askedtheprincess,ofjohn.heimmediatelyuntiedthehandkerchief,andwashimselfquitefrightenedwhenhesawtheheadoftheuglymagician.everyoneshuddered,foritwasterribletolookat;buttheprincesssatlikeastatue,andcouldnotutterasingleword.atlengthsheroseandgavejohnherhand,forhehadguessedrightly.

shelookedatnoone,butsigheddeeply,andsaid,"youaremymasternow;thiseveningourmarriagemusttakeplace."

"iamverypleasedtohearit,"saidtheoldking."itisjustwhatiwish."

thenallthepeopleshouted"hurrah."thebandplayedmusicinthestreets,thebellsrang,andthecake-womentooktheblackcrapeoffthesugar-sticks.therewasuniversaljoy.threeoxen,stuffedwithducksandchickens,wereroastedwholeinthemarket-place,whereeveryonemighthelphimselftoaslice.thefountainsspoutedforththemostdeliciouswine,andwhoeverboughtapennyloafatthebaker'sreceivedsixlargebuns,fullofraisins,asapresent.intheeveningthewholetownwasilluminated.thesoldiersfiredoffcannons,andtheboysletoffcrackers.therewaseatinganddrinking,dancingandjumpingeverywhere.inthepalace,thehigh-borngentlemenandbeautifulladiesdancedwitheachother,andtheycouldbeheardatagreatdistancesingingthefollowingsong:-

"herearemaidens,youngandfair,

dancinginthesummerair;

liketwospinning-wheelsatplay,

prettymaidensdanceaway-

dancethespringandsummerthrough

tillthesolefallsfromyourshoe."

buttheprincesswasstillawitch,andshecouldnotlovesfellow-travellerhadthoughtofthat,sohegavejohnthreefeathersoutoftheswan'swings,andalittlebottlewithafewdropsinit.hetoldhimtoplacealargebathfullofwaterbytheprincess'sbed,andputthefeathersandthedropsintoit.then,atthemomentshewasabouttogetintobed,hemustgiveheralittlepush,sothatshemightfallintothewater,andthendipherthreetimes.thiswoulddestroythepowerofthemagician,andshewouldlovehimverymuch.johndidallthathiscompaniontoldhimtoprincessshriekedaloudwhenhedippedherunderthewaterthefirsttime,andstruggledunderhishandsintheformofagreatblackswanwithfieryeyes.assherosethesecondtimefromthewater,theswanhadbecomewhite,withablackringrounditsneck.johnallowedthewatertocloseoncemoreoverthebird,andatthesametimeitchangedintoamostbeautifulprincess.shewasmorelovelyeventhanbefore,andthankedhim,whilehereyessparkledwithtears,forhavingbrokenthespellofthemagician.thenextday,thekingcamewiththewholecourttooffertheircongratulations,andstayedtillquitelate.lastofallcamethetravellingcompanion;hehadhisstaffinhishandandhisknapsackonhisback.johnkissedhimmanytimesandtoldhimhemustnotgo,hemustremainwithhim,forhewasthecauseofallhisgoodfortune.butthetravellershookhishead,andsaidgentlyandkindly,"no:mytimeisupnow;ihaveonlypaidmydebttoyou.doyourememberthedeadmanwhomthebadpeoplewishedtothrowoutofhiscoffin?yougaveallyoupossessedthathemightrestinhisgrave;iamthatman."ashesaidthis,hevanished.

theweddingfestivitieslastedawholemonth.johnandhisprincesslovedeachotherdearly,andtheoldkinglivedtoseemanyahappyday,whenhetooktheirlittlechildrenonhiskneesandletthemplaywithhissceptre.andjohnbecamekingoverthewholecountry.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

theuglyduckling

byhanschristianandersen

itwaslovelysummerweatherinthecountry,andthegoldencorn,thegreenoats,andthehaystackspiledupinthemeadowslookedbeautiful.thestorkwalkingaboutonhislongredlegschatteredintheegyptianlanguage,whichhehadlearntfromhismother.thecorn-fieldsandmeadowsweresurroundedbylargeforests,inthemidstofwhichweredeeppools.itwas,indeed,delightfultowalkaboutinthecountry.inasunnyspotstoodapleasantoldfarm-houseclosebyadeepriver,andfromthehousedowntothewatersidegrewgreatburdockleaves,sohigh,thatunderthetallestofthemalittlechildcouldstandupright.thespotwasaswildasthecentreofathickwood.inthissnugretreatsataduckonhernest,watchingforheryoungbroodtohatch;shewasbeginningtogettiredofhertask,forthelittleoneswerealongtimecomingoutoftheirshells,andsheseldomhadanyvisitors.theotherduckslikedmuchbettertoswimaboutintheriverthantoclimbtheslipperybanks,andsitunderaburdockleaf,tohaveagossipwithher.atlengthoneshellcracked,andthenanother,andfromeacheggcamealivingcreaturethatlifteditsheadandcried,"peep,peep.""quack,quack,"saidthemother,andthentheyallquackedaswellastheycould,andlookedaboutthemoneverysideatthelargegreenleaves.theirmotherallowedthemtolookasmuchastheyliked,becausegreenisgoodfortheeyes."howlargetheworldis,"saidtheyoungducks,whentheyfoundhowmuchmoreroomtheynowhadthanwhiletheywereinsidetheegg-shell."doyouimaginethisisthewholeworld?"