Page:Fairy tales and stories (Andersen, Tegner).djvu/362

330 was of course because he had been made to represent one; the workmen might just as well have made a prince of him at once.

There he stood with his ladder, looking quite handsome, with a face as white and red as a girl's, which, of course, was really a mistake, for he might as well have been a little blackened. He was standing close to the shepherdess. They had both been placed where they stood, and having been so placed, they became engaged, for they suited each other very well, and they were both young people and were made of the same porcelain, and equally liable to be broken.

Close to them stood another figure which was three times as big as they; it was an old Chinaman who could nod his head. He was also made of porcelain, and used to say that he was grandfather of the little shepherdess; but I don't think he could prove that. He would, however, insist that he had some influence over her, and that was the reason he had been nodding to the Major-and-lieutenant-general-war-commander-sergeant of the Billy-goat-legs, who was courting the little shepherdess.

"Now there is a husband for you," said the old Chinaman; "a man, who, I think, is actually made of mahogany. He can make you Lady-major-and-lieutenant-general-war-commander-sergeant of the Billy-goat-legs. He has got the whole cupboard full of silver, besides what he has in his secret drawers."

"I don't want to go into the dark cupboard," said the little shepherdess. "I have heard say he has eleven porcelain wives in there!" "Then you can be the twelfth," said the Chinaman. "To-night, as soon as the old cupboard begins to creak, you two shall be married, as true as I am a Chinaman!" And then he nodded his head and fell asleep. But the little shepherdess wept and looked at the beloved of her heart, the porcelain chimney-sweep. "I think I must ask you," she said, "to go with me out into the wide world, for we cannot remain here."

"I will do everything you want me to do," said the little sweep. "Let us go at once. I think I shall be able to make a living by my profession."

"I wish we were safely down from the table," she said. "I shall not be happy till we are out in the wide world."

And he comforted her and showed her how she could place her little foot on the carved edges and the gilt foliage down along the leg of the table, and he also made use of his ladder; but when they looked in the direction of the old cupboard everything seemed to be in a state of confusion. All the carved stags stretched their heads still farther out, rearing their antlers aloft and twisting their heads. The Major-and-lieutenant-general-war-commander-sergeant of the Billy-goat-legs jumped into the air and shouted across to the old Chinaman: "They are running away! they are running away!"