No More Learning

"Heaven preserve us! " he thought, and opened
his eyes wide, "I cannot see anything at all," but he did not say
so. Both swindlers requested him to come near, and asked him if he did
not admire the exquisite pattern and the beautiful colours, pointing
to the empty looms. The poor old minister tried his very best, but
he could see nothing, for there was nothing to be seen. "Oh dear,"
he thought, "can I be so stupid? I should never have thought so, and
nobody must know it! Is it possible that I am not fit for my office?
No, no, I cannot say that I was unable to see the cloth. "

"Now, have you got nothing to say? " said one of the swindlers,
while he pretended to be busily weaving.

"Oh, it is very pretty, exceedingly beautiful," replied the old
minister looking through his glasses. "What a beautiful pattern,
what brilliant colours! I shall tell the emperor that I like the cloth
very much. "

"We are pleased to hear that," said the two weavers, and described
to him the colours and explained the curious pattern. The old minister
listened attentively, that he might relate to the emperor what they
said; and so he did.

Now the swindlers asked for more money, silk and gold-cloth, which
they required for weaving. They kept everything for themselves, and
not a thread came near the loom, but they continued, as hitherto, to
work at the empty looms.

Soon afterwards the emperor sent another honest courtier to the
weavers to see how they were getting on, and if the cloth was nearly
finished. Like the old minister, he looked and looked but could see
nothing, as there was nothing to be seen.

"Is it not a beautiful piece of cloth? " asked the two swindlers,
showing and explaining the magnificent pattern, which, however, did
not exist.

"I am not stupid," said the man. "It is therefore my good
appointment for which I am not fit. It is very strange, but I must not
let any one know it;" and he praised the cloth, which he did not
see, and expressed his joy at the beautiful colours and the fine
pattern. "It is very excellent," he said to the emperor.

Everybody in the whole town talked about the precious cloth. At
last the emperor wished to see it himself, while it was still on the
loom. With a number of courtiers, including the two who had already
been there, he went to the two clever swindlers, who now worked as
hard as they could, but without using any thread.

"Is it not magnificent? " said the two old statesmen who had been
there before. "Your Majesty must admire the colours and the
pattern. " And then they pointed to the empty looms, for they
imagined the others could see the cloth.

"What is this? " thought the emperor, "I do not see anything at
all. That is terrible! Am I stupid? Am I unfit to be emperor? That
would indeed be the most dreadful thing that could happen to me. "

"Really," he said, turning to the weavers, "your cloth has our
most gracious approval;" and nodding contentedly he looked at the
empty loom, for he did not like to say that he saw nothing. All his
attendants, who were with him, looked and looked, and although they
could not see anything more than the others, they said, like the
emperor, "It is very beautiful. " And all advised him to wear the new
magnificent clothes at a great procession which was soon to take
place. "It is magnificent, beautiful, excellent," one heard them
say; everybody seemed to be delighted, and the emperor appointed the
two swindlers "Imperial Court weavers. "

The whole night previous to the day on which the procession was to
take place, the swindlers pretended to work, and burned more than
sixteen candles. People should see that they were busy to finish the
emperor's new suit. They pretended to take the cloth from the loom,
and worked about in the air with big scissors, and sewed with
needles without thread, and said at last: "The emperor's new suit is
ready now. "

The emperor and all his barons then came to the hall; the
swindlers held their arms up as if they held something in their
hands and said: "These are the trousers! " "This is the coat! " and
"Here is the cloak! " and so on. "They are all as light as a cobweb,
and one must feel as if one had nothing at all upon the body; but that
is just the beauty of them. "

"Indeed! " said all the courtiers; but they could not see anything,
for there was nothing to be seen.

"Does it please your Majesty now to graciously undress," said
the swindlers, "that we may assist your Majesty in putting on the
new suit before the large looking-glass? "

The emperor undressed, and the swindlers pretended to put the
new suit upon him, one piece after another; and the emperor looked
at himself in the glass from every side.

"How well they look! How well they fit! " said all. "What a
beautiful pattern! What fine colours! That is a magnificent suit of
clothes! "

The master of the ceremonies announced that the bearers of the
canopy, which was to be carried in the procession, were ready.

"I am ready," said the emperor. "Does not my suit fit me
marvellously? " Then he turned once more to the looking-glass, that
people should think he admired his garments.

The chamberlains, who were to carry the train, stretched their
hands to the ground as if they lifted up a train, and pretended to
hold something in their hands; they did not like people to know that
they could not see anything.

The emperor marched in the procession under the beautiful
canopy, and all who saw him in the street and out of the windows
exclaimed: "Indeed, the emperor's new suit is incomparable! What a
long train he has! How well it fits him! " Nobody wished to let
others know he saw nothing, for then he would have been unfit for
his office or too stupid. Never emperor's clothes were more admired.

"But he has nothing on at all," said a little child at last. "Good
heavens! listen to the voice of an innocent child," said the father,
and one whispered to the other what the child had said. "But he has
nothing on at all," cried at last the whole people. That made a deep
impression upon the emperor, for it seemed to him that they were
right; but he thought to himself, "Now I must bear up to the end. " And
the chamberlains walked with still greater dignity, as if they carried
the train which did not exist.




THE FIR TREE

Far down in the forest, where the warm sun and the fresh air
made a sweet resting-place, grew a pretty little fir-tree; and yet
it was not happy, it wished so much to be tall like its companions--the
pines and firs which grew around it. The sun shone, and the soft
air fluttered its leaves, and the little peasant children passed by,
prattling merrily, but the fir-tree heeded them not. Sometimes the
children would bring a large basket of raspberries or strawberries,
wreathed on a straw, and seat themselves near the fir-tree, and say,
"Is it not a pretty little tree? " which made it feel more unhappy than
before. And yet all this while the tree grew a notch or joint taller
every year; for by the number of joints in the stem of a fir-tree we
can discover its age. Still, as it grew, it complained, "Oh! how I
wish I were as tall as the other trees, then I would spread out my
branches on every side, and my top would over-look the wide world. I
should have the birds building their nests on my boughs, and when
the wind blew, I should bow with stately dignity like my tall
companions. " The tree was so discontented, that it took no pleasure in
the warm sunshine, the birds, or the rosy clouds that floated over
it morning and evening. Sometimes, in winter, when the snow lay
white and glittering on the ground, a hare would come springing along,
and jump right over the little tree; and then how mortified it would
feel! Two winters passed, and when the third arrived, the tree had
grown so tall that the hare was obliged to run round it. Yet it
remained unsatisfied, and would exclaim, "Oh, if I could but keep on
growing tall and old! There is nothing else worth caring for in the
world! " In the autumn, as usual, the wood-cutters came and cut down
several of the tallest trees, and the young fir-tree, which was now
grown to its full height, shuddered as the noble trees fell to the
earth with a crash. After the branches were lopped off, the trunks
looked so slender and bare, that they could scarcely be recognized.
Then they were placed upon wagons, and drawn by horses out of the
forest. "Where were they going? What would become of them? " The
young fir-tree wished very much to know; so in the spring, when the
swallows and the storks came, it asked, "Do you know where those trees
were taken? Did you meet them? "

The swallows knew nothing, but the stork, after a little
reflection, nodded his head, and said, "Yes, I think I do. I met
several new ships when I flew from Egypt, and they had fine masts that
smelt like fir. I think these must have been the trees; I assure you
they were stately, very stately. "

"Oh, how I wish I were tall enough to go on the sea," said the
fir-tree. "What is the sea, and what does it look like? "

"It would take too much time to explain," said the stork, flying
quickly away.

"Rejoice in thy youth," said the sunbeam; "rejoice in thy fresh
growth, and the young life that is in thee. "

And the wind kissed the tree, and the dew watered it with tears;
but the fir-tree regarded them not.

Christmas-time drew near, and many young trees were cut down, some
even smaller and younger than the fir-tree who enjoyed neither rest
nor peace with longing to leave its forest home. These young trees,
which were chosen for their beauty, kept their branches, and were also
laid on wagons and drawn by horses out of the forest.

"Where are they going? " asked the fir-tree. "They are not taller
than I am: indeed, one is much less; and why are the branches not
cut off? Where are they going? "

"We know, we know," sang the sparrows; "we have looked in at the
windows of the houses in the town, and we know what is done with them.
They are dressed up in the most splendid manner. We have seen them
standing in the middle of a warm room, and adorned with all sorts of
beautiful things,--honey cakes, gilded apples, playthings, and many
hundreds of wax tapers. "

"And then," asked the fir-tree, trembling through all its
branches, "and then what happens? "

"We did not see any more," said the sparrows; "but this was enough
for us. "

"I wonder whether anything so brilliant will ever happen to me,"
thought the fir-tree. "It would be much better than crossing the
sea. I long for it almost with pain. Oh! when will Christmas be
here? I am now as tall and well grown as those which were taken away
last year. Oh! that I were now laid on the wagon, or standing in the
warm room, with all that brightness and splendor around me!
Something better and more beautiful is to come after, or the trees
would not be so decked out. Yes, what follows will be grander and more
splendid. What can it be? I am weary with longing. I scarcely know how
I feel. "

"Rejoice with us," said the air and the sunlight. "Enjoy thine own
bright life in the fresh air. "

But the tree would not rejoice, though it grew taller every day;
and, winter and summer, its dark-green foliage might be seen in the
forest, while passers by would say, "What a beautiful tree! "

A short time before Christmas, the discontented fir-tree was the
first to fall. As the axe cut through the stem, and divided the
pith, the tree fell with a groan to the earth, conscious of pain and
faintness, and forgetting all its anticipations of happiness, in
sorrow at leaving its home in the forest. It knew that it should never
again see its dear old companions, the trees, nor the little bushes
and many-colored flowers that had grown by its side; perhaps not
even the birds. Neither was the journey at all pleasant. The tree
first recovered itself while being unpacked in the courtyard of a
house, with several other trees; and it heard a man say, "We only want
one, and this is the prettiest. "

Then came two servants in grand livery, and carried the fir-tree
into a large and beautiful apartment. On the walls hung pictures,
and near the great stove stood great china vases, with lions on the
lids. There were rocking chairs, silken sofas, large tables, covered
with pictures, books, and playthings, worth a great deal of money,--at
least, the children said so. Then the fir-tree was placed in a large
tub, full of sand; but green baize hung all around it, so that no
one could see it was a tub, and it stood on a very handsome carpet.
How the fir-tree trembled! "What was going to happen to him now? " Some
young ladies came, and the servants helped them to adorn the tree.
On one branch they hung little bags cut out of colored paper, and each
bag was filled with sweetmeats; from other branches hung gilded apples
and walnuts, as if they had grown there; and above, and all round,
were hundreds of red, blue, and white tapers, which were fastened on
the branches. Dolls, exactly like real babies, were placed under the
green leaves,--the tree had never seen such things before,--and at the
very top was fastened a glittering star, made of tinsel. Oh, it was
very beautiful!

"This evening," they all exclaimed, "how bright it will be! "
"Oh, that the evening were come," thought the tree, "and the tapers
lighted! then I shall know what else is going to happen. Will the
trees of the forest come to see me? I wonder if the sparrows will peep
in at the windows as they fly? shall I grow faster here, and keep on
all these ornaments summer and winter? " But guessing was of very
little use; it made his bark ache, and this pain is as bad for a
slender fir-tree, as headache is for us. At last the tapers were
lighted, and then what a glistening blaze of light the tree presented!
It trembled so with joy in all its branches, that one of the candles
fell among the green leaves and burnt some of them. "Help! help! "
exclaimed the young ladies, but there was no danger, for they
quickly extinguished the fire. After this, the tree tried not to
tremble at all, though the fire frightened him; he was so anxious
not to hurt any of the beautiful ornaments, even while their
brilliancy dazzled him. And now the folding doors were thrown open,
and a troop of children rushed in as if they intended to upset the
tree; they were followed more silently by their elders. For a moment
the little ones stood silent with astonishment, and then they
shouted for joy, till the room rang, and they danced merrily round the
tree, while one present after another was taken from it.

"What are they doing? What will happen next? " thought the fir.
At last the candles burnt down to the branches and were put out.
Then the children received permission to plunder the tree.

Oh, how they rushed upon it, till the branches cracked, and had it
not been fastened with the glistening star to the ceiling, it must
have been thrown down. The children then danced about with their
pretty toys, and no one noticed the tree, except the children's maid
who came and peeped among the branches to see if an apple or a fig had
been forgotten.

"A story, a story," cried the children, pulling a little fat man
towards the tree.

"Now we shall be in the green shade," said the man, as he seated
himself under it, "and the tree will have the pleasure of hearing
also, but I shall only relate one story; what shall it be?
Ivede-Avede, or Humpty Dumpty, who fell down stairs, but soon got up
again, and at last married a princess. "

"Ivede-Avede," cried some. "Humpty Dumpty," cried others, and
there was a fine shouting and crying out. But the fir-tree remained
quite still, and thought to himself, "Shall I have anything to do with
all this? " but he had already amused them as much as they wished. Then
the old man told them the story of Humpty Dumpty, how he fell down
stairs, and was raised up again, and married a princess. And the
children clapped their hands and cried, "Tell another, tell
another," for they wanted to hear the story of "Ivede-Avede;" but they
only had "Humpty Dumpty. " After this the fir-tree became quite
silent and thoughtful; never had the birds in the forest told such
tales as "Humpty Dumpty," who fell down stairs, and yet married a
princess.

"Ah! yes, so it happens in the world," thought the fir-tree; he
believed it all, because it was related by such a nice man. "Ah!
well," he thought, "who knows? perhaps I may fall down too, and
marry a princess;" and he looked forward joyfully to the next evening,
expecting to be again decked out with lights and playthings, gold
and fruit. "To-morrow I will not tremble," thought he; "I will enjoy
all my splendor, and I shall hear the story of Humpty Dumpty again,
and perhaps Ivede-Avede. " And the tree remained quiet and thoughtful
all night. In the morning the servants and the housemaid came in.
"Now," thought the fir, "all my splendor is going to begin again. " But
they dragged him out of the room and up stairs to the garret, and
threw him on the floor, in a dark corner, where no daylight shone, and
there they left him. "What does this mean? " thought the tree, "what am
I to do here? I can hear nothing in a place like this," and he had
time enough to think, for days and nights passed and no one came
near him, and when at last somebody did come, it was only to put
away large boxes in a corner. So the tree was completely hidden from
sight as if it had never existed. "It is winter now," thought the
tree, "the ground is hard and covered with snow, so that people cannot
plant me. I shall be sheltered here, I dare say, until spring comes.
How thoughtful and kind everybody is to me! Still I wish this place
were not so dark, as well as lonely, with not even a little hare to
look at. How pleasant it was out in the forest while the snow lay on
the ground, when the hare would run by, yes, and jump over me too,
although I did not like it then. Oh! it is terrible lonely here. "

"Squeak, squeak," said a little mouse, creeping cautiously towards
the tree; then came another; and they both sniffed at the fir-tree and
crept between the branches.
"Oh, it is very cold," said the little mouse, "or else we should
be so comfortable here, shouldn't we, you old fir-tree? "

"I am not old," said the fir-tree, "there are many who are older
than I am. "

"Where do you come from? and what do you know? " asked the mice,
who were full of curiosity. "Have you seen the most beautiful places
in the world, and can you tell us all about them? and have you been in
the storeroom, where cheeses lie on the shelf, and hams hang from
the ceiling? One can run about on tallow candles there, and go in thin
and come out fat. "

"I know nothing of that place," said the fir-tree, "but I know the
wood where the sun shines and the birds sing. " And then the tree
told the little mice all about its youth. They had never heard such an
account in their lives; and after they had listened to it attentively,
they said, "What a number of things you have seen? you must have
been very happy. "

"Happy! " exclaimed the fir-tree, and then as he reflected upon
what he had been telling them, he said, "Ah, yes! after all those were
happy days. " But when he went on and related all about Christmas-eve,
and how he had been dressed up with cakes and lights, the mice
said, "How happy you must have been, you old fir-tree. "

"I am not old at all," replied the tree, "I only came from the
forest this winter, I am now checked in my growth. "

"What splendid stories you can relate," said the little mice.
And the next night four other mice came with them to hear what the
tree had to tell. The more he talked the more he remembered, and
then he thought to himself, "Those were happy days, but they may
come again. Humpty Dumpty fell down stairs, and yet he married the
princess; perhaps I may marry a princess too. " And the fir-tree
thought of the pretty little birch-tree that grew in the forest, which
was to him a real beautiful princess.

"Who is Humpty Dumpty? " asked the little mice. And then the tree
related the whole story; he could remember every single word, and
the little mice was so delighted with it, that they were ready to jump
to the top of the tree. The next night a great many more mice made
their appearance, and on Sunday two rats came with them; but they
said, it was not a pretty story at all, and the little mice were
very sorry, for it made them also think less of it.

"Do you know only one story? " asked the rats.

"Only one," replied the fir-tree; "I heard it on the happiest
evening of my life; but I did not know I was so happy at the time. "

"We think it is a very miserable story," said the rats. "Don't you
know any story about bacon, or tallow in the storeroom. "

"No," replied the tree.

"Many thanks to you then," replied the rats, and they marched off.

The little mice also kept away after this, and the tree sighed,
and said, "It was very pleasant when the merry little mice sat round
me and listened while I talked. Now that is all passed too. However, I
shall consider myself happy when some one comes to take me out of this
place. " But would this ever happen? Yes; one morning people came to
clear out the garret, the boxes were packed away, and the tree was
pulled out of the corner, and thrown roughly on the garret floor; then
the servant dragged it out upon the staircase where the daylight
shone. "Now life is beginning again," said the tree, rejoicing in
the sunshine and fresh air. Then it was carried down stairs and
taken into the courtyard so quickly, that it forgot to think of
itself, and could only look about, there was so much to be seen. The
court was close to a garden, where everything looked blooming. Fresh
and fragrant roses hung over the little palings. The linden-trees were
in blossom; while the swallows flew here and there, crying, "Twit,
twit, twit, my mate is coming,"--but it was not the fir-tree they
meant. "Now I shall live," cried the tree, joyfully spreading out
its branches; but alas! they were all withered and yellow, and it
lay in a corner amongst weeds and nettles. The star of gold paper
still stuck in the top of the tree and glittered in the sunshine. In
the same courtyard two of the merry children were playing who had
danced round the tree at Christmas, and had been so happy. The
youngest saw the gilded star, and ran and pulled it off the tree.
"Look what is sticking to the ugly old fir-tree," said the child,
treading on the branches till they crackled under his boots. And the
tree saw all the fresh bright flowers in the garden, and then looked
at itself, and wished it had remained in the dark corner of the
garret. It thought of its fresh youth in the forest, of the merry
Christmas evening, and of the little mice who had listened to the
story of "Humpty Dumpty. " "Past! past! " said the old tree; "Oh, had
I but enjoyed myself while I could have done so! but now it is too
late. " Then a lad came and chopped the tree into small pieces, till
a large bundle lay in a heap on the ground. The pieces were placed
in a fire under the copper, and they quickly blazed up brightly, while
the tree sighed so deeply that each sigh was like a pistol-shot.
Then the children, who were at play, came and seated themselves in
front of the fire, and looked at it and cried, "Pop, pop. " But at each
"pop," which was a deep sigh, the tree was thinking of a summer day in
the forest; and of Christmas evening, and of "Humpty Dumpty," the only
story it had ever heard or knew how to relate, till at last it was
consumed. The boys still played in the garden, and the youngest wore
the golden star on his breast, with which the tree had been adorned
during the happiest evening of its existence. Now all was past; the
tree's life was past, and the story also,--for all stories must come
to an end at last.




THE FLAX

The flax was in full bloom; it had pretty little blue flowers as
delicate as the wings of a moth, or even more so. The sun shone, and
the showers watered it; and this was just as good for the flax as it
is for little children to be washed and then kissed by their mother.
They look much prettier for it, and so did the flax.

"People say that I look exceedingly well," said the flax, "and
that I am so fine and long that I shall make a beautiful piece of
linen. How fortunate I am; it makes me so happy, it is such a pleasant
thing to know that something can be made of me. How the sunshine
cheers me, and how sweet and refreshing is the rain; my happiness
overpowers me, no one in the world can feel happier than I am. "

"Ah, yes, no doubt," said the fern, "but you do not know the world
yet as well as I do, for my sticks are knotty;" and then it sung quite
mournfully--

"Snip, snap, snurre,
Basse lurre:
The song is ended. "


"No, it is not ended," said the flax. "To-morrow the sun will
shine, or the rain descend. I feel that I am growing. I feel that I am
in full blossom. I am the happiest of all creatures. "

Well, one day some people came, who took hold of the flax, and
pulled it up by the roots; this was painful; then it was laid in water
as if they intended to drown it; and, after that, placed near a fire
as if it were to be roasted; all this was very shocking. "We cannot
expect to be happy always," said the flax; "by experiencing evil as
well as good, we become wise. " And certainly there was plenty of
evil in store for the flax. It was steeped, and roasted, and broken,
and combed; indeed, it scarcely knew what was done to it. At last it
was put on the spinning wheel. "Whirr, whirr," went the wheel so
quickly that the flax could not collect its thoughts. "Well, I have
been very happy," he thought in the midst of his pain, "and must be
contented with the past;" and contented he remained till he was put on
the loom, and became a beautiful piece of white linen. All the flax,
even to the last stalk, was used in making this one piece. "Well, this
is quite wonderful; I could not have believed that I should be so
favored by fortune. The fern was not wrong with its song of

'Snip, snap, snurre,
Basse lurre. '

But the song is not ended yet, I am sure; it is only just beginning.
How wonderful it is, that after all I have suffered, I am made
something of at last; I am the luckiest person in the world--so strong
and fine; and how white, and what a length! This is something
different to being a mere plant and bearing flowers. Then I had no
attention, nor any water unless it rained; now, I am watched and taken
care of. Every morning the maid turns me over, and I have a
shower-bath from the watering-pot every evening. Yes, and the
clergyman's wife noticed me, and said I was the best piece of linen in
the whole parish. I cannot be happier than I am now. "

After some time, the linen was taken into the house, placed
under the scissors, and cut and torn into pieces, and then pricked
with needles. This certainly was not pleasant; but at last it was made
into twelve garments of that kind which people do not like to name,
and yet everybody should wear one. "See, now, then," said the flax; "I
have become something of importance. This was my destiny; it is
quite a blessing. Now I shall be of some use in the world, as everyone
ought to be; it is the only way to be happy. I am now divided into
twelve pieces, and yet we are all one and the same in the whole dozen.
It is most extraordinary good fortune. "

Years passed away, and at last the linen was so worn it could
scarcely hold together. "It must end very soon," said the pieces to
each other; "we would gladly have held together a little longer, but
it is useless to expect impossibilities. " And at length they fell into
rags and tatters, and thought it was all over with them, for they were
torn to shreds, and steeped in water, and made into a pulp, and dried,
and they knew not what besides, till all at once they found themselves
beautiful white paper. "Well, now, this is a surprise; a glorious
surprise too," said the paper. "I am now finer than ever, and I
shall be written upon, and who can tell what fine things I may have
written upon me. This is wonderful luck! " And sure enough the most
beautiful stories and poetry were written upon it, and only once was
there a blot, which was very fortunate. Then people heard the
stories and poetry read, and it made them wiser and better; for all
that was written had a good and sensible meaning, and a great blessing
was contained in the words on this paper.

"I never imagined anything like this," said the paper, "when I was
only a little blue flower, growing in the fields. How could I fancy
that I should ever be the means of bringing knowledge and joy to
man? I cannot understand it myself, and yet it is really so. Heaven
knows that I have done nothing myself, but what I was obliged to do
with my weak powers for my own preservation; and yet I have been
promoted from one joy and honor to another. Each time I think that the
song is ended; and then something higher and better begins for me. I
suppose now I shall be sent on my travels about the world, so that
people may read me. It cannot be otherwise; indeed, it is more than
probable; for I have more splendid thoughts written upon me, than I
had pretty flowers in olden times. I am happier than ever. "

But the paper did not go on its travels; it was sent to the
printer, and all the words written upon it were set up in type, to
make a book, or rather, many hundreds of books; for so many more
persons could derive pleasure and profit from a printed book, than
from the written paper; and if the paper had been sent around the
world, it would have been worn out before it had got half through
its journey.

"This is certainly the wisest plan," said the written paper; "I
really did not think of that. I shall remain at home, and be held in
honor, like some old grandfather, as I really am to all these new
books. They will do some good. I could not have wandered about as they
do. Yet he who wrote all this has looked at me, as every word flowed
from his pen upon my surface. I am the most honored of all. "

Then the paper was tied in a bundle with other papers, and
thrown into a tub that stood in the washhouse.

"After work, it is well to rest," said the paper, "and a very good
opportunity to collect one's thoughts. Now I am able, for the first
time, to think of my real condition; and to know one's self is true
progress. What will be done with me now, I wonder? No doubt I shall
still go forward. I have always progressed hitherto, as I know quite
well. "

Now it happened one day that all the paper in the tub was taken
out, and laid on the hearth to be burnt. People said it could not be
sold at the shop, to wrap up butter and sugar, because it had been
written upon. The children in the house stood round the stove; for
they wanted to see the paper burn, because it flamed up so prettily,
and afterwards, among the ashes, so many red sparks could be seen
running one after the other, here and there, as quick as the wind.
They called it seeing the children come out of school, and the last
spark was the schoolmaster. They often thought the last spark had
come; and one would cry, "There goes the schoolmaster;" but the next
moment another spark would appear, shining so beautifully. How they
would like to know where the sparks all went to! Perhaps we shall find
out some day, but we don't know now.

The whole bundle of paper had been placed on the fire, and was
soon alight. "Ugh," cried the paper, as it burst into a bright
flame; "ugh. " It was certainly not very pleasant to be burning; but
when the whole was wrapped in flames, the flames mounted up into the
air, higher than the flax had ever been able to raise its little
blue flower, and they glistened as the white linen never could have
glistened. All the written letters became quite red in a moment, and
all the words and thoughts turned to fire.

"Now I am mounting straight up to the sun," said a voice in the
flames; and it was as if a thousand voices echoed the words; and the
flames darted up through the chimney, and went out at the top. Then
a number of tiny beings, as many in number as the flowers on the
flax had been, and invisible to mortal eyes, floated above them.
They were even lighter and more delicate than the flowers from which
they were born; and as the flames were extinguished, and nothing
remained of the paper but black ashes, these little beings danced upon
it; and whenever they touched it, bright red sparks appeared.

"The children are all out of school, and the schoolmaster was
the last of all," said the children. It was good fun, and they sang
over the dead ashes,--

"Snip, snap, snurre,
Basse lure:
The song is ended. "


But the little invisible beings said, "The song is never ended;
the most beautiful is yet to come. "

But the children could neither hear nor understand this, nor
should they; for children must not know everything.




THE FLYING TRUNK

There was once a merchant who was so rich that he could have paved
the whole street with gold, and would even then have had enough for
a small alley. But he did not do so; he knew the value of money better
than to use it in this way. So clever was he, that every shilling he
put out brought him a crown; and so he continued till he died. His son
inherited his wealth, and he lived a merry life with it; he went to
a masquerade every night, made kites out of five pound notes, and
threw pieces of gold into the sea instead of stones, making ducks
and drakes of them. In this manner he soon lost all his money. At last
he had nothing left but a pair of slippers, an old dressing-gown,
and four shillings. And now all his friends deserted him, they could
not walk with him in the streets; but one of them, who was very
good-natured, sent him an old trunk with this message, "Pack up! "
"Yes," he said, "it is all very well to say 'pack up,'" but he had
nothing left to pack up, therefore he seated himself in the trunk.
It was a very wonderful trunk; no sooner did any one press on the lock
than the trunk could fly. He shut the lid and pressed the lock, when
away flew the trunk up the chimney with the merchant's son in it,
right up into the clouds. Whenever the bottom of the trunk cracked, he
was in a great fright, for if the trunk fell to pieces he would have
made a tremendous somerset over the trees. However, he got safely in
his trunk to the land of Turkey. He hid the trunk in the wood under
some dry leaves, and then went into the town: he could so this very
well, for the Turks always go about dressed in dressing-gowns and
slippers, as he was himself. He happened to meet a nurse with a little
child. "I say, you Turkish nurse," cried he, "what castle is that near
the town, with the windows placed so high? "

"The king's daughter lives there," she replied; "it has been
prophesied that she will be very unhappy about a lover, and
therefore no one is allowed to visit her, unless the king and queen
are present. "

"Thank you," said the merchant's son. So he went back to the wood,
seated himself in his trunk, flew up to the roof of the castle, and
crept through the window into the princess's room. She lay on the sofa
asleep, and she was so beautiful that the merchant's son could not
help kissing her. Then she awoke, and was very much frightened; but he
told her he was a Turkish angel, who had come down through the air
to see her, which pleased her very much. He sat down by her side and
talked to her: he said her eyes were like beautiful dark lakes, in
which the thoughts swam about like little mermaids, and he told her
that her forehead was a snowy mountain, which contained splendid halls
full of pictures. And then he related to her about the stork who
brings the beautiful children from the rivers. These were delightful
stories; and when he asked the princess if she would marry him, she
consented immediately.

"But you must come on Saturday," she said; "for then the king
and queen will take tea with me. They will be very proud when they
find that I am going to marry a Turkish angel; but you must think of
some very pretty stories to tell them, for my parents like to hear
stories better than anything. My mother prefers one that is deep and
moral; but my father likes something funny, to make him laugh. "

"Very well," he replied; "I shall bring you no other marriage
portion than a story," and so they parted. But the princess gave him a
sword which was studded with gold coins, and these he could use.

Then he flew away to the town and bought a new dressing-gown,
and afterwards returned to the wood, where he composed a story, so
as to be ready for Saturday, which was no easy matter. It was ready
however by Saturday, when he went to see the princess. The king, and
queen, and the whole court, were at tea with the princess; and he
was received with great politeness.

"Will you tell us a story? " said the queen,--"one that is
instructive and full of deep learning. "

"Yes, but with something in it to laugh at," said the king.

"Certainly," he replied, and commenced at once, asking them to
listen attentively. "There was once a bundle of matches that were
exceedingly proud of their high descent. Their genealogical tree, that
is, a large pine-tree from which they had been cut, was at one time
a large, old tree in the wood. The matches now lay between a
tinder-box and an old iron saucepan, and were talking about their
youthful days. 'Ah! then we grew on the green boughs, and were as
green as they; every morning and evening we were fed with diamond
drops of dew. Whenever the sun shone, we felt his warm rays, and the
little birds would relate stories to us as they sung. We knew that
we were rich, for the other trees only wore their green dress in
summer, but our family were able to array themselves in green,
summer and winter. But the wood-cutter came, like a great
revolution, and our family fell under the axe. The head of the house
obtained a situation as mainmast in a very fine ship, and can sail
round the world when he will. The other branches of the family were
taken to different places, and our office now is to kindle a light for
common people. This is how such high-born people as we came to be in a
kitchen. '

"'Mine has been a very different fate,' said the iron pot, which
stood by the matches; 'from my first entrance into the world I have
been used to cooking and scouring. I am the first in this house,
when anything solid or useful is required. My only pleasure is to be
made clean and shining after dinner, and to sit in my place and have a
little sensible conversation with my neighbors. All of us, excepting
the water-bucket, which is sometimes taken into the courtyard, live
here together within these four walls. We get our news from the
market-basket, but he sometimes tells us very unpleasant things
about the people and the government. Yes, and one day an old pot was
so alarmed, that he fell down and was broken to pieces. He was a
liberal, I can tell you. '

"'You are talking too much,' said the tinder-box, and the steel
struck against the flint till some sparks flew out, crying, 'We want a
merry evening, don't we? '

"'Yes, of course,' said the matches, 'let us talk about those
who are the highest born. '

"'No, I don't like to be always talking of what we are,'
remarked the saucepan; 'let us think of some other amusement; I will
begin. We will tell something that has happened to ourselves; that
will be very easy, and interesting as well.