"thewill-o'-the-wispisintown,"saidtheman."i'veheardit,andihaveunderstoodit.butwhatdoyouthinkioughttodo?ishouldbethrashedifiweretogotothepeopleandsay,'look,yondergoesawill-o'-the-wispinhisbestclothes!'

"theyalsogoinundress,"repliedthewoman."thewill-o'-the-wispcanassumeallkindsofforms,andappearineveryplace.hegoesintothechurch,butnotforthesakeoftheservice;andperhapshemayenterintooneorotherofthepriests.hespeaksintheparliament,notforthebenefitofthecountry,butonlyforhimself.he'sanartistwiththecolor-potaswellasinthetheatre;butwhenhegetsallthepowerintohisownhands,thenthepot'sempty!ichatterandchatter,butitmustcomeout,what'sstickinginmythroat,tothedisadvantageofmyownfamily.butimustnowbethewomanthatwillsaveagoodmanypeople.itisnotdonewithmygoodwill,orforthesakeofamedal.idothemostinsanethingsipossiblycan,andthenitellapoetaboutit,andthusthewholetowngetstoknowofitdirectly."

"thetownwillnottakethattoheart,"observedtheman;"thatwillnotdisturbasingleperson;fortheywillallthinki'monlytellingthemastoryifisay,'thewill-o'-the-wispisinthetown,saysthemoor-woman.takecareofyourselves!'"

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

thewindmill

byhanschristianandersen

awindmillstooduponthehill,proudtolookat,anditwasproudtoo.

"iamnotproudatall,"itsaid,"butiamverymuchenlightenedwithoutandwithin.ihavesunandmoonformyoutwarduse,andforinwardusetoo;andintothebargainihavestearinecandles,trainoilandlamps,andtallowcandles.imaywellsaythati'menlightened.i'mathinkingbeing,andsowellconstructedthatit'squitedelightful.ihaveagoodwindpipeinmychest,andihavefourwingsthatareplacedoutsidemyhead,justbeneathmyhat.thebirdshaveonlytwowings,andareobligedtocarrythemontheirbacks.iamadutchmanbybirth,thatmaybeseenbymyfigure-aflyingdutchman.theyareconsideredsupernaturalbeings,iknow,andyetiamquitenatural.ihaveagalleryroundmychest,andhouse-roombeneathit;that'swheremythoughtsdwell.mystrongestthought,whorulesandreigns,iscalledbyothers'themaninthemill.'heknowswhathewants,andislordoverthemealandthebran;buthehashiscompanion,too,andshecallsherself'mother.'sheistheveryheartofme.shedoesnotrunaboutstupidlyandawkwardly,forsheknowswhatshewants,sheknowswhatshecando,she'sassoftasazephyrandasstrongasastorm;sheknowshowtobeginathingcarefully,andtohaveherownway.sheismysofttemper,andthefatherismyhardone.theyaretwo,andyetone;theyeachcalltheother'myhalf.'thesetwohavesomelittleboys,youngthoughts,thatcangrow.thelittleoneskeepeverythinginorder.when,lately,inmywisdom,iletthefatherandtheboysexaminemythroatandtheholeinmychest,toseewhatwasgoingonthere,-forsomethinginmewasoutoforder,andit'swelltoexamineone'sself,-thelittleonesmadeatremendousnoise.theyoungestjumpedupintomyhat,andshoutedsotherethatittickledme.thelittlethoughtsmaygrow-iknowthatverywell;andoutintheworldthoughtscometoo,andnotonlyofmykind,forasfarasicansee,icannotdiscernanythinglikemyself;butthewinglesshouses,whosethroatsmakenonoise,havethoughtstoo,andthesecometomythoughts,andmakelovetothem,asitiscalled.it'swonderfulenough-yes,therearemanywonderfulthings.somethinghascomeoverme,orintome,-somethinghaschangedinthemill-work.itseemsasiftheonehalf,thefather,hadaltered,andhadreceivedabettertemperandamoreaffectionatehelpmate-soyoungandgood,andyetthesame,onlymoregentleandgoodthroughthecourseoftime.whatwasbitterhaspassedaway,andthewholeismuchmorecomfortable.

"thedaysgoon,andthedayscomenearerandnearertoclearnessandtojoy;andthenadaywillcomewhenitwillbeoverwithme;butnotoveraltogether.imustbepulleddownthatimaybebuiltupagain;ishallcease,butyetshallliveon.tobecomequiteadifferentbeing,andyetremainthesame!