and the little boyswhistled through their fingers, and the soldiers presented arms. Theprincess came out of the copper castle, and became queen, which wasvery pleasing to her. The wedding festivities lasted a whole week, andthe dogs sat at the table, and stared with all their eyes.
  THE END.
  1872
  FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
  THE TOAD
  by Hans Christian Andersen
  THE well was deep, and therefore the rope had to be a long one; itwas heavy work turning the handle when any one had to raise abucketful of water over the edge of the well. Though the water wasclear, the sun never looked down far enough into the well to mirroritself in the waters; but as far as its beams could reach, greenthings grew forth between the stones in the sides of the well.
  Down below dwelt a family of the Toad race. They had, in fact,come head-over-heels down the well, in the person of the oldMother-Toad, who was still alive. The green Frogs, who had beenestablished there a long time, and swam about in the water, calledthem "well-guests." But the new-comers seemed determined to stay wherethey were, for they found it very agreeable living "in a dry place,"as they called the wet stones.
  The Mother-Frog had once been a traveller. She happened to be inthe water-bucket when it was drawn up, but the light became too strongfor her, and she got a pain in her eyes. Fortunately she scrambled outof the bucket; but she fell into the water with a terrible flop, andhad to lie sick for three days with pains in her back. She certainlyhad not much to tell of the things up above, but she knew this, andall the Frogs knew it, that the well was not all the world. TheMother-Toad might have told this and that, if she had chosen, butshe never answered when they asked her anything, and so they leftoff asking.
  "She's thick, and fat and ugly," said the young green Frogs;"and her children will be just as ugly as she is."
  "That may be," retorted the mother-Toad, "but one of them has ajewel in his head, or else I have the jewel."
  The young frogs listened and stared; and as these words did notplease them, they made grimaces and dived down under the water. Butthe little Toads kicked up their hind legs from mere pride, for eachof them thought that he must have the jewel; and then they sat andheld their heads quite still. But at length they asked what it wasthat made them so proud, and what kind of a thing a jewel might be.
  "Oh, it is such a splendid and precious thing, that I cannotdescribe it," said the Mother-Toad. "It's something which onecarries about for one's own pleasure, and that makes other peopleangry. But don't ask me any questions, for I shan't answer you."
  "Well, I haven't got the jewel," said the smallest of the Toads;she was as ugly as a toad can be. "Why should I have such a preciousthing? And if it makes others angry, it can't give me any pleasure.No, I only wish I could get to the edge of the well, and look out;it must be beautiful up there."
  "You'd better stay where you are," said the old Mother-Toad,"for you know everything here, and you can tell what you have. Takecare of the bucket, for it will crush you to death; and even if youget into it safely, you may fall out. And it's not every one who fallsso cleverly as I did, and gets away with whole legs and whole bones.
  "Quack!" said the little Toad; and that's just as if one of uswere to say, "Aha!"
  She had an immense desire to get to the edge of the well, and tolook over; she felt such a longing for the green, up there; and thenext morning, when it chanced that the bucket was being drawn up,filled with water, and stopped for a moment just in front of the stoneon which the Toad sat, the little creature's heart moved within it,and our Toad jumped into the filled bucket, which presently wasdrawn to the top, and emptied out.
  "Ugh, you beast!"