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.

"oh,hownicelyitismade,"exclaimedtheladies.

"itismorethannice,"saidtheemperor,"itischarming."

theprincesstoucheditandnearlybegantocry.

"forshame,pa,"shesaid,"itisnotartificial,itisnatural!"

"forshame,itisnatural"repeatedallherladies.

"letusfirstseewhattheothercasecontainsbeforeweareangry,"saidtheemperor;thenthenightingalewastakenout,anditsangsobeautifullythatnoonecouldpossiblysayanythingunkindaboutit.

"superbe,charmant,"saidtheladiesofthecourt,fortheyallprattledfrench,oneworsethantheother.

"howmuchthebirdremindsmeofthemusicalboxofthelatelamentedempress,"saidanoldcourtier,"ithasexactlythesametone,thesameexecution."

"youareright,"saidtheemperor,andbegantocrylikealittlechild.

"ihopeitisnotnatural,"saidtheprincess.

"yes,certainlyitisnatural,"repliedthosewhohadbroughtthepresents.

"thenletitfly,"saidtheprincess,andrefusedtoseetheprince.

buttheprincewasnotdiscouraged.hepaintedhisface,putoncommonclothes,pulledhiscapoverhisforehead,andcameback.

"goodday,emperor,"hesaid,"couldyounotgivemesomeemploymentatthecourt?"