FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN
  THE　OLD　GRAVE…STONE
  by　Hans　Christian　Andersen
  IN　a　house；　with　a　large　courtyard；　in　a　provincial　town；　at
  that　time　of　the　year　in　which　people　say　the　evenings　are　growing
  longer；　a　family　circle　were　gathered　together　at　their　old　home。　A
  lamp　burned　on　the　table；　although　the　weather　was　mild　and　warm；
  and　the　long　curtains　hung　down　before　the　open　windows；　and　without
  the　moon　shone　brightly　in　the　dark…blue　sky。
  But　they　were　not　talking　of　the　moon；　but　of　a　large；　old　stone
  that　lay　below　in　the　courtyard　not　very　far　from　the　kitchen　door。
  The　maids　often　laid　the　clean　copper　saucepans　and　kitchen　vessels　on
  this　stone；　that　they　might　dry　in　the　sun；　and　the　children　were　fond
  of　playing　on　it。　It　was；　in　fact；　an　old　grave…stone。
  〃Yes；〃　said　the　master　of　the　house；　〃I　believe　the　stone　came
  from　the　graveyard　of　the　old　church　of　the　convent　which　was　pulled
  down；　and　the　pulpit；　the　monuments；　and　the　grave…stones　sold。　My
  father　bought　the　latter；　most　of　them　were　cut　in　two　and　used　for
  paving…stones；　but　that　one　stone　was　preserved　whole；　and　laid　in　the
  courtyard。〃
  〃Any　one　can　see　that　it　is　a　grave…stone；〃　said　the　eldest　of　the
  children；　〃the　representation　of　an　hour…glass　and　part　of　the
  figure　of　an　angel　can　still　be　traced；　but　the　inscription　beneath　is
  quite　worn　out；　excepting　the　name　'Preben；'　and　a　large　'S'　close
  by　it；　and　a　little　farther　down　the　name　of　'Martha'　can　be　easily
  read。　But　nothing　more；　and　even　that　cannot　be　seen　unless　it　has
  been　raining；　or　when　we　have　washed　the　stone。〃
  〃Dear　me！　how　singular。　Why　that　must　be　the　grave…stone　of　Preben
  Schwane　and　his　wife。〃
  The　old　man　who　said　this　looked　old　enough　to　be　the
  grandfather　of　all　present　in　the　room。
  〃Yes；〃　he　continued；　〃these　people　were　among　the　last　who　were
  buried　in　the　churchyard　of　the　old　convent。　They　were　a　very　worthy
  old　couple；　I　can　remember　them　well　in　the　days　of　my　boyhood。
  Every　one　knew　them；　and　they　were　esteemed　by　all。　They　were　the
  oldest　residents　in　the　town；　and　people　said　they　possessed　a　ton
  of　gold；　yet　they　were　always　very　plainly　dressed；　in　the　coarsest
  stuff；　but　with　linen　of　the　purest　whiteness。　Preben　and　Martha
  were　a　fine　old　couple；　and　when　they　both　sat　on　the　bench；　at　the
  top　of　the　steep　stone　steps；　in　front　of　their　house；　with　the
  branches　of　the　linden…tree　waving　above　them；　and　nodded　in　a　gentle；
  friendly　way　to　passers　by；　it　really　made　one　feel　quite　happy。
  They　were　very　good　to　the　poor；　they　fed　them　and　clothed　them；　and
  in　their　benevolence　there　was　judgment　as　well　as　true
  Christianity。　The　old　woman　died　first；　that　day　is　still　quite
  vividly　before　my　eyes。　I　was　a　little　boy；　and　had　accompanied　my
  father　to　the　old　man's　house。　Martha　had　fallen　into　the　sleep　of
  death　just　as　we　arrived　there。　The　corpse　lay　in　a　bedroom；　near　to
  the　one　in　which　we　sat；　and　the　old　man　was　in　great　distress　and
  weeping　like　a　child。　He　spoke　to　my　father；　and　to　a　few　neighbors
  who　were　there；　of　how　lonely　he　should　feel　now　she　was　gone；　and　how
  good　and　true　she；　his　dead　wife；　had　been　during　the　number　of
  years　that　they　had　passed　through　life　together；　and　how　they　had
  become　acquainted；　and　learnt　to　love　each　other。　I　was；　as　I　have
  said；　a　boy；　and　only　stood　by　and　listened　to　what　the　others　said；
  but　it　filled　me　with　a　strange　emotion　to　listen　to　the　old　man；
  and　to　watch　how　the　color　rose　in　his　cheeks　as　he　spoke　of　the
  days　of　their　courtship；　of　how　beautiful　she　was；　and　how　many　little
  tricks　he　had　been　guilty　of；　that　he　might　meet　her。　And　then　he
  talked　of　his　wedding…day；　and　his　eyes　brightened；　and　he　seemed　to
  be　carried　back；　by　his　words；　to　that　joyful　time。　And　yet　there
  she　was；　lying　in　the　next　room；　dead…　an　old　woman；　and　he　was　an　old
  man；　speaking　of　the　days　of　hope；　long　passed　away。　Ah；　well；　so　it
  is；　then　I　was　but　a　child；　and　now　I　am　old；　as　old　as　Preben　Schwane
  then　was。　Time　passes　away；　and　all　things　changed。　I　can　remember
  quite　well　the　day　on　which　she　was　buried；　and　how　Old　Preben
  walked　close　behind　the　coffin。
  〃A　few　years　before　this　time　the　old　couple　had　had　their
  grave…stone　prepared；　with　an　inscription　and　their　names；　but　not　the
  date。　In　the　evening　the　stone　was　taken　to　the　churchyard；　and　laid
  on　the　grave。　A　year　later　it　was　taken　up；　that　Old　Preben　might　be
  laid　by　the　side　of　his　wife。　They　did　not　leave　behind　them　wealth；
  they　left　behind　them　far　less　than　people　had　believed　they
  possessed；　what　there　was　went　to　families　distantly　related　to
  them；　of　whom；　till　then；　no　one　had　ever　heard。　The　old　house；　with
  its　balcony　of　wickerwork；　and　the　bench　at　the　top　of　the　high　steps；
  under　the　lime…tree；　was　considered；　by　the　road…inspectors；　too　old
  and　rotten　to　be　left　standing。　Afterwards；　when　the　same　fate
  befell　the　convent　church；　and　the　graveyard　was　destroyed；　the
  grave…stone　of　Preben　and　Martha；　like　everything　else；　was　sold　to
  whoever　would　buy　it。　And　so　it　happened　that　this　stone　was　not　cut
  in　two　as　many　others　had　been；　but　now　lies　in　the　courtyard　below；　a
  scouring　block　for　the　maids；　and　a　playground　for　the　children。　The
  paved　street　now　passes　over　the　resting　place　of　Old　Preben　and　his
  wife；　no　one　thinks　of　them　any　more　now。〃
  And　the　old　man　who　had　spoken　of　all　this　shook　his　head
  mournfully；　and　said；　〃Forgotten！　Ah；　yes；　everything　will　be
  forgotten！〃　And　then　the　conversation　turned　on　other　matters。
  But　the　youngest　child　in　the　room；　a　boy；　with　large；　earnest
  eyes；　mounted　upon　a　chair　behind　the　window　curtains；　and　looked
  out　into　the　yard；　where　the　moon　was　pouring　a　flood　of　light　on
  the　old　gravestone；…　the　stone　that　had　always　appeared　to　him　so　dull
  and　flat；　but　which　lay　there　now　like　a　great　leaf　out　of　a　book　of
  history。　All　that　the　boy　had　heard　of　Old　Preben　and　his　wife
  seemed　clearly　defined　on　the　stone；　and　as　he　gazed　on　it；　and
  glanced　at　the　clear；　bright　moon　shining　in　the　pure　air；　it　was　as
  if　the　light　of　God's　countenance　beamed　over　His　beautiful　world。
  〃Forgotten！　Everything　will　be　forgotten！〃　still　echoed　through
  the　room；　and　in　the　same　moment　an　invisible　spirit　whispered　to
  the　heart　of　the　boy；　〃Preserve　carefully　the　seed　that　has　been
  entrusted　to　thee；　that　it　may　grow　and　thrive。　Guard　it　well。　Through
  thee；　my　child；　shall　the　obliterated　inscription　on　the　old；
  weather…beaten　grave…stone　go　forth　to　future　generations　in　clear；
  golden　characters。　The　old　pair　shall　again　wander　through　the　streets
  arm…in…arm；　or　sit　with　their　fresh；　healthy　cheeks　on　the　bench　under
  the　lime…tree；　and　smile　and　nod　at　rich　and　poor。　The　seed　of　this
  hour　shall　ripen　in　the　course　of　years　into　a　beautiful　poem。　The
  beautiful　and　the　good　are　never　forgotten；　they　live　always　in
  story　or　in　song。〃
  THE　END
  。