itismovinginthewind."

themothersteppedtothewindowandhalfopenedit."oh!"shesaid,thereisactuallyalittlepeawhichhastakenrootandisputtingoutitsgreenleaves.howcouldithavegotintothiscrack?wellnow,hereisalittlegardenforyoutoamuseyourselfwith."sothebedofthesickgirlwasdrawnnearertothewindow,thatshemightseethebuddingplant;andthemotherwentouttoherwork.

"mother,ibelieveishallgetwell,"saidthesickchildintheevening,"thesunhasshoneinheresobrightlyandwarmlyto-day,andthelittlepeaisthrivingsowell:ishallgetonbetter,too,andgooutintothewarmsunshineagain."

"godgrantit!"saidthemother,butshedidnotbelieveitwouldbeso.butsheproppedupwiththelittlestickthegreenplantwhichhadgivenherchildsuchpleasanthopesoflife,sothatitmightnotbebrokenbythewinds;shetiedthepieceofstringtothewindow-sillandtotheupperpartoftheframe,sothatthepea-tendrilsmighttwinerounditwhenitshotup.anditdidshootup,indeeditmightalmostbeseentogrowfromdaytoday.

"nowreallyhereisaflowercoming,"saidtheoldwomanonemorning,andnowatlastshebegantoencouragethehopethathersickdaughtermightreallyrecover.sherememberedthatforsometimethechildhadspokenmorecheerfully,andduringthelastfewdayshadraisedherselfinbedinthemorningtolookwithsparklingeyesatherlittlegardenwhichcontainedonlyasinglepea-plant.aweekafter,theinvalidsatupforthefirsttimeawholehour,feelingquitehappybytheopenwindowinthewarmsunshine,whileoutsidegrewthelittleplant,andonitapinkpea-blossominfullbloom.thelittlemaidenbentdownandgentlykissedthedelicateleaves.thisdaywastoherlikeafestival.

"ourheavenlyfatherhimselfhasplantedthatpea,andmadeitgrowandflourish,tobringjoytoyouandhopetome,myblessedchild,"saidthehappymother,andshesmiledattheflower,asifithadbeenanangelfromgod.

butwhatbecameoftheotherpeas?whytheonewhoflewoutintothewideworld,andsaid,"catchmeifyoucan,"fellintoagutterontheroofofahouse,andendedhistravelsinthecropofapigeon.thetwolazyoneswerecarriedquiteasfar,fortheyalsowereeatenbypigeons,sotheywereatleastofsomeuse;butthefourth,whowantedtoreachthesun,fellintoasinkandlaythereinthedirtywaterfordaysandweeks,tillhehadswelledtoagreatsize.

"iamgettingbeautifullyfat,"saidthepea,"iexpectishallburstatlast;nopeacoulddomorethatthat,ithink;iamthemostremarkableofallthefivewhichwereintheshell."andthesinkconfirmedtheopinion.

buttheyoungmaidenstoodattheopengarretwindow,withsparklingeyesandtherosyhueofhealthonhercheeks,shefoldedherthinhandsoverthepea-blossom,andthankedgodforwhathehaddone.

"i,"saidthesink,"shallstandupformypea."

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

thepenandtheinkstand

byhanschristianandersen

inapoet'sroom,wherehisinkstandstoodonthetable,theremarkwasoncemade,"itiswonderfulwhatcanbebroughtoutofaninkstand.whatwillcomenext?itisindeedwonderful."

"yes,certainly,"saidtheinkstandtothepen,andtotheotherarticlesthatstoodonthetable;"that'swhatialwayssay.itiswonderfulandextraordinarywhatanumberofthingscomeoutof'squiteincredible,andireallydon'tknowwhatiscomingnextwhenthatmandipshispenintome.onedropoutofmeisenoughforhalfapageofpaper,andwhatcannothalfapagecontain?