FIVE PEAS IN A POD BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN I There were five peas in one pod. They were green and the pod was green. "All the world is green," said they. The pod grew and the peas grew. The sun shone and the rain came. The peas grew larger and larger. Then they began to think. "Are we to sit here for ever?" asked one. I am sure there is something outside of our pod." "We shall become hard. Weeks went by. The pod became yellow and the peas, too, became yellow. "All the world is turning yellow," said they. "Crack!" the pod burst. All five peas rolled out into a little boy's hand. What fine peas for my pea-shooter!" said he. He put one in and shot it. "Now I am flying!" said the pea. was gone. And it "I," said the second pea, "shall fly to the sun. I like the sun." Away it flew. "We shall sleep," said the next two. When the boy shot them, they rolled and rolled. The boy shot the last pea. think it went? Where do you It went up and up. "Shall I never stop?" it said. It flew into a crack just under a garret window. The crack was filled with moss and soft dirt. The moss closed round it and there it lay. "I shall be forgotten here," said the pea to God saw the little pea and did not for itself. get it. II In the garret lived a poor woman. out every day to clean stoves. She went At home in the garret lay her little daughter. The daughter was so ill she had to stay in bed all the time. "She will die," said the mother. But she did not. One morning the sun shone into the garret. The sick girl looked out of the window. "What is that green vine peeping in at the window?" she asked. "See! the wind blows it." The mother opened the window. "Oh!" said she, "it is a pea-vine. Now you have a little garden." The sick girl's bed was put near the window. The mother tied the vine up. Then she went out to work. "Here is a flower coming!" said the mother after a few days. Then she began to hope her daughter would get well. In a week the sick girl sat up. shining into the open window. The sun was Outside, the little vine had one pink flower on it. The sick girl kissed it. "Mother," said she, "now I shall soon be well." And what became of the other peas? Why, three of them were eaten by pigeons. The fourth flew into the water where it swelled to a great size and felt itself the most remarkable of all the five. |