ROUND THE CORNER IN THE NEXT STREET STOOD AN OLD, OLD HOUSE.
"THANK YOU FOR THE TIN SOLDIER, MY LITTLE FRIEND!" SAID THE OLD MAN "AND THANKS FOR COMING TO SEE ME."
IN THE EVENING A CARIAGE STOPPED AT THE DOOR, INTO WHICH THEY PUT THE OLD MAN'S COFFIN.
***
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOWER SAT A FINE LITTLE GIRL.
THE TOAD TOOK THE WALNUT SHELL IN WHICH TUMBELINE WAS SLEEPING.
THE OLD TOAD COURTESIED TO THUMBELINE AND SAID, "HERE IS MY SON!"
HE FLEW UP WITH HER INTO A TREE.
THE MOLE HAD DUG A PASSAGE FROM HIS HOUSE TO THEIRS, AND THE FIELD-MOUSE AND TUMBELINE HAD PERMISSION TO TAKE THEIR WALK THERE.
THE FIELD-MOUSE HIRED FOUR SPIDERS TO SPIN AND WEAVE, AND THE MOLE CAME EVERY EVENING ON A VISIT.
TUMBELINE SEATED HERSELF ON THE SWALLOW'S BACK, AND THEN THE BIRD FLEW HIGH UP IN THE AIR WITH HER.
***
SUCH A STORM HAS NEVER RAGED IN OUR DAY.
THE PEOPLE SHOUTED AND CHEERED STILL MORE WHEN THE HARLEQUIN CAME ON THE SCAFFOLDING AND MADE FACES AT THEM.
***
CLOSETO THEM STOOD ANOTHER FIGURE, AN OLD CHINAMAN WHO COULD NOT HIS HEAD.
THEY REACHED THE TOP OF THE CHIMNEY, WHERE THEY SAT DOWN AND LOOKED AROUND THEM, FAR OUT INTO THE WIDE WORLD.
***
NOBODY IN THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS SO MANY STORIES AS DADDY DUSTMAN.
THERE WERE TWO MEN IN A TOWN WHO HAD THE SAME NAME.
LITTLE CLAUS CLIMBED UP TO THE TOP OF THE SHED, WHENCE HE COULD SEE INTO THE ROOM.
THE INNKEEPER THREW THE MEAD RIGHT INTO THE DEAD WOMAN'S FACE, AND SHE FELL BACKWARD IN THE CART.
DOWN BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE SEA LIVE THE MERMEN AND THE MERMAIDS.
THE SHIP WAS BEGINNING TO MAKE GREATER HEADWAY; LARGE CLOUDS WERE GATHERING AND FLASHING OF LIGHTNING WERE SEEN, - THE LITTLE MERMAID NOW UNDERSTOOD THAT THE SHIP WAS IN DANGER,
THERE THE SEA-WITCH WAS SITTING, WHILE A TOAD WAS EATING OUT OF HER MOUTH AND THE WATER-SNAKES WERE CRAWLING OVER HER BOSOM.
***
THERE IS A HEN WHO HAS PLUCKED OUT ALL HER FEATHERS FOR THE SAKE OF THE COCK!
THE GOOSE JUMPED FROM THE DISH WITH KNIFE AND FORK IN ITS BACK.
SHE LIGHTED A NEW MATCH, THEN SHE WAS SITTING UNDER A BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS TREE WITH THOUSANDS OF CANDLES BURNING UPON THE GREEN BRANCHES.
***
THE WEATHER WAS SHARP AND FROSTY, THE SKY GLITTERED WITH SPARKLING STARS.
THEAY WERE KEEPING NEW YEAR'S EVE, AND WERE DRINKING SUCCESS TOTHE NEW YEAR.
THEN A LADY STEPPED OUT OF THE COACH, "MISS MAY," SHE SAID ABBOUNCING HERSELF.
"WE SHALL SOON REACH THE GARDEN OF PARADISE, " SAID THE EAST WIND.
THEN THE FAIRY OF PARADISE APPEARED, SHE WAS YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL AND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MAIDENS.
THERE SHE WAS LYING ASLEEP AND LOOKING AS BEAUTIFUL AS ONLY THE FAIRY IN THE GARDEN OF PARADISE CAN LLOK.
BY THE SHORE OF THE GREAT BELT STANDS AN OLD MANSION WITH THICK RED WALLS.
A FIRE WAS ALWAYS BURNING ON THE HEARTH; THE DOOR TO THE CHAMBER WAS LOCKED, AND THERE HE WORKED FOR DAYS AND NIGHTS.
THEY WALKED ALONG THE ROAD WHERE THEY USED TO DRIVE IN THEIR CARRIAGE; NOW THEY WENT FORTH WITH THEIR FATHER AS BEGGARS.
ALL THE TIN SOLDIERS WERE MADE FROM THE SAME OLD TIN SPOON
A LITTLE LADY WAS STANDING RIGHT OUTSIDE THE OPEN GATE OF THE CASTLE WITH BOTH HER ARMS OUTSTRETCHED.
"STOP HIM! STOP HIM!" SHOUTED THE RAT, GNASHING HIS TEETH, "HE HASN'T SHOWN HIS PASS!"
***
OVER IN THE CORNER THE OLD CLOCK WHIRRING ROUND
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE STOOD A WONDERFUL HOUSE, - IT WAS DEATH'S LARGE HOT-HOUSE.
***
THE EMPEROR WAS SO FOND OF NEW CLOTHES THAT HE SPENT ALL HIS MONEY ON DRESSES
THEN THE EMPEROR WENT IN THE PROCESSION UNDER THE SPLENDID CANOPY. "BUT HE HASN'T GOT ANY THING ON!" CRIED A LITTLE CHILD.
***
"IT'S SO DELIGHTFULLY COLD!" SAID THE SNOW MAN.
"GO! GO!" BARKED THE OLD YARD-DOG. THE SUN WILL SOON TEACH YOU TO RUN. I NOTICED THAT WITH YOUR PREDECESSOR LAST YEAR.
***
THEY WERE THE PORTRAITS OF THE PEDDLER AND THE GOOSE-GIRL, FROM WHOM THE WHOLE FAMILY DESCENDED.
IT WAS A WONDERFUL FLUTE! IT WAS HEARD ALL OVER THE MANSION, IN THE GARDEN, IN THE FOREST, AND FOR MANY MILES INTO THE COUNTRY.
THE SNAILS LIVE ON BURDOCK LEAVES, AND THAT IS WHY BURDOCKS WERE PLANTED.
"I AM GLAD WE HAVE OUR OWN HOUSE," SAID MOTHER SNAIL, "AND THE LITTLE ONE HAS ALSO HIS.
THE SHADOW OF THE STRANGER FELL UPON THE WALL OF THE HOUSE OPPOSITE.
HE THEN OPENED THE DOOR, AND THEN STOOD BEFORE HIM SUCH AN EXCEEDINGLY THIN PERSON THAT HE FELT QUITE UNCOMFORTABLE.
THE PRINCESS AND THE SHADOW STEPPED OUT ON THE BALCONY TO SHOW THEMSELVES AND TO HEAR THE PEOPLE SHOUT "HURRAH!" ONCE MORE.
