Hukumusume fairy tale collection > Foreign language (English) > Classical stories of the world

Little Eda’s Flowers

(Andersen's Fairy Tales)

Translation　ちいさな翻訳屋さん

Make Origami ( ORIGAMI CLUB) Tulip　　　Rose　　Flowers

Japanese　←→　Japanese ＆ English　←→　English

“Those flowers were blooming beautifully yesterday, but they are wilted today. Why is that?”

　A little Eda asked a student.

　Eda liked the student because he always told her interesting stories.

　The student answered the question as if he was talking to his little sister.

“You know, these flowers have a dance party at midnight.

　They dance until they get tired so that’s why they hang their heads down.”

“You’re lying. Flowers can’t dance.”

　Said Eda and the student said with a smile,

“I’m not lying.

　When it gets dark and people get to sleep, flowers enjoy dancing.

　They flap their petals like a butterfly and sometimes fly to the castle to dance.

　At the castle, the most beautiful rose sits on the throne.”

“I see. So, flowers look tired because they got tired from dancing.”

　Eda was convinced and she went to her play room with a bunch of flowers in her hands at that night.

　After she got her doll named Sophie out of the bed, she laid the flowers on the bed and covered them with a blanket.



　That night, Eda had difficulty in sleeping.

“I wonder if those flowers will go to a dance party tonight.

　Or are they staying in the room sleeping on Sophie’s bed? I’m worried.”

　Then the sound of the piano was heard slightly from somewhere.

“Oh, maybe it’s time for the flowers to dance.”

　Eda couldn’t stay in bed and peered inside of the play room.

　It was bright with the moonlight from the window in the room and she found that the flowers were standing in two lines.

　Before long, the flowers started making a circle and dance holding each other’s leaves.

　The dance of hyacinths and tulips were especially beautiful.

　The flower playing the piano was a yellow lily.

　Then even the doll Sophie, sitting on the drawer, jumped onto the floor and started dancing to music with them.

“Wow, I didn’t know that Sophie was a friend of flowers’.”

　Eda said to herself quietly with surprise.

　Then the door of the hall opened and a lot of dancing flowers were coming in.

　The two roses with golden crowns on top were the king and queen of the flowers.

　The flower band played trumpets which were made of peas.

　All flowers there including violets, lilies of the valley, daisies, and primroses danced all night under the moonlight.



　As soon as Eda woke up the next morning, she went to the flowers.

　The flowers looked much wilted than yesterday.

　Eda said to her doll Sophie,

“Don’t you have anything you’re hiding from me?”

“……”

　However, Sophie didn’t say anything.

“It’s ok. Flowers, please bloom beautifully again,”

said Eda and she planted the wilted flowers in the flowerbed in the garden.

The end

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