Little Ida's Flowers · page 21 2101Then at last the other flowers interceded for him, especially those who had lain in the doll's bed, and the carnival rod gave up his dancing.102At the same moment a loud knocking was heard in the drawer, where Ida's doll Sophy lay with many other toys.103Then the rough doll ran to the end of the table, laid himself flat down upon it, and began to pull the drawer out a little way.104Then Sophy raised himself, and looked round quite astonished, "There must be a ball here to-night," said Sophy. "105Why did not somebody tell me?"106"Will you dance with me?" said the rough doll.107"You are the right sort to dance with, certainly," said she, turning her back upon him.108Then she seated herself on the edge of the drawer, and thought that perhaps one of the flowers would ask her to dance; but none of them came.109Then she coughed, "Hem, hem, a-hem;" but for all that not one came.110The shabby doll now danced quite alone, and not very badly, after all.111As none of the flowers seemed to notice Sophy, she let herself down from the drawer to the floor, so as to make a very great noise.112All the flowers came round her directly, and asked if she had hurt herself, especially those who had lain in her bed.113But she was not hurt at all, and Ida's flowers thanked her for the use of the nice bed, and were very kind to her.114They led her into the middle of the room, where the moon shone, and danced with her, while all the other flowers formed a circle round them.115Then Sophy was very happy, and said they might keep her bed; she did not mind lying in the drawer at all.116But the flowers thanked her very much, and said,--117"We cannot live long.118To-morrow morning we shall be quite dead; and you must tell little Ida to bury us in the garden, near to the grave of the canary; then, in the summer we shall wake up and be more beautiful than ever."119"No, you must not die," said Sophy, as she kissed the flowers.120Then the door of the room opened, and a number of beautiful flowers danced in.121Ida could not imagine where they could come from, unless they were the flowers from the king's garden.122First came two lovely roses, with little golden crowns on their heads; these were the king and queen.123Beautiful stocks and carnations followed, bowing to every one present.124They had also music with them.125Large poppies and peonies had pea-shells for instruments, and blew into them till they were quite red in the face.126The bunches of blue hyacinths and the little white snowdrops jingled their bell-like flowers, as if they were real bells.127Then came many more flowers: blue violets, purple heart's-ease, daisies, and lilies of the valley, and they all danced together, and kissed each other.128It was very beautiful to behold.129At last the flowers wished each other good-night.130Then little Ida crept back into her bed again, and dreamt of all she had seen.131When she arose the next morning, she went quickly to the little table, to see if the flowers were still there.132She drew aside the curtains of the little bed.133There they all lay, but quite faded; much more so than the day before.134Sophy was lying in the drawer where Ida had placed her; but she looked very sleepy.checked by a teacher135"Do you remember what the flowers told you to say to me?" said little Ida.checked by a teacher136But Sophy looked quite stupid, and said not a single word.137"You are not kind at all," said Ida; "and yet they all danced with you."138Then she took a little paper box, on which were painted beautiful birds, and laid the dead flowers in it.139"This shall be your pretty coffin," she said; "and by and by, when my cousins come to visit me, they shall help me to bury you out in the garden; so that next summer you may grow up again more beautiful than ever."140Her cousins were two good-tempered boys, whose names were James and Adolphus.141Their father had given them each a bow and arrow, and they had brought them to show Ida.142She told them about the poor flowers which were dead; and as soon as they obtained permission, they went with her to bury them.143The two boys walked first, with their crossbows on their shoulders, and little Ida followed, carrying the pretty box containing the dead flowers.144They dug a little grave in the garden.145Ida kissed her flowers and then laid them, with the box, in the earth.146James and Adolphus then fired their crossbows over the grave, as they had neither guns nor cannons.checked by a teacher1 2← previousThe Little Elder-tree Mothernext →The Little Match-seller↑ back to Fairy Tales of Hans Christian AndersenThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg27200/73/page/2/