Excerpts from
Fairy-Tales
By Hans Christian Andersen
From The Red Shoes
There was
once a little girl; a very nice pretty little girl. But in summer she had to go
barefoot, because she was poor, and in winter she wore thick wooden shoes, so
that her little instep became quite red, altogether red.
In the middle of the
village lived an old shoemaker’s wife: she sat, and sewed, as well as she
could, a pair of little shoes, of old strips of red cloth; they were clumsy
enough, but well meant, and the little girl was to have them The little girl’s
name was Karen.
On the day when her
mother was buried she received the red shoes and wore them for the first time.
They were certainly not suited for mourning; but she had no others, and
therefore thrust her little bare feet tnto them and walked behind the plain
deal coffin.
Suddenly a great
carriage came by, and in the carriage sat an old lady: she looked at the little
girl and felt pity for her, and said to the clergyman,
“Give me the little
girl, and I will provide for her.”
Karen thought this
was for the sake of the shoes; but the old lady declared they were hideous; and
they were burned. But Karen herself was clothed neatly and properly: she was
taught to read and to sew, and the people said she was agreeable. But her
mirror said, “You are much more than agreeeable; you are beautiful.”
Once the Queen
travelled through the country, and had her little daughter with her; and the
daughter was a Princess. And the people flocked towards the castle, and Karen
too was among them; and the little Princess stood in a fine white dress at a window,
and let herself be gazed at. She had neither train nor golden crown, but she
wore splendid red morocco shoes; they were certainly far handsomer than those
the shoesmaker’s wife had made for little Karen.- Nothing in the world can
compare with red shoes!
Now Karen was old
enough to be confirmed: new clothes were made for her, and she was to have new
shoes. The rich shoesmaker in the town took the measure of her little feet;
this was done in his own house, in his little room, and there stood great glass
cases with neat shoes and shining boots. It had quite a charming appearance,
but the old lady could not see well, and therefore took no pleasure in it.
Among the shoes stood a red pair, just like those wich the Princess had worn.
How beautiful they were! The shoemaker also said they had been made for a
Count’s child, but they had not fitted.
“That must be patent
leather,” observed the old lady, “the snoes shine so!”
“Yes, they shine!”
replied Karen; and they fitted her, and were bought. But the old lady did not
know that they were red; for she would never have allowed Karen to go to her
confirmation in red shoes; and that is what Karen did.
Every one was
looking at her shoes. And when she went across the church porch, towards the
door of the choir, it seemed to her as if the old pictures on the tombstones,
the portrats of clergymen and clergymen’s wives, in their stiff collars and
long black garments, fixed their eyes upon her red shoes. And she thought of
her shoes only, when the priest laid his hand upon her head and spoke holy
words. And the organ pealed solemnly, the children sang with their fresh sweet
voices, and the old precentor sang too; but Karen thought only of her red
shoes.
In the afternoon the
old lady was informed by every one that the shoes were red; and she said it was
naughty and unsuitable, and that when Karen went to church in future, she
should always go in black shoes, even if they were old.
Next Sunday was
Sacrement Sunday. And Karen looked at the black shoes, and looked at the red
ones – looked at them again – and put on the red ones. [...]
Translated by H. W. Dulcken
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