Raw Tei - Eng 416

The Christmas Box 1
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<titleStmt>
<title>Granny's Fairy Story</title>
<author>Unknown</author>
<editor>Shannon Harman</editor>
</titleStmt>
<editionStmt>
1850 edition
</editionStmt>
<publicationStmt>
Published in <date>2016</date> by Shannon Harman as a course project for
<name>Illinois State University.</name>
</publicationStmt>
<sourceDesc>
Granny's Fairy Story is based in part on various European fairy tales. It was
published in the children's holiday annual "The Christmas Box" by Leavitt and Allen.
</sourceDesc>
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</teiHeader>
<text>
<front>
<titlePage>
<titlePart><title>THE CHRISTMAS BOX: A CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S
PRESENT FOR THE YOUNG. New York: PUBLISHED BY LEAVITT AND ALLEN, 379
BROADWAY.</title></titlePart>
<docAuthor>Anonymous</docAuthor>
</titlePage>
<div type="preface">
THE stories and verses which compose the present<lb/>
volume are designed expressly for the delight of young<lb/>
people. The fairy legends are partly from an American<lb/>
and partly from an European source; and a portion of<lb/>
the poetical effusions are entirely original.<lb/>
The delight which young people take in stories which<lb/>
are purely imaginative, especially those fairy stories which<lb/>
The Christmas Box 2
have delighted both young and old in former ages, has<lb/>

often been noticed. Those who are the most competent<lb/>
to advise on the subject of education, recommend the<lb/>
use of them as a relaxation from the graver studies of<lb/>
youth; and we hold that the recommendation is both<lb/>
wise and prudent.<lb/>

</div>
</front>
<body>
<div type="page" n="7">
<head>GRANNY'S FAIRY STORY.</head>
Once upon a time, there was a young<lb/>
woman so kind and sweet-tempered that<lb/>
every person loved her. Among the rest,<lb/>
there was an old witch who lived near where<lb/>
she dwelt, and with whom she was a great<lb/>
favorite. One day this old witch told her<lb/>
she had a nice present to give her. See,<lb/>
she said, here is a barley-corn, which,<lb/>
however, is by no means of the same sort as<lb/>
those which grow in the farmers field, or<lb/>
those we give to the fowls. Now you must<lb/>
plant this in a flower-pot, and then take care<lb/>
and see what happens.<lb/>
(7)<lb/>

</div>
<head>8 GRANNY'S FAIRY STORY.</head>
Thank you a thousand times, said the<lb/>
young woman. And, thereupon, she went<lb/>
straight home, and planted the barley-corn<lb/>
the witch had given her in a flower-pot.<lb/>
Immediately there grew out of it a large<lb/>
handsome flower, but its leaves were all shut<lb/>
close as if they were buds.<lb/>
That is a most beautiful flower! said the<lb/>
woman, while she bent down to kiss its red<lb/>
and yellow leaves; but scarcely had her lips <lb/>
pressed the flower, than it gave forth a loud<lb/>
sound and opened its cup. And now the<lb/>
woman was able to see that it was a regular<lb/>
The Christmas Box 3
tulip, and in the midst of the cup, down at<lb/>

the bottom, there sat a small and most<lb/>
lovely maiden; her height was about one<lb/>
inch, and on that account the woman named<lb/>
her Ellise.<lb/>
She made the little thing a cradle out of<lb/>
a walnut-shell, gave her a blue violet-leaf<lb/>
for a mattress, a rose-leaf for a coverlet. In<lb/>

</div>
<head>GRANNY'S FAIRY STORY. 9</head>
this cradle Ellise slept at night time, and<lb/>
during the day she played upon the table.<lb/>
The woman had set a plate filled with water<lb/>
upon the table, which she surrounded with<lb/>
flowers, and the flower-stalks all rested on<lb/>
the edge of the water; on the water floated<lb/>
a large tulip-leaf, and on the tulip-leaf sat<lb/>
the little Ellise, and sailed from one side<lb/>
of the plate to the other; and for this she<lb/>
used two white horse-hairs for oars. The<lb/>
whole effect was very charming, and Ellise<lb/>
could sing too, but with such a delicate little<lb/>
voice as we have never heard here.<lb/>
Once night as she lay in her bed, an ugly<lb/>
toad hopped into her chamber through the<lb/>
broken window pane. It was a large and<lb/>
very hideous toad; and it sprang at once<lb/>
upon the table, where Ellise lay asleep under<lb/>
the rose-leaf.<lb/>
That would be, now, a nice little wife<lb/>
for my son, said the toad, and seized, as she<lb/>

</div>
said it, the walnut-shell in her mouth, and<lb/>
hopped with it out through the window into<lb/>
the garden again.<lb/>
Through the garden flowed a broad stream,<lb/>
but its banks were marshy, and among the<lb/>
marshes lived the toad and her son. Ha! how<lb/>
The Christmas Box 4
hideous the son was too; exactly like his<lb/>

mother he was, and all he could say, when<lb/>
he saw the sweet little maiden in the wal-<lb/>
nut-shell was Koax! koax! breckke ke!<lb/>
Dont talk so loud, said the old one to<lb/>
him, else youll awake her, and then she<lb/>
might easily run away from us, for she is<lb/>
lighter than a swans down. We will set her<lb/>
upon a large plant in the stream; that will<lb/>
be a whole island for her; and then she can-<lb/>
not run away from us; while we, down in<lb/>
the mud, will build the house for you two to<lb/>
live in.<lb/>
In the stream there were very large<lb/>
plants, which all seemed as if they floated<lb/>

</div>
on the water; the most distant one was, at<lb/>
the same time, the largest, and thither<lb/>
swam the old toad and set down the walnut-<lb/>
shell, with the little maiden upon it.<lb/>
Early on the following morning the little<lb/>
Ellise awoke, and when she looked about<lb/>
her and saw where she was, that her new<lb/>
dwelling-place was surrounded on all sides<lb/>
by water, and that there remained no pos-<lb/>
sible way for her to reach land again, she<lb/>
began to weep most bitterly.<lb/>
Meanwhile the old toad sat in the mud<lb/>
and adorned the building with reeds and<lb/>
yellow flowers, that it might be quite grand<lb/>
for her future daughter-in-law, and then, in<lb/>
company with her hideous son, swam to the<lb/>
little leaf-island where Ellise lay.<lb/>
She now wanted to fetch her pretty little<lb/>
bed, that it might at once be placed in the<lb/>
new chamber, before Ellise herself was<lb/>
brought there. The old toad bent herself<lb/>

</div>
The Christmas Box 5

courteously before her in the water, while<lb/>
she presented her son in these words- You<lb/>
see here my son, who is to be your husband,<lb/>
and you two shall live together charmingly<lb/>
down in the mud.<lb/>
Koax! koax! breck-ke! was all that the<lb/>
bridegroom could find to say.<lb/>
And, therewith, they both seized upon the<lb/>
beautiful little bed, and swam away with it;<lb/>
while Ellise sat alone upon the leaf and cried<lb/>
very much, for she did not like at all to live<lb/>
with the frightful toad, much less have her<lb/>
odious son for her husband. Now the little<lb/>
fishes that swam about under the water,<lb/>
had seen the toad, and heard, moreover, per-<lb/>
fectly well all that she said; they, therefore,<lb/>
raised their heads above water, that they<lb/>
might have a look at the beautiful little<lb/>
creature. No sooner had they seen her than<lb/>
they were, one and all, quite moved by her<lb/>
beauty; and it seemed to them very hard<lb/>

</div>
that such a sweet maiden should become<lb/>
the prey of an ugly toad. They assembled<lb/>
themselves, therefore, round about the green<lb/>
stalk from which grew the leaf whereon<lb/>
Ellise sat, and gnawed it with their teeth<lb/>
until it came in two, and then away floated<lb/>
Ellise and the leaf far, far away, where the<lb/>
toad could come no more.<lb/>
And so sailed the little maiden by towns<lb/>
and villages, and when the birds upon the<lb/>
trees beheld her, they sang out Oh what<lb/>
a lovely young girl. But away, away floated<lb/>
the leaf always further and further, Ellise<lb/>
made quite a foreign journey upon it.<lb/>
For some time a small white butterfly had<lb/>
hovered over her, and at last he sat himself<lb/>
down on her leaf, because he was very much<lb/>
The Christmas Box 6
pleased with Ellise, and she too, was very<lb/>

glad of the visit, for now the toad could not<lb/>
come near her, and the country through which<lb/>
she travelled was so beautiful. The sun<lb/>

</div>
shone so bright upon the water that it glit-<lb/>
tered like gold. And now the idea occurred<lb/>
to her to loosen her girdle, bind one end of<lb/>
it to the butterfly, the other to the leaf; she<lb/>
did this and then she flew on much faster,<lb/>
and saw much more of the world than she<lb/>
would have done.<lb/>
But, at last, there came by a cock-chafer,<lb/>
who seized her with his long claws round<lb/>
her slender waist, and flew away with her<lb/>
to a tree, while on swam the leaf, and the<lb/>
butterfly was obliged to follow, for he could<lb/>
not come loose, so fast and firm had Ellise<lb/>
bound him.<lb/>
Ah! how terrified was poor Ellise when<lb/>
the cock-chafer carried her off to the tree.<lb/>
But her sorrow over the little butterfly was<lb/>
quite as great, for she knew he must cer-<lb/>
tainly perish, unless by some good accident<lb/>
he should chance to free himself from the<lb/>
green leaf. But all this made no impression<lb/>

</div>
upon the cock-chafer, who set her upon a<lb/>
large leaf, gave her some honey to eat, and<lb/>
told her she was very charming, although<lb/>
not a bit like a chafer. And now appeared<lb/>
all the other cock-chafers who dwelt upon<lb/>
this tree, who waited upon Ellise, and ex-<lb/>
amined her from tip to toe; while the young<lb/>
lady-chafers turned up their feelers and said,<lb/>
She has only two legs! how very wretched<lb/>
that looks! and added they, she has no<lb/>
The Christmas Box 7
feelers whatever, and is as thin in the body<lb/>

as a human being! Ah! its really hi-<lb/>
deous! and all the young lady-cock-chafers<lb/>
cried out, Ah! its perfectly hideous!<lb/>
And yet Ellise was so charming! and so<lb/>
felt the cock-chafer; but at last because<lb/>
all the lady-chafers thought her ugly he<lb/>
began to think so too, and resolved he would<lb/>
have nothing more to do with her; she<lb/>
might go, he said, wherever she liked;<lb/>
and with these words he flew with her to<lb/>

</div>
the ground, and set her upon a daisy. And<lb/>
now the poor little thing wept bitterly, to<lb/>
find herself so hideous that not even a cock-<lb/>
chafer would have any thing to do with her.<lb/>
But, notwithstanding this decisive opinion<lb/>
of the young lady-cock-chafers, Ellise was<lb/>
the loveliest, most elegant little creature in<lb/>
the world, as delicate and beautiful as a<lb/>
young rose-leaf.<lb/>
The whole summer through the poor little<lb/>
maiden lived alone in the great forest; and<lb/>
she wove herself a bed out of fine grass, and<lb/>
hung it up to rock beneath a creeper, that<lb/>
it might not blown away by the wind and<lb/>
rain; she plucked herself sweets out of the<lb/>
flowers, for food, and drank of the fresh dew,<lb/>
that fell every morning upon the grass. And<lb/>
so the summer and the autumn passed away<lb/>
All the birds which had sung so sweetly to<lb/>
Ellise, left her and went away, the trees<lb/>
lost all their green, the flowers withered and<lb/>

</div>
the great creeper which, until now, had been<lb/>
her shelter, shriveled away to a bare yellow<lb/>
stalk. The poor little thing shivered with<lb/>
The Christmas Box 8
cold, for her clothes were now worn out, and<lb/>

her form was so tender and delicate that she<lb/>
would certainly perish with cold. It began<lb/>
to snow, and every flake which touched her<lb/>
was to her what a great heapful would be<lb/>
to us, for her whole body was only one inch<lb/>
long.<lb/>
Close beside the forest in which Ellise lay,<lb/>
there was a corn-field, but the corn had been<lb/>
reaped, and now, only the dry stubble rose<lb/>
above the earth; yet, for Ellise this was a<lb/>
great forest, and hither she came. So she<lb/>
reached the house of a field-mouse, which<lb/>
was formed of a little hole under the stubble.<lb/>
Here dwelt the field-mouse warm and com-<lb/>
fortable, with her store-room full of food for<lb/>
the winter, and near at hand a pretty kitchen<lb/>
and eating-room. Poor Ellise stepped up to<lb/>

</div>
the door and begged for a little grain of<lb/>
barley, for she had tasted nothing for the<lb/>
whole day.<lb/>
You poor little wretch! said the field-<lb/>
mouse, who was very kind-hearted, come<lb/>
in to my warm room and eat something.<lb/>
And when now she was much pleased with<lb/>
Ellise, she added, you may if you like,<lb/>
spend the winter here with me; but you<lb/>
must keep my house clean and neat, and tell<lb/>
me stories, for I am very fond of hearing<lb/>
stories.<lb/>
 Ellise did as the field-mouse wished, and,<lb/>
as a reward for her trouble, was made com-<lb/>
fortable with her.<lb/>
Now we shall have a visit, said the field-<lb/>
mouse to her one day. My neighbor is ac-<lb/>
customed to pay me a visit every week. He<lb/>
is much richer than I am, for he has several<lb/>
beautiful rooms, and wears the most costly<lb/>
velvet coat. Now if you could only have<lb/>
The Christmas Box 9

</div>
him for your husband, you would be nicely<lb/>
provided for, but he does not see very sharply,<lb/>
thats one thing. Only you must tell him<lb/>
all the best stories you can think of.<lb/>
But Ellise would hear nothing of it, for<lb/>
she could not endure the neighbor, for he was<lb/>
nothing more nor less than a mole. He<lb/>
came, as was expected, to pay his respects<lb/>
to the field-mouse, and wore his handsome<lb/>
velvet coat as usual. The field-mouse said<lb/>
he was very rich, and very well informed,<lb/>
and that his house was twenty times larger<lb/>
than hers. Well informed he might be, but<lb/>
he could not endure the sunshine or the<lb/>
flowers, and spoke contemptuously of both<lb/>
one and the other, although he had never<lb/>
seen either. Ellise was obliged to sing be-<lb/>
fore him, and she sang the two songs-<lb/>
Chafers fly! the sun is shining! and The<lb/>
priest goes to the field! Then the mole be-<lb/>
came very much in love with her because<lb/>

</div>
of her beautiful voice, but he took good care<lb/>
not to show it, for he was a cautious, sensible<lb/>
fellow.<lb/>
Very lately he had made a long passage<lb/>
from his dwelling to that of his neighbor,<lb/>
and he gave permission to Ellise and the<lb/>
field-mouse to go in it as often as they<lb/>
pleased; yet he begged of them not to be<lb/>
startled at the dead bird which lay at the<lb/>
entrance. It was certainly a bird lately<lb/>
dead, for all the feathers were still upon him,<lb/>
it seemed to have been frozen exactly where<lb/>
the mole had made the entrance of his pas-<lb/>
sage.<lb/>
The Christmas Box 10
Mr. Neighbor now took a piece of tinder<lb/>

in his mouth, and stepped on before the<lb/>
ladies, that he might lighten the way for<lb/>
them, and as he came to the place where<lb/>
the dead bird lay, he struck with his snout<lb/>
on the ground, so that the earth rolled away,<lb/>
and a large opening appeared through which<lb/>

</div>
the day-light shone in. And now Ellise could<lb/>
see the dead bird quite well it was a swal-<lb/>
low. The pretty wings were pressed against<lb/>
the body, and the feet and head covered over<lb/>
by the feathers. The poor bird has died<lb/>
of cold, said Ellise, and it grieved her very<lb/>
much for the dear little animal, for she was<lb/>
very fond of birds, for they sang to her all<lb/>
through the summer. But the mole kicked<lb/>
him with his foot and said, The fine fellow<lb/>
has done with his twittering now! It must<lb/>
indeed be dreadful to be born a bird! Hea-<lb/>
ven be praised that none of my children<lb/>
have turned out birds! Stupid things! they<lb/>
have nothing in the wide world but their<lb/>
quivit, and when the winter comes, die they<lb/>
must!<lb/>
Yes, returned the field-mouse, you, a<lb/>
thoughtful and reflecting man, may well say<lb/>
that! What indeed has a bird beyond its<lb/>

</div>
twitter when the winter comes? he must<lb/>
perforce hunger and freeze!<lb/>
Ellise was silent; but when the others had<lb/>
turned their backs upon the bird, she raised<lb/>
up its feathers gently, and kissed its closed<lb/>
eyes.<lb/>
Perhaps it was you, she said softly,<lb/>
who sang me such beautiful songs! How<lb/>
often you have made me happy and merry,<lb/>

you dear bird!<lb/>
And now the mole stopped up the opening<lb/>
again through which the daylight fell, and<lb/>
then accompanied the young ladies home.<lb/>
But Ellise could not sleep the whole night<lb/>
long. She got up, therefore, wove a covering<lb/>
of hay, carried it away to the dead bird, and<lb/>
covered him with it on all sides, in order<lb/>
that he might rest warmer upon the cold<lb/>
ground. Farewell, you sweet, pretty little<lb/>
bird! said she. Farewell! and let me<lb/>
thank you a thousand times for your friendly<lb/>

</div>
song this summer, when the trees were all<lb/>
green, and the sun shone down so warm upon<lb/>
us all! And therewith she laid her little<lb/>
head on the birds breast, but started back,<lb/>
for it seemed to her as if something moved<lb/>
within. It was the birds heart; he was not<lb/>
dead, but benumbed, and now he came again<lb/>
to life as the warmth penetrated to him.<lb/>
In the autumn, the swallows fly away to<lb/>
warmer countries; and when a weak one is<lb/>
among them, and the cold freezes him, he<lb/>
falls to the ground, and lies there as if dead,<lb/>
until the cold snow covers him.<lb/>
Ellise was frightened at first, when the<lb/>
bird raised itself, for to her he was a great<lb/>
big giant, but she soon collected herself<lb/>
again, pressed the hay covering close round<lb/>
the exhausted little animal, and then went<lb/>
to fetch the curled mint-leaves which served<lb/>
for her own covering, that she might lay it<lb/>
over his head.<lb/>

</div>
The following night she slipped away to<lb/>
the bird again, whom she found now quite<lb/>

revived, but yet so very weak, that he could<lb/>
only open his eyes now and then, to look at<lb/>
Ellise, who lighted up his face with a little<lb/>
piece of tinder.<lb/>
I thank you a thousand times, you lovely<lb/>
little child, said the sick swallow, I am<lb/>
now so thoroughly warmed through, that I<lb/>
shall soon gain my strength again, and be<lb/>
able to fly out in warm sunshine.<lb/>
Oh! it is a great deal too cold out there,<lb/>
returned Ellise, it snows and freezes so<lb/>
hard! only just stay in your warm bed, and<lb/>
I will take such care of you!<lb/>
She brought the bird some water to drink<lb/>
out of a leaf, and then he related to her how<lb/>
he had so hurt his wing against a thorny<lb/>
bush that he could not fly away to the warm<lb/>
countries with his comrades, and at last had<lb/>

</div>
fallen exhausted to the ground, where all<lb/>
consciousness left him.<lb/>
The swallow remained here the whole<lb/>
winter, and Ellise attended to him, and be-<lb/>
came every day more and more fond of<lb/>
him; yet she said nothing at all about it to<lb/>
the mole or field-mouse, for she knew well<lb/>
enough already that neither of them could<lb/>
bear the poor bird.<lb/>
As soon, however, as the summer came,<lb/>
and the warm sunbeams penetrated the<lb/>
earth, the swallow said good-bye to Ellise,<lb/>
who had now opened the hole in the ground,<lb/>
through which the mole let the light fall in.<lb/>
The sun shone so kindly, that the swallow<lb/>
turned and asked Ellise, his dear little nurse,<lb/>
whether she would not fly away with him.<lb/>
She could sit very nicely upon the swallows<lb/>
back, and then they would go away together<lb/>
to the green forest. But Ellise thought it<lb/>
would grieve the good field-mouse if she<lb/>


</div>
went away secretly, and therefore she was<lb/>
obliged to refuse the birds kind offer.<lb/>
Then, once more farewell, you kind good<lb/>
maiden, said the swallow, and therewith he<lb/>
flew out into the sunshine. Ellise looked<lb/>
sorrowfully after him, and the tears rushed<lb/>
into her eyes, for she was very fond of the<lb/>
good bird.<lb/>
Quivit! quivit! sang the swallow, and<lb/>
away he flew to the forest.<lb/>
And now Ellise was very mournful, for<lb/>
she hardly ever left her dark hole. The<lb/>
corn grew up far above her head, and formed<lb/>
quite a thick wood round the house of the<lb/>
field-mouse.<lb/>
Now you can spend the summer in work-<lb/>
ing at your wedding-clothes, said the field-<lb/>
mouse, for the neighbor, the wearisome mole,<lb/>
had at last really proposed for Ellise. I<lb/>
will give you every thing you want, that<lb/>

</div>
you may have all things comfortable about<lb/>
you, when you are the moles wife.<lb/>
And now Ellise was obliged to sit all day<lb/>
long busy at her clothes, and the field-mouse<lb/>
now took four clever spiders into her service,<lb/>
and kept them weaving day and night;<lb/>
Every evening came the mole to pay his<lb/>
visit, and every evening he expressed his<lb/>
wish that the summer would soon come to<lb/>
and end, and the heat cease, for then, when<lb/>
the winter was here, his wedding should take<lb/>
place. But Ellise was not at all happy to<lb/>
hear this, for she could hardly bear even to<lb/>
look upon the ugly mole, for all his expen-<lb/>
sive velvet coat. Every evening and every<lb/>

morning she went out at the door, and when<lb/>
the wind blew the ears of corn apart, and<lb/>
she could look upon the blue heaven, she<lb/>
saw it was so beautiful out in the open air,<lb/>
that she wished she could only see the dear<lb/>
swallow once more; but the swallow never<lb/>

</div>
came; he preferred rejoicing himself in the<lb/>
warm sunbeams in the green woods.<lb/>
By the time autumn came, Ellise had pre-<lb/>
pared all her wedding-garments.<lb/>
In four weeks your wedding will take<lb/>
place, said the field-mouse to her; but<lb/>
Ellise wept, and said she did not want to<lb/>
have the stupid mole for a husband.<lb/>
Fiddle-de-dee, answered the field-<lb/>
mouse- Come dont be obstinate, or I shall<lb/>
be obliged to bite you with my sharp teeth.<lb/>
Isnt he a good husband that youre going<lb/>
to have? Why, even the queen hasnt such<lb/>
a fine velvet coat to show as he has! His<lb/>
kitchen and his cellar are well-stocked, and<lb/>
you ought rather to thank Providence for<lb/>
providing so well for you!<lb/>
So the wedding was to be! Already was<lb/>
the mole come to fetch away Ellise, who,<lb/>
from henceforth, was to live always with<lb/>
him. Deep under the earth, where no sun-<lb/>

</div>
beam could ever come! The little maiden<lb/>
was very unhappy, that she must take her<lb/>
farewell of the friendly sun, which at all<lb/>
events she saw at the door of the field-mouses<lb/>
house.<lb/>
Farewell; thou beloved sun! said she,<lb/>
and raised her hand toward heaven, while<lb/>
she advanced a few steps from the door; for<lb/>

already was the corn again reaped, and she<lb/>
stood once more among the stubble in the<lb/>
field. Adieu, adieu! she repeated, and<lb/>
threw her arms round a flower that stood<lb/>
near her, Greet the little swallow for me,<lb/>
when you see him again, added she.<lb/>
Quivit! quivit! echoed near her in the<lb/>
same moment, and as Ellise raised her eyes<lb/>
she saw her well-known little swallow fly<lb/>
past. As soon as the swallow perceived<lb/>
Ellise, he too, became quite joyful, and has-<lb/>
tened to his kind nurse; and she told him<lb/>
how unwilling she was to have the ugly mole<lb/>

</div>
for her husband, and that she must go down<lb/>
deep into the earth, where neither sun nor<lb/>
moon could ever look upon her, and with<lb/>
these words she burst into tears.<lb/>
See now, said the swallow, the cold<lb/>
winter is coming again, and I am flying away<lb/>
to the warm countries, will you come and<lb/>
travel with me? I will carry you gladly on<lb/>
my back. You need only bind yourself fast<lb/>
with your girdle, so we can fly away from<lb/>
the disagreeable mole, and his dark house,<lb/>
far over the mountains and valleys, to the<lb/>
beautiful countries, where the sun shines<lb/>
much warmer than it does here; where<lb/>
there is summer always, and always beauti-<lb/>
ful flowers blooming. Come, be comforted,<lb/>
and fly away with me, dear, kind Ellise, who<lb/>
saved my life when I lay frozen in the<lb/>
earth.<lb/>
Yes, I will go with you, cried Ellise<lb/>
joyfully. She mounted on the back of the<lb/>

</div>
swallow, set her feet upon his out-spread<lb/>

wings, bound herself with her girdle to a<lb/>
strong feather, and flew off with the swallow<lb/>
through the air, over woods and lakes, val-<lb/>
leys and mountains. Very often Ellise suf-<lb/>
fered from the cold when they went over icy<lb/>
glaciers and snowy rocks; but then she con-<lb/>
cealed herself under the wings and among<lb/>
the feathers of the bird, and merely put out<lb/>
her head to gaze and wonder at all the glo-<lb/>
rious things around her.<lb/>
At last, too, they came into the warm<lb/>
countries. The sun shines clearer than with<lb/>
us; the heavens were a great deal higher, and<lb/>
on the walls and in the hedges grew the<lb/>
most beautiful blue and green grapes. In<lb/>
the woods hung ripe citrons and oranges,<lb/>
and the air was full of the scent of thyme<lb/>
and myrtle, while beautiful children ran in<lb/>
the roads playing with the gayest colored<lb/>
butterflies. But farther and farther flew the<lb/>

</div>
swallow, and below them it became more<lb/>
and more beautiful. By the side of a lake,<lb/>
beneath graceful acacias, there rose an an-<lb/>
cient marble palace, the vines clung around<lb/>
the pillars, while above them, on their sum-<lb/>
mits, hung many a swallows nest. Into<lb/>
one of these nests the bird carried Ellise.<lb/>
Here is my house, said he, but look<lb/>
you for one of the loveliest flowers, which<lb/>
grow down there, for your home, and I will<lb/>
carry you there, and you shall have every<lb/>
thing you can possibly want.<lb/>
That would be glorious indeed! said<lb/>
Ellise, and she clapped her hands together<lb/>
for very joy.<lb/>
Upon the earth there lay a large white<lb/>
marble pillar, which had been thrown down,<lb/>
and was broken into three pieces, but be-<lb/>
tween its ruins there grew the very fairest<lb/>

flowers, all white, the loveliest you would<lb/>
ever wish to see.<lb/>

</div>
The swallow flew with Ellise to one of<lb/>
these flowers, and set her down upon a broad<lb/>
leaf; but how astonished was Ellise when<lb/>
she saw that a wee little man sat in this<lb/>
flower, who was as fine and transparent as<lb/>
glass. He wore a graceful little crown upon<lb/>
his head, and had beautiful wings on his<lb/>
shoulders; and withal he was not a bit bigger<lb/>
than Ellise herself. He was the angel of<lb/>
this flower. In every flower dwell a pair of<lb/>
such like little men and women, but this was<lb/>
the king of all the flower angels.<lb/>
Heavens! how handsome this king is,<lb/>
whispered Ellise into the ear of the swallow.<lb/>
the little prince was somewhat startled by<lb/>
the arrival of the large bird; but when he<lb/>
saw Ellise, he became instantly in love with<lb/>
her; for she was the most charming little<lb/>
maiden that he had ever seen. So he took<lb/>
off his golden crown, set it upon Ellise, and<lb/>
asked what was her name, and whether she<lb/>

</div>
would be his wife; if so, she should be queen<lb/>
over all the other flowers - ah! this was a<lb/>
very different husband to the son of the hi-<lb/>
deous toad, and the heavy, stupid mole, with<lb/>
his velvet coat! So Ellise said yes, to the<lb/>
beautiful prince; and now, from all the other<lb/>
flowers, appeared either a gentleman or a<lb/>
lady, all wonderfully elegant and beautiful<lb/>
to bring presents to Ellise. The best pre-<lb/>
sent offered to her was a pair of exquisite<lb/>
white wings, which were immediately fast-<lb/>
ened on her; and now she could fly from<lb/>

flower to flower.<lb/>
And now the joy was universal. The<lb/>
little swallow sat above in his nest, and sung<lb/>
as well as he possible could, though at the<lb/>
same time he was sorely grieved, for he was<lb/>
so fond of Ellise that he wanted never to<lb/>
part from her again.<lb/>
You shall not be called Ellise any more,<lb/>
said the flower-angel, for it is not a pretty<lb/>

</div>
name, and you are so pretty! But from this<lb/>
moment you shall be called Maja.<lb/>
Farewell! Farewell! cried the little<lb/>
swallow, and away he flew again, out of the<lb/>
warm land, far, far away, to the little Den-<lb/>
mark, where he had his summer nest over<lb/>
the window of the good man, who knows<lb/>
how to tell stories, that he might sing his<lb/>
Quivit! Quivit! before him. And it is from<lb/>
him, the little swallow, that Granny learnt<lb/>
all this wonderful history.<lb/>

</div>
<figure>
<graphic url="http://www.tei-c.org/logos/TEI-glow.png"/>
</figure>
</body>
</text>
</TEI>

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The Christmas Box 1

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

The Christmas Box 2

have delighted both young and old in former ages, has<lb/>

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tulip, and in the midst of the cup, down at<lb/>

The Christmas Box 4

hideous the son was too; exactly like his<lb/>

The Christmas Box 5

<head>12 GRANNY'S FAIRY STORY.</head>

The Christmas Box 6

pleased with Ellise, and she too, was very<lb/>

The Christmas Box 7

feelers whatever, and is as thin in the body<lb/>

The Christmas Box 8

cold, for her clothes were now worn out, and<lb/>

The Christmas Box 9

The Christmas Box 10

<p>Mr. Neighbor now took a piece of tinder<lb/>

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often you have made me happy and merry,<lb/>

The Christmas Box 12

the bird again, whom she found now quite<lb/>

The Christmas Box 13

would grieve the good field-mouse if she<lb/>

The Christmas Box 14

sive velvet coat. Every evening and every<lb/>

The Christmas Box 15

she advanced a few steps from the door; for<lb/>

The Christmas Box 16

<p>swallow, set her feet upon his out-spread<lb/>

The Christmas Box 17

tween its ruins there grew the very fairest<lb/>

The Christmas Box 18

ened on her; and now she could fly from<lb/>

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