Page:Hans Andersen's fairy tales (Robinson).djvu/318

 HANS ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES 'I cannot bear this!' said she. 'Let us leave the drawer.' But when they had again reached the floor, on looking up at the table, they saw that the old Chinese mandarin had awakened, and was rocking his whole body to and fro with rage.

'Oh, the old mandarin is coming!' cried the little shepherdess, and down she fell on her porcelain knees in the greatest distress. 'A sudden thought has struck me,' said the chimney-sweeper: 'suppose we creep into the large pot-pourri vase that stands in the corner; there we can rest upon roses and lavender, and throw salt in his eyes if he come near us.'

'That will not do at all,' said she; 'besides, I know that the old mandarin was once betrothed to the pot-pourri vase, and no doubt there is still some slight friendship existing between them. No, there is no help for it, we must wander forth together into the wide world.'

'Hast thou indeed the courage to go with me into the wide world?' asked the chimney-sweeper. 'Hast thou considered how large it is, and that we may never return home again?'

'I have,' replied she.

And the chimney-sweeper looked keenly at her, and then said, 'My path leads through the chimney! hast thou indeed the courage to creep with me through the stove, through the flues and the tunnel? Well do I know the way! We shall mount up so high that they cannot come near us, and at the top there is a cavern that leads into the wide world.'

And he led her to the door of the stove.

'Oh, how black it looks!' sighed she; however, she went on with him, through the flues and through the tunnel, where it was dark, pitch dark. 266