"whathaveigiven?whatamigoingtogive?ispitatit;it'sgoodfornothing,anddoesnotconcernme.formypart,youmaygoonbearingroses;youcannotdoanythingelse.letthehazelbushbearnuts,andthecowsandsheepgivemilk;theyhaveeachtheirpublic.ihavemineinmyself.iretirewithinmyselfandthereistop.theworldisnothingtome."

withthisthesnailwithdrewintohishouseandblockeduptheentrance.

"that'sverysad,"saidtherosetree."icannotcreepintomyself,howevermuchimightwishtodoso;ihavetogoonbearingroses.thentheydroptheirleaves,whichareblownawaybythewind.butioncesawhowarosewaslaidinthemistress'shymn-book,andhowoneofmyrosesfoundaplaceinthebosomofayoungbeautifulgirl,andhowanotherwaskissedbythelipsofachildinthegladjoyoflife.thatdidmegood;itwasarealblessing.thosearemyrecollections,mylife."

andtherosetreewentonbloomingininnocence,whilethesnaillayidlinginhishouse-theworldwasnothingtohim.

yearspassedby.

thesnailhadturnedtoearthintheearth,andtherosetreeventhesouvenirroseinthehymn-bookwasfaded,butinthegardentherewereotherrosetreesandothersnails.thelattercreptintotheirhousesandspatattheworld,foritdidnotconcernthem.

shallwereadthestoryalloveragain?itwillbejustthesame.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

thesnowman

byhanschristianandersen

"itissodelightfullycold,"saidthesnowman,"thatitmakesmywholebodycrackle.thisisjustthekindofwindtoblowlifeintoone.howthatgreatredthingupthereisstaringatme!"hemeantthesun,whowasjustsetting."itshallnotmakemewink.ishallmanagetokeepthepieces."

hehadtwotriangularpiecesoftileinhishead,insteadofeyes;hismouthwasmadeofanoldbrokenrake,andwas,ofcourse,furnishedwithteeth.hehadbeenbroughtintoexistenceamidstthejoyousshoutsofboys,thejinglingofsleigh-bells,andtheslashingofwhips.thesunwentdown,andthefullmoonrose,large,round,andclear,shininginthedeepblue.

"thereitcomesagain,fromtheotherside,"saidthesnowman,whosupposedthesunwasshowinghimselfoncemore."ah,ihavecuredhimofstaring,though;nowhemayhangupthere,andshine,thatimayseemyself.ifionlyknewhowtomanagetomoveawayfromthisplace,-ishouldsoliketomove.ificould,iwouldslidealongyonderontheice,asihaveseentheboysdo;butidon'tunderstandhow;idon'tevenknowhowtorun."

"away,away,"barkedtheoldyard-dog.hewasquitehoarse,andcouldnotpronounce"bowwow"properly.hehadoncebeenanindoordog,andlaybythefire,andhehadbeenhoarseeversince."thesunwillmakeyourunsomeday.isawhim,lastwinter,makeyourpredecessorrun,andhispredecessorbeforehim.away,away,theyallhavetogo."

"idon'tunderstandyou,comrade,"saidthesnowman."isthatthingupyondertoteachmetorun?isawitrunningitselfalittlewhileago,andnowithascomecreepingupfromtheotherside.

"youknownothingatall,"repliedtheyard-dog;"butthen,you'veonlylatelybeenpatchedup.whatyouseeyonderisthemoon,andtheonebeforeitwasthesun.itwillcomeagainto-morrow,andmostlikelyteachyoutorundownintotheditchbythewell;forithinktheweatherisgoingtochange.icanfeelsuchpricksandstabsinmyleftleg;iamsurethereisgoingtobeachange."

"idon'tunderstandhim,"saidthesnowmantohimself;"butihaveafeelingthatheistalkingofsomethingveryonewhostaredsojustnow,andwhomhecallsthesun,isnotmyfriend;icanfeelthattoo."

"away,away,"barkedtheyard-dog,andthenheturnedroundthreetimes,andcreptintohiskenneltosleep.

therewasreallyachangeintheweather.towardsmorning,athickfogcoveredthewholecountryround,andakeenwindarose,sothatthecoldseemedtofreezeone'sbones;butwhenthesunrose,thesightwassplendid.treesandbusheswerecoveredwithhoarfrost,andlookedlikeaforestofwhitecoral;whileoneverytwigglitteredfrozendew-drops.themanydelicateformsconcealedinsummerbyluxuriantfoliage,werenowclearlydefined,andlookedlikeglitteringlace-work.fromeverytwigglistenedawhitebirch,wavinginthewind,lookedfulloflife,liketreesinsummer;anditsappearancewaswondrouslybeautiful.andwherethesunshone,howeverythingglitteredandsparkled,asifdiamonddusthadbeenstrewnabout;whilethesnowycarpetoftheearthappearedasifcoveredwithdiamonds,fromwhichcountlesslightsgleamed,whiterthaneventhesnowitself.

"thisisreallybeautiful,"saidayounggirl,whohadcomeintothegardenwithayoungman;andtheybothstoodstillnearthesnowman,andcontemplatedtheglitteringscene."summercannotshowamorebeautifulsight,"sheexclaimed,whilehereyessparkled.

"andwecan'thavesuchafellowasthisinthesummertime,"repliedtheyoungman,pointingtothesnowman;"heiscapital."

thegirllaughed,andnoddedatthesnowman,andthentrippedawayoverthesnowwithherfriend.thesnowcreakedandcrackledbeneathherfeet,asifshehadbeentreadingonstarch.

"whoarethesetwo?"