thereisadifferenceindeed,andsothereoughttobe,orweshouldallbeequals."

andtheapple-branchlookedwithasortofpityuponthem,especiallyonacertainlittleflowerthatisfoundinfieldsandinditches.nooneboundtheseflowerstogetherinanosegay;theyweretoocommon;theywereevenknowntogrowbetweenthepaving-stones,shootingupeverywhere,likebadweeds;andtheyboretheveryuglynameof"dog-flowers"or"dandelions."

"poor,despisedplants,"saidtheapple-bough,"itisnotyourfaultthatyouaresougly,andthatyouhavesuchanuglyname;butitiswithplantsaswithmen,-theremustbeadifference."

"adifference!"criedthesunbeam,ashekissedthebloomingapple-branch,andthenkissedtheyellowdandelionoutinthefields.allwerebrothers,andthesunbeamkissedthem-thepoorflowersaswellastherich.

theapple-boughhadneverthoughtoftheboundlessloveofgod,whichextendsoveralltheworksofcreation,overeverythingwhichlives,andmoves,andhasitsbeinginhim;hehadneverthoughtofthegoodandbeautifulwhicharesooftenhidden,butcanneverremainforgottenbyhim,-notonlyamongthelowercreation,butalsoamongmen.thesunbeam,therayoflight,knewbetter.

"youdonotseeveryfar,norveryclearly,"hesaidtotheapple-branch."whichisthedespisedplantyousospeciallypity?"

"thedandelion,"hereplied."nooneeverplacesitinanosegay;itisoftentroddenunderfoot,therearesomanyofthem;andwhentheyruntoseed,theyhaveflowerslikewool,whichflyawayinlittlepiecesovertheroads,andclingtothedressesofthepeople.theyareonlyweeds;butofcoursetheremustbeweeds.o,iamreallyverythankfulthatiwasnotmadelikeoneoftheseflowers."

therecamepresentlyacrossthefieldsawholegroupofchildren,theyoungestofwhomwassosmallthatithadtobecarriedbytheothers;andwhenhewasseatedonthegrass,amongtheyellowflowers,helaughedaloudwithjoy,kickedouthislittlelegs,rolledabout,pluckedtheyellowflowers,andkissedtheminchildlikeinnocence.theelderchildrenbrokeofftheflowerswithlongstems,bentthestalksoneroundtheother,toformlinks,andmadefirstachainfortheneck,thenonetogoacrosstheshoulders,andhangdowntothewaist,andatlastawreathtowearroundthehead,sothattheylookedquitesplendidintheirgarlandsofgreenstemsandgoldenflowers.buttheeldestamongthemgatheredcarefullythefadedflowers,onthestemofwhichwasgroupedtogethertheseed,intheformofawhitefeatherycoronal.theseloose,airywool-flowersareverybeautiful,andlooklikefinesnowyfeathersordown.thechildrenheldthemtotheirmouths,andtriedtoblowawaythewholecoronalwithonepuffofthebreath.theyhadbeentoldbytheirgrandmothersthatwhoeverdidsowouldbesuretohavenewclothesbeforetheendoftheyear.thedespisedflowerwasbythisraisedtothepositionofaprophetorforetellerofevents.

"doyousee,"saidthesunbeam,"doyouseethebeautyoftheseflowers?doyouseetheirpowersofgivingpleasure?"

"yes,tochildren,"saidtheapple-bough.

by-and-byanoldwomancameintothefield,and,withabluntknifewithoutahandle,begantodigroundtherootsofsomeofthedandelion-plants,andpullthemup.withsomeofthesesheintendedtomaketeaforherself;buttherestshewasgoingtoselltothechemist,andobtainsomemoney.

"butbeautyisofhighervaluethanallthis,"saidtheapple-treebranch;"onlythechosenonescanbeadmittedintotherealmsofthebeautiful.thereisadifferencebetweenplants,justasthereisadifferencebetweenmen."

thenthesunbeamspokeoftheboundlessloveofgod,asseenincreation,andoverallthatlives,andoftheequaldistributionofhisgifts,bothintimeandineternity.

"thatisyouropinion,"saidtheapple-bough.

thensomepeoplecameintotheroom,and,amongthem,theyoungcountess,-theladywhohadplacedtheapple-boughinthetransparentvase,sopleasantlybeneaththeraysofthesunlight.shecarriedinherhandsomethingthatseemedlikeaflower.theobjectwashiddenbytwoorthreegreatleaves,whichcovereditlikeashield,sothatnodraughtorgustofwindcouldinjureit,anditwascarriedmorecarefullythantheapple-branchhadeverbeen.verycautiouslythelargeleaveswereremoved,andthereappearedthefeatheryseed-crownofthedespiseddandelion.thiswaswhattheladyhadsocarefullyplucked,andcarriedhomesosafelycovered,sothatnotoneofthedelicatefeatheryarrowsofwhichitsmist-likeshapewassolightlyformed,shouldflutteraway.shenowdrewitforthquiteuninjured,andwonderedatitsbeautifulform,andairylightness,andsingularconstruction,sosoontobeblownawaybythewind.

"see,"sheexclaimed,"howwonderfullygodhasmadethislittleflower.iwillpaintitwiththeapple-branchtogether.everyoneadmiresthebeautyoftheapple-bough;butthishumbleflowerhasbeenendowedbyheavenwithanotherkindofloveliness;andalthoughtheydifferinappearance,botharethechildrenoftherealmsofbeauty."

thenthesunbeamkissedthelowlyflower,andhekissedthebloomingapple-branch,uponwhoseleavesappearedarosyblush.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

thedaisy

byhanschristianandersen

nowlisten!