criedthepen.

"writing-stick!"retortedtheinkstand.andeachofthemfeltsatisfiedthathehadgivenagoodanswer.itispleasingtobeconvincedthatyouhavesettledamatterbyyourreply;itissomethingtomakeyousleepwell,andtheybothsleptwelluponit.butthepoetdidnotsleep.thoughtsroseupwithinhimlikethetonesoftheviolin,fallinglikepearls,orrushinglikethestrongwindthroughtheforest.heunderstoodhisownheartinthesethoughts;theywereasarayfromthemindofthegreatmasterofallminds.

"tohimbeallthehonor."

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

thephilosopher'sstone

byhanschristianandersen

farawaytowardstheeast,inindia,whichseemedinthosedaystheworld'send,stoodthetreeofthesun;anobletree,suchaswehaveneverseen,andperhapsnevermaysee.

thesummitofthistreespreaditselfformileslikeanentireforest,eachofitssmallerbranchesformingacompletetree.palms,beech-trees,pines,plane-trees,andvariousotherkinds,whicharefoundinallpartsoftheworld,wereherelikesmallbranches,shootingforthfromthegreattree;whilethelargerboughs,withtheirknotsandcurves,formedvalleysandhills,clothedwithvelvetygreenandcoveredwithflowers.everywhereitwaslikeabloomingmeadoworalovelygarden.herewerebirdsfromallquartersoftheworldassembledtogether;birdsfromtheprimevalforestsofamerica,fromtherosegardensofdamascus,andfromthedesertsofafrica,inwhichtheelephantandthelionmayboastofbeingtheonlyrulers.birdsfromthepolarregionscameflyinghere,andofcoursethestorkandtheswallowwerenotabsent.butthebirdswerenottheonlylivingcreatures.therewerestags,squirrels,antelopes,andhundredsofotherbeautifulandlight-footedanimalsherefoundahome.

thesummitofthetreewasawide-spreadinggarden,andinthemidstofit,wherethegreenboughsformedakindofhill,stoodacastleofcrystal,withaviewfromittowardseveryquarterofheaven.eachtowerwaserectedintheformofalily,andwithinthesternwasawindingstaircase,throughwhichonecouldascendtothetopandstepoutupontheleavesasuponbalconies.thecalyxofthefloweritselfformedamostbeautiful,glittering,circularhall,abovewhichnootherroofarosethanthebluefirmamentandthesunandstars.

justasmuchsplendor,butofanotherkind,appearedbelow,inthewidehallsofthecastle.here,onthewalls,werereflectedpicturesoftheworld,whichrepresentednumerousandvariedscenesofeverythingthattookplacedaily,sothatitwasuselesstoreadthenewspapers,andindeedtherewerenonetobeobtainedinthiswastobeseeninlivingpicturesbythosewhowishedit,butallwouldhavebeentoomuchforeventhewisestman,andthismandwelthere.hisnameisverydifficult;youwouldnotbeabletopronounceit,soitmaybeomitted.hekneweverythingthatamanonearthcanknoworimagine.everyinventionalreadyinexistenceoryettobe,wasknowntohim,andmuchmore;stilleverythingonearthhasalimit.thewisekingsolomonwasnothalfsowiseasthiscouldgovernthepowersofnatureandheldswayoverpotentspirits;evendeathitselfwasobligedtogivehimeverymorningalistofthosewhoweretodieduringtheday.andkingsolomonhimselfhadtodieatlast,andthisfactitwaswhichsooftenoccupiedthethoughtsofthisgreatmaninthecastleonthetreeofthesun.heknewthathealso,howeverhighhemighttoweraboveothermeninwisdom,mustonedaydie.heknewthathischildrenwouldfadeawayliketheleavesoftheforestandbecomedust.hesawthehumanracewitherandfalllikeleavesfromthetree;hesawnewmencometofilltheirplaces,buttheleavesthatfelloffneversproutedforthagain;theycrumbledtodustorwereabsorbedintootherplants.

"whathappenstoman,"askedthewisemanofhimself,"whentouchedbytheangelofdeath?