So he
stretched himself from one bank to the other, and the coal, who was
of a hasty disposition, at once tripped gaily on to the newly-built
bridge. Half way across she hesitated, and began to feel afraid of the
rushing water beneath her. She dared go no farther, but neither would
she return; but she stood there so long that the straw caught fire,
broke in two, and fell into the stream. Of course, the coal was bound
to follow. No sooner did she touch the water than--hiss, zish! out she
went, and never glowed again.
The bean, who was a careful fellow, had stayed on the bank, to watch
how the coal got across, before trusting himself to such a slender
bridge. But when he saw what very queer figures his friends cut, he
could not help laughing. He laughed and laughed till he could not
stop, and at length he split his side.
It would have gone badly with him then, had not a tailor happened to
pass by. He was a kind-hearted fellow, and at once took out his needle
and thread and began to repair the mischief.
The bean thanked him politely, for he knew that the tailor had saved
his life, but unfortunately he had used black thread, and from that
time till to-day every bean has a little black stitch in its side.
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