Everything in the Right Place · page 21 2101The clergymen stood humbly together in a corner, and looked as if they were preparing for a funeral, but it was a festival--only the amusement had not yet begun.102A great concert was to take place, and that is why the baron's young son had brought his willow flute with him; but he could not make it sound, nor could his father, and therefore the flute was good for nothing.103There was music and songs of the kind which delight most those that perform them; otherwise quite charming!104"Are you an artist?" said a cavalier, the son of his father; "you play on the flute, you have made it yourself; it is genius that rules--the place of honour is due to you."105"Certainly not!106I only advance with the time, and that of course one can't help."107"I hope you will delight us all with the little instrument--will you not?"108Thus saying he handed to the tutor the flute which had been cut from the willow tree by the pool; and then announced in a loud voice that the tutor wished to perform a solo on the flute.109They wished to tease him--that was evident, and therefore the tutor declined to play, although he could do so very well.110They urged and requested him, however, so long, that at last he took up the flute and placed it to his lips.111That was a marvellous flute!112Its sound was as thrilling as the whistle of a steam engine; in fact it was much stronger, for it sounded and was heard in the yard, in the garden, in the wood, and many miles round in the country; at the same time a storm rose and roared; "Everything in the right place."113And with this the baron, as if carried by the wind, flew out of the hall straight into the shepherd's cottage, and the shepherd flew--not into the hall, thither he could not come--but into the servants' hall, among the smart footmen who were striding about in silk stockings; these haughty menials looked horror-struck that such a person ventured to sit at table with them.114But in the hall the baron's daughter flew to the place of honour at the end of the table--she was worthy to sit there; the pastor's son had the seat next to her; the two sat there as if they were a bridal pair.115An old Count, belonging to one of the oldest families of the country, remained untouched in his place of honour; the flute was just, and it is one's duty to be so.116The sharp-tongued cavalier who had caused the flute to be played, and who was the child of his parents, flew headlong into the fowl-house, but not he alone.117The flute was heard at the distance of a mile, and strange events took place.118A rich banker's family, who were driving in a coach and four, were blown out of it, and could not even find room behind it with their footmen.119Two rich farmers who had in our days shot up higher than their own corn-fields, were flung into the ditch; it was a dangerous flute.120Fortunately it burst at the first sound, and that was a good thing, for then it was put back into its owner's pocket--"its right place."121The next day, nobody spoke a word about what had taken place; thus originated the phrase, "to pocket the flute."122Everything was again in its usual order, except that the two old pictures of the peddlar and the goose-girl were hanging in the banqueting-hall.123There they were on the wall as if blown up there; and as a real expert said that they were painted by a master's hand, they remained there and were restored. "124Everything in the right place," and to this it will come.125Eternity is long, much longer indeed than this story.1 2← previousThe Red Shoesnext →A Rose From Homer's Grave↑ back to Fairy Tales of Hans Christian AndersenThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/155/page/2/