riage came by, and in the carriage sat an old lady;
she looked at the little girl and felt pity for her and said to the
clergyman:

"Give me the little girl and I will provide for her."

Karen thought this was for the sake of the shoes; but the old lady
declared they were hideous; and they were burned. But Karen herself was
clothed neatly and properly: she was taught to read and to sew, and the
people said she was agreeable. But her mirror said, "You are much more
than agreeable; you are beautiful."

Once the Queen travelled through the country, and had her little
daughter with her; and the daughter was a Princess. And the people
flocked toward the castle, and Karen too was among them; and the little
Princess stood in a fine white dress at a window, and let herself be
gazed at. She had neither train nor golden crown, but she wore splendid
red morocco shoes; they were certainly far handsomer than those the
shoemaker's wife had made for little Karen. Nothing in the world can
compare with red shoes!

Now Karen was old enough to be confirmed: new clothes were made for her,
and she was to have new shoes. The rich shoemaker in the town took the
measure of her little feet; this was done in his own house, in his
little room, and there stood great glass cases with neat shoes and
shining boots. It had quite a charming appearance, but the old lady
could not see well, and therefore took no pleasure in it. Among the
shoes stood a red pair, just like those which the princess had worn. How
beautiful they were! The shoemaker also said they had been made for a
Count's child, but they had not fitted.

"That must be patent leather," observed the old lady, "the shoes shine
so!"

"Yes, they shine!" replied Karen; and they fitted her, and were bought.
But the old lady did not know that they were red; for she would never
have allowed Karen to go to the confirmation in red shoes; and that is
what Karen did.

Every one was looking at her shoes. And when she went across the church
porch, toward the door of the choir, it seemed to her as if the old
pictures on the tombstones, the portraits of clergymen and clergymen's
wives, in their stiff collars and long black garments, fixed their eyes
upon her red shoes. And she thought of her shoes only, when the priest
laid his hand upon her head and spoke holy words. And the organ pealed
solemnly, the children sang with their fresh sweet voices, and the old
preceptor sang too; but Karen thought on