The Shadow · page 31 2 3201I only hope his beard won't grow, or he will leave at once."202In the evening, the princess and the shadow danced together in the large assembly rooms.203She was light, but he was lighter still; she had never seen such a dancer before.204She told him from what country she had come, and found he knew it and had been there, but not while she was at home.205He had looked into the windows of her father's palace, both the upper and the lower windows; he had seen many things, and could therefore answer the princess, and make allusions which quite astonished her.206She thought he must be the cleverest man in all the world, and felt the greatest respect for his knowledge.207When she danced with him again she fell in love with him, which the shadow quickly discovered, for she had with her eyes looked him through and through.208They danced once more, and she was nearly telling him, but she had some discretion; she thought of her country, her kingdom, and the number of people over whom she would one day have to rule. "209He is a clever man," she thought to herself, "which is a good thing, and he dances admirably, which is also good.210But has he well-grounded knowledge? that is an important question, and I must try him."211Then she asked him a most difficult question, she herself could not have answered it, and the shadow made a most unaccountable grimace.212"You cannot answer that," said the princess.213"I learnt something about it in my childhood," he replied; "and believe that even my very shadow, standing over there by the door, could answer it."214"Your shadow," said the princess; "indeed that would be very remarkable."215"I do not say so positively," observed the shadow; "but I am inclined to believe that he can do so.216He has followed me for so many years, and has heard so much from me, that I think it is very likely.217But your royal highness must allow me to observe, that he is very proud of being considered a man, and to put him in a good humor, so that he may answer correctly, he must be treated as a man."218"I shall be very pleased to do so," said the princess.219So she walked up to the learned man, who stood in the doorway, and spoke to him of the sun, and the moon, of the green forests, and of people near home and far off; and the learned man conversed with her pleasantly and sensibly.220"What a wonderful man he must be, to have such a clever shadow!" thought she. "221If I were to choose him it would be a real blessing to my country and my subjects, and I will do it."222So the princess and the shadow were soon engaged to each other, but no one was to be told a word about it, till she returned to her kingdom.223"No one shall know," said the shadow; "not even my own shadow;" and he had very particular reasons for saying so.224After a time, the princess returned to the land over which she reigned, and the shadow accompanied her.225"Listen my friend," said the shadow to the learned man; "now that I am as fortunate and as powerful as any man can be, I will do something unusually good for you.226You shall live in my palace, drive with me in the royal carriage, and have a hundred thousand dollars a year; but you must allow every one to call you a shadow, and never venture to say that you have been a man.227And once a year, when I sit in my balcony in the sunshine, you must lie at my feet as becomes a shadow to do; for I must tell you I am going to marry the princess, and our wedding will take place this evening."228"Now, really, this is too ridiculous," said the learned man. "229I cannot, and will not, submit to such folly.230It would be cheating the whole country, and the princess also.231I will disclose everything, and say that I am the man, and that you are only a shadow dressed up in men's clothes."232"No one would believe you," said the shadow; "be reasonable, now, or I will call the guards."233"I will go straight to the princess," said the learned man.234"But I shall be there first," replied the shadow, "and you will be sent to prison."235And so it turned out, for the guards readily obeyed him, as they knew he was going to marry the king's daughter.236"You tremble," said the princess, when the shadow appeared before her. "237Has anything happened?238You must not be ill to-day, for this evening our wedding will take place."239"I have gone through the most terrible affair that could possibly happen," said the shadow; "only imagine, my shadow has gone mad; I suppose such a poor, shallow brain, could not bear much; he fancies that he has become a real man, and that I am his shadow."240"How very terrible," cried the princess; "is he locked up?"241"Oh yes, certainly; for I fear he will never recover."242"Poor shadow!" said the princess; "it is very unfortunate for him; it would really be a good deed to free him from his frail existence; and, indeed, when I think how often people take the part of the lower class against the higher, in these days, it would be policy to put him out of the way quietly."243"It is certainly rather hard upon him, for he was a faithful servant," said the shadow; and he pretended to sigh.244"Yours is a noble character," said the princess, and bowed herself before him.245In the evening the whole town was illuminated, and cannons fired "boom," and the soldiers presented arms.246It was indeed a grand wedding.247The princess and the shadow stepped out on the balcony to show themselves, and to receive one cheer more.248But the learned man heard nothing of all these festivities, for he had already been executed.1 2 3← previousThe Saucy Boynext →The Shepherdess and the Sheep↑ back to Fairy Tales of Hans Christian AndersenThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/165/page/3/