EVERYTHING IN THE RIGHT PLACE.docx

EVERYTHING IN THE RIGHT PLACE.docx

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EVERYTHINGINTHERIGHTPLACE

1872

FAIRYTALESOFHANSCHRISTIANANDERSEN

EVERYTHINGINTHERIGHTPLACE

byHansChristianAndersen

ITismorethanahundredyearsago!

Attheborderofthewood,

nearalargelake,stoodtheoldmansion:

deepditchessurroundedit

oneveryside,inwhichreedsandbulrushesgrew.Closebythe

drawbridge,nearthegate,therewasanoldwillowtree,whichbent

overthereeds.

Fromthenarrowpasscamethesoundofbuglesandthetramplingof

horses'feet;thereforealittlegirlwhowaswatchingthegeese

hastenedtodrivethemawayfromthebridge,beforethewhole

huntingpartycamegallopingup;theycame,however,soquickly,

thatthegirl,inordertoavoidbeingrunover,placedherselfonone

ofthehighcorner-stonesofthebridge.Shewasstillhalfachild

andverydelicatelybuilt;shehadbrightblueeyes,andagentle,

sweetexpression.Butsuchthingsthebarondidnotnotice;whilehe

wasridingpastthelittlegoose-girl,hereversedhishuntingcrop,

andinroughplaygavehersuchapushwithitthatshefell

backwardintotheditch.

"Everythingintherightplace!

"hecried."Intotheditchwith

you."

Thenheburstoutlaughing,forthathecalledfun;theothers

joinedin-thewholepartyshoutedandcried,whilethehoundsbarked.

Whilethepoorgirlwasfallingshehappilycaughtoneofthe

branchesofthewillowtree,bythehelpofwhichsheheldherself

overthewater,andassoonasthebaronwithhiscompanyandthedogs

haddisappearedthroughthegate,thegirlendeavouredtoscrambleup,

butthebranchbrokeoff,andshewouldhavefallenbackwardamongthe

rushes,hadnotastronghandfromaboveseizedheratthismoment.It

wasthehandofapedlar;hehadwitnessedwhathadhappenedfroma

shortdistance,andnowhastenedtoassisther.

"Everythingintherightplace,"hesaid,imitatingthenoble

baron,andpullingthelittlemaiduptothedryground.Hewished

toputthebranchbackintheplaceithadbeenbrokenoff,butit

isnotpossibletoputeverythingintherightplace;"thereforehe

stuckthebranchintothesoftground.

"Growandthriveifyoucan,andproduceagoodfluteforthem

yonderatthemansion,"hesaid;itwouldhavegivenhimgreat

pleasuretoseethenoblebaronandhiscompanionswellthrashed.Then

heenteredthecastle-butnotthebanquetinghall;hewastoo

humbleforthat.No;hewenttotheservants'hall.Themen-servants

andmaidslookedoverhisstockofarticlesandbargainedwithhim;

loudcryingandscreamingwereheardfromthemaster'stableabove:

theycalleditsinging-indeed,theydidtheirbest.Laughterand

thehowlsofdogswereheardthroughtheopenwindows:

theretheywere

feastingandrevelling;wineandstrongoldalewerefoaminginthe

glassesandjugs;thefavouritedogsatewiththeirmasters;nowand

thenthesquireskissedoneoftheseanimals,afterhavingwipedits

mouthfirstwiththetablecloth.Theyorderedthepedlartocomeup,

butonlytomakefunofhim.Thewinehadgotintotheirheads,and

reasonhadleftthem.Theypouredbeerintoastockingthathecould

drinkwiththem,butquick.That'swhattheycalledfun,anditmade

themlaugh.Thenmeadows,peasants,andfarmyardswerestakedonone

cardandlost.

"Everythingintherightplace!

"thepedlarsaidwhenhehadat

lastsafelygotoutofSodomandGomorrah,ashecalledit."The

openhighroadismyrightplace;upthereIdidnotfeelatease."

Thelittlemaid,whowasstillwatchingthegeese,noddedkindly

tohimashepassedthroughthegate.

Daysandweekspassed,anditwasseenthatthebroken

willow-branchwhichthepeddlarhadstuckintothegroundnearthe

ditchremainedfreshandgreen-nay,itevenputforthfreshtwigs;

thelittlegoose-girlsawthatthebranchhadtakenroot,andwasvery

pleased;thetree,soshesaid,wasnowhertree.Whilethetreewas

advancing,everythingelseatthecastlewasgoingbackward,through

feastingandgambling,forthesearetworollersuponwhichnobody

standssafely.Lessthansixyearsafterwardsthebaronpassedout

ofhiscastle-gateapoorbeggar,whilethebaronialseathadbeen

boughtbyarichtradesman.Hewastheverypedlartheyhadmadefun

ofandpouredbeerintoastockingforhimtodrink;buthonestyand

industrybringoneforward,andnowthepedlarwasthepossessorof

thebaronialestate.Fromthattimeforwardnocard-playingwas

permittedthere.

"That'sabadpastime,"hesaid;"whenthedevilsawtheBiblefor

thefirsttimehewantedtoproduceacaricatureinoppositionto

it,andinventedcard-playing."

Thenewproprietoroftheestatetookawife,andwhomdidhe

take?

-Thelittlegoose-girl,whohadalwaysremainedgoodandkind,

andwholookedasbeautifulinhernewclothesasifshehadbeena

ladyofhighbirth.Andhowdidallthiscomeabout?

Thatwouldbetoo

longataletotellinourbusytime,butitreallyhappened,and

themostimportanteventshaveyettobetold.

Itwaspleasantandcheerfultoliveintheoldplacenow:

the

mothersuperintendedthehousehold,andthefatherlookedafterthings

out-of-doors,andtheywereindeedveryprosperous.

Wherehonestyleadstheway,prosperityissuretofollow.Theold

mansionwasrepairedandpainted,theditcheswerecleanedand

fruit-treesplanted;allwashomelyandpleasant,andthefloors

wereaswhiteandshiningasapasteboard.Inthelongwinterevenings

themistressandhermaidssatatthespinning-wheelinthelarge

hall;everySundaythecounsellor-thistitlethepedlarhadobtained,

althoughonlyinhisolddays-readaloudaportionfromtheBible.

Thechildren（fortheyhadchildren）allreceivedthebest

education,buttheywerenotallequallyclever,asisthecaseinall

families.

Inthemeantimethewillowtreenearthedrawbridgehadgrownup

intoasplendidtree,andstoodthere,free,andwasneverclipped.

"Itisourgenealogicaltree,"saidtheoldpeopletotheir

children,"andthereforeitmustbehonoured."

Ahundredyearshadelapsed.Itwasinourowndays;thelake

hadbeentransformedintomarshland;thewholebaronialseathad,

asitwere,disappeared.Apoolofwaternearsomeruinedwallswas

theonlyremainderofthedeepditches;andherestoodamagnificent

oldtreewithoverhangingbranches-thatwasthegenealogicaltree.

Hereitstood,andshowedhowbeautifulawillowcanlookifone

doesnotinterferewithit.Thetrunk,itistrue,wascleftinthe

middlefromtheroottothecrown;thestormshadbentitalittle,

butitstillstoodthere,andoutofeverycreviceandcleft,inwhich

windandweatherhadcarriedmould,bladesofgrassandflowerssprang

forth.Especiallyabove,wherethelargeboughsparted,therewas

quiteahanginggarden,inwhichwildraspberriesandhart's-tongue

fernsthrove,andevenalittlemistletoehadtakenroot,andgrew

gracefullyintheoldwillowbranches,whichwerereflectedinthe

darkwaterbeneathwhenthewindblewthechickweedintothecornerof

thepool.Afootpathwhichledacrossthefieldspassedclosebythe

oldtree.Highup,onthewoodyhillside,stoodthenewmansion.It

hadasplendidview,andwaslargeandmagnificent;itswindowpanes

weresoclearthatonemighthavethoughttherewerenonethereat

all.Thelargeflightofstepswhichledtotheentrancelookedlikea

bowercoveredwithrosesandbroad-leavedplants.Thelawnwasas

greenasifeachbladeofgrasswascleanedseparatelymorningand

evening.Inside,inthehall,valuableoilpaintingswerehangingon

thewalls.Herestoodchairsandsofascoveredwithsilkandvelvet,

whichcouldbeeasilyrolledaboutoncastors;thereweretables

withpolishedmarbletops,andbooksboundinmoroccowithgiltedges.

Indeed,well-to-doanddistinguishedpeoplelivedhere;itwasthe

dwellingofthebaronandhisfamily.Eacharticlewasinkeepingwith

itssurroundings."Everythingintherightplace"wasthemotto

accordingtowhichtheyalsoactedhere,andthereforeallthe

paintingswhichhadoncebeenthehonourandgloryoftheold

mansionwerenowhungupinthepassagewhichledtotheservants'

rooms.Itwasalloldlumber,especiallytwoportraits-one

representingamaninascarletcoatwithawig,andtheothera

ladywithpowderedandcurledhairholdingaroseinherhand,eachof

thembeingsurroundedbyalargewreathofwillowbranches.Both

portraitshadmanyholesinthem,becausethebaron'ssonsusedthe

twooldpeopleastargetsfortheircrossbows.Theyrepresentedthe

counsellorandhiswife,fromwhomthewholefamilydescended."But

theydidnotproperlybelongtoourfamily,"saidoneoftheboys;"he

wasapedlarandshekeptthegeese.Theywerenotlikepapaand

mamma."Theportraitswereoldlumber,and"everythinginitsright

place."Thatwaswhythegreat-grandparentshadbeenhungupinthe

passageleadingtotheservants'rooms.

Thesonofthevillagepastorwastutoratthemansion.Onedayhe

wentforawalkacrossthefieldswithhisyoungpupilsandtheir

eldersister,whohadlatelybeenconfirmed.Theywalkedalongthe

roadwhichpassedbytheoldwillowtree,andwhiletheywereonthe

roadshepickedabunchoffield-flowers."Everythingintheright

place,"andindeedthebunchlookedverybeautiful.Atthesametime

shelistenedtoallthatwassaid,andsheverymuchlikedtohearthe

pastor'ssonspeakabouttheelementsandofthegreatmenandwomen

inhistory.Shehadahealthymind,nobleinthoughtanddeed,and

withaheartfullofloveforeverythingthatGodhadcreated.They

stoppedattheoldwillowtree,astheyoungestofthebaron'ssons

wishedverymuchtohaveaflutefromit,suchashadbeencut