nobodybutarealprincesscouldbeassensitiveasthat.

sotheprincetookherforhiswife,fornowheknewthathehadarealprincess;andthepeawasputinthemuseum,whereitmaystillbeseen,ifnoonehasstolenit.

there,thatisatruestory.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

thepsyche

byhanschristianandersen

inthefreshmorningdawn,intherosyairgleamsagreatstar,thebrighteststarofthemorning.hisraystrembleonthewhitewall,asifhewishedtowritedownonitwhathecantell,whathehasseenthereandelsewhereduringthousandsofyearsinourrollingushearoneofhisstories.

"ashorttimeago"-thestar's"shorttimeago"iscalledamongmen"centuriesago"-"myraysfollowedayoungartist.itwasinthecityofthepopes,intheworld-city,rome.muchhasbeenchangedthereinthecourseoftime,butthechangeshavenotcomesoquicklyasthechangefromyouthtooldage.thenalreadythepalaceofthecaesarswasaruin,asitisnow;figtreesandlaurelsgrewamongthefallenmarblecolumns,andinthedesolatebathing-halls,wherethegildingstillclingstothewall;thecoliseumwasagiganticruin;thechurchbellssounded,theincensesentupitsfragrantcloud,andthroughthestreetsmarchedprocessionswithflamingtapersandglowingcanopies.holychurchwasthere,andartwasheldasahighandholything.inromelivedthegreatestpainterintheworld,raphael;therealsodweltthefirstofsculptors,michaelangelo.eventhepopepaidhomagetothesetwo,andhonoredthemwithavisit.artwasrecognizedandhonored,andwasrewardedalso.but,forallthat,everythinggreatandsplendidwasnotseenandknown.

"inanarrowlanestoodanoldhouse.onceithadbeenatemple;ayoungsculptornowdweltthere.hewasyoungandquiteunknown.hecertainlyhadfriends,youngartists,likehimself,younginspirit,younginhopesandthoughts;theytoldhimhewasrichintalent,andanartist,butthathewasfoolishforhavingnofaithinhisownpower;forhealwaysbrokewhathehadfashionedoutofclay,andnevercompletedanything;andaworkmustbecompletedifitistobeseenandtobringmoney.

"'youareadreamer,'theywentontosaytohim,'andthat'syourmisfortune.butthereasonofthisis,thatyouhaveneverlived,youhavenevertastedlife,youhaveneverenjoyeditingreatwholesomedraughts,asitoughttobeenjoyed.inyouthonemustmingleone'sownpersonalitywithlife,thattheymaybecomeone.lookatthegreatmasterraphael,whomthepopehonorsandtheworldadmires.he'snodespiserofwineandbread.'

"'andheevenappreciatesthebaker'sdaughter,theprettyfornarina,'addedangelo,oneofthemerriestoftheyoungfriends.

"yes,theysaidagoodmanythingsofthekind,accordingtotheirageandtheirreason.theywantedtodrawtheyoungartistoutwiththemintothemerrywildlife,themadlifeasitmightalsobecalled;andatcertaintimeshefeltaninclinationforit.hehadwarmblood,astrongimagination,andcouldtakepartinthemerrychat,andlaughaloudwiththerest;butwhattheycalled'raphael'smerrylife'disappearedbeforehimlikeavaporwhenhesawthedivineradiancethatbeamedforthfromthepicturesofthegreatmaster;andwhenhestoodinthevatican,beforetheformsofbeautywhichthemastershadhewnoutofmarblethousandsofyearssince,hisbreastswelled,andhefeltwithinhimselfsomethinghigh,somethingholy,somethingelevating,greatandgood,andhewishedthathecouldproducesimilarformsfromtheblocksofmarble.hewishedtomakeapictureofthatwhichwaswithinhim,stirringupwardfromhishearttotherealmsoftheinfinite;buthow,andinwhatform?