Now the sun is setting, and the night, the dark night, isapproaching. Yet I may perhaps see the round sun once more before hedisappears beneath the horizon. I will climb up these rocks, theyare as high as the highest trees!" And then, taking hold of thecreepers and roots, he climbed up on the wet stones, wherewater-snakes were wriggling and the toads, as it were, barked athim: he reached the top before the sun, seen from such a height, hadquite set. "Oh, what a splendour!" The sea, the great majestic sea,which was rolling its long waves against the shore, stretched outbefore him, and the sun was standing like a large bright altar andthere where sea and heaven met- all melted together in the mostglowing colours; the wood was singing, and his heart too. The whole ofnature was one large holy church, in which the trees and hoveringclouds formed the pillars, the flowers and grass the woven velvetcarpet, and heaven itself was the great cupola; up there the flamecolour vanished as soon as the sun disappeared, but millions ofstars were lighted; diamond lamps were shining, and the king's sonstretched his arms out towards heaven, towards the sea, and towardsthe wood. Then suddenly the poor boy with the short-sleeved jacket andthe wooden shoes appeared; he had arrived just as quickly on theroad he had chosen. And they ran towards each other and took oneanother's hand, in the great cathedral of nature and poesy, andabove them sounded the invisible holy bell; happy spirits surroundedthem, singing hallelujahs and rejoicing.
  THE END.
  1872
  FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
  THE BELL-DEEP
  by Hans Christian Andersen
  "DING-DONG! ding-dong!" It sounds up from the "bell-deep" in theOdense-Au. Every child in the old town of Odense, on the island ofFunen, knows the Au, which washes the gardens round about the town,and flows on under the wooden bridges from the dam to thewater-mill. In the Au grow the yellow water-lilies and brownfeathery reeds; the dark velvety flag grows there, high and thick; oldand decayed willows, slanting and tottering, hang far out over thestream beside the monk's meadow and by the bleaching ground; butopposite there are gardens upon gardens, each different from the rest,some with pretty flowers and bowers like little dolls' pleasuregrounds, often displaying cabbage and other kitchen plants; and hereand there the gardens cannot be seen at all, for the great elder treesthat spread themselves out by the bank, and hang far out over thestreaming waters, which are deeper here and there than an oar canfathom. Opposite the old nunnery is the deepest place, which is calledthe "bell-deep," and there dwells the old water spirit, the "Au-mann."This spirit sleeps through the day while the sun shines down uponthe water; but in starry and moonlit nights he shows himself. He isvery old. Grandmother says that she has heard her own grandmother tellof him; he is said to lead a solitary life, and to have nobody withwhom he can converse save the great old church Bell. Once the Bellhung in the church tower; but now there is no trace left of thetower or of the church, which was called St. Alban's.
  "Ding-dong! ding-dong!" sounded the Bell, when the tower stillstood there; and one evening, while the sun was setting, and theBell was swinging away bravely, it broke loose and came flying downthrough the air, the brilliant metal shining in the ruddy beam.
  "Ding-dong! ding-dong! Now I'll retire to rest!" sang the Bell,and flew down into the Odense-Au, where it is deepest; and that is whythe place is called the "bell-deep."
  But the Bell got neither rest nor sleep. Down in the Au-mann'shaunt it sounds and rings, so that the tones sometimes pierce upwardthrough the waters; and many people maintain that its strains forebodethe death of some one; but that is not true, for the Bell is onlytalking with the Au-mann, who is now no longer alone.
  And what is the Bell telling?