August 20, 2025 • 15 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
There was once an emperor who had a horse shod
with gold. He had a golden shoe on each foot.
And why was this who was a beautiful creature with
slender legs, bright intelligent eyes, and a mane that hung
down over his neck like a veil. He had carried
his master through fire and smoke in the battlefield, with
the bolts whistling round him. He had kicked and bidden
(00:21):
and taken part in the fight when the enemy advanced,
and with his master on his back, he had dashed
over the fallen foe and saved the golden crown and
the emperor's life, which was of more value than the
brightest gold. This is the reason of the emperor's horse
wearing golden shoes. A beetle came creeping forth from the
(00:41):
stable where the farrier had been shoeing the horse. Great ones, first,
of course, said he, and then the little ones be
size is not always a proof of greatness. He stretched
out his thin leg as he spoke, and pray, what
do you want, asked the farrier. Golden shoes, replied the beadle.
Why you must be out of your senses, cried the ferrier.
(01:04):
Golden shoes for you indeed, yes, certainly golden shoes, replied
the beetle. Am I not just as good as that
great creature yonder, who is waited upon and brushed, and
has food and drink placed before him. And don't I
belong to the royal stables? But why does the horse
have golden shoes, asked the farrier. Of course you understand
the reason. Understand well. I understand that it is a
(01:27):
personal slight to me, cried the beetle. It is done
to annoy me. So I intend to go out into
the world and seek my fortune. Go along with you,
said the ferrier. You're a rude fellow, cried the beetle
as he walked out of the stable. And then he
flew for a short distance till he found himself in
a beautiful flower garden, all fragrant with roses and lavender.
(01:48):
The lady birds, with red and black shells on their
backs and delicate wings were flying about, And one of
them said, is it not sweet and lovely? Here? Oh?
How beautiful everything is? I am accustomed to better things,
said the beadle. Do call this beautiful? Why there is
not even a dung heap. Then he went on and
under the shadow of a large haystack, he found a
(02:10):
caterpillar crawling along. How beautiful this world is, said the caterpillar.
The sun is so warm, I quite enjoy it. And
soon I shall go to sleep and die, as they
call it, but I shall wake up with beautiful wings
to fly with, like a butterfly. How conceited you are,
exclaimed the beadle, fly about as the butterfly. Indeed, what
of that? I have come out of the Emperor's stable,
(02:31):
and no one there, not even the Emperor's horse, who
in fact wears my cast off golden shoes, has any
idea of flying except myself to have wings and fly.
Why I can do that already, And so saying, he
spread his wings and flew away. I don't want to
be disgusted, he said to himself, And yet I can't
help it. Soon after he fell down upon an extensive lawn,
(02:53):
and for a time pretended to sleep, but at last
fell asleep in earnest. Suddenly a heavy shower of rain
came falling from the clouds. The beetle woke up with
the noise and would have been glad to creep into
the earth for shelter, but he could not He was
tumbled over and over with the rain, sometimes swimming on
his stomach and sometimes on his back, and asked for
flying that was out of the question. He began to
(03:15):
doubt whether he should escape with his life, so he
remained quietly lying where he was. After a while, the
weather cleared up a little, and the beetle was able
to rub the water from his eyes and look about him.
He saw something gleaming, and he managed to make his
way up to it. It was linen which had been
laid to bleach on the grass. He crept into a
fold of the damp linen, which certainly was not so
(03:38):
comfortable a place to lie in as the warm stable,
but there was nothing better. So he remained lying there
for a whole day and night, and the rain kept
on all the time. Towards morning, he crept out of
his hiding place, feeling in a very bad temper with
the climate. Two frogs were sitting on the linen, and
their bright eyes actually glistened with pleasure. Wonderful weather, this
(03:59):
cried one of them, and refreshing. This linen holds the
water together so beautifully that my hind legs quiver, as
if I were going to swim. I should like to know,
said another, if the swallow, who flies so far in
her many journeys to foreign lands, ever met with a
better climate than this, What delicious moisture? It is as
pleasant as lying in a wet ditch. I am sure
(04:20):
anyone who does not enjoy this has no love for
his fatherland. Have you ever been in the Emperor's stable,
asked the beetle. There the moisture is warm and refreshing.
That's the climate for me. But I could not take
it with me on my travels. Is there not even
a dunghill here in this garden where a person of
rank like myself could take up his abode and feel
at home? But the frogs either did not or would
(04:43):
not understand him. I never asked a question twice, said
the beetle, After he had asked this one three times
and received no answer. Then he went on a little
farther and stumbled against a piece of broken crockery ware,
which certainly ought not to have been lying there, But
as it was there, it formed a go shelter against
wind and weather to several families of earwigs who dwelt
(05:03):
in it. Their requirements were not many They were very
sociable and full of affection for their children, so much
so that each mother considered her own child the most
beautiful and clever of them all. Our dear son has
engaged himself, said one mother. Dear innocent boy, his greatest
ambition is that he may one day creep into a
clergyman's ear. That is a very artless and lovable wish,
(05:26):
and being engaged will keep him steady. What happiness for mother,
our son, said another, has scarcely crept out of the
egg when he was off on his travels. He is
all life and spirits. I expect he will wear out
his horns with running. How charming this is for mother,
is it not, mister beadle, For she knew the stranger
by his Hornicoat, you are both quite right, said he.
(05:47):
So they begged him to walk in, that is, to
come as far as he could under the broken piece
of earthenware. Now you shall also see my little earwigs,
said a third and fourth mother. There are lovely little
things and highly amusing. They are never ill behaved, except
when they are uncomfortable in their inside, which unfortunately happens
at their age. Thus each mother spoke of her baby,
(06:08):
and their babies talked after their own fashion, and made
use of the little nippers they have in their tails
to nip the beard of the beetle. They are always
busy about something, the little rogues, said the mother, beaming
with maternal pride. But the beetle fell to it a boar.
And he therefore inquire the way to the nearest dung
heap that is quite out in the great world on
the other side of the ditch, answered an earwig. I
(06:30):
hope none of my children will ever go so far.
It would be the death of me. But I shall
try to get so far, said the beetle, and he
walked off without taking any formal leave, which is considered
a polite thing to do. When he arrived at the ditch,
he met several friends, all of the beetles. We live here,
they said, and we are very comfortable. May we ask
you to step down into this rich mud. You must
(06:51):
be fatigued after your journey, certainly, said the beadle. I
shall be most happy. I have been exposed to the rain,
and have hied to life upon linen, and cleanliness is
a thing that greatly exhausts me. I have also pains,
and one of my wings from standing in the draft
under a piece of broken crockery. It is really quite
refreshing to be with one's own kindred again, Perhaps you
(07:14):
came from a dung heap, observed the oldest of them. No, indeed,
I came from a much grander place, replied the beadle.
I came from the Emperor's stable, where I was born.
With golden shoes on my feet. I am traveling on
a secret embassy. But you must not ask me any questions,
for I cannot betrry my secret. Then the beetles stepped
down into the rich mud, where sat three young lady beetles,
(07:36):
who tittered because they did not know what to say.
None of them are engaged yet, said their mother, and
the beetle maidens tittered again, this time quite in confusion.
I have never seen greater beauties, even in the royal stables,
exclaimed the beadle, who is now resting himself. Don't spoil
my girls, said the mother. And don't talk to them
pray unless you have serious intentions. But of course the
(07:56):
beetle's intentions were serious, and after a while our friend
was engaged. The mother gave them her blessing, and all
the other beatles cried hurrah. Immediately after the betrothal came
the marriage, for there was no reason to delay. The
following day passed very pleasantly, and the next was tolerably comfortable.
But on the third it became necessary for him to
(08:17):
think of getting food for his wife and perhaps for children.
I have allowed myself to be taken in, said our
beadle to himself, and now there is nothing to be
done but to take them in in return. No sooner
said than done away he went and stayed away all
day and all night, and his wife remained behind, a
forsaken widow. Oh, said the other beatles. This fellow that
(08:37):
we have received into our family is nothing but a
complete vagabond. He has gone away and left his wife
a burden upon our hands, while she can be unmarried
again and remain here with my other daughters, said the
mother fy on the villain that forsook her. In the meantime,
the beadle, who had sealed across the ditch on a
cabbage leaf, had been journeying on the other side. In
(09:00):
the morning, two persons came up to the ditch. When
they saw him, they took him up and turned him
over and over, looking very learned all the time, especially
one who was a boy. All this es the black
beetle in the black stone and the black rock. Is
not that written in the Koran? He asked. Then he
translated the beadle's name into Aladdin, and said a great
(09:21):
deal upon the creature's nature and history. The second person,
who was older and a scholar, proposed to carry the
beetle home, as they wanted just such good specimens as this.
Our beetle considered this speech a great insult, so he
flew suddenly out of the speaker's hand. His wings were
dry now, so they carried him to a great distance,
till at last he reached a hot house where a
(09:43):
sash of the glass roof was partly open. So he
quietly slipped in and buried himself in the warm earth.
It is very comfortable here, he said to himself, and
soon after fell asleep. Then he dreamed that the Emperor's
horse was dying and had left him his golden shoes,
also promised that he should have two more. All this
was very delightful, and when the beetle woke up, he
(10:05):
crept forth and looked around him. What a splendid place
the hot house was. At the back, large palm trees
were growing, and the sunlight made the leaves look quite glossy.
And beneath them, what a profusion of luxuriant green, and
of flowers red like flame, yellow as amber, or white
as new fall and snow. What a wonderful quantity of plants,
cried the beetle. How good they will taste when they
(10:26):
are decayed. This is a capital storeroom. There must certainly
be some relations of mine living here. I will just
see if I can find anyone with whom I can associate.
I'm proud, certainly, but I am also proud of being so.
Then he prowled about in the earth and thought, what
a pleasant dream that was about the dying horse and
the golden shoes he had inherited. Suddenly a hand seized
(10:50):
the beetle and squeezed him and turned him round and round.
The gardener's little son and his playfellow had come into
the hot house, and seeing the beetle, wanted to have
some fun with him him. First, he was wrapped in
a vine leaf and put into a warm trousers pocket.
He twisted and turned about with all his might, but
he got a good squeeze from the boy's hand as
(11:11):
a hint for him to keep quiet. Then the boy
went quickly towards a lake that lay at the end
of the garden. Here the beetle was put into an old,
broken wooden shoe, in which a little stick had been
fastened upright for a mass, And to this mass the
beetle was bound with a piece of worsted. Now he
was a sailor and had to sail away. This lake
was not very large, but to the beetle it seemed
(11:33):
an ocean, and he was so astonished at its size
that he fell over on his back and kicked out
his legs. Then the little ship sailed away. Sometimes the
current of the water seized it, but whenever it went
too far from the shore, one of the boys turned
up his trousers and went in after it, and brought
it back to land. But at last, just as it
went merrily out again, the two boys were called, and
(11:55):
so angrily that they hastened to obey, and ran away
as fast as they could from the pond, so that
the little ship was left to its fate. It was
carried away farther and farther from the shore till it
reached the open sea. This was a terrible prospect for
the beetle, for he could not escape in consequence of
being bound to the mast. Then a fly came and
(12:16):
paid him a visit. What beautiful weather, said the fly.
I shall rest here and sun myself. You must have
a pleasant time of it. You speak without knowing the facts,
replied the beadle. Don't you see that I am a prisoner. Ah,
but I'm not a prisoner, remarked the fly, and away
he flew. Well, now I know the world, said the
beetle to himself. It's an abominable world. I'm the only
(12:38):
respectable person in it. First they refuse me my golden shoes.
Then I have to lie on damp linen, and to
stand in a draft, and to crown all they fasten
a wife upon me. Then, when I made a step
forward in the world and found out a comfortable position,
just as I could wish it to be, one of
these human boys comes and ties me up and leaves
(12:59):
me to the mercy of the wild waves, while the
emperor's favorite horse goes prancing about proudly on his golden shoes.
This vexes me more than anything. But it is useless
to look for sympathy in this world. My career has
been very interesting, but what's the use of that if
nobody knows anything about it. The world does not deserve
to be made acquainted with my adventures, for it ought
(13:20):
to have given me golden shoes when the Emperor's horse
was shod, and I stretched out my feet to be
shod too. If I had received golden shoes, I should
have been an ornament to the stable. Now I am
lost to the stable and to the world. It is
all over with me. But all was not yet over.
A boat in which were a few young girls came
rowing up. Look, yonder is an old wooden shoe sailing along,
(13:44):
said one of the younger girls. And there is a
poor little creature bound fast in it, said another. The
boat now came close to our beetles ship, and the
young girls fished out of the water. One of them
drew a small pair of scissors from her pocket and
cut the worsted without hurting the beetle, And when she
stepped on shore she placed him on the grass. There,
she said, creep away or fly, if thou canst it
(14:06):
is a splendid thing to have thy liberty. Away flew
the beetle straight through the open window of a large building.
There he sank down, tired and exhausted, exactly on the
mane of the Emperor's favorite horse, who was standing in
his stable. And the beetle found himself at home again.
For some time he clung to the man that he
might recover himself. Well, he said, here I am seated
(14:29):
on the Emperor's favorite horse, sitting upon him as if
I were the Emperor himself. But what was I The
fairy asked me, Ah, I remember. Now, that's a good thought.
He asked me why the golden shoes were given to
the horse. The answer is quite clear to me now.
They were given to the horse on my account. And
this reflection put the beetle into a good temper. The
(14:50):
sun's rays also came streaming into the stable and shone
upon him and made the place lively and bright. Traveling
expands the mind very much, said the beadle. World is
not so bad after all, if you know how to
take things as they come. End of the Beadle who
went on his travels by Hans Christian Andersen
There was once an emperor who had a horse shod
with gold. He had a golden shoe on each foot.
And why was this who was a beautiful creature with
slender legs, bright intelligent eyes, and a mane that hung
down over his neck like a veil. He had carried
his master through fire and smoke in the battlefield, with
the bolts whistling round him. He had kicked and bidden
(00:21):
and taken part in the fight when the enemy advanced,
and with his master on his back, he had dashed
over the fallen foe and saved the golden crown and
the emperor's life, which was of more value than the
brightest gold. This is the reason of the emperor's horse
wearing golden shoes. A beetle came creeping forth from the
(00:41):
stable where the farrier had been shoeing the horse. Great ones, first,
of course, said he, and then the little ones be
size is not always a proof of greatness. He stretched
out his thin leg as he spoke, and pray, what
do you want, asked the farrier. Golden shoes, replied the beadle.
Why you must be out of your senses, cried the ferrier.
(01:04):
Golden shoes for you indeed, yes, certainly golden shoes, replied
the beetle. Am I not just as good as that
great creature yonder, who is waited upon and brushed, and
has food and drink placed before him. And don't I
belong to the royal stables? But why does the horse
have golden shoes, asked the farrier. Of course you understand
the reason. Understand well. I understand that it is a
(01:27):
personal slight to me, cried the beetle. It is done
to annoy me. So I intend to go out into
the world and seek my fortune. Go along with you,
said the ferrier. You're a rude fellow, cried the beetle
as he walked out of the stable. And then he
flew for a short distance till he found himself in
a beautiful flower garden, all fragrant with roses and lavender.
(01:48):
The lady birds, with red and black shells on their
backs and delicate wings were flying about, And one of
them said, is it not sweet and lovely? Here? Oh?
How beautiful everything is? I am accustomed to better things,
said the beadle. Do call this beautiful? Why there is
not even a dung heap. Then he went on and
under the shadow of a large haystack, he found a
(02:10):
caterpillar crawling along. How beautiful this world is, said the caterpillar.
The sun is so warm, I quite enjoy it. And
soon I shall go to sleep and die, as they
call it, but I shall wake up with beautiful wings
to fly with, like a butterfly. How conceited you are,
exclaimed the beadle, fly about as the butterfly. Indeed, what
of that? I have come out of the Emperor's stable,
(02:31):
and no one there, not even the Emperor's horse, who
in fact wears my cast off golden shoes, has any
idea of flying except myself to have wings and fly.
Why I can do that already, And so saying, he
spread his wings and flew away. I don't want to
be disgusted, he said to himself, And yet I can't
help it. Soon after he fell down upon an extensive lawn,
(02:53):
and for a time pretended to sleep, but at last
fell asleep in earnest. Suddenly a heavy shower of rain
came falling from the clouds. The beetle woke up with
the noise and would have been glad to creep into
the earth for shelter, but he could not He was
tumbled over and over with the rain, sometimes swimming on
his stomach and sometimes on his back, and asked for
flying that was out of the question. He began to
(03:15):
doubt whether he should escape with his life, so he
remained quietly lying where he was. After a while, the
weather cleared up a little, and the beetle was able
to rub the water from his eyes and look about him.
He saw something gleaming, and he managed to make his
way up to it. It was linen which had been
laid to bleach on the grass. He crept into a
fold of the damp linen, which certainly was not so
(03:38):
comfortable a place to lie in as the warm stable,
but there was nothing better. So he remained lying there
for a whole day and night, and the rain kept
on all the time. Towards morning, he crept out of
his hiding place, feeling in a very bad temper with
the climate. Two frogs were sitting on the linen, and
their bright eyes actually glistened with pleasure. Wonderful weather, this
(03:59):
cried one of them, and refreshing. This linen holds the
water together so beautifully that my hind legs quiver, as
if I were going to swim. I should like to know,
said another, if the swallow, who flies so far in
her many journeys to foreign lands, ever met with a
better climate than this, What delicious moisture? It is as
pleasant as lying in a wet ditch. I am sure
(04:20):
anyone who does not enjoy this has no love for
his fatherland. Have you ever been in the Emperor's stable,
asked the beetle. There the moisture is warm and refreshing.
That's the climate for me. But I could not take
it with me on my travels. Is there not even
a dunghill here in this garden where a person of
rank like myself could take up his abode and feel
at home? But the frogs either did not or would
(04:43):
not understand him. I never asked a question twice, said
the beetle, After he had asked this one three times
and received no answer. Then he went on a little
farther and stumbled against a piece of broken crockery ware,
which certainly ought not to have been lying there, But
as it was there, it formed a go shelter against
wind and weather to several families of earwigs who dwelt
(05:03):
in it. Their requirements were not many They were very
sociable and full of affection for their children, so much
so that each mother considered her own child the most
beautiful and clever of them all. Our dear son has
engaged himself, said one mother. Dear innocent boy, his greatest
ambition is that he may one day creep into a
clergyman's ear. That is a very artless and lovable wish,
(05:26):
and being engaged will keep him steady. What happiness for mother,
our son, said another, has scarcely crept out of the
egg when he was off on his travels. He is
all life and spirits. I expect he will wear out
his horns with running. How charming this is for mother,
is it not, mister beadle, For she knew the stranger
by his Hornicoat, you are both quite right, said he.
(05:47):
So they begged him to walk in, that is, to
come as far as he could under the broken piece
of earthenware. Now you shall also see my little earwigs,
said a third and fourth mother. There are lovely little
things and highly amusing. They are never ill behaved, except
when they are uncomfortable in their inside, which unfortunately happens
at their age. Thus each mother spoke of her baby,
(06:08):
and their babies talked after their own fashion, and made
use of the little nippers they have in their tails
to nip the beard of the beetle. They are always
busy about something, the little rogues, said the mother, beaming
with maternal pride. But the beetle fell to it a boar.
And he therefore inquire the way to the nearest dung
heap that is quite out in the great world on
the other side of the ditch, answered an earwig. I
(06:30):
hope none of my children will ever go so far.
It would be the death of me. But I shall
try to get so far, said the beetle, and he
walked off without taking any formal leave, which is considered
a polite thing to do. When he arrived at the ditch,
he met several friends, all of the beetles. We live here,
they said, and we are very comfortable. May we ask
you to step down into this rich mud. You must
(06:51):
be fatigued after your journey, certainly, said the beadle. I
shall be most happy. I have been exposed to the rain,
and have hied to life upon linen, and cleanliness is
a thing that greatly exhausts me. I have also pains,
and one of my wings from standing in the draft
under a piece of broken crockery. It is really quite
refreshing to be with one's own kindred again, Perhaps you
(07:14):
came from a dung heap, observed the oldest of them. No, indeed,
I came from a much grander place, replied the beadle.
I came from the Emperor's stable, where I was born.
With golden shoes on my feet. I am traveling on
a secret embassy. But you must not ask me any questions,
for I cannot betrry my secret. Then the beetles stepped
down into the rich mud, where sat three young lady beetles,
(07:36):
who tittered because they did not know what to say.
None of them are engaged yet, said their mother, and
the beetle maidens tittered again, this time quite in confusion.
I have never seen greater beauties, even in the royal stables,
exclaimed the beadle, who is now resting himself. Don't spoil
my girls, said the mother. And don't talk to them
pray unless you have serious intentions. But of course the
(07:56):
beetle's intentions were serious, and after a while our friend
was engaged. The mother gave them her blessing, and all
the other beatles cried hurrah. Immediately after the betrothal came
the marriage, for there was no reason to delay. The
following day passed very pleasantly, and the next was tolerably comfortable.
But on the third it became necessary for him to
(08:17):
think of getting food for his wife and perhaps for children.
I have allowed myself to be taken in, said our
beadle to himself, and now there is nothing to be
done but to take them in in return. No sooner
said than done away he went and stayed away all
day and all night, and his wife remained behind, a
forsaken widow. Oh, said the other beatles. This fellow that
(08:37):
we have received into our family is nothing but a
complete vagabond. He has gone away and left his wife
a burden upon our hands, while she can be unmarried
again and remain here with my other daughters, said the
mother fy on the villain that forsook her. In the meantime,
the beadle, who had sealed across the ditch on a
cabbage leaf, had been journeying on the other side. In
(09:00):
the morning, two persons came up to the ditch. When
they saw him, they took him up and turned him
over and over, looking very learned all the time, especially
one who was a boy. All this es the black
beetle in the black stone and the black rock. Is
not that written in the Koran? He asked. Then he
translated the beadle's name into Aladdin, and said a great
(09:21):
deal upon the creature's nature and history. The second person,
who was older and a scholar, proposed to carry the
beetle home, as they wanted just such good specimens as this.
Our beetle considered this speech a great insult, so he
flew suddenly out of the speaker's hand. His wings were
dry now, so they carried him to a great distance,
till at last he reached a hot house where a
(09:43):
sash of the glass roof was partly open. So he
quietly slipped in and buried himself in the warm earth.
It is very comfortable here, he said to himself, and
soon after fell asleep. Then he dreamed that the Emperor's
horse was dying and had left him his golden shoes,
also promised that he should have two more. All this
was very delightful, and when the beetle woke up, he
(10:05):
crept forth and looked around him. What a splendid place
the hot house was. At the back, large palm trees
were growing, and the sunlight made the leaves look quite glossy.
And beneath them, what a profusion of luxuriant green, and
of flowers red like flame, yellow as amber, or white
as new fall and snow. What a wonderful quantity of plants,
cried the beetle. How good they will taste when they
(10:26):
are decayed. This is a capital storeroom. There must certainly
be some relations of mine living here. I will just
see if I can find anyone with whom I can associate.
I'm proud, certainly, but I am also proud of being so.
Then he prowled about in the earth and thought, what
a pleasant dream that was about the dying horse and
the golden shoes he had inherited. Suddenly a hand seized
(10:50):
the beetle and squeezed him and turned him round and round.
The gardener's little son and his playfellow had come into
the hot house, and seeing the beetle, wanted to have
some fun with him him. First, he was wrapped in
a vine leaf and put into a warm trousers pocket.
He twisted and turned about with all his might, but
he got a good squeeze from the boy's hand as
(11:11):
a hint for him to keep quiet. Then the boy
went quickly towards a lake that lay at the end
of the garden. Here the beetle was put into an old,
broken wooden shoe, in which a little stick had been
fastened upright for a mass, And to this mass the
beetle was bound with a piece of worsted. Now he
was a sailor and had to sail away. This lake
was not very large, but to the beetle it seemed
(11:33):
an ocean, and he was so astonished at its size
that he fell over on his back and kicked out
his legs. Then the little ship sailed away. Sometimes the
current of the water seized it, but whenever it went
too far from the shore, one of the boys turned
up his trousers and went in after it, and brought
it back to land. But at last, just as it
went merrily out again, the two boys were called, and
(11:55):
so angrily that they hastened to obey, and ran away
as fast as they could from the pond, so that
the little ship was left to its fate. It was
carried away farther and farther from the shore till it
reached the open sea. This was a terrible prospect for
the beetle, for he could not escape in consequence of
being bound to the mast. Then a fly came and
(12:16):
paid him a visit. What beautiful weather, said the fly.
I shall rest here and sun myself. You must have
a pleasant time of it. You speak without knowing the facts,
replied the beadle. Don't you see that I am a prisoner. Ah,
but I'm not a prisoner, remarked the fly, and away
he flew. Well, now I know the world, said the
beetle to himself. It's an abominable world. I'm the only
(12:38):
respectable person in it. First they refuse me my golden shoes.
Then I have to lie on damp linen, and to
stand in a draft, and to crown all they fasten
a wife upon me. Then, when I made a step
forward in the world and found out a comfortable position,
just as I could wish it to be, one of
these human boys comes and ties me up and leaves
(12:59):
me to the mercy of the wild waves, while the
emperor's favorite horse goes prancing about proudly on his golden shoes.
This vexes me more than anything. But it is useless
to look for sympathy in this world. My career has
been very interesting, but what's the use of that if
nobody knows anything about it. The world does not deserve
to be made acquainted with my adventures, for it ought
(13:20):
to have given me golden shoes when the Emperor's horse
was shod, and I stretched out my feet to be
shod too. If I had received golden shoes, I should
have been an ornament to the stable. Now I am
lost to the stable and to the world. It is
all over with me. But all was not yet over.
A boat in which were a few young girls came
rowing up. Look, yonder is an old wooden shoe sailing along,
(13:44):
said one of the younger girls. And there is a
poor little creature bound fast in it, said another. The
boat now came close to our beetles ship, and the
young girls fished out of the water. One of them
drew a small pair of scissors from her pocket and
cut the worsted without hurting the beetle, And when she
stepped on shore she placed him on the grass. There,
she said, creep away or fly, if thou canst it
(14:06):
is a splendid thing to have thy liberty. Away flew
the beetle straight through the open window of a large building.
There he sank down, tired and exhausted, exactly on the
mane of the Emperor's favorite horse, who was standing in
his stable. And the beetle found himself at home again.
For some time he clung to the man that he
might recover himself. Well, he said, here I am seated
(14:29):
on the Emperor's favorite horse, sitting upon him as if
I were the Emperor himself. But what was I The
fairy asked me, Ah, I remember. Now, that's a good thought.
He asked me why the golden shoes were given to
the horse. The answer is quite clear to me now.
They were given to the horse on my account. And
this reflection put the beetle into a good temper. The
(14:50):
sun's rays also came streaming into the stable and shone
upon him and made the place lively and bright. Traveling
expands the mind very much, said the beadle. World is
not so bad after all, if you know how to
take things as they come. End of the Beadle who
went on his travels by Hans Christian Andersen
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