《安徒生童话英文版》第295章

　　I cannot come in, for I must dance."

　　And the executioner said: "I don't suppose you know who I am. Istrike off the heads of the wicked, and I notice that my axe istingling to do so."

　　"Don't cut off my head!" said Karen, "for then I could notrepent of my sin. But cut off my feet with the red shoes."

　　And then she confessed all her sin, and the executioner struck offher feet with the red shoes; but the shoes danced away with the littlefeet across the field into the deep forest.

　　And he carved her a pair of wooden feet and some crutches, andtaught her a psalm which is always sung by sinners; she kissed thehand that guided the axe, and went away over the heath.

　　"Now, I have suffered enough for the red shoes," she said; "I willgo to church, so that people can see me." And she went quickly up tothe church-door; but when she came there, the red shoes were dancingbefore her, and she was frightened, and turned back.

　　During the whole week she was sad and wept many bitter tears,but when Sunday came again she said: "Now I have suffered andstriven enough. I believe I am quite as good as many of those whosit in church and give themselves airs." And so she went boldly on;but she had not got farther than the churchyard gate when she sawthe red shoes dancing along before her. Then she became terrified, andturned back and repented right heartily of her sin.

　　She went to the parsonage, and begged that she might be taken intoservice there. She would be industrious, she said, and do everythingthat she could; she did not mind about the wages as long as she hada roof over her, and was with good people. The pastor's wife hadpity on her, and took her into service. And she was industrious andthoughtful. She sat quiet and listened when the pastor read aloud fromthe Bible in the evening. All the children liked her very much, butwhen they spoke about dress and grandeur and beauty she would shakeher head.

　　On the following Sunday they all went to church, and she was askedwhether she wished to go too; but, with tears in her eyes, shelooked sadly at her crutches. And then the others went to hear God'sWord, but she went alone into her little room; this was only largeenough to hold the bed and a chair. Here she sat down with herhymn-book, and as she was reading it with a pious mind, the windcarried the notes of the organ over to her from the church, and intears she lifted up her face and said: "O God! help me!"

　　Then the sun shone so brightly, and right before her stood anangel of God in white robes; it was the same one whom she had seenthat night at the church-door. He no longer carried the sharp sword,but a beautiful green branch, full of roses; with this he touchedthe ceiling, which rose up very high, and where he had touched itthere shone a golden star. He touched the walls, which opened wideapart, and she saw the organ which was pealing forth; she saw thepictures of the old pastors and their wives, and the congregationsitting in the polished chairs and singing from their hymn-books.The church itself had come to the poor girl in her narrow room, or theroom had gone to the church. She sat in the pew with the rest of thepastor's household, and when they had finished the hymn and looked up,they nodded and said, "It was right of you to come, Karen."

　　"It was mercy," said she.

　　The organ played and the children's voices in the choir soundedsoft and lovely. The bright warm sunshine streamed through thewindow into the pew where Karen sat, and her heart became so filledwith it, so filled with peace and joy, that it broke. Her soul flew onthe sunbeams to Heaven, and no one was there who asked after the RedShoes.

　　THE END.

　　1872

　　FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

　　THE SAUCY BOY

　　by Hans Christian Andersen

　　ONCE upon a time there was an old poet, one of those right goodold poets.

　　One evening, as he was sitting at home, there was a terrible stormgoing on outside; the rain was pouring down, but the old poet satcomfortably in his chimney-corner, where the fire was burning andthe apples were roasting.

　　"There will not be a dry thread left on the poor people who areout in this weather," he said.

　　"Oh, open the door!