PART NINE - RELICS

PART TEN - IMPRIMIS




In the middle of the cupboard door was the carved figure of a man....
He had goat's legs, little horns on his head, and a long beard; the
children in the room called him, "Major-General-field-sergeant
-commander-Billy-goat's-legs" ... He was always looking at the
table under the looking-glass where stood a very pretty little
shepherdess made of china.... Close by her side stood a little
chimney-sweep, as black as coal and also made of china.... Near
to them stood another figure.... He was an old Chinaman who could nod
his head, and used to pretend he was the grandfather of the shepherdess,
although he could not prove it. He, however, assumed authority over her,
and therefore when "Major-general-field-sergeant-commander-Billy-goat's
-legs" asked for the little shepherdess to be his wife, he nodded his head
to show that he consented.

Then the little shepherdess cried, and looked at her sweetheart, the
chimney-sweep. "I must entreat you," said she, "to go out with me into
the wide world, for we cannot stay here." ... When the chimney-sweep saw
that she was quite firm, he said, "My way is through the stove up the
chimney." ... So at last they reached the top of the chimney.... The sky
with all its stars was over their heads.... They could see for a very
long distance out into the wide world, and the poor little shepherdess
leaned her head on her chimney-sweep's shoulder and wept. "This is too
much," she said, "the world is too large." ... And so with a great deal