The Little Elder-tree Mother · page 21 2101In the peasant's cottage the violin sounded, and games were played for apple quarters; even the poorest child said, "It is beautiful in winter!"102And indeed it was beautiful!103And the little girl showed everything to the boy, and the elder-tree continued to breathe forth sweet perfume, while the red flag with the white cross was streaming in the wind; it was the flag under which the old sailor had served.104The boy became a youth; he was to go out into the wide world, far away to the countries where the coffee grows.105But at parting the little girl took an elder-blossom from her breast and gave it to him as a keepsake.106He placed it in his prayer-book, and when he opened it in distant lands it was always at the place where the flower of remembrance was lying; and the more he looked at it the fresher it became, so that he could almost smell the fragrance of the woods at home.107He distinctly saw the little girl, with her bright blue eyes, peeping out from behind the petals, and heard her whispering, "Here it is beautiful in spring, in summer, in autumn, and in winter," and hundreds of pictures passed through his mind.108Thus many years rolled by.109He had now become an old man, and was sitting, with his old wife, under an elder-tree in full bloom.110They held each other by the hand exactly as the great-grandfather and the great-grandmother had done outside, and, like them, they talked about bygone days and of their golden wedding.111The little girl with the blue eyes and elder-blossoms in her hair was sitting high up in the tree, and nodded to them, saying, "To-day is the golden wedding!"112And then she took two flowers out of her wreath and kissed them.113They glittered at first like silver, then like gold, and when she placed them on the heads of the old people each flower became a golden crown.114There they both sat like a king and queen under the sweet-smelling tree, which looked exactly like an elder-tree, and he told his wife the story of the elder-tree mother as it had been told him when he was a little boy.115They were both of opinion that the story contained many points like their own, and these similarities they liked best.116"Yes, so it is," said the little girl in the tree. "117Some call me Little Elder-tree Mother; others a Dryad; but my real name is 'Remembrance.'118It is I who sit in the tree which grows and grows.119I can remember things and tell stories!120But let's see if you have still got your flower."121And the old man opened his prayer-book; the elder-blossom was still in it, and as fresh as if it had only just been put in.122Remembrance nodded, and the two old people, with the golden crowns on their heads, sat in the glowing evening sun. They closed their eyes and--and--123Well, now the story is ended!124The little boy in bed did not know whether he had dreamt it or heard it told; the teapot stood on the table, but no elder-tree was growing out of it, and the old man who had told the story was on the point of leaving the room, and he did go out.125"How beautiful it was!" said the little boy. "126Mother, I have been to warm countries!"127"I believe you," said the mother; "if one takes two cups of hot elder-tea it is quite natural that one gets into warm countries!"128And she covered him up well, so that he might not take cold. "129You have slept soundly while I was arguing with the old man whether it was a story or a fairy tale!"130"And what has become of the little elder-tree mother?" asked the boy.131"She is in the teapot," said the mother; "and there she may remain."1 2← previousLittle Claus and Big Clausnext →Little Ida's Flowers↑ back to Fairy Tales of Hans Christian AndersenThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/72/page/2/