Once upon a time there was a darning needle; she considered herself so delicate that she imagined she was a sewing needle.

Look, look what you're holding! - She said to her fingers as they took her out. - Don't drop me! If I fall on the floor, what the hell, I’ll get lost: I’m too thin!

As if! - the fingers answered and grabbed her tightly around the waist.

You see, I'm coming with a whole retinue! - said the darning needle and pulled a long thread behind it, only without a knot.

The fingers poked the needle right into the cook's shoe - the leather on the shoe burst, and it was necessary to sew up the hole.

Phew, what a dirty job! - said the darning needle. - I can not stand! I'll break!

And it really broke.

“Well, that’s what I told you,” she said. - I'm too thin!

“Now she’s no good,” the fingers thought, but they still had to hold her tightly: the cook dripped sealing wax onto the broken end of the needle and then stabbed the scarf with it.

Now I'm a brooch! - said the darning needle. “I knew that I would be honored: whoever is smart will always come out of him with something worthwhile.”

And she laughed to herself - after all, no one had ever seen darning needles laugh loudly - she sat in a scarf, as if in a carriage, and looked around.

Let me ask, are you made of gold? - she turned to her neighbor-pin. - You are very cute, and you have your own head... Only a small one! Try to grow it - not everyone gets a wax head!

At the same time, the darning needle straightened up so proudly that it flew out of the scarf straight into the sink, where the cook was just pouring out the slops.

I'm going sailing! - said the darning needle. - I just wish I didn’t get lost!

But she got lost.

I'm too subtle, I'm not made for this world! - she said, lying in a street ditch. “But I know my worth, and that’s always nice.”

And the darning needle pulled in line, without losing his good spirits.

All sorts of things floated above her: wood chips, straws, scraps of newsprint...

Look how they float! - said the darning needle. - They have no idea who is hiding underneath them. - It’s me hiding here! I'm sitting here! There's a piece of wood floating over there: all she can think about is wood chips. Well, she will remain a sliver forever! Here's a straw rushing... It's spinning, it's spinning! Don't turn your nose up like that! Be careful not to bump into a stone! And there's a piece of newspaper floating. We had long since forgotten what was printed on it, and look how it turned around!.. I lie quietly, at attention. I know my worth, and they won’t take that away from me!

Once something sparkled near her, and the darning needle imagined that it was a diamond. It was a fragment of a bottle, but it glittered, and the darning needle spoke to it. She called herself a brooch and asked him:

You must be a diamond?

Yes, something like that.

And both thought to each other and to themselves that they were real jewels, and spoke to each other about the ignorance and arrogance of the world.

Yes, I lived in a box with one girl,” said the darning needle. - This girl was a cook. She had five fingers on each hand, and you can’t imagine the extent of their swagger! But they had only one job - to take me out and put me back in the box!

Did they shine? - asked the bottle fragment.

Did they sparkle? - answered the darning needle. - No, there was no brilliance in them, but so much arrogance!.. There were five brothers, all born “fingers”; they always stood in a row, although they were of different sizes. The last one - Fat Man - however, stood apart from the others, he was a fat little man, and his back bent only in one place, so he could bow only once; but he said that if he was cut off, then the person was no longer fit for military service. The second - Gourmet - poked his nose everywhere: both sweet and sour, poked both the sun and the moon; he did not press the pen when he needed to write. The next one - Lanky - looked down on everyone. The fourth - Goldfinger - wore a gold ring around his belt and, finally, the smallest - Per the Musician - does nothing and was very proud of it. Yes, all they knew was to brag, and so I threw myself into the sink.

And now we sit and shine! - said the bottle fragment.

At this time, the water in the ditch began to rise, so that it rushed over the edge and took the fragment with it.

He's advanced! - the darning needle sighed. - And I stayed lying down! I am too subtle, too delicate, but I am proud of it, and this is noble pride!

And she lay there, stretched out, and changed her mind a lot.

I’m just ready to think that I was born from a ray of sunshine - I’m so subtle! Really, it seems like the sun is looking for me underwater! Ah, I am so subtle that even my father the sun cannot find me! If my eye had not burst (the eye of a needle in Danish is called the eye of a needle), I think I would have cried! However, no, crying is indecent!

One day, street boys came and began digging in the ditch, looking for old nails, coins and other treasures. They got terribly dirty, but that’s what gave them pleasure!

Ay! - one of them suddenly shouted; he pricked himself on a darning needle. - Look, what a thing!

Black on white is very beautiful! - said the darning needle. - Now you can clearly see me! If only I wouldn’t succumb to seasickness, I can’t stand it: I’m so fragile!

But she did not succumb to seasickness - she survived.

I'm not a thing, but a young lady! - said the darning needle, but no one heard it. The sealing wax came off from her, and she turned all black, but in black you always look slimmer, and the needle imagined that it had become even thinner than before.

There are eggshells floating! - the boys shouted, took a darning needle and stuck it into the shell.

Against seasickness it is good to have a stomach of steel, and always remember that you are not like mere mortals! Now I'm completely recovered. The more noble you are, the more you can bear!

Crack! - said the eggshell: she was run over by a dray cart.

Wow, what pressure! - the darning needle screamed. - Now I'm going to be sick! I can't stand it! I'll break!

But she survived, although she was run over by a dray; she was lying on the pavement, stretched out to her full length - well, let her lie there!

Once upon a time there was a darning needle; she considered herself so delicate that she imagined she was a sewing needle.

Look, look what you're holding! - She said to her fingers as they took her out. - Don't drop me! If I fall on the floor, what the hell, I’ll get lost: I’m too thin!

As if! - the fingers answered and grabbed her tightly around the waist.

You see, I'm coming with a whole retinue! - said the darning needle and pulled a long thread behind it, only without a knot.

The fingers poked the needle right into the cook's shoe - the leather on the shoe burst, and it was necessary to sew up the hole.

Phew, what a dirty job! - said the darning needle. - I can not stand! I'll break!

And it really broke.

“Well, that’s what I told you,” she said. - I'm too thin!

“Now she’s no good,” the fingers thought, but they still had to hold her tightly: the cook dripped sealing wax onto the broken end of the needle and then stabbed the scarf with it.

Now I'm a brooch! - said the darning needle. “I knew that I would be honored: whoever is smart will always come out of him with something worthwhile.”

And she laughed to herself - after all, no one had ever seen darning needles laugh loudly - she sat in a scarf, as if in a carriage, and looked around.

Let me ask, are you made of gold? - she turned to her neighbor-pin. - You are very cute, and you have your own head... Only a small one! Try to grow it - not everyone gets a wax head!

At the same time, the darning needle straightened up so proudly that it flew out of the scarf straight into the sink, where the cook was just pouring out the slops.

I'm going sailing! - said the darning needle. - I just wish I didn’t get lost!

But she got lost.

I'm too subtle, I'm not made for this world! - she said, lying in a street ditch. “But I know my worth, and that’s always nice.”

And the darning needle pulled in line, without losing his good spirits.

All sorts of things floated above her: wood chips, straws, scraps of newsprint...

Look how they float! - said the darning needle. - They have no idea who is hiding underneath them. - It’s me hiding here! I'm sitting here! There's a piece of wood floating over there: all she can think about is wood chips. Well, she will remain a sliver forever! Here's a straw rushing... It's spinning, it's spinning! Don't turn your nose up like that! Be careful not to bump into a stone! And there's a piece of newspaper floating. We had long since forgotten what was printed on it, and look how it turned around!.. I lie quietly, at attention. I know my worth, and they won’t take that away from me!

Once something sparkled near her, and the darning needle imagined that it was a diamond. It was a fragment of a bottle, but it glittered, and the darning needle spoke to it. She called herself a brooch and asked him:

You must be a diamond?

Yes, something like that.

And both thought to each other and to themselves that they were real jewels, and spoke to each other about the ignorance and arrogance of the world.

Yes, I lived in a box with one girl,” said the darning needle. - This girl was a cook. She had five fingers on each hand, and you can’t imagine the extent of their swagger! But they had only one job - to take me out and put me back in the box!

Did they shine? - asked the bottle fragment.

Did they sparkle? - answered the darning needle. - No, there was no brilliance in them, but so much arrogance!.. There were five brothers, all born “fingers”; they always stood in a row, although they were of different sizes. The last one - Fat Man - however, stood apart from the others, he was a fat little man, and his back bent only in one place, so he could bow only once; but he said that if he was cut off, then the person was no longer fit for military service. The second - Gourmet - poked his nose everywhere: both sweet and sour, poked both the sun and the moon; he did not press the pen when he needed to write. The next one - Lanky - looked down on everyone. The fourth - Goldfinger - wore a gold ring around his belt and, finally, the smallest - Per the Musician - does nothing and was very proud of it. Yes, all they knew was to brag, and so I threw myself into the sink.

And now we sit and shine! - said the bottle fragment.

At this time, the water in the ditch began to rise, so that it rushed over the edge and took the fragment with it.

He's advanced! - the darning needle sighed. - And I stayed lying down! I am too subtle, too delicate, but I am proud of it, and this is noble pride!

And she lay there, stretched out, and changed her mind a lot.

I’m just ready to think that I was born from a ray of sunshine - I’m so subtle! Really, it seems like the sun is looking for me underwater! Ah, I am so subtle that even my father the sun cannot find me! Don't burst my eye then<игольное ушко по-датски называется игольным глазком>, I think I would cry! However, no, crying is indecent!

One day, street boys came and began digging in the ditch, looking for old nails, coins and other treasures. They got terribly dirty, but that’s what gave them pleasure!

Ay! - one of them suddenly shouted; he pricked himself on a darning needle. - Look, what a thing!

Black on white is very beautiful! - said the darning needle. - Now you can clearly see me! If only I wouldn’t succumb to seasickness, I can’t stand it: I’m so fragile!

But she did not succumb to seasickness - she survived.

I'm not a thing, but a young lady! - said the darning needle, but no one heard it. The sealing wax came off from her, and she turned all black, but in black you always look slimmer, and the needle imagined that it had become even thinner than before.

There are eggshells floating! - the boys shouted, took a darning needle and stuck it into the shell.

Against seasickness it is good to have a stomach of steel, and always remember that you are not like mere mortals! Now I'm completely recovered. The more noble you are, the more you can bear!

Crack! - said the eggshell: she was run over by a dray cart.

Wow, what pressure! - the darning needle screamed. - Now I'm going to be sick! I can't stand it! I'll break!

But she survived, although she was run over by a dray; she was lying on the pavement, stretched out to her full length - well, let her lie there!

Andersen's tales

Andersen's fairy tale "The Darning Needle" is an interesting story about the adventures of one needle, how at first it broke and was made into a hair clip, but then the needle slipped out and fell into a ditch, where it met a fragment of a bottle. After some time, the fragment was washed away with water, and the darning needle remained lying at the bottom of the ditch, where the boys later found it and threw it onto the pavement. She lay there for a very long time.

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Once upon a time there was a darning needle; she considered herself so delicate that she imagined she was a sewing needle.

Look, look what you're holding! - She said to her fingers as they took her out. - Don't drop me! If I fall on the floor, what the hell, I’ll get lost: I’m too thin!

As if! - the fingers answered and grabbed her tightly around the waist.

You see, I'm coming with a whole retinue! - said the darning needle and pulled a long thread behind it, only without a knot.

The fingers poked the needle right into the cook's shoe - the leather on the shoe burst, and it was necessary to sew up the hole.

Phew, what a dirty job! - said the darning needle. - I can not stand! I'll break!

And it really broke.

“Well, that’s what I told you,” she said. - I'm too thin!

“Now she’s no good,” the fingers thought, but they still had to hold her tightly: the cook dripped sealing wax onto the broken end of the needle and then stabbed the scarf with it.

Now I'm a brooch! - said the darning needle. “I knew that I would be honored: whoever is smart will always come out of him with something worthwhile.”

And she laughed to herself - after all, no one had ever seen darning needles laugh loudly - she sat in a scarf, as if in a carriage, and looked around.

Let me ask, are you made of gold? - she turned to her neighbor-pin. - You are very cute, and you have your own head... Only a small one! Try to grow it - not everyone gets a wax head!

At the same time, the darning needle straightened up so proudly that it flew out of the scarf straight into the sink, where the cook was just pouring out the slops.

I'm going sailing! - said the darning needle. - I just wish I didn’t get lost!

But she got lost.

I'm too subtle, I'm not made for this world! - she said, lying in a street ditch. “But I know my worth, and that’s always nice.”

And the darning needle pulled in line, without losing his good spirits.

All sorts of things floated above her: wood chips, straws, scraps of newsprint...

Look how they float! - said the darning needle. - They have no idea who is hiding underneath them. - It’s me hiding here! I'm sitting here! There's a piece of wood floating over there: all she can think about is wood chips. Well, she will remain a sliver forever! Here's a straw rushing... It's spinning, spinning and spinning! Don't turn your nose up like that! Be careful not to bump into a stone! And there's a piece of newspaper floating. We had long since forgotten what was printed on it, and look how it turned around!.. I lie quietly, at attention. I know my worth, and they won’t take that away from me!

Once something sparkled near her, and the darning needle imagined that it was a diamond. It was a fragment of a bottle, but it glittered, and the darning needle spoke to it. She called herself a brooch and asked him:

You must be a diamond?

Yes, something like that.

And both thought to each other and to themselves that they were real jewels, and spoke to each other about the ignorance and arrogance of the world.

Yes, I lived in a box with one girl,” said the darning needle. - This girl was a cook. She had five fingers on each hand, and you can’t imagine the extent of their swagger! But they had only one job - to take me out and put me back in the box!

Did they shine? - asked the bottle fragment.

Did they sparkle? - answered the darning needle. - No, there was no brilliance in them, but so much arrogance!.. There were five brothers, all of them born “fingers”; they always stood in a row, although they were of different sizes. The last one - Fat Man - however, stood apart from the others, he was a fat little man, and his back bent only in one place, so he could bow only once; but he said that if he was cut off, then the person was no longer fit for military service. The second - Gourmet - poked his nose everywhere: both sweet and sour, poked both the sun and the moon; he did not press the pen when he needed to write. The next one - Lanky - looked down on everyone. The fourth - Goldfinger - wore a gold ring around his belt and, finally, the smallest - Per the Musician - does nothing and was very proud of it. Yes, all they knew was to brag, and so I threw myself into the sink.

And now we sit and shine! - said the bottle fragment.

At this time, the water in the ditch began to rise, so that it rushed over the edge and took the fragment with it.

He's advanced! - the darning needle sighed. - And I stayed lying down! I am too subtle, too delicate, but I am proud of it, and this is noble pride!

And she lay there, stretched out, and changed her mind a lot.

I’m just ready to think that I was born from a ray of sunshine - I’m so subtle! Really, it seems like the sun is looking for me underwater! Ah, I am so subtle that even my father the sun cannot find me! If my little eye hadn’t burst then, I think I would have cried! However, no, crying is indecent!

One day, street boys came and began digging in the ditch, looking for old nails, coins and other treasures. They got terribly dirty, but that’s what gave them pleasure!

Ay! - one of them suddenly shouted; he pricked himself on a darning needle. - Look, what a thing!

Black on white is very beautiful! - said the darning needle. - Now you can clearly see me! If only I wouldn’t succumb to seasickness, I can’t stand it: I’m so fragile!

But she did not succumb to seasickness - she survived.

I'm not a thing, but a young lady! - said the darning needle, but no one heard it. The sealing wax came off from her, and she turned all black, but in black you always look slimmer, and the needle imagined that it had become even thinner than before.

There are eggshells floating! - the boys shouted, took a darning needle and stuck it into the shell.

Against seasickness it is good to have a stomach of steel, and always remember that you are not like mere mortals! Now I'm completely recovered. The more noble you are, the more you can bear!

Crack! - said the eggshell: she was run over by a dray cart.

Wow, what pressure! - the darning needle screamed. - Now I'm going to be sick! I can't stand it! I'll break!

But she survived, although she was run over by a dray; she was lying on the pavement, stretched out to her full length - well, let her lie there!

Once upon a time there was a darning needle; she considered herself so delicate that she imagined she was a sewing needle.

Look, look what you're holding! - She said to her fingers as they took her out. - Don't drop me! If I fall on the floor, what the hell, I’ll get lost: I’m too thin!

As if! - the fingers answered and grabbed her tightly around the waist.

You see, I'm coming with a whole retinue! - said the darning needle and pulled a long thread behind it, only without a knot.

The fingers poked the needle right into the cook's shoe - the leather on the shoe burst, and it was necessary to sew up the hole.

Phew, what a dirty job! - said the darning needle. - I can not stand! I'll break!

And it really broke.

“Well, that’s what I told you,” she said. - I'm too thin!

“Now she’s no good,” the fingers thought, but they still had to hold her tightly: the cook dripped sealing wax onto the broken end of the needle and then stabbed the scarf with it.

Now I'm a brooch! - said the darning needle. “I knew that I would be honored: whoever is smart will always come out of him with something worthwhile.”

And she laughed to herself - after all, no one had ever seen darning needles laugh loudly - she sat in a scarf, as if in a carriage, and looked around.

Let me ask, are you made of gold? - she turned to her neighbor-pin. - You are very cute, and you have your own head... Only a small one! Try to grow it - not everyone gets a wax head!

At the same time, the darning needle straightened up so proudly that it flew out of the scarf straight into the sink, where the cook was just pouring out the slops.

I'm going sailing! - said the darning needle. - I just wish I didn’t get lost!

But she got lost.

I'm too subtle, I'm not made for this world! - she said, lying in a street ditch. “But I know my worth, and that’s always nice.”

And the darning needle pulled in line, without losing his good spirits.

All sorts of things floated above her: wood chips, straws, scraps of newsprint...

Look how they float! - said the darning needle. - They have no idea who is hiding underneath them. - It’s me hiding here! I'm sitting here! There's a piece of wood floating over there: all she can think about is wood chips. Well, she will remain a sliver forever! Here's a straw rushing... It's spinning, it's spinning! Don't turn your nose up like that! Be careful not to bump into a stone! And there's a piece of newspaper floating. We had long since forgotten what was printed on it, and look how it unfolded! . I lie quietly, at attention. I know my worth, and they won’t take that away from me!

Once something sparkled near her, and the darning needle imagined that it was a diamond. It was a fragment of a bottle, but it glittered, and the darning needle spoke to it. She called herself a brooch and asked him:

You must be a diamond?

Yes, something like that.

And both thought to each other and to themselves that they were real jewels, and spoke to each other about the ignorance and arrogance of the world.

Yes, I lived in a box with one girl,” said the darning needle. - This girl was a cook. She had five fingers on each hand, and you can’t imagine the extent of their swagger! But they had only one job - to take me out and put me back in the box!

Did they shine? - asked the bottle fragment.

Did they sparkle? - answered the darning needle. - No, there was no brilliance in them, but how much arrogance! . There were five brothers, all born “fingers”; they always stood in a row, although they were of different sizes. The last one - Fat Man - however, stood apart from the others, he was a fat little man, and his back bent only in one place, so he could bow only once; but he said that if he was cut off, then the person was no longer fit for military service. The second - Gourmet - poked his nose everywhere: both sweet and sour, poked both the sun and the moon; he did not press the pen when he needed to write. The next one - Lanky - looked down on everyone. The fourth - Goldfinger - wore a gold ring around his belt and, finally, the smallest - Per the Musician - does nothing and was very proud of it. Yes, all they knew was to brag, and so I threw myself into the sink.

And now we sit and shine! - said the bottle fragment.

At this time, the water in the ditch began to rise, so that it rushed over the edge and took the fragment with it.

He's advanced! - the darning needle sighed. - And I stayed lying down! I am too subtle, too delicate, but I am proud of it, and this is noble pride!

And she lay there, stretched out, and changed her mind a lot.

I’m just ready to think that I was born from a ray of sunshine - I’m so subtle! Really, it seems like the sun is looking for me underwater! Ah, I am so subtle that even my father the sun cannot find me! Don't burst my eye then<игольное ушко по-датски называется игольным глазком>, I think I would cry! However, no, crying is indecent!

One day, street boys came and began digging in the ditch, looking for old nails, coins and other treasures. They got terribly dirty, but that’s what gave them pleasure!

Ay! - one of them suddenly shouted; he pricked himself on a darning needle. - Look, what a thing!

Black on white is very beautiful! - said the darning needle. - Now you can clearly see me! If only I wouldn’t succumb to seasickness, I can’t stand it: I’m so fragile!

But she did not succumb to seasickness - she survived.

I'm not a thing, but a young lady! - said the darning needle, but no one heard it. The sealing wax came off from her, and she turned all black, but in black you always look slimmer, and the needle imagined that it had become even thinner than before.

There are eggshells floating! - the boys shouted, took a darning needle and stuck it into the shell.

Against seasickness it is good to have a stomach of steel, and always remember that you are not like mere mortals! Now I'm completely recovered. The more noble you are, the more you can bear!

Crack! - said the eggshell: she was run over by a dray cart.

Wow, what pressure! - the darning needle screamed. - Now I'm going to be sick! I can't stand it! I'll break!

But she survived, although she was run over by a dray; she was lying on the pavement, stretched out to her full length - well, let her lie there!

Once upon a time there was a darning needle; she considered herself so delicate that she imagined she was a sewing needle.
- Look, look what you're holding! She said to her fingers as they pulled her out. - Don't drop me! If I fall on the floor, I'll get lost: I'm too thin!
- As if it really is! - the fingers answered and grabbed her tightly around the waist.
- You see, I’m coming with a whole retinue! - said the darning needle and pulled a long thread behind it, only without a knot.
The fingers poked the needle right into the cook's shoe - the leather on the shoe burst, and it was necessary to sew up the hole.
- Ugh, what a dirty job! - said the darning needle. - I can not stand! I'll break!
And it really broke.
“Well, I told you so,” she said. - I'm too thin!
“Now she’s no good,” the fingers thought, but they still had to hold her tightly: the cook dripped sealing wax onto the broken end of the needle and then pinned her neckerchief.
- Now I’m a brooch! - said the darning needle. “I knew that I would enter in honor; Anyone who has any sense will always come out of something worthwhile.
And she laughed to herself - no one had ever seen darning needles laugh loudly - and looked around complacently, as if she were riding in a carriage.
- Let me ask, are you made of gold? – she turned to her neighbor-pin. “You are very cute, and you have your own head... It’s just too small!” Try to grow it - not everyone gets a wax head!
At the same time, the darning needle straightened up so proudly that it flew out of the scarf straight into the drain pipe, where the cook was just pouring out the slop.
- I'm going sailing! - said the darning needle. - I just wish I didn’t get lost!
But she got lost.
– I’m too subtle, I’m not made for this world! - she said, sitting in a street ditch. “But I know my worth, and that’s always nice.”
And the darning needle pulled in line, without losing his good spirits.
All sorts of things floated above her: wood chips, straws, scraps of newsprint...
- Look how they float! - said the darning needle. “They have no idea what’s hiding underneath them.” “I’m the one hiding here!” I'm sitting here! There's a sliver floating over there: all she can think about is the sliver. Well, she will remain a sliver forever! Here's a straw rushing... It's spinning, it's spinning! Don't turn your nose up like that! Be careful not to bump into a stone! And there's a piece of newspaper floating. They had long ago forgotten what was printed on it, and look how it turned around!.. And I lie quietly, at attention. I know my worth, and they won’t take that away from me!
Once something sparkled near her, and the darning needle imagined that it was a diamond. It was a fragment of a bottle, but it glittered, and the darning needle spoke to it. She called herself a brooch and asked him:
-You must be a diamond?
- Yes, something like that.
And both thought to each other and to themselves that they were incredibly precious, and spoke to each other about the ignorance and arrogance of the world.
“Yes, I lived in a box with one girl,” said the darning needle. - This girl was a cook. She had five fingers on each hand, and you can’t imagine the extent of their swagger! But their whole job was to take me out and hide me back in the box!
- Did they shine? – asked the bottle shard.
- Did they sparkle? - answered the darning needle. - No, there was no brilliance in them, but arrogance!.. There were five brothers, all of them born “fingers”; they always stood in a row, although they were of different sizes. The last one - Fat-bellied - however, stood apart from the others, and his back bent only in one place, so that he could bow only once; but he said that if it is cut off from a person, then the whole person is no longer fit for military service. The second - Poke-Gourmand - poked his nose everywhere: both sweet and sour, poked both the sun and the moon; He also pressed the pen when writing. The next one, Lanky, looked down on everyone. The fourth - Goldenfinger - wore a gold ring around his belt and, finally, the smallest - Parsley the Loafer - did nothing and was very proud of it. They swaggered, they swaggered, and they missed me!
- And now we sit and shine! - said the bottle shard.
At this time, the water in the ditch began to rise, so that it rushed over the edge and took the fragment with it.
- He has advanced! – the darning needle sighed. - And I remained sitting! I am too subtle, too delicate, but I am proud of it, and this is noble pride!
And she sat at attention, and changed her mind a lot.
“I’m just ready to think that I was born from a ray of sunshine, I’m so subtle!” Really, it seems like the sun is looking for me underwater! Ah, I am so subtle that even my father the sun cannot find me! If my little eye hadn’t burst then, I think I would have cried! However, no, crying is indecent!
One day some street kids came and started digging in the ditch, looking for old nails, coins and other treasures. They got terribly dirty, but that’s what gave them pleasure!
- Ay! - one of them suddenly shouted; he pricked himself on a darning needle. - Look, what a thing!
– I’m not a thing, but a young lady! - said the darning needle, but no one heard it. The sealing wax came off from her, and she turned all black, but in a black dress you seem slimmer, and the needle imagined that it had become even thinner than before.
- There are eggshells floating! - the boys shouted, took a darning needle and stuck it into the shell.
– Black on a white background is very beautiful! - said the darning needle. - Now you can clearly see me! As long as seasickness doesn’t overcome me, I can’t stand it: I’m so fragile!
But seasickness did not overcome her, she survived.
– It’s good to have a stomach of steel against seasickness, and you should always remember that you are not like mere mortals! Now I'm completely recovered. The more noble and subtle you are, the more you can endure!
- Krak! - said the eggshell: she was run over by a dray cart.
- Wow, what pressure! - the darning needle screamed. – Now I’m going to get seasick! I can't stand it! I'll break!
But she survived, although she was run over by a dray; she was lying stretched out on the pavement, well, let her lie there! - END -

Fairy tale: Hans Christian Andersen Illustrations: Pedersen.