fromthegrave'scoldbed

thesoulonjacob'sladdertakesherflight.

man'sgreatestsorrowsoftenareapart

ofhiddengriefs,concealedfromhumaneyes,

whichpressfarheavieronthelonelyheart

thannowtheearththatonhiscoffinlies."

twofiguresweremovingabouttheroom;weknowthemboth.onewasthefairynamedcare,theotherthemessengeroffortune.theybentoverthedead.

"look!"saidcare;"whathappinesshaveyourgoloshesbroughttomankind?"

"theyhaveatleastbroughtlastinghappinesstohimwhoslumbershere,"shesaid.

"notso,"saidcare,"hewentawayofhimself,hewasnotsummoned.hismentalpowerswerenotstrongenoughtodiscernthetreasureswhichhehadbeendestinedtodiscover.iwilldohimafavornow."andshedrewthegoloshesfromhisfeet.

thesleepofdeathwasended,andtherecoveredmanraisedhimself.carevanished,andwithherthegoloshes;doubtlessshelookeduponthemasherownproperty.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

thehappyfamily

byhanschristianandersen

thelargestgreenleafinthiscountryiscertainlytheburdock-leaf.ifyouholditinfrontofyou,itislargeenoughforanapron;andifyouholditoveryourhead,itisalmostasgoodasanumbrella,itissowonderfullylarge.aburdocknevergrowsalone;whereitgrows,therearemanymore,anditisasplendidsight;andallthissplendorisgoodforsnails.thegreatwhitesnails,whichgrandpeopleinoldentimesusedtohavemadeintofricassees;andwhentheyhadeatenthem,theywouldsay,"o,whatadeliciousdish!"forthesepeoplereallythoughtthemgood;andthesesnailslivedonburdock-leaves,andforthemtheburdockwasplanted.

therewasonceanoldestatewherenoonenowlivedtorequiresnails;indeed,theownershadalldiedout,buttheburdockstillflourished;itgrewoverallthebedsandwalksofthegarden-itsgrowthhadnocheck-tillitbecameatlastquiteaforestofburdocks.hereandtherestoodanappleoraplum-tree;butforthis,nobodywouldhavethoughttheplacehadeverbeenagarden.itwasburdockfromoneendtotheother;andherelivedthelasttwosurvivingsnails.theyknewnotthemselveshowoldtheywere;buttheycouldrememberthetimewhentherewereagreatmanymoreofthem,andthattheyweredescendedfromafamilywhichcamefromforeignlands,andthatthewholeforesthadbeenplantedforthemandyhadneverbeenawayfromthegarden;buttheyknewthatanotherplaceonceexistedintheworld,calledtheduke'spalacecastle,inwhichsomeoftheirrelationshadbeenboiledtilltheybecameblack,andwerethenlaidonasilverdish;butwhatwasdoneafterwardstheydidnotknow.besides,theycouldnotimagineexactlyhowitfelttobeboiledandplacedonasilverdish;butnodoubtitwassomethingveryfineandhighlygenteel.neitherthecockchafer,northetoad,northeearth-worm,whomtheyquestionedaboutit,wouldgivethemtheleastinformation;fornoneoftheirrelationshadeverbeencookedorservedonasilverdish.theoldwhitesnailswerethemostaristocraticraceintheworld,-theyknewthat.theforesthadbeenplantedforthem,andthenobleman'scastlehadbeenbuiltentirelythattheymightbecookedandlaidonsilverdishes.

theylivedquiteretiredandveryhappily;andastheyhadnochildrenoftheirown,theyhadadoptedalittlecommonsnail,whichtheybroughtupastheirownchild.thelittleonewouldnotgrow,forhewasonlyacommonsnail;buttheoldpeople,particularlythemother-snail,declaredthatshecouldeasilyseehowhegrew;andwhenthefathersaidhecouldnotperceiveit,shebeggedhimtofeelthelittlesnail'sshell,andhedidso,andfoundthatthemotherwasright.

onedayitrainedveryfast."listen,whatadrummingthereisontheburdock-leaves;turn,turn,turn;turn,turn,turn,"saidthefather-snail.

"therecomethedrops,"saidthemother;"theyaretricklingdownthestalks.weshallhaveitverywetherepresently.iamverygladwehavesuchgoodhouses,andthatthelittleonehasoneofhisown.therehasbeenreallymoredoneforusthanforanyothercreature;itisquiteplainthatwearethemostnoblepeopleintheworld.wehavehousesfromourbirth,andtheburdockforesthasbeenplantedforus.ishouldverymuchliketoknowhowfaritextends,andwhatliesbeyondit."

"therecanbenothingbetterthanwehavehere,"saidthefather-snail;"iwishfornothingmore."

"yes,butido,"saidthemother;"ishouldliketobetakentothepalace,andboiled,andlaiduponasilverdish,aswasdonetoallourancestors;andyoumaybesureitmustbesomethingveryuncommon."

"thenobleman'scastle,perhaps,hasfallentodecay,"saidthesnail-father,ortheburdockwoodmayhavegrownout.youneednotbeinahurry;youarealwayssoimpatient,andtheyoungsterisgettingjustthesame.hehasbeenthreedayscreepingtothetopofthatstalk.ifeelquitegiddywhenilookathim."

"youmustnotscoldhim,"saidthemother-snail;"hecreepssoverycarefully.hewillbethejoyofourhome;andweoldfolkshavenothingelsetolivefor.buthaveyoueverthoughtwherewearetogetawifeforhim?