the Darning-Needle

by Hans Christian Andersen（1846）

　　theRE was once a darning-needle who thought herself so fine that she fancied she must be fit for embroidery. “Hold me tight，” she would say to the fingers， when they took her up， “don't let me fall； if you do I shall never be found again， I am so very fine.”

　　“That is your opinion， is it？” said the fingers， as they seized her round the body.

　　“See， I am coming with a train，” said the darning-needle， drawing a long thread after her； but there was no knot in the thread.

　　the fingers then placed the point of the needle against the cook's slipper. There was a crack in the upper leather， which had to be sewn together.

　　“What coarse work！” said the darning-needle， “I shall never get through. I shall break！—I am breaking！” and sure enough she broke. “Did I not say so？” said the darning-needle， “I know I am too fine for such work as that.”

　　“This needle is quite useless for sewing now，” said the fingers； but they still held it fast， and the cook dropped some sealing-wax on the needle， and fastened her handkerchief with it in front.

　　“So now I am a breast-pin，” said the darning-needle； “I knew very well I should come to honor some day： merit is sure to rise；” and she laughed， quietly to herself， for of course no one ever saw a darning-needle laugh. And there she sat as proudly as if she were in a state coach， and looked all around her. “May I be allowed to ask if you are made of gold？” she inquired of her neighbor， a pin； “you have a very pretty appearance， and a curious head， although you are rather small. You must take pains to grow， for it is not every one who has sealing-wax dropped upon him；” and as she spoke， the darning-needle drew herself up so proudly that she fell out of the handkerchief right into the sink， which the cook was cleaning. “Now I am going on a journey，” said the needle， as she floated away with the dirty water， “I do hope I shall not be lost.” But she really was lost in a gutter. “I am too fine for this world，” said the darning-needle， as she lay in the gutter； “but I know who I am， and that is always some comfort.” So the darning-needle kept up her proud behavior， and did not lose her good humor. Then there floated over her all sorts of things，—chips and straws， and pieces of old newspaper. “See how they sail，” said the darning-needle； “they do not know what is under them. I am here， and here I shall stick. See， there goes a chip， thinking of nothing in the world but himself— only a chip. There's a straw going by now； how he turns and twists about！ Don't be thinking too much of yourself， or you may chance to run against a stone. There swims a piece of newspaper； what is written upon it has been forgotten long ago， and yet it gives itself airs. I sit here patiently and quietly. I know who I am， so I shall not move.”

　　One day something lying close to the darning-needle glittered so splendidly that she thought it was a diamond； yet it was only a piece of broken bottle. The darning-needle spoke to it， because it sparkled， and represented herself as a breast-pin. “I suppose you are really a diamond？” she said.

　　“Why yes， something of the kind，” he replied； and so each believed the other to be very valuable， and then they began to talk about the world， and the conceited people in it.

　　“I have been in a lady's work-box，” said the darning-needle， “and this lady was the cook. She had on each hand five fingers， and anything so conceited as these five fingers I have never seen； and yet they were only employed to take me out of the box and to put me back again.”

　　“Were they not high-born？”

　　“High-born！” said the darning-needle， “no indeed， but so haughty. They were five brothers， all born fingers； they kept very proudly together， though they were of different lengths. The one who stood first in the rank was named the thumb， he was short and thick， and had only one joint in his back， and could therefore make but one bow； but he said that if he were cut off from a man's hand， that man would be unfit for a soldier. Sweet-tooth， his neighbor， dipped himself into sweet or sour， pointed to the sun and moon， and formed the letters when the fingers wrote. Longman， the middle finger， looked over the heads of all the others. Gold-band， the next finger， wore a golden circle round his waist. And little Playman did nothing at all， and seemed proud of it. They were boasters， and boasters they will remain； and therefore I left them.”

　　“And now we sit here and glitter，” said the piece of broken bottle.

　　At the same moment more water streamed into the gutter， so that it overflowed， and the piece of bottle was carried away.

　　“So he is promoted，” said the darning-needle， “while I remain here； I am too fine， but that is my pride， and what do I care？” And so she sat there in her pride， and had many such thoughts as these，—“I could almost fancy that I came from a sunbeam， I am so fine. It seems as if the sunbeams were always looking for me under the water. Ah！ I am so fine that even my mother cannot find me. Had I still my old eye， which was broken off， I believe I should weep； but no， I would not do that， it is not genteel to cry.”

　　One day a couple of street boys were paddling in the gutter， for they sometimes found old nails， farthings， and other treasures. It was dirty work， but they took GREat pleasure in it. “Hallo！” cried one， as he pricked himself with the darning-needle， “here's a fellow for you.”

　　“I am not a fellow， I am a young lady，” said the darning-needle； but no one heard her.

　　the sealing-wax had come off， and she was quite black； but black makes a person look slender， so she thought herself even finer than before.

　　“Here comes an egg-shell sailing along，” said one of the boys； so they stuck the darning-needle into the egg-shell.

　　“White walls， and I am black myself，” said the darning-needle， “that looks well； now I can be seen， but I hope I shall not be sea-sick， or I shall break again.” She was not sea-sick， and she did not break. “It is a good thing against sea-sickness to have a steel stomach， and not to forget one's own importance. Now my sea-sickness has past： delicate people can bear a GREat deal.”

　　Crack went the egg-shell， as a waggon passed over it. “Good heavens， how it crushes！” said the darning-needle. “I shall be sick now. I am breaking！” but she did not break， though the waggon went over her as she lay at full length； and there let her lie.

从前有一根织补衣服的针。作为一根织补针来说，她倒还算细巧，因此她就想像自己是一根绣花针。“请你们注意你们现在拿着的这东西吧！”她对那几个取她出来的手指说。“你们不要把我失掉！我一落到地上去，你们就决不会找到我的，因为我是那么细呀！”“细就细好了，”手指说。它们把她拦腰紧紧地捏住。“你们看，我还带着随从啦！”她说。她后面拖着一根长线，不过线上并没有打结。

　　手指正把这根针钉着女厨子的一只拖鞋，因为拖鞋的皮面裂开了，需要缝一下。“这是一件庸俗的工作，”织补针说。“我怎么也不愿钻进去。我要折断！我要折断了！”——於是她真的折断了。“我不是说过吗？”织补针说，“我是非常细的呀！”

　　手指想：她现在没有甚么用了。不过它们仍然不愿意放弃她，因为女厨子在针头上滴了一点封蜡，同时把她别在一块手帕上。“现在我成为一根领针（註：领针（brystnaal）是一种装饰*？，穿西装时插在领带上；针头上一般镶有一颗珍珠。）了！”织补针说。“我早就知道我会得到光荣的：一个不平凡的人总会得到一个不平凡的地位！”

　　於是她心里笑了——当一根织补针在笑的时候，人们是没有办法看到她的外部表情的。她别在那儿，显得很骄傲，好像她是坐在轿车里，左顾右盼似的。“请准许我问一声：您是金子做的吗？”她问她旁边的一根别针。“你有一张非常好看的面孔，一个自己的头脑——只是小了一点。你得使它再长大一点才成，因为封蜡并不会滴到每根针头上的呀。”

　　织补针很骄傲地挺起身子，结果弄得自己从手帕上落下来了，一直落到厨子正在沖洗的污水沟里去了。“现在我要去旅行了，”织补针说。“我只希望我不要迷了路！”

　　不过她却迷了路。“就这个世界说来，我是太细了，”她来到了排水沟的时候说。“不过我知道我的身份，而这也算是一点小小的安慰！”

　　所以织补针继续保持着她骄傲的态度，同时也不失掉她得意的心情。许多不同的东西在她身上浮过去了：菜屑啦，草叶啦，旧报纸碎片啦。“请看它们游得多么快！”织补针说。“它们不知道它们下面还有一件甚么东西！我就在这儿，我坚定地坐在这儿！看吧，一根棍子浮过来了，它以为世界上除了棍子以外再也没有甚么别的东西。它就是这样一个傢伙！一根草浮过来了。你看它扭着腰肢和转动的那副样儿！不要以为自己了不起吧，你很容易撞到一块石头上去呀！一张破报纸游过来了！它上面印着的东西早已被人家忘记了，但是它仍然铺张开来，神气十足。我有耐心地、静静地坐在这儿。我知道我是谁，我永远保持住我的本来面目！”

　　有一天她旁边躺着一件甚么东西。这东西射出美丽的光彩。织补针认为它是一颗金刚钻。不过事实上它是一个瓶子的碎片。因为它发出亮光，所以织补针就跟它讲话，把自己介绍成为一根领针。“我想你是一颗钻石吧？”她说。“嗯，对啦，是这类东西。”

　　於是双方就相信自己都是价值很高的物件。他们开始谈论，说世上的人一般都是觉得自己非常了不起。“我曾经在一位小姐的匣子里住过，”织补针说，“这位小姐是一个厨子。她每只手上有五个指头。我从来没有看到像这五个指头那样骄傲的东西，不过他们的作用只是拿着我，把我从匣子里取出来和放进去罢了。”“他们也能射出光彩来吗？”瓶子的碎片问。“光彩！”织补针说，“甚么也没有，不过自以为了不起罢了。他们是五个兄弟，都属於手指这个家族。他们互相标榜，虽然他们是长短不齐：最前面的一个是”笨摸“（註：”笨摸“、”餂罐“、”长人“、”金火“和”比尔——玩朋友“，是丹麦孩子对五个指头所起的绰号。大拇指摸东西不灵活，所以叫做”笨摸“；二指常常代替吞头伸到果酱罐里去餂东西吃，所以叫”餂罐“；四指因为戴戒指，所以看起来像有一道金火；小指叫做”比尔——玩朋友“，因为它甚么用也没有。），又短又肥。他走在最前列，他的背上只有一个节，因此他只能同时鞠一个躬；不过他说，假如他从一个人身上砍掉的话，这人就不够资格服兵役了。第二个指头叫做”餂罐“，他伸到酸东西和甜东西里面去，他指着太阳和月亮；当大家在写字的时候，他握着笔。第三个指头是”长人“，他伸在别人的头上看东西。第四个指头是”金火“，他腰间围着一条金带子。最小的那个是”比尔——玩朋友“，他甚么事也不做，而自己还因此感到骄傲呢。他们甚么也不做，只是吹牛，因此我才到排水沟里来了！”“这要算是升级！”瓶子的碎片说。

　　这时有更多的水沖进排水沟里来了，漫得遍地都是，结果把瓶子的碎片沖走了。“瞧，他倒是升级了！”织补针说。“但是我还坐在这儿，我是那么细。不过我也正因此感到骄傲，而且也很光荣！”於是她骄傲地坐在那儿，发出了许多感想。“我差不多要相信我是从日光里出生的了，因为我是那么细呀！我觉得日光老是到水底下来寻找我。啊！我是这么细，连我的母亲都找不到我了。如果我的老针眼没有断了的话，我想我是要哭出来的——但是我不能这样做：哭不是一桩文雅的事情！”

　　有一天几个野孩子在排水沟里找东西——他们有时在这里能够找到旧钉、铜板和类似的物件。这是一件很髒的工作，不过他们却非常欣赏这类的事儿。“哎哟！”一个孩子说，因为他被织补针刺了一下，“原来是你这个傢伙！”“我不是一个傢伙，我是一位年轻小姐啦！”织补针说。可是谁也不理她。她身上的那滴封蜡早已没有了，全身已经变得漆黑。不过黑颜色能使人变得苗条，因此她相信她比以前更细嫩。“瞧，一个蛋壳起来了！”孩子们说。他们把织补针插到蛋壳上面。“四周的墙是白色的，而我是黑色的！这倒配得很好！”织补针说。“现在谁都可以看到我了。——我只希望我不要晕船才好，因为这样我就会折断的！”不过她一点也不会晕船，而且也没有折断。“一个人有钢做的肚皮，是不怕晕船的，同时还不要忘记，我和一个普通人比起来，是更高一招的。我现在一点毛病也没有。一个人越纤细，他能受得住的东西就越多。”“砰！”这时蛋壳忽然裂开了，因为一辆载重车正在它上面碾过去。“我的天，它把我碾得真厉害！”织补针说。“我现在有点晕船了——我要折断了！我要折断了！”

　　虽然那辆载重车在她身上碾过去了，她并没有折断。她直直地躺在那儿——而且她尽可以一直在那儿躺下去。

　　（1846年）

　　这篇小故事，最初发表在《加埃亚》杂志上。它所表现的内容一看就清楚。1846年夏天，安徒生和他的朋友丹麦着名的雕刻家多瓦尔生，在丹麦的“新岛”度暑假。多瓦尔生一直喜爱安徒生的童话。有一天他对安徒生说：“”好，请你给我们写一起新的故事——你的智慧连一根织补针都可以写出一起故事来“。於是，安徒生就写了《织补针》这个故事。”这是安徒生在他的手记中写到的。