criedthechildren,whentheysawthewhitebird,asitdivedintothesea,androseagainintotheclearsunlight,whiteandglittering.butnoonecouldtellwhitheritwentthenalthoughsomedeclareditflewstraighttothesun.

theend.

1872

thegoblinandthehuckster

byhanschristianandersen

therewasoncearegularstudent,wholivedinagarret,andhadnopossessions.andtherewasalsoaregularhuckster,towhomthehousebelonged,andwhooccupiedthegroundfloor.agoblinlivedwiththehuckster,becauseatchristmashealwayshadalargedishfullofjam,withagreatpieceofbutterinthemiddle.thehuckstercouldaffordthis;andthereforethegoblinremainedwiththehuckster,whichwasverycunningofhim.

oneeveningthestudentcameintotheshopthroughthebackdoortobuycandlesandcheeseforhimself,hehadnoonetosend,andthereforehecamehimself;heobtainedwhathewished,andthenthehucksterandhiswifenoddedgoodeveningtohim,andshewasawomanwhocoulddomorethanmerelynod,forshehadusuallyplentytosayforherself.thestudentnoddedinreturnasheturnedtoleave,thensuddenlystopped,andbeganreadingthepieceofpaperinwhichthecheesewaswrapped.itwasaleaftornoutofanoldbook,abookthatoughtnottohavebeentornup,foritwasfullofpoetry.

"yonderliessomemoreofthesamesort,"saidthehuckster:"igaveanoldwomanafewcoffeeberriesforit;youshallhavetherestforsixpence,ifyouwill."

"indeediwill,"saidthestudent;"givemethebookinsteadofthecheese;icaneatmybreadandbutterwithoutcheese.itwouldbeasintotearupabooklikethis.youareacleverman;andapracticalman;butyouunderstandnomoreaboutpoetrythanthatcaskyonder."

thiswasaveryrudespeech,especiallyagainstthecask;butthehucksterandthestudentbothlaughed,foritwasonlysaidinfun.butthegoblinfeltveryangrythatanymanshouldventuretosaysuchthingstoahucksterwhowasahouseholderandsoldthebestbutter.assoonasitwasnight,andtheshopclosed,andeveryoneinbedexceptthestudent,thegoblinsteppedsoftlyintothebedroomwherethehuckster'swifeslept,andtookawayhertongue,whichofcourse,shedidnotthenwant.whateverobjectintheroomheplacedhistongueuponimmediatelyreceivedvoiceandspeech,andwasabletoexpressitsthoughtsandfeelingsasreadilyastheladyherselfcoulddo.itcouldonlybeusedbyoneobjectatatime,whichwasagoodthing,asanumberspeakingatoncewouldhavecausedgreatgoblinlaidthetongueuponthecask,inwhichlayaquantityofoldnewspapers.

"isitreallytrue,"heasked,thatyoudonotknowwhatpoetryis?"

"ofcourseiknow,"repliedthecask:"poetryissomethingthatalwaysstandinthecornerofanewspaper,andissometimescutout;andimayventuretoaffirmthatihavemoreofitinmethanthestudenthas,andiamonlyapoortubofthehuckster's."

thenthegoblinplacedthetongueonthecoffeemill;andhowitdidgotobesure!thenheputitonthebuttertubandthecashbox,andtheyallexpressedthesameopinionasthewaste-papertub;andamajoritymustalwaysberespected.

"nowishallgoandtellthestudent,"saidthegoblin;andwiththesewordshewentquietlyupthebackstairstothegarretwherethestudentlived.hehadacandleburningstill,andthegoblinpeepedthroughthekeyholeandsawthathewasreadinginthetornbook,whichhehadbroughtoutoftheshop.buthowlighttheroomwas!