andseemedsobeautifullywarmthatthechildstretchedoutherfeetasiftowarmthem,when,lo!theflameofthematchwentout,thestovevanished,andshehadonlytheremainsofthehalf-burntmatchinherhand.

sherubbedanothermatchonthewall.itburstintoaflame,andwhereitslightfelluponthewallitbecameastransparentasaveil,andshecouldseeintotheroom.thetablewascoveredwithasnowywhitetable-cloth,onwhichstoodasplendiddinnerservice,andasteamingroastgoose,stuffedwithapplesanddriedplums.andwhatwasstillmorewonderful,thegoosejumpeddownfromthedishandwaddledacrossthefloor,withaknifeandforkinitsbreast,tothelittlegirl.thenthematchwentout,andthereremainednothingbutthethick,damp,coldwallbeforeher.

shelightedanothermatch,andthenshefoundherselfsittingunderabeautifulchristmas-tree.itwaslargerandmorebeautifullydecoratedthantheonewhichshehadseenthroughtheglassdoorattherichmerchant's.thousandsoftaperswereburninguponthegreenbranches,andcoloredpictures,likethoseshehadseenintheshow-windows,lookeddownuponitall.thelittleonestretchedoutherhandtowardsthem,andthematchwentout.

thechristmaslightsrosehigherandhigher,tilltheylookedtoherlikethestarsinthesky.thenshesawastarfall,leavingbehinditabrightstreakoffire."someoneisdying,"thoughtthelittlegirl,forheroldgrandmother,theonlyonewhohadeverlovedher,andwhowasnowdead,hadtoldherthatwhenastarfalls,asoulwasgoinguptogod.

sheagainrubbedamatchonthewall,andthelightshoneroundher;inthebrightnessstoodheroldgrandmother,clearandshining,yetmildandlovinginherappearance."grandmother,"criedthelittleone,"otakemewithyou;iknowyouwillgoawaywhenthematchburnsout;youwillvanishlikethewarmstove,theroastgoose,andthelarge,gloriouschristmas-tree."andshemadehastetolightthewholebundleofmatches,forshewishedtokeephergrandmotherthere.andthematchesglowedwithalightthatwasbrighterthanthenoon-day,andhergrandmotherhadneverappearedsolargeorsobeautiful.shetookthelittlegirlinherarms,andtheybothflewupwardsinbrightnessandjoyfarabovetheearth,wheretherewasneithercoldnorhungernorpain,fortheywerewithgod.

inthedawnofmorningtherelaythepoorlittleone,withpalecheeksandsmilingmouth,leaningagainstthewall;shehadbeenfrozentodeathonthelasteveningoftheyear;andthenew-year'ssunroseandshoneuponalittlecorpse!thechildstillsat,inthestiffnessofdeath,holdingthematchesinherhand,onebundleofwhichwasburnt."shetriedtowarmherself,"saidsome.nooneimaginedwhatbeautifulthingsshehadseen,norintowhatgloryshehadenteredwithhergrandmother,onnew-year'sday.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

thelittlemermaid

byhanschristianandersen

faroutintheocean,wherethewaterisasblueastheprettiestcornflower,andasclearascrystal,itisvery,verydeep;sodeep,indeed,thatnocablecouldfathomit:manychurchsteeples,piledoneuponanother,wouldnotreachfromthegroundbeneathtothesurfaceofthewaterabove.theredwelltheseakingandhissubjects.wemustnotimaginethatthereisnothingatthebottomoftheseabutbareyellowsand.no,indeed;themostsingularflowersandplantsgrowthere;theleavesandstemsofwhicharesopliant,thattheslightestagitationofthewatercausesthemtostirasiftheyhadlife.fishes,bothlargeandsmall,glidebetweenthebranches,asbirdsflyamongthetreeshereuponland.inthedeepestspotofall,standsthecastleoftheseaswallsarebuiltofcoral,andthelong,gothicwindowsareoftheclearestamber.theroofisformedofshells,thatopenandcloseasthewaterflowsoverthem.theirappearanceisverybeautiful,forineachliesaglitteringpearl,whichwouldbefitforthediademofaqueen.

theseakinghadbeenawidowerformanyyears,andhisagedmotherkepthouseforhim.shewasaverywisewoman,andexceedinglyproudofherhighbirth;onthataccountsheworetwelveoystersonhertail;whileothers,alsoofhighrank,wereonlyallowedtowearsix.shewas,however,deservingofverygreatpraise,especiallyforhercareofthelittlesea-princesses,hergrand-daughters.theyweresixbeautifulchildren;buttheyoungestwastheprettiestofthemall;herskinwasasclearanddelicateasarose-leaf,andhereyesasblueasthedeepestsea;but,likealltheothers,shehadnofeet,andherbodyendedinafish'sdaylongtheyplayedinthegreathallsofthecastle,oramongthelivingflowersthatgrewoutofthewalls.thelargeamberwindowswereopen,andthefishswamin,justastheswallowsflyintoourhouseswhenweopenthewindows,exceptingthatthefishesswamuptotheprincesses,ateoutoftheirhands,andallowedthemselvestobestroked.outsidethecastletherewasabeautifulgarden,inwhichgrewbrightredanddarkblueflowers,andblossomslikeflamesoffire;thefruitglitteredlikegold,andtheleavesandstemswavedtoandfrocontinually.theearthitselfwasthefinestsand,butblueastheflameofburningsulphur.overeverythinglayapeculiarblueradiance,asifitweresurroundedbytheairfromabove,throughwhichtheblueskyshone,insteadofthedarkdepthsofthesea.incalmweatherthesuncouldbeseen,lookinglikeapurpleflower,withthelightstreamingfromthecalyx.eachoftheyoungprincesseshadalittleplotofgroundinthegarden,whereshemightdigandplantasshepleased.onearrangedherflower-bedintotheformofawhale;anotherthoughtitbettertomakeherslikethefigureofalittlemermaid;butthatoftheyoungestwasroundlikethesun,andcontainedflowersasredashisraysatsunset.shewasastrangechild,quietandthoughtful;andwhilehersisterswouldbedelightedwiththewonderfulthingswhichtheyobtainedfromthewrecksofvessels,shecaredfornothingbutherprettyredflowers,likethesun,exceptingabeautifulmarblewastherepresentationofahandsomeboy,carvedoutofpurewhitestone,whichhadfallentothebottomoftheseafromawreck.sheplantedbythestatuearose-coloredweepingwillow.itgrewsplendidly,andverysoonhungitsfreshbranchesoverthestatue,almostdowntothebluesands.theshadowhadaviolettint,andwavedtoandfrolikethebranches;itseemedasifthecrownofthetreeandtherootwereatplay,andtryingtokisseachother.nothinggavehersomuchpleasureastohearabouttheworldabovethesea.shemadeheroldgrandmothertellherallsheknewoftheshipsandofthetowns,thepeopleandtheanimals.toheritseemedmostwonderfulandbeautifultohearthattheflowersofthelandshouldhavefragrance,andnotthosebelowthesea;thatthetreesoftheforestshouldbegreen;andthatthefishesamongthetreescouldsingsosweetly,thatitwasquiteapleasuretohearthem.hergrandmothercalledthelittlebirdsfishes,orshewouldnothaveunderstoodher;forshehadneverseenbirds.

"whenyouhavereachedyourfifteenthyear,"saidthegrand-mother,"youwillhavepermissiontoriseupoutofthesea,tositontherocksinthemoonlight,whilethegreatshipsaresailingby;andthenyouwillseebothforestsandtowns."

inthefollowingyear,oneofthesisterswouldbefifteen:butaseachwasayearyoungerthantheother,theyoungestwouldhavetowaitfiveyearsbeforeherturncametoriseupfromthebottomoftheocean,andseetheearthaswedo.however,eachpromisedtotelltheotherswhatshesawonherfirstvisit,andwhatshethoughtthemostbeautiful;fortheirgrandmothercouldnottellthemenough;thereweresomanythingsonwhichtheywantedinformation.noneofthemlongedsomuchforherturntocomeastheyoungest,shewhohadthelongesttimetowait,andwhowassoquietandynightsshestoodbytheopenwindow,lookingupthroughthedarkbluewater,andwatchingthefishastheysplashedaboutwiththeirfinsandtails.shecouldseethemoonandstarsshiningfaintly;butthroughthewatertheylookedlargerthantheydotooureyes.whensomethinglikeablackcloudpassedbetweenherandthem,sheknewthatitwaseitherawhaleswimmingoverherhead,orashipfullofhumanbeings,whoneverimaginedthataprettylittlemermaidwasstandingbeneaththem,holdingoutherwhitehandstowardsthekeeloftheirship.

assoonastheeldestwasfifteen,shewasallowedtorisetothesurfaceoftheocean.whenshecameback,shehadhundredsofthingstotalkabout;butthemostbeautiful,shesaid,wastolieinthemoonlight,onasandbank,inthequietsea,nearthecoast,andtogazeonalargetownnearby,wherethelightsweretwinklinglikehundredsofstars;tolistentothesoundsofthemusic,thenoiseofcarriages,andthevoicesofhumanbeings,andthentohearthemerrybellspealoutfromthechurchsteeples;andbecauseshecouldnotgoneartoallthosewonderfulthings,shelongedforthemmorethanever.oh,didnottheyoungestsisterlisteneagerlytoallthesedescriptions?