"NOW I shall tell a story，"said the Wind， "No，excuse me，"said the Rain，"now it is myturn！You have stood long enough at the street corner andhowled all that you could howl！"
"Is that your thanks，"said the Wind，"for my having，in your honour，turned many an umbrella outside in；yes，even broken them，when people would have nothing to dowith you！"
"I am going to tell one，"said the Sunshine，"bequiet；"and it was said with dignity and majesty，so thatthe Wind laid itself down all its length，but the Rain driz- zled in the Wind，and said，"Must we stand this！She al－ways breaks through，this Madam Sunshine．We shall notlisten to her！it is not worth the trouble to listen！"
And the Sunshine said：
"There flew a swan over the rolling sea：every featheron it shone like gold；one feather fell down on the big mer-chant ship which glided past under full sail．The featherfell on the curly hair of the young man who had charge ofthe cargo，the Super-cargo'they called him．The featherof the bird of Fortune touched his forehead，and became apen in his hand，and he soon became a rich merchant，whocould easily buy himself spurs of gold，and change goldplate into a nobleman's shield．I have shone upon it，"said the Sunshine．
"The swan flew away over the green meadow，wherethe little shepherd，a boy of seven years old，had laid him－self to rest under the shadow of the single old tree there．And the swan in its flight kissed a leaf of the tree；it fellinto the boy's hand，and the one leaf became three，thenten，then a whole book，and he read in it about the won-ders of nature，about his mother－tongue，and about faithand knowledge．At bedtime he laid the book under hishead，so that he should not forget what he had read，andthe book took him to the school bench and the desk oflearning．I have read his name among those of thelearned！"said the Sunshine．
"The swan flew into the loneliness of the forest，rested there on the still，dark lakes，where the water－lilies and the wild apples grow，where the cuckoo and thewood－pigeon have their homes． "A poor woman gathered fallen branches for fire－wood，and carried them on her back；she bore her childin her arms，and was on her way home．She saw thegolden swan，the swan of Fortune，fly up from the rush－grown bank．What shone there？A golden egg；she laid itin her bosom，and the warmth remained；there was cer－tainly life in the egg．Yes，there was a tapping inside theshell；she noticed it，and thought it was the beating ofher own heart．
"At home in her poor room she took out the goldenegg．'Tick，tick，'it said，as if it were a valuable goldwatch，but it was an egg with living life．The egg burst，and a little cygnet，feathered like pure gold，stuck itshead out；it had four rings round its neck，and as thepoor woman had just four boys，three at home，and thefourth which she had carried with her in the forest，sheunderstood at once that here was a ring for each of thechildren；and just as she understood it，the little goldenbird flew away．
"She kissed each ring，and let each of the childrenkiss one of the rings，laid it on the child's heart，andplaced it on the child's finger．
"I saw it！"said the Sunshine，"I saw what followedthis！"
"The one boy seated himself in the clay pit，took alump of clay in his hand，turned it with the fingers，andit became a figure of Jason，who fetched the goldenfleece．
"The second boy ran out at once into the meadowwhere the flowers stood with all the colours one couldthink of：he plucked a handful，clutched them so firmlythat the sap sprang into his eyes and wetted the ring；there came life and movement into his thoughts and intohis hand，and after a year and a day，the great towntalked of the great painter．
"The third of the boys held the ring so fast in hismouth that it gave out a sound，an echo from the bottom ofhis heart．Thoughts and feelings lifted themselves inmelody，lifted themselves like singing swans，dived likeswans down into the deep sea，the deep sea of thought．Hebecame the great master of melody．Every country may nowthink'He belongs to me！' "The fourth little one；ah，he was the outcast．Theysaid he'had the pip'，and ought to have pepper and but－ter，like the sick chickens！'Pepper and bootter， 'was howthey said it，and he got that；but from me he got a sun－shine kiss，"said the Sunshine，"he got ten kisses for one．He had a poet's nature and got both knocks and kisses；but he had the ring of Fortune from Fortune's golden swan．His thoughts flew out like a golden butterfly，the symbol ofimmortality"
"That was a long story！"said the Wind．
"And tiresome！"said the Rain；"blow on meso thatI may come to myself again．" And the Wind blew，and the Sunshine went on：
——"The swan of Fortune flew away over the deep bay，where the fishers had spread their nets．The poorest ofthem had thought of getting married，and so he got mar－ried．
"The swan brought a piece of amber to him；amberattracts to itself，it drew hearts to the house．Amber is theloveliest incense．There came a fragrance as fro m thechurch；there came a fragrance from God's nature．Theyfelt truly the happiness of home，content with their lowlycondition，and so their life became a real sunshine Story．
"Shall we stop now？"said the Wind．"Sunshine hastalked long enough now．I am tired of it！"
"I also，"said the Rain．
What do we others，who have heard the stories，say？
We say…now they are finished．
阳光的故事
“现在我要讲一个故事！”风儿说。
“不成，请原谅我，”雨儿说，“现在轮到我了！你在街头的一个角落里呆得已经够久了，你已经拿出你最大的气力、大号大叫了一通！”
“这就是你对我的感谢吗？”风儿说，“为了你，我把伞吹得翻过来；是的，当人们不愿意跟你打交道的时候，我甚至还把它吹破呢！”
“我要讲话了！”阳光说。“大家请不要做声！”这话说得既庄重又威严，因此风儿就乖乖地躺下来，但是雨儿却摇着风，同时说：“难道我们一定要忍受这吗？这位阳光太太老是插进来。我们不要听她的话！那不值得一听！”
于是阳光就讲了：
“有一只天鹅在波涛汹涌的大海上飞翔。它的每根羽毛都像金子一样地发亮。有一根羽毛落到一条大商船上面。这船正挂着满帆在行驶。羽毛落到一个年轻人的鬈发上。他管理货物，因此人们把他叫‘货物长’。幸运之鸟的羽毛触到了他的前额，变成了他手中的一杆笔，于是他不久就成了一个富有的商人。他可以买到金马刺，用金盘改装成为贵族的纹章。我在它上面照过，”阳光说。
“这只天鹅在绿色的草原上飞。那儿有一棵孤独的老树；一个7岁的牧羊孩子躺在它下面的荫处休息。天鹅飞过的时候吻了这树上的一片叶子。叶子落到这孩子的手中；这一片叶子变成了3片叶子，然后10片，然后成了一整本书。他在这本书里面读到了自然的奇迹、祖国的语言、信仰和知识。在睡觉的时候，他把这本书枕在他的头下，以免忘记他所读到的东西。这书把他领到学校的凳子和书桌那儿去。我在许多学者之中读到过他的名字！”阳光说。
“天鹅飞到孤寂的树林中去，在那儿沉静、阴暗的湖上停下来。睡莲在这儿生长着，野苹果在这儿生长着，杜鹃和斑鸠在这儿建立起它们的家。
“一个穷苦的女人在捡柴火，在捡落下的树枝。她把这些东西背在背上，把她的孩子抱在怀里，向家里走来。她看到这只金色的天鹅——幸运的天鹅——从长满了灯芯草的岸上飞起来。那儿有什么东西在发着亮呢？有一个金蛋。她把它放在怀里，它还是很温暖的；无疑， 蛋里面还有生命。是的，蛋壳里发出一个敲击的声音来；她听到了，而且以为这是她自己的心跳。
“在她家里简陋的房间里，她把金蛋取出来。‘嗒！嗒！’它说，好像它是一个很有价值的金表似的，但是它是一个有生命的蛋。这个蛋裂开了，一只小天鹅把它的头伸出来，它的羽毛黄得像真金子。它的颈上有四个环子。因为这个可怜的女人有四个孩子——三个留在家里， 第四个她抱着一起到孤寂的森林里去——她马上就懂得了，她的每个孩子将有一个环子。当她一懂得这件事的时候，这只小小的金鸟就飞走了。
“她吻了每一个环子，同时让每一个孩子吻一个环子。她把它放在孩子的心上，戴在孩子的手指上。”
“我看到了！”阳光说，“我看到了随后发生的事情！
“头一个孩子坐在泥坑里，手里握着一把泥。他用指头捏它，它于是就变成了取得金羊毛的伊阿宋的像。
“第二个孩子跑到草原上去，这儿开着种种不同颜色的花。他摘下一把；他把它们捏得那么紧，甚至把它们里面的浆都挤出来了，射到他的眼睛里去，把那个环子打湿了，刺激着他的思想和手。几年以后，京城的人都把他称为伟大的画家。
“第三个孩子把这个环子牢牢地衔在嘴里，弄出响声——他心的深处的一个回音。思想和感情化作悦耳的旋律升腾起来，像引吭高歌的天鹅一样飞起来，然后又像天鹅似地俯冲到深沉的海里去——思想的深沉的海里去。
他成了一个伟大的音乐家。每个国家现在都在想，‘他是属于我的！’
“至于第四个孩子呢，咳，他是一个无人理的人。人们说他‘有病’。因此他应该像病鸡一样，吃些胡椒和黄油！‘吃胡椒和黄油，’他们是这么说的；他也就吃了。不过我给了他一个阳光的吻，”阳光说。“他一下子得到了我的10个吻。他有诗人的气质，因此他一方面挨了打，一方面又得到了吻。不过他从幸运的金天鹅那里得到了一个幸运的环子。他的思想像一只金蝴蝶似地飞出去了——这是‘不朽’的象征！”
“这个故事太长！”风儿说。
“而且讨厌！”雨儿说；“请在我身上吹几下吧，好使得我的头脑清醒过来。”
于是风儿就吹起来。阳光继续说：
“幸运的天鹅在深沉的海湾上飞过去了。
渔夫在这儿下了网。他们之中有一个最穷的渔人。他想要结婚，因此他就结婚了。
“天鹅带了一块琥珀给他；琥珀有吸引力， 把心都吸到家里去了。琥珀是最可爱的香料。
它发出一股香气，好像是从教堂里发出来的；
它发出上帝的大自然的香气。他们感到真正的家庭幸福，满足于他们的简朴生活，因此他们的生活成了一个真正的阳光的故事。”
“我们停止好不好？”风儿说。“阳光已经讲得够长了。我听厌了！”
“我也听厌了！”雨儿说。
我们听到这些故事的人怎么说呢？
我们说：“现在它们讲完了！”
这篇作品最初发表在1869年5月出版的《青少年河边杂志》第3卷，随后于1869年11月又发表在丹麦的《北国诗人选集》里。这是一首诗，它以这样一段话作为点题：“天鹅带了一块琥珀给他（一个最穷的渔人），琥 珀有吸引力，把心都吸引到家里去了。……他们感到真正的家庭幸福，满足于他们的简朴生活，因此他们的生活成了一个真正的阳光的故事。”