Hans Christian Andersen - Wonderful Stories for Children

OLE LUCKOIE (SHUT-EYE).

THERE is nobody in all this world who knows so many tales as Ol Luckoi! He can tell tales! In an evening, when a child sits so nicely at the table, or on its little stool, Ol Luckoi comes. He comes so quietly into the house, for he walks without shoes; he opens the door without making any noise, and then he flirts sweet milk into the children's eyes; but so gently, so very gently, that they cannot keep their eyes open, and, therefore, they never see him; he steals softly behind them and blows gently on their necks, and thus their heads become heavy. Oh yes! But then it does them no harm; for Ol Luckoi means nothing but kindness to the children, he only wants to amuse them; and the best thing that can be done is for somebody to carry them to bed, where they may lie still and listen to the tales that he willtell them.

Now when the children are asleep, Ol Luckoi sits down on the bed; he is very well dressed; his coat is of silk, but it is not possible to tell what colour it is, because it shines green, and red, and blue, just as if one colour ran into another. He holds an umbrella under each arm; one of them is covered all over the inside with pictures, and this he sets over the good child, and it dreams all night long the most beautiful histories. The other umbrella has nothing at all within it; this he sets over the heads of naughty children, and they sleep so heavily, that next morning when they wake they have not dreamed the least in the world.

Now we will hear how Ol Luckoi came every evening for a whole week to a little boy, whose name was Yalmar, and what he told him. There are seven stories, because there are seven days in a week.

MONDAY.

"Just listen!" said Ol Luckoi, in the evening, when they had put Yalmar in bed; "now I shall make things fine!"and with that all the plants in the flower-pots grew up into great trees which stretched out their long branches along the ceiling and the walls, till the whole room looked like the most beautiful summer-house; and all the branches were full of flowers, and every flower was more beautiful than a rose, and was so sweet, that if anybody smelt at it, it was sweeter than raspberry jam! The fruit on the trees shone like gold, and great big bunches of raisins hung downnever had anything been seen like it!But all at once there begun such a dismal lamentation in the table-drawer where Yalmar kept his school-books.

"Look, you should hold yourselves upthus!" said the copy; "thus, all in a line, with a brisk air!"

"Oh! we would so gladly, if we could," said Yalmar's writing; "but we cannot, we are so miserable!"

"Then we will make you!" said Ol Luckoi, gruffly.

"Oh, no!" cried the poor little crooked letters; but for all that they straightened themselves, till it was quite a pleasure to see them.

"Now, then, cannot we tell a story!" said Ol Luckoi; "now I can exercise them! One, two! One, two!" And so, like a drill-sergeant, he put them all through their exercise, and they stood as straight and as well-shaped as any copy. After that Ol Luckoi went his way; and Yalmar, when he looked at the letters next morning, found them tumbling about just as miserably as at first.

TUESDAY.

No sooner was Yalmar in bed than Ol Luckoi came with his little wand, and touched all the furniture in the room; and, in a minute, everything began to chatter; and they chattered altogether, and about nothing but themselves. Everything talked except the old door mat, which lay silent, and was vexed that they should be all so full of vanity as to talk of nothing but themselves, and think only about themselves, and never have one thought for it which lay so modestly in a corner and let itself be trodden upon.

Full many a time I thee have missed,
My Yalmar, my delight!