ihadnomoreinsultsordisappointmentstoendure;although,indeed,therewasaholethroughme,asifiwerefalse;butsuspicionsarenothingwhenamanisreallytrue,andeveryoneshouldpersevereinactinghonestly,foranwillbemaderightinismyfirmbelief,"saidtheshilling.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

thesnailandtherose-tree

byhanschristianandersen

roundaboutthegardenranahedgeofhazel-bushes;beyondthehedgewerefieldsandmeadowswithcowsandsheep;butinthemiddleofthegardenstoodarose-treeinbloom,underwhichsatasnail,whoseshellcontainedagreatdeal-thatis,himself.

"onlywaittillmytimecomes,"hesaid;"ishalldomorethangrowroses,bearnuts,orgivemilk,likethehazel-bush,thecowsandthesheep."

"iexpectagreatdealfromyou,"saidtherose-tree."mayiaskwhenitwillappear?"

"itakemytime,"saidthesnail."you'realwaysinsuchahurry.thatdoesnotexciteexpectation."

thefollowingyearthesnaillayinalmostthesamespot,inthesunshineundertherose-tree,whichwasagainbuddingandbearingrosesasfreshandbeautifulasever.thesnailcrepthalfoutofhisshell,stretchedouthishorns,anddrewtheminagain.

"everythingisjustasitwaslastyear!noprogressatall;therose-treestickstoitsrosesandgetsnofarther."

thesummerandtheautumnpassed;therose-treeborerosesandbudstillthesnowfellandtheweatherbecamerawandwet;thenitbentdownitshead,andthesnailcreptintotheground.

anewyearbegan;therosesmadetheirappearance,andthesnailmadehistoo.

"youareanoldrose-treenow,"saidthesnail."youmustmakehasteanddie.youhavegiventheworldallthatyouhadinyou;whetheritwasofmuchimportanceisaquestionthatihavenothadtimetothinkabout.butthismuchisclearandplain,thatyouhavenotdonetheleastforyourinnerdevelopment,oryouwouldhaveproducedsomethingelse.haveyouanythingtosayindefence?youwillnowsoonbenothingbutastick.doyouunderstandwhatisay?"

"youfrightenme,"saidtherose-tree."ihaveneverthoughtofthat."

"no,youhavenevertakenthetroubletothinkatall.haveyouevergivenyourselfanaccountwhyyoubloomed,andhowyourbloomingcomesabout-whyjustinthatwayandinnoother?"

"no,"saidtherose-tree."ibloomingladness,becauseicannotdootherwise.thesunshoneandwarmedme,andtheairrefreshedme;idrankthecleardewandtheinvigoratingrain.ibreathedandilived!outoftheearththerearoseapowerwithinme,whilstfromaboveialsoreceivedstrength;ifeltanever-renewedandever-increasinghappiness,andthereforeiwasobligedtogoonblooming.thatwasmylife;icouldnotdootherwise."

"youhaveledaveryeasylife,"remarkedthesnail.

"certainly.everythingwasgivenme,"saidtherose-tree."butstillmorewasgiventoyou.yoursisoneofthosedeep-thinkingnatures,oneofthosehighlygiftedmindsthatastonishestheworld."

"ihavenottheslightestintentionofdoingso,"saidthesnail."theworldisnothingtome.whathaveitodowiththeworld?ihaveenoughtodowithmyself,andenoughinmyself"

"butmustwenotallhereonearthgiveupourbestpartstoothers,andofferasmuchasliesinourpower?itistrue,ihaveonlygivenroses.butyou-youwhoaresorichlyendowed-whathaveyougiventotheworld?whatwillyougiveit?"