"hereitissplendidinsummer!"shesaid,andtheypassedbyoldcastlesoftheageofchivalry.thehighwallsandindentedbattlementswerereflectedinthewateroftheditches,onwhichswanswereswimmingandpeeringintotheoldshadyavenues.thecornwavedinthefieldlikeayellowsea.redandyellowflowersgrewintheditches,wildhopsandconvolvuliinfullbloominthehedges.intheeveningthemoonrose,largeandround,andthehayricksinthemeadowssmeltsweetly."onecanneverforgetit!"

"hereitisbeautifulinautumn!"saidthelittlegirl,andtheatmosphereseemedtwiceashighandblue,whilethewoodshonewithcrimson,green,andgold.thehoundswererunningoff,flocksofwildfowlflewscreamingoverthebarrows,whilethebramblebushestwinedroundtheoldstones.thedark-blueseawascoveredwithwhite-sailedships,andinthebarnssatoldwomen,girls,andchildrenpickinghopsintoalargetub;theyoungonessangsongs,andtheoldpeopletoldfairytalesaboutgoblinsandsorcerers.itcouldnotbemorepleasantanywhere.

"hereit'sagreeableinwinter!"saidthelittlegirl,andallthetreeswerecoveredwithhoar-frost,sothattheylookedlikewhitecoral.thesnowcreakedunderone'sfeet,asifonehadnewbootson.oneshootingstarafteranothertraversedthesky.intheroomthechristmastreewaslit,andthereweresongandmerriment.inthepeasant'scottagetheviolinsounded,andgameswereplayedforapplequarters;eventhepoorestchildsaid,"itisbeautifulinwinter!"

andindeeditwasbeautiful!andthelittlegirlshowedeverythingtotheboy,andtheelder-treecontinuedtobreatheforthsweetperfume,whiletheredflagwiththewhitecrosswasstreaminginthewind;itwastheflagunderwhichtheoldsailorhadserved.theboybecameayouth;hewastogooutintothewideworld,farawaytothecountrieswherethecoffeegrows.butatpartingthelittlegirltookanelder-blossomfromherbreastandgaveittohimasakeepsake.heplaceditinhisprayer-book,andwhenheopeneditindistantlandsitwasalwaysattheplacewheretheflowerofremembrancewaslying;andthemorehelookedatitthefresheritbecame,sothathecouldalmostsmellthefragranceofthewoodsathome.hedistinctlysawthelittlegirl,withherbrightblueeyes,peepingoutfrombehindthepetals,andheardherwhispering,"hereitisbeautifulinspring,insummer,inautumn,andinwinter,"andhundredsofpicturespassedthroughhismind.

thusmanyyearsrolledby.hehadnowbecomeanoldman,andwassitting,withhisoldwife,underanelder-treeinfullbloom.theyheldeachotherbythehandexactlyasthegreat-grandfatherandthegreat-grandmotherhaddoneoutside,and,likethem,theytalkedaboutbygonedaysandoftheirgoldenwedding.thelittlegirlwiththeblueeyesandelder-blossomsinherhairwassittinghighupinthetree,andnoddedtothem,saying,"to-dayisthegoldenwedding!"andthenshetooktwoflowersoutofherwreathandkissedthem.theyglitteredatfirstlikesilver,thenlikegold,andwhensheplacedthemontheheadsoftheoldpeopleeachflowerbecameagoldencrown.theretheybothsatlikeakingandqueenunderthesweet-smellingtree,whichlookedexactlylikeanelder-tree,andhetoldhiswifethestoryoftheelder-treemotherasithadbeentoldhimwhenhewasalittleboy.theywerebothofopinionthatthestorycontainedmanypointsliketheirown,andthesesimilaritiestheylikedbest.

"yes,soitis,"saidthelittlegirlinthetree."somecallmelittleelder-treemother;othersadryad;butmyrealnameis'remembrance.'itisiwhositinthetreewhichgrowsandgrows.icanrememberthingsandtellstories!