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file:///F|///UNDERTHEWILLOW-TREE.TXT[2010-11-2915:41:56]1872FAIRYTALESOFHANSCHRISTIANANDERSENUNDERTHEWILLOW-TREEbyHansChristianAndersenTHEregionroundthelittletownofKjogeisverybleakandcold.Thetownliesontheseashore,whichisalwaysbeautiful;buthereitmightbemorebeautifulthanitis,foroneverysidethefieldsareflat,anditisalongwaytotheforest.Butwhenpersonsresideinaplaceandgetusedtoit,theycanalwaysfindsomethingbeautifulinit,-somethingforwhichtheylong,eveninthemostcharmingspotintheworldwhichisnothome.Itmustbeownedthatthereareintheoutskirtsofthetownsomehumblegardensonthebanksofalittlestreamthatrunsontowardsthesea,andinsummerthesegardenslookverypretty.Suchindeedwastheopinionoftwolittlechildren,whoseparentswereneighbors,andwhoplayedinthesegardens,andforcedtheirwayfromonegardentotheotherthroughthegooseberry-bushesthatdividedthem.Inoneofthegardensgrewanelder-tree,andintheotheranoldwillow,underwhichthechildrenwereveryfondofplaying.Theyhadpermissiontodoso,althoughthetreestoodclosebythestream,andtheymighteasilyhavefallenintothewater;buttheeyeofGodwatchesoverthelittleones,otherwisetheywouldneverbesafe.Atthesametime,thesechildrenwereverycarefulnottogotoonearthewater;indeed,theboywassoafraidofit,thatinthesummer,whiletheotherchildrenweresplashingaboutinthesea,nothingcouldenticehimtojointhem.Theyjeeredandlaughedathim,andhewasobligedtofile:///F|///UNDERTHEWILLOW-TREE.TXT[2010-11-2915:41:56]bearitallaspatientlyashecould.Oncetheneighbor'slittlegirl,Joanna,dreamedthatshewassailinginaboat,andtheboy-Knudwashisname-wadedoutinthewatertojoinher,andthewatercameuptohisneck,andatlastclosedoverhishead,andinamomenthehaddisappeared.WhenlittleKnudheardthisdream,itseemedasifhecouldnotbearthemockingandjeeringagain;howcouldhedaretogointothewaternow,afterJoanna'sdream!Heneverwoulddoit,forthisdreamalwayssatisfiedhim.Theparentsofthesechildren,whowerepoor,oftensattogetherwhileKnudandJoannaplayedinthegardensorintheroad.Alongthisroad-arowofwillow-treeshadbeenplantedtoseparateitfromaditchononesideofit.Theywerenotveryhandsometrees,forthetopshadbeencutoff;however,theywereintendedforuse,andnotforshow.Theoldwillow-treeinthegardenwasmuchhandsomer,andthereforethechildrenwereveryfondofsittingunderit.Thetownhadalargemarket-place;andatthefair-timetherewouldbewholerows,likestreets,oftentsandboothscontainingsilksandribbons,andtoysandcakes,andeverythingthatcouldbewishedfor.Therewerecrowdsofpeople,andsometimestheweatherwouldberainy,andsplashwithmoisturethewoollenjacketsofthepeasants;butitdidnotdestroythebeautifulfragranceofthehoney-cakesandgingerbreadwithwhichoneboothwasfilled;andthebestofitwas,thatthemanwhosoldthesecakesalwayslodgedduringthefair-timewithlittleKnud'sparents.Soeverynowandthenhehadapresentofgingerbread,andofcourseJoannaalwayshadashare.And,moredelightfulstill,thegingerbreadsellerknewallsortsofthingstotellandcouldevenrelatestoriesabouthisowngingerbread.Soonefile:///F|///UNDERTHEWILLOW-TREE.TXT[2010-11-2915:41:56]eveninghetoldthemastorythatmadesuchadeepimpressiononthechildrenthattheyneverforgotit;andthereforeIthinkwemayaswellhearittoo,foritisnotverylong.Onceuponatime,saidhe,therelayonmycountertwogingerbreadcakes,oneintheshapeofamanwearingahat,theotherofamaidenwithoutabonnet.Theirfaceswereonthesidethatwasuppermost,forontheothersidetheylookedverydifferent.Mostpeoplehaveabestsidetotheircharacters,whichtheytakecaretoshowtotheworld.Ontheleft,justwheretheheartis,thegingerbreadmanhadanalmondstuckintorepresentit,butthemaidenwashoneycakeallover.Theywereplacedonthecounterassamples,andafterlyingtherealongtimetheyatlastfellinlovewitheachother;butneitherofthemspokeofittotheother,astheyshouldhavedoneiftheyexpectedanythingtofollow.'Heisaman,heoughttospeakthefirstword,'thoughtthegingerbreadmaiden;butshefeltquitehappy-shewassurethatherlovewasreturned.Buthisthoughtswerefarmoreambitious,asthethoughtsofamanoftenare.Hedreamedthathewasarealstreetboy,thathepossessedfourrealpennies,andthathehadboughtthegingerbreadlady,andateherup.Andsotheylayonthecounterfordaysandweeks,tilltheygrewhardanddry;butthethoughtsofthemaidenbecameevermoretenderandwomanly.'Ahwell,itisenoughformethatIhavebeenabletoliveonthesamecounterwithhim,'saidsheoneday;whensuddenly,'crack,'andshebrokeintwo.'Ah,'saidthegingerbreadmantohimself,'ifshehadonlyknownofmylove,shewouldhavekepttogetheralittlelonger.'Andheretheybothare,andthatistheirhistory,saidthecakeman.Youthinkthehistoryoffile:///F|///UNDERTHEWILLOW-TREE.TXT[2010-11-2915:41:56]theirlivesandtheirsilentlove,whichnevercametoanything,veryremarkable;andtheretheyareforyou.Sosaying,hegaveJoannathegingerbreadman,whowasstillquitewhole-andtoKnudthebrokenmaiden;butthechildrenhadbeensomuchimpressedbythestory,thattheyhadnotthehearttoeattheloversup.Thenextdaytheywentintothechurchyard,andtookthetwocakefigureswiththem,andsatdownunderthechurchwall,whichwascoveredwithluxuriantivyinsummerandwinter,andlookedasifhungwithrichtapestry.Theystuckupthetwogingerbreadfiguresinthesunshineamongthegreenleaves,andthentoldthestory,andallaboutthesilentlovewhichcametonothing,toagroupofchildren.They