The Shepherdess and the Chimney-Sweep
Once upon a time, there was an old chest. It was blackened with age and was covered in beautiful vines and leaves that had been carved into the wood. In the middle of the chest was carved one whole man. He had hind legs like a goat, small horns in his forehead and a little goatee. The children of the house called him “General Headquarters-Hindquarters-Gives-Orders-Front-And-Rear-Sergeant-Billygoat-Legs.” It was a very difficult name to say for most, but he was considered someone of big importance, since someone had used so much time on carving him.
The General always watched a beautiful little porcelain shepherdess. She was so charming, that he couldn’t help but watch her. Close to her stood another porcelain figure, but he was black as coal, as he was a chimney-sweep, but still of porcelain. He might as well have been made a prince from the beginning instead, as he was so handsome and had a jaunty way to hold his ladder.
The Shepherdess and the Sweep stood close together. They considered themselves engaged, as they had been put there together and they suited each other so well. They were both young, were made of porcelain and neither could stand a shock.
Near them was another fine porcelain figure, three times as big as them. He was a Chinaman, who could nod his head and considered himself the grandfather of the Shepherdess, despite being unable to prove it and considered himself to have authority over her. So when the General had asked for the Shepherdess’ hand in marriage, the Chinaman had nodded in agreement. He thought the General would make a fine husband, as he probably was carved of the finest mahogany. She would become Mrs. General-Headquarters-Hindquarters-Gives-Orders-Front-And-Read-Sergeant-Billygoat-Legs and come to own the fine silver in his chest and whatever he might have hidden away.
The Shepherdess had no wish to marry the General though, as she had heard he already had eleven porcelain wives in his chest. The Chinaman did not care though and said she would just become number twelve then and that he would marry her off to the General the very same night.
She wept and looked at her true love, the Chimney-Sweep. She begged him to take her away and run out into the big wide world, far away from the General. He was ready to do anything she asked of him and suggested they ran away immediately, out the chimney, as he knew he could help her out that way. She was worried about getting off the table though, as they could easily break, but the Sweep told her not to worry.
He showed her how to get her small feet over the edge of the table and how to put one foot on each of the carved leaves, on the leg of the table, so they could climb down. Though when they made it down to the floor, the carved stag heads on the chest were tossing and turning their heads. The General shouted out loud, to the Chinaman, that they were running away.
The young couple got so frightened and quickly jumped into a drawer on the window-seat. They found four decks of cards and a puppet theater. The fine queens sat in the front row and fanned themselves with their tulips and the knaves sat in the row behind them. The play was about a couple that was not allowed to marry. This made the Shepherdess cry, as this reminded her of her own story. She could not bear to see anymore and said she had to get out of the drawer immediately. Though when they wanted to go out, they saw the Chinaman was wide awake and would immediately see them.
The Shepherdess was convinced he was coming for her and she feel down on her knees. The Chimney-Sweep quickly got an idea and said they had to hide in the pot-pourri vase in the corner, so when the Chinaman found them, they could throw salt in his eyes. The Shepherdess said it was of no use though, as the Chinaman had been lovers with the pot-pourri vase and she surely still had some affection for him, so they had no other choice than run out into the big wide world. The Sweep asked if she was really that brave, to venture out into the big wide world, knowing they could never return and to this she said yes.
The Sweep then said they had to go through the stove and crawl through the stove pipe, up into the chimney and they would climb out that way. The Shepherdess agreed and thus, the Sweep took her with him to the stove and he helped the Shepherdess to climb her way up through the chimney with him. They could see the stars through the chimney above them and one shined so bright, that it seemed it was trying to show them the way. They worked hard to make it up the chimney and when they reached the edge, they climbed out and sat down to rest. The starry sky was above them and they could see the rooftops of all the houses in the neighborhood.
This was not what the Shepherdess had expected though and she laid her head against the Chimney-Sweep and cried. It was all too much for her and she had never imagined the world was so big and she wished herself back to their little table. She said she had followed him faithfully out into the big wide world and if he loved her one bit, he would help to take her home. The Sweep tried to persuade her that it wasn’t sensible to go back and reminded her of both the Chinaman and the General, but she cried so much and kissed him over and over, so he could do nothing else but do as she wished, despite thinking it was wrong.
So they climbed back down to the chimney and waited by the stove door, listening to what was going on. It was quiet, so they opened the door and saw the Chinaman on the floor, broken in three pieces. He had tumbled off the table, when he tried to follow after them and had broken, as he hit the floor. The Shepherdess felt bad for her poor grandfather and felt great guilt, as it had only happened because of their escape. The Sweep comforted her and said the Chinaman could be glued back together and she should not be so upset about him.
They made their way back up the leg to the table and now stood back in their usually spot. The Sweep saying that now they were back and they could have saved themselves all the trouble, while the Shepherdess still was worried over her grandfather and hoped it wouldn’t be expensive to glue him back together.
The Chinaman was fixed by the family, but all the glue and a rivet in his neck made him unable to nod anymore. The General huffed and now asked the Chinaman, if he now could have the Shepherdess or not. The Shepherdess and Chimney-Sweep looked up at the Chinaman in great fear, afraid he was going to nod, but he never did. The rivet in his neck prevented him from this, so the Shepherdess did not have to marry the General. The porcelain couple could then stay together and they kept loving each other, until the day they broke.
Once upon a time, there was an old chest. It was blackened with age and was covered in beautiful vines and leaves that had been carved into the wood. In the middle of the chest was carved one whole man. He had hind legs like a goat, small horns in his forehead and a little goatee. The children of the house called him “General Headquarters-Hindquarters-Gives-Orders-Front-And-Rear-Sergeant-Billygoat-Legs.” It was a very difficult name to say for most, but he was considered someone of big importance, since someone had used so much time on carving him.
The General always watched a beautiful little porcelain shepherdess. She was so charming, that he couldn’t help but watch her. Close to her stood another porcelain figure, but he was black as coal, as he was a chimney-sweep, but still of porcelain. He might as well have been made a prince from the beginning instead, as he was so handsome and had a jaunty way to hold his ladder.
The Shepherdess and the Sweep stood close together. They considered themselves engaged, as they had been put there together and they suited each other so well. They were both young, were made of porcelain and neither could stand a shock.
Near them was another fine porcelain figure, three times as big as them. He was a Chinaman, who could nod his head and considered himself the grandfather of the Shepherdess, despite being unable to prove it and considered himself to have authority over her. So when the General had asked for the Shepherdess’ hand in marriage, the Chinaman had nodded in agreement. He thought the General would make a fine husband, as he probably was carved of the finest mahogany. She would become Mrs. General-Headquarters-Hindquarters-Gives-Orders-Front-And-Read-Sergeant-Billygoat-Legs and come to own the fine silver in his chest and whatever he might have hidden away.
The Shepherdess had no wish to marry the General though, as she had heard he already had eleven porcelain wives in his chest. The Chinaman did not care though and said she would just become number twelve then and that he would marry her off to the General the very same night.
She wept and looked at her true love, the Chimney-Sweep. She begged him to take her away and run out into the big wide world, far away from the General. He was ready to do anything she asked of him and suggested they ran away immediately, out the chimney, as he knew he could help her out that way. She was worried about getting off the table though, as they could easily break, but the Sweep told her not to worry.
He showed her how to get her small feet over the edge of the table and how to put one foot on each of the carved leaves, on the leg of the table, so they could climb down. Though when they made it down to the floor, the carved stag heads on the chest were tossing and turning their heads. The General shouted out loud, to the Chinaman, that they were running away.
The young couple got so frightened and quickly jumped into a drawer on the window-seat. They found four decks of cards and a puppet theater. The fine queens sat in the front row and fanned themselves with their tulips and the knaves sat in the row behind them. The play was about a couple that was not allowed to marry. This made the Shepherdess cry, as this reminded her of her own story. She could not bear to see anymore and said she had to get out of the drawer immediately. Though when they wanted to go out, they saw the Chinaman was wide awake and would immediately see them.
The Shepherdess was convinced he was coming for her and she feel down on her knees. The Chimney-Sweep quickly got an idea and said they had to hide in the pot-pourri vase in the corner, so when the Chinaman found them, they could throw salt in his eyes. The Shepherdess said it was of no use though, as the Chinaman had been lovers with the pot-pourri vase and she surely still had some affection for him, so they had no other choice than run out into the big wide world. The Sweep asked if she was really that brave, to venture out into the big wide world, knowing they could never return and to this she said yes.
The Sweep then said they had to go through the stove and crawl through the stove pipe, up into the chimney and they would climb out that way. The Shepherdess agreed and thus, the Sweep took her with him to the stove and he helped the Shepherdess to climb her way up through the chimney with him. They could see the stars through the chimney above them and one shined so bright, that it seemed it was trying to show them the way. They worked hard to make it up the chimney and when they reached the edge, they climbed out and sat down to rest. The starry sky was above them and they could see the rooftops of all the houses in the neighborhood.
This was not what the Shepherdess had expected though and she laid her head against the Chimney-Sweep and cried. It was all too much for her and she had never imagined the world was so big and she wished herself back to their little table. She said she had followed him faithfully out into the big wide world and if he loved her one bit, he would help to take her home. The Sweep tried to persuade her that it wasn’t sensible to go back and reminded her of both the Chinaman and the General, but she cried so much and kissed him over and over, so he could do nothing else but do as she wished, despite thinking it was wrong.
So they climbed back down to the chimney and waited by the stove door, listening to what was going on. It was quiet, so they opened the door and saw the Chinaman on the floor, broken in three pieces. He had tumbled off the table, when he tried to follow after them and had broken, as he hit the floor. The Shepherdess felt bad for her poor grandfather and felt great guilt, as it had only happened because of their escape. The Sweep comforted her and said the Chinaman could be glued back together and she should not be so upset about him.
They made their way back up the leg to the table and now stood back in their usually spot. The Sweep saying that now they were back and they could have saved themselves all the trouble, while the Shepherdess still was worried over her grandfather and hoped it wouldn’t be expensive to glue him back together.
The Chinaman was fixed by the family, but all the glue and a rivet in his neck made him unable to nod anymore. The General huffed and now asked the Chinaman, if he now could have the Shepherdess or not. The Shepherdess and Chimney-Sweep looked up at the Chinaman in great fear, afraid he was going to nod, but he never did. The rivet in his neck prevented him from this, so the Shepherdess did not have to marry the General. The porcelain couple could then stay together and they kept loving each other, until the day they broke.
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