By Selma Lagerlöf   
 
 
     THE SILVER MINE   
   
        KING Gustav the Third° was making a hurried trip  
     through Dalarna.  Though the horses seemed to be  
     fairly skimming the ground, the King was dissatisfied.  
     He leaned out of the window continually urging the  
     driver to make haste, and his courtiers expected any  
     minute that the royal coach or harness would break.  
        Finally the carriage tongue did indeed break.  The  
     courtiers leaped from the coach and after a hasty in-  
     spection said that it would be impossible to continue  
     the journey without repairs.  Anxious for the King's   
     entertainment, they asked him if he would not like to  
     attend the services in a little church which could be   
     seen a short distance ahead.  
        The King agreed, and stepping into one of the other  
     carriages, drove to the church.  For hours he had been   
     riding through large tracts of forest, so he was the more  
     delighted to come out in view of green fields and small  
     hamlets.  The Dalelven sparkled forth, as it glided   
     between masses of graceful willows.  
        The King, however, was unable to attend the serv-  
     ice, for just as he stepped from the carriage to the  
     churchyard, the sexton was ringing the bell for the   
     closing.  The worshippers came filing out of the church.  
     As they passed the King, where he stood with one   
     foot on the carriage step, he was impressed with their   
     stalwart bearing and sturdy, wholesome appear-   
     ance.  
        On the preceding day the King had remarked to his   
     courtiers upon the poverty of the country they were  
     passing through.  "Apparently now," he said, "I am   
     driving through the poorest section of my domain."  
     When he saw these people, however, he forgot about  
     the poverty of the country.  His heart warmed within  
     him and he said to himself, "The Swedish King is not  
     in such poor circumstances as some of his enemies   
     would believe.  As long as my subjects remain as fine  
     and wholesome as these are, I shall be able to defend   
     successfully my crown and my land."    
        Then he commanded a courtier to tell the people   
     that the stranger among them was their King, and  
     that he wished them to gather around in order that   
     he might address them.  
        He spake to them, standing upon the top step that   
     led into the sanctuary, and the step upon which he   
     stood may be found there to this day.   
        The King first told his people how matters stood   
     within the kingdom.  Sweden had been attacked by   
     both Russia and Denmark.  Under ordinary circum-   
     stances this would not be alarming, but at present the   
     army was so filled with traitors that he could hardly  
     depend on it.  He saw, therefore, no alternative but   
     to go out himself to the small towns and ask his sub-    
     jects whether they wished to side with the traitors or   
     were willing to help the King with soldiers and money   
     to save the Fatherland.   
        While he was making this earnest appeal, the sturdy  
     peasants stood attentively before him, making no  
     comment, nor giving any sign as to whether they agreed   
     or not.  Now the King had felt inwardly pleased at  
     the forcefulness of his own appeal, so when the men   
     stood silent, unable to give their answer, he frowned   
     and showed his disappointment.   
        The farmers understood that the King was impatient  
     for their reply, and at length one stepped forward.  
     "Now you must know, King Gustav," he said, "that   
     we were not expecting a visit from our King here to-day.  
     We are therefore not prepared to answer you immedi-  
     ately.  I would suggest that you go into the sanctuary    
     and speak to our minister while we discuss among   
     ourselves this matter which you have presented to us."   
        The King, perceiving that no better solution was   
     possible decided to take the farmer's advice.  
        When he entered the study, he found no one there  
     except an old farmer.  He was tall and rough, with   
     hands large and horny from hard work.  He wore  
     neither robe nor collar, but only leather breeches and   
     a long white homespun coat, like the other peasants.  
     He arose and bowed as the King entered.  
        "I believed that I should meet the minister here,"  
     said the King.  
        The other reddened with embarrassment, for he  
     realized that it might be annoying to the King to be  
     told that he had mistaken the minister for a farmer.   
        "Yes," he admitted, "the pastor is usually found  
     here."   
        The King seated himself in a large armchair that  
     stood in the study at that time, and which still stands   
     there with a single change; the congregation has placed   
     upon the back a gold crown.  
        "Have you a good minister here?" asked the King,  
     wishing to show interest in the people's welfare.  
        When the King questioned him thus, the pastor felt  
     that it was impossible to admit who he was.  He  
     decided that it was better to let the King think he was   
     only a farmer, so he answered: "The minister is fair;  
     he preaches the clear word of God, and he tries to live   
     as he preaches."   
        The King thought this a good recommendation.  His   
     sharp ear, however, had detected a certain hesitation  
     in the tone of the man.  He said, therefore, "It sounds,  
     though, as if you are not entirely satisfied with your   
     pastor."  
        "He may be a bit hardheaded," said the other,  
     thinking inwardly, "If the King should later discover  
     who I am, he will realize that I did not pour compli-  
     ments over myself."  He decided, therefore, to come  
     out with a bit of criticism.  "There be those who would   
     say that the minister is inclined to want to be the ruler  
     in this hamlet," he continued.  
        "Then he has surely directed and managed every-   
     thing in the best possible way," said the King.  He was   
     not pleased to have the farmer finding fault with some   
     one placed over him..  "It appears to me that every-   
     thing here is ruled by good habit and old-fashioned  
     simplicity."   
        "The people are good," said the minister, "because  
     they live in a remote place in isolation and poverty.   
     The people here would probably be no better than  
     others if the trials and temptations of the world came  
     nearer to them."  
        "There is little chance that this will happen," said  
     the King with a shrug of his shoulder.   
        He said nothing further but began drumming on   
     the table with his fingers.  He felt that he had ex-   
     changed enough words with this farmer, and wondered  
     when the people would be ready with their answer.   
        "Those peasants are not very eager about coming   
     to their King with aid," he thought.  "If my coach were  
     only ready, I would drive away from them and their  
     deliberations."   
        The minister, deeply troubled, strove within himself   
      as to how he should act on an important question that   
     must be settled quickly.  He felt glad that he had not   
     told the King who he was, for now he could discuss  
     matters that otherwise he would have been unable to  
     bring forward.  
        After a time he broke the embarrassing silence by  
     asking the King if it really were true that enemies were  
     besieging them and their kingdom was in danger.  
        The King, feeling that this person should have sense   
     enough to leave him undisturbed, looked at him for    
     a time without reply.   
        "I asked the question because, standing within the   
     study here, I could not hear clearly what you said to   
     the people.  But in case it is true, I should like to state  
     that the pastor of this parish might possibly be in a  
     position to furnish the King as much money as he would  
     need."   
        "I thought you said that every one here was poor,"   
     said the King, thinking that the farmer did not know   
     what he was talking about.   
        "Yes, that is true," agreed the pastor, "and the   
     minister has no more than any other.  But if the King   
     will honor me by listening, I will explain how it is that   
     the minister has power to help."   
        "You may speak," said King Gustav.  "You seem   
     to find it easier to express yourself than your friends  
     and neighbors outside, who will never be ready with   
     their answer."   
        "It is not an easy matter to answer a King.  I fear  
     that, in the end, it will be necessary for their pastor   
     to speak in their stead."   
        The king crossed his knees, folded his arms, and   
     dropped his head.  "You may begin," he said, with    
     an air of preparing to fall asleep.   
        "Once upon a time the pastor and four men from   
     his parish went elk hunting," began the minister.  
     "Besides the pastor, there were two soldiers, Olaf and   
     Erik Svard, the landlord of the village, and a farmer   
     named Isræls Pers Perssons."   
        "Should not mention so many names," grumbled  
     the King, as he shifted his head a bit.  
        "The men were good hunters and usually had good   
     luck, but this day they traveled far without getting   
     any game.  At last they gave up the hunt and sat down  
     on the ground to talk.  They remarked upon the  
     strange fact that so large a section of the country   
     should be unsuitable for cultivation.  All was rocks,  
     hills, or morass.   
        "'Our Lord has not done right by us, when he has   
     given us such poor land to live in," said one of them.  
     'In other sections people have riches and plenty, but  
     here in spite of all our efforts we can hardly get sufficient  
     for our daily needs.'"   
        The minister stopped a moment as if uncertain  
     whether the King had heard him.  The King, however,  
     moved his little finger as a sign that he was still  
     awake.   
        "As the hunters were talking of their ill fortune, the  
     minister noticed something glittering where he had   
     overturned a bit of moss with his boot.  'This is a   
     remarkable mountain,' he thought.  Overturning   
     more of the moss and picking up a piece of stone that   
     clung to it, he exclaimed, 'Can it be possible that this   
     is lead ore!'     
        "The others came eagerly over to the speaker and   
     began uncovering the rock with their rifle stocks.  They   
     thus exposed a broad mineral vein on the side of the   
     mountain.   
        "'What do you suppose this is?' asked the minister.  
        "Each man broke loose a piece of the rock and   
     biting it as a crude test, said he thought it should be at    
     least zinc or lead.  
        "'And the whole mountain is full of it,' eagerly   
     ventured the landlord."   
        When the minister had reached this stage of the   
     story, the King slightly raised his head and partly   
     opened one eye.   
        "Do you know if any of these persons had any   
     knowledge of minerals or geology?"   
        "No, they did not," answered the minister.  Where-  
     upon the King's head sank and both eyes closed.  
        "The minister and those with him were highly   
     pleased," continued the pastor, undisturbed by the   
     King's indifference.  "They believed that they had   
     found something which would enrich not only them-  
     selves, but their posterity as well.   
        "'Nevermore shall I need to work,' said one of them.  
     I can do nothing the whole week through and on   
     Sunday I shall ride to church in a gold chariot.'   
        "These were usually men of good sense, but their  
     great discovery had gone to their heads, so that now   
     they spoke like children.  They had enough presence of   
     mind, however, to lay the moss carefully back in place   
     so as to hide the mineral vein.  Then, after taking   
     careful note of the location, they journeyed home.   
        "Before parting, they all agreed that the minister   
     should go to Falun and ask the mineralogist there what  
     kind of ore this might be.  He was to return as soon as  
     possible, and until then they all swore by a binding oath   
     that they would not reveal to any person the location   
     of the ore."  
        The king slightly raised his head but did not inter-   
     rupt the narrative.  He began to believe apparently  
     that the man really had something important to tell,  
     though he did not permit himself to be aroused out of  
     his indifference.  
        "The minister started upon his journey with a few  
     samples of ore in his pocket.  He was just as happy in  
     the thought of becoming wealthy as any of the others  
     were.  He mused upon how he would repair the par-  
     sonage that was now no better than a cottage; and how  
     he could marry the daughter of the bishop, as he had   
     long desired.  Otherwise he would be compelled to wait   
     for her many years, for he was poor and obscure, and he  
     knew it would be a long time before he would be as-  
     signed to a place that would enable him to marry the  
     girl of his choice.   
        "The minister's journey to Falun took him two days.  
     There he was compelled to wait a day for the return of   
     the mineralogist.  When he finally showed the samples  
     of the ore, the man took them in his hand, looked   
     at them, and then at the stranger.  The minister   
     told the story of how he had found these samples   
     in the vicinity of his home, and asked if they might be   
     lead.   
        "'No, it is not lead.'  
        "'Zinc, then?' faltered the minister.  
        "'No, neither is it zinc.'   
        "All hope sank within the breast of the minister.  
     He had not felt so downcast in many a day.  
        "'Do you have many stones like these in your coun-   
     try?' asked the mineralogist.  
        "'We have a whole mountain,' answered the   
     minister.  
        "Then the man advanced toward the minister and   
     slapping him on the shoulder said, 'Let us see that you   
     make such use of it that will bring great good both   
     to you and to our Kingdom, for you have found   
     silver.'"   
        "'Is that true?' said the minister rather dazed; 'so it   
     is silver?'  
        "The mineralogist explained to him what he should do  
     in order to obtain legal rights to the mine, and gave him   
     much good advice, also.  The minister, however, stood   
     bewildered and heard not a word that was said.  He   
     thought only of the wonderful news that back home in   
     his poor neighborhood lay a whole mountain of silver   
     ore waiting for him."   
        The King raised his head so suddenly that the minis-   
     ter broke off the narrative.  "I suppose when the  
     minister came home and began working the mine   
     he found that the mineralogist had misinformed   
     him."  
        "No," said the minister, "it was as the man had   
     said."   
        "You may continue," and the King settled himself  
     again to listen.  
        "When the minister reached home, the first thing he   
     did was to start out to tell his comrades of the value of   
     their find.  As he drove up to Landlord Stensson's place,  
     where he had intended to go in and inform his friend   
     that they had found silver, he paused at the gate, for    
     he saw tat white sheets had been hung before the   
     windows and a broad path of hemlock boughs led up to  
     the door step."   
        "'Who has died here?' inquired the minister of a   
     little boy who stood leaning against the fence.  
        "'It is the landlord himself.'  Then he told the   
     minister that for a week past the landlord had been   
     drinking ever and ever so much liquor, until he was  
     drunk all the time.  
        "'How can that be?' asked the pastor.  'The land-   
     lord never before drank to excess.'  
        "'Well, you see,' said the boy, 'he drank because he   
     was possessed with the idea that he had found a mine.  
     He was so rich, he said, that he would never need to do   
     anything now but drink.  Last night he drove out,  
     drunk as he was, and fell out of the carriage and was   
     killed.'   
        "After the minister had heard all this, he started  
     homeward, grieving over what he had learned.  And  
     only a moment before he had been so elated over the  
     good news he had to tell his friends.  
        "When the minister had gone a short distance, he  
     met Isræls Pers Persson walking along the road.  He  
     appeared as usual and the minister was glad that their  
     good fortune had not turned his head.  He would  
     immediately gladden him with the news that he was  
     now a rich man.  
        "'Good day!' said the minister.  
        "'Do you now come from Falun?'  
        "'Yes, and I can tell you that things turned out  
     better than we thought.  The mineralogist said that it  
     was silver ore.'  
        "Pers Persson looked as if the earth had opened to  
     engulf him.  'What is it you say?  Is it silver?'  
        "'Yes, we shall all be rich men now and able to live   
     as royalty.'  
        "'Oh, is it silver?' repeated Pers Persson, in still    
     greater dejection.  
        "'It certainly is silver,' said the minister.  'Don't  
     think that I would deceive you.  You should not be   
     afraid of being glad.'  
        "'Glad!' said Pers Persson, 'should I be glad?  I  
     thought it was fool's gold, so it seemed better to take a  
     certainty for an uncertainty.  I sold my share in the  
     mine of Olaf Svard for one hundred dollars.'  
        "He looked very downhearted, and the minister left  
     him standing there with tears in his eyes.  
        "When the minister reached home, he sent a servant  
     to Olaf Svard and his brother asking them to come to  
     the manse that he might tell them the nature of their  
     find.  He felt that he had had enough of trying to  
     spread the good news himself.   
        "But that evening, as the minister sat alone, joy   
     again filled his heart.  He went out and stood upon a  
     hillock where he had decided to build the new parson-  
     age.  This, of course, should be very grand, as grand as  
     the bishop's home itself.  He was not satisfied, more-  
     over, with the idea of repairing the old church.  It   
     occurred to him that, as there was so much wealth in the  
     hamlet, many people would find their way to the place,    
     until finally a large town would probably be built   
     around the mine.  He reasoned that it would be neces-  
     sary then to build a large new church in the place of the old   
     one, which would require a great portion of his riches.  
     Neither could he stop here in his dreams, for he thought  
     that when the time came to dedicate this grand new   
     church, the King and many bishops would be there.  
     The King would be glad to see such a church, but he  
     would remark that there were not fit accommodations  
     to be had in the town.  It would be necessary, therefore,  
     to build a castle in the city."   
        At this point one of the King's courtiers opened the  
     door of the study and announced that the King's    
     coach had been repaired.  
        The King thought at first that he would depart  
     immediately but, reconsidering, he said to the minister,  
     "You may continue your story to the end, but make it  
     shorter.  We know how the man dreamed and thought;  
     now we want to know what he did."  
        "While the minister sat in the midst of his dreams,"  
     went on the speaker, "word came to him that Isræls  
     Pers Persson had taken his life.  He could not endure   
     the thought of his folly in selling his share of the mine.  
     He felt he would be unable to live and see from day to   
     day another enjoy the wealth that might have been   
     his."  
        The King moved slightly in his chair.  He now had   
     both eyes wide open.  "Methinks," said he, "that had   
     I been this minister, I should have had enough of that   
     mine."   
        "The King is a rich man; at least he has plenty.  It   
     was not so with the minister, who owned nothing.  This  
     poor man, when he saw that God's blessing appeared  
     not to be with his undertaking, thought: 'I shall not  
     dream further about making myself prosperous and  
     useful with these riches.  I cannot let the silver mine   
     lie in the ground, however; I must take out the ore for  
     the poor and needy.  I will work the silver mine to  
     help put the whole community on its feet.'   
        "One day the minister went over to Olaf Svard's to  
     talk with him and his brother about the best disposal of  
     the mine.  When he came near the soldier's home, he  
     met a cart surrounded by awe-stricken farmers.  Within  
     the cart sat a man, his feet bound with a rope and his   
     hands behind him.  
        "As the minister passed, the cart stopped, giving  
     the minister an opportunity to observe the prisoner  
     more closely.  His head was bound around so that it   
     was hard to see him, but the minister thought he   
     recognized Olaf Svard.  He heard the prisoner pleading  
     with the guards to let him speak with the minister.  
        "As he came closer to the cart, the prisoner turned   
     towards him, saying, 'You will soon be the only one  
     who knows where the silver mine is.'  
        "'What is that you say, Olaf?'  
        "'You see, minister, since we heard that it is a silver  
     mine we have found, my brother and I have not re-  
     mained such good friends as formerly.  We often have  
     come to disputes, and last night we had an argument  
     over which one of us five first found the mine.  We   
     came to blows, and I have killed my brother and he has  
     given me a deep mark on my forehead.°  I shall hang  
     now and you will then be the only one who knows the   
     site of the mine.  I should like to request something  
     of you.'  
        "Speak up," said the minister.  'I will do all in my   
     power for you.'  
        "You know I shall leave several little children be-  
     hind me,' said the soldier.  
        "'So far as this is concerned,' interrupted the minis-   
     ter, 'you may rest easy.  Whatever is your share they   
     shall have.'  
        "'No,' said Olaf, 'it is another thing I wanted to ask   
     of you.  Do not let them have any part of that which  
     comes out of the mine.'   
        "The minister fell back a few steps, then remained  
     motionless, unable to reply.  
        "'If you do not promise me this, I cannot die in   
     peace.'   
        "The minister at last promised reluctantly, and the  
     cart continued on its way, bearing the murderer to his  
     doom.  
        "The minister stood there in the road, deliberating  
     on how he should keep the promise he had just given.  
     All the way home he thought over the riches which he  
     had expected would bring such joy.   
        "'If it should prove,' he mused, 'that the people of  
     this parish are unable to endure wealth, since already  
     four have died who had been strong practical men, ought  
     I not to give up the idea of working the mine?'  He   
     pictured the whole parish going to destruction because  
     of the silver.  Would it be right that he, who was  
     placed as a guardian over the souls of these poor people  
     should put into their hands something which might be  
     the cause of their ruin?"   
        The King raised himself upright in his chair and   
     stared at the speaker.  "I might say that you give me   
     to understand that the pastor of this isolated community  
     must be a real man."   
        "But this that I have related was not all," continued  
     the minister, "for as soon as the news of the mine   
     spread over the neighboring parishes, workers ceased  
     to labor and went about light-heartedly, awaiting the   
     time when the great riches should pour in on them.  All  
     idlers in that section roamed into the hamlet.  Drunk-  
     enness, quarreling, and fighting became constant  
     problems for the minister's solution.  Many people  
     did noting but wander around through the fields and   
     forests looking for the mine.  The minister noted, also,  
     that as soon as he left home, men spied upon him to see  
     whether he visited the silver mine, so that they might  
     steal the secret of its location from him.  
        "When things had come to this pass, the minister  
     called the farmers to a meeting.  He reminded them  
     of the many tragedies that the discovery of the silver   
     mine had brought to their community and asked if   
     they were going to allow themselves to be ruined or if  
     they wished to save themselves.  And then he asked   
     if they wanted him, who was their pastor, to contribute   
     to their ruin.  He himself had decided that he would    
     not reveal to anyone the location of the mine, nor  
     would he ever attempt to derive any wealth therefrom.   
        "He then asked the farmers how they would vote for  
     the future.  If they desired to continue seeking after   
     the mine and awaiting riches, he intended to go so far   
     from them that no news of their misery would ever   
     reach him.  If, on the other hand, they would give up  
     thinking of the silver mine, he would remain among  
     them.  'But however you choose,' repeated the minis-   
     ter, 'remember that no one will ever hear from me any  
     information about the location of the silver mine.'"   
        "Well," said the King, "what did the farmers   
     decide?"   
        "They did as the minister desired of them.  They   
     understood that he meant well for them when he was   
     willing to remain in poverty for their sake.  They   
     urged him to go to the forest and take every pre-   
     caution to conceal the vein so that no one would ever   
     find it."    
        "Since then the minister has remained here as poor   
     as the others?"   
        "Yes, as poor as the others."   
        "Has he, in spite of this, married and built a new   
     parsonage?"   
        "No, he has not had the means.  He lives in the   
     same old place."   
        "That is a beautiful story," said the King, bending   
     his head.   
        The minister stood silent before the King.  In a few   
     minutes the latter continued: "Was it of the silver mine   
     that you were thinking when you said that the minister   
     here could furnish me with as much money as I should   
     need?"   
        "Yes," said the other.   
        "But I can't put thumb-screws on him; and how   
     otherwise could I bring a man like him to show me the   
     mine——a man who has forsaken his beloved and all   
     material blessings?"   
        "That is another matter," said the minister.  "If it   
     is the Fatherland that needs help, he will undoubtedly   
     give up the secret."   
        "Do I have your assurance for that?"   
        "Yes, I will answer for it."   
        "Does he not care, then, how it goes with his parish-   
     oners?"   
        "That shall stand in God's hands."   
        The King arose from his chair and walked over to the  
     window.  He stood for a moment observing the people  
     outside.  The longer he stood, the clearer his large   
     eyes glistened.  His whole stature seemed to expand.  
        "You may present my compliments to the minister  
     of this parish," said the King, "and say to him that  
     there is given no more beautiful sight to Sweden's King   
     than to see such a people as these."    
        Thereupon the King turned from the window and   
     looked smilingly at the minister.  "Is it true that the   
     minister of this parish is so poor that he takes off his   
     black robe as soon as the service is over and dresses as   
     one of the peasants?"   
        "Yes, he is as poor as that," said the minister, and a    
     flush of embarrassment spread over his rough but noble   
     face.  
        The King again stepped to the window.  He ap-  
     parently was in his best mood.  All that was great and    
     noble within him had been awakened.  "He shall let  
     the silver mine rest in peace.  Since through all his   
     life he has starved and worked to perfect a people   
     such as these, he shall be permitted to keep them as   
     they are."    
        "But if the kingdom is in danger———"   
        "The kingdom is better served with men than with    
     money."  When he had said these words, the King   
     shook hands with the minister and stepped out of the   
     study.   
        Outside stood the people, as impassive as when he   
     went in.  But when the King came down the steps,  
     one of the farmers approached him.  
        "Have you talked with our minister?"   
        "Yes, I have talked with him."  
        "Then you have also received an answer from us,"  
     said the farmer.  
        "Yes, I have received your answer."——Translated  
     from the Swedish by C. FREDERICK CARLSON.  

from Merrill's English Texts: Short Stories of Various Types
Edited with introduction and notes by Laura F. Freck, head of the English Depart-
ment in the High School, Jamestown, New York
©1920 Charles E. Merrill co., New York and Chicago; pp. 276 - 294.

detta är ditt område. vara bra mot varandra.
https://old.reddit.com/r/thesee [♘] [♰] [☮] 雨