Page:Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales (1888).djvu/201

 Here also grew woodbine, primroses, lilies of the valley, the wild tallowtree, and the delicate trifolium plant, sourkree. It was a splendid sight for all who looked upon it.

Quite in front, supported by steel wires, grew in rows, little pear trees, which had been brought from France. They required and obtained sunshine and good attention, and would therefore very soon bear juicy fruit, quite as well as in their native land.

Where the two blighted trees stood, a flag-staff was planted, on the top of which fluttered the country’s flag.

And in the neighbourhood were hop fields, with many poles in rows, round which the fragrant and umbelliferous blossoms twined during the summer and autumn. But in winter the old custom of hanging up a small sheaf of oats, enabled the birds of heaven to keep an open table in the holy Christmas time.

“Our good Larsen is becoming sentimental in his old days,” said his master; “however, he is a true and devoted servant.

In the beginning of the new year, in one of the illustrated pages of a periodical published in the chief town, appeared a picture of the old castle. There were the flag-staff and the sheaf of oats for the birds of heaven, at the holy Christmas time, and it was politely remarked in the periodical that “this old custom would bring new honour to the old castle.”

“Larsen has done it all,” said the nobleman, “and his name must be trumpeted forth; he is a lucky man, and I am quite proud of him.”

However, Larsen was not as proud of himself as his master was of him. He knew that Larsen, if he liked, could easily obtain a higher situation, but that he would not do so. He was a very good man, and there are many good men like him everywhere, which was very pleasant for Larsen to hear.

See now, this is the story of the gardener and the nobleman.

Now, what do you think of it?