"good,"theyallanswered.

"yes,butletmeseeformyself,"hereplied;andtheywereobligedtogivehimthebooks.thenallthosewhohad"verygood,"or"exceedinglygood,"cameinfrontofthehorse,andheardthebeautifulstory;whilethosewhohad"middling,"or"tolerablygood,"intheirbooks,wereobligedtositbehind,andlistentothefrightfultale.theytrembledandcried,andwantedtojumpdownfromthehorse,buttheycouldnotgetfree,fortheyseemedfastenedtotheseat.

"why,deathisamostsplendidluk-oie,"saidhjalmar."iamnotintheleastafraidofhim."

"youneedhavenofearofhim,"saidole-luk-oie,"ifyoutakecareandkeepagoodconductbook."

"nowicallthatveryinstructive,"murmuredthegreat-grandfather'sportrait."itisusefulsometimestoexpressanopinion;"sohewasquitesatisfied.

thesearesomeofthedoingsandsayingsofole-luk-oie.ihopehemayvisityouhimselfthisevening,andrelatesomemore.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

ouraunt

byhanschristianandersen

yououghttohaveknownouraunt;shewascharming!thatistosay,shewasnotcharmingatallasthewordisusuallyunderstood;butshewasgoodandkind,amusinginherway,andwasjustasanyoneoughttobewhompeoplearetotalkaboutandtolaughat.shemighthavebeenputintoaplay,andwhollyandsolelyonaccountofthefactthatsheonlylivedforthetheatreandforwhatwasdonethere.shewasanhonorablematron;butagentfabs,whomsheusedtocall"flabs,"declaredthatourauntwasstage-struck.

"thetheatreismyschool,"saidshe,"thesourceofmyromthenceihaveresuscitatedbiblicalhistory.now,'moses'and'josephinegypt'-thereareoperasforyou!igetmyuniversalhistoryfromthetheatre,mygeography,andmyknowledgeofmen.outofthefrenchpiecesigettoknowlifeinparis-slippery,butexceedinglyinteresting.howihavecriedover"lafamilleroquebourg'-thatthemanmustdrinkhimselftodeath,sothatshemaymarrytheyoungfellow!yes,howmanytearsihaveweptinthefiftyyearsihavesubscribedtothetheatre!"

ourauntkneweveryactingplay,everybitofscenery,everycharacter,everyonewhoappearedorhadappeared.sheseemedreallyonlytoliveduringtheninemonthsthetheatrewasopen.summertimewithoutasummertheatreseemedtobeonlyatimethatmadeherold;while,ontheotherhand,atheatricaleveningthatlastedtillmidnightwasalengtheningofherlife.shedidnotsay,asotherpeopledo,"nowweshallhavespring,thestorkishere,"or,"they'veadvertisedthefirststrawberriesinthepapers."she,onthecontrary,usedtoannouncethecomingofautumn,with"haveyouheardthey'resellingboxesforthetheatre?nowtheperformanceswillbegin."

sheusedtovaluealodgingentirelyaccordingtoitsproximitytothetheatre.itwasarealsorrowtoherwhenshehadtoleavethelittlelanebehindtheplayhouse,andmoveintothegreatstreetthatlayalittlefartheroff,andlivethereinahousewhereshehadnooppositeneighbors.

"athome,"saidshe,"mywindowsmustbemyopera-box.onecannotsitandlookintoone'sselftillone'stired;onemustseepeople.butnowilivejustasifi'dgointothecountry.ifiwanttoseehumanbeings,imustgointomykitchen,andsitdownonthesink,forthereonlyihaveoppositeneighbors.no;whenilivedinmydearlittlelane,icouldlookstraightdownintotheironmonger'sshop,andhadonlythreehundredpacestothetheatre;andnowi'vethreethousandpacestogo,militarymeasurement."

ourauntwassometimesill,buthoweverunwellshemightfeel,shenevermissedtheplay.thedoctorprescribedonedaythatsheshouldputherfeetinabranbath,andshefollowedhisadvice;butshedrovetothetheatreallthesame,andsatwithherfeetinbranthere.ifshehaddiedthere,shewouldhavebeenveryrwaldsendiedinthetheatre,andshecalledthatahappydeath.

shecouldnotimaginebutthatinheaventheremustbeatheatretoo.ithadnot,indeed,beenpromisedus,butwemightverywellimagineit.themanydistinguishedactorsandactresseswhohadpassedawaymustsurelyhaveafieldfortheirtalent.

ouraunthadanelectricwirefromthetheatretoherroom.atelegramusedtobedispatchedtoheratcoffee-time,anditusedtoconsistofthewords,"herrsivertsenisatthemachinery;"foritwashewhogavethesignalfordrawingthecurtainupanddownandforchangingthescenes.

fromhimsheusedtoreceiveashortandconcisedescriptionofeverypiece.hisopinionofshakspeare's"tempest,"was,"madnonsense!