saidthewiseman:"butnoonehasyetnamedtheloveliestroseintheworld."

thentherecameintotheroomachild-thequeen'slittlersstoodinhiseyes,andglistenedonhischeeks;hecarriedagreatbookandthebindingwasofvelvet,withsilverclasps."mother,"criedthelittleboy;"onlyhearwhatihaveread."andthechildseatedhimselfbythebedside,andreadfromthebookofhimwhosuffereddeathonthecrosstosaveallmen,evenwhoareyetunborn.heread,"greaterlovehathnomanthanthis,"andashereadaroseatehuespreadoverthecheeksofthequeen,andhereyesbecamesoenlightenedandclear,thatshesawfromtheleavesofthebookalovelyrosespringforth,atypeofhimwhoshedhisbloodonthecross.

"iseeit,"shesaid."hewhobeholdsthis,theloveliestroseonearth,shallneverdie."

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

themail-coachpassengers

byhanschristianandersen

itwasbitterlycold,theskyglitteredwithstars,andnotabreezestirred."bump"-anoldpotwasthrownataneighbor'sdoor;and"bang,bang,"wenttheguns;fortheyweregreetingthenewyear.itwasnewyear'seve,andthechurchclockwasstrikingtwelve."tan-ta-ra-ra,tan-ta-ra-ra,"soundedthehorn,andthemail-coachcamelumberingup.theclumsyvehiclestoppedatthegateofthetown;alltheplaceshadbeentaken,forthereweretwelvepassengersinthecoach.

"hurrah!hurrah!"criedthepeopleinthetown;forineveryhousethenewyearwasbeingwelcomed;andastheclockstruck,theystoodup,thefullglassesintheirhands,todrinksuccesstothenewcomer."ahappynewyear,"wasthecry;"aprettywife,plentyofmoney,andnosorroworcare."

thewishpassedround,andtheglassesclashedtogethertilltheyrangagain;whilebeforethetown-gatethemailcoachstoppedwiththetwelvestrangepassengers.andwhowerethesestrangers?eachofthemhadhispassportandhisluggagewithhim;theyevenbroughtpresentsforme,andforyou,andforallthepeopleinthetown."whowerethey?whatdidtheywant?andwhatdidtheybringwiththem?"

"good-morning,"theycriedtothesentryatthetown-gate.

"good-morning,"repliedthesentry;fortheclockhadstrucktwelve."yournameandprofession?"askedthesentryoftheonewhoalightedfirstfromthecarriage.

"seeforyourselfinthepassport,"hereplied."iammyself;"andafamousfellowhelooked,arrayedinbear-skinandfurboots."iamthemanonwhommanypersonsfixtheirhopes.cometometo-morrow,andi'llgiveyouanewyear'spresent.ithrowshillingsandpenceamongthepeople;igiveballs,nolessthanthirty-one;indeed,thatisthehighestnumbericanspareforballs.myshipsareoftenfrozenin,butinmyofficesitiswarmandcomfortable.mynameisjanuary.i'mamerchant,andigenerallybringmyaccountswithme."

thenthesecondalighted.heseemedamerryfellow.hewasadirectorofatheatre,amanagerofmaskedballs,andaleaderofalltheamusementswecanimagine.hisluggageconsistedofagreatcask.

"we'lldancethebungoutofthecaskatcarnivaltime,"saidhe;"i'llprepareamerrytuneforyouandformyselftoo.unfortunatelyihavenotlongtolive-theshortesttime,infact,ofmywholefamily-onlytwenty-eightdays.sometimestheypopmeinadayextra;butitroublemyselfverylittleaboutthat.hurrah!"

"youmustnotshoutso,"saidthesentry.

"certainlyimayshout,"retortedtheman;"i'mprincecarnival,travellingunderthenameoffebruary."

thethirdnowgotout.helookedapersonificationoffasting;buthecarriedhisnoseveryhigh,forhewasrelatedtothe"forty(k)nights,"andwasaweatherprophet.butthatisnotaverylucrativeoffice,andthereforehepraisedfasting.inhisbutton-holehecarriedalittlebunchofviolets,buttheywereverysmall.

"march,march,"thefourthcalledafterhim,slappinghimontheshoulder,"don'tyousmellsomething?