ah,yes!wherewasthefurrier'sdaughter?andwherewasthelandwhichmightlienearesttoherhome?

thebottleknewnot,ittravelledonwardandonward,andatlastallthiswanderingaboutbecamewearisome;atalleventsitwasnotitsusualoccupation.butithadtotravel,tillatlengthitreachedland-aforeigncountry.notawordspokeninthiscountrycouldthebottleunderstand;itwasalanguageithadneverbeforeheard,anditisagreatlossnottobeabletounderstandabottlewasfishedoutofthewater,andexaminedonallsides.thelittlelettercontainedwithinitwasdiscovered,takenout,andturnedandtwistedineverydirection;butthepeoplecouldnotunderstandwhatwaswrittenuponit.theycouldbequitesurethatthebottlehadbeenthrownoverboardfromavessel,andthatsomethingaboutitwaswrittenonthispaper:butwhatwaswritten?thatwasthequestion,-sothepaperwasputbackintothebottle,andthenbothwereputawayinalargecupboardofoneofthegreathousesofthetown.wheneveranystrangersarrived,thepaperwastakenoutandturnedoverandover,sothattheaddress,whichwasonlywritteninpencil,becamealmostillegible,andatlastnoonecoulddistinguishanylettersonitatall.forawholeyearthebottleremainedstandinginthecupboard,andthenitwastakenuptotheloft,whereitsoonbecamecoveredwithdustandcobwebs.ah!howoftenthenitthoughtofthosebetterdays-ofthetimeswheninthefresh,greenwood,ithadpouredforthrichwine;or,whilerockedbytheswellingwaves,ithadcarriedinitsbosomasecret,aletter,alastpartingsigh.forfulltwentyyearsitstoodintheloft,anditmighthavestayedtherelongerbutthatthehousewasgoingtoberebuilt.thebottlewasdiscoveredwhentheroofwastakenoff;theytalkedaboutit,butthebottledidnotunderstandwhattheysaid-alanguageisnottobelearntbylivinginaloft,evenfortwentyyears."ifihadbeendownstairsintheroom,"thoughtthebottle,"imighthavelearntit."itwasnowwashedandrinsed,whichprocesswasreallyquitenecessary,andafterwardsitlookedcleanandtransparent,andfeltyoungagaininitsoldage;butthepaperwhichithadcarriedsofaithfullywasdestroyedintheyfilledthebottlewithseeds,thoughitscarcelyknewwhathadbeenplacedinit.thentheycorkeditdowntightly,andcarefullywrappeditup.therenoteventhelightofatorchorlanterncouldreachit,muchlessthebrightnessofthesunormoon."andyet,"thoughtthebottle,"mengoonajourneythattheymayseeasmuchaspossible,andicanseenothing."however,itdidsomethingquiteasimportant;ittravelledtotheplaceofitsdestination,andwasunpacked.

"whattroubletheyhavetakenwiththatbottleoveryonder!"saidone,andverylikelyitisbrokenafterall."butthebottlewasnotbroken,and,betterstill,itunderstoodeverywordthatwassaid:thislanguageithadheardatthefurnacesandatthewinemerchant's;intheforestandontheship,-itwastheonlygoodoldlanguageitcouldunderstand.ithadreturnedhome,andthelanguagewasasawelcomegreeting.forveryjoy,itfeltreadytojumpoutofpeople'shands,andscarcelynoticedthatitscorkhadbeendrawn,anditscontentsemptiedout,tillitfounditselfcarriedtoacellar,tobeleftthereandforgotten."there'snoplacelikehome,evenifit'sacellar."itneveroccurredtohimtothinkthathemightliethereforyears,hefeltsocomfortable.formanylongyearsheremainedinthecellar,tillatlastsomepeoplecametocarryawaythebottles,andoursamongstthenumber.

outinthegardentherewasagreatfestival.brilliantlampshunginfestoonsfromtreetotree;andpaperlanterns,throughwhichthelightshonetilltheylookedliketransparenttulips.itwasabeautifulevening,andtheweathermildandclear.thestarstwinkled;andthenewmoon,intheformofacrescent,wassurroundedbytheshadowydiscofthewholemoon,andlookedlikeagrayglobewithagoldenrim:itwasabeautifulsightforthosewhohadgoodilluminationextendedeventothemostretiredofthegardenwalks,atleastnotsoretiredthatanyoneneedlosehimselftheborderswereplacedbottles,eachcontainingalight,andamongthemthebottlewithwhichweareacquainted,andwhosefateitwas,oneday,tobeonlyabottleneck,andtoserveasawater-glasstoabird's-cage.everythinghereappearedlovelytoourbottle,foritwasagaininthegreenwood,amidjoyandfeasting;againitheardmusicandsong,andthenoiseandmurmurofacrowd,especiallyinthatpartofthegardenwherethelampsblazed,andthepaperlanternsdisplayedtheirbrilliantcolors.itstoodinadistantwalkcertainly,butaplacepleasantforcontemplation;anditcarriedalight;andwasatonceusefulandornamental.insuchanhouritiseasytoforgetthatonehasspenttwentyyearsinaloft,andagoodthingitistobeabletodoso.closebeforethebottlepassedasinglepair,likethebridalpair-themateandthefurrier'sdaughter-whohadsolongagowanderedinthewood.itseemedtothebottleasifhewerelivingthattimeoveragain.notonlytheguestsbutotherpeoplewerewalkinginthegarden,whowereallowedtowitnessthesplendorandthefestivities.amongthelattercameanoldmaid,whoseemedtobequitealoneintheworld.shewasthinking,likethebottle,ofthegreenwood,andofayoungbetrothedpair,whowerecloselyconnectedwithherself;shewasthinkingofthathour,thehappiestofherlife,inwhichshehadtakenpart,whenshehadherselfbeenoneofthatbetrothedpair;suchhoursarenevertobeforgotten,letamaidenbeasoldasshemay.butshedidnotrecognizethebottle,neitherdidthebottlenoticetheoldmaid.andsoweoftenpasseachotherintheworldwhenwemeet,asdidthesetwo,evenwhiletogetherinthesametown.

thebottlewastakenfromthegarden,andagainsenttoawinemerchant,whereitwasoncemorefilledwithwine,andsoldtoanaeronaut,whowastomakeanascentinhisballoononthefollowingsunday.agreatcrowdassembledtowitnessthesight;militarymusichadbeenengaged,andmanyotherpreparationsmade.thebottlesawitallfromthebasketinwhichhelayclosetoaliverabbit.therabbitwasquiteexcitedbecauseheknewthathewastobetakenup,andletdownagaininaparachute.thebottle,however,knewnothingofthe"up,"orthe"down;"hesawonlythattheballoonwasswellinglargerandlargertillitcouldswellnomore,andbegantoriseandberestless.thentheropeswhichhelditwerecutthrough,andtheaerialshiproseintheairwiththeaeronautandthebasketcontainingthebottleandtherabbit,whilethemusicsoundedandallthepeopleshouted"hurrah."

"thisisawonderfuljourneyupintotheair,"thoughtthebottle;"itisanewwayofsailing,andhere,atleast,thereisnofearofstrikingagainstanything."

thousandsofpeoplegazedattheballoon,andtheoldmaidwhowasinthegardensawitalso;forshestoodattheopenwindowofthegarret,bywhichhungthecagecontainingthelinnet,whothenhadnowater-glass,butwasobligedtobecontentedwithanoldcup.inthewindow-sillstoodamyrtleinapot,andthishadbeenpushedalittleononeside,thatitmightnotfallout;fortheoldmaidwasleaningoutofthewindow,thatshemightsee.andshedidseedistinctlytheaeronautintheballoon,andhowheletdowntherabbitintheparachute,andthendranktothehealthofallthespectatorsinthewinefromthebottle.afterdoingthis,hehurledithighintotheair.howlittleshethoughtthatthiswastheverysamebottlewhichherfriendhadthrownaloftinherhonor,onthathappydayofrejoicing,inthegreenwood,inheryouthfuldays.thebottlehadnotimetothink,whenraisedsosuddenly;andbeforeitwasaware,itreachedthehighestpointithadeverattainedinitslife.steeplesandroofslayfar,farbeneathit,andthepeoplelookedastinyaspossible.thenitbegantodescendmuchmorerapidlythantherabbithaddone,madesomersaultsintheair,andfeltitselfquiteyoungandunfettered,althoughitwashalffullofwine.butthisdidnotlastlong.whatajourneyitwas!