by Hans Christian Andersen
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Then the sunbeam spoke of the boundless love of God as seen in creation and over all that lives, and of the equal distribution of His gifts, both in time and in eternity.
"That is your opinion," said the apple bough.
Then some people came into the room and among them the young countess--the lady who had placed the apple bough in the transparent vase, so pleasantly beneath the rays of sunlight. She carried in her hand something that seemed like a flower. The object was hidden by two or three great leaves which covered it like a shield so that no draft or gust of wind could injure it, and it was carried more carefully than the apple branch had ever been.
Very cautiously the large leaves were removed, and there appeared the feathery seed crown of the despised yellow dandelion. This was what the lady had so carefully plucked and carried home so safely covered, so that not one of the delicate feathery arrows of which its mistlike shape was so lightly formed should flutter away. She now drew it forth quite uninjured and wondered at its beautiful form, its airy lightness and singular construction so soon to be blown away by the wind.
"See," she exclaimed, "how wonderfully God has made this little flower. I will paint it in a picture with the apple branch. Every one admires the beauty of the apple bough, but this humble flower has been endowed by Heaven with another kind of loveliness, and although they differ in appearance both are children of the realms of beauty."
Then the sunbeam kissed both the lowly flower and the blooming apple branch, upon whose leaves appeared a rosy blush.
NOTES
LITTLE TUK
PAGE 21. Seeland: one of the islands of Denmark, the country in which little Tuk lived.
PAGE 22. Kjöge (ke [~e] g[)e]h): a town about which Tuk was to learn.
PAGE 24. Præstö (præs´t[~e]): another town about which Tuk was to learn.
popinjay (p[)o]p´[)i]n j[=a]y): an image of a parrot.
Thorwaldsen (tôr v[.a]l sen): one of the greatest of modern sculptors. Supposed to have been a native of Denmark.
Vordingborg (v[=o]r´d[)i]ng b[)o]rk): in ancient times this was a place of great importance. Now it is an insignificant town; only a single lonely tower remains where once a noble castle stood.
PAGE 25. Korsör (kôr´sor): before the time of steamers this used to be called the most tiresome town in Denmark. Travelers had to wait for a favorable wind. The poet mentioned in the story was Baggeson.
PAGE 26. Roskilde (rôs g[)e]l l[~e]): once the capital of Denmark.
PAGE 27. Sorö (so´r[~e]): a very quiet little town, in a beautiful situation, surrounded by forests and lakes. Holberg, one of Denmark's greatest poets, founded a celebrated academy here. Other noted poets also had their homes here, and taught in the academy.
LITTLE THUMBELINA
PAGE 88. Decaying wood sometimes gives out a faint light called phosphorescence.
SUNSHINE STORIES
PAGE 106. For the story of the Golden Fleece, see Kingsley's "Greek Heroes."
OLE-LUK-OIE, THE DREAM GOD
PAGE 145. Ole-Luk-Oie ([=o]´le l[)oo]k´oi): the Danish name for the sandman.
ELDER-TREE MOTHER
PAGE 179. Copenhagen (k[=o] p[)e]n h[=a]´g[)e]n): the capital of Denmark.
Fredericksburg (fr[)e]d´[~e]r [)i]cks bûrg): twenty-one miles from Copenhagen; the summer residence of the royal family.
THE SNOW QUEEN
FOURTH STORY
THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS
PAGE 217. Children have a kind of language, or gibberish, which is sometimes called crows' language. It is formed by adding letters or syllables to every word.
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Transcriber's Notes:
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Diactritical symbols are rendered thus:
[~x] tilde above [)x] breve above [=x] macron above [.x] dot above
Page 24, "Thorvaldsen" changed to "Thorwaldsen" (Thorwaldsen lived in one)
