-thelast!"

thenhelgastoodagainintheverandah.butthemarriagelampsinthefestivehallhadbeenallextinguished,andthetorchesoutsidehadvanished.thestorksweregone;notaguestcouldbeseen;nobridegroom-allinthosefewshortmomentsseemedtohavedied.thenagreatdreadfelluponher.shesteppedfromtheverandahthroughtheemptyhallintothenextchamber,wheresleptstrangewarriors.sheopenedasidedoor,whichonceledintoherownapartment,butnow,asshepassedthrough,shefoundherselfsuddenlyinagardenwhichshehadneverbeforeseenhere,theskyblushedred,itwasthedawnofmorning.threeminutesonlyinheaven,andawholenightonearthhadpassedaway!thenshesawthestorks,andcalledtothemintheirownlanguage.

thenstork-papaturnedhisheadtowardshere,listenedtoherwords,anddrewnear."youspeakourlanguage,"saidhe,"whatdoyouwish?whydoyouappear,-you-astrangewoman?"

"itisi-itishelga!dostthounotknowme?threeminutesagowewerespeakingtogetheryonderintheverandah."

"thatisamistake,"saidthestork,"youmusthavedreamedallthis."

"no,no,"sheexclaimed.thensheremindedhimoftheviking'scastle,ofthegreatlake,andofthejourneyacrosstheocean.

thenstork-papawinkedhiseyes,andsaid,"whythat'sanoldstorywhichhappenedinthetimeofmygrandfather.therecertainlywasaprincessofthatkindhereinegyptonce,whocamefromthedanishland,butshevanishedontheeveningofherweddingday,manyhundredyearsago,andnevercameback.youmayreadaboutityourselfyonder,onamonumentinthegarden.thereyouwillfindswansandstorkssculptured,andonthetopisafigureoftheprincesshelga,inmarble."

andsoitwas;helgaunderstooditallnow,andsankonhersunburstforthinallitsglory,and,asinoldentimes,theformofthefrogvanishedinhisbeams,andthebeautifulformstoodforthinallitsloveliness;sonow,bathedinlight,roseabeautifulform,purer,clearerthanair-arayofbrightness-fromthesourceoflighthimself.thebodycrumbledintodust,andafadedlotus-flowerlayonthespotonwhichhelgahadstood.

"nowthatisanewendingtothestory,"saidstork-papa;"ireallyneverexpecteditwouldendinthisway,butitseemsaverygoodending."

"andwhatwilltheyoungonessaytoit,iwonder?"saidstork-mamma.

"ah,thatisaveryimportantquestion,"repliedthestork.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

themetalpig

byhanschristianandersen

inthecityofflorence,notfarfromthepiazzadelgranduca,runsalittlestreetcalledportarosa.inthisstreet,justinfrontofthemarket-placewherevegetablesaresold,standsapig,madeofbrassandcuriouslyformed.thebrightcolorhasbeenchangedbyagetodarkgreen;butclear,freshwaterpoursfromthesnout,whichshinesasifithadbeenpolished,andsoindeedithas,forhundredsofpoorpeopleandchildrenseizeitintheirhandsastheyplacetheirmouthsclosetothemouthoftheanimal,todrink.itisquiteapicturetoseeahalf-nakedboyclaspingthewell-formedcreaturebythehead,ashepresseshisrosylipsagainstitsjaws.everyonewhovisitsflorencecanveryquicklyfindtheplace;hehasonlytoaskthefirstbeggarhemeetsforthemetalpig,andhewillbetoldwhereitis.

itwaslateonawinterevening;themountainswerecoveredwithsnow,butthemoonshonebrightly,andmoonlightinitalyislikeadullwinter'sdayinthenorth;indeeditisbetter,forclearairseemstoraiseusabovetheearth,whileinthenorthacold,gray,leadenskyappearstopressusdowntoearth,evenasthecolddampearthshallonedaypressonusinthegrave.inthegardenofthegrandduke'spalace,undertheroofofoneofthewings,whereathousandrosesbloominwinter,alittleraggedboyhadbeensittingthewholedaylong;aboy,whomightserveasatypeofitaly,lovelyandsmiling,andyetstillsuffering.hewashungryandthirsty,yetnoonegavehimanything;andwhenitbecamedark,andtheywereabouttoclosethegardens,theporterturnedhimout.hestoodalongtimemusingonthebridgewhichcrossesthearno,andlookingattheglitteringstars,reflectedinthewaterwhichflowedbetweenhimandtheelegantmarblebridgedellatrinita.hethenwalkedawaytowardsthemetalpig,halfkneltdown,claspeditwithhisarms,andthenputhismouthtotheshiningsnoutanddrankdeepdraughtsofthefreshwater.closeby,layafewsalad-leavesandtwochestnuts,whichweretoserveforhissupper.noonewasinthestreetbuthimself;itbelongedonlytohim,soheboldlyseatedhimselfonthepig'sback,leanedforwardsothathiscurlyheadcouldrestontheheadoftheanimal,and,beforehewasaware,hefellasleep.

itwasmidnight.themetalpigraisedhimselfgently,andtheboyheardhimsayquitedistinctly,"holdtight,littleboy,foriamgoingtorun;"andawayhestartedforamostwonderfulrst,theyarrivedatthepiazzadelgranduca,andthemetalhorsewhichbearstheduke'sstatue,neighedaloud.thepaintedcoats-of-armsontheoldcouncil-houseshoneliketransparentpictures,andmichaelangelo'sdavidtossedhissling;itwasasifeverythinghadlife.themetallicgroupsoffigures,amongwhichwereperseusandtherapeofthesabines,lookedlikelivingpersons,andcriesofterrorsoundedfromthemallacrossthenoblesquare.bythepalazzodegliuffizi,inthearcade,wherethenobilityassembleforthecarnival,themetalpigstopped."holdfast,"saidtheanimal;"holdfast,foriamgoingupstairs."

thelittleboysaidnotaword;hewashalfpleasedandhalfafraid.theyenteredalonggallery,wheretheboyhadbeenwallswereresplendentwithpaintings;herestoodstatuesandbusts,allinaclearlightasifitwereday.butthegrandestappearedwhenthedoorofasideroomopened;thelittleboycouldrememberwhatbeautifulthingshehadseenthere,butto-nighteverythingshoneinitsbrightestcolors.herestoodthefigureofabeautifulwoman,asbeautifullysculpturedaspossiblebyoneofthegreatmasters.hergracefullimbsappearedtomove;dolphinssprangatherfeet,andimmortalityshonefromhereyes.theworldcalledherthevenusde'medici.byhersidewerestatues,inwhichthespiritoflifebreathedinstone;figuresofmen,oneofwhomwhettedhissword,andwasnamedthegrinder;wrestlinggladiatorsformedanothergroup,theswordhadbeensharpenedforthem,andtheystroveforthegoddessofbeauty.theboywasdazzledbysomuchglitter;forthewallsweregleamingwithbrightcolors,allappearedlivingreality.

astheypassedfromhalltohall,beautyeverywhereshoweditself;andasthemetalpigwentstepbystepfromonepicturetotheother,thelittleboycouldseeitallplainly.onegloryeclipsedanother;yettherewasonepicturethatfixeditselfonthelittleboy'smemory,moreespeciallybecauseofthehappychildrenitrepresented,forthesethelittleboyhadseenindaylight.manypassthispicturebywithindifference,andyetitcontainsatreasureofpoeticfeeling;itrepresentschristdescendingintohades.theyarenotthelostwhomthespectatorsees,buttheheathenofoldentimes.theflorentine,angiolobronzino,paintedthispicture;mostbeautifulistheexpressiononthefaceofthetwochildren,whoappeartohavefullconfidencethattheyshallreachheavenatyareembracingeachother,andonelittleonestretchesouthishandtowardsanotherwhostandsbelowhim,andpointstohimself,asifheweresaying,"iamgoingtoheaven."theolderpeoplestandasifuncertain,yethopeful,andtheybowinhumbleadorationtothelordjesus.onthispicturetheboy'seyesrestedlongerthanonanyother:themetalpigstoodstillbeforeit.alowsighwasheard.diditcomefromthepictureorfromtheanimal?