awholelifedramaisunfoldingitselfbeforeherinwardgaze.

"thepoorlittlechildren,howhappytheyare-howmerrilytheyplayandromptogether!whatredcheeksandwhatangels'eyes!buttheyhavenoshoesnorstockings.theydanceonthegreenrampart,justontheplacewhere,accordingtotheoldstory,thegroundalwayssankin,andwhereasportive,frolicsomechildhadbeenluredbymeansofflowers,toysandsweetmeatsintoanopengravereadydugforit,andwhichwasafterwardsclosedoverthechild;andfromthatmoment,theoldstorysays,thegroundgavewaynolonger,themoundremainedfirmandfast,andwasquicklycoveredwiththegreenlittlepeoplewhonowplayonthatspotknownothingoftheoldtale,elsewouldtheyfancytheyheardachildcryingdeepbelowtheearth,andthedewdropsoneachbladeofgrasswouldbetothemtearsofwoe.nordotheyknowanythingofthedanishkingwhohere,inthefaceofthecomingfoe,tookanoathbeforeallhistremblingcourtiersthathewouldholdoutwiththecitizensofhiscapital,anddiehereinhisnest;theyknownothingofthemenwhohavefoughthere,orofthewomenwhofromherehavedrenchedwithboilingwatertheenemy,cladinwhite,and'bidinginthesnowtosurprisethecity.

"no!thepoorlittleonesareplayingwithlight,childishspirits.playon,playon,thoulittlemaiden!soontheyearswillcome-yes,thosegloriousyears.thepriestlyhandshavebeenlaidonthecandidatesforconfirmation;handinhandtheywalkonthegreenrampart.thouhastawhitefrockon;ithascostthymothermuchlabor,andyetitisonlycutdownfortheeoutofanoldlargerdress!youwillalsoweararedshawl;andwhatifithangtoofardown?peoplewillonlyseehowlarge,howverylargeitis.youarethinkingofyourdress,andofthegiverofallgood-sogloriousisittowanderonthegreenrampart!

"andtheyearsrollby;theyhavenolackofdarkdays,butyouhaveyourcheerfulyoungspirit,andyouhavegainedafriend-youknownothow.youmet,oh,howoften!youwalktogetherontherampartinthefreshspring,onthehighdaysandholidays,whenalltheworldcomeouttowalkupontheramparts,andallthebellsofthechurchsteeplesseemtobesingingasongofpraiseforthecomingspring.

"scarcelyhavethevioletscomeforth,butthereontherampart,justoppositethebeautifulcastleofrosenberg,thereisatreebrightwiththefirstgreenbuds.everyyearthistreesendsforthfreshgreenshoots.alas!itisnotsowiththehumanheart!darkmists,moreinnumberthanthosethatcoverthenorthernskies,cloudthehumanheart.poorchild!thyfriend'sbridalchamberisablackcoffin,andthoubecomestanoldmaid.fromthealmshousewindow,behindthebalsams,thoushaltlookonthemerrychildrenatplay,andshaltseethineownhistoryrenewed."

andthatisthelifedramathatpassesbeforetheoldmaidwhileshelooksoutupontherampart,thegreen,sunnyrampart,wherethechildren,withtheirredcheeksandbareshoelessfeet,arerejoicingmerrily,liketheotherfreelittlebirds.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

children'sprattle

byhanschristianandersen

atarichmerchant'shousetherewasachildren'sparty,andthechildrenofrichandgreatpeoplewerethere.themerchantwasalearnedman,forhisfatherhadsenthimtocollege,andhehadpassedhisexamination.hisfatherhadbeenatfirstonlyacattledealer,butalwayshonestandindustrious,sothathehadmademoney,andhisson,themerchant,hadmanagedtoincreasehisstore.cleverashewas,hehadalsoaheart;buttherewaslesssaidofhisheartthanofhismoney.alldescriptionsofpeoplevisitedatthemerchant'shouse,wellborn,aswellasintellectual,andsomewhopossessedneitheroftheserecommendations.

nowitwasachildren'sparty,andtherewaschildren'sprattle,whichalwaysisspokenfreelyfromtheheart.amongthemwasabeautifullittlegirl,whowasterriblyproud;butthishadbeentaughtherbytheservants,andnotbyherparents,whowerefartoosensiblepeople.

herfatherwasgroomofthechambers,whichisahighofficeatcourt,andsheknewit."iamachildofthecourt,"shesaid;nowshemightjustaswellhavebeenachildofthecellar,fornoonecanhelphisbirth;andthenshetoldtheotherchildrenthatshewaswell-born,andsaidthatnoonewhowasnotwell-borncouldriseintheworld.itwasnousetoreadandbeindustrious,forifapersonwasnotwell-born,hecouldneverachieveanything."andthosewhosenamesendwith'sen,'"saidshe,"canneverbeanythingatall.wemustputourarmsakimbo,andmaketheelbowquitepointed,soastokeepthese'sen'peopleatagreatdistance."andthenshestuckoutherprettylittlearms,andmadetheelbowsquitepointed,toshowhowitwastobedone;andherlittlearmswereverypretty,forshewasasweet-lookingchild.

butthelittledaughterofthemerchantbecameveryangryatthisspeech,forherfather'snamewaspetersen,andsheknewthatthenameendedin"sen,"andthereforeshesaidasproudlyasshecould,"butmypapacanbuyahundreddollars'worthofbonbons,andgivethemawaytochildren.canyourpapadothat?"