Lookhowitrunsthroughone’sfingers！’and，sosaying，hefilledhispocketwiththemud。
Butthebrothersrodeonsofastthatdustandsparksflewallaround，andtheyreachedthegateofthetownagoodhourbeforeBlockhead-Hans。Herecamethesuitorsnumberedaccordingtotheirarrival，andtheywererangedinrows，sixineachrow，andtheyweresotightlypackedthattheycouldnotmovetheirarms。
Thiswasaverygoodthing，forotherwisetheywouldhavetorneachotherinpieces，merelybecausetheonewasinfrontoftheother。
AllthecountrypeoplewerestandingroundtheKing’sthrone，andwerecrowdedtogetherinthickmassesalmostoutofthewindowstoseethePrincessreceivethesuitors；andaseachonecameintotheroomallhisfinephraseswentoutlikeacandle！
’Itdoesn’tmatter！’saidthePrincess。’Away！outwithhim！’
Atlastshecametotherowinwhichthebrotherwhoknewthedictionarybyheartwas，buthedidnotknowitanylonger；hehadquiteforgottenitintherankandfile。Andthefloorcreaked，andtheceilingwasallmadeofglassmirrors，sothathesawhimselfstandingonhishead，andbyeachwindowwerestandingthreereportersandaneditor；andeachofthemwaswritingdownwhatwassaid，topublishitinthepaperthatcameoutandwassoldatthestreetcornersforapenny。Itwasfearful，andtheyhadmadeupthefiresohotthatitwasgrilling。
’Itishotinhere，isn’tit！’saidthesuitor。
’Ofcourseitis！Myfatherisroastingyoungchickensto-day！’
saidthePrincess。
’Ahem！’Therehestoodlikeanidiot。Hewasnotpreparedforsuchaspeech；hedidnotknowwhattosay，althoughhewantedtosaysomethingwitty。’Ahem！’
’Itdoesn’tmatter！’saidthePrincess。’Takehimout！’andouthehadtogo。
Nowtheotherbrotherentered。
’Howhotitis！’hesaid。
’Ofcourse！Weareroastingyoungchickensto-day！’remarkedthePrincess。
’Howdoyou——um！’hesaid，andthereporterswrotedown。’Howdoyou——um。’
’Itdoesn’tmatter！’saidthePrincess。’Takehimout！’
NowBlockhead-Hanscamein；herodehisgoatrightintothehall。
’Isay！Howroastinghotitishere！’saidhe。
’Ofcourse！Iamroastingyoungchickensto-day！’saidthePrincess。
’That’sgood！’repliedBlockhead-Hans；’thencanIroastacrowwiththem？’
’Withthegreatestofpleasure！’saidthePrincess；’buthaveyouanythingyoucanroastthemin？forIhaveneitherpotnorsaucepan。’
’Oh，rather！’saidBlockhead-Hans。’Hereisacookingimplementwithtinrings，’andhedrewouttheoldwoodenshoe，andlaidthecrowinit。
’Thatisquiteameal！’saidthePrincess；’butwhereshallwegetthesoupfrom？’
’I’vegotthatinmypocket！’saidBlockhead-Hans。’IhavesomuchthatIcanquitewellthrowsomeaway！’andhepouredsomemudoutofhispocket。
’Ilikeyou！’saidthePrincess。’Youcananswer，andyoucanspeak，andIwillmarryyou；butdoyouknowthateverywordwhichwearesayingandhavesaidhasbeentakendownandwillbeinthepaperto-morrow？Byeachwindowdoyouseetherearestandingthreereportersandanoldeditor，andthisoldeditoristheworst，forhedoesn’tunderstandanything！’butsheonlysaidthistoteaseBlockhead-Hans。Andthereportersgiggled，andeachdroppedablotofinkonthefloor。
’Ah！arethosethegreatpeople？’saidBlockhead-Hans。’ThenI
willgivetheeditorthebest！’Sosaying，heturnedhispocketsinsideout，andthrewthemudrightinhisface。
’Thatwasneatlydone！’saidthePrincess。’Icouldn’thavedoneit；butIwillsoonlearnhowto！’
Blockhead-HansbecameKing，gotawifeandacrown，andsatonthethrone；andthiswehavestilldampfromthenewspaperoftheeditorandthereporters——andtheyarenottobebelievedforamoment。
TherewasonceaDarning-needlewhothoughtherselfsofinethatshebelievedshewasanembroidery-needle。’Takegreatcaretoholdmetight！’saidtheDarning-needletotheFingerswhowereholdingher。’Don’tletmefall！IfIoncefallonthegroundI
shallneverbefoundagain，Iamsofine！’
’Itisallright！’saidtheFingers，seizingherroundthewaist。
’Look，Iamcomingwithmytrain！’saidtheDarning-needleasshedrewalongthreadafterher；buttherewasnoknotattheendofthethread。
TheFingerswereusingtheneedleonthecook’sshoe。Theupperleatherwasunstitchedandhadtobesewntogether。
’Thisiscommonwork！’saidtheDarning-needle。’Ishallnevergetthroughit。Iambreaking！Iambreaking！’Andinfactshedidbreak。’Didn’tItellyouso！’saidtheDarning-needle。’I
amtoofine！’
’Nowsheisgoodfornothing！’saidtheFingers；buttheyhadtoholdhertightwhilethecookdroppedsomesealing-waxontheneedleandstuckitinthefrontofherdress。
’NowIamabreast-pin！’saidtheDarning-needle。’IalwaysknewIshouldbepromoted。Whenoneissomething，onewillbecomesomething！’Andshelaughedtoherself；youcanneverseewhenaDarning-needleislaughing。ThenshesatupasproudlyasifshewereinaStatecoach，andlookedallroundher。
’MayIbeallowedtoaskifyouaregold？’shesaidtoherneighbour，thePin。’Youhaveaveryniceappearance，andapeculiarhead；butitistoosmall！Youmusttakepainstomakeitgrow，foritisnoteveryonewhohasaheadofsealing-wax。’
AndsosayingtheDarning-needleraisedherselfupsoproudlythatshefelloutofthedress，rightintothesinkwhichthecookwasrinsingout。
’NowIamoffonmytravels！’saidtheDarning-needle。’IdohopeIsha’n’tgetlost！’Shedidindeedgetlost。
’Iamtoofineforthisworld！’saidsheasshelayinthegutter；’butIknowwhoIam，andthatisalwaysalittlesatisfaction！’
AndtheDarning-needlekeptherproudbearinganddidnotlosehergood-temper。
Allkindsofthingsswamoverher——shavings，bitsofstraw，andscrapsofoldnewspapers。
’Justlookhowtheysailalong！’saidtheDarning-needle。’Theydon’tknowwhatisunderneaththem！HereIamstickingfast！
Theregoesashavingthinkingofnothingintheworldbutofitself，amerechip！Theregoesastraw——well，howitdoestwistandtwirl，tobesure！Don’tthinksomuchaboutyourself，oryouwillbeknockedagainstastone。Therefloatsabitofnewspaper。Whatiswrittenonitislongagoforgotten，andyethowprouditis！Iamsittingpatientandquiet。IknowwhoI
am，andthatisenoughforme！’
OnedaysomethingthicklaynearherwhichglitteredsobrightlythattheDarning-needlethoughtitmustbeadiamond。Butitwasabitofbottle-glass，andbecauseitsparkledtheDarning-needlespoketoit，andgaveherselfoutasabreast-pin。
’Nodoubtyouareadiamond？’
’Yes，somethingofthatkind！’Andeachbelievedthattheotherwassomethingverycostly；andtheybothsaidhowveryproudtheworldmustbeofthem。
’Ihavecomefromalady’swork-box，’saidDarning-needle，’andthisladywasacook；shehadfivefingersoneachhand；anythingsoproudasthesefingersIhaveneverseen！Andyettheywereonlytheretotakemeoutofthework-boxandtoputmebackagain！’
’Weretheyofnoblebirth，then？’askedthebitofbottle-glass。
’Ofnoblebirth！’saidtheDarning-needle；’noindeed，butproud！
Theywerefivebrothers，allcalled’’Fingers。’’Theyheldthemselvesproudlyoneagainsttheother，althoughtheywereofdifferentsizes。Theoutsideone，theThumb，wasshortandfat；
hewasoutsidetherank，andhadonlyonebendinhisback，andcouldonlymakeonebow；buthesaidthatifhewerecutofffromamanthathewasnolongeranyuseasasoldier。Dip-into-
everything，thesecondfinger，dippedintosweetthingsaswellassourthings，pointedtothesunandthemoon，andguidedthepenwhentheywrote。Longman，thethird，lookedattheothersoverhisshoulder。Goldband，thefourth，hadagoldsashroundhiswaist；andlittlePlaymandidnothingatall，andwasthemoreproud。Therewastoomuchostentation，andsoIcameaway。’
’Andnowwearesittingandshininghere！’saidthebitofbottle-glass。
Atthatmomentmorewatercameintothegutter；itstreamedovertheedgesandwashedthebitofbottle-glassaway。
’Ah！nowhehasbeenpromoted！’saidtheDarning-needle。’I
remainhere；Iamtoofine。Butthatismypride，whichisasignofrespectability！’Andshesatthereveryproudly，thinkingloftythoughts。
’IreallybelieveImusthavebeenbornasunbeam，Iamsofine！
Itseemstomeasifthesunbeamswerealwayslookingunderthewaterforme。Ah，Iamsofinethatmyownmothercannotfindme！IfIhadmyoldeyewhichbrokeoff，IbelieveIcouldweep；
butIcan’t——itisnotfinetoweep！’
Onedaytwostreet-urchinswereplayingandwadinginthegutter，pickingupoldnails，pennies，andsuchthings。Itwasratherdirtywork，butitwasagreatdelighttothem。
’Oh，oh！’criedoutone，asheprickedhimselfwiththeDarning-needle；’heisafinefellowthough！’
’Iamnotafellow；Iamayounglady！’saidtheDarning-needle；
butnooneheard。Thesealing-waxhadgone，andshehadbecomequiteblack；butblackmakesonelookveryslim，andsoshethoughtshewasevenfinerthanbefore。
’Herecomesanegg-shellsailingalong！’saidtheboys，andtheystucktheDarning-needleintotheegg-shell。
’ThewallswhiteandIblack——whataprettycontrastitmakes！’
saidtheDarning-needle。’NowIcanbeseentoadvantage！IfonlyIamnotsea-sick！Ishouldgivemyselfupforlost！’
Butshewasnotsea-sick，anddidnotgiveherselfup。
’Itisagoodthingtobesteeledagainstsea-sickness；hereonehasindeedanadvantageoverman！Nowmyqualmsareover。Thefineroneisthemoreonecanbeat。’
’Crack！’saidtheegg-shellasawagon-wheelwentoverit。
’Oh！howitpresses！’saidtheDarning-needle。’Ishallindeedbesea-sicknow。Iambreaking！’Butshedidnotbreak，althoughthewagon-wheelwentoverher；shelaythereatfulllength，andthereshemaylie。
End
