Page:The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen (c1899).djvu/198

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ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES

SEIZliU THli QUliEiN BY THE MIDLiLL ul- HER SLENDER WAIST, SO THAT IT CRACKED AGAIN.

therefore, Johannes and his fellow-traveller turned into an inn, in order to rest and gather strength for the next day's excursion.

A number of persons were assembled in the tap- room of the inn, where a man was e.xhibiting a puppet- show. He had just set up his little theatre, and the people were sitting round to see the play. But, right in front, a stout butcher had sat himself down in the very best place, while his great bulldog by his side — who looked wondrously snappish — sat staring like the rest of the audience.

The play now began. It was a ver}' pretty piece, with a king and queen, who sat on a splendid throne, with gold crowns on their heads and long trains to their robes ; for their means allowed them to indulge in such lu.xuries. The prettiest little puppets, with glass eyes and large moustaches, stood at all the doors, and opened and shut them, to let in fresh air. It was a very agreeable play, and not at all mournful. But, just as the queen got up, and passed across the stage, no one knows what the huge bulldog took into his head ; but, being no longer held by the butcher, he jumped right into the theatre, and seized the queen by the middle of her slender waist, so that it cracked again. It was quite shocking to hear.

The poor man who exhibited the show was both frightened and sorry for the loss of his queen, for she was the most elegant puppet in his stock, and the ugl)' bulldog had bitten her head off. But when the rest of the spectators had retired, the stranger who travelled with Johannes said that he would set her to rights, and, taking out his box, he smeared the puppet with the same oint- ment that had cured the old woman's broken leg. The moment this was done, the puppet was whole again, and could even move all her limbs of herself and no longer required to be pulled by wires. The puppet was like a human being, except that it could not speak. The showman was vastly delighted, for now he had no longer an' occasion to hold this puppet, who could dance of her own accord, which none of the others could do.

Late at night, when all the folks at the inn had gone to bed, somebody was heard to sigh so dreadfully deep, and so frequently, that the whole household got up, to see what could be the matter. The showman went to his little theatre, for it was from thence the sighing proceeded. All the wooden puppets were lying in a heap ; the king and his body-guard it was who were sighing so piteously, and staring with their glass eyes, because they wished so to be smeared a little like the queen, in order that they might move of themselves. The queen knelt down and lifted up her prett)- crown, saying, " Take this, but do smear my husband and my courtiers." The poor showman could not then help crying, for he was really sorry for his puppets. He immediately promised Johannes' fellow-traveller all the money he might earn on the following evening through his puppet-show, if he would only smear four or five of his prettiest puppets But the fellow-traveller said he did not require any- thing but the large sword that i^Rscas^R^ he wore at his side, on receiving which, he besmeared six puppets, that immediately danced so gracefully that all living girls that beheld them were irresis- tibly impelled to dance likewise. The coachman and the cook be- gan dancing, then the waiters and the chambermaids, and all the strangers present, as well as the shovel and the tongs — only the latter fell down at the very first leap. They had, indeed, a merry night of it !

Next morning, Johannes started with his fellow-traveller,

THE QUEEN

KNEI.T DOWN