THE OLD STREET LAMP.docx

THE OLD STREET LAMP.docx

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THEOLDSTREETLAMP

1872

FAIRYTALESOFHANSCHRISTIANANDERSEN

THEOLDSTREETLAMP

byHansChristianAndersen

DIDyoueverhearthestoryoftheoldstreetlamp?

Itisnot

remarkablyinteresting,butforonceinawayyoumayaswelllisten

toit.Itwasamostrespectableoldlamp,whichhadseenmany,many

yearsofservice,andnowwastoretirewithapension.Itwasthis

eveningatitspostforthelasttime,givinglighttothestreet.His

feelingsweresomethinglikethoseofanolddanceratthetheatre,

whoisdancingforthelasttime,andknowsthatonthemorrowshe

willbeinhergarret,aloneandforgotten.Thelamphadverygreat

anxietyaboutthenextday,forheknewthathehadtoappearfor

thefirsttimeatthetownhall,tobeinspectedbythemayorand

thecouncil,whoweretodecideifhewerefitforfurtherservice

ornot;-whetherthelampwasgoodenoughtobeusedtolightthe

inhabitantsofoneofthesuburbs,orinthecountry,atsomefactory;

andifnot,itwouldbesentatoncetoanironfoundry,tobe

melteddown.Inthislattercaseitmightbeturnedintoanything,and

hewonderedverymuchwhetherhewouldthenbeabletorememberthat

hehadoncebeenastreetlamp,andittroubledhimexceedingly.

Whatevermighthappen,onethingseemedcertain,thathewouldbe

separatedfromthewatchmanandhiswife,whosefamilyhelooked

uponashisown.Thelamphadfirstbeenhunguponthatvery

eveningthatthewatchman,thenarobustyoungman,hadenteredupon

thedutiesofhisoffice.Ah,well,itwasaverylongtimesince

onebecamealampandtheotherawatchman.Hiswifehadalittle

prideinthosedays;sheseldomcondescendedtoglanceatthelamp,

exceptingwhenshepassedbyintheevening,neverinthedaytime.But

inlateryears,whenallthese,-thewatchman,thewife,andthelamp-

hadgrownold,shehadattendedtoit,cleanedit,andsuppliedit

withoil.Theoldpeoplewerethoroughlyhonest,theyhadnever

cheatedthelampofasingledropoftheoilprovidedforit.

Thiswasthelamp'slastnightinthestreet,andto-morrowhe

mustgotothetown-hall,-twoverydarkthingstothinkof.Nowonder

hedidnotburnbrightly.Manyotherthoughtsalsopassedthrough

hismind.Howmanypersonshehadlightedontheirway,andhowmuch

hehadseen;asmuch,verylikely,asthemayorandcorporation

themselves!

Noneofthesethoughtswereutteredaloud,however;forhe

wasagood,honorableoldlamp,whowouldnotwillinglydoharmtoany

one,especiallytothoseinauthority.Asmanythingswererecalledto

hismind,thelightwouldflashupwithsuddenbrightness;hehad,

atsuchmoments,aconvictionthathewouldberemembered."There

wasahandsomeyoungmanonce,"thoughthe;"itiscertainlyalong

whileago,butIrememberhehadalittlenote,writtenonpink

paperwithagoldedge;thewritingwaselegant,evidentlyalady's

hand:

twicehereaditthrough,andkissedit,andthenlookedupat

me,witheyesthatsaidquiteplainly,'Iamthehappiestofmen!

'

OnlyheandIknowwhatwaswrittenonthishisfirstletterfrom

hislady-love.Ah,yes,andtherewasanotherpairofeyesthatI

remember,-itisreallywonderfulhowthethoughtsjumpfromonething

toanother!

Afuneralpassedthroughthestreet;ayoungandbeautiful

womanlayonabier,deckedwithgarlandsofflowers,andattended

bytorches,whichquiteoverpoweredmylight.Allalongthestreet

stoodthepeoplefromthehouses,incrowds,readytojointhe

procession.Butwhenthetorcheshadpassedfrombeforeme,andI

couldlookround,Isawonepersonalone,standing,leaningagainstmy

post,andweeping.NevershallIforgetthesorrowfuleyesthatlooked

upatme."Theseandsimilarreflectionsoccupiedtheoldstreetlamp,

onthisthelasttimethathislightwouldshine.Thesentry,when

heisrelievedfromhispost,knowsatleastwhowillsucceedhim,and

maywhisperafewwordstohim,butthelampdidnotknowhis

successor,orhecouldhavegivenhimafewhintsrespectingrain,

ormist,andcouldhaveinformedhimhowfarthemoon'srayswould

restonthepavement,andfromwhichsidethewindgenerallyblew,and

soon.

Onthebridgeoverthecanalstoodthreepersons,whowishedto

recommendthemselvestothelamp,fortheythoughthecouldgivethe

officetowhomsoeverhechose.Thefirstwasaherring'shead,which

couldemitlightinthedarkness.Heremarkedthatitwouldbeagreat

savingofoiliftheyplacedhimonthelamp-post.Numbertwowasa

pieceofrottenwood,whichalsoshinesinthedark.Heconsidered

himselfdescendedfromanoldstem,oncetheprideoftheforest.

Thethirdwasaglow-worm,andhowhefoundhiswaytherethelamp

couldnotimagine,yettherehewas,andcouldreallygivelightas

wellastheothers.Buttherottenwoodandtheherring'shead

declaredmostsolemnly,byalltheyheldsacred,thattheglow-worm

onlygavelightatcertaintimes,andmustnotbeallowedtocompete

withthemselves.Theoldlampassuredthemthatnotoneofthem

couldgivesufficientlighttofillthepositionofastreetlamp;but

theywouldbelievenothinghesaid.Andwhentheydiscoveredthathe

hadnotthepowerofnaminghissuccessor,theysaidtheywerevery

gladtohearit,forthelampwastoooldandworn-outtomakea

properchoice.

Atthismomentthewindcamerushingroundthecornerofthe

street,andthroughtheair-holesoftheoldlamp."WhatisthisI

hear?

"saidhe;"thatyouaregoingawayto-morrow?

Isthisevening

thelasttimeweshallmeet?

ThenImustpresentyouwithafarewell

gift.Iwillblowintoyourbrain,sothatinfutureyoushallnot

onlybeabletorememberallthatyouhaveseenorheardinthe

past,butyourlightwithinshallbesobright,thatyoushallbeable

tounderstandallthatissaidordoneinyourpresence."

"Oh,thatisreallyavery,verygreatgift,"saidtheoldlamp;

"Ithankyoumostheartily.IonlyhopeIshallnotbemelteddown."

"Thatisnotlikelytohappenyet,"saidthewind;"andIwill

alsoblowamemoryintoyou,sothatshouldyoureceiveother

similarpresentsyouroldagewillpassverypleasantly."

"ThatisifIamnotmelteddown,"saidthelamp."ButshouldIin

thatcasestillretainmymemory?

"

"Dobereasonable,oldlamp,"saidthewind,puffingaway.

Atthismomentthemoonburstforthfromtheclouds."Whatwill

yougivetheoldlamp?

"askedthewind.

"Icangivenothing,"shereplied;"Iamonthewane,andnolamps

haveevergivenmelightwhileIhavefrequentlyshoneuponthem."And

withthesewordsthemoonhidherselfagainbehindtheclouds,that

shemightbesavedfromfurtherimportunities.Justthenadropfell

uponthelamp,fromtheroofofthehouse,butthedropexplainedthat

hewasagiftfromthosegrayclouds,andperhapsthebestofall

gifts."Ishallpenetrateyousothoroughly,"hesaid,"thatyou

willhavethepowerofbecomingrusty,and,ifyouwishit,tocrumble

intodustinonenight."

Butthisseemedtothelampaveryshabbypresent,andthewind

thoughtsotoo."Doesnoonegiveanymore?

Willnoonegiveany

more?

"shoutedthebreathofthewind,asloudasitcould.Thena

brightfallingstarcamedown,leavingabroad,luminousstreakbehind

it.

"Whatwasthat?

"criedtheherring'shead."Didnotastarfall?

I

reallybelieveitwentintothelamp.Certainly,whensuchhigh-born

personagestryfortheoffice,wemayaswellsay'Good-night,'andgo

home."

Andsotheydid,allthree,whiletheoldlampthrewawonderfully

stronglightallaroundhim.

"Thisisagloriousgift,"saidhe;"thebrightstarshave

alwaysbeenajoytome,andhavealwaysshonemorebrilliantlythanI

evercouldshine,thoughIhavetriedwithmywholemight;andnow

theyhavenoticedme,apooroldlamp,andhavesentmeagiftthat

willenablemetoseeclearlyeverythingthatIremember,asifit

stillstoodbeforeme,andtobeseenbyallthosewholoveme.And

hereinliesthetruestpleasure,forjoywhichwecannotsharewith

othersisonlyhalfenjoyed."

"Thatsentimentdoesyouhonor,"saidthewind;"butforthis

purposewaxlightswillbenecessary.Ifthesearenotlightedinyou,

yourparticularfacultieswillnotbenefitothersintheleast.The

starshavenotthoughtofthis;theysupposethatyouandevery

otherlightmustbeawaxtaper:

butImustgodownnow."Sohelaid

himselftorest.

"Waxtapers,indeed!

"saidthelamp,"Ihaveneveryethad

these,norisitlikelyIevershall.IfIcouldonlybesureofnot

beingmelteddown!

"

Thenextday.Well,perhapswehadbetterpassoverthenext

day.Theeveninghadcome,andthelampwasrestinginagrandfather's

chair,andguesswhere!

Why,attheoldwatchman'shouse.Hehad

begged,asafavor,thatthemayorandcorporationwouldallowhim

tokeepthestreetlamp,inconsiderationofhislongandfaithful

service,ashehadhimselfhungitupandlititonthedayhefirst

commencedhisduties,four-and-twentyyearsago.Helookeduponit

almostashisownchild;hehadnochildren,sothelampwasgiven

tohim.Thereitlayinthegreatarm-chairneartothewarmstove.It

seemedalmostasifithadgrownlarger,foritappearedquitetofill

thechair.Theoldpeoplesatattheirsupper,castingfriendly

glancesattheoldlamp,whomtheywouldwillinglyhaveadmittedto

aplaceatthetable.Itisquitetruethattheydweltinacellar,

twoyardsdeepintheearth,andtheyhadtocrossastonepassage

togettotheirroom,butwithinitwaswarmandcomfortableand

stripsoflisthadbeennailedroundthedoor.Thebedandthe

littlewindowhadcurtains,andeverythinglookedcleanandneat.On

thewindowseatstoodtwocuriou