Appreciation of foreign fairy tales "[Japan] Ogawa Mimei red candle and mermaid girl"

Appreciation of foreign fairy tales "[Japan] Ogawa Mimei red candle and mermaid girl"

Ogawa Mimei [Japan]

one

Mermaids lived not only in the South China Sea, but also in the North Sea.

The sea in the north is blue. Once, a mermaid climbed from the sea to a rock and enjoyed the surrounding scenery while resting.

The moonlight leaking from the clouds coldly sprinkled on the waves. Looking around, the waves are rolling and endless.

The mermaid thought, what a bleak sight it is! My appearance is similar to that of human beings, and I am closer to human beings in thought and appearance than those fish and all kinds of wild animals living in the deep sea. But I still have to associate with fish and animals and live in a cold, dark and dreary ocean. Why is this?

Mermaids haven't even had a talking partner for many years, and they spend every day looking forward to a bright ocean life. The thought of it made her feel unbearable. So she often rises to the surface of the sea when the moon is clear, climbs to the rocks to rest, and her mind is full of all kinds of fantasies.

The mermaid thought: I heard that all the towns where human beings live are beautiful. Humans are kinder and more compassionate than those fish and wild animals. Although we live in fish and wild animals, we are not very different from humans, so we can definitely live with them.

This is a female mermaid. She is pregnant with a little mermaid. She thought: we adults have lived in the desolate and uninhabited northern blue sea for a long time, and it is impossible to live in a bright and lively place, but we must never let the soon-to-be-born child suffer such loneliness and pain again!

It is very painful to live alone in the sea without children. But no matter where the child goes, as long as she can live happily, it is my greatest happiness.

It is said that human beings are the kindest race in the world. They will never bully or abuse those poor and helpless weak people. I also heard that once they take you in, they will never abandon you again. Moreover, the mermaid's head and face resemble human beings, and her body above the waist is exactly the same as human beings. In this way, the mermaid can live in the human world. Besides, we can all live among wild animals! She believes that as long as human beings are willing to adopt the little mermaid, they will never abandon her mercilessly. ...

This is an annoyance for mermaids.

She is bent on having children on land, hoping to at least let them grow up in a lively, bright and beautiful city. She knows that in this way, although she may never see her children again, they can live happily with human beings.

There is a hill by the far sea, and there is a shrine on the top of it. From the gap between the waves, you can vaguely see the flashing lights in the shrine. One night, in order to give birth to a little mermaid, the mermaid mother braved the wind and waves and swam across the dark and cold sea to land.

two

There is a small town by the sea. There are all kinds of shops in this city. There is a poor shop selling candles under the mountain where the shrine is located.

There lived an old couple in the shop. Grandpa makes candles in the back room and grandma sells them in front. When people in the town and passing fishermen go to pay homage, they always buy candles in the shop and then go up the mountain.

There is a pine forest on the mountain. The temple is located in the middle of this pine forest. The sea breeze blew against the pine forest, and the whistle kept up day and night. Candles are lit in the shrine every night, and the mermaid has already seen the light shining from the sea.

One night, grandma said to grandpa:

"We live by the gods now. If there is no shrine on this mountain, our candles will not be sold. So let's thank God for his mercy. Now, I will go up the mountain to worship God! " So the old man replied:

"That's right! I also appreciate the merits of the gods in my heart every day! However, I am too busy to visit the shrine often. It's still thoughtful of you to show my heart in front of the gods! " Grandma trudged out of the house. That night, the moonlight was like washing, and the earth was as bright as day. When grandma walked down the hill after worshipping God, she heard a baby crying at the bottom of the steps.

Poor man, an abandoned baby. What kind of person would leave a child in a place like this! But fortunately, this child was seen by me on my way back from worship. Maybe there is some fate! If I ignore it, God will blame me. The gods must have known that we had no children, so they gave us a child. I took her back to discuss with the old man and left her at home! She thought so in her heart, picked up the baby from the ground, walked back, and read aloud a way:

"oh! Look, what a poor child! "

Grandpa was waiting for grandma to come back at home when grandma came into the house with her child in her arms. She told the story of finding the baby in detail. Grandpa said after hearing this:

"This is the gods give our children. We should feed her carefully, or the gods will blame her. "

In this way, the old couple took the child in and carefully fed it. The baby is a girl, different from the human body below the waist. It is in the shape of a fish, so grandparents all think that she must be the legendary mermaid.

"The child doesn't look like human offspring ..."

Grandpa looked at the baby suspiciously and said. Grandma went on to say:

"I think so too. But although she is not a descendant of mankind, you can see what a gentle and lovely little girl she is! "

Grandpa said again:

"Well, no matter whose offspring, since it is a child given by the gods, we will raise it wholeheartedly! She must be a smart and obedient girl when she grows up. "

From then on, the old couple fed the little girl like a treasure. With the growth of age, the little girl's eyes become black, her hair is beautiful, her skin color is white and red, and she is delicate and smart.

three

The girl has grown up, but she is shy because of her abnormal body and never wants to show up in front of people. However, this girl is so beautiful that everyone who has seen her is amazed. Some people came to the store to buy candles so that they could see the girl again. Grandpa and grandma said to them:

"My girl is quiet and shy. She doesn't want to come out to meet people. "

Grandpa stepped up making candles in the back room of the shop. The girl thought: If you draw beautiful patterns on candles at will, people will be happy to buy them. She told her grandfather what she thought. Grandpa replied, then you try and draw whatever you like!

The girl has never studied painting. For the first time in her life, she painted beautiful patterns such as fish, shellfish and aquatic plants on a white candle with bright red color. Grandpa was surprised when he saw the girl's painting. That painting is full of strange power and has an indescribable beauty.

Grandpa and grandma sighed and said:

"She painted so well, of course, is a mermaid! It doesn't belong to humans. "

"Buy flowers and candles!" From morning till night, people, whether adults or children, come to the store to buy candles in an endless stream. Candles painted with colorful pictures are popular with everyone.

Just then, another magical story came out. People light red wax in the shrine on the mountain, and then carry the burnt wax oil. When they go fishing, no matter how violent the storm is, they won't be drowned by the boat. I wonder when this will spread from person to person. The people in the town said:

"The temple of Poseidon! Light a beautiful candle for the fairy, and the fairy will naturally be happy! "

The old people in the small shop try their best to make candles from morning till night because of their good sales. The girl is beside her grandfather, enduring the pain in her hand and drawing colorful pictures on the candle.

The kindness of the old couple moved the girl very much, and sometimes her big black eyes were filled with tears. She thought to herself: Although she doesn't belong to human beings, she can never forget the kindness of being so carefully raised and cared for by two old people!

Even distant towns and villages know about it. Sailors from afar, as well as fishermen, came all the way here just to get the remaining wax oil of colored wax for sacrifice. They bought candles, went to climb the mountain to worship the gods, gave the lit candles to the immortals, and went home with the remaining wax oil when the candles were burned out. So no matter night or day, the shrine on the mountain never turns off the lights. Especially at night, the light of the lamp is more beautiful and can be seen from the distant sea.

"This fairy is really grateful!" Poseidon's fame soon spread, and the hill became famous at once.

The fairy's fragrance is so strong, but no one thinks of the girl who paints colorful pictures on the candle wholeheartedly, so no one sympathizes with and pities the girl. When a girl is tired, she often sticks her head out of the window on a beautiful moonlit night and looks at the distant blue sea in the north with tears in her eyes.

four

Once, a Jianghu businessman came from the south. He wants to buy some rare and precious things from the northern countries and bring them to the south to earn a lot of money.

I don't know where this Jianghu businessman came from or when he met the girl. He saw that the girl was not human, but a rare mermaid in the world. One day, he sneaked up to the old couple and said behind the girl's back:

"If I pay a big price, you can sell me the mermaid!"

The old couple refused at first, thinking that the girl was given by a fairy and could not be sold. If it is sold, the gods will blame it. Jianghu merchants have repeatedly hit a wall, but they still don't give up. One day, he came to the old couple again and said very seriously:

"This mermaid was an unlucky thing in ancient times. Sell it early, or you will suffer! "

The old couple believed the businessman's words and heard that they could make a lot of money, so they were possessed by ghosts and promised to sell the girl to him.

Jianghu merchants promised to pick up the girl in a few days, and then went back happily.

The girl was very surprised when she knew that she had been sold. A kind and taciturn girl is afraid to leave this home and go to that hot and strange southern country thousands of miles away. She cried and begged the old couple to say:

"I can do anything. Please don't sell me to that strange place. "

But the old couple have become heartless and never agreed to the girl's request again.

As usual, the girl stayed indoors and devoted herself to drawing colorful pictures on candles. The old couple saw this scene and were indifferent. They think it's neither cute nor pathetic.

One moonlit night, the girl was alone listening to the roar of the waves, thinking about her future and feeling sad. She listened and felt that someone was calling her in the distance. So she looked out of the window. Only the endless blue sea reflects the moonlight outside.

The girl sat down again and continued to draw candles. At this time, the front of the store suddenly became noisy. It turns out that this Jianghu businessman was scheduled to pick up the girl tonight. The businessman's car was carrying a big wooden box with barbed wire. This wooden box once carried tigers, lions, leopards and other animals.

Jianghu merchants say that a kind mermaid is also an animal in the sea, and she should be treated like a tiger and lion. The girl will be scared out of her wits when she sees this wooden box later.

The girl is still in the dark and continues to bow her head and draw. Just then, grandpa and grandma came into the room to pick up the girl. They said:

"Ah! You should go! "

Because they were in a hurry, the girl didn't have time to draw a color picture of the candle in her hand, and only painted the whole candle red.

The girl left two or three red candles as a souvenir of this painful history, and then left home.

five

It was a very quiet night. Grandparents have gone to bed behind closed doors.

Knock, knock, knock. At midnight, someone knocked at the door. Old people are sleepy. The old couple were puzzled when they heard a knock at the door. Grandma asked:

"Who is it?"

But no one answered. Knock, knock, knock. Keep knocking.

Grandma got up, gently opened the door leaf and looked out through the gap. A very white woman stood at the door.

Women are here to buy candles. Grandma is a glutton, even if she earns a penny and a half, she is happy.

Grandma took the candle box to that woman. Then she was surprised. The woman's long black hair is covered with water droplets, reflecting the moonlight and shining. The woman took the red candle out of the box, stared at it for a while, paid the money and took it away.

Grandma looked at the coin carefully under the lamp. It's not real money, it's an empty shell. She thought she had been cheated and chased her out angrily. But that woman has disappeared.

That night, the sky changed suddenly and a rare storm set off at sea. Just like Jianghu merchants boating on the sea, taking wooden cages full of mermaid girls to a country in the south.

Grandpa and grandma trembled at home and said:

"I'm afraid that ship will capsize in such a big storm!"

After dawn, the sea is still a scene of darkness and terror. Countless ships were killed that night.

Strangely, after that, as long as the shrine on the mountain lights red candles, at night, even the best weather will immediately turn into a storm. The red candle became an ominous thing. The old couple in the candle shop said it was God's punishment and never sold candles again.

However, since then, I don't know who it is, and I often light red candles at the shrine. In the past, as long as someone got the remaining wax oil from this shrine, they would eliminate disasters at sea; Now, as long as you look at the red candle, this person will be in big trouble and drown in the sea.

After the news quickly spread among people, no one went to the shrine on the mountain to pay homage. The immortal who used to be holy and effective has now become an evil immortal. No one said bitterly: if only there were no such shrine in this town.

As long as the crew looks at the hill where the shrine is located from the sea, they feel scared. At night, the sea in this area is a terrible sight: the stormy waves are endless; Every time that huge wave breaks on the rock, it will stir up white water droplets; The moonlight shines on the waves through the clouds, which is really creepy.

On a dark rainy night without starlight, someone saw the light of a red candle floating on the waves. The fire gradually rose to a higher place, and then swam to the shrine on the top of the mountain.

Within a few years, the town at the foot of the mountain was completely destroyed. (translated by Zhou Chanlun)

In people's impression, fairy tales are always associated with innocent childhood. Therefore, when Ogawa Mimei, known as the pioneer of neo-romanticism, attacked the ugliness of human nature in fairy tales, the sadness was shocking. In this sense, The Red Candle and the Mermaid is a fairy tale for adults.

This story hides a lot of cultural resources. Their deep tragic feelings naturally remind people of Andersen's Daughter of the Sea, Disney's cartoon The Little Mermaid, Rumiko Takahashi's Wound of Mermaid, the beauty of Mermaid, their desperate love and the sadness that seems to never get rid of. They are individuals seeking liberation in loneliness. Mermaids without souls seek the birth of souls. Although the beautiful mermaid princess finally went up in smoke and disappeared in the vast sea, she also stayed in the hearts of human beings who had longed to be one of them from generation to generation, and she must have stayed in the hearts of her own kind, the mermaid. Some of them are also dreaming of landing on the earth with the dream that the mermaid princess once had.

In this story, a woman pregnant with a little mermaid is full of expectations for human beings. Mermaid mother, suffering from loneliness and pain in the desolate and unaccompanied northern blue sea, doesn't want her soon-to-be-born child to suffer such a fate again. She heard that "human beings are the kindest race in the world" and "once you are taken in, you will never be abandoned"; She also believes that "the mermaid's head and face are like human beings, and the body above the waist is exactly the same as human beings." "Mermaids can live in the human world. Besides, we can all live among wild animals! Here, human nature is placed in the supreme position by the inhuman "Other", so its degeneration is even more shocking. Simple mermaid mother, with the desire to let her children grow up in a lively, bright and beautiful city and the unbearable trust of human beings, endures the separation that may be forever.

"Facing the storm, crossing the dark and cold sea and swimming to the land", the more persistent the mermaid mother is, the stronger the tension of the story gradually accumulates. However, when the old woman in the candle shop picked up the baby born by the mermaid on the way back from worshipping God and treated her wife as a treasure to the little girl, the tension was temporarily released and a period of calm came. Only in this kind of relaxation, the looming sadness is floating. It seems that the mermaid mother's wish to let her children out of loneliness has not come true: the mermaid girl who is grateful to the old man for taking care of her draws candles from morning till night, and the strong incense brings a sense of security and peace to the praying people, but no one thinks of the mermaid girl who draws colorful pictures on the candles wholeheartedly. Loneliness is still her destiny. On a beautiful moonlit night, the mermaid girl looked at the blue sea in the far north with tears in her eyes. From the mermaid mother's longing to leave the desolate and lonely sea to the mermaid girl's longing for her hometown in the blue sea, the mermaid girl and her mother experienced a paradox of fate. The loneliness experienced by the mermaid mother and the loneliness experienced by the mermaid girl all point to the fragmented and unformed humanity.

In the process of crushing, the greedy old couple could not resist the temptation of Jianghu merchants and promised to sell the mermaid girl. When the woman with long black hair covered with water drops held two or three red candles left by the mermaid girl, the supreme human nature completely fell on the altar imagined by the mermaid mother. Perhaps from then on, the mermaid family who yearned for human beings began to curse human beings, from the blessing of Poseidon to the ominous sign of shipwreck.

There is a mermaid statue in Longrini Harbor Waterfront Park in Copenhagen, Denmark. She sat on a stone and stared at the sea under her feet, looking melancholy and full of yearning. This statue is based on the daughter of the sea, but the melancholy of nostalgia for the sea conveys the deep loss and despair of all mermaids who once had a good yearning for mankind. (He Weiqing)