The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-02-12
From the German Of Andersen.
TINE HAPPY FAMILY.

one IN front OF your tiny body, and 1t will ht
you exactly like Nh apron. Pot one on your
head of u rainy day, and it is almost quite
as good as an umbrella, for its size 10 quite
extraordinary. A burdosk never grows
alone; where one grows number Of others
will grow up; it is really magnificent! and
this magnifcence is food for snails. Those
large white snails out Of which in former
days people Of distinction would get fri
cassee made, and when they had eaten it,
would say
Hem how deliciously they tssten
For whatever people now days may say
they really did believe that it tasted superb
ly. These lived on burdock leuves, and on
that account burdocks were planted.
Well, there was an old manor, in which
snails were no longer eaten. They had be-
come entirely extinct. The latter kept
growing and growing in all the walks aud
beds; they could no longer be checked; It
was literally forest Of burdocks. Here
und there stood nm apple or plum tree, 9TH
erWise no one would ever had imagined that
there was garden. There was nothing but
burdock, and among them were living two
very ancient snaiIs, the last Of the race
They didn't, even themselves. know how old
that their number had been much
larger, TINT they were descended from a fam.
lily Of Il distant land, and the entire forest
had been planted for them and theirs.
They had never been abroad, hut thev
were aware that there was something else
in the world, which something WAS the ba-
ronial castle; and that up there one would
get cooked; and then turn black, and then
be laid upon silver platc-but what hap
pened aftewards--this they could not tell
for they did not know it. What sort Of
state it was, however, if one was cooked and
placed upon silver platter they could not
conceive; but it was said to be something
very fine and genteel in the highest degree.
Neither the May. bug, nor the toad, nor yet
the grub, whom they questioned about it,
could give them any information on the sub
ject, for none Of them had ever been fried,
nor had been placed on II silver platter. The
old white snails were the genteelest people
in the world; that they knew. For their
behoof the burdock forest existed, and tho
baronal castle too, in order that they might
be cooked and served up on IA silver platter.
They now lived very retired and happy
life, and having no children of their own
they had adopted little common snail, and
brought him up as their OVID child. But the
little one would not grow, for he was only
Il common snail; but the foster parents,
the snail mother, were of opinion
that after all they could perceive on increase
Of stature in him.
And whenever the father could not agree
with her. she would ask him only to please
and handle its snail shell; then he would
L. a~l GnI sk..s Il
right.
One day it rained very hard.
'Hark, how the ram beats on the burdock
leaves as if they were so many kettle drums,
rumdumdulD,' said the snail
father.
There nrs also some drops coming said
the snail mother, 'they are running down
close to the stock. I'll warrant you it will
be wet here. ] am very much reioiced,
however, that We have our good houses,
and that little one has also one. Really
much more has been done for US than all
other creatures. 1t is very evident that we
are the lords of the world. We have our
houses from the very time we are born,
and the burdock forest was planted, express
Iy for Us. should like to know how far
that extends and what lies beyond it,
'There is nothing that could be better
than things are with u.s. said the snail
father; Il have nothing whatever to wish
for.'
'Yes,' said tho mother, Il, for my part,
should like to 60 to the baronial castle there
to be cooked and to be served up in n silver
platter; this is n privilege which all our IN
Cestry shared, and you may rest assured
that there is no enjoyment like it,
'The baronial castle is perhaps fallen to
ruins,' said the snail father; 'or the burdock
forest is grown over it, SO that people can
not get out of it. But there is no hurry
about the matter at all. You are always
always acquiring the same habit. Has he
not for these three days been engaged in
up the stock? really get quite
dizzy looking at him SO high up
You must not chide him. said the snail
m other, she creeps along so deliberately;
doubt not we shall experience much joy
from him, and really we have no other object
to live for. But pray tell me; have you
ever reflected upon it, whence we shall get
him wife? DO you not suppose that Mt
some distance in the burdock forest some
remnant Of the race are still residing?'
Black snails there may be there, think,
said the old man, 'black snails without n
shell; but these are so common folks, and
still they are not without conceit. We
might, however, commission the ants,
they are always travelling to and fro, as il
they had business to transact: they undoubt-
edly know of some suitable match for our
lad.'
'indeed, could tell you most desirable
one,' said one of the ants; 'but fear it will
prove impracticable, for she is queen.'
'That's noshing,' said the snaiis, 'has she
a house?'
She has a castle!' replied the ant, tho
most superb ant castle with seven hundred
passages H.
'Thank you,' said the snail mother. 'Our
son shall not live in an ant-hiIl. II you
can't propose anything better we'll give ths
commission to the white flies. They Ay
about far and near, rain or shine; they know
the burdock forest thoroughly.
we have got wife for him. said the
flies, "a hundred PAGES (reckoning after the
manner Of men, from here, there is a little
snail with sitting on n goosebury bush;
she is all alone and old enough to bc mar
ried. 1t is only one hundred PAGES from
here, reckoning after the manner Of men,
YES, let her come hither to see him, said
the parental snsils. He owns an entire
forest; she has but q bush.' VIZ .s .-v...
And now they went to fetch the little
snail of young lady. 1t was eight days
before she arrived; but that was the just
curiosity of it, for then one could see that
she was true blooded snail. Then came
the high tide. Six giow-worms did their
best to lend hustle to the sconc. In all
other respects the ceremony proceeded very
quietly for tho old folks could not endure
joviality and merriment. hut the mother
snail made a grand speech. Tho father
could not, he was too much moved. Then
they gave them the whole burdock forest
for their inheritance, repeating whnt they
had always said, that it was the beet thing
in the world, and that if they would 1.-Two
an upright and honorable lifc and Inul-.
tiply, they, together with their offspring
would at some future time come to tho
bsronial castle, where they would he boiled
black, and served up on silver platter,
After the speech was ended, the old people
went 10 their houses and never cnme cot OF
Il avain. thev ware sleepiuR, The Young