'There
are great-grandchildren for us, strong and healthy too. Was it not about
this time of year that we were married?' "'Yes, and to-day is the golden-wedding day,' said Elder-tree Mother,
popping her head out just between the two old people; and they thought
it was a neighbor nodding to them. Then they looked at each other and
clasped their hands together. Presently came their children and
grand*-children, who knew very well that it was the golden-wedding day. They had already wished them joy on that very morning, but the old
people had forgotten it, although they remembered so well all that had
happened many years before. And the elder tree smelled sweet, and the
setting sun shone upon the faces of the old people till they looked
quite ruddy. And the youngest of their grandchildren danced round them
joyfully, and said they were going to have a feast in the evening, and
there were to be hot potatoes. Then the Elder Mother nodded in the tree
and cried 'Hurrah!' with all the rest." "But that is not a story," said the little boy who had been listening. "Not till you understand it," said the old man. "But let us ask the
Elder Mother to explain it." "It was not exactly a story," said the Elder Mother, "but the story is
coming now, and it is a true one. For out of truth the most wonderful
stories grow, just as my beautiful elder bush has sprung out of the
teapot." And then she took the little boy out of bed and laid him on her
bosom, and the blooming branches of elder closed over them so that they
sat, as it were, in a leafy bower, and the bower flew with them through
the air in the most delightful manner. Then the Elder Mother all at once changed to a beautiful young maiden,
but her dress was still of the same green stuff, ornamented with a
border of white elder blossoms such as the Elder Mother had worn. In her
bosom she wore a real elder flower, and a wreath of the same was
entwined in her golden ringlets. Her large blue eyes were very beautiful
to look at. She was of the same age as the boy, and they kissed each
other and felt very happy. They left the arbor together, hand in hand, and found themselves in a
beautiful flower garden which belonged to their home. On the green lawn
their father's stick was tied up. There was life in this stick for the
little ones, for no sooner did they place themselves upon it than the
white knob changed into a pretty neighing head with a black, flowing
mane, and four long, slender legs sprung forth. The creature was strong
and spirited, and galloped with them round the grassplot. "Hurrah! now we will ride many miles away," said the boy; "we'll ride to
the nobleman's estate, where we went last year." Then they rode round the grassplot again, and the little maiden, who, we
know, was Elder-tree Mother, kept crying out: "Now we are in the
country. Do you see the farmhouse, with a great baking oven standing out
from the wall by the road-side like a gigantic egg? There is an elder
spreading its branches over it, and a cock is marching about and
scratching for the chickens. See how he struts! "Now we are near the church. There it stands on the hill, shaded by the
great oak trees, one of which is half dead. See, here we are at the
blacksmith's forge. How the fire burns! And the half-clad men are
striking the hot iron with the hammer, so that the sparks fly about. Now
then, away to the nobleman's beautiful estate!" And the boy saw all that
the little girl spoke of as she sat behind him on the stick, for it
passed before him although they were only galloping round the grassplot. Then they played together in a side walk and raked up the earth to make
a little garden. Then she took elder flowers out of her hair and planted
them, and they grew just like those which he had heard the old people
talking about, and which they had planted in their young days. They
walked about hand in hand too, just as the old people had done when they
were children, but they did not go up the round tower nor to
Fredericksburg garden. No; but the little girl seized the boy round the
waist, and they rode all over the whole country (sometimes it was
spring, then summer; then autumn and winter followed), while thousands
of images were presented to the boy's eyes and heart, and the little
girl constantly sang to him, "You must never forget all this." And
through their whole flight the elder tree sent forth the sweetest
fragrance. They passed roses and fresh beech trees, but the perfume of the elder
tree was stronger than all, for its flowers hung round the little
maiden's heart, against which the boy so often leaned his head during
their flight. "It is beautiful here in the spring," said the maiden, as they stood in
a grove of beech trees covered with fresh green leaves, while at their
feet the sweet-scented thyme and blushing anemone lay spread amid the
green grass in delicate bloom. "O that it were always spring in the
fragrant beech groves!" "Here it is delightful in summer," said the maiden, as they passed old
knights' castles telling of days gone by and saw the high walls and
pointed gables mirrored in the rivers beneath, where swans were sailing
about and peeping into the cool green avenues. In the fields the corn
waved to and fro like the sea. Red and yellow flowers grew amongst the
ruins, and the hedges were covered with wild hops and blooming
convolvulus. In the evening the moon rose round and full, and the
haystacks in the meadows filled the air with their sweet scent. These
were scenes never to be forgotten. "It is lovely here also in autumn," said the little maiden, and then the
scene changed again. The sky appeared higher and more beautifully blue,
while the forest glowed with colors of red, green, and gold. The hounds
were off to the chase, and large flocks of wild birds flew screaming
over the Huns' graves, where the blackberry bushes twined round the old
ruins. The dark blue sea was dotted with white sails, and in the barns
sat old women, maidens, and children picking hops into a large tub. The
young ones sang songs, and the old ones told fairy tales of wizards and
witches. There could be nothing more pleasant than all this. "Again," said the maiden, "it is beautiful here in winter." Then in a
moment all the trees were covered with hoarfrost, so that they looked
like white coral. The snow crackled beneath the feet as if every one had
on new boots, and one shooting star after another fell from the sky. In
warm rooms there could be seen the Christmas trees, decked out with
presents and lighted up amid festivities and joy. In the country
farmhouses could be heard the sound of a violin, and there were games
for apples, so that even the poorest child could say, "It is beautiful
in winter." And beautiful indeed were all the scenes which the maiden showed to the
little boy, and always around them floated the fragrance of the elder
blossom, and ever above them waved the red flag with the white cross,
under which the old seaman had sailed.