A LEAF FROM HEAVEN

                                      1872

                     FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
fake name brand sunglasses
gucci replica sunglasses
louvis vuitton sunglasses for men
                               A LEAF FROM HEAVEN

                           by Hans Christian Andersen



    HIGH up in the clear, pure air flew an angel, with a flower

plucked from the garden of heaven. As he was kissing the flower a very

little leaf fell from it and sunk down into the soft earth in the

middle of a wood. It immediately took root, sprouted, and sent out

shoots among the other plants.

    "What a ridiculous little shoot!" said one. "No one will recognize

it; not even the thistle nor the stinging-nettle."

    "It must be a kind of garden plant," said another; and so they

sneered and despised the plant as a thing from a garden.

    "Where are you coming?" said the tall thistles whose leaves were

all armed with thorns. "It is stupid nonsense to allow yourself to

shoot out in this way; we are not here to support you."

    Winter came, and the plant was covered with snow, but the snow

glittered over it as if it had sunshine beneath as well as above.

    When spring came, the plant appeared in full bloom: a more

beautiful object than any other plant in the forest. And now the

professor of botany presented himself, one who could explain his

knowledge in black and white. He examined and tested the plant, but it

did not belong to his system of botany, nor could he possibly find out

to what class it did belong. "It must be some degenerate species,"

said he; "I do not know it, and it is not mentioned in any system."

    "Not known in any system!" repeated the thistles and the nettles.

    The large trees which grew round it saw the plant and heard the

remarks, but they said not a word either good or bad, which is the

wisest plan for those who are ignorant.

    There passed through the forest a poor innocent girl; her heart

was pure, and her understanding increased by her faith. Her chief

inheritance had been an old Bible, which she read and valued. From its

pages she heard the voice of God speaking to her, and telling her to

remember what was said of Joseph's brethren when persons wished to

injure her. "They imagined evil in their hearts, but God turned it

to good." If we suffer wrongfully, if we are misunderstood or

despised, we must think of Him who was pure and holy, and who prayed

for those who nailed Him to the cross, "Father forgive them, for

they know not what they do."

    The girl stood still before the wonderful plant, for the green

leaves exhaled a sweet and refreshing fragrance, and the flowers

glittered and sparkled in the sunshine like colored flames, and the

harmony of sweet sounds lingered round them as if each concealed

within itself a deep fount of melody, which thousands of years could

not exhaust. With pious gratitude the girl looked upon this glorious

work of God, and bent down over one of the branches, that she might

examine the flower and inhale the sweet perfume. Then a light broke in

on her mind, and her heart expanded. Gladly would she have plucked a

flower, but she could not overcome her reluctance to break one off.

She knew it would so soon fade; so she took only a single green

leaf, carried it home, and laid it in her Bible, where it remained

ever green, fresh, and unfading. Between the pages of the Bible it

still lay when, a few weeks afterwards, that Bible was laid under

the young girl's head in her coffin. A holy calm rested on her face,

as if the earthly remains bore the impress of the truth that she now

stood in the presence of God.