harktotheragingoftheangrywind,soundingabovetherollingsea!astormapproacheswithout,callingaloudforhumanlives.theseahasnotputonanewmindwiththenewtime.thisnightitisahorriblepittodevouruplives,andto-morrow,perhaps,itmaybeaglassymirror-evenasintheoldtimethatwehaveburied.sleepsweetly,ifthoucanstsleep!

nowitismorning.

thenewtimeflingssunshineintotheroom.thewindstillkeepsupmightily.awreckisannounced-asintheoldtime.

duringthenight,downyonderbylokken,thelittlefishingvillagewiththered-tiledroofs-wecanseeitupherefromthewindow-ashiphascomeashore.ithasstruck,andisfastembeddedinthesand;buttherocketapparatushasthrownaropeonboard,andformedabridgefromthewrecktothemainland;andallonboardaresaved,andreachtheland,andarewrappedinwarmblankets;andto-daytheyareinvitedtothefarmattheconventofborglum.incomfortableroomstheyencounterhospitalityandfriendlyyareaddressedinthelanguageoftheircountry,andthepianosoundsforthemwithmelodiesoftheirnativeland;andbeforethesehavediedaway,thechordhasbeenstruck,thewireofthoughtthatreachestothelandofthesufferersannouncesthattheyarerescued.thentheiranxietiesaredispelled;andateventheyjoininthedanceatthefeastgiveninthegreathallatzesandstyriandancesaregiven,anddanishpopularsongs,andmelodiesofforeignlandsinthesemoderntimes.

blessedbethou,newtime!speakthouofsummerandofpurergales!sendthysunbeamsgleamingintoourheartsandthoughts!onthyglowingcanvasletthembepainted-thedarklegendsoftheroughhardtimesthatarepast!

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

thebottleneck

byhanschristianandersen

closetothecornerofastreet,amongotherabodesofpoverty,stoodanexceedinglytall,narrowhouse,whichhadbeensoknockedaboutbytimethatitseemedoutofjointineverydirection.thishousewasinhabitedbypoorpeople,butthedeepestpovertywasapparentinthegarretlodginginthegable.infrontofthelittlewindow,anoldbentbird-cagehunginthesunshine,whichhadnotevenaproperwater-glass,butinsteadofitthebrokenneckofabottle,turnedupsidedown,andacorkstuckintomakeitholdthewaterwithwhichitwasfilled.anoldmaidstoodatthewindow;shehadhungchickweedoverthecage,andthelittlelinnetwhichitcontainedhoppedfromperchtoperchandsangandtwitteredmerrily.

"yes,it'sallverywellforyoutosing,"saidthebottleneck:thatis,hedidnotreallyspeakthewordsaswedo,fortheneckofabottlecannotspeak;buthethoughtthemtohimselfinhisownmind,justaspeoplesometimestalkquietlytothemselves.

"yes,youmaysingverywell,youhaveallyourlimbsuninjured;youshouldfeelwhatitisliketoloseyourbody,andonlyhaveaneckandamouthleft,withacorkstuckinit,asihave:youwouldn'tsingthen,iknow.afterall,itisjustaswellthattherearesomewhocanbehappy.ihavenoreasontosing,norcouldisingnowifiwereeversohappy;butwheniwasawholebottle,andtheyrubbedmewithacork,didn'tisingthen?iusedtobecalledacompletelark.irememberwheniwentouttoapicnicwiththefurrier'sfamily,onthedayhisdaughterwasbetrothed,-itseemsasifitonlyhappenedyesterday.ihavegonethroughagreatdealinmytime,whenicometorecollect:ihavebeeninthefireandinthewater,ihavebeendeepintheearth,andhavemountedhigherintheairthanmostotherpeople,andnowiamswinginghere,outsideabird-cage,intheairandthesunshine.oh,indeed,itwouldbeworthwhiletohearmyhistory;butidonotspeakitaloud,foragoodreason-becauseicannot."

thenthebottleneckrelatedhishistory,whichwasreallyratherremarkable;he,infact,relatedittohimself,or,atleast,thoughtitinhisownmind.thelittlebirdsanghisownsongmerrily;inthestreetbelowtherewasdrivingandrunningtoandfro,everyonethoughtofhisownaffairs,orperhapsofnothingatall;butthebottleneckthoughtdeeply.hethoughtoftheblazingfurnaceinthefactory,wherehehadbeenblownintolife;herememberedhowhotitfeltwhenhewasplacedintheheatedoven,thehomefromwhichhesprang,andthathehadastronginclinationtoleapoutagaindirectly;butafterawhileitbecamecooler,andhefoundhimselfverycomfortable.hehadbeenplacedinarow,withawholeregimentofhisbrothersandsistersallbroughtoutofthesamefurnace;someofthemhadcertainlybeenblownintochampagnebottles,andothersintobeerbottles,whichmadealittledifferencebetweentheworlditoftenhappensthatabeerbottlemaycontainthemostpreciouswine,andachampagnebottlebefilledwithblacking,butevenindecayitmayalwaysbeseenwhetheramanhasbeenwellborn.nobilityremainsnoble,asachampagnebottleremainsthesame,evenwithblackinginitsinterior.whenthebottleswerepackedourbottlewaspackedamongstthem;itlittleexpectedthentofinishitscareerasabottleneck,ortobeusedasawater-glasstoabird's-cage,whichis,afterall,aplaceofhonor,foritistobeofsomeuseintheworld.thebottledidnotbeholdthelightofdayagain,untilitwasunpackedwiththerestinthewinemerchant'scellar,and,forthefirsttime,rinsedwithwater,whichcausedsomeverycurioussensations.thereitlayempty,andwithoutacork,andithadapeculiarfeeling,asifitwantedsomethingitknewnotwhat.atlastitwasfilledwithrichandcostlywine,acorkwasplacedinit,andsealeddown.thenitwaslabelled"firstquality,"asifithadcarriedoffthefirstprizeatanexamination;besides,thewineandthebottlewerebothgood,andwhileweareyoungisthetimeforpoetry.thereweresoundsofsongwithinthebottle,ofthingsitcouldnotunderstand,ofgreensunnymountains,wherethevinesgrowandwherethemerryvine-dresserslaugh,sing,andaremerry."ah,howbeautifulislife."allthesetonesofjoyandsonginthebottlewereliketheworkingofayoungpoet'sbrain,whooftenknowsnotthemeaningofthetoneswhicharesoundingwithinhim.onemorningthebottlefoundapurchaserinthefurrier'sapprentice,whowastoldtobringoneofthebestbottlesofwine.itwasplacedintheprovisionbasketwithhamandcheeseandsausages.thesweetestfreshbutterandthefinestbreadwereputintothebasketbythefurrier'sdaughterherself,forshepackedit.shewasyoungandpretty;herbrowneyeslaughed,andasmilelingeredroundhermouthassweetasthatinhereyes.shehaddelicatehands,beautifullywhite,andherneckwaswhiterstill.itcouldeasilybeseenthatshewasaverylovelygirl,andasyetshewasnotengaged.theprovisionbasketlayinthelapoftheyounggirlasthefamilydroveouttotheforest,andtheneckofthebottlepeepedoutfrombetweenthefoldsofthewhitenapkin.therewastheredwaxonthecork,andthebottlelookedstraightattheyounggirl'sface,andalsoatthefaceoftheyoungsailorwhosatnearher.hewasayoungfriend,thesonofaportraitpainter.hehadlatelypassedhisexaminationwithhonor,asmate,andthenextmorninghewastosailinhisshiptoadistantcoast.therehadbeenagreatdealoftalkonthissubjectwhilethebasketwasbeingpacked,andduringthisconversationtheeyesandthemouthofthefurrier'sdaughterdidnotwearaveryjoyfulexpression.theyoungpeoplewanderedawayintothegreenwood,andtalkedtogether.whatdidtheytalkabout?