butisupposeyouheardwhatwassaid?ihearditwithmyownears,andonehastohearagreatdealbeforetheyfalloff.thereisoneamongthefowlswhohassofarforgottenwhatisbecomingtoahenthatsheplucksoutallherfeathersandletsthecockseeit."

"prenezgardeauxenfants!"saidfatherowl;"childrenshouldnothearsuchthings."

"butimusttellourneighbourowlaboutit;sheissuchanestimableowltotalkto."andwiththatsheflewaway.

"too-whoo!too-whoo!"theybothhootedintotheneighbour'sdove-cottothedovesinside."haveyouheard?haveyouheard?too-whoo!thereisahenwhohaspluckedoutallherfeathersforthesakeofthecock;shewillfreezetodeath,ifsheisnotfrozenalready.too-whoo!"

"where?where?"cooedthedoves.

"intheneighbour'syard.ihaveasgoodasseenitmyself.itisalmostunbecomingtotellthestory,butthereisnodoubtaboutit."

"believeeverywordofwhatwetellyou,"saidthedoves,andcooeddownintotheirpoultry-yard."thereisahen-nay,somesaythattherearetwo-whohavepluckedoutalltheirfeathers,inordernottolookliketheothers,andtoattracttheattentionofthecock.itisadangerousgame,foronecaneasilycatchcoldanddiefromfever,andbothofthesearedeadalready."

"wakeup!wakeup!"crowedthecock,andflewuponhisboard.sleepwasstillinhiseyes,butyethecrowedout:"threehenshavediedoftheirunfortunateloveforacock.theyhadpluckedoutalltheirfeathers.itisahorriblestory:iwillnotkeepittomyself,butletitgofarther."

"letitgofarther,"shriekedthebats,andthehenscluckedandthecockscrowed,"letitgofarther!letitgofarther!"inthiswaythestorytravelledfrompoultry-yardtopoultry-yard,andatlastcamebacktotheplacefromwhichithadreallystarted.

"fivehens,"itnowran,"havepluckedoutalltheirfeatherstoshowwhichofthemhadgrownleanestforloveofthecock,andthentheyallpeckedateachothertillthebloodrandownandtheyfelldowndead,tothederisionandshameoftheirfamily,andtothegreatlossoftheirowner."

thehenwhohadlostthelooselittlefeathernaturallydidnotrecogniseherownstory,andbeingarespectablehen,said:"idespisethosefowls;buttherearemoreofthatkind.suchthingsoughtnottobeconcealed,andiwilldomybesttogetthestoryintothepapers,sothatitbecomesknownthroughouttheland;thehenshaverichlydeservedit,andtheirfamilytoo."

itgotintothepapers,itwasprinted;andthereisnodoubtaboutit,onelittlefeathermayeasilygrowintofivehens.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

twobrothers

byhanschristianandersen

ononeofthedanishislands,whereoldthingstones,theseatsofjusticeofourforefathers,stillstandinthecornfields,andhugetreesriseintheforestsofbeech,thereliesalittletownwhoselowhousesarecoveredwithredtiles.inoneofthesehousesstrangethingswerebrewingovertheglowingcoalsontheopenhearth;therewasaboilinggoingoninglasses,andamixinganddistilling,whileherbswerebeingcutupandpoundedinmortars.anelderlymanlookedafteritall.

"onemustonlydotherightthing,"hesaid;"yes,theright-thecorrectthing.onemustfindoutthetruthconcerningeverycreatedparticle,andkeeptothat."

intheroomwiththegoodhousewifesathertwosons;theywerestillsmall,buthadgreatthoughts.theirmother,too,hadalwaysspokentothemofrightandjustice,andexhortedthemtokeeptothetruth,whichshesaidwasthecountenanceofthelordinthisworld.

theelderoftheboyslookedroguishandenterprising.hetookadelightinreadingoftheforcesofnature,ofthesunandthemoon;nofairytalepleasedhimsomuch.oh,howbeautifulitmustbe,hethought,togoonvoyagesofdiscovery,ortofindouthowtoimitatethewingsofbirdsandthentobeabletofly!