-flabs!hedidnotdeservetobeadmittedatall,andourauntwouldnotsoilherlipswithwhathesaid.andhesaid,didflabs,thatthewholewaswrittendown,anditshouldbeprintedwhenhewasdeadandburied,butnotbefore,forhewouldnotriskhavinghisarmsandlegsbroken.

onceouraunthadbeeninfearandtremblinginhertempleofhappiness,thetheatre.itwasonawinterday,oneofthosedaysinwhichonehasacoupleofhoursofdaylight,withagraysky.itwasterriblycoldandsnowy,butauntmustgotothetheatre.alittleoperaandagreatballetwereperformed,andaprologueandanepilogueintothebargain;andthatwouldlasttilllateatnight.ourauntmustneedsgo;sosheborrowedapairoffurbootsofherlodger-bootswithfurinsideandout,andwhichreachedfarupherlegs.

shegottothetheatre,andtoherbox;thebootswerewarm,andshekeptthemon.suddenlytherewasacryof"fire!"smokewascomingfromoneofthesidescenes,andstreameddownfromtheflies,andtherewasaterriblepanic.thepeoplecamerushingout,andourauntwasthelastinthebox,"onthesecondtier,left-handside,forfromtherethescenerylooksbest,"sheusedtosay."thescenesarealwaysarrangedthattheylookbestfromtheking'sside."auntwantedtocomeout,butthepeoplebeforeher,intheirfrightandheedlessness,slammedthedoorofthebox;andtheresatouraunt,andcouldn'tgetout,andcouldn'tgetin;thatistosay,shecouldn'tgetintothenextbox,forthepartitionwastoohighforher.shecalledout,andnooneheardher;shelookeddownintothetierofboxesbelowher,anditwasempty,andlow,andlookedquitenear,andauntinherterrorfeltquiteyoungandlight.shethoughtofjumpingdown,andhadgotonelegoverthepartition,theotherrestingonthebench.thereshesatastride,asifonhorseback,wellwrappedupinherfloweredcloakwithoneleghangingout-aleginatremendousfurboot.thatwasasighttobehold;andwhenitwasbeheld,ourauntwasheardtoo,andwassavedfromburning,forthetheatrewasnotburneddown.

thatwasthemostmemorableeveningofherlife,andshewasgladthatshecouldnotseeherself,forshewouldhavediedwithconfusion.

herbenefactorinthemachinerydepartment,herrsivertsen,visitedhereverysunday,butitwasalongtimefromsundaytosunday.inthelattertime,therefore,sheusedtohaveinalittlechild"forthescraps;"thatistosay,toeatuptheremainsofthedinner.itwasachildemployedintheballet,onethatcertainlywantedfeeding.thelittleoneusedtoappear,sometimesasanelf,sometimesasapage;themostdifficultpartshehadtoplaywasthelion'shindleginthe"magicflute;"butasshegrewlargershecouldrepresentthefore-feetofthelion.shecertainlyonlygothalfaguilderforthat,whereasthehindlegswerepaidforwithawholeguilder;butthenshehadtowalkbent,andtodowithoutfreshair."thatwasallveryinterestingtohear,"saidouraunt.

shedeservedtoliveaslongasthetheatrestood,butshecouldnotlastsolong;andshedidnotdieinthetheatre,butrespectablyinherbed.herlastwordswere,moreover,notwithoutmeaning.sheasked,

"whatwilltheplaybeto-morrow?"

atherdeathsheleftaboutfivehundreddollars.wepresumethisfromtheinterest,whichcametotwentydollars.thisouraunthaddestinedasalegacyforaworthyoldspinsterwhohadnofriends;itwastobedevotedtoayearlysubscriptionforaplaceinthesecondtier,ontheleftside,forthesaturdayevening,"foronthateveningtwopieceswerealwaysgiven,"itsaidinthewill;andtheonlyconditionlaiduponthepersonwhoenjoyedthelegacywas,thatsheshouldthink,everysaturdayevening,ofouraunt,whowaslyinginhergrave.

thiswasouraunt'sreligion.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

poultrymeg'sfamily

byhanschristianandersen

poultrymegwastheonlypersonwholivedinthenewstatelydwellingthathadbeenbuiltforthefowlsandducksbelongingtothemanorhouse.itstoodtherewhereoncetheoldknightlybuildinghadstoodwithitstower,itspointedgables,itsmoat,anditsdrawbridge.closebyitwasawildernessoftreesandthicket;herethegardenhadbeen,andhadstretchedouttoagreatlake,whichwasnowmoorland.crowsandchoughsflewscreamingovertheoldtrees,andtherewerecrowdsofbirds;theydidnotseemtogetfewerwhenanyoneshotamongthem,butseemedrathertoincrease.oneheardthescreamingintothepoultry-house,wherepoultrymegsatwiththeducklingsrunningtoandfrooverherwoodenshoes.shekneweveryfowlandeveryduckfromthemomentitcreptoutoftheshell;andshewasfondofherfowlsandherducks,andproudofthestatelyhousethathadbeenbuiltforthem.herownlittleroominthehousewascleanandneat,forthatwasthewishofthegraciousladytowhomthehousebelonged.sheoftencameinthecompanyofgrandnobleguests,towhomsheshowed"thehens'andducks'barracks,"asshecalledthelittlehouse.

herewereaclothescupboard,andan,arm-chair,andevenachestofdrawers;andonthesedrawersapolishedmetalplatehadbeenplaced,whereonwasengravedtheword"grubbe,"andthiswasthenameofthenoblefamilythathadlivedinthehouseofold.thebrassplatehadbeenfoundwhentheywerediggingthefoundation;andtheclerkhassaidithadnovalueexceptinbeinganoldrelic.theclerkknewallabouttheplace,andabouttheoldtimes,forhehadhisknowledgefrombooks,andmanyamemorandumhadbeenwrittenandputinhistable-drawer.buttheoldestofthecrowsperhapsknewmorethanhe,andscreameditoutinherownlanguage;butthatwasthecrow'slanguage,andtheclerkdidnotunderstandthat,cleverashewas.

afterthehotsummerdaysthemistsometimeshungoverthemoorlandasifawholelakewerebehindtheoldtrees,amongwhichthecrowsandthedawswerefluttering;andthusithadlookedwhenthegoodknightgrubbehadlivedhere-whentheoldmanorhousestoodwithitsthickredwalls.thedog-chainusedtoreachinthosedaysquiteoverthegateway;throughthetoweronewentintoapavedpassagewhichledtotherooms;thewindowswerenarrow,andthepanesweresmall,eveninthegreathallwherethedancingusedtobe;butinthetimeofthelastgrubbe,therehadbeennodancinginthehallwithinthememoryofman,althoughanolddrumstilllaytherethathadservedaspartofthemusic.herestoodaquaintlycarvedcupboard,inwhichrareflower-rootswerekept,formyladygrubbewasfondofplantsandcultivatedtreesandshrubs.herhusbandpreferredridingouttoshootwolvesandboars;andhislittledaughtermariealwayswentwithhimpartoftheway.whenshewasonlyfiveyearsold,shewouldsitproudlyonherhorse,andlooksaucilyroundwithhergreatblackeyes.itwasagreatamusementtohertohitoutamongthehunting-dogswithherwhip;butherfatherwouldratherhaveseenherhitamongthepeasantboys,whocamerunninguptostareattheirlord.

thepeasantintheclayhutclosebytheknightlyhousehadasonnamedsoren,ofthesameageasthegraciouslittlelady.theboycouldclimbwell,andhadalwaystobringherdownthebird'snests.thebirdsscreamedasloudastheycould,andoneofthegreatestofthemhackedhimwithitsbeakovertheeyesothatthebloodrandown,anditwasatfirstthoughttheeyehadbeendestroyed;butithadnotbeeninjuredafterall.mariegrubbeusedtocallhimhersoren,andthatwasagreatfavor,andwasanadvantagetosoren'sfather-poorjon,whohadonedaycommittedafault,andwastobepunishedbyridingonthewoodenhorse.thissamehorsestoodinthecourtyard,andhadfourpolesforlegs,andasinglenarrowplantforaback;onthisjonhadtorideastride,andsomeheavybrickswerefastenedtohisfeetintothebargain,thathemightnotsittoocomfortably.hemadehorriblegrimaces,andsorenweptandimploredlittlemarietointerfere.sheimmediatelyorderedthatsoren'sfathershouldbetakendown,andwhentheydidnotobeyher,shestampedonthefloor,andpulledatherfather'ssleevetillitwastorntopieces.shewouldhaveherway,andshegotherway,andsoren'sfatherwastakendown.

ladygrubbe,whonowcameup,partedherlittledaughter'shairfromthechild'sbrow,andlookedatheraffectionately;butmariedidnotunderstandwhy.

shewantedtogotothehounds,andnottohermother,whowentdownintothegarden,tothelakewherethewater-lilybloomed,andtheheadsofbulrushesnoddedamidthereeds;andshelookedatallthisbeautyandfreshness."howpleasant!"