Long days and months rolled by, during which the bottle stood empty in corner, when storm arose- whether passage out or home it tell, had never been ashore terrible storm, great waves arose, darkly heaving and tossing the vessel to and fro The main mast was split asunder, the ship sprang leak, pumps became useless, while all around was black as night last moment, ship was sinking, the young mate wrote on piece of paper, " going down: God's " Then he wrote the name betrothed, his own name, ship Then he put the leaf in an empty bottle that happened at hand, corked it down tightly, and threw it foaming sea not the very same bottle the goblet of joy had once been filled for him, and now tossing waves last greeting, and message dead The ship sank, crew sank with her; but the bottle flew on like bird, bore within it loving letter from loving heart And sun rose and set, the bottle felt as first existence, when heated glowing stove it had longing to fly away It outlived the storms calm, it struck against no rocks, was not devoured by sharks, but drifted on for more than year, sometimes towards the north, sometimes towards the south, just current carried it in all other ways its own master, but even one may get tired The written leaf, the last farewell bridegroom bride, would only bring sorrow when once it reached her hands; but where were those hands, so soft and delicate, which had once spread the table-cloth fresh grass green wood, day of her betrothal ? Ah, yes ! where furrier's daughter ? and where land which might lie nearest to her home ?

The bottle knew not, it travelled onward and onward, and at last all this wandering about became wearisome; at all events not its usual occupation But it had to travel, till it reached land- foreign country Not word spoken country could the bottle understand; language it had never before heard, and great loss not to understand language The bottle was fished water, and examined on all sides The little letter contained within discovered, taken out, and turned and twisted in every direction; but the people understand written upon it be bottle thrown overboard from vessel, something was written paper: but written ? that question,- so the paper was put back bottle, and then both were put away in large cupboard of great houses town Whenever any strangers arrived, the paper was taken out and turned over and over, so address, only written in pencil, became almost illegible, and at last no one could distinguish any letters at all For whole year the bottle remained standing cupboard, and then taken loft, where it soon became covered with dust and cobwebs Ah ! how often then it thought better days- times when fresh, green wood, it had poured forth rich wine; or, while rocked swelling waves, it had carried in its bosom secret, letter, last parting sigh For full twenty years it stood loft, and it stayed there longer but house was going rebuilt The bottle was discovered roof was taken off; they talked , but the bottle understand what they said- language learnt by living in loft, even for twenty years "If I down stairs room," thought the bottle, " learnt it " now washed and rinsed, which process was really quite necessary, and afterwards it looked clean and transparent, and felt young again in its old age; but the paper which it had carried so faithfully was destroyed washing They filled the bottle with seeds, though it scarcely knew what placed Then they corked it down tightly, and carefully wrapped it up There not even the light of torch or lantern could reach it, much less the brightness sun or moon "And yet," thought the bottle, "men go on journey may see as possible, and nothing " However, it did something quite as important; it travelled place destination, and was unpacked

"What trouble taken bottle over yonder ! " said one, and very likely broken after all " But the bottle was not broken, and, better still, it understood every word that was said: this language it had heard furnaces and wine merchant's; forest and ship,- it only good old language it could understand It had returned home, language was as welcome greeting For very joy, it felt ready to jump out of people's hands, and scarcely noticed that its cork drawn, and its contents emptied out, till it found itself carried to cellar, left there and forgotten "There's no place like home, even 's cellar " It never occurred to him that he might lie there for years, so comfortable For many long years he remained cellar, till at last some people came to carry away the bottles, and ours amongst the number

Out garden great festival Brilliant lamps hung in festoons from tree to tree; and paper lanterns, through which the light shone till they looked like transparent tulips beautiful evening, weather mild and clear The stars twinkled; new moon, form of crescent, was surrounded shadowy disc whole moon, and looked like gray globe with golden rim: beautiful sight who had good eyes The illumination extended even most retired garden walks, not so retired that need lose himself there borders were placed bottles, each containing light, and among them the bottle with acquainted, and whose fate , one day, only bottle neck, and as water-glass to bird's-cage Everything here appeared lovely to our bottle, for again green wood, amid joy and feasting; again it heard music and song, noise and murmur of crowd, especially part garden where the lamps blazed, paper lanterns displayed their brilliant colors It stood in distant walk certainly, but place pleasant for contemplation; and it carried light; and was at once useful and ornamental an hour easy to forget that one has spent twenty years in loft, and good thing Close bottle passed single pair, like the bridal pair- the mate furrier's daughter- who had so wandered wood It seemed bottle he were living over again the guests but other people were walking garden, who were allowed to witness the splendor festivities latter came an old maid, who seemed quite alone She was thinking, like the bottle, green wood, and of young betrothed pair, who were closely connected with herself; she was thinking hour, the happiest of her life, she had taken part, when she had herself been one betrothed pair; such hours are never forgotten, let maiden be as old as she may But she recognize the bottle, neither did the bottle notice the old maid And so we often pass when we meet, as did these two, even while together same town