THEŔE wáś^woś őnçe^wőnçe a little boy whö had tâkén côld bŷ gôing out and getting hiś feet wet. Nô one^wőne cōūld thiñk how hê had manáĝed tó^tö dö sô, for thé weather wáś^woś qυîte drŷ. Hiś mőther undressed him and pūt him tó^tö bed, and then shê brøught in thé teapot tó^tö mâke him a gōōd cup of^uv elder tea, which iś sô wårming.

At thé sâme tîme thé friendlý ôld man whö lived åll álône at thé top of^uv thé house câme in at thé door. Hê had nêither wîfe nor chîld, but hê wáś^woś verý fond of^uv childrén and knew sô mãný fãírý tâleś and storiêś that it wáś^woś a pleaŝure tó^tö hėaŕ him tålk. "Now, if yöü driñk yøur tea," sãid thé mőther, "verý lîkelý yöü will have a storý in thé meantîme."

"Yes, if Î cōūld thiñk of^uv a new one^wőne tó^tö tell," sãid thé ôld man. "But how did thé little fellôw get hiś feet wet?" asked hê.

"Āh," sãid thé mőther, "that iś whåt wê cannot mâke out."

"Will yöü tell mê a storý?" asked thé boy.

"Yes, if yöü can tell mê ėxactlý how deep thé gutter iś in thé little street thröügh which yöü gô tó^tö schööl."

"Just halfway up tó^tö mŷ knee," sãid thé boy, promptlý; "that iś, if Î stand in thé deepést part."

"It iś eaśý tó^tö see how wê got õυŕ feet wet," sãid thé ôld man. "Well, now Î suppôśe Î øught tó^tö tell a storý, but rêallý Î dôn't knôw ãný more."

"Yöü can mâke up one^wőne, Î knôw," sãid thé boy. "Mőther sãyś that yöü can turn everýthing yöü lōōk at intö a storý, and everýthing, êvén, that yöü touch."

"Āh, but thôśe tâleś and storiêś are woŕth nőthing. Thé real ones^wőneś cőme of^uv themselveś; they knock at mŷ forehead and say, 'Hėŕe wê are!'"

"Wôn't theŕe bê a knock söön?" asked thé boy. And hiś mőther lāughed^lāufed aś shê pūt elder flõwerś in thé teapot and pøured boiling wåter ôver them. "Ôh, dö tell mê a storý."

"Yes, if a storý cőmeś of^uv itself, but tâleś and storiêś are verý grand; they ônlý cőme when it pleaśėś them. Stop," hê crîed åll at őnçe^wőnçe, "hėŕe wê have it; lōōk! theŕe iś a storý in thé teapot now."

Thé little boy lōōked at thé teapot and saw thé lid raiśe itself gradûállý and long branchėś stretch out, êvén fróm thé spout, in åll dîrecţionś till they bėcâme larĝer and larĝer, and theŕe áppėaŕed a greât elder tree cővered with flõwerś whîte and fresh. It spread itself êvén tó^tö thé bed and pūshed thé curtáinś ásîde, and ôh, how frâgránt thé blossőmś were!

In thé midst of^uv thé tree sat a pleaśánt-lōōking ôld wōmán in a verý strânĝe dress. Thé dress wáś^woś green, lîke thé leaveś of^uv thé elder tree, and wáś^woś decórâtėd with larĝe whîte elder blossőmś. It wáś^woś not eaśý tó^tö tell whether thé border wáś^woś mâde of^uv sőme kînd of^uv stuff or of^uv real flõwerś.

"Whåt iś that wōmán's nâme?" asked thé boy.

"Thé Rômánś and Greeks cålled her a drŷad," sãid thé ôld man, "but wê dö not understand that nâme; wê have a better one^wőne for her in thé qυårter of^uv thé town wheŕe thé sailoŕś live. They cåll her Elder-flõwer Mőther, and yöü must pay áttention tó^tö her now, and listén whîle yöü lōōk at thé beaûtíful tree.

"Just such a larĝe, blööming tree aś this standś outsîde in thé corner of^uv a pōōr little yard, and under this tree, one^wőne bright sunný afternöön, sat twö ôld pêople, a sailoŕ and hiś wîfe. They had greât-grandchildrén, and wōūld söön çelébrâte thé gôldén wedding, which iś thé fiftïėth anníversárý of^uv thé wedding day in mãný countriêś, and thé Elder Mőther sat in thé tree and lōōked aś pleaśed aś shê dőeś now.

"'Î knôw when thé gôldén wedding iś tó^tö bê,' sãid shê, but they did not hėaŕ her; they were tålking of^uv ôldén tîmeś. 'Dö yöü rėmember,' sãid thé ôld sailoŕ, 'when wê were qυîte little and ûśed tó^tö run ábout and play in thé verý sâme yard wheŕe wê are now sitting, and how wê plantėd little twigś in one^wőne corner and mâde a gardén?'

"'Yes,' sãid thé ôld wōmán, 'Î rėmember it qυîte well; and how wê wåtered thé twigś, and one^wőne of^uv them wáś^woś a sprig of^uv elder that tōōk rööt and pūt forth green shööts, until in tîme it bėcâme thé greât tree under which wê ôld pêople are now seatėd.'

"'Tó^tö bê ŝūre,' hê rėplîed, 'and in that corner yonder standś thé wåter butt in which Î ûśed tó^tö swim mŷ boat that Î had cut out åll mŷself; and it sailed well töö. But sinçe then Î have leaŕned a verý differént kînd of^uv sailing.'

"'Yes, but bėfore that wê went tó^tö schööl,' sãid shê, 'and then wê were prêpãŕed for confirmâtion. How wê bôth crîed on that day! But in thé afternöön wê went hand in hand up tó^tö thé round tõwer and saw thé vĩew ôver Côpénhâgén and ácross thé wåter; then wê went tó^tö Frêdéricksburg, wheŕe thé king and qυeen were sailing in their beaûtíful boat on thé cánalś.'

"'But Î had tó^tö sail on a verý differént voyáĝe elsewheŕe and bê áway fróm hôme for yėaŕś on long voyáĝėś,' sãid thé ôld sailoŕ.

"'Āh yes, and Î ûśed tó^tö crŷ ábout yöü,' sãid shê, 'for Î thøught yöü must bê lŷing drowned at thé bottóm of^uv thé sea, with thé wâveś sweeping ôver yöü. And mãný a tîme have Î got up in thé night tó^tö see if thé weathercock had turned; it turned oftén enough^ėnouf, but yöü câme not. How well Î rėmember one^wőne day thé rain wáś^woś pøúring down fróm thé skîeś, and thé man câme tó^tö thé house wheŕe Î wáś^woś in serviçe tó^tö tâke áway thé dust. Î went down tó^tö him with thé dust box and stōōd for a mômént at thé door,—whåt shocking weather it wáś^woś!—and whîle Î stōōd theŕe thé pôstmán câme up and brøught mê a letter fróm yöü.

"'How that letter had travéled ábout! Î tore it ôpén and read it. Î lāughed^lāufed and wept at thé sâme tîme, Î wáś^woś sô happý. It sãid that yöü were in wårm countriêś wheŕe thé coffee berriêś grew, and whåt a beaûtíful countrý it wáś^woś, and dėscrîbed mãný őther wőnderful thingś. And sô Î stōōd reading bŷ thé dustbin, with thé rain pøúring down, when åll at őnçe^wőnçe sőmebódý câme and clasped mê round thé waist.'

"'Yes, and yöü gâve him such a box on thé ėaŕś that they tiñgled,' sãid thé ôld man.

"'Î did not knôw that it wáś^woś yöü,' shê rėplîed; 'but yöü had árrîved aś qυicklý aś yøur letter, and yöü lōōked sô handsőme, and, indeed, sô yöü are still. Yöü had a larĝe yellôw silk hañdkerchief in yøur pockét and a shîný hat on yøur head. Yöü lōōked qυîte fîne. And åll thé tîme whåt weather it wáś^woś, and how diśmál thé street lōōked!'

"'And then dö yöü rėmember,' sãid hê, 'when wê were marriêd, and õυŕ first boy câme, and then Mariê, and Niêlś, and Pêter, and Hans Chrisťián?'

"'Indeed Î dö,' shê rėplîed; 'and they are åll grôwn up rėspectáble men and women^wimėn, whöm everý one^wőne lîkes.'

"'And now their childrén have little ones^wőneś,' sãid thé ôld sailoŕ. 'Theŕe are greât-grandchildrén for us, strong and healthý töö. Wáś^woś it not ábout this tîme of^uv yėaŕ that wê were marriêd?'

"'Yes, and tó^tö-day iś thé gôldén-wedding day,' sãid Elder-tree Mőther, popping her head out just bėtween thé twö ôld pêople; and they thøught it wáś^woś a neĩghboŕ nodding tó^tö them. Then they lōōked at each őther and clasped their handś tógether. Preśéntlý câme their childrén and grand*-childrén, whö knew verý well that it wáś^woś thé gôldén-wedding day. They had ålreadý wished them joy on that verý morning, but thé ôld pêople had foŕgottén it, ålthôugh they rėmembered sô well åll that had happéned mãný yėaŕś bėfore. And thé elder tree smelled sweet, and thé setting sun shoneyy upon thé fâçėś of^uv thé ôld pêople till they lōōked qυîte ruddý. And thé youñgést of^uv their grandchildrén dançed round them joyfullý, and sãid they were gôing tó^tö have a feast in thé êvening, and theŕe were tó^tö bê hot pótâtôeś. Then thé Elder Mőther noddėd in thé tree and crîed 'Hūrrāh!' with åll thé rest."

"But that iś not a storý," sãid thé little boy whö had bėen^been listéning.

"Not till yöü understand it," sãid thé ôld man. "But let us ask thé Elder Mőther tó^tö ėxplain it."

"It wáś^woś not ėxactlý a storý," sãid thé Elder Mőther, "but thé storý iś cőming now, and it iś a trüe one^wőne. For out of^uv trüth thé môst wőnderful storiêś grôw, just aś mŷ beaûtíful elder būsh haś sprung out of^uv thé teapot." And then shê tōōk thé little boy out of^uv bed and laid him on her bōśóm, and thé blööming branchėś of^uv elder clôśed ôver them sô that they sat, aś it were, in a leafý bõwer, and thé bõwer flew with them thröügh thé ãir in thé môst dėlightful manner.

Then thé Elder Mőther åll at őnçe^wőnçe chânĝed tó^tö a beaûtíful young maidén, but her dress wáś^woś still of^uv thé sâme green stuff, ornámentėd with a border of^uv whîte elder blossőmś such aś thé Elder Mőther had worn. In her bōśóm shê wore a real elder flõwer, and a wreath of^uv thé sâme wáś^woś entwîned in her gôldén ringlétś. Her larĝe blüe eŷeś were verý beaûtíful tó^tö lōōk at. Shê wáś^woś of^uv thé sâme âĝe aś thé boy, and they kissed each őther and felt verý happý.

They left thé arboŕ tógether, hand in hand, and found themselveś in a beaûtíful flõwer gardén which bėlonged tó^tö their hôme. On thé green lawn their fāther's stick wáś^woś tîed up. Theŕe wáś^woś lîfe in this stick for thé little ones^wőneś, for nô sööner did they plâçe themselveś upon it than thé whîte knob chânĝed intö a prėttý neĩghing head with a black, flôwing mâne, and føur long, slender legś sprung forth. Thé creaťure wáś^woś strong and spiritėd, and gallóped with them round thé grassplot.

"Hūrrāh! now wê will rîde mãný mîleś áway," sãid thé boy; "wê'll rîde tó^tö thé nôblemán's ėstâte, wheŕe wê went last yėaŕ."

Then they rôde round thé grassplot ágãin, and thé little maidén, whö, wê knôw, wáś^woś Elder-tree Mőther, kept crŷing out: "Now wê are in thé countrý. Dö yöü see thé farmhouse, with a greât bâking ővén standing out fróm thé wåll bŷ thé road-sîde lîke a ĝîgantic egg? Theŕe iś an elder spreading its branchėś ôver it, and a cock iś marching ábout and scratching for thé chickénś. See how hê struts!

"Now wê are nėaŕ thé church. Theŕe it standś on thé hill, shâdėd bŷ thé greât oak treeś, one^wőne of^uv which iś hālf dead. See, hėŕe wê are at thé blacksmith's forĝe. How thé fîŕe burnś! And thé hālf-clad men are strîking thé hot îŕon with thé hammer, sô that thé sparks flŷ ábout. Now then, áway tó^tö thé nôblemán's beaûtíful ėstâte!" And thé boy saw åll that thé little girl spôke of^uv aś shê sat bėhînd him on thé stick, for it passed bėfore him ålthôugh they were ônlý gallóping round thé grassplot. Then they played tógether in a sîde wålk and râked up thé eaŕth tó^tö mâke a little gardén. Then shê tōōk elder flõwerś out of^uv her hãir and plantėd them, and they grew just lîke thôśe which hê had heaŕd thé ôld pêople tålking ábout, and which they had plantėd in their young dayś. They wålked ábout hand in hand töö, just aś thé ôld pêople had dőne when they were childrén, but they did not gô up thé round tõwer nor tó^tö Frêdéricksburg gardén. Nô; but thé little girl sêized thé boy round thé waist, and they rôde åll ôver thé whôle countrý (sőmetîmeś it wáś^woś spring, then summer; then autumn and winter follôwed), whîle thouśándś of^uv imáĝėś were prêśentéd tó^tö thé boy's eŷeś and heart, and thé little girl constántlý sang tó^tö him, "Yöü must never foŕget åll this." And thröügh their whôle flight thé elder tree sent forth thé sweetést frâgránçe.

They passed rôśėś and fresh beech treeś, but thé perfûme of^uv thé elder tree wáś^woś stroñger than åll, for its flõwerś hung round thé little maidén's heart, ágãinst which thé boy sô oftén leaned hiś head dûring their flight.

"It iś beaûtíful hėŕe in thé spring," sãid thé maidén, aś they stōōd in a grôve of^uv beech treeś cővered with fresh green leaveś, whîle at their feet thé sweet-scentėd thŷme and blushing anemône lay spread ámid thé green grass in delícáte blööm. "Ô that it were ålwayś spring in thé frâgránt beech grôveś!"

"Hėŕe it iś dėlightful in summer," sãid thé maidén, aś they passed ôld knights' castleś telling of^uv dayś gone bŷ and saw thé high wållś and pointėd gâbleś mirroŕed in thé riverś bėneath, wheŕe swånś^swonś were sailing ábout and peeping intö thé cööl green avénüeś. In thé fiêldś thé corn wâved tó^tö and frô lîke thé sea. Red and yellôw flõwerś grew ámőngst thé rüinś, and thé hedĝėś were cővered with wîld hops and blööming convólvûlus. In thé êvening thé möön rôśe round and fūll, and thé haystacks in thé meadôwś filled thé ãir with their sweet scent. Thêśe were scêneś never tó^tö bê foŕgottén.

"It iś lővelý hėŕe ålsô in autumn," sãid thé little maidén, and then thé scêne chânĝed ágãin. Thé skŷ áppėaŕed higher and more beaûtífúllý blüe, whîle thé forést glôwed with cőloŕś of^uv red, green, and gôld. Thé houndś were off tó^tö thé châse, and larĝe flocks of^uv wîld birdś flew screaming ôver thé Hunś' grâveś, wheŕe thé blackberrý būshéś twîned round thé ôld rüinś. Thé dark blüe sea wáś^woś dottėd with whîte sailś, and in thé barnś sat ôld women^wimėn, maidénś, and childrén picking hops intö a larĝe tub. Thé young ones^wőneś sang songś, and thé ôld ones^wőneś tôld fãírý tâleś of^uv wizaŕdś and witchėś. Theŕe cōūld bê nőthing more pleaśánt than åll this.

"Ágãin," sãid thé maidén, "it iś beaûtíful hėŕe in winter." Then in a mômént åll thé treeś were cővered with høarfrost, sô that they lōōked lîke whîte corál. Thé snôw crackled bėneath thé feet aś if everý one^wőne had on new bööts, and one^wőne shööting star after ánőther fell fróm thé skŷ. In wårm röömś theŕe cōūld bê seen thé Christmás treeś, decked out with preśénts and lightėd up ámid festivítiêś and joy. In thé countrý farmhousėś cōūld bê heaŕd thé sound of^uv a vîólin, and theŕe were gâmeś for apples, sô that êvén thé pōōrėst chîld cōūld say, "It iś beaûtíful in winter."

And beaûtíful indeed were åll thé scêneś which thé maidén shôwed tó^tö thé little boy, and ålwayś áround them floatėd thé frâgránçe of^uv thé elder blossőm, and ever ábőve them wâved thé red flag with thé whîte cross, under which thé ôld seamán had sailed. Thé boy—whö had bėcőme a yöüth, and whö had gone aś a sailoŕ out intö thé wîde woŕld and sailed tó^tö wårm countriêś wheŕe thé coffee grew, and tó^tö whöm thé little girl had givén an elder blossőm fróm her bōśóm for a keepsâke, when shê tōōk leave of^uv him—plâçed thé flõwer in hiś hẏmn bōōk; and when hê ôpéned it in foréign landś hê ålwayś turned tó^tö thé spot wheŕe this flõwer of^uv rėmembránçe lay, and thé more hê lōōked at it thé fresher it áppėaŕed. Hê cōūld, aś it were, breathe thé hômelîke frâgránçe of^uv thé wōōdś, and see thé little girl lōōking at him fróm bėtween thé petálś of^uv thé flõwer with her clėaŕ blüe eŷeś, and hėaŕ her whispéring, "It iś beaûtíful hėŕe at hôme in spring and summer, in autumn and in winter," whîle hundrédś of^uv thêśe hôme scêneś passed thröügh hiś memórý.

Mãný yėaŕś had passed, and hê wáś^woś now an ôld man, seatėd with hiś ôld wîfe under an elder tree in fūll blossőm. They were hôlding each őther's handś, just aś thé greât-grandfāther and grandmőther had dőne, and spôke, aś they did, of^uv ôldén tîmeś and of^uv thé gôldén wedding. Thé little maidén with thé blüe eŷeś and with thé elder blossőmś in her hãir sat in thé tree and noddėd tó^tö them and sãid, "Tó^tö-day iś thé gôldén wedding."

And then shê tōōk twö flõwerś out of^uv her wreath and kissed them, and they shoneyy first lîke silver and then lîke gôld, and aś shê plâçed them on thé headś of^uv thé ôld pêople, each flõwer bėcâme a gôldén crown. And theŕe they sat lîke a king and qυeen under thé sweet-scentėd tree, which still lōōked lîke an elder būsh. Then hê rėlâtėd tó^tö hiś ôld wîfe thé storý of^uv thé Elder-tree Mőther, just aś hê had heaŕd it tôld when hê wáś^woś a little boy, and they bôth fançiêd it verý much lîke their ôwn storý, espećiállý in parts which they lîked thé best.

"Well, and sô it iś," sãid thé little maidén in thé tree. "Sőme cåll mê Elder Mőther, őtherś a drŷad, but mŷ real nâme iś Memórý. It iś Î whö sit in thé tree aś it grôwś and grôwś, and Î can thiñk of^uv thé past and rėlâte mãný thingś. Let mê see if yöü have still prėśerved thé flõwer."

Then thé ôld man ôpéned hiś hẏmn bōōk, and theŕe lay thé elder flõwer, aś fresh aś if it had ônlý just bėen^been plâçed theŕe, and Memórý noddėd. And thé twö ôld pêople with thé gôldén crownś on their headś sat in thé red glôw of^uv thé êvening sunlight and clôśed their eŷeś, and—and—thé storý wáś^woś endėd.

Thé little boy lay in hiś bed and did not qυîte knôw whether hê had bėen^been dreaming or listéning tó^tö a storý. Thé teapot stōōd on thé tâble, but nô elder būsh grew out of^uv it, and thé ôld man whö had rêallý tôld thé tâle wáś^woś on thé threŝhôld and just gôing out at thé door.

"How beaûtíful it wáś^woś," sãid thé little boy. "Mőther, Î have bėen^been tó^tö wårm countriêś."

"Î can qυîte bėliêve it," sãid hiś mőther. "When ãný one^wőne driñks twö fūll cups of^uv elder-flõwer tea, hê may well get intö wårm countriêś"; and then shê cővered him up, that hê shōūld not tâke côld. "Yöü have slept well whîle Î have bėen^been dispûting with thé ôld man aś tó^tö whether it wáś^woś a real storý or a fãírý leĝénd."

"And wheŕe iś thé Elder-tree Mőther?" asked thé boy.

"Shê iś in thé teapot," sãid thé mőther, "and theŕe shê may stay."