WHAT did the whole family say？Well，listen first to what little Mary said．
It was little Mary's birthday，the loveliest of all days，she thought．All her little friends came to play with her，and she wore the most beautiful dress；she had got itfrom her Grandmother，who was now with the good God，but Grandmother herself had cut and sewed it before she went up into the bright，beautiful heaven．
The table in Mary's room shone with presents；there was the neatest little kitchen，with all that belongs to akitchen， and a doll which could roll its eyes and say"Au"，when one pressed its stomach；there was also a picture book with the loveliest stories to read，if one could read！But it was nicer even than all the stories to live through many birthdays．
"Yes，it is lovely to live，"said little Mary．
Godfather added that it was the loveliest fairy tale．
In the room close by were Mary's two brothers；they were big boys，the one nine years old，the other eleven．They also thought it was lovely to be alive，to live in their way，not to be a child like Mary，but to be smart school-boys，to have "excellent" in the character book，and to be able to enjoy a fight with their companions，to skate in winter，and to ride velocipedes in summer，to read about castles，drawbridges，and prisons，and to hear about discoveries in the heart of Africa．One of the boys had，how-ever，one anxiety，that everything would be discovered before he grew up；he wanted to go in quest of adventures then．Life is the most lovely story of adventure，Godfathersaid，and one takes part in it oneself．
It was on the ground floor that these children livedand played；up above lived another branch of the family，also with children，but these were grown up：the one sonwas seventeen years old，the second twenty，but the thirdwas very old，little Mary said—he was twenty－five andengaged．
They were all happily situated，had good parents，good clothes，good abilities，and they knew what they wanted．"Forward！away with all the old barricades！a freeview into all the world；that is the most lovely thing weknow．Godfather is right：life is the loveliest fairy tale！"
Father and Mother，both elderly people—naturallythey must be older than the children—said with a smile ontheir lips，with a smile in their eyes and hearts："Howyoung they are，the young people！things do not go quite asthey think in the world，but they do go．Life is a strange，lovely fairy tale．"
Overhead，a little nearer heaven，as one says，whenpeople live in the garret，lived Godfather．He was old，butso young in spirit，always in good humour，and he couldalso tell stories，many and long．He had travelled widely inthe world，and lovely things from all the countries in theworld stood in his room．There were pictures from floor toceiling，and some of the window-panes were of red andsome of yellow glass：if one looked through them，thewhole world lay in sunshine，however grey the weather wasoutside．In a big glass case grew green plants，and in apart of it gold－fish swam about：they looked as if they knewso much that they would not talk about it．It always smeltof flowers here，even in winter，and then a big fire burnedin the stove；it was so nice to sit and look into it and hearhow it crackled and sputtered．
"It repeats old memories to me，"said Godfather，andto little Mary it seemed as if many pictures showed them－selves in the fire．
But in the big bookcase close by，stood the realbooks：one of these Godfather read very often，and hecalled it the Book of books；it was the Bible．There，inpictures was shown the whole history of man and of theworld，the creation，the flood，the kings and the King ofkings．
"All that has happened and will happen stands in thisbook！"said Godfather．"So infinitely much in a littlebook！think of it！Everything that a man has to pray for，is said and put in few words in the Lord's Prayer．It is adrop of grace，a pearl of comfort from God．It is laid as agift on the cradle ot the child，at the child's heart．Littlechild，keep it carefully！never lose it，however big yougrow，and then you will not be left alone on the changingpaths！it will shine in on you and you will not be lost．"
Godfather's eyes shone at that；they beamed withjoy．Once in earlier days they had wept，"and that wasalso good，"he said，"it was a time of trial when thingslooked grey．Now I have sunshine about me and in me．The older one grows，the better one sees both in prosperi-ty and adversity，that our Father is always with us，thatlife is the loveliest fairy tale，and only He can give usthat，and it lasts into eternity．"
"It is lovely to live，"said little Mary．
The little and the big boys said so too；Father andMother and the whole family said it，but above all Godfa－ther，and he had experience，he was the oldest of themall，he knew all the stories，all the fairy tales，and hesaid，and that right out of his heart．，"Life is the loveli－est fairy tale！”
全家人讲的话
全家的人讲了些什么话呢？唔，请先听小玛莉说的什么吧。
这是小玛莉的生日；她觉得这是所有的日子中最美好的一天。她所有的小男朋友和小女朋友们都来和她玩耍；她穿着最漂亮的衣服。这是她从祖母那儿得来的。祖母已经到上帝那儿去了，不过在她走进明亮和美丽的天国以前，她就已经把衣服裁好了，缝好了。
玛莉房里的桌子上摆满了华丽的礼物：有设备齐全的最精致的厨房，有能够转动眼睛和在肚皮上一按就能说声“噢！”的木偶，还有一本画册，里面有最美妙的故事可读——如果你认识字的话！但是比所有的故事更美妙的是，过许多生日！
“活着本身就是美妙的！”小玛莉说。
干爸爸还补充了一句，说活着本身就是最美妙的童话。
她的两个哥哥住在旁边的一个房间里。他们都是大孩子，一个9岁，一个11岁。他们也觉得活着是很可爱的——照自己的方式活着，而不是像玛莉这样一个孩子活着；不，是像一个活泼的小学生一样地活着：品行通知书上写着“优等”，跟同学痛快地比比气力，在冬天滑冰，在夏天踩踏车，阅读关于城堡、吊桥和地牢的故事，静听关于非洲中部的探险。但是有一个孩子却有一种不安的情绪：他害怕在他没有长大以前，一切东西就已经被发现了。他自己非常希望去作一番冒险。干爸爸曾经说过，生活是一个最美妙的童话而且人本身就在这个童话里面。
这些孩子住在第一层楼。在更高的一层楼上住着这个家族的另一分支，他们也有孩子，不过都长大了：一个有17岁，另一个有20岁，但是第三个，据小玛莉的意见，要算年纪最大——他有25岁，而且还订了婚。
他们的境况都很好；他们的父母好，衣服好，能力也好。他们知道自己的要求：“向前进！打倒一切旧的障碍！把整个世界摊开来自由地看一看——这才是我们认为最美妙的事情呢。”干爸爸说得对：“生活本身就是一个最美妙的童话！”
爸爸和妈妈都是年纪大的人——他们的年纪自然会比孩子大一些的。他们的嘴角上飘着微笑，眼睛和心里也藏着微笑；他们说：
“这些年轻人是多么年轻啊！世界上的事情并不按照他们想象的那样在发展，但是却在不停地发展。生活是一个奇怪而可爱的童话！”
干爸爸住在最上层，略微接近天空——大家这样形容住在顶楼上的人。他已经老了，但是精神却非常年轻，他的心情老是很好；他会讲的故事又多又长。他周游过世界；他的房间里摆着各国可爱的东西：从地板一直到天花板都挂满了画；有些窗玻璃是红的，有些是黄的——如果人们朝里面望，不管外面的天气怎样阴，世界总像是充满了太阳光。一个大玻璃盆里栽着绿色的植物；在这玻璃盆的另一边，有几条金鱼在游泳——它们望着你，好像它们知道的事情太多，而不屑于和人讲话似的。这儿甚至在冬天都有花的香味。火在炉子里熊熊地燃着。坐在这儿望着火，听它烧得噼啪噼啪地响，真是有趣得很。
“这使我回忆起许多过去的事情，”干爸爸说。小玛莉也似乎看见火里出现了许多图景。
但是在旁边的一个大书架里放着许多真正的书。有一本是干爸爸常读的，他把它叫做书中之书：这是一部《圣经》。在绘图里，整个世界和整个人类的历史都被描写出来了：创世、洪水、国王和国王中的国王。
“一切已经发生过和将要发生的事情，这书里全有！”干爸爸说。“一本书包罗万象！请想想看！的确，人类所祈求的一切东西，《主祷文》用几个字就说清楚了：‘我们在天上的父！’这是慈悲的水滴！这是上帝赐予的安慰的珠子。它是放在孩子的摇篮里，放在孩子心里的一件礼物。小宝贝，把它好好地保藏着吧！
不管你长得多大，不要遗失它；那么你在变幻无穷的道路上就不会迷失方向！让它照着你，你就不会走错路！”
干爸爸说到这儿眼睛就亮起来了，射出快乐的光辉。这对眼睛在年轻的时候曾经哭过。
“那也是很好的，”他说。“那时正是考验的时候，一切都显得灰暗。现在我身里身外都有阳光。人的年纪一大，就更能在幸福和灾难的时刻中看出上帝是和我们在一起，生活是一个最美妙的童话——只有上帝才能给我们这些东西，而且永远是如此！”
“活着本身就是最美妙的！”小玛莉说。
小男孩子和大男孩子也都这样说。爸爸、妈妈和全家的人也都这样说。特别是干爸爸也这样说。他有生活的经验，他是年纪最大的一个人，知道所有的故事，所有的童话，而且说——直接从心里说出来的：“生活本身就是一个最美妙的童话！”
这篇作品发表在1870年9月哥本哈根出版的《传奇和历史故事》杂志。“生活本身就是最美丽的童话，”但是“只有上帝才能给我们这些东西，而且永远是如此！”这是安徒生对人生的美好愿望，但在现实生活中他却找不到达到这个愿望的手段，只好求助于他想象中的“仁慈的上帝”。但在现实生活中“上帝”也往往使他失望。这是安徒生作为一个热爱儿童，热爱人类的童话作家一生所面临的苦恼。