In the middle of the village lived old mother Shoemaker, and she sat and sewed together, as well as she could, a little pair of shoes out of red cloth; they were very clumsy, but it was a kind thought,—­they were meant for the little girl.

The little girl was called Karen.  On the very day her mother was buried Karen received the red shoes, and wore them for the first time.  They were certainly not intended for mourning, but she had no others, and with stockingless feet she followed the poor straw coffin in them to the grave.

Suddenly an old carriage drove up, and a large old lady sat in it; she looked at the little girl, felt compassion for her, and then said to the clergyman—­

“Here, give me that little girl, I will adopt her!”

Karen believed all this happened on account of her red shoes, but the old lady thought they were horrible, and so they were burnt; but Karen was otherwise nicely clothed, and besides, had a pretty doll charmingly dressed in green.

[Illustration:  Karen with her doll.]

She must now learn to read and sew; and people said she was a nice little girl; but the looking-glass said, “Thou art more than nice, thou art beautiful!”

Now the queen once travelled through the land, and she had a daughter with her, and this little daughter was a princess; and people streamed to the castle, and Karen was there also, and the little princess stood in her fine white dress, in a window, and let herself be stared at:  she had neither a train nor a golden crown, but splendid red morocco shoes.  They were certainly far handsomer than those mother Shoemaker had made.

Nothing in the world can compare with red shoes, thought Karen, and she greatly desired them.

* * * * *

Now Karen was old enough to be confirmed by the bishop, and that she might be ready to go to the church, the old lady had new clothes made for her, and took her to the rich shoemaker’s in the city to select some shoes.  This took place in his store, where stood large glass cases, filled with elegant shoes and brilliant boots.  All this looked charming, but the old lady could not see well, and so had no pleasure in looking at them.  In the midst of these shoes stood a pair of red ones just like those the little princess had worn.  How beautiful they were!  The shoemaker said also that they had been made for the child of a count, but had not fitted.

“That must be patent leather,” said the old lady, “they shine so.”

“Yes, they shine,” said Karen, “and I should be delighted to have them!”

And they were tried on, and fitted her little foot so well that they were bought; but the old lady knew nothing about their being red, else she would never have allowed Karen to have gone in red shoes to be confirmed.  Yet such was the case.