HANS ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES
in the cage hung just outside—he can sing; to be sure, he had never learnt the notes—never mind, we will not speak evil of any one this evening!'
'I think it highly indecorous,' observed the tea-kettle, who was the vocalist of the kitchen, and a half-brother of the tea-urn's, 'that a foreign bird should be listened to. Is it patriotic? I appeal to the turf-basket.'
'I am only vexed,' said the turf-basket. 'I am vexed from my inmost soul that such things are thought of at all. Is it a becoming way of spending the evening? Would it not be much more rational to reform the whole house, and establish a totally new order of things, rather more according to nature? Then every one would get into his right place, and I would undertake to direct the revolution. What say you to it? That would be something worth the doing!'
'Oh yes, we will make a grand commotion!' cried they all. Just then the door opened—it was the servant-maid. They all stood perfectly still, not one dared stir, yet there was not a single kitchen utensil among them all but was thinking about the great things he could have done, and how great was his superiority over the others.
'Ah, if I had chosen it,' thought each of them, 'what a merry evening we might have had!'
The maid took the matches and struck a light—oh, how they sputtered and blazed up!
'Now every one may see,' thought they, 'that we are of highest rank; what a splendid, dazzling light we give, how glorious!'—and in another moment they were burnt out.
'That is a capital story,' said the Queen; 'I quite felt myself transported into the kitchen; yes, thou shalt have our daughter!'
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