would vex the others; and he thought, ‘If I crown him to-day he will crown
me to-morrow.’
“‘Now, let us have a dance,’ said the fire-tongs; and then how they
danced and stuck up one leg in the air. The chair-cushion in the corner burst
with laughter when she saw it.
“‘Shall I be crowned now?’ asked the fire-tongs; so the broom found
another wreath for the tongs.
“‘They were only common people after all,’ thought the matches. The
tea-urn was now asked to sing, but she said she had a cold, and could not
sing without boiling heat. They all thought this was affectation, and because
she did not wish to sing excepting in the parlor, when on the table with the
grand people.
“In the window sat an old quill-pen, with which the maid generally
wrote. There was nothing remarkable about the pen, excepting that it had
been dipped too deeply in the ink, but it was proud of that.
“‘If the tea-urn won’t sing,’ said the pen, ‘she can leave it alone; there is
a nightingale in a cage who can sing; she has not been taught much,
certainly, but we need not say anything this evening about that.’
“‘I think it highly improper,’ said the tea-kettle, who was kitchen singer,
and half-brother to the tea-urn, ‘that a rich foreign bird should be listened to
here. Is it patriotic? Let the market-basket decide what is right.’
“‘I certainly am vexed,’ said the basket; ‘inwardly vexed, more than any
one can imagine. Are we spending the evening properly? Would it not be
more sensible to put the house in order? If each were in his own place I
would lead a game; this would be quite another thing.’
“‘Let us act a play,’ said they all. At the same moment the door opened,
and the maid came in. Then not one stirred; they all remained quite still;
yet, at the same time, there was not a single pot amongst them who had not
a high opinion of himself, and of what he could do if he chose.
