"ah,buti'mnotaprisoner,"remarkedthefly,andawayheflew.

"well,nowiknowtheworld,"saidthebeetletohimself;"it'sanabominableworld;i'mtheonlyrespectablepersoninit.first,theyrefusememygoldenshoes;thenihavetolieondamplinen,andtostandinadraught;andtocrownall,theyfastenawifeupon,whenihavemadeastepforwardintheworld,andfoundoutacomfortableposition,justasicouldwishittobe,oneofthesehumanboyscomesandtiesmeup,andleavesmetothemercyofthewildwaves,whiletheemperor'sfavoritehorsegoesprancingaboutproudlyonhisgoldenshoes.thisvexesmemorethananything.butitisuselesstolookforsympathyinthisworld.mycareerhasbeenveryinteresting,butwhat'stheuseofthatifnobodyknowsanythingaboutit?theworlddoesnotdeservetobemadeacquaintedwithmyadventures,foritoughttohavegivenmegoldenshoeswhentheemperor'shorsewasshod,andistretchedoutmyfeettobeshod,too.ifihadreceivedgoldenshoesishouldhavebeenanornamenttothestable;nowiamlosttothestableandtotheworld.itisalloverwithme."

butallwasnotyetover.aboat,inwhichwereafewyounggirls,camerowingup."look,yonderisanoldwoodenshoesailingalong,"saidoneoftheyoungergirls.

"andthere'sapoorlittlecreatureboundfastinit,"saidanother.

theboatnowcameclosetoourbeetle'sship,andtheyounggirlsfisheditoutofthewater.oneofthemdrewasmallpairofscissorsfromherpocket,andcuttheworstedwithouthurtingthebeetle,andwhenshesteppedonshoresheplacedhimonthegrass."there,"shesaid,"creepaway,orfly,ifthoucanst.itisasplendidthingtohavethyliberty."awayflewthebeetle,straightthroughtheopenwindowofalargebuilding;therehesankdown,tiredandexhausted,exactlyonthemaneoftheemperor'sfavoritehorse,whowasstandinginhisstable;andthebeetlefoundhimselfathomeagain.forsometimeheclungtothemane,thathemightrecoverhimself."well,"hesaid,"hereiam,seatedontheemperor'sfavoritehorse,-sittinguponhimasifiweretheemperorhimself.butwhatwasitthefarrieraskedme?ah,iremembernow,-that'sagoodthought,-heaskedmewhythegoldenshoesweregiventotheanswerisquitecleartome,now.theyweregiventothehorseonmyaccount."andthisreflectionputthebeetleintoagoodsun'sraysalsocamestreamingintothestable,andshoneuponhim,andmadetheplacelivelyandbright."travellingexpandsthemindverymuch,"saidthebeetle."theworldisnotsobadafterall,ifyouknowhowtotakethingsastheycome.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

thebell

byhanschristianandersen

inthenarrowstreetsofalargetownpeopleoftenheardintheevening,whenthesunwassetting,andhislastraysgaveagoldentinttothechimney-pots,astrangenoisewhichresembledthesoundofachurchbell;itonlylastedaninstant,foritwaslostinthecontinualroaroftrafficandhumofvoiceswhichrosefromthetown."theeveningbellisringing,"peopleusedtosay;"thesunissetting!"thosewhowalkedoutsidethetown,wherethehouseswerelesscrowdedandinterspersedbygardensandlittlefields,sawtheeveningskymuchbetter,andheardthesoundofthebellmuchmoreclearly.itseemedasthoughthesoundcamefromachurch,deepinthecalm,fragrantwood,andthitherpeoplelookedwithdevoutfeelings.

aconsiderabletimeelapsed:onesaidtotheother,"ireallywonderifthereisachurchoutinthewood.thebellhasindeedastrangesweetsound!