The Happy Family

Really, the largest green leaf in this country is a dock-leaf; if one holds it before one, it is like a whole apron, and if one holds it over one's head in rainy weather, it is almost as good as an umbrella, for it is so immensely large. The burdock never grows alone, but where there grows one there always grow several: it is a great delight, and all this delightfulness is snails' food. The great white snails which persons of quality in former times made fricassees of, ate, and said, “Hem, hem! how delicious!” for they thought it tasted so delicate—lived on dock-leaves, and therefore burdock seeds were sown.

The largest green leaf in this country really is a dock leaf. If you hold one in front of you, it is like a whole apron. If you hold one over your head in the rain, it is almost as good as an umbrella. The leaf is so enormously large. Burdock never grows alone. Wherever one plant grows, several always grow together. It is a great delight, and all this delightfulness is food for snails. In former times, wealthy people made fricassees from the great white snails. They ate them and said, “Hem, hem! How delicious!” because they thought the snails tasted so delicate. The snails lived on dock leaves, so people sowed burdock seeds.

Now, there was an old manor-house, where they no longer ate snails, they were quite extinct; but the burdocks were not extinct, they grew and grew all over the walks and all the beds; they could not get the mastery over them—it was a whole forest of burdocks. Here and there stood an apple and a plum-tree, or else one never would have thought that it was a garden; all was burdocks, and there lived the two last venerable old snails.

There was an old manor house where people no longer ate snails. The snails had died out there. But the burdocks had not died out. They grew and grew, covering all the paths and garden beds. No one could get them under control. They were a whole forest of burdocks. Here and there stood an apple tree or a plum tree. Otherwise, no one would have thought it was a garden. Everything was covered in burdocks, and the last two venerable old snails lived there.

They themselves knew not how old they were, but they could remember very well that there had been many more; that they were of a family from foreign lands, and that for them and theirs the whole forest was planted. They had never been outside it, but they knew that there was still something more in the world, which was called the manor-house, and that there they were boiled, and then they became black, and were then placed on a silver dish; but what happened further they knew not; or, in fact, what it was to be boiled, and to lie on a silver dish, they could not possibly imagine; but it was said to be delightful, and particularly genteel. Neither the chafers, the toads, nor the earth-worms, whom they asked about it could give them any information—none of them had been boiled or laid on a silver dish.

They did not know how old they were, but they remembered very well that there had once been many more of them. They belonged to a family from foreign lands, and the whole forest had been planted for them and their family. They had never been outside the forest, but they knew there was more to the world. There was a place called the manor-house, where they were boiled. Then they turned black and were placed on a silver dish. But they did not know what happened after that. In fact, they could not imagine what it meant to be boiled and laid on a silver dish. Still, it was said to be delightful and especially genteel. They asked the beetles, toads, and earthworms about it, but none of them could tell them anything. None had been boiled or laid on a silver dish.

The old white snails were the first persons of distinction in the world, that they knew; the forest was planted for their sake, and the manor-house was there that they might be boiled and laid on a silver dish.

As far as they knew, the old white snails were the most important creatures in the world. The forest had been planted for them. The manor house was there so that they could be boiled and served on a silver dish.

Now they lived a very lonely and happy life; and as they had no children themselves, they had adopted a little common snail, which they brought up as their own; but the little one would not grow, for he was of a common family; but the old ones, especially Dame Mother Snail, thought they could observe how he increased in size, and she begged father, if he could not see it, that he would at least feel the little snail's shell; and then he felt it, and found the good dame was right.

They lived a very lonely and happy life. Since they had no children of their own, they had adopted a little common snail and raised him as their own. But the little snail would not grow, because he came from a common family. The old snails, especially Dame Mother Snail, thought they could see him getting bigger. She begged Father Snail, if he could not see it, to at least feel the little snail's shell. He felt it and found that the good dame was right.

One day there was a heavy storm of rain.

One day, there was a heavy rainstorm.

“Hear how it beats like a drum on the dock-leaves!” said Father Snail.

“Listen to it beating like a drum on the dock leaves!” said Father Snail.

“There are also rain-drops!” said Mother Snail. “And now the rain pours right down the stalk! You will see that it will be wet here! I am very happy to think that we have our good house, and the little one has his also! There is more done for us than for all other creatures, sure enough; but can you not see that we are folks of quality in the world? We are provided with a house from our birth, and the burdock forest is planted for our sakes! I should like to know how far it extends, and what there is outside!”

“There are raindrops too!” said Mother Snail. “And now the rain is pouring right down the stalk! You’ll see, it will get wet here! I’m so happy that we have our good house, and the little one has his own too! More has been done for us than for all other creatures, that’s certain. But can’t you see that we’re important people in this world? We’re given a house at birth, and the burdock forest was planted for our sake! I’d like to know how far the forest stretches and what’s outside it!”

“There is nothing at all,” said Father Snail. “No place can be better than ours, and I have nothing to wish for!”

“There is nothing at all,” said Father Snail. “No place could be better than ours. I have nothing to wish for!”

“Yes,” said the dame. “I would willingly go to the manorhouse, be boiled, and laid on a silver dish; all our forefathers have been treated so; there is something extraordinary in it, you may be sure!”

“Yes,” said the lady. “I would gladly go to the manor house, be boiled, and be served on a silver platter. All our ancestors have been treated that way. There is something extraordinary about it, you can be sure!”

“The manor-house has most likely fallen to ruin!” said Father Snail. “Or the burdocks have grown up over it, so that they cannot come out. There need not, however, be any haste about that; but you are always in such a tremendous hurry, and the little one is beginning to be the same. Has he not been creeping up that stalk these three days? It gives me a headache when I look up to him!”

“The manor house has most likely fallen into ruin!” said Father Snail. “Or the burdocks have grown over it, so that they cannot come out. Still, there is no need to hurry about that. But you are always in such a terrible hurry, and the little one is beginning to be the same. Hasn’t he been crawling up that stalk for three days now? It gives me a headache to look up at him!”

“You must not scold him,” said Mother Snail. “He creeps so carefully; he will afford us much pleasure—and we have nothing but him to live for! But have you not thought of it? Where shall we get a wife for him? Do you not think that there are some of our species at a great distance in the interior of the burdock forest?”

“You must not scold him,” said Mother Snail. “He crawls so carefully. He will bring us much pleasure, and we have no one but him to live for! But have you thought about it? Where will we find him a wife? Do you think there are others of our kind far away, deep in the burdock forest?”

“Black snails, I dare say, there are enough of,” said the old one. “Black snails without a house—but they are so common, and so conceited. But we might give the ants a commission to look out for us; they run to and fro as if they had something to do, and they certainly know of a wife for our little snail!”

“There are plenty of black snails, I suppose,” said the old one. “Black snails without shells, but they are so common and so conceited. We could ask the ants to look for us. They run back and forth as if they had something to do, and they certainly know of a wife for our little snail!”

“I know one, sure enough—the most charming one!” said one of the ants. “But I am afraid we shall hardly succeed, for she is a queen!”

“I certainly know one, the most charming one!” said one of the ants. “But I’m afraid we’ll hardly succeed, because she’s a queen!”

“That is nothing!” said the old folks. “Has she a house?”

“That’s nothing!” said the old people. “Does she have a house?”

“She has a palace!” said the ant. “The finest ant's palace, with seven hundred passages!”

“She has a palace!” said the ant. “The finest ant palace, with seven hundred passages!”

“I thank you!” said Mother Snail. “Our son shall not go into an ant-hill; if you know nothing better than that, we shall give the commission to the white gnats. They fly far and wide, in rain and sunshine; they know the whole forest here, both within and without.”

“Thank you!” said Mother Snail. “Our son will not go into an anthill. If you have no better idea than that, we will give the task to the white gnats. They fly far and wide, in rain and sunshine. They know the whole forest, inside and out.”

“We have a wife for him,” said the gnats. “At a hundred human paces from here there sits a little snail in her house, on a gooseberry bush; she is quite lonely, and old enough to be married. It is only a hundred human paces!”

“We have a wife for him,” said the gnats. “A hundred human paces from here, a little snail sits in her house on a gooseberry bush. She is quite lonely and old enough to marry. It’s only a hundred human paces!”

“Well, then, let her come to him!” said the old ones. “He has a whole forest of burdocks, she has only a bush!”

“Well, then, let her come to him!” said the old ones. “He has a whole forest of burdocks. She has only a bush!”

And so they went and fetched little Miss Snail. It was a whole week before she arrived; but therein was just the very best of it, for one could thus see that she was of the same species.

And so they went to fetch little Miss Snail. It took her a whole week to arrive. But that was the best part, because it showed that she was of the same species.

And then the marriage was celebrated. Six earth-worms shone as well as they could. In other respects the whole went off very quietly, for the old folks could not bear noise and merriment; but old Dame Snail made a brilliant speech. Father Snail could not speak, he was too much affected; and so they gave them as a dowry and inheritance, the whole forest of burdocks, and said—what they had always said—that it was the best in the world; and if they lived honestly and decently, and increased and multiplied, they and their children would once in the course of time come to the manor-house, be boiled black, and laid on silver dishes. After this speech was made, the old ones crept into their shells, and never more came out. They slept; the young couple governed in the forest, and had a numerous progeny, but they were never boiled, and never came on the silver dishes; so from this they concluded that the manor-house had fallen to ruins, and that all the men in the world were extinct; and as no one contradicted them, so, of course it was so. And the rain beat on the dock-leaves to make drum-music for their sake, and the sun shone in order to give the burdock forest a color for their sakes; and they were very happy, and the whole family was happy; for they, indeed were so.

And then the wedding was celebrated. Six earthworms shone as brightly as they could. Otherwise, everything went very quietly, because the old folks could not stand noise and merriment. But old Dame Snail gave a brilliant speech. Father Snail could not speak because he was too moved. So the old snails gave the young couple the whole burdock forest as their dowry and inheritance. They said what they had always said: that it was the best in the world. And if the young couple lived honestly and decently and had many children, then one day, in the course of time, they and their children would come to the manor-house. There they would be boiled until black and laid on silver dishes. After the speech, the old snails crept into their shells and never came out again. They slept, while the young couple ruled the forest and had many children. But the young couple were never boiled or laid on silver dishes. So they concluded that the manor-house had fallen into ruins and that all the people in the world were extinct. And since no one contradicted them, of course it was so. The rain beat on the dock leaves to make drum music for them. The sun shone to give the burdock forest color for their sake. They were very happy, and the whole family was happy, for indeed they were.