Page:Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales (1888).djvu/429

 a young dame, delicate, proud, and pretty. It was Mistress, in whose service people become lazy and fond of sleeping for hours. She gave a feast on the longest day of the year, that there may be time for her guests to partake of the numerous dishes at her table. Indeed, she keeps her own carriage; but still she travelled by the mail, with the rest, because she wished to show that she was not high-minded. But she was not without a protector; her younger brother,, was with her. He was a plump young fellow, clad in summer garments and wearing a straw hat. He had but very little luggage with him, because it was so cumbersome in the great heat; he had, however, swimming-trousers with him, which are nothing to carry. Then came the mother herself, in crinoline, Madame, a wholesale dealer in fruit, proprietress of a large number of fish-ponds and a land cultivator. She was fat and heated, yet she could use her hands well, and would herself carry out beer to the labourers in the field. “In the sweat of the face shalt thou eat bread,” said she; “it is written in the Bible.” After work, came the recreations, dancing and playing in the greenwood, and the “harvest homes.” She was a thorough housewife.

After her a man came out of the coach, who is a painter; he is the great master of colours, and is named. The forest, on his arrival, had to change its colours when he wished it; and how beautiful are the colours he chooses! The woods glow with hues of red and gold and brown. This great master painter could whistle like a blackbird. He was quick in his work, and soon entwined the tendrils of the hop plant around his beer jug. This was an ornament to the jug, and he has a great love for ornament. There he stood with his colour pot in his hand, and that was the whole of his luggage. A landowner followed, who in the month for sowing seed attended to the ploughing and was fond of field sports. Squire brought his dog and his gun with him, and had nuts in his game-bag. “Crack, crack.” He had a great deal of luggage, even an English plough. He spoke of farming, but what he said could scarcely be heard for the coughing and gasping of his neighbour. It was, who coughed violently as he got out. He had a cold, which caused him to use his pocket-handkerchief continually; and yet he said he was obliged to accompany servant girls to their new places, and initiate them into their winter service. He said he thought his cold would leave him when he went out woodcutting, for he was a master sawyer, and had to supply wood to the whole parish. He spent his evenings preparing wooden soles for skates, for he knew, he said, that in a few weeks these shoes would be wanted for the amusement of skating. At length the last passenger made her appearance—old Mother, with her fire-stool, The dame was very old, but her eyes glistened like two stars. She carried on her arm a flower-pot, in which a little fir-tree was growing. “This tree I shall guard and cherish,” she said, “that it may grow large by Christmas Eve, and reach from the ground to the ceiling, to be covered and adorned with flaming candles, golden apples, and little figures. The fire-stool will be as warm as a stove, and I shall then bring a story book out of my pocket, and read aloud till all the children in the room are quite quiet. Then the little figures on the tree will become