Зима тревоги нашей

           Thenthebooks,tintedwithlight,thepicturebooksofchildrengrown,seeded,andgone;ChatterboxesandtheRolloseries;athousandactsofGod—Fire,Flood,TidalWaves,Earthquakes—allfullyillustrated;theGustaveDoréHell,withDante’ssquaredcantoslikebricksbetween;andtheheartbreakingstoriesofHansChristianAndersen,theblood-chillingviolenceandcrueltyoftheGrimmBrothers,theMorted’ArthurofmajestywithdrawingsbyAubreyBeardsley,asickly,warpedcreature,astrangechoicetoillustrategreat,manlyMalory.

           IrememberthinkinghowwiseamanwasH.C.Andersen.Thekingtoldhissecretsdownawell,andhissecretsweresafe.Amanwhotellssecretsorstoriesmustthinkofwhoishearingorreading,forastoryhasasmanyversionsasithasreaders.Everyonetakeswhathewantsorcanfromitandthuschangesittohismeasure.Somepickoutpartsandrejecttherest,somestrainthestorythroughtheirmeshofprejudice,somepaintitwiththeirowndelight.Astorymusthavesomepointsofcontactwiththereadertomakehimfeelathomeinit.Onlythencanheacceptwonders.ThetaleImaytelltoAllenmustbedifferentlybuiltfromthesametaletoldtomyMary,andthatinturnshapedtofitMarulloifMarulloistojoinit.ButperhapstheWellofHosayAndersenisbest.Itonlyreceives,andtheechoitgivesbackisquietandsoonover.

           Iguesswe’reall,ormostofus,thewardsofthatnineteenth-centurysciencewhichdeniedexistencetoanythingitcouldnotmeasureorexplain.