Big, Bigger and Biggest

There Is No Doubt About It

2011-07-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

THAT was a terrible affair!” said a hen, and in a quarter of the town, too, where it had not taken place. “That was a terrible affair in a hen-roost. I cannot sleep alone to-night. It is a good thing that many of us sit on the roost together.” And then she told a story that made the feathers on the other hens bristle up, and the cock’s comb fall. There was no doubt about it.

But we will begin at the beginning, and that is to be found in a hen-roost in another part of the town. The sun was setting, and the fowls were flying on to their roost; one hen, with white feathers and short legs, used to lay her eggs according to the regulations, and was, as a hen, respectable in every way. As she was flying upon the roost, she plucked herself with her beak, and a little feather came out.

“There it goes,” she said; “the more I pluck, the more beautiful do I get.” She said this merrily, for she was the best of the hens, and, moreover, as had been said, very respectable. With that she went to sleep.

It was dark all around, and hen sat close to hen, but the one who sat nearest to her merry neighbour did not sleep. She had heard and yet not heard, as we are often obliged to do in this world, in order to live at peace; but she could not keep it from her neighbour on the other side any longer. “Did you hear what was said? I mention no names, but there is a hen here who intends to pluck herself in order to look well. If I were a cock, I should despise her.”

Just over the fowls sat the owl, with father owl and the little owls. The family has sharp ears, and they all heard every word that their neighbour had said. They rolled their eyes, and mother owl, beating her wings, said: “Don’t listen to her! But I suppose you heard what was said? I heard it with my own ears, and one has to hear a great deal before they fall off. There is one among the fowls who has so far forgotten what is becoming to a hen that she plucks out all her feathers and lets the cock see it.”

“Prenez garde aux enfants!” said father owl; “children should not hear such things.”

“But I must tell our neighbour owl about it; she is such an estimable owl to talk to.” And with that she flew away.

“Too-whoo! Too-whoo!” they both hooted into the neighbour’s dove-cot to the doves inside. “Have you heard? Have you heard? Too-whoo! There is a hen who has plucked out all her feathers for the sake of the cock; she will freeze to death, if she is not frozen already. Too-whoo!”

“Where? where?” cooed the doves.

“In the neighbour’s yard. I have as good as seen it myself. It is almost unbecoming to tell the story, but there is no doubt about it.”

“Believe every word of what we tell you,” said the doves, and cooed down into their poultry-yard. “There is a hen—nay, some say that there are two—who have plucked out all their feathers, in order not to look like the others, and to attract the attention of the cock. It is a dangerous game, for one can easily catch cold and die from fever, and both of these are dead already.”

“Wake up! wake up!” crowed the cock, and flew upon his board. Sleep was still in his eyes, but yet he crowed out: “Three hens have died of their unfortunate love for a cock. They had plucked out all their feathers. It is a horrible story: I will not keep it to myself, but let it go farther.”

“Let it go farther,” shrieked the bats, and the hens clucked and the cocks crowed, “Let it go farther! Let it go farther!” In this way the story travelled from poultry-yard to poultry-yard, and at last came back to the place from which it had really started.

“Five hens,” it now ran, “have plucked out all their feathers to show which of them had grown leanest for love of the cock, and then they all pecked at each other till the blood ran down and they fell down dead, to the derision and shame of their family, and to the great loss of their owner.”

The hen who had lost the loose little feather naturally did not recognise her own story, and being a respectable hen, said: “I despise those fowls; but there are more of that kind. Such things ought not to be concealed, and I will do my best to get the story into the papers, so that it becomes known throughout the land; the hens have richly deserved it, and their family too.”

It got into the papers, it was printed; and there is no doubt about it, one little feather may easily grow into five hens.

The Little Mermaid

2011-06-01T03:22:00.000-07:00

(1836)
by : Hans Christian Andersen

Preview :
Far out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflower, and as clear as crystal, it is very, very deep; so deep, indeed, that no cable could fathom it: many church steeples, piled one upon another, would not reach from the ground beneath to the surface of the water above. There dwell the Sea King and his subjects. We must not imagine that there is nothing at the bottom of the sea but bare yellow sand. No, indeed; the most singular flowers and plants grow there; the leaves and stems of which are so pliant, that the slightest agitation of the water causes them to stir as if they had life. Fishes, both large and small, glide between the branches, as birds fly among the trees here upon land. In the deepest spot of all, stands the castle of the Sea King. Its walls are built of coral, and the long, gothic windows are of the clearest amber. The roof is formed of shells, that open and close as the water flows over them. Their appearance is very beautiful, for in each lies a glittering pearl, which would be fit for the diadem of a queen.

The Sea King had been a widower for many years, and his aged mother kept house for him. She was a very wise woman, and exceedingly proud of her high birth; on that account she wore twelve oysters on her tail; while others, also of high rank, were only allowed to wear six. She was, however, deserving of very great praise, especially for her care of the little sea-princesses, her grand-daughters. They were six beautiful children; but the youngest was the prettiest of them all; her skin was as clear and delicate as a rose-leaf, and her eyes as blue as the deepest sea; but, like all the others, she had no feet, and her body ended in a fish’s tail. All day long they played in the great halls of the castle, or among the living flowers that grew out of the walls. The large amber windows were open, and the fish swam in, just as the swallows fly into our houses when we open the windows, excepting that the fishes swam up to the princesses, ate out of their hands, and allowed themselves to be stroked. Outside the castle there was a beautiful garden, in which grew bright red and dark blue flowers, and blossoms like flames of fire; the fruit glittered like gold, and the leaves and stems waved to and fro continually. The earth itself was the finest sand, but blue as the flame of burning sulphur. Over everything lay a peculiar blue radiance, as if it were surrounded by the air from above, through which the blue sky shone, instead of the dark depths of the sea. In calm weather the sun could be seen, looking like a purple flower, with the light streaming from the calyx. Each of the young princesses had a little plot of ground in the garden, where she might dig and plant as she pleased. One arranged her flower-bed into the form of a whale; another thought it better to make hers like the figure of a little mermaid; but that of the youngest was round like the sun, and contained flowers as red as his rays at sunset. She was a strange child, quiet and thoughtful; and while her sisters would be delighted with the wonderful things which they obtained from the wrecks of vessels, she cared for nothing but her pretty red flowers, like the sun, excepting a beautiful marble statue. It was the representation of a handsome boy, carved out of pure white stone, which had fallen to the bottom of the sea from a wreck. She planted by the statue a rose-colored weeping willow. It grew splendidly, and very soon hung its fresh branches over the statue, almost down to the blue sands. The shadow had a violet tint, and waved to and fro like the branches; it seemed as if the crown of the tree and the root were at play, and trying to kiss each other. Nothing gave her so much pleasure as to hear about the world above the sea. She made her old grandmother tell her all she knew of the ships and of the towns, the people and the animals. To her it seemed most wonderful and beautiful to hear that the flowers of the land should have fragrance, and not those below the sea; that the trees of the forest should be green; and that the fishes among the trees could sing so sweetly, that it was quite a pleasure to hear them. Her grandmother called the little birds fishes, or she would not have understood her; for she had never seen birds.

“When you have reached your fifteenth year,” said the grand-mother, “you will have permission to rise up out of the sea, to sit on the rocks in the moonlight, while the great ships are sailing by; and then you will see both forests and towns.”

In the following year, one of the sisters would be fifteen: but as each was a year younger than the other, the youngest would have to wait five years before her turn came to rise up from the bottom of the ocean, and see the earth as we do. However, each promised to tell the others what she saw on her first visit, and what she thought the most beautiful; for their grandmother could not tell them enough; there were so many things on which they wanted information. None of them longed so much for her turn to come as the youngest, she who had the longest time to wait, and who was so quiet and thoughtful. Many nights she stood by the open window, looking up through the dark blue water, and watching the fish as they splashed about with their fins and tails. She could see the moon and stars shining faintly; but through the water they looked larger than they do to our eyes. When something like a black cloud passed between her and them, she knew that it was either a whale swimming over her head, or a ship full of human beings, who never imagined that a pretty little mermaid was standing beneath them, holding out her white hands towards the keel of their ship.

As soon as the eldest was fifteen, she was allowed to rise to the surface of the ocean. When she came back, she had hundreds of things to talk about; but the most beautiful, she said, was to lie in the moonlight, on a sandbank, in the quiet sea, near the coast, and to gaze on a large town nearby, where the lights were twinkling like hundreds of stars; to listen to the sounds of the music, the noise of carriages, and the voices of human beings, and then to hear the merry bells peal out from the church steeples; and because she could not go near to all those wonderful things, she longed for them more than ever. Oh, did not the youngest sister listen eagerly to all these descriptions? and afterwards, when she stood at the open window looking up through the dark blue water, she thought of the great city, with all its bustle and noise, and even fancied she could hear the sound of the church bells, down in the depths of the sea.

In another year the second sister received permission to rise to the surface of the water, and to swim about where she pleased. She rose just as the sun was setting, and this, she said, was the most beautiful sight of all. The whole sky looked like gold, while violet and rose-colored clouds, which she could not describe, floated over her; and, still more rapidly than the clouds, flew a large flock of wild swans towards the setting sun, looking like a long white veil across the sea. She also swam towards the sun; but it sunk into the waves, and the rosy tints faded from the clouds and from the sea.

The third sister’s turn followed; she was the boldest of them all, and she swam up a broad river that emptied itself into the sea. On the banks she saw green hills covered with beautiful vines; palaces and castles peeped out from amid the proud trees of the forest; she heard the birds singing, and the rays of the sun were so powerful that she was obliged often to dive down under the water to cool her burning face. In a narrow creek she found a whole troop of little human children, quite naked, and sporting about in the water; she wanted to play with them, but they fled in a great fright; and then a little black animal came to the water; it was a dog, but she did not know that, for she had never before seen one. This animal barked at her so terribly that she became frightened, and rushed back to the open sea. But she said she should never forget the beautiful forest, the green hills, and the pretty little children who could swim in the water, although they had not fish’s tails.

The fourth sister was more timid; she remained in the midst of the sea, but she said it was quite as beautiful there as nearer the land. She could see for so many miles around her, and the sky above looked like a bell of glass. She had seen the ships, but at such a great distance that they looked like sea-gulls. The dolphins sported in the waves, and the great whales spouted water from their nostrils till it seemed as if a hundred fountains were playing in every direction.

The fifth sister’s birthday occurred in the winter; so when her turn came, she saw what the others had not seen the first time they went up. The sea looked quite green, and large icebergs were floating about, each like a pearl, she said, but larger and loftier than the churches built by men. They were of the most singular shapes, and glittered like diamonds. She had seated herself upon one of the largest, and let the wind play with her long hair, and she remarked that all the ships sailed by rapidly, and steered as far away as they could from the iceberg, as if they were afraid of it. Towards evening, as the sun went down, dark clouds covered the sky, the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed, and the red light glowed on the icebergs as they rocked and tossed on the heaving sea. On all the ships the sails were reefed with fear and trembling, while she sat calmly on the floating iceberg, watching the blue lightning, as it darted its forked flashes into the sea.

When first the sisters had permission to rise to the surface, they were each delighted with the new and beautiful sights they saw; but now, as grown-up girls, they could go when they pleased, and they had become indifferent about it. They wished themselves back again in the water, and after a month had passed they said it was much more beautiful down below, and pleasanter to be at home. Yet often, in the evening hours, the five sisters would twine their arms round each other, and rise to the surface, in a row. They had more beautiful voices than any human being could have; and before the approach of a storm, and when they expected a ship would be lost, they swam before the vessel, and sang sweetly of the delights to be found in the depths of the sea, and begging the sailors not to fear if they sank to the bottom. But the sailors could not understand the song, they took it for the howling of the storm. And these things were never to be beautiful for them; for if the ship sank, the men were drowned, and their dead bodies alone reached the palace of the Sea King.

When the sisters rose, arm-in-arm, through the water in this way, their youngest sister would stand quite alone, looking after them, ready to cry, only that the mermaids have no tears, and therefore they suffer more. “Oh, were I but fifteen years old,” said she: “I know that I shall love the world up there, and all the people who live in it.”

At last she reached her fifteenth year. “Well, now, you are grown up,” said the old dowager, her grandmother; “so you must let me adorn you like your other sisters;” and she placed a wreath of white lilies in her hair, and every flower leaf was half a pearl. Then the old lady ordered eight great oysters to attach themselves to the tail of the princess to show her high rank.

“But they hurt me so,” said the little mermaid.

“Pride must suffer pain,” replied the old lady. Oh, how gladly she would have shaken off all this grandeur, and laid aside the heavy wreath! The red flowers in her own garden would have suited her much better, but she could not help herself: so she said, “Farewell,” and rose as lightly as a bubble to the surface of the water. The sun had just set as she raised her head above the waves; but the clouds were tinted with crimson and gold, and through the glimmering twilight beamed the evening star in all its beauty. The sea was calm, and the air mild and fresh. A large ship, with three masts, lay becalmed on the water, with only one sail set; for not a breeze stiffed, and the sailors sat idle on deck or amongst the rigging. There was music and song on board; and, as darkness came on, a hundred colored lanterns were lighted, as if the flags of all nations waved in the air. The little mermaid swam close to the cabin windows; and now and then, as the waves lifted her up, she could look in through clear glass window-panes, and see a number of well-dressed people within. Among them was a young prince, the most beautiful of all, with large black eyes; he was sixteen years of age, and his birthday was being kept with much rejoicing. The sailors were dancing on deck, but when the prince came out of the cabin, more than a hundred rockets rose in the air, making it as bright as day. The little mermaid was so startled that she dived under water; and when she again stretched out her head, it appeared as if all the stars of heaven were falling around her, she had never seen such fireworks before. Great suns spurted fire about, splendid fireflies flew into the blue air, and everything was reflected in the clear, calm sea beneath. The ship itself was so brightly illuminated that all the people, and even the smallest rope, could be distinctly and plainly seen. And how handsome the young prince looked, as he pressed the hands of all present and smiled at them, while the music resounded through the clear night air.

It was very late; yet the little mermaid could not take her eyes from the ship, or from the beautiful prince. The colored lanterns had been extinguished, no more rockets rose in the air, and the cannon had ceased firing; but the sea became restless, and a moaning, grumbling sound could be heard beneath the waves: still the little mermaid remained by the cabin window, rocking up and down on the water, which enabled her to look in. After a while, the sails were quickly unfurled, and the noble ship continued her passage; but soon the waves rose higher, heavy clouds darkened the sky, and lightning appeared in the distance. A dreadful storm was approaching; once more the sails were reefed, and the great ship pursued her flying course over the raging sea. The waves rose mountains high, as if they would have overtopped the mast; but the ship dived like a swan between them, and then rose again on their lofty, foaming crests. To the little mermaid this appeared pleasant sport; not so to the sailors. At length the ship groaned and creaked; the thick planks gave way under the lashing of the sea as it broke over the deck; the mainmast snapped asunder like a reed; the ship lay over on her side; and the water rushed in. The little mermaid now perceived that the crew were in danger; even she herself was obliged to be careful to avoid the beams and planks of the wreck which lay scattered on the water. At one moment it was so pitch dark that she could not see a single object, but a flash of lightning revealed the whole scene; she could see every one who had been on board excepting the prince; when the ship parted, she had seen him sink into the deep waves, and she was glad, for she thought he would now be with her; and then she remembered that human beings could not live in the water, so that when he got down to her father’s palace he would be quite dead. But he must not die. So she swam about among the beams and planks which strewed the surface of the sea, forgetting that they could crush her to pieces. Then she dived deeply under the dark waters, rising and falling with the waves, till at length she managed to reach the young prince, who was fast losing the power of swimming in that stormy sea. His limbs were failing him, his beautiful eyes were closed, and he would have died had not the little mermaid come to his assistance. She held his head above the water, and let the waves drift them where they would.

In the morning the storm had ceased; but of the ship not a single fragment could be seen. The sun rose up red and glowing from the water, and its beams brought back the hue of health to the prince’s cheeks; but his eyes remained closed. The mermaid kissed his high, smooth forehead, and stroked back his wet hair; he seemed to her like the marble statue in her little garden, and she kissed him again, and wished that he might live. Presently they came in sight of land; she saw lofty blue mountains, on which the white snow rested as if a flock of swans were lying upon them. Near the coast were beautiful green forests, and close by stood a large building, whether a church or a convent she could not tell. Orange and citron trees grew in the garden, and before the door stood lofty palms. The sea here formed a little bay, in which the water was quite still, but very deep; so she swam with the handsome prince to the beach, which was covered with fine, white sand, and there she laid him in the warm sunshine, taking care to raise his head higher than his body. Then bells sounded in the large white building, and a number of young girls came into the garden. The little mermaid swam out farther from the shore and placed herself between some high rocks that rose out of the water; then she covered her head and neck with the foam of the sea so that her little face might not be seen, and watched to see what would become of the poor prince. She did not wait long before she saw a young girl approach the spot where he lay. She seemed frightened at first, but only for a moment; then she fetched a number of people, and the mermaid saw that the prince came to life again, and smiled upon those who stood round him. But to her he sent no smile; he knew not that she had saved him. This made her very unhappy, and when he was led away into the great building, she dived down sorrowfully into the water, and returned to her father’s castle. She had always been silent and thoughtful, and now she was more so than ever. Her sisters asked her what she had seen during her first visit to the surface of the water; but she would tell them nothing. Many an evening and morning did she rise to the place where she had left the prince. She saw the fruits in the garden ripen till they were gathered, the snow on the tops of the mountains melt away; but she never saw the prince, and therefore she returned home, always more sorrowful than before. It was her only comfort to sit in her own little garden, and fling her arm round the beautiful marble statue which was like the prince; but she gave up tending her flowers, and they grew in wild confusion over the paths, twining their long leaves and stems round the branches of the trees, so that the whole place became dark and gloomy. At length she could bear it no longer, and told one of her sisters all about it. Then the others heard the secret, and very soon it became known to two mermaids whose intimate friend happened to know who the prince was. She had also seen the festival on board ship, and she told them where the prince came from, and where his palace stood.

“Come, little sister,” said the other princesses; then they entwined their arms and rose up in a long row to the surface of the water, close by the spot where they knew the prince’s palace stood. It was built of bright yellow shining stone, with long flights of marble steps, one of which reached quite down to the sea. Splendid gilded cupolas rose over the roof, and between the pillars that surrounded the whole building stood life-like statues of marble. Through the clear crystal of the lofty windows could be seen noble rooms, with costly silk curtains and hangings of tapestry; while the walls were covered with beautiful paintings which were a pleasure to look at. In the centre of the largest saloon a fountain threw its sparkling jets high up into the glass cupola of the ceiling, through which the sun shone down upon the water and upon the beautiful plants growing round the basin of the fountain. Now that she knew where he lived, she spent many an evening and many a night on the water near the palace. She would swim much nearer the shore than any of the others ventured to do; indeed once she went quite up the narrow channel under the marble balcony, which threw a broad shadow on the water. Here she would sit and watch the young prince, who thought himself quite alone in the bright moonlight. She saw him many times of an evening sailing in a pleasant boat, with music playing and flags waving. She peeped out from among the green rushes, and if the wind caught her long silvery-white veil, those who saw it believed it to be a swan, spreading out its wings. On many a night, too, when the fishermen, with their torches, were out at sea, she heard them relate so many good things about the doings of the young prince, that she was glad she had saved his life when he had been tossed about half-dead on the waves. And she remembered that his head had rested on her bosom, and how heartily she had kissed him; but he knew nothing of all this, and could not even dream of her. She grew more and more fond of human beings, and wished more and more to be able to wander about with those whose world seemed to be so much larger than her own. They could fly over the sea in ships, and mount the high hills which were far above the clouds; and the lands they possessed, their woods and their fields, stretched far away beyond the reach of her sight. There was so much that she wished to know, and her sisters were unable to answer all her questions. Then she applied to her old grandmother, who knew all about the upper world, which she very rightly called the lands above the sea.

“If human beings are not drowned,” asked the little mermaid, “can they live forever? do they never die as we do here in the sea?”

“Yes,” replied the old lady, “they must also die, and their term of life is even shorter than ours. We sometimes live to three hundred years, but when we cease to exist here we only become the foam on the surface of the water, and we have not even a grave down here of those we love. We have not immortal souls, we shall never live again; but, like the green sea-weed, when once it has been cut off, we can never flourish more. Human beings, on the contrary, have a soul which lives forever, lives after the body has been turned to dust. It rises up through the clear, pure air beyond the glittering stars. As we rise out of the water, and behold all the land of the earth, so do they rise to unknown and glorious regions which we shall never see.”

“Why have not we an immortal soul?” asked the little mermaid mournfully; “I would give gladly all the hundreds of years that I have to live, to be a human being only for one day, and to have the hope of knowing the happiness of that glorious world above the stars.”

“You must not think of that,” said the old woman; “we feel ourselves to be much happier and much better off than human beings.”

“So I shall die,” said the little mermaid, “and as the foam of the sea I shall be driven about never again to hear the music of the waves, or to see the pretty flowers nor the red sun. Is there anything I can do to win an immortal soul?”

“No,” said the old woman, “unless a man were to love you so much that you were more to him than his father or mother; and if all his thoughts and all his love were fixed upon you, and the priest placed his right hand in yours, and he promised to be true to you here and hereafter, then his soul would glide into your body and you would obtain a share in the future happiness of mankind. He would give a soul to you and retain his own as well; but this can never happen. Your fish’s tail, which amongst us is considered so beautiful, is thought on earth to be quite ugly; they do not know any better, and they think it necessary to have two stout props, which they call legs, in order to be handsome.”

Then the little mermaid sighed, and looked sorrowfully at her fish’s tail. “Let us be happy,” said the old lady, “and dart and spring about during the three hundred years that we have to live, which is really quite long enough; after that we can rest ourselves all the better. This evening we are going to have a court ball.”

It is one of those splendid sights which we can never see on earth. The walls and the ceiling of the large ball-room were of thick, but transparent crystal. May hundreds of colossal shells, some of a deep red, others of a grass green, stood on each side in rows, with blue fire in them, which lighted up the whole saloon, and shone through the walls, so that the sea was also illuminated. Innumerable fishes, great and small, swam past the crystal walls; on some of them the scales glowed with a purple brilliancy, and on others they shone like silver and gold. Through the halls flowed a broad stream, and in it danced the mermen and the mermaids to the music of their own sweet singing. No one on earth has such a lovely voice as theirs. The little mermaid sang more sweetly than them all. The whole court applauded her with hands and tails; and for a moment her heart felt quite gay, for she knew she had the loveliest voice of any on earth or in the sea. But she soon thought again of the world above her, for she could not forget the charming prince, nor her sorrow that she had not an immortal soul like his; therefore she crept away silently out of her father’s palace, and while everything within was gladness and song, she sat in her own little garden sorrowful and alone. Then she heard the bugle sounding through the water, and thought—“He is certainly sailing above, he on whom my wishes depend, and in whose hands I should like to place the happiness of my life. I will venture all for him, and to win an immortal soul, while my sisters are dancing in my father’s palace, I will go to the sea witch, of whom I have always been so much afraid, but she can give me counsel and help.”

And then the little mermaid went out from her garden, and took the road to the foaming whirlpools, behind which the sorceress lived. She had never been that way before: neither flowers nor grass grew there; nothing but bare, gray, sandy ground stretched out to the whirlpool, where the water, like foaming mill-wheels, whirled round everything that it seized, and cast it into the fathomless deep. Through the midst of these crushing whirlpools the little mermaid was obliged to pass, to reach the dominions of the sea witch; and also for a long distance the only road lay right across a quantity of warm, bubbling mire, called by the witch her turfmoor. Beyond this stood her house, in the centre of a strange forest, in which all the trees and flowers were polypi, half animals and half plants; they looked like serpents with a hundred heads growing out of the ground. The branches were long slimy arms, with fingers like flexible worms, moving limb after limb from the root to the top. All that could be reached in the sea they seized upon, and held fast, so that it never escaped from their clutches. The little mermaid was so alarmed at what she saw, that she stood still, and her heart beat with fear, and she was very nearly turning back; but she thought of the prince, and of the human soul for which she longed, and her courage returned. She fastened her long flowing hair round her head, so that the polypi might not seize hold of it. She laid her hands together across her bosom, and then she darted forward as a fish shoots through the water, between the supple arms and fingers of the ugly polypi, which were stretched out on each side of her. She saw that each held in its grasp something it had seized with its numerous little arms, as if they were iron bands. The white skeletons of human beings who had perished at sea, and had sunk down into the deep waters, skeletons of land animals, oars, rudders, and chests of ships were lying tightly grasped by their clinging arms; even a little mermaid, whom they had caught and strangled; and this seemed the most shocking of all to the little princess.

She now came to a space of marshy ground in the wood, where large, fat water-snakes were rolling in the mire, and showing their ugly, drab-colored bodies. In the midst of this spot stood a house, built with the bones of shipwrecked human beings. There sat the sea witch, allowing a toad to eat from her mouth, just as people sometimes feed a canary with a piece of sugar. She called the ugly water-snakes her little chickens, and allowed them to crawl all over her bosom.

“I know what you want,” said the sea witch; “it is very stupid of you, but you shall have your way, and it will bring you to sorrow, my pretty princess. You want to get rid of your fish’s tail, and to have two supports instead of it, like human beings on earth, so that the young prince may fall in love with you, and that you may have an immortal soul.” And then the witch laughed so loud and disgustingly, that the toad and the snakes fell to the ground, and lay there wriggling about. “You are but just in time,” said the witch; “for after sunrise to-morrow I should not be able to help you till the end of another year. I will prepare a draught for you, with which you must swim to land tomorrow before sunrise, and sit down on the shore and drink it. Your tail will then disappear, and shrink up into what mankind calls legs, and you will feel great pain, as if a sword were passing through you. But all who see you will say that you are the prettiest little human being they ever saw. You will still have the same floating gracefulness of movement, and no dancer will ever tread so lightly; but at every step you take it will feel as if you were treading upon sharp knives, and that the blood must flow. If you will bear all this, I will help you.”

“Yes, I will,” said the little princess in a trembling voice, as she thought of the prince and the immortal soul.

“But think again,” said the witch; “for when once your shape has become like a human being, you can no more be a mermaid. You will never return through the water to your sisters, or to your father’s palace again; and if you do not win the love of the prince, so that he is willing to forget his father and mother for your sake, and to love you with his whole soul, and allow the priest to join your hands that you may be man and wife, then you will never have an immortal soul. The first morning after he marries another your heart will break, and you will become foam on the crest of the waves.”

“I will do it,” said the little mermaid, and she became pale as death.

“But I must be paid also,” said the witch, “and it is not a trifle that I ask. You have the sweetest voice of any who dwell here in the depths of the sea, and you believe that you will be able to charm the prince with it also, but this voice you must give to me; the best thing you possess will I have for the price of my draught. My own blood must be mixed with it, that it may be as sharp as a two-edged sword.”

“But if you take away my voice,” said the little mermaid, “what is left for me?”

“Your beautiful form, your graceful walk, and your expressive eyes; surely with these you can enchain a man’s heart. Well, have you lost your courage? Put out your little tongue that I may cut it off as my payment; then you shall have the powerful draught.”

“It shall be,” said the little mermaid.

Then the witch placed her cauldron on the fire, to prepare the magic draught.

“Cleanliness is a good thing,” said she, scouring the vessel with snakes, which she had tied together in a large knot; then she pricked herself in the breast, and let the black blood drop into it. The steam that rose formed itself into such horrible shapes that no one could look at them without fear. Every moment the witch threw something else into the vessel, and when it began to boil, the sound was like the weeping of a crocodile. When at last the magic draught was ready, it looked like the clearest water. “There it is for you,” said the witch. Then she cut off the mermaid’s tongue, so that she became dumb, and would never again speak or sing. “If the polypi should seize hold of you as you return through the wood,” said the witch, “throw over them a few drops of the potion, and their fingers will be torn into a thousand pieces.” But the little mermaid had no occasion to do this, for the polypi sprang back in terror when they caught sight of the glittering draught, which shone in her hand like a twinkling star.

So she passed quickly through the wood and the marsh, and between the rushing whirlpools. She saw that in her father’s palace the torches in the ballroom were extinguished, and all within asleep; but she did not venture to go in to them, for now she was dumb and going to leave them forever, she felt as if her heart would break. She stole into the garden, took a flower from the flower-beds of each of her sisters, kissed her hand a thousand times towards the palace, and then rose up through the dark blue waters. The sun had not risen when she came in sight of the prince’s palace, and approached the beautiful marble steps, but the moon shone clear and bright. Then the little mermaid drank the magic draught, and it seemed as if a two-edged sword went through her delicate body: she fell into a swoon, and lay like one dead. When the sun arose and shone over the sea, she recovered, and felt a sharp pain; but just before her stood the handsome young prince. He fixed his coal-black eyes upon her so earnestly that she cast down her own, and then became aware that her fish’s tail was gone, and that she had as pretty a pair of white legs and tiny feet as any little maiden could have; but she had no clothes, so she wrapped herself in her long, thick hair. The prince asked her who she was, and where she came from, and she looked at him mildly and sorrowfully with her deep blue eyes; but she could not speak. Every step she took was as the witch had said it would be, she felt as if treading upon the points of needles or sharp knives; but she bore it willingly, and stepped as lightly by the prince’s side as a soap-bubble, so that he and all who saw her wondered at her graceful-swaying movements. She was very soon arrayed in costly robes of silk and muslin, and was the most beautiful creature in the palace; but she was dumb, and could neither speak nor sing.

Beautiful female slaves, dressed in silk and gold, stepped forward and sang before the prince and his royal parents: one sang better than all the others, and the prince clapped his hands and smiled at her. This was great sorrow to the little mermaid; she knew how much more sweetly she herself could sing once, and she thought, “Oh if he could only know that! I have given away my voice forever, to be with him.”

The slaves next performed some pretty fairy-like dances, to the sound of beautiful music. Then the little mermaid raised her lovely white arms, stood on the tips of her toes, and glided over the floor, and danced as no one yet had been able to dance. At each moment her beauty became more revealed, and her expressive eyes appealed more directly to the heart than the songs of the slaves. Every one was enchanted, especially the prince, who called her his little foundling; and she danced again quite readily, to please him, though each time her foot touched the floor it seemed as if she trod on sharp knives.

The prince said she should remain with him always, and she received permission to sleep at his door, on a velvet cushion. He had a page’s dress made for her, that she might accompany him on horseback. They rode together through the sweet-scented woods, where the green boughs touched their shoulders, and the little birds sang among the fresh leaves. She climbed with the prince to the tops of high mountains; and although her tender feet bled so that even her steps were marked, she only laughed, and followed him till they could see the clouds beneath them looking like a flock of birds travelling to distant lands. While at the prince’s palace, and when all the household were asleep, she would go and sit on the broad marble steps; for it eased her burning feet to bathe them in the cold sea-water; and then she thought of all those below in the deep.

Once during the night her sisters came up arm-in-arm, singing sorrowfully, as they floated on the water. She beckoned to them, and then they recognized her, and told her how she had grieved them. After that, they came to the same place every night; and once she saw in the distance her old grandmother, who had not been to the surface of the sea for many years, and the old Sea King, her father, with his crown on his head. They stretched out their hands towards her, but they did not venture so near the land as her sisters did.

As the days passed, she loved the prince more fondly, and he loved her as he would love a little child, but it never came into his head to make her his wife; yet, unless he married her, she could not receive an immortal soul; and, on the morning after his marriage with another, she would dissolve into the foam of the sea.

“Do you not love me the best of them all?” the eyes of the little mermaid seemed to say, when he took her in his arms, and kissed her fair forehead.

“Yes, you are dear to me,” said the prince; “for you have the best heart, and you are the most devoted to me; you are like a young maiden whom I once saw, but whom I shall never meet again. I was in a ship that was wrecked, and the waves cast me ashore near a holy temple, where several young maidens performed the service. The youngest of them found me on the shore, and saved my life. I saw her but twice, and she is the only one in the world whom I could love; but you are like her, and you have almost driven her image out of my mind. She belongs to the holy temple, and my good fortune has sent you to me instead of her; and we will never part.”

“Ah, he knows not that it was I who saved his life,” thought the little mermaid. “I carried him over the sea to the wood where the temple stands: I sat beneath the foam, and watched till the human beings came to help him. I saw the pretty maiden that he loves better than he loves me;” and the mermaid sighed deeply, but she could not shed tears. “He says the maiden belongs to the holy temple, therefore she will never return to the world. They will meet no more: while I am by his side, and see him every day. I will take care of him, and love him, and give up my life for his sake.”

Very soon it was said that the prince must marry, and that the beautiful daughter of a neighboring king would be his wife, for a fine ship was being fitted out. Although the prince gave out that he merely intended to pay a visit to the king, it was generally supposed that he really went to see his daughter. A great company were to go with him. The little mermaid smiled, and shook her head. She knew the prince’s thoughts better than any of the others.

“I must travel,” he had said to her; “I must see this beautiful princess; my parents desire it; but they will not oblige me to bring her home as my bride. I cannot love her; she is not like the beautiful maiden in the temple, whom you resemble. If I were forced to choose a bride, I would rather choose you, my dumb foundling, with those expressive eyes.” And then he kissed her rosy mouth, played with her long waving hair, and laid his head on her heart, while she dreamed of human happiness and an immortal soul. “You are not afraid of the sea, my dumb child,” said he, as they stood on the deck of the noble ship which was to carry them to the country of the neighboring king. And then he told her of storm and of calm, of strange fishes in the deep beneath them, and of what the divers had seen there; and she smiled at his descriptions, for she knew better than any one what wonders were at the bottom of the sea.

In the moonlight, when all on board were asleep, excepting the man at the helm, who was steering, she sat on the deck, gazing down through the clear water. She thought she could distinguish her father’s castle, and upon it her aged grandmother, with the silver crown on her head, looking through the rushing tide at the keel of the vessel. Then her sisters came up on the waves, and gazed at her mournfully, wringing their white hands. She beckoned to them, and smiled, and wanted to tell them how happy and well off she was; but the cabin-boy approached, and when her sisters dived down he thought it was only the foam of the sea which he saw.

The next morning the ship sailed into the harbor of a beautiful town belonging to the king whom the prince was going to visit. The church bells were ringing, and from the high towers sounded a flourish of trumpets; and soldiers, with flying colors and glittering bayonets, lined the rocks through which they passed. Every day was a festival; balls and entertainments followed one another.

But the princess had not yet appeared. People said that she was being brought up and educated in a religious house, where she was learning every royal virtue. At last she came. Then the little mermaid, who was very anxious to see whether she was really beautiful, was obliged to acknowledge that she had never seen a more perfect vision of beauty. Her skin was delicately fair, and beneath her long dark eye-lashes her laughing blue eyes shone with truth and purity.

“It was you,” said the prince, “who saved my life when I lay dead on the beach,” and he folded his blushing bride in his arms. “Oh, I am too happy,” said he to the little mermaid; “my fondest hopes are all fulfilled. You will rejoice at my happiness; for your devotion to me is great and sincere.”

The little mermaid kissed his hand, and felt as if her heart were already broken. His wedding morning would bring death to her, and she would change into the foam of the sea. All the church bells rung, and the heralds rode about the town proclaiming the betrothal. Perfumed oil was burning in costly silver lamps on every altar. The priests waved the censers, while the bride and bridegroom joined their hands and received the blessing of the bishop. The little mermaid, dressed in silk and gold, held up the bride’s train; but her ears heard nothing of the festive music, and her eyes saw not the holy ceremony; she thought of the night of death which was coming to her, and of all she had lost in the world. On the same evening the bride and bridegroom went on board ship; cannons were roaring, flags waving, and in the centre of the ship a costly tent of purple and gold had been erected. It contained elegant couches, for the reception of the bridal pair during the night. The ship, with swelling sails and a favorable wind, glided away smoothly and lightly over the calm sea. When it grew dark a number of colored lamps were lit, and the sailors danced merrily on the deck. The little mermaid could not help thinking of her first rising out of the sea, when she had seen similar festivities and joys; and she joined in the dance, poised herself in the air as a swallow when he pursues his prey, and all present cheered her with wonder. She had never danced so elegantly before. Her tender feet felt as if cut with sharp knives, but she cared not for it; a sharper pang had pierced through her heart. She knew this was the last evening she should ever see the prince, for whom she had forsaken her kindred and her home; she had given up her beautiful voice, and suffered unheard-of pain daily for him, while he knew nothing of it. This was the last evening that she would breathe the same air with him, or gaze on the starry sky and the deep sea; an eternal night, without a thought or a dream, awaited her: she had no soul and now she could never win one. All was joy and gayety on board ship till long after midnight; she laughed and danced with the rest, while the thoughts of death were in her heart. The prince kissed his beautiful bride, while she played with his raven hair, till they went arm-in-arm to rest in the splendid tent. Then all became still on board the ship; the helmsman, alone awake, stood at the helm. The little mermaid leaned her white arms on the edge of the vessel, and looked towards the east for the first blush of morning, for that first ray of dawn that would bring her death. She saw her sisters rising out of the flood: they were as pale as herself; but their long beautiful hair waved no more in the wind, and had been cut off.

“We have given our hair to the witch,” said they, “to obtain help for you, that you may not die to-night. She has given us a knife: here it is, see it is very sharp. Before the sun rises you must plunge it into the heart of the prince; when the warm blood falls upon your feet they will grow together again, and form into a fish’s tail, and you will be once more a mermaid, and return to us to live out your three hundred years before you die and change into the salt sea foam. Haste, then; he or you must die before sunrise. Our old grandmother moans so for you, that her white hair is falling off from sorrow, as ours fell under the witch’s scissors. Kill the prince and come back; hasten: do you not see the first red streaks in the sky? In a few minutes the sun will rise, and you must die.” And then they sighed deeply and mournfully, and sank down beneath the waves.

The little mermaid drew back the crimson curtain of the tent, and beheld the fair bride with her head resting on the prince’s breast. She bent down and kissed his fair brow, then looked at the sky on which the rosy dawn grew brighter and brighter; then she glanced at the sharp knife, and again fixed her eyes on the prince, who whispered the name of his bride in his dreams. She was in his thoughts, and the knife trembled in the hand of the little mermaid: then she flung it far away from her into the waves; the water turned red where it fell, and the drops that spurted up looked like blood. She cast one more lingering, half-fainting glance at the prince, and then threw herself from the ship into the sea, and thought her body was dissolving into foam. The sun rose above the waves, and his warm rays fell on the cold foam of the little mermaid, who did not feel as if she were dying. She saw the bright sun, and all around her floated hundreds of transparent beautiful beings; she could see through them the white sails of the ship, and the red clouds in the sky; their speech was melodious, but too ethereal to be heard by mortal ears, as they were also unseen by mortal eyes. The little mermaid perceived that she had a body like theirs, and that she continued to rise higher and higher out of the foam. “Where am I?” asked she, and her voice sounded ethereal, as the voice of those who were with her; no earthly music could imitate it.

“Among the daughters of the air,” answered one of them. “A mermaid has not an immortal soul, nor can she obtain one unless she wins the love of a human being. On the power of another hangs her eternal destiny. But the daughters of the air, although they do not possess an immortal soul, can, by their good deeds, procure one for themselves. We fly to warm countries, and cool the sultry air that destroys mankind with the pestilence. We carry the perfume of the flowers to spread health and restoration. After we have striven for three hundred years to all the good in our power, we receive an immortal soul and take part in the happiness of mankind. You, poor little mermaid, have tried with your whole heart to do as we are doing; you have suffered and endured and raised yourself to the spirit-world by your good deeds; and now, by striving for three hundred years in the same way, you may obtain an immortal soul.”

The little mermaid lifted her glorified eyes towards the sun, and felt them, for the first time, filling with tears. On the ship, in which she had left the prince, there were life and noise; she saw him and his beautiful bride searching for her; sorrowfully they gazed at the pearly foam, as if they knew she had thrown herself into the waves. Unseen she kissed the forehead of her bride, and fanned the prince, and then mounted with the other children of the air to a rosy cloud that floated through the aether.

“After three hundred years, thus shall we float into the kingdom of heaven,” said she. “And we may even get there sooner,” whispered one of her companions. “Unseen we can enter the houses of men, where there are children, and for every day on which we find a good child, who is the joy of his parents and deserves their love, our time of probation is shortened. The child does not know, when we fly through the room, that we smile with joy at his good conduct, for we can count one year less of our three hundred years. But when we see a naughty or a wicked child, we shed tears of sorrow, and for every tear a day is added to our time of trial!”

The Flea and the Professor

2011-05-31T00:03:00.000-07:00

(April 1873)
by : Hans Christian Andersen

Preview :
Here was once an aëronaut with whom things went badly; the balloon burst, tumbled the man out, and broke into bits. His boy he had two minutes before sent down with a parachute,—that was the boy’s luck; he was unhurt and went about with knowledge enough to make him an aëronaut too, but he had no balloon and no means of acquiring one.

But live he must, and so he applied himself to the art of legerdemain and to talking in his stomach; in fact he became a ventriloquist, as they say. He was young, good-looking, and when he got a moustache and had his best clothes on, he could be taken for a nobleman’s son. The ladies seemed to think well of him; one young lady even was so taken with his charms and his great dexterity that she went off with him to foreign parts. There he called himself Professor—he could scarcely do less.

His constant thought was how to get himself a balloon and go up into the air with his little wife, but as yet they had no means.

“They’ll come yet,” said he.

“If only they would,” said she.

“We are young folks,” said he, “and now I am Professor.” She helped him faithfully, sat at the door and sold tickets to the exhibition, and it was a chilly sort of pleasure in winter time. She also helped him in the line of his art. He put his wife in a table-drawer, a large table-drawer; then she crawled into the back part of the drawer, and so was not in the front part,—quite an optical illusion to the audience. But one evening when he drew the drawer out, she was also out of sight to him: she was not in the front drawer, not in the back one either, not in the house itself—nowhere to be seen or heard— that was her feat of legerdemain, her entertainment. She never came back again; she was tired of it all, and he grew tired of it, lost his good-humor, could not laugh or make jokes;—and so the people stopped coming, his earnings became scanty, his clothes gave out; and finally he only owned a great flea, which his wife had left him, and so he thought highly of it. And he dressed the flea and taught it to perform, to present arms and to fire a cannon off,—but it was a little cannon.

The Professor was proud of the flea, and the flea was proud of himself; he had learned something, and had human blood, and had been besides to the largest cities, had been seen by princes and princesses, had received their high praise, and it was printed in the newspapers and on placards. Plainly it was a very famous flea and could support a Professor and his entire family.

The flea was proud and famous, and yet when he and the Professor traveled they took fourth-class carriages on the railway; they went just as quickly as the first class. They were betrothed to each other; it was a private engagement that would never come out; they never would marry, the flea would remain a bachelor and the Professor a widower. That made it balance.

“Where one has the best luck,” said the Professor, “there one ought to go twice.” He was a good judge of character, and that is also a science of itself. At last he had traveled over all countries except the wild ones, and so he wanted to go there. They eat Christian men there, to be sure, the Professor knew, but then he was not properly Christian and the flea was not properly a man, so he thought they might venture to travel there and have good success.

They traveled hy steamship and by sailing vessel ; the flea performed his tricks, and so they got a free passage on the way and arrived at the wild country. Here reigned a little Princess. She was only eight years old, but she was reigning. She had taken away the power from her father and mother, for she had a will, and then she was extraordinarily beautiful—and rude.

Just as soon as the flea had presented arms and fired off the cannon, she was so enraptured with him that she said, “Him or nobody!” She became quite wild with love and was already wild in other ways.

“Sweet, little, sensible child!” said her own father. “If one could only first make a man of him!”

“Leave that to me, old man,” said she, and that was not well said by a little Princess when talking with her father, but she was wild. She set the flea on her white hand.

“Now you are a man, reigning with me, but you shall do what I want you to, or else i’ll kill you and eat the Professor.” The Professor had a great hall to live in. The walls were made of sugar-cane, and he could lick them, but he was not a sweet-tooth. He had a hammock to sleep in. It was as if he were lying in a balloon, such as he had always wished for himself—that was his constant thought.

The flea lived with the Princess, sat upon her delicate hand and upon her white neck. She had taken a hair from her head and made the Professor tie it to the flea’s leg, and so she kept him tied to the great red coral drop which she wore in her ear-tip. What a delightful time the Princess had, and the flea too, she thought, but the Professor was not very comfortable. He was a traveler; he liked to drive from town to town, and read about his perseverance and cleverness in teaching a flea to do what men do. But he got out of and into his hammock, lounged about and had good feeding, fresh bird’s-eggs, elephant’s eyes and roast giraffe. People that eat men do not live entirely on cooked men—no, that is a great delicacy.

“ Shoulder of children with sharp sauce,” said the Princess’s mother, “is the most delicate.”

The Professor was tired of it all and would rather go away from the wild land, but he must have his flea with him, for that was his prodigy, and his bread and butter. How was he to get hold of him? That was no easy matter. He strained all his wits, and then he said,

“Now I have it.”

“Princess’s Father! grant me a favor. May I summon your subjects to present themselves before your Royal Highness? That is what is called a Ceremony in the high and mighty countries of the world.

“Can I, too, learn to do that?” asked the Princess’s father.

“That is not quite proper,” replied the Professor; “but I shall teach your wild Fathership to fire a cannon off. It goes off with a bang. One sits high up aloft, and then off it goes or down he comes.”

“Let me crack it off!” said the Princess’s father. But in all the land there was no cannon except the one the flea had brought, and that was so very small.

“I will cast a bigger one!” said the Professor. “Only give me the means. I must have fine silk stuff, needle and thread, rope and cord, together with cordial drops for the balloon, they blow one up so easily and give one the heaves; they are what make the report in the cannons s inside.”

“By all means,” said the Princess’s father, and gave him what he called for. All the court and the entire population came together to see the great cannon cast. The Professor did not summon them before he had the balloon entirely ready to be filled and go up: The flea sat on the Princess’s hand and looked on. The balloon was filled, it bulged out and could scarcely be held down, so violent did it become.

“I must have it up in the air before it can be cooled off,” said the Professor, and took his seat in the car which hung below. “But I cannot manage and steer it alone. I must have a skillful companion along to help me. There is no one here that can do that except the flea.”

“I am not very willing to let him,” said the Princess, but still she reached out and handed the flea to the Professor, who placed him on his hand.

“Let go the cords and ropes,” he shouted. “ Now the balloon’s going.” They thought he said “the cannon,” and so the balloon went higher and higher, up above the clouds, far away from the wild land.

The little Princess, all the family and the people sat and waited—they are waiting still; and if you do not believe it, just take a journey to the wild land; every child there talks about the Professor and the flea, and believes that they are coming back when the cannon is cooled off; but they will not come, they are at home with us, they are in their native country, they travel on the railway, first class, not fourth; they have good success, a great balloon. Nobody asks how they got their balloon or where it came from: they are rich folks now, quite respectable folks, indeed—the flea and the Professor!

The Jewish Maiden

2011-05-30T23:59:00.000-07:00

(1856)
by : Hans Christian Andersen

Preview :
In a charity school, among the children, sat a little Jewish girl. She was a good, intelligent child, and very quick at her lessons; but the Scripture-lesson class she was not allowed to join, for this was a Christian school. During the hour of this lesson, the Jewish girl was allowed to learn her geography, or to work her sum for the next day; and when her geography lesson was perfect, the book remained open before her, but she read not another word, for she sat silently listening to the words of the Christian teacher. He soon became aware that the little one was paying more attention to what he said than most of the other children. “Read your book, Sarah,” he said to her gently.

But again and again he saw her dark, beaming eyes fixed upon him; and once, when he asked her a question, she could answer him even better than the other children. She had not only heard, but understood his words, and pondered them in her heart. Her father, a poor but honest man, had placed his daughter at the school on the conditions that she should not be instructed in the Christian faith. But it might have caused confusion, or raised discontent in the minds of the other children if she had been sent out of the room, so she remained; and now it was evident this could not go on. The teacher went to her father, and advised him to remove his daughter from the school, or to allow her to become a Christian. “I cannot any longer be an idle spectator of those beaming eyes, which express such a deep and earnest longing for the words of the gospel,” said he.

Then the father burst into tears. “I know very little of the law of my fathers,” said he; “but Sarah’s mother was firm in her belief as a daughter of Israel, and I vowed to her on her deathbed that our child should never be baptized. I must keep my vow: it is to me even as a covenant with God Himself.” And so the little Jewish girl left the Christian school.

Years rolled by. In one of the smallest provincial towns, in a humble household, lived a poor maiden of the Jewish faith, as a servant. Her hair was black as ebony, her eye dark as night, yet full of light and brilliancy so peculiar to the daughters of the east. It was Sarah. The expression in the face of the grown-up maiden was still the same as when, a child, she sat on the schoolroom form listening with thoughtful eyes to the words of the Christian teacher. Every Sunday there sounded forth from a church close by the tones of an organ and the singing of the congregation. The Jewish girl heard them in the house where, industrious and faithful in all things, she performed her household duties. “Thou shalt keep the Sabbath holy,” said the voice of the law in her heart; but her Sabbath was a working day among the Christians, which was a great trouble to her. And then as the thought arose in her mind, “Does God reckon by days and hours?” her conscience felt satisfied on this question, and she found it a comfort to her, that on the Christian Sabbath she could have an hour for her own prayers undisturbed. The music and singing of the congregation sounded in her ears while at work in her kitchen, till the place itself became sacred to her. Then she would read in the Old Testament, that treasure and comfort to her people, and it was indeed the only Scriptures she could read. Faithfully in her inmost thoughts had she kept the words of her father to her teacher when she left the school, and the vow he had made to her dying mother that she should never receive Christian baptism. The New Testament must remain to her a sealed book, and yet she knew a great deal of its teaching, and the sound of the gospel truths still lingered among the recollections of her childhood.

One evening she was sitting in a corner of the dining-room, while her master read aloud. It was not the gospel he read, but an old story-book; therefore she might stay and listen to him. The story related that a Hungarian knight, who had been taken prisoner by a Turkish pasha, was most cruelly treated by him. He caused him to be yoked with his oxen to the plough, and driven with blows from the whip till the blood flowed, and he almost sunk with exhaustion and pain. The faithful wife of the knight at home gave up all her jewels, mortgaged her castle and land, and his friends raised large sums to make up the ransom demanded for his release, which was most enormously high. It was collected at last, and the knight released from slavery and misery. Sick and exhausted, he reached home.

Ere long came another summons to a struggle with the foes of Christianity. The still living knight heard the sound; he could endure no more, he had neither peace nor rest. He caused himself to be lifted on his war-horse; the color came into his cheeks, and his strength returned to him again as he went forth to battle and to victory. The very same pasha who had yoked him to the plough, became his prisoner, and was dragged to a dungeon in the castle. But an hour had scarcely passed, when the knight stood before the captive pasha, and inquired, “What do you suppose awaiteth thee?”

“I know,” replied the pasha; “retribution.”

“Yes, the retribution of a Christian,” replied the knight. “The teaching of Christ, the Teacher, commands us to forgive our enemies, to love our neighbors; for God is love. Depart in peace: return to thy home. I give thee back to thy loved ones. But in future be mild and humane to all who are in trouble.”

Then the prisoner burst into tears, and exclaimed, “Oh how could I imagine such mercy and forgiveness! I expected pain and torment. It seemed to me so sure that I took poison, which I secretly carried about me; and in a few hours its effects will destroy me. I must die! Nothing can save me! But before I die, explain to me the teaching which is so full of love and mercy, so great and God-like. Oh, that I may hear his teaching, and die a Christian!” And his prayer was granted.

This was the legend which the master read out of the old story-book. Every one in the house who was present listened, and shared the pleasure; but Sarah, the Jewish girl, sitting so still in a corner, felt her heart burn with excitement. Great tears came into her shining dark eyes; and with the same gentle piety with which she had once listened to the gospel while sitting on the form at school, she felt its grandeur now, and the tears rolled down her cheeks. Then the last words of her dying mother rose before her, “Let not my child become a Christian;” and with them sounded in her heart the words of the law, “Honor thy father and thy mother.”

“I am not admitted among the Christians,” she said; “they mock me as a Jewish girl; the neighbors’ boys did so last Sunday when I stood looking in through the open church door at the candles burning on the altar, and listening to the singing. Ever since I sat on the school-bench I have felt the power of Christianity; a power which, like a sunbeam, streams into my heart, however closely I may close my eyes against it. But I will not grieve thee, my mother, in thy grave. I will not be unfaithful to my father’s vow. I will not read the Bible of the Christian. I have the God of my fathers, and in Him I will trust.”

And again years passed by. Sarah’s master died, and his widow found herself in such reduced circumstances that she wished to dismiss her servant maid; but Sarah refused to leave the house, and she became a true support in time of trouble, and kept the household together by working till late at night, with her busy hands, to earn their daily bread. Not a relative came forward to assist them, and the widow was confined to a sick bed for months and grew weaker from day to day. Sarah worked hard, but contrived to spare time to amuse her and watch by the sick bed. She was gentle and pious, an angel of blessing in that house of poverty.

“My Bible lies on the table yonder,” said the sick woman one day to Sarah. “Read me something from it; the night appears so long, and my spirit thirsts to hear the word of God.”

And Sarah bowed her head. She took the book, and folded her hand over the Bible of the Christians, and at last opened it, and read to the sick woman. Tears stood in her eyes as she read, and they shone with brightness, for in her heart it was light.

“Mother,” she murmured, “thy child may not receive Christian baptism, nor be admitted into the congregation of Christian people. Thou hast so willed it, and I will respect thy command. We are therefore still united here on earth; but in the next world there will be a higher union, even with God Himself, who leads and guides His people till death. He came down from heaven to earth to suffer for us, that we should bring forth the fruits of repentance. I understand it now. I know not how I learnt this truth, unless it is through the name of Christ.” Yet she trembled as she pronounced the holy name. She struggled against these convictions of the truth of Christianity for some days, till one evening while watching her mistress she was suddenly taken very ill; her limbs tottered under her, and she sank fainting by the bedside of the sick woman.

“Poor Sarah,” said the neighbors; “she is overcome with hard work and night watching.” And then they carried her to the hospital for the sick poor. There she died; and they bore her to her resting-place in the earth, but not to the churchyard of the Christians. There was no place for the Jewish girl; but they dug a grave for her outside the wall. And God’s sun, which shines upon the graves of the churchyard of the Christians, also throws its beams on the grave of the Jewish maiden beyond the wall. And when the psalms of the Christians sound across the churchyard, their echo reaches her lonely resting-place; and she who sleeps there will be counted worthy at the resurrection, through the name of Christ the Lord, who said to His disciples, “John baptized you with water, but I will baptize you with the Holy Ghost.”

Samuel F.B. Morse

2011-05-30T23:52:00.000-07:00

(1791 - 1919)
(The electric telegraph)

Preview :
From 1837 Morse gave the telegraph his full attention, having set up in partnership with Alfred Vail, Professor Leonard Gail, and congressman F O J Smith. Vail provided funds and facilities at the family ironworks, and Smith legal expertise. There’s an irony, therefore, that disagreements with Vail led to litigation; Vail provided funds for lawyers, too. The telgraph was eventually patented in Morse’s name alone, an event granted by the US Supreme Court in 1854. Morse’s decision to abandon painting was possibly due in part to his failure in 1836 to secure a commission to paint the Rotunda of the Capitol building, a commission he had expected. He did not entirely lose contact with his art, being President of the National Academy of Designfrom 1826 to 1845.

The first message sent by the electric telegraph was "What hath God wrought", from the Supreme Court Room in the Capitol to the railway depot at Baltimore on May 24th 1844. There is a website on this topic. The words were chosen by Annie Ellsworth; in one letter Morse wrote this phrase with ‘God’ capitalised and underlined twice.

In 1847 Morse bought Locust Grove, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and built there an Italianate mansion. This is now a Morse museum, and annually hosts the Poughkeepsie Amateur Radio Society for its Morse Day. In old age Morse became philanthropic.

For his 80th birthday in 1871 a statue was unveiled in Central Park on June 10th, with two thousand telegraphists present. Morse was not, but was that evening at the Academy of Music for an emotional acclamation of his work.

Although most people nowadays would think of Morse code being used for long-distance radiotelegraphy, the land-line telegraph was standard until about 1880 for short-distance metropolitan communication. Over longer distances the telegraph tended to follow the line of the railways because there were no difficulties over rights-of-way. The lines were mostly overhead, since the problems of insulating underground lines proved insuperable for many years - indeed the development of the original line was hampered owing to this problem.

The telegraph of course came to be important for the military, being used first at Varna during the Crimean War in 1854. It was widely used in the American Civil War, where rapid deployment techniques for land-lines were developed; the Spanish-American War found the first use of telegraphy for newspaper correspondents (1898). The first military use for radio telegraphy was during the Russo-Japanes War in 1904 - 5.

Telegraphists were, no doubt, a special elite; perhaps one of the first documented to suffer from repetitive strain injury. ‘Brasspounding’, that is telegraphy on a straight (up and down) key gave rise to telegrapher’s ‘glass arm’; it was this that motivated the invention of the ‘side-swiper’ or ‘bug’ key, the most famous maker of which is Vibroplex.

The code itself is discussed more in my Morse Code pages.

Christopher Sholes

2011-05-30T23:38:00.000-07:00

(1819 - 1890)
(The Typewriter)

Preview :

Born on February 14, 1819, in Mooresburg, Pennsylvania, Christopher Latham Sholes moved to Danville, Pennsylvania, as a teenager. It was here that Sholes learned the printer’s trade by working as an apprentice to a printer. At age 18, Sholes relocated to Green Bay, Wisconsin, joining his 2 brothers; Henry and Charles. Sholes was editor of the Wisconsin Enquirer for a short while before relocating to Kenosha, WI in 1845, to become editor/publisher of the Southport Telegraph which he continued to publish for 17 years. He also dabbled in politics; serving in the Wisconsin Senate from 1848-1849 and 1856-1857 and in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1852-1853. Sholes served as postmaster in Milwaukee during the Civil War and later as port collector and as commissioner of public works.

Sholes is known for being an active inventor and developed several devices during his newspaper career. Less known inventions include a paging/numbering device created in 1864 and a newspaper addressing machine. These devices helped Sholes to develop the first practical typewriter in 1867. To create the typewriter, Sholes worked closely with Carlos Glidden and Samuel W. Soules. The three men were granted a patent for this device on June 23, 1868. Sholes, himself is credited with inventing the typewriter keyboard layout, known as QWERTY because of the first six keys ordering in the third row. The ordering was created to separate the most common two letter combinations used in English so that typists would encounter less typewriter jams. Since its invention, QWERTY has also become the most common modern-day keyboard layout on English-language computers.

By 1872, the model had been perfected although letters needed to be typed in capitals and there was no number one key. Shortly after this time, Sholes sold the copyright to the Remington Arms Company for $12,000 and the machine was first marketed as the “Sholes & Glidden Type Writer” in 1873. Less than 5,000 machines were sold but Sholes continued to work on advancing the device. In 1878, Sholes had created a shift key so that both lower and upper case letters could be used. The advanced machine, “Remington No. 2” became a huge success after another decade on the market.

Sholes spent his later years of retirement in Milwaukee and passed away on February 17, 1890. He is buried in the Forest Home Cemetery in Milwaukee.

Johannes Gutenberg

2011-05-30T23:27:00.000-07:00

(1394 - 1468)
(The Printing Press)

Preview :
The earliest dated printed book known is the "Diamond Sutra", printed in China in 868 CE. However, it is suspected that book printing may have occurred long before this date.

In 1041, movable clay type was first invented in China. Johannes Gutenberg, a goldsmith and businessman from the mining town of Mainz in southern Germany, borrowed money to invent a technology that changed the world of printing. Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with replaceable/moveable wooden or metal letters in 1436 (completed by 1440). This method of printing can be credited not only for a revolution in the production of books, but also for fostering rapid development in the sciences, arts and religion through the transmission of texts.
Gutenberg Press

The Gutenberg press with its wooden and later metal movable type printing brought down the price of printed materials and made such materials available for the masses. It remained the standard until the 20th century. The Gutenberg printing press developed from the technology of the screw-type wine presses of the Rhine Valley. It was there in 1440 that Johannes Gutenberg created his printing press, a hand press, in which ink was rolled over the raised surfaces of moveable hand-set block letters held within a wooden form and the form was then pressed against a sheet of paper.

Brief Biography

Johannes Gutenberg was a German goldsmith and inventor best known for the Gutenberg press, an innovative printing machine that used movable type. Gutenberg was born between 1394 and 1400 and died in 1468.

In 1438, Gutenberg began a business arrangement with Andreas Dritzehn, who funded his experiments in printing. In 1450, Gutenberg began a second arrangement with German businessman Johannes Fust. Fust lent Gutenberg the money to start a printing business and build a large Gutenberg Press, their printing projects included the now famous Gutenberg Bible. On September 30, 1452, Johann Guttenberg's Bible was published becoming the first book to be published in volume.

Alfred Nobel

2010-12-27T22:19:00.000-08:00

(October 21, 1833 - )

Preview :
Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm on October 21, 1833. His father Immanuel Nobel was an engineer and inventor who built bridges and buildings in Stockholm. In connection with his construction work Immanuel Nobel also experimented with different techniques for blasting rocks.

Alfred's mother, born Andriette Ahlsell, came from a wealthy family. Due to misfortunes in his construction work caused by the loss of some barges of building material, Immanuel Nobel was forced into bankruptcy the same year Alfred Nobel was born. In 1837 Immanuel Nobel left Stockholm and his family to start a new career in Finland and in Russia. To support the family, Andriette Nobel started a grocery store which provided a modest income. Meanwhile Immanuel Nobel was successful in his new enterprise in St. Petersburg, Russia. He started a mechanical workshop which provided equipment for the Russian army and he also convinced the Tsar and his generals that naval mines could be used to block enemy naval ships from threatening the city.

The naval mines designed by Immanuel Nobel were simple devices consisting of submerged wooden casks filled with gunpowder. Anchored below the surface of the Gulf of Finland, they effectively deterred the British Royal Navy from moving into firing range of St. Petersburg during the Crimean war (1853-1856). Immanuel Nobel was also a pioneer in arms manufacture and in designing steam engines

Successful in his industrial and business ventures, Immanuel Nobel was able, in 1842, to bring his family to St. Petersburg. There, his sons were given a first class education by private teachers. The training included natural sciences, languages and literature. By the age of 17 Alfred Nobel was fluent in Swedish, Russian, French, English and German. His primary interests were in English literature and poetry as well as in chemistry and physics. Alfred's father, who wanted his sons to join his enterprise as engineers, disliked Alfred's interest in poetry and found his son rather introverted. In order to widen Alfred's horizons his father sent him abroad for further training in chemical engineering. During a two year period Alfred Nobel visited Sweden, Germany, France and the United States. In Paris, the city he came to like best, he worked in the private laboratory of Professor T. J. Pelouze, a famous chemist. There he met the young Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero who, three years earlier, had invented nitroglycerine, a highly explosive liquid. Nitroglycerine was produced by mixing glycerine with sulfuric and nitric acid. It was considered too dangerous to be of any practical use. Although its explosive power greatly exceeded that of gunpowder, the liquid would explode in a very unpredictable manner if subjected to heat and pressure. Alfred Nobel became very interested in nitroglycerine and how it could be put to practical use in construction work. He also realized that the safety problems had to be solved and a method had to be developed for the controlled detonation of nitroglycerine. In the United States he visited John Ericsson, the Swedish-American engineer who had developed the screw propeller for ships. In 1852 Alfred Nobel was asked to come back and work in the family enterprise which was booming because of its deliveries to the Russian army. Together with his father he performed experiments to develop nitroglycerine as a commercially and technically useful explosive. As the war ended and conditions changed, Immanuel Nobel was again forced into bankruptcy. Immanuel and two of his sons, Alfred and Emil, left St. Petersburg together and returned to Stockholm. His other two sons, Robert and Ludvig, remained in St. Petersburg. With some difficulties they managed to salvage the family enterprise and then went on to develop the oil industry in the southern part of the Russian empire. They were very successful and became some of the wealthiest persons of their time.

After his return to Sweden in 1863, Alfred Nobel concentrated on developing nitroglycerine as an explosive. Several explosions, including one (1864) in which his brother Emil and several other persons were killed, convinced the authorities that nitroglycerine production was exceedingly dangerous. They forbade further experimentation with nitroglycerine within the Stockholm city limits and Alfred Nobel had to move his experimentation to a barge anchored on Lake Mälaren. Alfred was not discouraged and in 1864 he was able to start mass production of nitroglycerine. To make the handling of nitroglycerine safer Alfred Nobel experimented with different additives. He soon found that mixing nitroglycerine with kieselguhr would turn the liquid into a paste which could be shaped into rods of a size and form suitable for insertion into drilling holes. In 1867 he patented this material under the name of dynamite. To be able to detonate the dynamite rods he also invented a detonator (blasting cap) which could be ignited by lighting a fuse. These inventions were made at the same time as the diamond drilling crown and the pneumatic drill came into general use. Together these inventions drastically reduced the cost of blasting rock, drilling tunnels, building canals and many other forms of construction work.

The market for dynamite and detonating caps grew very rapidly and Alfred Nobel also proved himself to be a very skillful entrepreneur and businessman. By 1865 his factory in Krümmel near Hamburg, Germany, was exporting nitroglycerine explosives to other countries in Europe, America and Australia. Over the years he founded factories and laboratories in some 90 different places in more than 20 countries. Although he lived in Paris much of his life he was constantly traveling. Victor Hugo at one time described him as "Europe's richest vagabond". When he was not traveling or engaging in business activities Nobel himself worked intensively in his various laboratories, first in Stockholm and later in Hamburg (Germany), Ardeer (Scotland), Paris and Sevran (France), Karlskoga (Sweden) and San Remo (Italy). He focused on the development of explosives technology as well as other chemical inventions, including such materials as synthetic rubber and leather, artificial silk, etc. By the time of his death in 1896 he had 355 patents.

Intensive work and travel did not leave much time for a private life. At the age of 43 he was feeling like an old man. At this time he advertised in a newspaper "Wealthy, highly-educated elderly gentleman seeks lady of mature age, versed in languages, as secretary and supervisor of household." The most qualified applicant turned out to be an Austrian woman, Countess Bertha Kinsky. After working a very short time for Nobel she decided to return to Austria to marry Count Arthur von Suttner. In spite of this Alfred Nobel and Bertha von Suttner remained friends and kept writing letters to each other for decades. Over the years Bertha von Suttner became increasingly critical of the arms race. She wrote a famous book, Lay Down Your Arms and became a prominent figure in the peace movement. No doubt this influenced Alfred Nobel when he wrote his final will which was to include a Prize for persons or organizations who promoted peace. Several years after the death of Alfred Nobel, the Norwegian Storting (Parliament) decided to award the 1905 Nobel Peace Prize to Bertha von Suttner.

Alfred Nobel's greatness lay in his ability to combine the penetrating mind of the scientist and inventor with the forward-looking dynamism of the industrialist. Nobel was very interested in social and peace-related issues and held what were considered radical views in his era. He had a great interest in literature and wrote his own poetry and dramatic works. The Nobel Prizes became an extension and a fulfillment of his lifetime interests.

Many of the companies founded by Nobel have developed into industrial enterprises that still play a prominent role in the world economy, for example Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), Great Britain; Société Centrale de Dynamite, France; and Dyno Industries in Norway. Toward the end of his life, he acquired the company AB Bofors in Karlskoga, where Björkborn Manor became his Swedish home. Alfred Nobel died in San Remo, Italy, on December 10, 1896. When his will was opened it came as a surprise that his fortune was to be used for Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace. The executors of his will were two young engineers, Ragnar Sohlman and Rudolf Lilljequist. They set about forming the Nobel Foundation as an organization to take care of the financial assets left by Nobel for this purpose and to coordinate the work of the Prize-Awarding Institutions. This was not without its difficulties since the will was contested by relatives and questioned by authorities in various countries.

Guglielmo

2010-12-27T22:09:00.000-08:00

(April 25, 1874 - July 20, 1937)
(The Nobel Prize in Physics 1909)

Preview :

Guglielmo Marconi was born at Bologna, Italy, on April 25, 1874, the second son of Giuseppe Marconi, an Italian country gentleman, and Annie Jameson, daughter of Andrew Jameson of Daphne Castle in the County Wexford, Ireland. He was educated privately at Bologna, Florence and Leghorn. Even as a boy he took a keen interest in physical and electrical science and studied the works of Maxwell, Hertz, Righi, Lodge and others. In 1895 he began laboratory experiments at his father's country estate at Pontecchio where he succeeded in sending wireless signals over a distance of one and a half miles.

In 1896 Marconi took his apparatus to England where he was introduced to Mr. (later Sir) William Preece, Engineer-in-Chief of the Post Office, and later that year was granted the world's first patent for a system of wireless telegraphy. He demonstrated his system successfully in London, on Salisbury Plain and across the Bristol Channel, and in July 1897 formed The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company Limited (in 1900 re-named Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company Limited). In the same year he gave a demonstration to the Italian Government at Spezia where wireless signals were sent over a distance of twelve miles. In 1899 he established wireless communication between France and England across the English Channel. He erected permanent wireless stations at The Needles, Isle of Wight, at Bournemouth and later at the Haven Hotel, Poole, Dorset.

In 1900 he took out his famous patent No. 7777 for "tuned or syntonic telegraphy" and, on an historic day in December 1901, determined to prove that wireless waves were not affected by the curvature of the Earth, he used his system for transmitting the first wireless signals across the Atlantic between Poldhu, Cornwall, and St. John's, Newfoundland, a distance of 2100 miles.

Between 1902 and 1912 he patented several new inventions. In 1902, during a voyage in the American liner "Philadelphia", he first demonstrated "daylight effect" relative to wireless communication and in the same year patented his magnetic detector which then became the standard wireless receiver for many years. In December 1902 he transmitted the first complete messages to Poldhu from stations at Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, and later Cape Cod, Massachusetts, these early tests culminating in 1907 in the opening of the first transatlantic commercial service between Glace Bay and Clifden, Ireland, after the first shorter-distance public service of wireless telegraphy had been established between Bari in Italy and Avidari in Montenegro. In 1905 he patented his horizontal directional aerial and in 1912 a "timed spark" system for generating continuous waves.

In 1914 he was commissioned in the Italian Army as a Lieutenant being later promoted to Captain, and in 1916 transferred to the Navy in the rank of Commander. He was a member of the Italian Government mission to the United States in 1917 and in 1919 was appointed Italian plenipotentiary delegate to the Paris Peace Conference. He was awarded the Italian Military Medal in 1919 in recognition of his war service.

During his war service in Italy he returned to his investigation of short waves, which he had used in his first experiments. After further tests by his collaborators in England, an intensive series of trials was conducted in 1923 between experimental installations at the Poldhu Station and in Marconi's yacht "Elettra" cruising in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and this led to the establishment of the beam system for long distance communication. Proposals to use this system as a means of Imperial communications were accepted by the British Government and the first beam station, linking England and Canada, was opened in 1926, other stations being added the following year.

In 1931 Marconi began research into the propagation characteristics of still shorter waves, resulting in the opening in 1932 of the world's first microwave radiotelephone link between the Vatican City and the Pope's summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. Two years later at Sestri Levante he demonstrated his microwave radio beacon for ship navigation and in 1935, again in Italy, gave a practical demonstration of the principles of radar, the coming of which he had first foretold in a lecture to the American Institute of Radio Engineers in New York in 1922.

He has been the recipient of honorary doctorates of several universities and many other international honours and awards, among them the Nobel Prize for Physics, which in 1909 he shared with Professor Karl Braun, the Albert Medal of the Royal Society of Arts, the John Fritz Medal and the Kelvin Medal. He was decorated by the Tsar of Russia with the Order of St. Anne, the King of Italy created him Commander of the Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus, and awarded him the Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy in 1902. Marconi also received the freedom of the City of Rome (1903), and was created Chevalier of the Civil Order of Savoy in 1905. Many other distinctions of this kind followed. In 1914 he was both created a Senatore in the Italian Senate and app ointed Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in England. He received the hereditary title of Marchese in 1929.

In 1905 he married the Hon. Beatrice O'Brien, daughter of the 14th Baron Inchiquin, the marriage being annulled in 1927, in which year he married the Countess Bezzi-Scali of Rome. He had one son and two daughters by his first and one daughter by his second wife. His recreations were hunting, cycling and motoring.

Marconi died in Rome on July 20, 1937.

Two People and A Bear Traveler

2010-12-10T07:56:00.000-08:00

Two people walking together wandering through a dense forest. It was suddenly a huge bear came out of the bushes near them.

One of the nomad, just think about his safety and did not bother her, climbing into a tree that was close to him.

Traveler others, felt unable to resist a very large bear it alone, threw himself into the ground and lay still, as if he had died. She often hears that the bear will not touch the animal or person who has died.

His friend who was in the tree did not do anything to help his friend who was lying.Whether this is true or not, the moment the bear sniffed around his head, and seemed satisfied that his victim had died, that's bear walked away.

Nomad is on top of a tree and then got out of his hiding.

"It looks as if the bear had whispered in my ear," he said. "What was said by the bear"

"The bear said," the wanderers who lie down before, "No wise to walk together and be friends with someone who left and did not bother her friend who is in danger."

"Deplorable can test a friendship".

By : Aesop (620-560 BC)

Two Goats

2010-12-10T07:54:00.000-08:00

Two of the goats run with gagahnya from the opposite direction on a steep mountain, then by chance they simultaneously arrive at each edge of the cliff that the water flowing beneath the river is very swift. A tree that falls, has been used as a bridge to cross the gap. Trees are used as the bridge is very small so it can not be passed simultaneously by two-tailed squirrel safely, let alone by two goats. The bridge is very small it will make even the most courageous people will be frightened. But the goat did not feel frightened. A sense of pride and dignity they do not allow them to give in and give way first to the other goats.

As one of the goat set foot into the bridge, the other goat was not budge and also set foot into the bridge. Eventually the two met in the middle of the bridge. Both still will not budge and instead encourage each other with their horns so that the two goats are finally falling into the abyss and were swept by a very swift flow of water underneath.

"Better yield than had the misfortune because of stubbornness."

By : Aesop (620-560 BC)

Mountain Stories

2010-12-10T04:17:00.000-08:00

A boy and his father were walking on the mountain. Suddenly, his son fell, he was wounded and shouted: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!!!." But he was shocked to hear no sound reflections from the mountain side. "AAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!!!."

With great curiosity, he too shouted back: "Who are you?" He too received back the same answer: Who are you? "And then she shouted into the mountain:" I adore you! "And the voice rose again:" I adore you!. "

With the angry face on that answer, he shouted: "cowardly" He still received the same answer, "coward!."

He looked at his father and asked: "What's going on?" His father as he smiled and said: "Honey, look." Back dad would shout: "You're champions." He too received the same answer: "You're champions."

Children are back in surprise and did not understand why it happened, then his father explains that this is what is called the ECHO (echo voice), but that's really living.

Everything will come back to us, what we say, what we do. Our lives are simply the description of behavior that we do.

If you want more love in the world,

create one of Love in Your Heart.

If you want more berkemanpuan in your team,

the ability tingkatkanlah

"Life will give back to you, what have you given them. In all things."

By : Aesop (620-560 BC)

Bird Crow and A Pitcher

2010-12-10T04:12:00.000-08:00

On a very dry season, where his bird very difficult to get a little water to drink, a crow finds a pitcher containing a little water. But the pitcher is a pitcher that high with a narrow neck jars. After all crows are trying to trying to drink water that is in the jug, he still can not reach it. The crow was almost feeling desperate and feel will die of thirst.

Then suddenly an idea came to her. He then took the gravel next to pitcher, then drop it into the pitcher one by one. Every time a crow that include gravel into the jar, the water level in kendipun gradually rising and getting higher until it ultimately can be achieved by the bird Crow.

"Although small, self-knowledge can help us at the right time".

By : Aesop (620-560 BC)

Chicken and Eagle Fight

2010-12-10T04:07:00.000-08:00

In an agricultural area, there lived two roosters are mutually hostile and fights between the two. On one day, they started fighting and return to fight, peck and scratch each other. They fight continued until one of them in defeat and ran away into a corner to hide.

Rooster who wins the fight was proudly flying into the roof of the cage, crowed with a very proud and loud as if he wanted to let them know the whole world about his victory. But it was a hawk that flew in the air to hear and finally see the chicken on the roof. The eagle was eventually go down and grab and pounce rooster who became the winner had to be brought to the nest.

Chickens that had defeated them, saw the whole incident and out of the closet and took place as the winner in a fight earlier.

"His arrogance led to downfall".

By : Aesop (620-560 BC)

Dog and shadow

2010-12-10T04:03:00.000-08:00

A dog gets a bone of a person, ran back to his house as quickly as possible with pleasure. When he passed a very small bridge, she looked down and saw his shadow reflected from the water under the bridge. This greedy dog that thinks he's seen another dog carrying a bone that is bigger than hers.

When he stopped to think, he would know that it's just his shadow. But the dog did not think anything and instead dropped the bone he was carrying and jumped into a river.Greedy dog is finally with difficulty swam to the riverbank. When he arrived safely at the edge of the river, he just stood pensive and sad because they carry instead of bone is lost, he later regretted what happened and realize how stupid he was.

"It would be foolish to have a greedy nature".

By : Aesop (620-560 BC)

The Shepherd Boy and Wolf

2010-12-10T03:59:00.000-08:00

A shepherd always his master's sheep graze near a dark forest and not far from his village. Since starting to feel bored living in farm areas, he always comforted himself by playing with his dog and playing flute.

One day when he was herding his sheep near the forest, he began to think what to do when he saw the wolf, she felt comforted by the thought of various plans.

Master once said that when he saw a wolf attacking a herd his sheep, he had shouted for help, and people will come help her compatriot. Herd boy thought that it would feel funny if he pretended to see a wolf and shouted for villagers come to help him. And the herd boy now though do not see a wolf too, he pretended to run toward the village and shouted loudly, "Wolf, wolf!"

As he expected, the village people who heard him yell, quickly left their jobs and ran toward the shepherd boy to help him. But what they found was a shepherd boy who laughed out loud because it managed to deceive the whole village.

A few days later, the herd boy shouted back, "Wolf! Wolf!", Again the people who ran the village came to help him, only to find the shepherd boy who laughed uproariously again.

On an afternoon when the sun begins to set, a wolf really came and grabbed the sheep which the shepherd by shepherd boy.

In fear, the herd boy ran toward the village and shouted, "Wolf! Wolf!" But while the whole village heard people screaming, they do not come to help him. "He will not be able to deceive us again," they said.

The wolf finally managed to pounce and eat a lot of sheep that the shepherd by shepherd boy, then ran into the woods again.

"Liar will never be the trust again, though this time they say is true".

By : Aesop (620-560 BC)

Boys and a Jar of Peanuts

2010-12-10T03:52:00.000-08:00

A boy is allowed by his mother to put his hand into a jar and take nut in it. And the boy had put his hand into the jar to take a pea, but because the boy took the beans with a huge grip, he could not pull her hand out, and there he stood on, not willing to release the grain peanuts from his grasp because he wanted to take it all at once. Because of curiosity and disappointment she began to cry.

"My son," his mother said, "Take the half-nuts handheld only, so you will more easily remove your hand from the jar, and maybe you'll be able to have more nuts if you took it over and over again."

"Do not do anything too much at once".

By : Aesop (620-560 BC)

Goatling and Wolf

2010-12-10T03:46:00.000-08:00

A very energetic kid who had been abandoned by herdsmen on the roof of hay barn to avoid the kid from danger. Kid looking grass on the edge of the roof, and then he saw a wolf and the wolf looked at with a face full of scorn and with a sense of triumph, he began to taunt the wolf, although at that time he did not want to taunt the wolf , but because he felt the wolf is not going to go up onto the roof and caught it, arises the courage to mock.

Wolves kid and even then it looked from below, "I hear you," said the wolf, "and I do not hold grudges on what you say or do when you're up there, because it is the roof of the talking and not you."

"Do not you say something you do not want to say continually"

By : Aesop (620-560 BC)

Why is the sky blue ??

2010-12-10T01:23:00.000-08:00

Did you know, really the sky is not blue, but rather consists of different colors.Sometimes a gray or black (eg, night sky), sometimes red or gold (the twilight sky and the sunrise time of course), often also white or shiny blue.

Apparently the sky is so colorful. So the question then is how can you?

The sky is black of course because there is no sun that shines at night. While the sky is gray indicates there are a lot of dust particles as a result of dirty gases in the air.

When seen again, it turns out the colors of the sky is very closely related to the position of the earth to the sun and the level of cleanliness and air pollution in one place. Besides the two factors, there is one more major factor that causes the colors of the sun, namely the nature of visible light. Remember experiments white light that is passed to the prism is not it? after it is passed by the prism of light breaks down into 7 colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pink, purple. This is one experiment that can be done to observe the visible light. Well, as with the experiment of this prism, white light emitted by the sun is composed of seven colors. Starting from the purple has the shortest wavelength to the red light with the longest wavelength. For more detail, the position of these colors of the wavelength and energy level can be drawn following the light spectrum.

In physics energy E can didefisinikan as kostanta Planck h multiplied by frequency. If the picture above we can conclude that the lambda wavelength is inversely proportional to the frequency v, then the energy will be greater if the wavelength decreases. Means purple or blue light has a greater energy than red light. Well, so we are familiar with the term The Blue Fire. The blue flame is much more 'sharp' than the red-colored fire. Aha.

Back again to the problems of the sun. To get to the Earth, sun and white light must pass through the atmosphere or the air layer around the Earth. Atmosphere is a series of gases (such as Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Carbon dioxide is needed especially in the process of breathing creatures), water particles, and dust. White light is the sun through the mixtures (~ remember percobaaan flashlight emitted into a glass of murky water ~) with different trajectories. As a result of collisions between light particles (photons) and air mixture constituent particles in the atmosphere that we see the sky in different colors earlier. The light will experience a reduction in energy breaks down due to the process of collision with particles and affect the strength of the light reached the Earth.

According to Lord John William Rayleigh, the sky is blue because blue light and the most powerful green emitted by the sun. The blue color is then captured by our eyes, so we say the sky is blue. Similarly, in the evening. The sky is red because it tends to a red light with a wavelength that is able to travel the Sun-Earth.

How can I measure this wavelength? It's simple. The wavelength can be measured by multiplying the distance by 2. Why, it means that this wavelength, the distance back and forth a certain distance wave.

Images of the Universe in a Black Hole

2010-12-10T00:49:00.000-08:00

Black holes (black holes) are still a mystery of the universe is much studied by scientists. Black hole is large enough concentration of mass so as to produce the gravitational force and mass density is so great. A large force of gravity prevents anything escape from it, including light.

You can imagine what is seen around the black hole at any sucked into it. Intrigued by this Alain from the Institut d'Astrophysique Riazuelo de Paris was simulated by combining a collection of space imagery. The result, a stunning three-dimensional picture.

"Near the black hole, you can see the whole universe. The light from various directions will be refracted and returned to you," he said as quoted by the Daily Mail, Thursday (12/09/2010).

Riazuelo using space imagery catches 2MASS Infrared Sky Survey and process them into the computer. Through imagery, Riazuelo clearly illustrates the refraction of light that occurs.

According to him, the strong gravity of black holes and the refraction of light occur causing an unusual visual distortion. Every star in the normal frame will have at least two light, one on each side of the black hole.

In the picture above, pale-blue circle shows two Small Magellanic Cloud shadows.While the magenta ring shows two shadows of Alpha and Beta Centauri. Yellow ring shows two shadow from Gamma Crucis.

Two shadow Calopus found inside a white ring. The shadow of Sirrius located on the left black holes and brown. The brightest star that sits at the bottom of the picture is Achemar.

Albert Einstein

2010-12-10T00:43:00.000-08:00

(1879-1955)

(General Relativity and Special Relativity)

Preview :

Einstein and relativity theory at the right time comes, if it is associated with the development history of nations in the world. Proverbial shoots in love, side dish arrived. The development is the rise of modern Germany, the birth of nuclear weapons, and the birth of Zionism. These events do more to explain about the development of modern Germany. But the German position at that time very influential and has influenced world civilization that was hit by the second world war. This fact is important to note, because of the emergence of Einstein and his theory of relativity was so phenomenal. If only the theory of relativity appeared in the 20th century, it may be there is a difference that is so fundamental and public response will show a different reaction.

Some of the things pertaining to Einstein's personal life also need to leverage writers.As a scientist phenomenal figure, Einstein's life and personality into the interesting part to be discussed. Perhaps until now only a figure of Einstein are able menggangkat like a scientist profile celebrities and public figures. Its appearance always attracts public attention, especially for the hunter news.

Admiration of people on the work of Einstein expressed in many ways. Comments President of the Royal Society, J.J. Thomson (British, 1856-1940), at a meeting to discuss the results of a solar eclipse pictures to test Einstein's theories are eventually proven otherwise, "This is the most important results obtained in connection with the theory of gravitation since Newton's era and is one of the highest achievement everachieved by the human brain. "

In 1999, Time magazine called Einstein as "Person of the Century" or the people of this century. To appreciate them, a unit in the photochemical named Einstein, a chemical element named einsteinium, and a named asteroid 2001 Einstein.

In 2005, Union of Pure and Applied Physics (International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, IUPAP), at the request of the European Physical Society (Europian Physical Sociaty, EPS), and the United Nations (Union Nations Organization, UNO) declared as the World Year of Physics. This celebration is to remind the world about the importance of the role of science in human life and urged all nations to increase appreciation of the human effort in uncovering the secrets of the universe and the universe. In Princeton, New Jersey, United States, the celebration of 100 years of "Annus Mirabilis" (Extraordinary Year) works great and Einstein's death, held a series of popular lectures for the public about the great works of Einstein, along with interesting physics demonstrations, with a peak laser show event on April 18.

Albert Einstein, a scientist descendant of a Jewish family, was born in the city of Ulm, Wurttemberg, an old town on the fertile banks of the River Danube, Germany, about 100 km east of Stuttgart, on Friday, March 14, 1879. Ulm is located in the Swabian Alps foothills, just meeting the river Blau and Illen which then blend with the river Danube. Albert was the first child and only son of Hermann Einstein, a salesman feather bed which then undergo electrochemical work of his wife Pauline Koch Jewish nation. They married in Stuttgard-Bad Cannstatt.

Einstein's childhood did not show signs of his genius. Even small Einstein often sick, which delayed speech, like mad and throw things, and suffer from Asperger's syndrome associated with autism. In addition, the unusual shape of his head, probably caused by dyslexia, shyness or because the structure of the rare and unusual in his brain studied after his death. Until the age of 3 years Albert has not been able to speak, but his interest in science and mathematics have grown since childhood.

One thing to be a turning point in Einstein's life will be of interest to science, particularly physics, is when he got a gift of a compass from his father. Flavor so tempestuous as the direction a compass needle that always points north. Since then, the instinct of a scientist who thirst for an answer on something that is mysterious to him.

Academic achievement during the school may be somewhat mediocre. It does not even show that one day he would become a young scientist genius. Got in an entrance examination to the Federal Institute of Technology named Eidgenoessische Technische Hochscule (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland, he failed. In 1896, Einstein received a diploma from high school in Aarau when he was 17 years old, and studied at the Institute of Technology Zurich, majoring in science and mathematics.

Einstein's closest friends during college was Marcel Grossman, Michele Angelo Besso and Mileva Maric, a Hungarian descent who would become his first wife.Mileva gave three offspring for Eintein, Lieserl, Hans Albert and Eduard "Tede".Lieserl born before the official Einstein married Mileva. Hans Albert became a professor at the Faculty of Engineering, University of California, the United States.Eduard died at a hospital in Switzerland in 1965 after years of suffering from schizophrenia.

Einstein's second marriage to his cousin, Elsa widow in June 1919, conducted four months after his divorce from Mileva. Einstein died on April 18, 1955 in the United States, at the age of 76 years, after undergoing treatment for heart disease.

Brief description of the personal figure of Einstein was a genius who was less consistent on the issue of citizenship. Several times he had changed citizens until finally chose the United States as a citizen until his death.Even he had to have dual nationality, Switzerland and Germany, at the same time.Actually it can be understood when looking at career journey and less harmonious relationship between himself and the German government in power at that time.Although Einstein had been undergoing marriage twice, but often on various occasions he was more comfortable in solitude. Its livelihood will soon be able to soon turned serious when his theory was engaged. But beyond that he is also known figure of the humanist who loathed war. As the author gave at the top, genius, scientific career and his involvement in the political world because of three key events that underlie the historical development of modern Germany.

Scientific career started since Einstein graduated from the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich, with a degree in science and math majors. At that time in 1900 and 21-year-old Einstein. Once dismissed as an assistant lecturer at the university where he used to lecture, Einstein finally got a job as a mathematics teacher at the Technical High School in Winterthur, besides that he also taught at private school in Schaffhausen.

Einstein's use of free time to do personal research and writing. The result of his writings that he submitted to scientific journals to look forward to publication. In 1901 he had sent a paper to the university of Zurich and hope to get a promotion for a Ph.D., but was rejected.

The assistance recommendations Grossman's father, a career the next Einstein in the Patent Office in Bern in June 1902. His job is to examine and record the patent requests filed by the inventor in Switzerland with the rank of Engineer Grade Three.The work gives a lot of time to conduct his own research. In Einstein's office was considered accomplished and gained promotion to board positions.

Einstein resigned from the Patent Bureau in 1909 after seven years working there.The reason for his resignation since accepted a position as assistant professor Alfred Wolfer, a former teacher in the field of astrophysics and astronomy, at the Federal Polytechnic Institute (ETH), Zurich. Two years later, Einstein was appointed as a professor at the Karl-Ferdinand University in Prague, Czechoslovakia. In Prague, Einstein only lasted for a year, in 1912 he returned again to the university of Zurich to serve as a full professor. In 1913, Einstein obtained a job at the Kaiser Wilhelm Ins88titut in Berlin, so he can conduct research freely without fear of lack of money and routine obligations.

Einstein returned to Germany in 1914 to conduct research at the Prussian Academy of Science and became Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Physics in Berlin as well as professor of theoretical physics at the University of Berlin.

In 1915 an early debut in the political world by Einstein signed the "Manifesto to Europeans" and proposed the establishment of a European League to seek peace among the nations there.

Since that time Einstein began Bernard Medal and was awarded the prestigious prize for the top prize Photoelectric effect in 1921. In the same year the first time, Einstein started his visit to the United States in 1921 in order to raise money for the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He also received an offer as a lecturer at the University of the United States.

In 1922 Einstein accepted as a member of the Committee on International Scientific cooperation in the League of Nations. Two years later, Einstein was enrolled as a member of the Berlin Jewish Community. Einstein's support of Zionism movement, to the resurrection of the Jewish, is from the years 1925-1928, he became a member of the management board of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where he inherited a collection of scientific works.

In the beginning, Einstein was not involved in the movement of Zionism. But there deskriminisi that led to the slaughter of German Jewish descent, especially when the Nazi party leader Adolf Hitler (German, 1889-1945) to power in Germany.

Einstein often travel visits to several countries such as Japan, China, France and Palestine. In 1925 he was awarded the Copley Medal of the Royal Society. Together Mohandes Karamchand Mahatma Gandhi (Indian, 1869-1948) and a number of other figures, Einstein signed a manifesto calling for the elimination of forced military service.

Year 1926 was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society. In 1927 Einstein attended the Fifth Solvay Conference and began to develop theories quantumnya together with colleagues Niels Hendrik David Bohr (Danish, 1885-1962).

Planck Medal, a prestigious award for physics, awarded to Einstein in 1929. At that time he was 50 years old. He also signed a manifesto calling for disarmament of the world in 1930. The manifesto was initiated by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

In the span of time between the years 1920 to 1930, Einstein was a lot of travel to give lectures to various countries. Friendship not only with the scientific community alone, as well as prominent politicians and other famous figures from various countries such as America, France, China, Scandinavia, 88Spanyol, England, Japan, Belgium, etc.. He became the first person to visit the communist Soviet Union.Appointed as the first honorary citizen of Tel Aviv and New York City.

During 1933 Einstein made their way into Europe as the Oxford, Glasgow, Brussels and Zurich. October 17, 1933, Einstein and his family left Germany to the United States. At that time the Nazi secret police to search his family summer cottage in Caputh, near Berlin. Einstein was able to return to Europe for the help his friend the King and Queen of Belgium, complete with police escort Belgium.

For her work since 1901, he finally got an offer to teach in Jerusalem, Leiden, Oxford, Madrid and Paris. In 1935 gain permanent residency in the United States and lived in Priceton, New Jersey, assuming he can work in the Advanced Study.

Einstein knew that at Peenemunde German scientists developed the atomic bomb.Starting from 1938 with the success of Otta Hahn (German, 1879-1968) and Lise Meitner (Austrian, 1878-1968) split into two uranium nuclei. This success was supported earlier when Max Planck (German, 1858-1947) with the famous formula E = mc ² Einstein stating the results of the latent energy of the atom. These findings reveal the possibility of energy use that has been locked in the nuclei. Liberation of these nuclei will produce a nuclear reaction that produces incredible explosive power.Then on August 9, 1939, Einstein wrote a letter that was sent to the President of the United States to-32, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945), who reminded the president will likely make the German atomic bomb and called for nuclear used for research, not for war. Responding to the letter of President Roosevelt began the Manhattan Project to develop leadership of Julian Robert Oppenheimer to manufacture atomic bombs. The existence of the letter and the formula E = mc ² was linking Einstein's involvement in the production of atomic bombs that blow up American Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and killed 120,000 people.

Einstein was a devout pacifist who turned one hundred percent for Germany during Hitler felt the cruelty of power. And finally regained consciousness after learning that Hitler was not capable of making atomic bombs, and convince the U.S. to build an atomic bomb that took hundreds of thousands of lives.

In 1943 Einstein was appointed as an expert adviser for arms business in the United States Navy. Eintein President had rejected Israel's offer to replace the previous president who died in 1952. The rejection was due to Einstein felt that position was not relevant to their expertise.

Einstein's footsteps as a scientist has been started since the year 1901 at the age of 22 years, by publishing his first scientific paper entitled "Conclusion down from the phenomenon of capillarity" in Munich, and conduct research in the same year of gas which then makes the dissertation material PhD at ETH Zurich for his PhD in 1905 with a thesis entitled "On a new determination of molecular dimensions." Actually, Einstein had begun to write scientific papers since 1900 and had published.

Albert Einstein, German-United States citizen, in June 1905, at the age of 26 years have contributed to the advancement of science, through his work in "Annalen der Physik" or Germany Physics Journal of five important papers, including about the theory of special relativity. Authors will only describe briefly the fifth paper, without meaning to rule out some other Einstein's work.

Paper first published in March, about the application of radiation incidenton the photoelectric effect. This paper is the Conductor of light quantum hypothesis based on Boltzmann statistics. The photoelectric effect is the expenditure of electrons from a surface (usually metal) when subjected to, and absorb electromagnetic radiation (such as visible light and ultraviolet radiation) that is above the threshold frequency depending on the type of surface. Long term for the photoelectric effect is the effect of Hertz, which is currently not in use anymore. Explanation of the photoelectric effect is what menghantarkannya the Nobel prizes in 1921.

In April, the next paper entitled "Einen und die Erzengen Vermandlung des Lichtes betreffenden heuristischen Gesichtspunk", discusses how Einstein expand Planck hypothesis about the characteristics of perception and transmitting discontinuity of atomic radiation on the nature of the atom itself.

Paper entitled "Die von der Theorie der Warme molekulaskinetischen gefordenten Bewegung von Teilchen in ruhenden Flusigkeiten suspended", published May, a third paper. This paper describes the development of Brownian motion that detect how the molecule with no flow and the absence of other external influences keep moving molecules. Einstein get a formula which links the Brownian motion with the motion of particles crushed by the fluid molecules in which the floating particles. Einstein used kinetic theory of liquids by providing empirical evidence on the basis of observations and experiments about atomic reality just by looking through the ordinary microscope.

The fourth paper in June, discusses the Special Theory of Relativity, published under the title "Electrodynamics Moving Objects." Paper is what is considered quite important as changing the Newtonian concept of absolute time and space or absolute. Einstein changed the terms of reference with the postulate that the speed of light in empty space that is absolute, regardless of speed or frame of reference of the observer. The question this begs the question of motion for Einstein: What about the objects contained in space? Is it true that space and time have no effect? Is it true that the masses are still not affected the velocity of the object? Problems that are solved Einstein's theory of relativity.

The last paper in September, titled "Inertia Things Are Dependent on the Energy Content?". This paper describes the mass-energy equivalence. Einstein explained the concept that the mass of an object is a quantity that measures the energy contained therein. This concept he claimed again in 1907 in the form of a famous physics equation. This formula explains the concept of equality of the mass of an object (m) is the energy content (E), while c is the speed of light in a vacuum (c <300,000 kilometers per second). This formulation which will open opportunities for the development of nuclear power.

In 1905 became the most productive year for Einstein. In just a matter of months, he was able to finish his Ph.D. thesis, published two original scientific papers on the theory of relativity. Most of Einstein's work uses mathematical formulas that are very complicated and can only be understood by some people with high mathematical ability. Even at the beginning of the launch of his work, many parties and even scientists, who tend to ignore the work of Einstein. No more this happens due to the complexity of the mathematical formulas in his work is so is not easy to understand.

Between 1906 and 1910, published 26 papers on various topics in Physics include Atomic and Molecular Physics, Solid Substance, Radiation Statistics, Realtivistik Electrodynamics and Thermodynamics.

In August 1916, Einstein published his writings about the "Basics of General Relativity", which links gravity with the structure of space and time. In this theory Einstein gravity reveal about modern paradigm, testing and terapannya in astronomy and cosmology, delivered before the Prussian Academy of Sciences. The force of gravity can be thought of as a curved space-time around the objects so that adjacent mass tends to move toward him, just like marbles moving rolled into the base hole shaped like a bowl.

In the 90 pieces of its publication in 1911 s.d. 1920, about the basics and general relativistas development paradigm, physics of molecules / atoms, thermodynamics, photochemistry, radiation interactions quantum and materials, including on General Relativity. In 1916 Einstein wrote a book entitled "Relativity, The Special and General Theory".

In 1912 began his research on a new phase of gravity with the help of some friends.Events of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended World War II in August 1945 is often associated with Einstein's special theory of relativity because the inspiration and general Einstein in the making of the atom bomb.

Integrated Field Theory (Unfield Field Theory) which was formulated in 1929 Einstein tried to combine quantum theory and relativity. This theory attempts to explain the properties of light as waves and particles. With the belief that nature has the order and harmony, Einstein built a single physical laws that can be used, either to the macrocosm and microcosm. This theory is almost completed by the Einstein in 1949 in the twilight of his life, but still far from expectations. Until the end of his life, Einstein was still not finished completely resolve the Integrated field theory.

Between 1921 s.d. 1940, carrying 151 pieces Einstein's publication contains the development, implementation and dissemination paradigm of General Relativity, Light Emission in the elementary process of the Stern-Gerlach and Compton effect, the various versions of the Integrated Field Theory (Einstein with nonsimetrisnya metric field, with field tera Weyl (gauge Feel it ), and Kauza with increased dimensions that accommodate the interaction of symptoms).

Between the years 1941-1949 there are 22 pieces of Einstein's publications include cosmology and astrophysics, the expanding universe model, science and religion, metaphysics of quantum mechanics and a realist.

Formulation of energy equivalent to mass and the square of the speed of light,, predicts nothing can move faster than light. Nobel Prize in 1921 to give recognition for his intelligence for the benefit of mankind, through his ministry in Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discoveries concerning the law of the photoelectric effect.

Galileo Galilei

2010-12-10T00:23:00.000-08:00

(1564-1642)

(Telescopes and Astronomers)

Preview :

Travel fate of Galileo at the time it depends on the result of court decisions that take place in the courtroom of the Vatican, a special area in the city of Rome. Session chaired by Pope Urban VIII, the leader of the Catholic Church, on June 22, 1633, will decide the sentences handed down to a scientist aged sixty-nine-year-old named Galileo Galilei. If only at that time people have become aware that a prisoner on trial once it was a great astronomer who laid the foundation for modern physics views about the solar system, may not be a life sentence to be decided.

The decision was taken because of Galileo is considered to bring an evil cult that is considered dangerous for the Catholic Church. Although the bishops were personally familiar with Galileo was a devout Catholic and not at all adherents of the teachings of the reform. Astronomer, philosopher and physicist believes that Italy was not the Earth, but the sun is the center of the solar system. Keyakinannnya matching with what is expressed by Nicolaus Copernicus, Polish astronomer, in a book entitled "Revolution Soccer Ball-Sky". In the book, Copernicus declared that the Earth is a planet orbiting around the Sun.

This view was contrary to what was officially accepted by the Catholic Church, so anyone followers of heresy that must be put to death. Executions carried out by the Inquisition, which held a special agency to deal with false teachings at that time. Thirty years before the verdict on Galileo, the Inquisition agency has imposed the death penalty on Giardano Bruno, a philosopher who is also regarded as heresy.

Triggers of punishment it is a book written by Galileo entitled "Dialogue Between the Two Major Systems Concerning the Universe." The book was actually the request of Pope Urban VIII, nine years before the trial, which asked Galileo to write a scientific paper about Galileo's views about the universe. Originally the request is actually the scenario of the Catholic Church for scientists who want to be respected in the party opposed the Copernican theory. But what happened exactly contrary to what is desired. For what happened to it, which at the time Galileo was ordered Florence to Rome, even in sickness.

Century Europe was controlled by two major forces. Roman Catholic Church led by Pope and the philosophers that most of the Greek philosophers to adopt the view of two thousand years earlier. Members of the Catholic Church is tied to the teachings of Aristotle, especially in the understanding of the solar system, which happens to resemble with quote contained in the Bible about the creation of the heavens and the earth.

Galileo is known as the father of astronomy, physics, and modern science. His work includes the completion teleksop, astronomical observation, and first and second laws of motion in classical mechanics. Although the telescope was not his invention, but the Galileo design up to 32x magnification of the telescope, known at the time.With his telescope, he discovered four satellites of Jupiter (Io, Europa, Callisto, and Ganymeda), sunspots, and form the surface of the moon. He is also known as a supporter of Copernicus.

Galileo Galilei was born as the eldest of the couple Vincenzo and Giulia, on February 15, 1564, in Pisa, Tuscany, Italy. His father was a mathematician and musician who is famous in Italy as a pioneer of reforms in the fields of music, and was the first to apply mathematics in pengkajiannya. In addition to the field of music, Vincenzo also gives influence on Galileo, in particular his view that anti-authoritarian.

Galileo childhood teachers learn more in private. Her father did not really believe that there is a general educational institution at the time. But finally in 1581, when Galileo was seventeen, he enrolled at the University of Pisa, majoring in medicine. Galileo's interest in mathematics has been seen since the first semester at the university.Galileo was interested in mathematics, particularly about the geometry Euklid, which Amnestied by mathematicians Ostillo Ricci. Until the end of the semester was also Galileo moved majoring in mathematics.

The first scientific discoveries of Galileo, on a Sunday in 1583, was inspired when, following a Mass at a church. His attention fixed on a swinging chandelier.Immediately after the Mass is finished, Galileo returned to the university laboratory to conduct experiments pendulum swing. Galileo discovered the pendulum or pendulum motion, and formulate a simple law, that regardless of the length of the pendulum swing, the time needed to complete the swing is the same. Later the scientists now call it the periodic pendulum swings. Furthermore, Galileo apply the principle of the pendulum swing to make a precise hour. At that time, measuring the time used is glass sand.

Galileo left the university in 1585 without a degree, after studying for four years.Actually, it has been unusual, because in Italy at that time, because of academic ability is more valued than a degree.

The first book written by Galileo entitled "Il bilancetta", which contains descriptions of Galileo's experiments during childhood in Tuscany until the period of study at the University of Pisa. What's interesting about the book was Galileo's call about how to improve the ideas of the great Greek philosopher Archimedes.

Galileo meeting with the Marquis Guidobaldo del Monte, a nobleman who pay attention to the field of engineering, science, and philosophy, influence the subsequent fate of Galileo. In 1589, Galileo started his first career as a mathematics lecturer at the University of Pisa, on the recommendation of the Marquis. Since that time Galileo began to show anti-Aristotelesnya views and bring the enemy.

The second book entitled "De Motu" contains the idea of motion and Galileo's falling body. Although not a pure idea of Galileo, but the presence of the book could lead to conflict. Once again it was due to differ with the views of Aristotle, which states that objects with different weight fall at a rate different.

To prove that the views of Aristotle, Galileo did experiments that are quite popular at the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, in 1591. Experiments conducted in the form of dropping two cannon shot from a height of 54 meters with the help of his assistant. It seems, that the only force that can affect the speed of fall it is air resistance. Later, fifty years after Galileo died, an Irish scientist Robert Boyle, doing experiments that reinforce the theory of Galileo.

After completing his contract to teach at the University of Pisa, Galileo melanjutnya taught at the University of Padua. In this city of Padua, Galileo was friends with various backgrounds, including nobles Gianvencenzo Pinelli. Pinelli's friendship with pave the way for Galileo to join the Circle Pinelli, an influential association sponsored by the nobility.

Finance Galileo who had collapsed because of debt inherited her father, slowly began to improve and dead buying a home in Padua. The period of eighteen years at Padua, was the happiest time for a variety of important findings that he produces. The findings included experiments on the incline, the measurement of time, acceleration and projectile motion cannon.

Gelileo indeed not the inventor of the telescope. But Galileo has an important role in perfecting the telescope. Beginning of interest in Galileo on the telescope when there is casual conversation with his friend Paolo Sarpi, in 1609 in Venice. Sarpi told about a device that can enlarge the object being viewed. The device, called a telescope, made by a Dutch spectacle maker named Hans Lipperhey. But Hans is not known whether it was the inventor of the telescope.

Upon his return to Padua, Galileo began to design his own telescope according to its version. At that time various telescope models have emerged with a very diverse, but with comparatively low quality. Galileo developed the telescope has a magnification better with a clearer image.

In August 1609, the assistance of Sarpi, Galileo met with a Venetian Doge to demonstrates the telescope design. The result of that meeting produced a lucrative offer to Galileo to make a telescope with a variety of benefits promised. But after they found out the offer is not in accordance with reality, then the next Galileo demonstrated his telescope to the ruler of Florence, Prince Cosimo. Because the view that there is talent on Galileo, the Prince Cosimo provide an offer in the form of office research staff positions in the field of mathematics.

With the telescope that Galileo did a lot of research, for example look at the surface of the Moon, which turned out to be mountains and steep ravine. In 1610, Galileo observed the planet Venus and the sun. Various explanations of physical phenomena associated with Galileo's astronomy can be explained with more sense. One of the satellites of Jupiter, Galileo named Cosimo, as a form of homage to the Pengeran Cosimo II.

All the results of astronomical research, in 1610, then he poured in a book called "Messengers of the Stars". One year later, Galileo's telescope was performed in Rome and continued with a variety of seminars to discuss the results of Galileo's research. At that moment came a variety of opposition to the theory of Galileo as a scientist from the German Jesuit, Christoph Scheiner, Thomas Caccini, and Orazio Grassi. This contradiction Galileo opponent with his book entitled "Proof", which uses the Copernican theory to explain the comet's trajectory. But what happened then is pertentang more crowded, to involve Pope Urban VIII from the Catholic Church. To defuse opposition that Pope Urban VIII ordered Galileo to write a book that in the end it makes Galileo as a prisoner in her own home until his death.

During that detention, Galileo was secretly published his book which is now regarded as the greatest works of science, titled "Two New Sciences", in the year 1638. In general there are two important parts in the book, which is about moving objects and the forces that affect these objects. The second part talks about the properties of substances and how different substances can be melted and arranged in various different forms. This book really sparked a revolution that will be in the future open the way for other scientists to develop it, as did the genius of Sir Isaac Newton.

End hanyat Galileo on through the various malapetakan. He was exposed to eye infection that gradually lead to blindness. Galileo To further aided by several assistants to continue their scientific activities. At the height of winter, January 8, 1642, Galileo Galilei finally breathed his last in Arcetri accompanied by Vincenzo Viviani, one of his pupils.

In many ways, Galileo was the first physicist who solve problems through experimentation. Approach it that way really new at that time. Conflict and conservatism of the Catholic Church elements that befell Galileo became a valuable lesson for all parties to not blindly in interpreting the religious message. In the end the Catholic Church wake up and the subsequent development it fosters many scientists.At least thanks to the Dark Ages Galileo vanished quickly and progress for the progress continues to grow and spread throughout the world.

Wright Brothers

2010-12-10T00:11:00.000-08:00

(1871 - 1912)

(Aircraft)

Preview :

Wright brothers (Wright brothers), Orville (August 19 1871-30 January 1948) and Wilbur (16 April 1867-30 May 1912) are two Americans who were recorded as the inventor of the aircraft because they managed to build an aircraft that was first successfully flown and controlled by humans on December 17, 1903.

Two years after their discovery, the two brothers was to develop 'flying machine' them to form an aircraft taking wing as we now know. Although they are not the people who first make trial or experiment aircraft, the Wright brothers was the first to find the control of the aircraft so that aircraft flying with wings attached to rigid can be controlled.

The biggest breakthrough was the discovery of 'three-axis control' which is used by all aircraft flying today.

They obtain mechanical skills from working in their stores full of printing machines, bicycles, motorcycles and other machinery. Of the bikes they got the idea that an unstable aircraft can be controlled with exercise.

The Wright brothers were two of seven brothers. In elementary school, Orville was expelled from school. In 1878, their father bought 'helicopter' toys for their two youngest children are. Toys were made from bamboo and rubber to rotate its propeller. Wilbur and Orville played until broken, then make the toys themselves, they admitted that the experience brmain with bamboo helicopter was the source for their interests against a machine that could fly.

Thomas Alva Edison

2010-12-10T00:06:00.000-08:00

(February 11, 1847 - October 18, 1931)

(Light bulb)

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Thomas Alva Edison was the inventor of America and is one of the greatest inventors in history. Edison began working at a very young age and continued working until his death. During his career, Thomas Alva Edison had been around from 1093 to patent his invention, including an electric light bulb and the gramophone, as well as film cameras. All three findings raise major industries for the electric industry, recording and film that ultimately affect the lives of people around the world. He is also known as the inventor of applying the principle of 'mass production' for his discoveries.

The first light bulb

Edison's own gain expertise in the field of electricity and telegraphy (the telegraph for communication) during the teenage years. In 1868, at age 21, she has developed and patent his invention in the form of a machine that records the telegraph.

The days of childhood, Edison just attended a formal school for three months, then all his education from his mother who taught Edison at home. Edison's mother taught Edison how to read, write, and mathematics. He also often gave and read the books for Edison, among others, the books come from authors such as Edward Gibbon, William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens.

Edison at age 12, earn revenue by way of a job selling newspapers and newsletters, apples, and candy on a railway line. At that age also, Edison has lost almost all hearing because of her illness, the disease makes it a half-deaf. Edison once wrote in diarinya: "I have never heard a bird sing since I was 12 years old."

At the age of 15, Edison, while still selling, bought a small printing press used hereinafter to be installed in a car trunk. Then he prints his own newspaper, Weekly HERALD, which is in print, edited and sold in places he's selling.

In the summer of 1862, Edison saved a three-year-old boy who almost hit by a car.The father of the children removed is the head of the train station in place to sell. And as gratitude, the head of the station taught Edison how to use the telegraph. After 5 months of studying the telegraph, Edison worked as an expert telegraph for 4 years.Almost all the salary he gets is spent with a variety of laboratory building and electrical equipment.

Edison is very pleased to learn something and read the books there. Of those studied, Edison apply these lessons in a way his little experiment in the laboratory.Edison lived in his lab, only sleep 4 hours a day, and eat the food brought by his assistant into his laboratory. Edison experiment to experiment and continuously until his discoveries to be perfect. Perhaps the words that adequately describe the abilities which are Edison: "Genius is 99% hard work".

Rudolf Diesel

2010-12-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

(March 18, 1858 - September 29, 1913)

(Diesel Engine)

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Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel was the engine of the German scholar and is the inventor of the Diesel Engine.

Diesel was born in Paris, France in 1858 of German parents and immigrated to France. Diesel childhood spent partly in France until the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war in 1870. His family was forced to evacuate to move to London, England.And before the war ended, his mother sent Rudolf Diesel, who were aged 12 years to stay in Augsburg with his uncle and aunt to be able to speak in German and educated at Royal County Trade School, where his uncle to teach math there.

At the age of 14, Rudolf Diesel, sent a letter to parents that contains his goal to become an engineer, and after completing basic education and become the best student in his class in 1873, he continued his schooling at the School of Augsburg.Subsequently in 1875, he received a scholarship from the Royal Bavarian Polytechnic in Munich, where Rudolf Diesel was forced against her parents' wishes and hopes for financial difficulties Rudolf began working to earn money.

While in college, Rudolf Diesel worked in a factory and get a lot of experience from work. In 1880, Diesel graduated from university and get the honor as a student with best academic value.

Rudolf Diesel conduct research, how to use the fuel in an engine becomes more efficient. He knew that the steam engines that exist in his time, only have an efficiency of 10-15%. He then designed an engine with fuel that is sprayed into the compression chamber where the fuel will be burned due to heat caused by compression. Machine is what we know today with Diesel Engine. Diesel's dream to create machines with high efficiency to be achieved, because the source of fuel for diesel engines that are used now and we are familiar with the name 'diesel' is the residual oil from the screening station.

After the death of Rudolf Diesel, diesel engines become a substitute for steam engines. Diesel engines are heavy machinery and have a more rigid and stronger than gasoline engines so that diesel engines are not used for aircraft engines, but diesel engines developed so widely used by many factories, ships, submarines, locomotives and modern cars. Diesel engines have the advantage of being more fuel efficient than gasoline engines. Rudolf Diesel particularly interested in using coal dust or vegetable oil as fuel, and in fact, a machine he designed it to run using vegetable oil.