The Complete Fairy Tales & Other Stories
By Hans Christian Andersen - online book

Oxford Complete Illustrated Edition all his stories written between 1835 and 1872.

Home Main Menu Order Support About Search



Share page  


Previous Contents Next

THE OLD HOUSE
383
mouth, but it ran out of the creature's body instead, for there was a hole in the pipe.
All the other houses in the street were still new and trim, with smooth walls and large window-panes. One could easily see that they would have nothing to do with the old house. They thought perhaps, ' How long is that old rubbish-heap to stand there, a scandal to the whole street ? The parapet stands so far forward that no one can see out of our windows what is going on in that direction. The
staircase is as broad as a castle staircase, and as steep as if it led to a church tower. The iron railing looks like the gate of a family vault, and there are brass bosses upon it. It's too ridiculous ! '
Just opposite stood some more new neat houses that thought exactly like the rest; but here at the window sat a little boy, with fresh red cheeks, with clear sparkling eyes, and he was particularly fond of the old house, in sunshine as well as by moonlight. And when he looked down at the wall where the plaster had fallen off, then he could sit and fancy all kinds of pictures—how the street must have appeared in old times, with stairs, balconies, and pointed gables ; he could see soldiers with halberds.