theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

themoney-box

byhanschristianandersen

inanurserywhereanumberoftoyslayscatteredabout,amoney-boxstoodonthetopofaveryhighwardrobe.itwasmadeofclayintheshapeofapig,andhadbeenboughtofthepotter.inthebackofthepigwasaslit,andthisslithadbeenenlargedwithaknife,sothatdollars,orcrownpieces,mightslipthrough;and,indeedthereweretwointhebox,besidesanumberofpence.themoney-pigwasstuffedsofullthatitcouldnolongerrattle,whichisthehigheststateofperfectiontowhichamoney-pigcanattain.therehestooduponthecupboard,highandlofty,lookingdownuponeverythingelseintheroom.heknewverywellthathehadenoughinsidehimtobuyupalltheothertoys,andthisgavehimaverygoodopinionofhisownvalue.therestthoughtofthisfactalso,althoughtheydidnotexpressit,forthereweresomanyotherthingstotalkabout.alargedoll,stillhandsome,thoughratherold,forherneckhadbeenmended,layinsideoneofthedrawerswhichwaspartlyopen.shecalledouttotheothers,"letushaveagameatbeingmenandwomen,thatissomethingworthplayingat."

uponthistherewasagreatuproar;eventheengravings,whichhunginframesonthewall,turnedroundintheirexcitement,andshowedthattheyhadawrongsidetothem,althoughtheyhadnottheleastintentiontoexposethemselvesinthisway,ortoobjecttothegame.itwaslateatnight,butasthemoonshonethroughthewindows,theyhadlightatacheaprate.andasthegamewasnowtobegin,allwereinvitedtotakepartinit,eventhechildren'swagon,whichcertainlybelongedtothecoarserplaythings."eachhasitsownvalue,"saidthewagon;"wecannotallbenoblemen;theremustbesometodothework."

themoney-pigwastheonlyonewhoreceivedawritteninvitation.hestoodsohighthattheywereafraidhewouldnotacceptaverbalmessage.butinhisreply,hesaid,ifhehadtotakeapart,hemustenjoythesportfromhisownhome;theyweretoarrangeforhimtodoso;andsotheydid.thelittletoytheatrewasthereforeputupinsuchawaythatthemoney-pigcouldlookdirectlyintoit.somewantedtobeginwithacomedy,andafterwardstohaveateapartyandadiscussionformentalimprovement,buttheycommencedwiththelatterfirst.therocking-horsespokeoftrainingandraces;thewagonofrailwaysandsteampower,forthesesubjectsbelongedtoeachoftheirprofessions,anditwasrighttheyshouldtalkofthem.theclocktalkedpolitics-"tick,tick;"heprofessedtoknowwhatwasthetimeofday,buttherewasawhisperthathedidnotgocorrectly.thebamboocanestoodby,lookingstiffandproud:hewasvainofhisbrassferruleandsilvertop,andonthesofalaytwoworkedcushions,prettybutstupid.whentheplayatthelittletheatrebegan,therestsatandlookedon;theywererequestedtoapplaudandstamp,orcrack,whentheyfeltgratifiedwithwhattheysaw.buttheriding-whipsaidhenevercrackedforoldpeople,onlyfortheyoungwhowerenotyetmarried."icrackforeverybody,"saidthecracker.

"yes,andafinenoiseyoumake,"thoughttheaudience,astheplaywenton.

itwasnotworthmuch,butitwasverywellplayed,andallthecharactersturnedtheirpaintedsidestotheaudience,fortheyweremadeonlytobeseenononeside.theactingwaswonderful,exceptingthatsometimestheycameoutbeyondthelamps,becausethewireswerealittletoolong.thedoll,whoseneckhadbeendarned,wassoexcitedthattheplaceinherneckburst,andthemoney-pigdeclaredhemustdosomethingforoneoftheplayers,astheyhadallpleasedhimsomuch.sohemadeuphismindtorememberoneoftheminhiswill,astheonetobeburiedwithhiminthefamilyvault,wheneverthateventshouldhappen.theyallenjoyedthecomedysomuch,thattheygaveupallthoughtsoftheteaparty,andonlycarriedouttheirideaofintellectualamusement,whichtheycalledplayingatmenandwomen;andtherewasnothingwrongaboutit,foritwasonlyplay.allthewhile,eachonethoughtmostofhimself,orofwhatthemoney-pigcouldbethinking.histhoughtswereon,ashesupposed,averydistanttime-ofmakinghiswill,andofhisburial,andofwhenitmightallcometopass.certainlysoonerthanheexpected-forallatoncedownhecamefromthetopofthepress,fellontheground,andwasbrokentopieces.thenthepennieshoppedanddancedaboutinthemostamusingmanner.thelittleonestwirledroundliketops,andthelargeonesrolledawayasfarastheycould,especiallytheonegreatsilvercrownpiecewhohadoftentogooutintotheworld,andnowhehadhiswishaswellasalltherestofthemoney.thepiecesofthemoney-pigwerethrownintothedust-bin,andthenextdaytherestoodanewmoney-pigonthecupboard,butithadnotafarthinginitsinsideyet,andtherefore,liketheoldone,itcouldnotrattle.thiswasthebeginningwithhim,andwewillmakeittheendofourstory.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

theneighbouringfamilies

byhanschristianandersen

onewouldhavethoughtthatsomethingimportantwasgoingonintheduck-pond,butitwasnothingafterall.alltheduckslyingquietlyonthewaterorstandingontheirheadsinit-fortheycoulddothat-atonceswarmtothesides;thetracesoftheirfeetwereseeninthewetearth,andtheircacklingwasheardfarandwater,whichafewmomentsbeforehadbeenasclearandsmoothasamirror,becameverytroubled.before,everytree,everyneighbouringbush,theoldfarmhousewiththeholesintheroofandtheswallows'nest,andespeciallythegreatrose-bushfullofflowers,hadbeenreflectedinit.therose-bushcoveredthewallandhungoutoverthewater,inwhicheverythingwasseenasifinapicture,exceptthatitallstoodonitshead;butwhenthewaterwastroubledeverythinggotmixedup,andthepicturewasgone.twofeatherswhichtheflutteringduckshadlostfloatedupanddown;suddenlytheytookarushasifthewindwerecoming,butasitdidnotcometheyhadtoliestill,andthewateroncemorebecamequietandsmooth.theroseswereagainreflected;theywereverybeautiful,buttheydidnotknowit,fornoonehadtoldthem.thesunshoneamongthedelicateleaves;everythingbreathedforththeloveliestfragrance,andallfeltaswedowhenwearefilledwithjoyatthethoughtofourhappiness.

"howbeautifulexistenceis!"