"Don't let me fall! If I fall on the ground I shall
certainly never be found again, for I am so fine!"
"That's as it may be," said the Fingers; and they grasped her round
the body.
"See, I'm coming with a train!" said the Darning-needle, and she drew
a long thread after her, but there was no knot in the thread.
The Fingers pointed the needle just at the cook's slipper, in which
the upper leather had burst, and was to be sewn together.
"That's vulgar work," said the Darning-needle. "I shall never get
through. I'm breaking! I'm breaking!" And she really broke. "Did I not
say so?" said the Darning-needle; "I'm too fine!"
"Now it's quite useless," said the Fingers; but they were obliged to
hold her fast, all the same; for the cook dropped some sealing-wax
upon the needle, and pinned her handkerchief together with it in
front.
"So, now I'm a breast-pin!" said the Darning-needle. "I knew very
well that I should come to honor; when one is something, one comes to
something!"
And she laughed quietly to herself--and one can never see when a
darning-needle laughs. There she sat, as proud as if she were in a
state coach, and looked all about her.
"May I be permitted to ask if you are of gold?" she inquired of the
pin, her neighbor.
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