Andersen's Fairy Tales |
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Author:
| Andersen, Hans Christian |
ISBN: | 978-1-9868-1164-4 |
Publication Date: | Mar 2018 |
Publisher: | CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
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Book Format: | Paperback |
List Price: | USD $5.50 |
Book Description:
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The poisonous flies and gnats swarmed around by thousands; in vain onewaved myrtle-branches about like mad; the audacious insect population didnot cease to sting; nor was there a single person in the well-crammedcarriage whose face was not swollen and sore from their ravenous bites. Thepoor horses, tortured almost to death, suffered most from this truly Egyptianplague; the flies alighted upon them in large disgusting swarms; and if thecoachman got down and scraped them off, hardly a...
More DescriptionThe poisonous flies and gnats swarmed around by thousands; in vain onewaved myrtle-branches about like mad; the audacious insect population didnot cease to sting; nor was there a single person in the well-crammedcarriage whose face was not swollen and sore from their ravenous bites. Thepoor horses, tortured almost to death, suffered most from this truly Egyptianplague; the flies alighted upon them in large disgusting swarms; and if thecoachman got down and scraped them off, hardly a minute elapsed beforethey were there again. The sun now set: a freezing cold, though of shortduration pervaded the whole creation; it was like a horrid gust coming froma burial-vault on a warm summer's day-but all around the mountainsretained that wonderful green tone which we see in some old pictures, andwhich, should we not have seen a similar play of color in the South, wedeclare at once to be unnatural. It was a glorious prospect; but the stomachwas empty, the body tired; all that the heart cared and longed for was goodnight-quarters; yet how would they be? For these one looked much moreanxiously than for the charms of nature, which every where were soprofusely displayed.The road led through an olive-grove, and here the solitary inn wassituated. Ten or twelve crippled-beggars had encamped outside. Thehealthiest of them resembled, to use an expression of Marryat's, "Hunger'seldest son when he had come of age"; the others were either blind, hadwithered legs and crept about on their hands, or withered arms andfingerless hands. It was the most wretched misery, dragged from among thefilthiest rags. "Excellenza, miserabili!" sighed they, thrusting forth theirdeformed limbs to view. Even the hostess, with bare feet, uncombed hair,and dressed in a garment of doubtful color, received the guests grumblingly.The doors were fastened with a loop of string; the floor of the roomspresented a stone paving half torn up; bats fluttered wildly about the ceiling;and as to the smell therein-no-that was beyond description.