Select popular tales Author:Hans Christian Andersen Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 42 THE DARNING-NEEDLE. There was once a darning-needle which was so conceited as to fancy herself a sewing-needle. " Now then, mind what I am going to s... more »ay to you, and be sure you handle me very carefully," said the darning-needle to the fingers which were about to make use of her services : " take care that I do not fall down; for if you were to drop me on the ground, I am quite certain that you would never be able to find me again, I am so very thin and genteel." " Come, come, set about your work," said the fingers; and they seized hold of her round the waist. " Wait a little, I am attended by my retinue," said the darning-needle, drawing a long thread after her; but the thread had no knot at the end. The fingers employed the needle in mending the cook'sslipper; the upper leather had broken away, and it was necessary to sew up the hole. " What clumsy menial work for me to be engaged in!" said the needle; " I have not strength to accomplish it: I shall never get through; I shall break; I am breaking, oh, I am indeed!" and sure enough she snapped in two. " I knew I should," cried she: " I said so beforehand. I am far too delicate for such hard work." " It is worth nothing now," said the fingers: but the cook took her and made her a sealing-wax head, and then used her to fasten her neckerchief. " I have got up in the world," said the needle; " they have raised me to the dignity of a brooch: I always predicted that great honours were in store for me. When there is so much in one, people are sure to perceive it sooner or later. Virtue is always its own reward." So saying, she gave herself all the airs of a coachman sitting on the box of a state- carriage, and kept twisting and turning herself round in the most absurd manner imaginable. " I beg your pardon, b...« less