then the paper was tied in a bundle with other papers， and thrown into a tub that stood inthe washhouse.
“After work， it is well to rest，” said the paper， “and a very good opportunity to collectone's thoughts. Now I am able， for the first time， to think of my real condition; and to knowone's self is true proGREss. What will be done with me now， I wonder? No doubt I shall stillgo forward. I have always progressed hitherto， as I know quite well.”
Now it happened one day that all the paper in the tub was taken out， and laid on thehearth to be burnt. People said it could not be sold at the shop， to wrap up butter andsugar， because it had been written upon. The children in the house stood round the stove;for they wanted to see the paper burn， because it flamed up so prettily， and afterwards，among the ashes， so many red sparks could be seen running one after the other， here andthere， as quick as the wind. They called it seeing the children come out of school， and the lastspark was the schoolmaster. They often thought the last spark had come; and one wouldcry， “There goes the schoolmaster;” but the next moment another spark would appear，shining so beautifully. How they would like to know where the sparks all went to! Perhaps weshall find out some day， but we don't know now.
the whole bundle of paper had been placed on the fire， and was soon alight. “Ugh，” criedthe paper， as it burst into a bright flame; “ugh.” It was certainly not very pleasant to beburning; but when the whole was wrapped in flames， the flames mounted up into the air，higher than the flax had ever been able to raise its little blue flower， and they glistened as thewhite linen never could have glistened. All the written letters became quite red in a moment，and all the words and thoughts turned to fire.
“Now I am mounting straight up to the sun，” said a voice in the flames; and it was as if athousand voices echoed the words; and the flames darted up through the chimney， andwent out at the top. Then a number of tiny beings， as many in number as the flowers on theflax had been， and invisible to mortal eyes， floated above them. They were even lighter andmore delicate than the flowers from which they were born; and as the flames wereextinguished， and nothing remained of the paper but black ashes， these little beings dancedupon it; and whenever they touched it， bright red sparks appeared.
“the children are all out of school， and the schoolmaster was the last of all，” said thechildren. It was good fun， and they sang over the dead ashes，—
“Snip， snap， snurre，Basse lure：the song is ended.”
But the little invisible beings said， “The song is never ended; the most beautiful is yet tocome.”
But the children could neither hear nor understand this， nor should they; for childrenmust not know everything.
一棵亚麻开满了花。它开满了非常美丽的蓝花。花朵柔软得像飞蛾的翅膀，甚至比那还要柔软。太阳照在亚麻身上，雨雾润泽着它。这正好像孩子被洗了一番以后，又从妈妈那里得到了一个吻一样——使他们变得更可爱。亚麻也是这样。“人们说，我长得太好了，”亚麻说，“并且还说我又美又长，将来可以织成很好看的布。嗨，我是多么幸运啊!我将来一定是最幸运的人!太阳光多么使人快乐!雨的味道是多么好，多么使人感到新鲜!我是分外地幸运;我是一切东西之中最幸运的!”“对，对，对!”篱笆桩说。“你不瞭解这个世界，但是我们瞭解，因为我们身上长得有节!”於是它们就悲观地发出吱吱格格的声音来：
吱——格——嘘，拍——呼——吁，歌儿完了。“没有，歌儿并没有完了呀!”亚麻说。“明天早晨太阳就会出来，雨就会使人愉快。我能听见我在生长的声音，我能觉得我在开花!我是一切生物中最幸运的!”
不过有一天，人们走过来捏着亚麻的头，把它连根从土里拔出来。它受了伤。它被放在水里，好像人们要把它淹死似的。然后它又被放在火上，好像人们要把它烤死似的。这真是可怕!“一个人不能永远过着幸福的时光!”亚麻说。“一个人应该吃点苦，才能懂得一些事情。”
不过更糟糕的时候到来了。亚麻被折断了，撕碎了，揉打了和梳理了一通。是的，它自己也不知道这是一套甚么玩艺儿。它被装在一架纺车上——吱格!吱格!吱格——这把它弄得头昏脑涨，连思想都不可能了。“我有个时候曾经是非常幸运的!”它在痛苦中作这样的回忆。“一个人在幸福的时候应该知道快乐!快乐!快乐!啊!”当它被装到织布机上去的时候，它仍然在说这样的话。於是它被织成了一大块美丽的布。所有的亚麻，每一根亚麻，都被织成了这块布。“不过，这真是出人意料之外!我以前决不会相信的!嗨!我是多么幸福啊!是的，篱笆桩这样唱是有道理的：