makehasteintotheguardroom;they'redrinkingpunchthere;that'syourfavoritedrink.icansmellitoutherealready.forward,mastermarch."butitwasnottrue;thespeakeronlywantedtoremindhimofhisname,andtomakeanaprilfoolofhim;forwiththatfunthefourthgenerallybeganhiscareer.helookedveryjovial,didlittlework,andhadthemoreholidays."iftheworldwereonlyalittlemoresettled,"saidhe:"butsometimesi'mobligedtobeinagoodhumor,andsometimesabadone,accordingtocircumstances;nowrain,nowsunshine.i'mkindofahouseagent,alsoamanageroffunerals.icanlaughorcry,accordingtocircumstances.ihavemysummerwardrobeinthisboxhere,butitwouldbeveryfoolishtoputitonnow.hereiam.onsundaysigooutwalkinginshoesandwhitesilkstockings,andamuff."

afterhim,aladysteppedoutofthecoach.shecalledherselfmissmay.sheworeasummerdressandovershoes;herdresswasalightgreen,andsheworeanemonesinherhair.shewassoscentedwithwild-thyme,thatitmadethesentrysneeze.

"yourhealth,andgodblessyou,"washersalutationtohim.

howprettyshewas!andsuchasinger!notatheatresinger,noraballadsinger;no,butasingerofthewoods;forshewanderedthroughthegaygreenforest,andhadaconcertthereforherownamusement.

"nowcomestheyounglady,"saidthoseinthecarriage;andoutsteppedayoungdame,delicate,proud,andpretty.itwasmistressjune,inwhoseservicepeoplebecomelazyandfondofsleepingforhours.shegivesafeastonthelongestdayoftheyear,thattheremaybetimeforhergueststopartakeofthenumerousdishesathertable.indeed,shekeepsherowncarriage;butstillshetravelledbythemail,withtherest,becauseshewishedtoshowthatshewasnothigh-minded.butshewasnotwithoutaprotector;heryoungerbrother,july,waswithher.hewasaplumpyoungfellow,cladinsummergarmentsandwearingastrawhat.hehadbutverylittleluggagewithhim,becauseitwassocumbersomeinthegreatheat;hehad,however,swimming-trouserswithhim,whicharenothingtocarry.thencamethemotherherself,incrinoline,madameaugust,awholesaledealerinfruit,proprietressofalargenumberoffishpondsandalandcultivator.shewasfatandheated,yetshecoulduseherhandswell,andwouldherselfcarryoutbeertothelaborersinthefield."inthesweatofthefaceshaltthoueatbread,"saidshe;"itiswritteninthebible."afterwork,cametherecreations,dancingandplayinginthegreenwood,andthe"harvesthomes."shewasathoroughhousewife.

afterheramancameoutofthecoach,whoisapainter;heisthegreatmasterofcolors,andisnamedseptember.theforest,onhisarrival,hadtochangeitscolorswhenhewishedit;andhowbeautifularethecolorshechooses!thewoodsglowwithhuesofredandgoldandbrown.thisgreatmasterpaintercouldwhistlelikeawasquickinhiswork,andsoonentwinedthetendrilsofthehopplantaroundhisbeerjug.thiswasanornamenttothejug,andhehasagreatloveforornament.therehestoodwithhiscolorpotinhishand,andthatwasthewholeofhisluggage.aland-ownerfollowed,whointhemonthforsowingseedattendedtotheploughingandwasfondoffieldsports.squireoctoberbroughthisdogandhisgunwithhim,andhadnutsinhisgamebag."crack,crack."hehadagreatdealofluggage,evenanenglishplough.hespokeoffarming,butwhathesaidcouldscarcelybeheardforthecoughingandgaspingofhisneighbor.itwasnovember,whocoughedviolentlyashegotout.hehadacold,whichcausedhimtousehispocket-handkerchiefcontinually;andyethesaidhewasobligedtoaccompanyservantgirlstotheirnewplaces,andinitiatethemintotheirwinterservice.hesaidhethoughthiscoldwouldneverleavehimwhenhewentoutwoodcutting,forhewasamastersawyer,andhadtosupplywoodtothewholeparish.hespenthiseveningspreparingwoodensolesforskates,forheknew,hesaid,thatinafewweekstheseshoeswouldbewantedfortheamusementofskating.atlengththelastpassengermadeherappearance,-oldmotherdecember,withherfire-stool.thedamewasveryold,buthereyesglistenedliketwostars.shecarriedonherarmaflower-pot,inwhichalittlefir-treewasgrowing."thistreeishallguardandcherish,"shesaid,"thatitmaygrowlargebychristmaseve,andreachfromthegroundtotheceiling,tobecoveredandadornedwithflamingcandles,goldenapples,andlittlefire-stoolwillbeaswarmasastove,andishallthenbringastorybookoutofmypocket,andreadaloudtillallthechildrenintheroomarequitequiet.thenthelittlefiguresonthetreewillbecomelively,andthelittlewaxenangelatthetopspreadouthiswingsofgold-leaf,andflydownfromhisgreenperch.hewillkisseveryoneintheroom,greatandsmall;yes,eventhepoorchildrenwhostandinthepassage,oroutinthestreetsingingacarolaboutthe'starofbethlehem.'"

"well,nowthecoachmaydriveaway,"saidthesentry;"wehavethewholetwelve.letthehorsesbeputup."

"first,letallthetwelvecometome,"saidthecaptainonduty,"oneafteranother.thepassportsiwillkeephere.eachofthemisavailableforonemonth;whenthathaspassed,ishallwritethebehaviorofeachonhispassport.mr.january,havethegoodnesstocomehere."andmr.januarysteppedforward.

whenayearhaspassed,ithinkishallbeabletotellyouwhatthetwelvepassengershavebroughttoyou,tome,andtoallofidonotknow,andprobablyeventheydon'tknowthemselves,forweliveinstrangetimes.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

themarshking'sdaughter

byhanschristianandersen

thestorksrelatetotheirlittleonesagreatmanystories,andtheyareallaboutmoorsandreedbanks,andsuitedtotheirageandcapacity.theyoungestofthemarequitesatisfiedwith"kribble,krabble,"orsuchnonsense,andthinkitverygrand;buttheelderoneswantsomethingwithadeepermeaning,oratleastsomethingabouttheirownfamily.

weareonlyacquaintedwithoneofthetwolongestandoldeststorieswhichthestorksrelate-itisaboutmoses,whowasexposedbyhismotheronthebanksofthenile,andwasfoundbytheking'sdaughter,whogavehimagoodeducation,andheafterwardsbecameagreatman;butwherehewasburiedisstillunknown.

everyoneknowsthisstory,butnotthesecond;verylikelybecauseitisquiteaninlandstory.ithasbeenrepeatedfrommouthtomouth,fromonestork-mammatoanother,forthousandsofyears;andeachhastolditbetterthanthelast;andnowwemeantotellitbetterthanall.

thefirststorkpairwhorelateditlivedatthetimeithappened,andhadtheirsummerresidenceontheraftersoftheviking'shouse,whichstoodnearthewildmoorlandsofwendsyssell;thatis,tospeakmorecorrectly,thegreatmoorheath,highupinthenorthofjutland,bytheskjagenpeak.thiswildernessisstillanimmensewildheathofmarshyground,aboutwhichwecanreadinthe"officialdirectory."itissaidthatinoldentimestheplacewasalake,thegroundofwhichhadheavedupfrombeneath,andnowthemoorlandextendsformilesineverydirection,andissurroundedbydampmeadows,trembling,undulatingswamps,andmarshygroundcoveredwithturf,onwhichgrowbilberrybushesandstuntedtrees.mistsarealmostalwayshoveringoverthisregion,which,seventyyearsago,wasoverrunwithwolves.itmaywellbecalledthewildmoor;andonecaneasilyimagine,withsuchawildexpanseofmarshandlake,howlonelyanddrearyitmusthavebeenathousandyearsago.manythingsmaybenoticednowthatexistedthen.thereedsgrowtothesameheight,andbearthesamekindoflong,purple-brownleaves,withtheirfeatherytips.therestillstandsthebirch,withitswhitebarkanditsdelicate,looselyhangingleaves;andwithregardtothelivingbeingswhofrequentedthisspot,theflystillwearsagauzydressofthesamecut,andthefavoritecolorsofthestorkarewhite,withblackandredforstockings.thepeople,certainly,inthosedays,woreverydifferentdressestothosetheynowwear,butifanyofthem,behehuntsmanorsquire,masterorservant,venturedonthewavering,undulating,marshygroundofthemoor,theymetwiththesamefateathousandyearsagoastheywouldnow.thewanderersank,andwentdowntothemarshking,asheisnamed,whorulesinthegreatmoorlandempirebeneath.theyalsocalledhim"gunkelking,"butwelikethenameof"marshking"better,andwewillgivehimthatnameasthestorksdo.verylittleisknownofthemarshking'srule,butthat,perhaps,isagoodthing.

intheneighborhoodofthemoorlands,andnotfarfromthegreatarmofthenorthseaandthecattegatwhichiscalledthelumfjorden,laythecastleoftheviking,withitswater-tightstonecellars,itstower,anditsthreeprojectingstoreys.ontheridgeoftheroofthestorkhadbuilthisnest,andtherethestork-mammasatonhereggsandfeltsureherhatchingwouldcometosomething.

oneevening,stork-papastayedoutratherlate,andwhenhecamehomeheseemedquitebusy,bustling,andimportant."ihavesomethingverydreadfultotellyou,"saidhetothestork-mamma.

"keepittoyourselfthen,"shereplied."rememberthatiamhatchingeggs;itmayagitateme,andwillaffectthem."

"youmustknowitatonce,"saidhe."thedaughterofourhostinegypthasarrivedhere.shehasventuredtotakethisjourney,andnowsheislost."

"shewhosprungfromtheraceofthefairies,isit?"