THERE was once a Darning-Needle , who thought herself so fine, she imagined she was an embroidering-needle .

“Take care, and mind you hold me tight!” she said to the Fingers which took her out. “Don't let me fall ! If I fall on the ground I shall certainly never be found again , for I am so fine !”

“That' s as it may be,” said the Fingers; and they grasped her round the body .

“See, I' m coming with a train!” said the DarningNeedle, and she drew a long thread after her, but there was no knot in the thread .

The Fingers pointed the needle just at the cook' s slipper, in which the upper leather had burst, and was tobe sewn together.

“That' s vulgar work , ” said the Darning-Needle . “ I shall never get through . I ' m breaking ! I ' m breaking ! ” And she really broke. “Did I not say so?” said the Darning-Needle ; “I' m too fine ! ”

“Now it' s quite useless , ” said the Fingers; ; but they were obliged to hold her fast, all the same; for the cook dropped some sealing-wax upon the needle, and pinned her handkerchief together with it in front.

“So, now I'm a breast-pin !” said the Darning-Needle . “I knew very well that I should come to honour : when one is something, one always comes to something!”

And she laughed inwardly----for no one can ever see outwardly when a darning-needle laughs. There she sat, as proud as if she was in a state coach , and looked all about her.

“May I be permitted to ask if you are of gold?” she inquired of the pin, her neighbour. “You have a very pretty appearance, and a head of your own, but it is only little. You must see that it grows, for it's not every one thathas sealing-wax dropped upon their end.”

And the Darning-Needle drew herself up so proudly that she fell out of the handkerchief right into the sink, which the cook was rinsing out .

“Now we're going on a journey,” said the DarningNeedle. ---- “If only I don' t get lost !”

But she really was lost .

“I'm too fine for this world,” she observed, as she lay in the gutter. “But I know who I am, and there's always something in that !” So the Darning-Needle kept her proud behaviour, and did not lose her good humour. And things of many kinds swam over her, chips and straws and pieces of old newspapers.

“Only look how they sail !” said the Darning-Needle . “They don' t know what is under them ! I' m here , I remain firmly here. See, there goes a chip thinking of nothing in the world but of himself----of a chip! There's astraw going by now. How he turns ! how he twirls about! Don't think so much of yourself, you might easily run up against a stone. There swims a bit of newspaper. What's written upon it has long been forgotten, and yet it gives itself airs. I sit quietly and patiently here. I know who I am, and I shall remain what I am.”

One day something lay close beside her that glittered splendidly; then the Darning-Needle believed that it was a diamond; but it was a Bit of broken Bottle; and because it shone, the Darning-Needle spoke to it, introducing herself as a breast-pin.

“I suppose you are a diamond?” she observed.

“Why , yes , something of that kind . ”

And then each believed the other to be a very valuable thing; and they began speaking about the world, and how ve............