past!" said the old tree; "Oh, hadI but enjoyed myself while I could have done so! but now it is toolate." Then a lad came and chopped the tree into small pieces, tilla large bundle lay in a heap on the ground. The pieces were placedin a fire under the copper, and they quickly blazed up brightly, whilethe tree sighed so deeply that each sigh was like a pistol-shot.Then the children, who were at play, came and seated themselves infront 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 inthe forest; and of Christmas evening, and of "Humpty Dumpty," the onlystory it had ever heard or knew how to relate, till at last it wasconsumed. The boys still played in the garden, and the youngest worethe golden star on his breast, with which the tree had been adornedduring the happiest evening of its existence. Now all was past; thetree's life was past, and the story also,- for all stories must cometo an end at last.
  THE END.
  1872
  FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
  THE FLAX
  by Hans Christian Andersen
  THE flax was in full bloom; it had pretty little blue flowers asdelicate as the wings of a moth, or even more so. The sun shone, andthe showers watered it; and this was just as good for the flax as itis 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, "andthat I am so fine and long that I shall make a beautiful piece oflinen. How fortunate I am; it makes me so happy, it is such a pleasantthing to know that something can be made of me. How the sunshinecheers me, and how sweet and refreshing is the rain; my happinessoverpowers 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 worldyet as well as I do, for my sticks are knotty;" and then it sung quitemournfully-
  "Snip, snap, snurre,
  Basse lurre:
  The song is ended."
  "No, it is not ended," said the flax. "To-morrow the sun willshine, or the rain descend. I feel that I am growing. I feel that I amin full blossom. I am the happiest of all creatures."
  Well, one day some people came, who took hold of the flax, andpulled it up by the roots; this was painful; then it was laid in wateras if they intended to drown it; and, after that, placed near a fireas if it were to be roasted; all this was very shocking. "We cannotexpect to be happy always," said the flax; "by experiencing evil aswell as good, we become wise." And certainly there was plenty ofevil 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 itwas put on the spinning wheel. "Whirr, whirr," went the wheel soquickly that the flax could not collect its thoughts. "Well, I havebeen very happy," he thought in the midst of his pain, "and must becontented with the past;" and contented he remained till he was put onthe 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, thisis quite wonderful; I could not have believed that I should be sofavored 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 madesomething of at last; I am the luckiest person in the world- so strongand fine; and how white, and what a length!