The Dryad, part 1 · page 21 2101Like a great table on Christmas Eve, the Champ de Mars carried a wonder-castle of industry and art, and around this knickknacks from all countries had been ranged, knickknacks on a grand scale, for every nation found some remembrance of home.102Here stood the royal palace of Egypt, there the caravanserai of the desert land.103The Bedouin had quitted his sunny country, and hastened by on his camel.104Here stood the Russian stables, with the fiery glorious horses of the steppe.105Here stood the simple straw-thatched dwelling of the Danish peasant, with the Dannebrog flag, next to Gustavus Vasa's wooden house from Dalarne, with its wonderful carvings.106American huts, English cottages, French pavilions, kiosks, theatres, churches, all strewn around, and between them the fresh green turf, the clear springing water, blooming bushes, rare trees, hothouses, in which one might fancy one's self transported into the tropical forest; whole gardens brought from Damascus, and blooming under one roof.107What colors, what fragrance!108Artificial grottoes surrounded bodies of fresh or salt water, and gave a glimpse into the empire of the fishes; the visitor seemed to wander at the bottom of the sea, among fishes and polypi.109"All this," they said, "the Champ de Mars offers;" and around the great richly-spread table the crowd of human beings moves like a busy swarm of ants, on foot or in little carriages, for not all feet are equal to such a fatiguing journey.110Hither they swarm from morning till late in the evening.checked by a teacher111Steamer after steamer, crowded with people, glides down the Seine.112The number of carriages is continually on the increase.113The swarm of people on foot and on horseback grows more and more dense.114Carriages and omnibuses are crowded, stuffed and embroidered with people.115All these tributary streams flow in one direction--towards the Exhibition.116On every entrance the flag of France is displayed; around the world's bazaar wave the flags of all nations.117There is a humming and a murmuring from the hall of the machines; from the towers the melody of the chimes is heard; with the tones of the organs in the churches mingle the hoarse nasal songs from the cafes of the East.118It is a kingdom of Babel, a wonder of the world!119In very truth it was.120That's what all the reports said, and who did not hear them?121The Dryad knew everything that is told here of the new wonder in the city of cities.122"Fly away, ye birds! fly away to see, and then come back and tell me," said the Dryad.123The wish became an intense desire--became the one thought of a life.124Then, in the quiet silent night, while the full moon was shining, the Dryad saw a spark fly out of the moon's disc, and fall like a shooting star.checked by a teacher125And before the tree, whose leaves waved to and fro as if they were stirred by a tempest, stood a noble, mighty, and grand figure.126In tones that were at once rich and strong, like the trumpet of the Last Judgment bidding farewell to life and summoning to the great account, it said:127"Thou shalt go to the city of magic; thou shalt take root there, and enjoy the mighty rushing breezes, the air and the sunshine there.128But the time of thy life shall then be shortened; the line of years that awaited thee here amid the free nature shall shrink to but a small tale.129Poor Dryad!130It shall be thy destruction.131Thy yearning and longing will increase, thy desire will grow more stormy, the tree itself will be as a prison to thee, thou wilt quit thy cell and give up thy nature to fly out and mingle among men.132Then the years that would have belonged to thee will be contracted to half the span of the ephemeral fly, that lives but a day: one night, and thy life-taper shall be blown out--the leaves of the tree will wither and be blown away, to become green never again!"133Thus the words sounded.134And the light vanished away, but not the longing of the Dryad.135She trembled in the wild fever of expectation.136"I shall go there!" she cried, rejoicingly. "137Life is beginning and swells like a cloud; nobody knows whither it is hastening."138When the gray dawn arose and the moon turned pale and the clouds were tinted red, the wished-for hour struck.139The words of promise were fulfilled.1 2← previousThe Drop of Waternext →The Dryad, part 2↑ back to Fairy Tales of Hans Christian AndersenThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/24/page/2/