wehaveseenswanafterswansoarbyingloriousflight.onelethispinionsglideoverthestringsofthegoldenharp,anditresoundedthroughthenorth.norway'smountainsseemedtorisehigherinthesunlightofformerdays;therewasarustlingamongthepinetreesandthebirches;thegodsofthenorth,theheroes,andthenoblewomen,showedthemselvesinthedarkforestdepths.

wehaveseenaswanbeatwithhiswingsuponthemarblecrag,sothatitburst,andtheformsofbeautyimprisonedinthestonesteppedouttothesunnyday,andmeninthelandsroundaboutlifteduptheirheadstobeholdthesemightyforms.

wehaveseenathirdswanspinningthethreadofthoughtthatisfastenedfromcountrytocountryroundtheworld,sothatthewordmayflywithlightningspeedfromlandtoland.

andourlordlovestheoldswan'snestbetweenthebalticandthenorthsea.andwhenthemightybirdscomesoaringthroughtheairtodestroyit,eventhecallowyoungstandroundinacircleonthemarginofthenest,andthoughtheirbreastsmaybestrucksothattheirbloodflows,theybearit,andstrikewiththeirwingsandtheirclaws.

centurieswillpassby,swanswillflyforthfromthenest,menwillseethemandhearthemintheworld,beforeitshallbesaidinspiritandintruth,"thisisthelastswan-thelastsongfromtheswan'snest."

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

theswineherd

byhanschristianandersen

onceuponatimelivedapoorprince;hiskingdomwasverysmall,butitwaslargeenoughtoenablehimtomarry,andmarryhewould.itwasratherboldofhimthathewentandaskedtheemperor'sdaughter:"willyoumarryme?"butheventuredtodoso,forhisnamewasknownfarandwide,andtherewerehundredsofprincesseswhowouldhavegladlyacceptedhim,butwouldshedoso?nowweshallsee.

onthegraveoftheprince'sfathergrewarose-tree,themostbeautifulofitskind.itbloomedonlyonceinfiveyears,andthenithadonlyonesingleroseuponit,butwhatarose!ithadsuchasweetscentthatoneinstantlyforgotallsorrowandgriefwhenonesmeltit.hehadalsoanightingale,whichcouldsingasifeverysweetmelodywasinitsthroat.thisroseandthenightingalehewishedtogivetotheprincess;andthereforebothwereputintobigsilvercasesandsenttoher.

theemperororderedthemtobecarriedintothegreathallwheretheprincesswasjustplaying"visitorsarecoming"withherladies-in-waiting;whenshesawthelargecaseswiththepresentstherein,sheclappedherhandsforjoy.

"iwishitwerealittlepussycat,"shesaid.butthentherose-treewiththebeautifulrosewasunpacked.