there was once a little girl who was very prettyand delicate， but in summer she was forced to runabout with bare feet， she was so poor， and inwinter wear very large wooden shoes， which madeher little insteps quite red， and that looked sodangerous!
In the middle of the village lived old DameShoemaker; she sat and sewed together， as wellas she could， a little pair of shoes out of old redstrips of cloth; they were very clumsy， but it was a kind thought. They were meant for thelittle girl. The little girl was called Karen.
On the very day her mother was buried， Karen received the red shoes， and wore them forthe first time. They were certainly not intended for mourning， but she had no others， andwith 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 thelittle 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 ladythought they were horrible， and they were burnt. But Karen herself was cleanly and nicelydressed; she must learn to read and sew; and people said she was a nice little thing， but thelooking-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 wasthere also， and the little princess stood in her fine white dress， in a window， and let herselfbe 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 newshoes also. The rich shoemaker in the city took the measure of her little foot. This took placeat his house， in his room; where stood large glass-cases， filled with elegant shoes andbrilliant boots. All this looked charming， but the old lady could not see well， and so had nopleasure in them. In the midst of the shoes stood a pair of red ones， just like those theprincess had worn. How beautiful they were! The shoemaker said also they had been made forthe 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 ladyknew nothing about their being red， else she would never have allowed Karen to have gone inred shoes to be confirmed. Yet such was the case.
Everybody looked at her feet; and when she stepped through the chancel door on thechurch pavement， it seemed to her as if the old figures on the tombs，those portraits of oldpreachers and preachers' wives， with stiff ruffs， and long black dresses， fixed their eyes onher red shoes. And she thought only of them as the clergyman laid his hand upon her head，and spoke of the holy baptism， of the covenant with God， and how she should be now amatured Christian; and the organ pealed so solemnly; the sweet children's voices sang，andthe old music-directors sang， but Karen only thought of her red shoes.
In the afternoon， the old lady heard from everyone that the shoes had been red， and shesaid that it was very wrong of Karen， that it was not at all becoming， and that in future Karenshould only go in black shoes to church，even when she should be older.
the next Sunday there was the sacrament， and Karen looked at the black shoes，looked atthe red ones——looked at them again， and put on the red shoes.
the sun shone gloriously; Karen and the old lady walked along the path through thecorn; it was rather dusty there.
At the church door stood an old soldier with a crutch， and with a wonderfully long beard，which was more red than white， and he bowed to the ground， and asked the old lady whetherhe might dust her shoes. And Karen stretched out her little foot.
“See， what beautiful dancing shoes!” said the soldier. “Sit firm when you dance”; and heput his hand out towards the soles.
And the old lady gave the old soldier alms， and went into the church with Karen.
And all the people in the church looked at Karen's red shoes， and all the pictures， and asKaren knelt before the altar， and raised the cup to her lips， she only thought of the redshoes， and they seemed to swim in it; and she forgot to sing her psalm， and she forgot topray， “Our Father in Heaven!”
Now all the people went out of church， and the old lady got into her carriage. Karen raisedher foot to get in after her， when the old soldier said，
“Look， what beautiful dancing shoes!”