going on a journey,” said the needle, as she floated away with the dirty
water, “I do hope I shall not be lost.” But she really was lost in a gutter. “I
am too fine for this world,” said the darning-needle, as she lay in the gutter;
“but I know who I am, and that is always some comfort.” So the darning-
needle kept up her proud behavior, and did not lose her good humor. Then
there floated over her all sorts of things,-chips and straws, and pieces of old
newspaper. “See how they sail,” said the darning-needle; “they do not know
what is under them. I am here, and here I shall stick. See, there goes a chip,
thinking of nothing in the world but himself - only a chip. There’s a straw
going by now; how he turns and twists about! Don’t be thinking too much
of yourself, or you may chance to run against a stone. There swims a piece
of newspaper; what is written upon it has been forgotten long ago, and yet it
gives itself airs. I sit here patiently and quietly. I know who I am, so I shall
not move.”
One day something lying close to the darning-needle glittered so
splendidly that she thought it was a diamond; yet it was only a piece of
broken bottle. The darning-needle spoke to it, because it sparkled, and
represented herself as a breast-pin. “I suppose you are really a diamond?”
she said.
“Why yes, something of the kind,” he replied; and so each believed the
other to be very valuable, and then they began to talk about the world, and
the conceited people in it.
“I have been in a lady’s work-box,” said the darning-needle, “and this
lady was the cook. She had on each hand five fingers, and anything so
conceited as these five fingers I have never seen; and yet they were only
employed to take me out of the box and to put me back again.”
“Were they not high-born?”
“High-born!” said the darning-needle, “no indeed, but so haughty. They
were five brothers, all born fingers; they kept very proudly together, though
they were of different lengths. The one who stood first in the rank was
named the thumb, he was short and thick, and had only one joint in his
