and and knock, that they may hear thee and
tremble! Dance shalt thou!--"

"Mercy!" cried Karen. But she did not hear the angel's reply, for the
shoes carried her through the gate into the fields, across roads and
bridges, and she must keep ever dancing.

One morning she danced past a door she well knew. Within sounded a
psalm; a coffin decked with flowers was borne forth. Then she knew that
the old lady was dead, and that she was abandoned by all. She danced,
and she was forced to dance through the gloomy night. The shoes carried
her over stock and stone; she was torn till she bled. She danced over
the heath till she came to a little house. Here, she knew, dwelt the
executioner; and she tapped with her fingers at the window, and said,
"Come out! come out! I cannot come in, for I am forced to dance."

And the executioner said, "Thou dost not know who I am, I fancy. I
strike bad people's heads off; and I hear that my axe rings!"

"Don't strike my head off!" said Karen; "then I can't repent of my
sins! but strike off my feet and the red shoes!"

And then she confessed her entire sin, and the executioner struck off
her feet, with the red shoes; but the shoes danced away with the little
feet across the field into the deep wood.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER THIRD.

HOW KAREN TRIED TO GO TO CHURCH AGAIN, HOW SHE PRAYED AND WAS SORRY, AND
HOW AN ANGEL CAME TO COMFORT HER, AND HOW HAPPY SHE BECAME.

And the executioner carved out little wooden feet for her, and crutches,
and taught her the psalms criminals always sing; and she kissed the hand
which had wielded the axe, and went over the heath.

"Now I have suffered enough for the red shoes!" said she; "now I will go
into the church, that people may see me!" And she hastened towards the
church-door; but when she neared it the red shoes danced before her,
and she was terrified, and turned around.

The whole week she was unhappy, and wept many bitter tears; but when
Sunday returned, she said--

"Well, now I have struggled enough! I really believe I am as good as
many a one who sits in the church, and hold their heads so high!"

And away she went boldly; but she had not got farther than the
churchyard-gate, before she saw the red shoes dancing before her, and
she was frightened, and turned back, and repented of her sin from her
heart.

And she went to the parsonage, and begged that they would take her into
service; she would be very industrious, she said, and wo