×

We use cookies to help make LingQ better. By visiting the site, you agree to our cookie policy.

Start learning this lesson now
image

Andersen's Fairy Tales, The Red Shoes, part 1

The Red Shoes, part 1

THE RED SHOES

There was once a little girl who was very pretty and delicate, but in summer she was forced to run about with bare feet, she was so poor, and in winter wear very large wooden shoes, which made her little insteps quite red, and that looked so dangerous!

In the middle of the village lived old Dame Shoemaker; she sat and sewed together, as well as she could, a little pair of shoes out of old red strips of 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.

Suddenly a large 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 the little girl. I will adopt her!" And Karen believed all this happened on account of the red shoes, but the old lady thought they were horrible, and they were burnt. But Karen herself was cleanly and nicely dressed; she must learn to read and sew; and people said she was a nice little thing, but the looking-glass said: "Thou art more than nice, thou art beautiful!" Now the queen once travelled through the land, and she had her little 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 Dame Shoemaker had made for little Karen. Nothing in the world can be compared with red shoes.

Now Karen was old enough to be confirmed; she had new clothes and was to have new shoes also. The rich shoemaker in the city took the measure of her little foot. This took place at his house, in his room; 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 them. In the midst of the shoes stood a pair of red ones, just like those the princess had worn. How beautiful they were! The shoemaker said also 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 they fitted, and 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.

The Red Shoes, part 1 Die roten Schuhe, Teil 1 Les chaussures rouges, partie 1 赤い靴 その1 레드 슈즈, 1부 Os sapatos vermelhos, parte 1 Kırmızı Ayakkabılar, Bölüm 1

THE RED SHOES

There was once a little girl who was very pretty and delicate, but in summer she was forced to run about with bare feet, she was so poor, and in winter wear very large wooden shoes, which made her little insteps quite red, and that looked so dangerous! Es war einmal ein kleines Mädchen, das war sehr hübsch und zart, aber im Sommer musste sie mit nackten Füßen herumlaufen, so arm war sie, und im Winter trug sie sehr große Holzschuhe, die ihre kleinen Fußspitzen ganz rot machten, und das sah so gefährlich aus!

In the middle of the village lived old Dame Shoemaker; she sat and sewed together, as well as she could, a little pair of shoes out of old red strips of cloth; they were very clumsy, but it was a kind thought. In der Mitte des Dorfes lebte die alte Schuhmacherin; sie saß und nähte, so gut sie konnte, ein kleines Paar Schuhe aus alten roten Stoffstreifen; sie waren sehr unbeholfen, aber es war eine gute Idee. They were meant for the little girl. Sie waren für das kleine Mädchen bestimmt. 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. An dem Tag, an dem ihre Mutter beerdigt wurde, erhielt Karen die roten Schuhe und trug sie zum ersten Mal. They were certainly not intended for mourning, but she had no others, and with stockingless feet she followed the poor straw coffin in them. Sie waren gewiss nicht zum Trauern gedacht, aber sie hatte keine anderen, und so folgte sie dem armen Strohsarg darin mit strumpflosen Füßen.

Suddenly a large 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: Plötzlich fuhr eine große alte Kutsche vor, in der eine große alte Dame saß, die das kleine Mädchen ansah, Mitleid mit ihr hatte und dann zu dem Geistlichen sagte:

"Here, give me the little girl. I will adopt her!" And Karen believed all this happened on account of the red shoes, but the old lady thought they were horrible, and they were burnt. Und Karen glaubte, dass dies alles wegen der roten Schuhe geschah, aber die alte Dame fand sie schrecklich und verbrannte sie. But Karen herself was cleanly and nicely dressed; she must learn to read and sew; and people said she was a nice little thing, but the looking-glass said: "Thou art more than nice, thou art beautiful!" Aber Karen selbst war sauber und hübsch gekleidet; sie musste lesen und nähen lernen; und die Leute sagten, sie sei ein nettes kleines Ding, aber der Spiegel sagte: "Du bist mehr als nett, du bist schön!" Now the queen once travelled through the land, and she had her little daughter with her. Die Königin reiste einst durch das Land, und sie hatte ihre kleine Tochter dabei. 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 Und dieses Töchterchen war eine Prinzessin, und die Leute strömten zum Schloss, und Karen war auch da, und die kleine Prinzessin stand in ihrem feinen weißen Kleid, an einem Fenster, und ließ sich

stared at; she had neither a train nor a golden crown, but splendid red morocco shoes. Sie trug weder eine Schleppe noch eine goldene Krone, dafür aber prächtige rote Marokko-Schuhe. They were certainly far handsomer than those Dame Shoemaker had made for little Karen. Sie waren sicherlich viel schöner als die, die Dame Shoemaker für die kleine Karen gemacht hatte. Nothing in the world can be compared with red shoes. Nichts auf der Welt kann mit roten Schuhen verglichen werden.

Now Karen was old enough to be confirmed; she had new clothes and was to have new shoes also. Jetzt war Karen alt genug, um konfirmiert zu werden; sie hatte neue Kleider und sollte auch neue Schuhe bekommen. The rich shoemaker in the city took the measure of her little foot. Der reiche Schuhmacher in der Stadt nahm Maß an ihrem kleinen Fuß. This took place at his house, in his room; where stood large glass-cases, filled with elegant shoes and brilliant boots. Dies geschah in seinem Haus, in seinem Zimmer, wo große Glasvitrinen standen, gefüllt mit eleganten Schuhen und glänzenden Stiefeln. All this looked charming, but the old lady could not see well, and so had no pleasure in them. All dies sah reizvoll aus, aber die alte Dame konnte nicht gut sehen und hatte daher keine Freude daran. In the midst of the shoes stood a pair of red ones, just like those the princess had worn. In der Mitte der Schuhe stand ein Paar rote Schuhe, genau wie die, die die Prinzessin getragen hatte. How beautiful they were! The shoemaker said also they had been made for the child of a count, but had not fitted. Der Schuhmacher sagte auch, sie seien für das Kind eines Grafen angefertigt worden, hätten aber nicht gepasst.

"That must be patent leather!" "Das muss Lackleder sein!" said the old lady. "They shine so!" "Yes, they shine!" said Karen, and they fitted, and 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. sagte Karen, und sie passten und wurden gekauft, aber die alte Dame wusste nicht, dass sie rot waren, sonst hätte sie Karen nie erlaubt, in roten Schuhen zur Konfirmation zu gehen. Yet such was the case. Doch das war der Fall.