Lookhowitrunsthroughone’sfingers！’and，sosaying，hefilledhispocketwiththemud。
　　Butthebrothersrodeonsofastthatdustandsparksflewallaround，andtheyreachedthegateofthetownagoodhourbeforeBlockhead-Hans。Herecamethesuitorsnumberedaccordingtotheirarrival，andtheywererangedinrows，sixineachrow，andtheyweresotightlypackedthattheycouldnotmovetheirarms。
　　Thiswasaverygoodthing，forotherwisetheywouldhavetorneachotherinpieces，merelybecausetheonewasinfrontoftheother。
　　AllthecountrypeoplewerestandingroundtheKing’sthrone，andwerecrowdedtogetherinthickmassesalmostoutofthewindowstoseethePrincessreceivethesuitors；andaseachonecameintotheroomallhisfinephraseswentoutlikeacandle！
　　’Itdoesn’tmatter！’saidthePrincess。’Away！outwithhim！’
　　Atlastshecametotherowinwhichthebrotherwhoknewthedictionarybyheartwas，buthedidnotknowitanylonger；hehadquiteforgottenitintherankandfile。Andthefloorcreaked，andtheceilingwasallmadeofglassmirrors，sothathesawhimselfstandingonhishead，andbyeachwindowwerestandingthreereportersandaneditor；andeachofthemwaswritingdownwhatwassaid，topublishitinthepaperthatcameoutandwassoldatthestreetcornersforapenny。Itwasfearful，andtheyhadmadeupthefiresohotthatitwasgrilling。
　　’Itishotinhere，isn’tit！’saidthesuitor。
　　’Ofcourseitis！Myfatherisroastingyoungchickensto-day！’
　　saidthePrincess。
　　’Ahem！’Therehestoodlikeanidiot。Hewasnotpreparedforsuchaspeech；hedidnotknowwhattosay，althoughhewantedtosaysomethingwitty。’Ahem！’
　　’Itdoesn’tmatter！’saidthePrincess。’Takehimout！’andouthehadtogo。
　　Nowtheotherbrotherentered。
　　’Howhotitis！’hesaid。
　　’Ofcourse！Weareroastingyoungchickensto-day！’remarkedthePrincess。
　　’Howdoyou——um！’hesaid，andthereporterswrotedown。’Howdoyou——um。’
　　’Itdoesn’tmatter！’saidthePrincess。’Takehimout！’
　　NowBlockhead-Hanscamein；herodehisgoatrightintothehall。
　　’Isay！Howroastinghotitishere！’saidhe。
　　’Ofcourse！Iamroastingyoungchickensto-day！’saidthePrincess。
　　’That’sgood！’repliedBlockhead-Hans；’thencanIroastacrowwiththem？’
　　’Withthegreatestofpleasure！’saidthePrincess；’buthaveyouanythingyoucanroastthemin？forIhaveneitherpotnorsaucepan。’
　　’Oh，rather！’saidBlockhead-Hans。’Hereisacookingimplementwithtinrings，’andhedrewouttheoldwoodenshoe，andlaidthecrowinit。
　　’Thatisquiteameal！’saidthePrincess；’butwhereshallwegetthesoupfrom？’
　　’I’vegotthatinmypocket！’saidBlockhead-Hans。’IhavesomuchthatIcanquitewellthrowsomeaway！’andhepouredsomemudoutofhispocket。
　　’Ilikeyou！’saidthePrincess。’Youcananswer，andyoucanspeak，andIwillmarryyou；butdoyouknowthateverywordwhichwearesayingandhavesaidhasbeentakendownandwillbeinthepaperto-morrow？Byeachwindowdoyouseetherearestandingthreereportersandanoldeditor，andthisoldeditoristheworst，forhedoesn’tunderstandanything！’butsheonlysaidthistoteaseBlockhead-Hans。Andthereportersgiggled，andeachdroppedablotofinkonthefloor。
　　’Ah！arethosethegreatpeople？’saidBlockhead-Hans。’ThenI
　　willgivetheeditorthebest！’Sosaying，heturnedhispocketsinsideout，andthrewthemudrightinhisface。
　　’Thatwasneatlydone！’saidthePrincess。’Icouldn’thavedoneit；butIwillsoonlearnhowto！’
　　Blockhead-HansbecameKing，gotawifeandacrown，andsatonthethrone；andthiswehavestilldampfromthenewspaperoftheeditorandthereporters——andtheyarenottobebelievedforamoment。
　　TherewasonceaDarning-needlewhothoughtherselfsofinethatshebelievedshewasanembroidery-needle。’Takegreatcaretoholdmetight！’saidtheDarning-needletotheFingerswhowereholdingher。’Don’tletmefall！IfIoncefallonthegroundI
　　shallneverbefoundagain，Iamsofine！’
　　’Itisallright！’saidtheFingers，seizingherroundthewaist。
　　’Look，Iamcomingwithmytrain！’saidtheDarning-needleasshedrewalongthreadafterher；buttherewasnoknotattheendofthethread。
　　TheFingerswereusingtheneedleonthecook’sshoe。Theupperleatherwasunstitchedandhadtobesewntogether。
　　’Thisiscommonwork！’saidtheDarning-needle。’Ishallnevergetthroughit。Iambreaking！Iambreaking！’Andinfactshedidbreak。’Didn’tItellyouso！’saidtheDarning-needle。’I
　　amtoofine！’
　　’Nowsheisgoodfornothing！’saidtheFingers；buttheyhadtoholdhertightwhilethecookdroppedsomesealing-waxontheneedleandstuckitinthefrontofherdress。
　　’NowIamabreast-pin！’saidtheDarning-needle。’IalwaysknewIshouldbepromoted。Whenoneissomething，onewillbecomesomething！’Andshelaughedtoherself；youcanneverseewhenaDarning-needleislaughing。ThenshesatupasproudlyasifshewereinaStatecoach，andlookedallroundher。
　　’MayIbeallowedtoaskifyouaregold？’shesaidtoherneighbour，thePin。’Youhaveaveryniceappearance，andapeculiarhead；butitistoosmall！Youmusttakepainstomakeitgrow，foritisnoteveryonewhohasaheadofsealing-wax。’
　　AndsosayingtheDarning-needleraisedherselfupsoproudlythatshefelloutofthedress，rightintothesinkwhichthecookwasrinsingout。
　　’NowIamoffonmytravels！’saidtheDarning-needle。’IdohopeIsha’n’tgetlost！’Shedidindeedgetlost。
　　’Iamtoofineforthisworld！’saidsheasshelayinthegutter；’butIknowwhoIam，andthatisalwaysalittlesatisfaction！’
　　AndtheDarning-needlekeptherproudbearinganddidnotlosehergood-temper。
　　Allkindsofthingsswamoverher——shavings，bitsofstraw，andscrapsofoldnewspapers。
　　’Justlookhowtheysailalong！’saidtheDarning-needle。’Theydon’tknowwhatisunderneaththem！HereIamstickingfast！
　　Theregoesashavingthinkingofnothingintheworldbutofitself，amerechip！Theregoesastraw——well，howitdoestwistandtwirl，tobesure！Don’tthinksomuchaboutyourself，oryouwillbeknockedagainstastone。Therefloatsabitofnewspaper。Whatiswrittenonitislongagoforgotten，andyethowprouditis！Iamsittingpatientandquiet。IknowwhoI
　　am，andthatisenoughforme！’
　　OnedaysomethingthicklaynearherwhichglitteredsobrightlythattheDarning-needlethoughtitmustbeadiamond。Butitwasabitofbottle-glass，andbecauseitsparkledtheDarning-needlespoketoit，andgaveherselfoutasabreast-pin。
　　’Nodoubtyouareadiamond？’
　　’Yes，somethingofthatkind！’Andeachbelievedthattheotherwassomethingverycostly；andtheybothsaidhowveryproudtheworldmustbeofthem。
　　’Ihavecomefromalady’swork-box，’saidDarning-needle，’andthisladywasacook；shehadfivefingersoneachhand；anythingsoproudasthesefingersIhaveneverseen！Andyettheywereonlytheretotakemeoutofthework-boxandtoputmebackagain！’
　　’Weretheyofnoblebirth，then？’askedthebitofbottle-glass。
　　’Ofnoblebirth！’saidtheDarning-needle；’noindeed，butproud！
　　Theywerefivebrothers，allcalled’’Fingers。’’Theyheldthemselvesproudlyoneagainsttheother，althoughtheywereofdifferentsizes。Theoutsideone，theThumb，wasshortandfat；
　　hewasoutsidetherank，andhadonlyonebendinhisback，andcouldonlymakeonebow；buthesaidthatifhewerecutofffromamanthathewasnolongeranyuseasasoldier。Dip-into-
　　everything，thesecondfinger，dippedintosweetthingsaswellassourthings，pointedtothesunandthemoon，andguidedthepenwhentheywrote。Longman，thethird，lookedattheothersoverhisshoulder。Goldband，thefourth，hadagoldsashroundhiswaist；andlittlePlaymandidnothingatall，andwasthemoreproud。Therewastoomuchostentation，andsoIcameaway。’
　　’Andnowwearesittingandshininghere！’saidthebitofbottle-glass。
　　Atthatmomentmorewatercameintothegutter；itstreamedovertheedgesandwashedthebitofbottle-glassaway。
　　’Ah！nowhehasbeenpromoted！’saidtheDarning-needle。’I
　　remainhere；Iamtoofine。Butthatismypride，whichisasignofrespectability！’Andshesatthereveryproudly，thinkingloftythoughts。
　　’IreallybelieveImusthavebeenbornasunbeam，Iamsofine！
　　Itseemstomeasifthesunbeamswerealwayslookingunderthewaterforme。Ah，Iamsofinethatmyownmothercannotfindme！IfIhadmyoldeyewhichbrokeoff，IbelieveIcouldweep；
　　butIcan’t——itisnotfinetoweep！’
　　Onedaytwostreet-urchinswereplayingandwadinginthegutter，pickingupoldnails，pennies，andsuchthings。Itwasratherdirtywork，butitwasagreatdelighttothem。
　　’Oh，oh！’criedoutone，asheprickedhimselfwiththeDarning-needle；’heisafinefellowthough！’
　　’Iamnotafellow；Iamayounglady！’saidtheDarning-needle；
　　butnooneheard。Thesealing-waxhadgone，andshehadbecomequiteblack；butblackmakesonelookveryslim，andsoshethoughtshewasevenfinerthanbefore。
　　’Herecomesanegg-shellsailingalong！’saidtheboys，andtheystucktheDarning-needleintotheegg-shell。
　　’ThewallswhiteandIblack——whataprettycontrastitmakes！’
　　saidtheDarning-needle。’NowIcanbeseentoadvantage！IfonlyIamnotsea-sick！Ishouldgivemyselfupforlost！’
　　Butshewasnotsea-sick，anddidnotgiveherselfup。
　　’Itisagoodthingtobesteeledagainstsea-sickness；hereonehasindeedanadvantageoverman！Nowmyqualmsareover。Thefineroneisthemoreonecanbeat。’
　　’Crack！’saidtheegg-shellasawagon-wheelwentoverit。
　　’Oh！howitpresses！’saidtheDarning-needle。’Ishallindeedbesea-sicknow。Iambreaking！’Butshedidnotbreak，althoughthewagon-wheelwentoverher；shelaythereatfulllength，andthereshemaylie。
　　End