There floats a bit of
newspaper. What is written on it is long ago forgotten, and yet
how proud it is! I am sitting patient and quiet. I know who I
am, and that is enough for me!'
One day something thick lay near her which glittered so brightly
that the Darning-needle thought it must be a diamond. But it was
a bit of bottle-glass, and because it sparkled the Darning-needle
spoke to it, and gave herself out as a breast-pin.
'No doubt you are a diamond?'
'Yes, something of that kind!' And each believed that the other
was something very costly; and they both said how very proud the
world must be of them.
'I have come from a lady's work-box,' said Darning-needle, 'and
this lady was a cook; she had five fingers on each hand; anything
so proud as these fingers I have never seen! And yet they were
only there to take me out of the work-box and to put me back
again!'
'Were they of noble birth, then?' asked the bit of bottle-glass.
'Of noble birth!' said the Darning-needle; 'no indeed, but proud!
They were five brothers, all called ''Fingers.'' They held
themselves proudly one against the other, although they were of
different sizes.
Pages:
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484