterswiththem。Youcouldseethathe，t;hisvoicetrembledwithemotion，anditwassofuhatweallwaolaughandcry。Ah，howwellIrememberit，thatlastlesson!

Allatohechurch-clockstrucktwelve。ThehesamemomesofthePrussiaurningfromdrill，soundedunderourwindows。M。Hamelstoodup，verypale，inhiseversawhimlooksotall。

"Myfriends，"saidhe，"I-I-"Butsomething。Heotgoon。

&urheblackboard，tookapieceofd，bearingonwithallhismight，hewreashecould:

"ViveLaFra;

&oppedandleanedhisheadagainstthewall，and，withoutaword，hemadeagesturetouswithhishand:

"Sissed-youmaygo。"