“Listen， my good friend，” said the shadow to the learned man. “I have now become as happy and mighty as anyone can be; I will， therefore， do something particular for thee! Thou shalt always live with me in the palace， drive with me in my royal carriage， and have ten thousand pounds a year; but then thou must submit to be called SHADOW by all and everyone; thou must not say that thou hast ever been a man; and once a year， when I sit on the balcony in the sunshine， thou must lie at my feet， as a shadow shall do! I must tell thee： I am going to marry the king's daughter， and the nuptials are to take place this evening!”
“Nay， this is going too far!” said the learned man. “I will not have it; I will not do it! It is to deceive the whole country and the princess too! I will tell everything! That I am a man， and that thou art a shadow——thou art only dressed up!”
“there is no one who will believe it!” said the shadow. “Be reasonable， or I will call the guard!”
“I will go directly to the princess!” said the learned man.
“But I will go first!” said the shadow. “And thou wilt go to prison!” and that he was obliged to do——for the sentinels obeyed him whom they knew the king's daughter was to marry.
“You tremble!” said the princess， as the shadow came into her chamber. “Has anything happened? You must not be unwell this evening， now that we are to have our nuptials celebrated.”
“I have lived to see the most cruel thing that anyone can live to see!” said the shadow. “Only imagine——yes， it is true， such a poor shadow-skull cannot bear much——only think， my shadow has become mad; he thinks that he is a man，and that I——now only think——that I am his shadow!”
“It is terrible!” said the princess; “but he is confined， is he not?”
“That he is. I am afraid that he will never recover.”
“Poor shadow!” said the princess. “He is very unfortunate; it would be a real work of charity to deliver him from the little life he has， and， when I think properly over the matter， I am of opinion that it will be necessary to do away with him in all stillness!”
“It is certainly hard，” said the shadow， “for he was a faithful servant!” and then he gave a sort of sigh.
“You are a noble character!” said the princess.
the whole city was illuminated in the evening， and the cannons went off with a bum! bum! and the soldiers presented arms. That was a marriage! The princess and the shadow went out on the balcony to show themselves， and get another hurrah!
the learned man heard nothing of all this——for they had deprived him of life.
在热带的国度里，太阳晒得非常厉害。人们都给晒成棕色，像桃花心木一样;在最热的国度里，人们就给晒成了黑人。不过现在有一位住在寒带的学者偏偏要到这些热的国家里来。他以为自己可以在这些国家里面漫游一番，像在本国一样，不过不多久他就改变了看法。像一切有理智的人一样，他得待在家里，把百叶窗和门整天都关起来，这看起来好像整屋子的人都在睡觉或者家里没有一个人似的。他所住的那条有许多高房子的狭小街道，建筑得恰恰使太阳从早到晚都照在它上面。这真叫人吃不消!
这位从寒带国家来的学者是一个聪明的年轻人。他觉得好像是坐在一个白热的炉子里面。这弄得他筋疲力尽。他变得非常瘦，连他的影子也萎缩起来，比在家时小了不知多少。太阳也把它烤得没精打采。只有太阳落了以后，他和影子在晚间才恢复过来。这种情形看起来倒真是一桩很有趣味的事儿。蜡烛一拿进房间里来，影子就在墙上伸长起来。它把自己伸得很高，甚至伸到天花板上面去了。为了要重新获得气力，它不得不伸长。
这位学者走到阳台上去，也伸了伸身体。星星在那美丽的晴空一出现，他觉得自己又有了生气。在这些街上所有的阳台上面——在热带的国家里，每个窗子上都有一个阳台——现在都有人走出来了，因为人们到底要呼吸些新鲜空气，即使要变成桃花心木的颜色也管不了。这时上上下下都显得生气勃勃起来。鞋匠啦，裁缝啦，在家都搬到街上来。桌子和椅子也被搬出来了;蜡烛也点起来了——是的，不止一千根蜡烛。这个人聊天，那个人唱歌;人们散步，马车奔驰，驴子走路 ——丁当——丁当——丁当!因为它们身上都戴着铃铛。死人在圣诗声中入了土;野孩子在放焰火;教堂的钟声在响。的确，街上充满了活跃的空气。
只有在那位外国学者住所对面的一间房子里，一切是沉寂的。但是那里面却住着一个人，因为阳台上有好几棵花。这些花儿在太阳光中长得非常美丽。如果没有人浇水，它们决不会长得这样好的;所以一定有什么人在那儿为它们浇水，因此一定有人住在那儿。天黑的时候，那儿的门也打开了，但是里面却很黑暗，最低限度前房是如此。更朝里一点有音乐飘出来。这位外国学者认为这音乐很美妙，不过这可能只是他的幻想，因为他发现在这些热带的国家里面，什么东西都是顶美丽的——如果没有太阳的话。这位外国人的房东说，他不知道谁租了对面的房子——那里从来没有任何人出现过;至于那音乐，他觉得单调之至。