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

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

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	392                    THE DROP OF WATER
	But it is not so easy to find out if one does not know. And the magician who had no name looked through the magnifying glass. It looked really like a great town reflected there, in which all the people were running about without clothes. It was terrible ! But it was still more terrible to see how one beat and pushed the other, and bit and hacked, and tugged and mauled him. Those at the top were being pulled down, and those at the bottom were struggling upwards. ' Look ! look ! his leg is longer than mine ! Bah ! Away with it ! There is one who has a little lump behind his ear. It hurts him, but it shall hurt him still more.' And they hacked away at him, and they pulled at him, and ate him up, because of the little lump. And there was one sitting as still as any little maiden, and wishing only for peace and quietness. But now she had to come out, and they tugged at her, and pulled her about, and ate her up. 1 That Js remarkably funny ! ' said the magician. * Yes,. but what do you think it is ? ' said Cribble-Crabble. ' Can vou find that out ? ' ' Why, one can see that easily enough,' said the other. * That's Copenhagen, or some other great city, for they're all alike. It's a great city !' ' It's a drop of puddle water ! ' said Cribble-Crabble.