The Old Bachelor's Nightcap · page 31 2 3201It was the tree which he and Molly had planted together.202The fragrant leaves of the tree fell upon him and cooled his burning brow; upon his parched lips they seemed like refreshing bread and wine; and as they rested on his breast, a peaceful calm stole over him, and he felt inclined to sleep. "203I shall sleep now," he whispered to himself. "204Sleep will do me good.205In the morning I shall be upon my feet again, strong and well.206Glorious! wonderful!207That apple-tree, planted in love, now appears before me in heavenly beauty."208And he slept.209The following day, the third day during which his house had been closed, the snow-storm ceased.210Then his opposite neighbor stepped over to the house in which old Anthony lived, for he had not yet showed himself.211There he lay stretched on his bed, dead, with his old nightcap tightly clasped in his two hands.checked by a teacher212The nightcap, however, was not placed on his head in his coffin; he had a clean white one on then.213Where now were the tears he had shed?214What had become of those wonderful pearls?215They were in the nightcap still.216Such tears as these cannot be washed out, even when the nightcap is forgotten.217The old thoughts and dreams of a bachelor's nightcap still remain.218Never wish for such a nightcap.219It would make your forehead hot, cause your pulse to beat with agitation, and conjure up dreams which would appear realities.220The first who wore old Anthony's cap felt the truth of this, though it was half a century afterwards.221That man was the mayor himself, who had already made a comfortable home for his wife and eleven children, by his industry.222The moment he put the cap on he dreamed of unfortunate love, of bankruptcy, and of dark days. "223Hallo! how the nightcap burns!" he exclaimed, as he tore it from his bead.224Then a pearl rolled out, and then another, and another, and they glittered and sounded as they fell. "225What can this be?226Is it paralysis, or something dazzling my eyes?"227They were the tears which old Anthony had shed half a century before.228To every one who afterwards put this cap on his head, came visions and dreams which agitated him not a little.229His own history was changed into that of Anthony till it became quite a story, and many stories might be made by others, so we will leave them to relate their own.230We have told the first; and our last word is, don't wish for a "bachelor's nightcap."1 2 3← previousIn the Nurserynext →(written For the Schiller Album)↑ back to Fairy Tales of Hans Christian AndersenThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/128/page/3/