In a nursery where a number of toys lay scattered about, a money-box stood on the top of a very high wardrobe. It was made of clay in the shape of a pig, and had been bought of the potter. In the back of the pig was a slit, and this slit had been enlarged with a knife, so that dollars, or crown pieces, might slip through; and, indeed there were two in the box, besides a number of pence. The money-pig was stuffed so full that it could no longer rattle, which is the highest state of perfection to which a money-pig can attain. There he stood upon the cupboard, high and lofty, looking down upon everything else in the room. He knew very well that he had enough inside him to buy up all the other toys, and this gave him a very good opinion of his own value.
Der var så meget legetøj i børnenes stue; øverst på skabet stod sparebøssen, den var af lertøj, i skikkelse af en gris; den havde naturlig sprække i ryggen og sprækken var med en kniv gjort større, at der også kunne gå sølvdalere ind og der var gået to, foruden mange andre skillinger. Pengegrisen var så proppet, at han ikke længere kunne rasle, og det er det højeste en pengegris kan bringe det til. Dér stod han nu øverst på hylden og så ned på alt i stuen, han vidste nok at med hvad han havde i maven kunne han købe det hele, og det er at have en god bevidsthed.
The rest thought of this fact also, although they did not express it, for there were so many other things to talk about. A large doll, still handsome, though rather old, for her neck had been mended, lay inside one of the drawers which was partly open. She called out to the others, "Let us have a game at being men and women, that is something worth playing at." Upon this there was a great uproar; even the engravings, which hung in frames on the wall, turned round in their excitement, and showed that they had a wrong side to them, although they had not the least intention to expose themselves in this way, or to object to the game.
Det tænkte de andre også på, om de ikke sagde det, der var jo andet at tale om. Kommodeskuffen stod på klem og der viste sig en stor dukke, noget gammel var hun og klinket i halsen; hun så ud, og sagde: "Skal vi nu lege mennesker, det er jo altid noget!" og så blev der et røre, selv skilderierne vendte sig på væggen, de viste, de også havde bagside, men det var ikke for at sige imod.
It was late at night, but as the moon shone through the windows, they had light at a cheap rate. And as the game was now to begin, all were invited to take part in it, even the children's wagon, which certainly belonged to the coarser playthings. "Each has its own value," said the wagon; "we cannot all be noblemen; there must be some to do the work."
Det var midt om natten, Månen skinnede ind ad vinduet og gav fri belysning. Nu skulle legen begynde og alt var indbudt, selv barnevognen, der dog hørte til det grovere legetøj. "Enhver er god for sig!" sagde den, "man kan ikke alle være af adel! Nogen må gøre gavn, som man siger!"
The money-pig was the only one who received a written invitation. He stood so high that they were afraid he would not accept a verbal message. But in his reply, he said, if he had to take a part, he must enjoy the sport from his own home; they were to arrange for him to do so; and so they did.
Pengegrisen var den eneste, som fik indbydelsen skriftligt, han stod for højt til at de troede, at han kunne høre den mundtlig, og gav heller ikke svar om han kom, for han kom ikke; skulle han med, måtte han nyde det hjemmefra, det kunne de rette sig efter og det gjorde de.
The little toy theatre was therefore put up in such a way that the money-pig could look directly into it. Some wanted to begin with a comedy, and afterwards to have a tea party and a discussion for mental improvement, but they commenced with the latter first. The rocking-horse spoke of training and races; the wagon of railways and steam power, for these subjects belonged to each of their professions, and it was right they should talk of them. The clock talked politics– "tick, tick;" he professed to know what was the time of day, but there was a whisper that he did not go correctly. The bamboo cane stood by, looking stiff and proud: he was vain of his brass ferrule and silver top, and on the sofa lay two worked cushions, pretty but stupid.
Det lille dukketeater blev straks stillet op således at han kunne se lige ind i det; de ville begynde med komedie, og så skulle der være te og forstandsøvelse, og med den begyndte de straks; gyngehesten talte om træning og fuldblod, barnevognen om jernbaner og dampkraft – det var jo alt sammen noget der hørte til deres fag og som de kunne tale om. Stueuret talte om politik – tik – tik! det vidste hvad klokken var slået, men man sagde at det gik ikke rigtigt. Spanskrørsstokken stod og var stolt af sin dupsko og sølvknap, han var jo beslået foroven og forneden; i sofaen lå to broderede puder, de var nydelige og dumme – og så kunne komedien begynde.
When the play at the little theatre began, the rest sat and looked on; they were requested to applaud and stamp, or crack, when they felt gratified with what they saw. But the riding-whip said he never cracked for old people, only for the young who were not yet married. "I crack for everybody," said the cracker. "Yes, and a fine noise you make," thought the audience, as the play went on. It was not worth much, but it was very well played, and all the characters turned their painted sides to the audience, for they were made only to be seen on one side. The acting was wonderful, excepting that sometimes they came out beyond the lamps, because the wires were a little too long. The doll, whose neck had been darned, was so excited that the place in her neck burst, and the money-pig declared he must do something for one of the players, as they had all pleased him so much. So he made up his mind to remember one of them in his will, as the one to be buried with him in the family vault, whenever that event should happen.
Alle sad de og så til, og der blev bedt om at man ville smælde, knalde og rumle, ligesom man var fornøjet til. Men ridepisken sagde, at han aldrig smældede for de gamle, men kun for de uforlovede. "Jeg knalder for alt!" sagde knaldperlen. "Ét sted skal man jo være!" mente spyttebakken; det var nu sådan enhvers tanke ved at være på komedie. Stykket duede ikke, men det blev godt givet; alle de spillende vendte den malede side udad, de var kun til at se på én led, ikke på vrangen; og alle spillede de udmærket, helt forud af teatret, tråden var for lang i dem, men så blev de mere mærkbare. Den klinkede dukke blev så betaget, at hun blev løs i klinken og pengegrisen blev på sin måde så betaget at han besluttede at gøre noget for en af dem, sætte ham i sit testamente, som den, der skulle ligge i åben begravelse med ham når den tid kom.
They all enjoyed the comedy so much, that they gave up all thoughts of the tea party, and only carried out their idea of intellectual amusement, which they called playing at men and women; and there was nothing wrong about it, for it was only play. All the while, each one thought most of himself, or of what the money-pig could be thinking. His thoughts were on, as he supposed, a very distant time– of making his will, and of his burial, and of when it might all come to pass. Certainly sooner than he expected– for all at once down he came from the top of the press, fell on the ground, and was broken to pieces. Then the pennies hopped and danced about in the most amusing manner. The little ones twirled round like tops, and the large ones rolled away as far as they could, especially the one great silver crown piece who had often to go out into the world, and now he had his wish as well as all the rest of the money. The pieces of the money-pig were thrown into the dust-bin, and the next day there stood a new money-pig on the cupboard, but it had not a farthing in its inside yet, and therefore, like the old one, it could not rattle. This was the beginning with him, and we will make it the end of our story.
Det var en sand nydelse, så at man opgav tevandet og blev ved forstandsøvelsen, det kaldte man at lege mennesker og der var ingen ondskab deri, for de legede kun – og hver tænkte på sig og på hvad pengegrisen tænkte, og pengegrisen tænkte længst, han tænkte jo på testamente og begravelse – og når kom det i stand – altid før man venter det. – Knak! der lå han fra skabet – lå på gulvet i stumper og stykker, mens skillingerne dansede og sprang; de mindste snurrede, de store trillede, især den ene sølvdaler, han ville ordentlig ud i verden. Og det kom han og det kom de alle sammen; og skårene af pengegrisen kom i bøtten, men på skabet selv stod igen næste dag en ny pengegris af lertøj, der var endnu ikke en skilling i den, derfor kunne den heller ikke rasle, deri lignede han den anden, det var altid en begyndelse – og med den vil vi ende!