WHAT THE MOON SAW.docx

WHAT THE MOON SAW.docx

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WHATTHEMOONSAW

1872

FAIRYTALESOFHANSCHRISTIANANDERSEN

WHATTHEMOONSAW

byHansChristianAndersen

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

ITisastrangething,whenIfeelmostferventlyandmostdeeply,

myhandsandmytongueseemaliketied,sothatIcannotrightly

describeoraccuratelyportraythethoughtsthatarerisingwithinme;

andyetIamapainter;myeyetellsmeasmuchasthat,andallmy

friendswhohaveseenmysketchesandfanciessaythesame.

Iamapoorlad,andliveinoneofthenarrowestoflanes;but

Idonotwantforlight,asmyroomishighupinthehouse,withan

extensiveprospectovertheneighbouringroofs.Duringthefirstfew

daysIwenttoliveinthetown,Ifeltlow-spiritedandsolitary

enough.Insteadoftheforestandthegreenhillsofformerdays,I

hadhereonlyaforestofchimney-potstolookoutupon.AndthenI

hadnotasinglefriend;notonefamiliarfacegreetedme.

SooneeveningIsatatthewindow,inadespondingmood;and

presentlyIopenedthecasementandlookedout.Oh,howmyheart

leapedupwithjoy!

Herewasawell-knownfaceatlast-around,

friendlycountenance,thefaceofagoodfriendIhadknownathome.

In,fact,itwastheMOONthatlookedinuponme.Hewasquite

unchanged,thedearoldMoon,andhadthesamefaceexactlythathe

usedtoshowwhenhepeereddownuponmethroughthewillowtreeson

themoor.Ikissedmyhandtohimoverandoveragain,asheshonefar

intomylittleroom;andhe,forhispart,promisedmethatevery

evening,whenhecameabroad,hewouldlookinuponmeforafew

moments.Thispromisehehasfaithfullykept.Itisapitythathecan

onlystaysuchashorttimewhenhecomes.Wheneverheappears,he

tellsmeofonethingoranotherthathehasseenontheprevious

night,oronthatsameevening."JustpaintthescenesIdescribeto

you"-thisiswhathesaidtome-"andyouwillhaveaverypretty

picture-book."Ihavefollowedhisinjunctionformanyevenings.I

couldmakeupanew"ThousandandOneNights,"inmyownway,outof

thesepictures,butthenumbermightbetoogreat,afterall.The

picturesIhaveheregivenhavenotbeenchosenatrandom,but

followintheirproperorder,justastheyweredescribedtome.

Somegreatgiftedpainter,orsomepoetormusician,maymake

somethingmoreofthemifhelikes;whatIhavegivenhereareonly

hastysketches,hurriedlyputuponthepaper,withsomeofmyown

thoughts,interspersed;fortheMoondidnotcometomeeveryevening-

acloudsometimeshidhisfacefromme.

FIRSTEVENING

"Lastnight"-IamquotingtheMoon'sownwords-"lastnightIwas

glidingthroughthecloudlessIndiansky.Myfacewasmirroredin

thewatersoftheGanges,andmybeamsstrovetopiercethroughthe

thickintertwiningboughsofthebananas,archingbeneathmelike

thetortoise'sshell.ForthfromthethickettrippedaHindoomaid,

lightasagazelle,beautifulasEve.Airyandetherialasavision,

andyetsharplydefinedamidthesurroundingshadows,stoodthis

daughterofHindostan:

Icouldreadonherdelicatebrowthethought

thathadbroughtherhither.Thethornycreepingplantstoreher

sandals,butforallthatshecamerapidlyforward.Thedeerthat

hadcomedowntotherivertoquenchherthirst,sprangbywitha

startledbound,forinherhandthemaidenborealightedlamp.I

couldseethebloodinherdelicatefingertips,asshespreadthem

forascreenbeforethedancingflame.Shecamedowntothestream,

andsetthelampuponthewater,andletitfloataway.Theflame

flickeredtoandfro,andseemedreadytoexpire;butstillthelamp

burnedon,andthegirl'sblacksparklingeyes,halfveiledbehind

theirlongsilkenlashes,followeditwithagazeofearnest

intensity.Sheknewthatifthelampcontinuedtoburnsolongas

shecouldkeepitinsight,herbetrothedwasstillalive;butif

thelampwassuddenlyextinguished,hewasdead.Andthelampburned

bravelyon,andshefellonherknees,andprayed.Nearherinthe

grasslayaspeckledsnake,butsheheededitnot-shethoughtonlyof

Bramahandofherbetrothed.'Helives!

'sheshoutedjoyfully,'he

lives!

'Andfromthemountainstheechocamebackuponher,'he

lives!

"

SECONDEVENING

"Yesterday,"saidtheMoontome,"Ilookeddownuponasmall

courtyardsurroundedonallsidesbyhouses.Inthecourtyardsata

cluckinghenwithelevenchickens;andaprettylittlegirlwas

runningandjumpingaroundthem.Thehenwasfrightened,andscreamed,

andspreadoutherwingsoverthelittlebrood.Thenthegirl'sfather

cameoutandscoldedher;andIglidedawayandthoughtnomoreofthe

matter.

"Butthisevening,onlyafewminutesago,Ilookeddowninto

thesamecourtyard.Everythingwasquiet.Butpresentlythelittle

girlcameforthagain,creptquietlytothehen-house,pushedbackthe

bolt,andslippedintotheapartmentofthehenandchickens.They

criedoutloudly,andcameflutteringdownfromtheirperches,andran

aboutindismay,andthelittlegirlranafterthem.Isawitquite

plainly,forIlookedthroughaholeinthehen-housewall.Iwas

angrywiththewillfulchild,andfeltgladwhenherfathercameout

andscoldedhermoreviolentlythanyesterday,holdingherroughly

bythearm;shehelddownherhead,andherblueeyeswerefullof

largetears.'Whatareyouabouthere?

'heasked.Sheweptandsaid,

'Iwantedtokissthehenandbegherpardonforfrighteningher

yesterday;butIwasafraidtotellyou.'

"Andthefatherkissedtheinnocentchild'sforehead,andIkissed

heronthemouthandeyes."

THIRDEVENING

"Inthenarrowstreetroundthecorneryonder-itissonarrow

thatmybeamscanonlyglideforaminutealongthewallsofthe

house,butinthatminuteIseeenoughtolearnwhattheworldismade

of-inthatnarrowstreetIsawawoman.Sixteenyearsagothat

womanwasachild,playinginthegardenoftheoldparsonage,in

thecountry.Thehedgesofrose-bushwereold,andtheflowerswere

faded.Theystraggledwildoverthepaths,andtheraggedbranches

grewupamongtheboughsoftheappletrees;hereandtherewereafew

rosesstillinbloom-notsofairasthequeenofflowersgenerally

appears,butstilltheyhadcolourandscenttoo.Theclergyman's

littledaughterappearedtomeafarlovelierrose,asshesaton

herstoolunderthestragglinghedge,huggingandcaressingherdoll

withthebatteredpasteboardcheeks.

"TenyearsafterwardsIsawheragain.Ibeheldherina

splendidballroom:

shewasthebeautifulbrideofarichmerchant.I

rejoicedatherhappiness,andsoughtheroncalmquietevenings-

ah,nobodythinksofmycleareyeandmysilentglance!

Alas!

my

roseranwild,liketherosebushesinthegardenoftheparsonage.

Therearetragediesinevery-daylife,andtonightIsawthelast

actofone.

"Shewaslyinginbedinahouseinthatnarrowstreet:

shewas

sickuntodeath,andthecruellandlordcameup,andtoreawaythe

thincoverlet,heronlyprotectionagainstthecold.'Getup!

'said

he;'yourfaceisenoughtofrightenone.Getupanddressyourself,

givememoney,orI'llturnyououtintothestreet!

Quick-getup!

'

Sheanswered,'Alas!

deathisgnawingatmyheart.Letmerest.'But

heforcedhertogetupandbatheherface,andputawreathof

rosesinherhair;andheplacedherinachairatthewindow,with

acandleburningbesideher,andwentaway.

"Ilookedather,andshewassittingmotionless,withherhands

inherlap.Thewindcaughttheopenwindowandshutitwitha

crash,sothatapanecameclatteringdowninfragments;butstillshe

nevermoved.Thecurtaincaughtfire,andtheflamesplayedabout

herface;andIsawthatshewasdead.Thereattheopenwindowsat

thedeadwoman,preachingasermonagainstsin-mypoorfadedroseout

oftheparsonagegarden!

"

FOURTHEVENING

"ThiseveningIsawaGermanplayacted,"saidtheMoon."Itwas

inalittletown.Astablehadbeenturnedintoatheatre;thatis

tosay,thestablehadbeenleftstanding,andhadbeenturnedinto

privateboxes,andallthetimberworkhadbeencoveredwith

colouredpaper.Alittleironchandelierhungbeneaththeceiling,and

thatitmightbemadetodisappearintotheceiling,asitdoesin

greattheatres,whentheting-tingoftheprompter'sbellisheard,

agreatinvertedtubhasbeenplacedjustaboveit.

"'Ting-ting!

'andthelittleironchandeliersuddenlyroseat

leasthalfayardanddisappearedinthetub;andthatwasthesign

thattheplaywasgoingtobegin.Ayoungnoblemanandhislady,who

happenedtobepassingthroughthelittletown,werepresentatthe

performance,andconsequentlythehousewascrowded.Butunderthe

chandelierwasavacantspacelikealittlecrater:

notasingle

soulsatthere,forthetallowwasdropping,drip,drip!

Isaw

everything,foritwassowarmintherethateveryloopholehadbeen

opened.Themaleandfemaleservantsstoodoutside,peepingthrough

thechinks,althougharealpolicemanwasinside,threateningthem

withastick.Closebytheorchestracouldbeseenthenobleyoung

coupleintwooldarm-chairs,whichwereusuallyoccupiedbyhis

worshipthemayorandhislady;buttheselatterwereto-dayobliged

tocontentthemselveswithwoodenforms,justasiftheyhadbeen

ordinarycitizens;andtheladyobservedquietlytoherself,'One

sees,now,thatthereisrankaboverank;'andthisincidentgavean

airofextrafestivitytothewholeproceedings.Thechandeliergave

littleleaps,thecrowdgottheirknucklesrapped,andI,theMoon,

waspresentattheperformancefrombeginningtoend."

FIFTHEVENING

"Yesterday,"begantheMoon,"Ilookeddownupontheturmoilof

Paris.Myeyepenetratedintoanapart