Page:Fairy tales and stories (Andersen, Tegner).djvu/191

Rh "Does he live at a princess's?" asked Gerda.

"Well, yes!" said the crow; "but I find it rather difficult to speak your language. If you understand the crows' language I shall he able to tell it you better."

"No, I have not learned it!" said Gerda; "but grandmother knows it. I only wish I had learned it."

"It does not matter!" said the crow. "I will tell you as well as I can, but I am afraid it will be badly done after all." And so he told what he knew. "In the kingdom where we are now sitting lives a princess who is very wise, but then she has read all the newspapers in the world and forgotten them again; so wise is she! The other day she was sitting on the throne, — and that is not so very pleasant, people say, — when she happened to hum a song which began with 'Why should I not marry!' 'Yes, there is something in that,' she said, and then she made up her mind to marry; but she wanted a husband who understood how to answer when spoken to, not one, in fact, who could only stand and look grand, for that was so tiresome.

"She then summoned all her maids-of-honor, and when they heard what was her will they were greatly pleased. 'We are so glad to hear that!' they all said. 'We were just thinking about the same thing the other day!' Vou can believe every word I tell you," said the crow; "I have a tame sweetheart at the palace who goes all over the place, and she has told me all about it ! "

His sweetheart was, of course, a crow; for birds of a feather flock together, so a crow wants a crow for his mate.

" The newspapers at once appeared with a border of hearts with the princess's initials; it was there announced that every good-looking young man would be received at the palace and allowed to speak with the princess, and he who by his speech showed himself most at ease there and spoke most fluently would be chosen by the princess for her husband. Well!" said the crow, "you must believe me, it 's as true as I sit here. The people came in crowds to the palace, and there was much crushing and running to and fro; but no one was successful either on the first or the second day. They could all speak well enough when they were out in the street, but when they came through the palace gate and saw the guards in silver and the lackeys in gold, standing on the staircases, and the great illuminated halls, they lost their heads altogether. And when they stood before the throne where the princess was sitting, they did not know what to say except the last word she had uttered, and she did not care to hear that said over again. It seemed as if the people, while in the room, had partaken of some narcotic, and were in a state of stupor till they got out into the street again ; then they could talk and no mistake! There was a whole row of them from the town gate to the