ladder in Jacob’s dream, on which the angels were ascending and
descending with outspread wings. All that had ever happened in the world
here lived and moved on the panes of glass, in pictures such as time alone
could produce. The fairy now led the prince into a large, lofty room with
transparent walls, through which the light shone. Here were portraits, each
one appearing more beautiful than the other-millions of happy beings,
whose laughter and song mingled in one sweet melody: some of these were
in such an elevated position that they appeared smaller than the smallest
rosebud, or like pencil dots on paper. In the centre of the hall stood a tree,
with drooping branches, from which hung golden apples, both great and
small, looking like oranges amid the green leaves. It was the tree of
knowledge of good and evil, from which Adam and Eve had plucked and
eaten the forbidden fruit, and from each leaf trickled a bright red dewdrop,
as if the tree were weeping tears of blood for their sin. “Let us now take the
boat,” said the fairy: “a sail on the cool waters will refresh us. But we shall
not move from the spot, although the boat may rock on the swelling water;
the countries of the world will glide before us, but we shall remain still.”
It was indeed wonderful to behold. First came the lofty Alps, snow-clad,
and covered with clouds and dark pines. The horn resounded, and the
shepherds sang merrily in the valleys. The banana-trees bent their drooping
branches over the boat, black swans floated on the water, and singular
animals and flowers appeared on the distant shore. New Holland, the fifth
division of the world, now glided by, with mountains in the background,
looking blue in the distance. They heard the song of the priests, and saw the
wild dance of the savage to the sound of the drums and trumpets of bone;
the pyramids of Egypt rising to the clouds; columns and sphinxes,
overthrown and buried in the sand, followed in their turn; while the
northern lights flashed out over the extinguished volcanoes of the north, in
fireworks none could imitate.
The prince was delighted, and yet he saw hundreds of other wonderful
things more than can be described. “Can I stay here forever?” asked he.
