Page:Fairy tales from Hans Christian Andersen (Walker).djvu/58

36 as mainmast on a splendid ship, which could sail round the world if it chose; the other branches were scattered in different directions, and it is now our task to give light to the common herd; that is how such aristocratic people as ourselves have got into this kitchen.'

"'Now my lot has been different!' said the iron pot, beside which the matches lay. 'Ever since I came into the world I have passed the time in being scoured and boiled, over and over again! Everything solid comes to me, and in fact I am the most important person in the house. My pleasure is, when the dinner is over, to lie clean and bright on the shelf, and to have a sensible chat with my companions; but with the exception of the water-bucket, which sometimes goes down into the yard, we lead an indoor life. Our only newsmonger is the market-basket, and it talks very wildly about the Government and the People. Why, the other day an old pot was so alarmed by the conversation, that it fell down and broke itself to pieces! It was a Liberal, you see!'

"'You are talking too much,' said the tinderbox, and the steel struck sparks on the flint. 'Let us have a merry evening.'

"'Yes, pray let us settle which is the most aristocratic among us,' said the matches.

"'No, I don't like talking about myself,' said the earthen pipkin; 'let us have an evening entertainment! I will begin. I will tell you the kind of things we have all experienced; they are quite easy to understand, and that is what we all like: By the eastern sea and Danish beeches——'

"'That's a nice beginning to make!' said all the plates; 'I am sure that will be a story I shall like!'

"'Well, I passed my youth there, in a very quiet family; the furniture was beeswaxed, the floors washed, and clean curtains were put up once a fortnight!'

"'What a good story-teller you are,' said the broom; 'one can tell directly that it's a woman telling a story; a vein of cleanliness runs through it!'