whatmightthatbe?asparklinglizardmovedaboutintheskull,glidinginandoutthroughthesightlessholes.thelizardnowrepresentedallthelifeleftinthathead,inwhichoncegreatthoughts,brightdreams,theloveofartandoftheglorious,hadarisen,whencehottearshadrolleddown,wherehopeandimmortalityhadhadtheirbeing.thelizardsprangawayanddisappeared,andtheskullitselfcrumbledtopiecesandbecamedustamongdust.

centuriespassedaway.thebrightstargleamedunaltered,radiantandlarge,asithadgleamedforthousandsofyears,andtheairglowedredwithtintsfreshasroses,crimsonlikeblood.

there,whereoncehadstoodthenarrowlanecontainingtheruinsofthetemple,anunnerywasnowbuilt.agravewasbeingdugintheconventgardenforayoungnunwhohaddied,andwastobelaidintheearththismorning.thespadestruckagainstahardsubstance;itwasastone,thatshonedazzlingwhite.ablockofmarblesoonappeared,aroundedshoulderwaslaidbare;andnowthespadewaspliedwithamorecarefulhand,andpresentlyafemaleheadwasseen,andbutterflies'wings.outofthegraveinwhichtheyoungnunwastobelaidtheylifted,intherosymorning,awonderfulstatueofapsychecarvedinwhitemarble.

"howbeautiful,howperfectitis!"criedthespectators."arelicofthebestperiodofart."

andwhocouldthesculptorhavebeen?nooneknew;noonerememberedhim,exceptthebrightstarthathadgleamedforthousandsofyears.thestarhadseenthecourseofthatlifeonearth,andknewoftheman'strials,ofhisweakness-infact,thathehadbeenbuthuman.theman'slifehadpassedaway,hisdusthadbeenscatteredabroadasdustisdestinedtobe;buttheresultofhisnobleststriving,thegloriousworkthatgavetokenofthedivineelementwithinhim-thepsychethatneverdies,thatlivesbeyondposterity-thebrightnessevenofthisearthlypsycheremainedhereafterhim,andwasseenandacknowledgedandappreciated.

thebrightmorningstarintheroseateairthrewitsglancingraydownwarduponthepsyche,andupontheradiantcountenancesoftheadmiringspectators,whoherebeheldtheimageofthesoulportrayedinmarble.

whatisearthlywillpassawayandbeforgotten,andthestarinthevastfirmamentknowsit.whatisheavenlywillshinebrightlythroughposterity;andwhentheagesofposterityarepast,thepsyche-thesoul-willstillliveon!

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

thepuppet-showman

byhanschristianandersen

onboardasteamerioncemetanelderlyman,withsuchamerryfacethat,ifitwasreallyanindexofhismind,hemusthavebeenthehappiestfellowincreation;andindeedheconsideredhimselfso,forihearditfromhisownmouth.hewasadane,theownerofatravellingtheatre.hehadallhiscompanywithhiminalargebox,forhewastheproprietorofapuppet-show.hisinborncheerfulness,hesaid,hadbeentestedbyamemberofthepolytechnicinstitution,andtheexperimenthadmadehimcompletelyhappy.ididnotatfirstunderstandallthis,butafterwardsheexplainedthewholestorytome;andhereitis:-

"iwasgivingarepresentation,"hesaid,"inthehalloftheposting-houseinthelittletownofslagelse;therewasasplendidaudience,entirelyjuvenileexceptingtworespectablematrons.allatonce,apersoninblack,ofstudent-likeappearance,enteredtheroom,andsatdown;helaughedaloudatthetellingpoints,andapplaudedquiteatthepropertime.thiswasaveryunusualspectatorforme,andifeltanxioustoknowwhohewas.iheardthathewasamemberofthepolytechnicinstitutionincopenhagen,whohadbeensentouttolecturetothepeopleintheprovinces.punctuallyateighto'clockmyperformanceclosed,forchildrenmustgoearlytobed,andamanagermustalsoconsulttheconvenienceofthepublic.

"atnineo'clockthelecturercommencedhislectureandhisexperiments,andtheniformedapartofhisaudience.itwaswonderfulbothtohearandtosee.thegreaterpartofitwasbeyondmycomprehension,butitledmetothinkthatifwemencanacquiresomuch,wemustsurelybeintendedtolastlongerthanthelittlespanwhichextendsonlytothetimewhenwearehiddenawayundertheearth.hisexperimentswerequitemiraclesonasmallscale,andyettheexplanationsflowedasnaturallyaswaterfromhislips.atthetimeofmosesandtheprophets,suchamanwouldhavebeenplacedamongthesagesoftheland;inthemiddleagestheywouldhaveburnthimatthestake.

"allnightlongicouldnotsleep;andthenexteveningwhenigaveanotherperformanceandthelecturerwaspresent,iwasinoneofmybestmoods.

"ionceheardofanactor,who,whenhehadtoactthepartofalover,alwaysthoughtofoneparticularladyintheaudience;heonlyplayedforher,andforgotalltherestofthehouse,andnowthepolytechniclecturerwasmyshe,myonlyauditor,forwhomaloneiplayed.

"whentheperformancewasover,andthepuppetsremovedbehindthecurtain,thepolytechniclecturerinvitedmeintohisroomtotakeaglassofwine.hetalkedofmycomedies,andiofhisscience,andibelievewewerebothequallypleased.butihadthebestofit,fortherewasmuchinwhathedidthathecouldnotalwaysexplaintome.forinstance,whyapieceofironwhichisrubbedonacylinder,shouldbecomemagnetic.howdoesthishappen?