Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-11-28
MISCELLANY.
THE DARNING NEEDLE.
BY HANS cHRIsrIAy ANDERSEN.

Translated from the swedish
There was once darning needle that tho't
so much of herself that she fancled she was
. sewing needle.
Only mind you hold me fast would she
say to the finger that took hold of her, 'and
don't let me fall on the hoor or should
never be found again ] nm so delicate
This will do, said the fingers, taking her
up round the body.
Sec, come with whole retinue said
the darning needle, drawing long thread
after only there was no knot at the end of
the thread.
The finger directed the needle towards the
cooks slipper. The upper leather had
cracked, and it was to be sewed together.
This is very close work said the darning
needle, Il shall never get through--l shall
break Il am breaking
And sure enough she broke.
did not say SO = said the darnlng nee
die; Il am too delicate for such work .
The needle will be of no further use,' said
the fingers, though they still held it fast
and the cook dropped some wax on the nee
die, and fasteneG Ter neckerchief with it.
darnin l knew that should rise
in the world ne has merit, one IS sure
to become something or other And then
she laughed in her sleeve-for nobody eyer
saw a darning needle laugh-and there she
stuck as proud as though she were sitting il
stage, looking all about her.
by your leave-are you made of gold =
asked she of n neighboring pin. You have n
n very fine appearance and remarkable
head only it is very small iou must try
and grow. for it is not everybody who has
wax dropped upon thcm. And the darniUg
needle bridled up so proudly that she topFlcd
over out of the neckerchef, and t,li into the
sink which the cook was then cleaning out,
'Now | am going to travel sad the darn
ing needle, but it is to be hoped shall not
get lost y
But in fact she was lost.
lam too genteel for this place = said she
as she lay in the sink But know what |
am, and that is some little comfort And
the darning needle maintained her p oud
bearing, and did not lose her good temper.
And all sorts Of things swan over her,
such as chips of wood, bits Of straw, and
pieces Of old newspapers
See how they sail y said the darning nee
die. They don't dream of what is sticking
below them, though it is who am sticking
who am sitting here, There goes a chip
who thinks of nothing in the word but him
self-a mere chip There runs straw and
how he turns and twists about Don't be
thinking Of your foolish self, or you will run
against a stone, There swima "a piece of a
newspaper. Its contents nave bPtn lOHp since
forgotten and yet he is nightly proud. |
an sitting still and am patient. | know
what am, and that shall remain, come
what will
One day something lay close to her that
slittered 40 splendidly that the darning needle
thoughtit 1t must be diamond but it was mere
lys bit Of glass, only as it shown 80 brightly,
ths dsrding needle spoke to 1t, giving herself
out IS q breast pin.
you are a diamond, ! presumed
Something of the kind
80 each imagined tho ther to be very val-
liable, and their conversation turned upon
che naughtiness Of the world.
Il lived in damsels box said the darn
ing needle, and this damsel happened to be
q cook /; she had five fingers on each hand
but anything more arrogant that those fin
gers never saw. And yet they were only
there for the express purpose Of taking me
out of the box, and putting me back into the
boz
Were they, then, of high descent = in
ouired the piece of broken bottle.
High descent' Oh, dear no - said the
dsrning needle, but naughty to the last de-
gree. They were FIVE brothers, all born fin
gers. They stood proudly beside each other,
although they were of unequal heights /; the
outside one, namely the thumb, was short
and thick. and his position was beside the
limb, and he had only one joint, and could
only make a bow, but he said that any human
being who had lost him was not fit for the
army. His next neighbOr, thorough sweet
tooth, dipped into sweet and sour, pointed
to the sun and moon, and formed the letters
when they all wrote. Master Longman, the
middle finger looked down upon all the others
Gold Collet, the fourth brother, wore gold
circlet round his body, and little Peter
Spielmann did nothing at all, which he was
very proud Of. They were set of boasters
and such they will remain, and that is why |
left them
And now we lie here and glitter, said the
piece of broken bottle.
Just then more water was poured into the
sink, which overhowed, ana tho broken glass
was carried away by the stream,
So he is of = said the darning needle Il
am left lying here, because | am too genteel
but that's my pride, and laudabie one it
is.
And she remained proudly stuck where she
was, induging in mighty grand thoughts.
Il could almost fancy that / were born of,a
sunbeam, am so delicate And it seems as
if the sunbeams alweys tried to find me
under the water Alas | am so delicate
that my own mother would not be able to find
me. If | still possessed my old eye, which
was broken off, think | should fam weep
but will not-because it is not gentee to
cry
Ono day couple of boys IN the street
were padding in the gutter where they turn
...fe.f.' .