saidthelearnedman;"iamwritingaboutthetrue,thebeautiful,andthegood;butnoonecarestohearanythingaboutit.iamquiteindespair,foritakeittoheartverymuch."

"thatiswhatineverdo,"saidtheshadow;"iamgrowingquitefatandstout,whicheveryoneoughttobe.youdonotunderstandtheworld;youwillmakeyourselfillaboutit;yououghttotravel;iamgoingonajourneyinthesummer,willyougowithme?ishouldlikeatravellingcompanion;willyoutravelwithmeasmyshadow?itwouldgivemegreatpleasure,andiwillpayallexpenses."

"areyougoingtotravelfar?"askedthelearnedman.

"thatisamatterofopinion,"repliedtheshadow."atallevents,ajourneywilldoyougood,andifyouwillbemyshadow,thenallyourjourneyshallbepaid."

"itappearstomeveryabsurd,"saidthelearnedman.

"butitisthewayoftheworld,"repliedtheshadow,"andalwayswillbe."thenhewentaway.

everythingwentwrongwiththelearnedman.sorrowandtroublepursuedhim,andwhathesaidaboutthegood,thebeautiful,andthetrue,wasofasmuchvaluetomostpeopleasanutmegwouldbetoacow.atlengthhefellill."youreallylooklikeashadow,"peoplesaidtohim,andthenacoldshudderwouldpassoverhim,forhehadhisownthoughtsonthesubject.

"youreallyoughttogotosomewatering-place,"saidtheshadowonhisnextvisit."thereisnootherchanceforyou.iwilltakeyouwithme,forthesakeofoldacquaintance.iwillpaytheexpensesofyourjourney,andyoushallwriteadescriptionofittoamuseusbytheway.ishouldliketogotoawatering-place;mybearddoesnotgrowasitought,whichisfromweakness,andimusthaveabeard.nowdobesensibleandacceptmyproposal;weshalltravelasintimatefriends."

andatlasttheystartedtogether.theshadowwasmasternow,andthemasterbecametheshadow.theydrovetogether,androdeandwalkedincompanywitheachother,sidebyside,oroneinfrontandtheotherbehind,accordingtothepositionofthesun.theshadowalwaysknewwhentotaketheplaceofhonor,butthelearnedmantooknonoticeofit,forhehadagoodheart,andwasexceedinglymildandfriendly.

onedaythemastersaidtotheshadow,"wehavegrownuptogetherfromourchildhood,andnowthatwehavebecometravellingcompanions,shallwenotdrinktoourgoodfellowship,andsaytheeandthoutoeachother?"

"whatyousayisverystraightforwardandkindlymeant,"saidtheshadow,whowasnowreallymaster."iwillbeequallykindandstraightforward.youarealearnedman,andknowhowwonderfulhumannatureis.therearesomemenwhocannotendurethesmellofbrownpaper;itmakesthemill.otherswillfeelashudderingsensationtotheirverymarrow,ifanailisscratchedonapaneofglass.imyselfhaveasimilarkindoffeelingwhenihearanyonesaythoutome.ifeelcrushedbyit,asiusedtofeelinmyformerpositionwithyou.youwillperceivethatthisisamatteroffeeling,notcannotallowyoutosaythoutome;iwillgladlysayittoyou,andthereforeyourwishwillbehalffulfilled."thentheshadowaddressedhisformermasterasthou.

"itisgoingrathertoofar,"saidthelatter,"thatiamtosayyouwhenispeaktohim,andheistosaythoutome."however,hewasobligedtosubmit.

theyarrivedatlengthatthebaths,wherethereweremanystrangers,andamongthemabeautifulprincess,whoserealdiseaseconsistedinbeingtoosharp-sighted,whichmadeeveryoneveryuneasy.shesawatoncethatthenewcomerwasverydifferenttoeveryoneelse."theysayheisheretomakehisbeardgrow,"shethought;"butiknowtherealcause,heisunabletocastashadow."thenshebecameverycuriousonthematter,andoneday,whileonthepromenade,sheenteredintoconversationwiththestrangegentleman.beingaprincess,shewasnotobligedtostanduponmuchceremony,soshesaidtohimwithouthesitation,"yourillnessconsistsinnotbeingabletocastashadow."

"yourroyalhighnessmustbeonthehighroadtorecoveryfromyourillness,"saidhe."iknowyourcomplaintarosefrombeingtoosharp-sighted,andinthiscaseithasentirelyfailed.ihappentohaveamostunusualshadow.haveyounotseenapersonwhoisalwaysatmyside?