,12 Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales
about in the form of a lark in Fredericksberg Gardens, What
capital farce this would make!” :
He then flew down from the branch, turned his head on ga
sides, and struck with his beak the tender blades of grass, which
compared with his present size, appeared as large as the palm
branches of North Africa.
It was but for a moment. Suddenly he seemed enveloped
in darkness, something to him monstrous and heavy was thrown
over him. It was a large schoolboy’s cap ; the hand of the boy
passed underneath it and seized the clerk by the back and wings,
[n the first impulse of surprise he cried out, You impudent young
rascal | I am clerk at the Police Office!” But this sounded to
the boy like “Pippi!” He struck the bird on the beak and
walked away with it.
He soon met two schoolboys who were better off than himself,
and they bought the bird for fourpence. And thus the copying
clerk was taken back to Copenhagen. |
«Tt is well that I am only dreaming,” said the clerk, © else 1
should really be angry! First 1 was a poet and now I am a
Hird! I suppose it was the poetic nature which changed me into
a little insignificant bird! It is a miserable condition enough,
especially when one falls into the hands of boys. I wonder what
will become of me next?”
The boys brought him into an elegantly furnished apartment,
where they were received by a stout, good-humoured looking
lady, who was by no means pleased at their bringing in with
them “a common field-bird,” as she called it; however, for once
she said she would excuse it, and they might put their little
orisoner into the empty cage that hung by the window.
« Perhaps that may please my pretty Poll,” added she, smiling
tenderly on a large green parroquet who was swinging himself
in his splendid cage ; “it is Poll’s birthday, so the little field-bird
must come and congratulate him.”
Poll answered not a word, but continued to swing himself
backwards and forwards with a very stately air, whilst a pretty
little canary-bird, who had been only the preceding summer
brought from the warm, spicy land of his birth, at once began @
loud song of welcome.
They 1