And Karen could not help dancing a step or two， and when she began her feet continuedto dance; it was just as though the shoes had power over them. She danced round the churchcorner， she could not leave off; the coachman was obliged to run after and catch hold ofher， and he lifted her in the carriage，but her feet continued to dance so that she trod on theold lady dreadfully. At length she took the shoes off， and then her legs had peace.
the shoes were placed in a closet at home， butKaren could not avoid looking at them.
Now the old lady was sick， and it was said shecould not recover. She must be nursed and waitedupon， and there was no one whose duty it was somuch as Karen's. But there was a GREat ball in thecity， to which Karen was invited. She looked at theold lady， who could not recover， she looked at thered shoes， and she thought there could be no sinin it; she put on the red shoes，she might do thatalso， she thought. But then she went to the balland began to dance.
When she wanted to dance to the right， the shoes would dance to the left， and when shewanted to dance up the room， the shoes danced back again， down the steps， into thestreet， and out of the city gate. She danced， and was forced to dance straight out into thegloomy wood.
then it was suddenly light up among the trees， and she fancied it must be the moon， forthere was a face; but it was the old soldier with the red beard; he sat there， nodded hishead， and said， “Look， what beautiful dancing shoes!”
then she was terrified， and wanted to fling off the red shoes， but they clung fast; andshe pulled down her stockings， but the shoes seemed to have grown to her feet. And shedanced， and must dance， over fields and meadows， in rain and sunshine， by night andday; but at night it was the most fearful.
She danced over the churchyard， but the dead did not dance——they had somethingbetter to do than to dance. She wished to seat herself on a poor man's grave， where thebitter tansy GREw; but for her there was neither peace nor rest; and when she dancedtowards the open church door， she saw an angel standing there. He wore long， whitegarments; he had wings which reached from his shoulders to the earth; his countenancewas severe and grave; and in his hand he held a sword， broad and glittering.
“Dance shalt thou!” said he. “Dance in thy red shoes till thou art pale and cold! Till thyskin shrivels up and thou art a skeleton! Dance shalt thou from door to door， and whereproud， vain children dwell， thou shalt knock， that they may hear thee and tremble! Danceshalt thou——!”
“Mercy!” cried Karen. But she did not hear the angel's reply， for the shoes carried herthrough the gate into the fields， across roads and bridges， and she must keep ever dancing.
One morning she danced past a door which she well knew. Within sounded a psalm; acoffin， decked with flowers， was borne forth. then she knew that the old lady was dead， andfelt that she was abandoned by all， and condemned by the angel of God.
She danced， and she was forced to dance through the gloomy night. The shoes carriedher over stack and stone; she was torn till she bled; she danced over the heath till she cameto a little house. Here， she knew， dwelt the executioner; and she tapped with her fingers atthe window， and said， “Come out! Come out! I cannot come in， for I am forced todance!”
And the executioner said， “Thou dost not know who I am， I fancy? I strike bad people'sheads off; and I hear that my axe rings!”
“Don't strike my head off!” said Karen. “then I can't repent of my sins! But strike offmy feet in the red shoes!”
And then she confessed her entire sin， and the executioner struck off her feet with thered shoes， but the shoes danced away with the little feet across the field into the deep wood.
And he carved out little wooden feet for her， and crutches， taught her the psalm criminalsalways sing; and she kissed the hand which had wielded the axe， and went over the heath.
“Now I have suffered enough for the red shoes!” said she. “Now I will go into the churchthat people may see me!” And she hastened towards the church door：
but when she was near it， the red shoes danced before her， and she was terrified， andturned round. The whole week she was unhappy， and wept many bitter tears; but whenSunday returned， she said， “Well， now I have suffered and struggled enough! I reallybelieve I am as good as many a one who sits in the church， and holds her head so high!”
And away she went boldly; but she had not got farther than the churchyard gate beforeshe saw the red shoes dancing before her; and she was frightened， and turned back， andrepented of her sin from her heart.
And she went to the parsonage， and begged that they would take her into service; shewould be very industrious， she said， and would do everything she could; she did not careabout the wages， only she wished to have a home， and be with good people. And theclergyman's wife was sorry for her and took her into service; and she was industrious andthoughtful. She sat still and listened when the clergyman read the Bible in the evenings. All thechildren thought a GREat deal of her; but when they spoke of dress， and grandeur， andbeauty， she shook her head.