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                     FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

                          THE LITTLE ELDER…TREE MOTHER

                           by Hans Christian Andersen



    THERE was once a little boy who had caught cold; he had gone out

and got wet feet。 Nobody had the least idea how it had happened; the

weather was quite dry。 His mother undressed him; put him to bed; and

ordered the teapot to be brought in; that she might make him a good

cup of tea from the elder…tree blossoms; which is so warming。 At the

same time; the kind…hearted old man who lived by himself in the

upper storey of the house came in; he led a lonely life; for he had no

wife and children; but he loved the children of others very much;

and he could tell so many fairy tales and stories; that it was a

pleasure to hear him。

    〃Now; drink your tea;〃 said the mother; 〃perhaps you will hear a

story。〃

    〃Yes; if I only knew a fresh one;〃 said the old man; and nodded

smilingly。 〃But how did the little fellow get his wet feet?〃 he then

asked。

    〃That;〃 replied the mother; 〃nobody can understand。〃

    〃Will you tell me a story?〃 asked the boy。

    〃Yes; if you can tell me as nearly as possible how deep is the

gutter in the little street where you go to school。〃

    〃Just half as high as my top…boots;〃 replied the boy; 〃but then

I must stand in the deepest holes。〃

    〃There; now we know where you got your wet feet;〃 said the old

man。 〃I ought to tell you a story; but the worst of it is; I do not

know any more。〃

    〃You can make one up;〃 said the little boy。 〃Mother says you can

tell a fairy tale about anything you look at or touch。〃

    〃That is all very well; but such tales or stories are worth

nothing! No; the right ones come by themselves and knock at my

forehead saying: 'Here I am。'〃

    〃Will not one knock soon?〃 asked the boy; and the mother smiled

while she put elder…tree blossoms into the teapot and poured boiling

water over them。 〃Pray; tell me a story。〃

    〃Yes; if stories came by themselves; they are so proud; they

only come when they please。… But wait;〃 he said suddenly; 〃there is

one。 Look at the teapot; there is a story in it now。〃

    And the little boy looked at the teapot; the lid rose up

gradually; the elder…tree blossoms sprang forth one by one; fresh

and white; long boughs came forth; even out of the spout they grew

up in all directions; and formed a bush… nay; a large elder tree;

which stretched its branches up to the bed and pushed the curtains

aside; and there were so many blossoms and such a sweet fragrance!

In the midst of the tree sat a kindly…looking old woman with a strange

dress; it was as green as the leaves; and trimmed with large white

blossoms; so that it was difficult to say whether it was real cloth;

or the leaves and blossoms of the elder…tree。

    〃What is this woman's name?〃 asked the little boy。

    〃Well; the Romans and Greeks used to call her a Dryad;〃 said the

old man; 〃but we do not understand that。 Out in the sailors' quarter

they give her a better name; there she is called elder…tree mother。

Now; you must attentively listen to her and look at the beautiful

elder…tree。

    〃Just such a large tree; covered with flowers; stands out there;

it grew in the corner of an humble little yard; under this tree sat

two old people one afternoon in the beautiful sunshine。 He was an old;

old sailor; and she his old wife; they had already

great…grandchildren; and were soon to celebrate their golden

wedding; but they could not remember the date; and the elder…tree

mother was sitting in the tree and looked as pleased as this one here。

'I know very well when the golden wedding is to take place;' she said;

but they did not hear it… they were talking of bygone days。

    〃'Well; do you remember?' said the old sailor; 'when we were quite

small and used to run about and play… it was in the very same yard

where we now are… we used to put little branches into the ground and

make a garden。'

    〃'Yes;' said the old woman; 'I remember it very well; we used to

water the branches; and one of them; an elder…tree branch; took

root; and grew and became the large tree under which we are now

sitting as old people。'

    〃'Certainly; you are right;' he said; 'and in yonder corner

stood a large water…tub; there I used to sail my boat; which I had cut

out myself… it sailed so well; but soon I had to sail somewhere else。'

    〃'But first we went to school to learn something;' she said;

'and then we were confirmed; we both wept on that day; but in the

afternoon we went out hand in hand; and ascended the high round

tower and looked out into the wide world right over Copenhagen and the

sea; then we walked to Fredericksburg; where the king and the queen

were sailing about in their magnificent boat on the canals。'

    〃'But soon I had to sail about somewhere else; and for many

years I was travelling about far away from home。'

    〃'And I often cried about you; for I was afraid lest you were

drowned and lying at the bottom of the sea。 Many a time I got up in

the night and looked if the weathercock had turned; it turned often;

but you did not return。 I remember one day distinctly: the rain was

pouring down in torrents; the dust…man had come to the house where I

was in service; I went down with the dust…bin and stood for a moment

in the doorway; and looked at the dreadful weather。 Then the postman

gave me a letter; it was from you。 Heavens! how that letter had

travelled about。 I tore it open and read it; I cried and laughed at

the same time; and was so happy! Therein was written that you were

staying in the hot countries; where the coffee grows。 These must be

marvellous countries。 You said a great deal about them; and I read all

while the rain was pouring down and I was standing there with the

dust…bin。 Then suddenly some one put his arm round my waist…'

    〃'Yes; and you gave him a hearty smack on the cheek;' said the old

man。

    〃'I did not know that it was you… you had come as quickly as

your letter; and you looked so handsome; and so you do still。 You

had a large yellow silk handkerchief in your pocket and a shining

hat on。 You looked so well; and the weather in the street was

horrible!'

    〃'Then we married;' he said。 'Do you remember how we got our first

boy; and then Mary; Niels; Peter; John; and Christian?'

    'Oh yes; and now they have all grown up; and have become useful

members of society; whom everybody cares for。'

    〃'And their children have had children again;' said the old

sailor。 'Yes; these are children's children; and they are strong and

healthy。 If I am not mistaken; our wedding took place at this season

of the year。'

    〃'Yes; to…day is your golden wedding…day;' said the little

elder…tree mother; stretching her head down between the two old

people; who thought that she was their neighbour who was nodding to

them; they looked at each other and clasped hands。 Soon afterwards the

children and grandchildren came; for they knew very well that it was

the golden wedding…day; they had already wished them joy and happiness

in the morning; but the old people had forgotten it; although they

remembered things so well that had passed many; many years ago。 The

elder…tree smelt strongly; and the setting sun illuminated the faces

of the two old people; so that they looked quite rosy; the youngest of

the grandchildren danced round them; and cried merrily that there

would be a feast in the evening; for they were to have hot potatoes;

and the elder mother nodded in the tree and cried 'Hooray' with the

others。〃

    〃But that was no fairy tale;〃 said the little boy who had listened

to it。

    〃You will presently understand it;〃 said the old man who told

the story。 〃Let us ask little elder…tree mother about it。〃

    〃That was no fairy tale;〃 said the little elder…tree mother;

〃but now it comes! Real life furnishes us with subjects for the most

wonderful fairy tales; for otherwise my beautiful elder…bush could not

have grown forth out of the teapot。〃

    And then she took the little boy out of bed and placed him on

her bosom; the elder branches; full of blossoms; closed over them;

it was as if they sat in a thick leafy bower which flew with them

through the air; it was beautiful beyond all description。 The little

elder…tree mother had suddenly become a charming young girl; but her

dress was still of the same green material; covered with white

blossoms; as the elder…tree mother had worn; she had a real elder

blossom on her bosom; and a wreath of the same flowers was wound round

her curly golden hair; her eyes were so large and so blue that it

was wonderful to look at them。 She and the boy kissed each other;

and then they were of the same age and felt the same joys。 They walked

hand in hand out of the bower; and now stood at home in a beautiful

flower garden。 Near the green lawn the father's walking…stick was tied

to a post。 There was life in this stick for the little ones; for as

soon as they seated themselves upon it the polished knob turned into a

neighing horse's head; a long 

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