the snow man

by Hans Christian Andersen

translation by H .P .Paull (1872)

" it_is so delightfully cold," said the snow man, " that_it makes my whole body crackle . this_is just the kind of wind to blow life into one . how that great red thing up there_is staring at me ! " he meant the sun, who was just setting ." it shall_not make me wink . I_shall manage to_keep the pieces ."

he had two triangular pieces of tile in_his head, instead of eyes; his mouth was_made of an old broken rake, and was, of_course, furnished with teeth . he had_been brought into existence amidst the joyous shouts of boys, the jingling of sleigh-bells, and_the slashing of whips . the sun went down, and_the full moon rose, large, round, and clear, shining in_the deep blue .

" there it comes again, from_the other side," said the snow man, who supposed the sun was showing himself once more ."Ah, I_have cured him of staring, though; now he_may hang up there, and shine, that I_may see myself . if I only knew how to manage to move away from_this place,- i_should so like to move . if I_could, i_would slide along yonder on_the ice, as I_have_seen the boys do; but I don't understand how; I don't even know how to run ."

" away, away," barked the old yard- dog . he_was quite hoarse, and could_not pronounce " bow wow" properly . he had once been an indoor dog, and lay by_the fire, and he had_been hoarse ever_since ." the sun will make you run some day . I_saw him, last winter, make your predecessor run, and_his predecessor before him . away, away, they all have to_go ."

"I don't understand you, comrade," said the snow man ." is_that thing up yonder to teach me to run ? I_saw it running itself a little while ago, and now it has_come creeping up from_the other side .

" you_know nothing at all," replied the yard- dog; " but then, you've only lately been patched up . what you_see yonder is_the moon, and_the one before it was_the sun . it_will come again to- morrow, and most likely teach you to run down into_the ditch by_the well; for i_think the weather is going to_change . I_can feel such pricks and stabs in my left leg; I_am_sure there_is going to_be a change ."

"I don't understand him," said the snow man to himself; " but I_have afeeling that he_is talking of something very disagreeable . the one who stared so just now, and whom he calls the sun, is_not my friend; I_can feel that too ."

" away, away," barked the yard- dog, and then he turned round three times, and crept into his kennel to sleep .

there_was really a change in_the weather . towards morning, a thick fog covered the whole country round, and a keen wind arose, so that_the cold seemed to freeze one's bones; but when_the sun rose, the sight was splendid .Trees and bushes were covered with hoar frost, and looked like a forest of white coral; while on every twig glittered frozen dew-drops . the many delicate forms concealed in summer by luxuriant foliage, were now clearly defined, and looked like glittering lace- work . from every twig glistened a white radiance . the birch, waving in_the wind, looked full of life, like trees in summer; and its appearance was wondrously beautiful . and where the sun shone, how everything glittered and sparkled, as_if diamond dust had_been strewn about; while the snowy carpet of_the earth appeared as_if covered with diamonds, from_which countless lights gleamed, whiter than even the snow itself .

" this_is really beautiful," said a young girl, who had come into_the garden with a young man; and_they both stood still near the snow man, and contemplated the glittering scene ." summer cannot show a more beautiful sight," she exclaimed, while her eyes sparkled .

" and we_can't have such a fellow as_this in_the summer time," replied the young man, pointing to_the snow man; " he_is capital ."

the girl laughed, and nodded at_the snow man, and then tripped away over the snow with her friend . the snow creaked and crackled beneath her feet, as_if she had_been treading on starch .

" who_are these two ? " asked the snow man of_the yard- dog ." you_have_been here longer than I_have; do_you_know them ? "

" of_course I_know them," replied the yard- dog; " she has stroked my back many_times, and he has_given me a bone of meat .I never bite those two ."

" but what_are they ? " asked the snow man .

" they_are lovers," he replied; " they_will go and live in_the same kennel by- and- by, and gnaw at_the same bone . away, away ! "

" are they the same kind of beings as_you and I ? " asked the snow man .

" well, they belong to_the same master," retorted the yard- dog ." certainly people who were only born yesterday know very little . I_can_see that in you . I_have age and experience . I_know every_one here in_the house, and I_know there_was once a time when I_did_not lie out here in_the cold, fastened to a chain . away, away ! "

" the cold is delightful," said the snow man; " but do tell me tell me; only you_must not clank your chain so; for_it jars all through me when_you do_that ."

" away, away ! " barked the yard- dog; "I'll tell you; they said i_was a pretty little fellow once; then I used to lie in a velvet- covered chair, up at_the master's house, and sit in_the mistress's lap . they used to kiss my nose, and wipe my paws with an embroidered handkerchief, and i_was called 'Ami, dear Ami, sweet Ami .' but after a while I grew too big for_them, and_they sent me away to_the housekeeper's room; so I_came to live on_the lower story . you_can look into_the room from where you stand, and_see where i_was master once; for i_was indeed master to_the housekeeper . it_was certainly a smaller room than those up stairs; but i_was more comfortable; for i_was not being continually taken hold of and pulled about by_the children as I had_been .I received quite as good food, or even better .I had my own cushion, and there_was a stove- it_is_the finest thing in_the_world at_this season of_the year .I used to_go under the stove, and lie down quite beneath it .Ah, I still dream of_that stove . away, away ! "

"Does a stove look beautiful ? " asked the snow man, " is_it at all like me ? "

" it_is just the reverse of you,' said the dog; " it's as black as a crow, and has a long neck and a brass knob; it eats firewood, so_that fire spurts out of_its mouth . we_should keep on one side, or under it, to_be comfortable . you_can see it through_the window, from where you stand ."

then the snow man looked, and saw a bright polished thing with a brazen knob, and fire gleaming from_the lower part of it . the snow man felt quite a strange sensation come over him; it_was very odd, he_knew not what it meant, and he_could_not account for_it . but there_are people who_are_not men of snow, who understand what it_is ."' and why did you leave her ? " asked the snow man, for_it seemed to him that_the stove must_be of_the female sex ." how could you give up such a comfortable place ? "

" i_was obliged," replied the yard- dog ." they turned me out of doors, and chained me up here .I had bitten the youngest of_my master's sons in_the leg, because he kicked away the bone i_was gnawing .' bone for bone,' i_thought; but they were so angry, and from_that_time I_have_been fastened with a chain, and lost my bone .Don't you hear how hoarse I_am . away, away ! I_can't talk any more like other dogs . away, away, that_is_the end of it all ."

but the snow man was no longer listening . he_was looking into_the housekeeper's room on_the lower storey; where the stove stood on its four iron legs, looking about_the same size as_the snow man himself ." what a strange crackling I_feel within me," he_said ." shall I ever get in there ? it_is an innocent wish, and innocent wishes are_sure to_be fulfilled . I_must go in there and lean against her, even if I_have to break the window ."

" you_must never go in there," said the yard- dog, " for if_you approach the stove, you'll melt away, away ."

" I_might as_well go," said the snow man, " for i_think I_am breaking up as_it_is ."

during the whole day the snow man stood looking in through_the window, and in_the twilight hour the room became still more inviting, for from_the stove came a gentle glow, not like the sun or the moon; no, only the bright light which gleams from a stove when it_has_been well fed . when_the door of_the stove was opened, the flames darted out of_its mouth; this_is customary with all stoves . the light of_the flames fell directly on_the face and breast of_the snow man with a ruddy gleam ." I_can endure it no longer," said he; " how beautiful it looks when it stretches out its tongue ? "

the night was long, but did_not appear so to_the snow man, who stood there enjoying his own reflections, and crackling with_the cold . in_the morning, the window-panes of_the housekeeper's room were covered with ice . they were the most beautiful ice-flowers any snow man could desire, but they concealed the stove . these window-panes would_not thaw, and he could_see nothing of_the stove, which he pictured to himself, as_if it had_been a lovely human being . the snow crackled and_the wind whistled around him; it_was just the kind of frosty weather a snow man might thoroughly enjoy . but he_did_not enjoy it; how, indeed, could he enjoy anything when he_was " stove sick ? "

" that_is terrible disease for a snow man," said the yard- dog; " I_have suffered from_it myself, but I got over it . away, away," he barked and then he added, " the weather is going to_change ." and_the weather did change; it began to thaw . as_the warmth increased, the snow man decreased . he_said nothing and made no complaint, which_is a sure sign . one morning he broke, and sunk down altogether; and, behold, where he had stood, something like abroomstick remained sticking up in_the ground . it was_the pole round which the boys had built him up ."Ah, now I understand why he had such a great longing for_the stove," said the yard- dog ." why, there's the shovel that_is used for cleaning out the stove, fastened to_the pole ." the snow man had a stove scraper in_his body; that was what moved him so ." but it's all over now . away, away ." and soon the winter passed ." away, away," barked the hoarse yard- dog . but the girls in_the house sang,

" come from your fragrant home, green thyme; stretch your soft branches, willow- tree; the months are bringing the sweet spring- time, when_the lark in_the sky sings joyfully . come gentle sun, while the cuckoo sings, and I'll mock his note in my wanderings ."

and nobody thought any more of_the snow man .

the end