no,inyourcaseiwouldsurrendermymaidenname."

"no,certainlynot!"exclaimedtheelder."iamtoooldforthat."

"ipresumeyouhaveneverheardofwhatiscalled'europeannecessity?'"observedthehonestmeasuringtape."onemustbeabletoadaptone'sselftotimeandcircumstances,andifthereisalawthatthe'maiden'istobecalled'hand-rammer,'why,shemustbecalled'hand-rammer,'andnopoutingwillavail,foreverythinghasitsmeasure."

"no;iftheremustbeachange,"saidtheyounger,"ishouldprefertobecalled'missy,'forthatremindsonealittleofmaidens."

"butiwouldratherbechoppedtochips,"saidtheelder.

atlasttheyallwenttowork.themaidensrode-thatis,theywereputinawheelbarrow,andthatwasadistinction;butstilltheywerecalled"hand-rammers."

"mai-!"theysaid,astheywerebumpeduponthepavement."mai-!"andtheywereverynearlypronouncingthewholeword"maiden;"buttheybrokeoffshort,andswallowedthelastsyllable;foraftermaturedeliberationtheyconsidereditbeneaththeirdignitytoprotest.buttheyalwayscalledeachother"maiden,"andpraisedthegoodolddaysinwhicheverythinghadbeencalledbyitsrightname,andthosewhoweremaidenswerecalledmaidens.andtheyremainedastheywere;forthehammerreallybrokeoffhisengagementwiththeyoungerone,fornothingwouldsuithimbuthemusthaveamaidenforhisbride.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

underthewillow-tree

byhanschristianandersen

theregionroundthelittletownofkjogeisverybleakandcold.thetownliesontheseashore,whichisalwaysbeautiful;buthereitmightbemorebeautifulthanitis,foroneverysidethefieldsareflat,anditisalongwaytotheforest.butwhenpersonsresideinaplaceandgetusedtoit,theycanalwaysfindsomethingbeautifulinit,-somethingforwhichtheylong,eveninthemostcharmingspotintheworldwhichisnothome.itmustbeownedthatthereareintheoutskirtsofthetownsomehumblegardensonthebanksofalittlestreamthatrunsontowardsthesea,andinsummerthesegardenslookverypretty.suchindeedwastheopinionoftwolittlechildren,whoseparentswereneighbors,andwhoplayedinthesegardens,andforcedtheirwayfromonegardentotheotherthroughthegooseberry-bushesthatdividedthem.inoneofthegardensgrewanelder-tree,andintheotheranoldwillow,underwhichthechildrenwereveryfondofplaying.theyhadpermissiontodoso,althoughthetreestoodclosebythestream,andtheymighteasilyhavefallenintothewater;buttheeyeofgodwatchesoverthelittleones,otherwisetheywouldneverbesafe.atthesametime,thesechildrenwereverycarefulnottogotoonearthewater;indeed,theboywassoafraidofit,thatinthesummer,whiletheotherchildrenweresplashingaboutinthesea,nothingcouldenticehimtojointhem.theyjeeredandlaughedathim,andhewasobligedtobearitallaspatientlyashecould.oncetheneighbor'slittlegirl,joanna,dreamedthatshewassailinginaboat,andtheboy-knudwashisname-wadedoutinthewatertojoinher,andthewatercameuptohisneck,andatlastclosedoverhishead,andinamomenthehaddisappeared.whenlittleknudheardthisdream,itseemedasifhecouldnotbearthemockingandjeeringagain;howcouldhedaretogointothewaternow,afterjoanna'sdream!heneverwoulddoit,forthisdreamalwayssatisfiedhim.theparentsofthesechildren,whowerepoor,oftensattogetherwhileknudandjoannaplayedinthegardensorintheroad.alongthisroad-arowofwillow-treeshadbeenplantedtoseparateitfromaditchononesideofit.theywerenotveryhandsometrees,forthetopshadbeencutoff;however,theywereintendedforuse,andnotforshow.theoldwillow-treeinthegardenwasmuchhandsomer,andthereforethechildrenwereveryfondofsittingunderit.thetownhadalargemarket-place;andatthefair-timetherewouldbewholerows,likestreets,oftentsandboothscontainingsilksandribbons,andtoysandcakes,andeverythingthatcouldbewishedfor.therewerecrowdsofpeople,andsometimestheweatherwouldberainy,andsplashwithmoisturethewoollenjacketsofthepeasants;butitdidnotdestroythebeautifulfragranceofthehoney-cakesandgingerbreadwithwhichoneboothwasfilled;andthebestofitwas,thatthemanwhosoldthesecakesalwayslodgedduringthefair-timewithlittleknud'sparents.soeverynowandthenhehadapresentofgingerbread,andofcoursejoannaalwayshadashare.and,moredelightfulstill,thegingerbreadsellerknewallsortsofthingstotellandcouldevenrelatestoriesabouthisowngingerbread.sooneeveninghetoldthemastorythatmadesuchadeepimpressiononthechildrenthattheyneverforgotit;andthereforeithinkwemayaswellhearittoo,foritisnotverylong.

"onceuponatime,"saidhe,"therelayonmycountertwogingerbreadcakes,oneintheshapeofamanwearingahat,theotherofamaidenwithoutabonnet.theirfaceswereonthesidethatwasuppermost,forontheothersidetheylookedverydifferent.mostpeoplehaveabestsidetotheircharacters,whichtheytakecaretoshowtotheworld.ontheleft,justwheretheheartis,thegingerbreadmanhadanalmondstuckintorepresentit,butthemaidenwashoneycakeallover.theywereplacedonthecounterassamples,andafterlyingtherealongtimetheyatlastfellinlovewitheachother;butneitherofthemspokeofittotheother,astheyshouldhavedoneiftheyexpectedanythingtofollow.'heisaman,heoughttospeakthefirstword,'thoughtthegingerbreadmaiden;butshefeltquitehappy-shewassurethatherlovewasreturned.buthisthoughtswerefarmoreambitious,asthethoughtsofamanoftenare.hedreamedthathewasarealstreetboy,thathepossessedfourrealpennies,andthathehadboughtthegingerbreadlady,andateherup.andsotheylayonthecounterfordaysandweeks,tilltheygrewhardanddry;butthethoughtsofthemaidenbecameevermoretenderandwomanly.'ahwell,itisenoughformethatihavebeenabletoliveonthesamecounterwithhim,'saidsheoneday;whensuddenly,'crack,'andshebrokeintwo.'ah,'saidthegingerbreadmantohimself,'ifshehadonlyknownofmylove,shewouldhavekepttogetheralittlelonger.'andheretheybothare,andthatistheirhistory,"saidthecakeman."youthinkthehistoryoftheirlivesandtheirsilentlove,whichnevercametoanything,veryremarkable;andtheretheyareforyou."sosaying,hegavejoannathegingerbreadman,whowasstillquitewhole-andtoknudthebrokenmaiden;butthechildrenhadbeensomuchimpressedbythestory,thattheyhadnotthehearttoeattheloversup.

thenextdaytheywentintothechurchyard,andtookthetwocakefigureswiththem,andsatdownunderthechurchwall,whichwascoveredwithluxuriantivyinsummerandwinter,andlookedasifhungwithrichtapestry.theystuckupthetwogingerbreadfiguresinthesunshineamongthegreenleaves,andthentoldthestory,andallaboutthesilentlovewhichcametonothing,toagroupofchildren.theycalledit,"love,"becausethestorywassolovely,andtheotherchildrenhadthesameopinion.butwhentheyturnedtolookatthegingerbreadpair,thebrokenmaidenwasgone!