yes,tofindthatoutwastherightthing.fatherwasright,andmotherwasright-truthholdstheworldtogether.

theyoungerbrotherwasquieter,andburiedhimselfentirelyinhisbooks.whenhereadaboutjacobdressinghimselfinsheep-skinstopersonifyesau,andsotousurphisbrother'sbirthright,hewouldclenchhislittlefistinangeragainstthedeceiver;whenhereadoftyrantsandoftheinjusticeandwickednessoftheworld,tearswouldcomeintohiseyes,andhewasquitefilledwiththethoughtofthejusticeandtruthwhichmustandwouldtriumph.

oneeveninghewaslyinginbed,butthecurtainswerenotyetdrawnclose,andthelightstreamedinuponhim;hehadtakenhisbookintobedwithhim,forhewantedtofinishreadingthestoryofsthoughtsliftedandcarriedhimawayawonderfuldistance;itseemedtohimasifthebedhadbecomeashipflyingalongunderfullsail.washedreaming,orwhatwashappening?itglidedovertherollingwavesandacrosstheoceanoftime,andtohimcamethevoiceofsolon;spokeninastrangetongue,yetintelligibletohim,heheardthedanishmotto:"bylawthelandisruled."

thegeniusofthehumanracestoodinthehumbleroom,bentdownoverthebedandimprintedakissontheboy'sforehead:"bethoustronginfameandstronginthebattleoflife!withtruthinthyheartflytowardthelandoftruth!"

theelderbrotherwasnotyetinbed;hewasstandingatthewindowlookingoutatthemistwhichrosefromthemeadows.theywerenotelvesdancingoutthere,astheiroldnursehadtoldhim;heknewbetter-theywerevapourswhichwerewarmerthantheair,andthatiswhytheyrose.ashootingstarlitupthesky,andtheboy'sthoughtspassedinasecondfromthevapoursoftheearthuptotheshiningmeteor.thestarsgleamedintheheavens,anditseemedasiflonggoldenthreadshungdownfromthemtotheearth.

"flywithme,"sangavoice,whichtheboyheardinhisheart.andthemightygeniusofmankind,swifterthanabirdandthananarrow-swifterthananythingofearthlyorigin-carriedhimoutintospace,wheretheheavenlybodiesareboundtogetherbytheraysthatpassfromstartostar.ourearthrevolvedinthethinair,andthecitiesuponitseemedtolieclosetoeachother.throughthespheresechoedthewords:

"whatisnear,whatisfar,whenthouartliftedbythemightygeniusofmind?"

andagaintheboystoodbythewindow,gazingout,whilsthisyoungerbrotherlayinbed.theirmothercalledthembytheirnames:"anderssandoe"and"hanschristian."

denmarkandthewholeworldknowsthem-thetwobrothersoersted.

theend.

1872

fairytalesofhanschristianandersen

twomaidens

byhanschristianandersen

haveyoueverseenamaiden?imeanwhatourpaverscallamaiden,athingwithwhichtheyramdownthepaving-stonesintheroads.amaidenofthiskindismadealtogetherofwood,broadbelow,andgirtroundwithironrings.atthetopsheisnarrow,andhasastickpassedacrossthroughherwaist,andthisstickformsthearmsofthemaiden.

intheshedstoodtwomaidensofthiskind.theyhadtheirplaceamongshovels,hand-carts,wheelbarrows,andmeasuring-tapes;andtoallthiscompanythenewshadcomethatthemaidenswerenolongertobecalled"maidens,"but"hand-rammers,"whichwordwasthenewestandtheonlycorrectdesignationamongthepaversforthethingweallknowfromtheoldtimesbythenameof"themaiden."

now,thereareamongushumancreaturescertainindividualswhoareknownas"emancipatedwomen,"as,forinstance,principalsofinstitutions,dancerswhostandprofessionallyononeleg,milliners,andsick-nurses;andwiththisclassofemancipatedwomenthetwomaidensintheshedassociatedthemselves.theywere"maidens"amongthepaverfolk,anddeterminednottogiveupthishonorableappellation,andletthemselvesbemiscalled"rammers.

"maidenisahumanname,buthand-rammerisathing,andwewon'tbecalledthings-that'sinsultingus."

"myloverwouldbereadytogiveuphisengagement,"saidtheyoungest,whowasbetrothedtoapaver'shammer;andthehammeristhethingwhichdrivesgreatpilesintotheearth,likeamachine,andthereforedoesonalargescalewhattenmaidenseffectinasimilarway."hewantstomarrymeasamaiden,butwhetherhewouldhavemewereiahand-rammerisaquestion,soiwon'thavemynamechanged."

"andi,"saidtheelderone,"wouldratherhavebothmyarmsbrokenoff."

butthewheelbarrowwasofadifferentopinion;andthewheelbarrowwaslookeduponasofsomeconsequence,forheconsideredhimselfaquarterofacoach,becausehewentaboutupononewheel.

"imustsubmittoyournotice,"hesaid,"thatthename'maiden'iscommonenough,andnotnearlysorefinedas'hand-rammer,'or'stamper,'whichlatterhasalsobeenproposed,andthroughwhichyouwouldbeintroducedintothecategoryofseals;andonlythinkofthegreatstampofstate,whichimpressestheroyalsealthatgiveseffecttothelaws!