The Red Shoes Story - Part Two

The Red Shoes
By : Hans Christian Andersen




But when she wanted to go to the right, the shoes danced to the left
and when she wanted to dance up the room, the shoes danced down the room
down the stairs through the street, and out through the gates of the town
She danced, and was obliged to dance, far out into the dark wood
Suddenly something shone up among the trees, and she believed
it was the moon, for it was a face
But it was the old soldier with the red beard
he sat there nodding his head and said
Dear me, what pretty dancing shoes


She was frightened, and wanted to throw the red shoes away
but they stuck fast. She tore off her stockings
but the shoes had grown fast to her feet
She danced and was obliged to go on dancing
over field and meadow, in rain and sunshine
by night and by day - but by night it was most horrible


She danced out into the open churchyard; but the dead there did not dance
They had something better to do than that
She wanted to sit down on the pauper's grave where the bitter fern grows
but for her there was neither peace nor rest
And as she danced past the open church door she saw
an angel there in long white robes, with wings reaching
from his shoulders down to the earth
his face was stern and grave
and in his hand he held a broad shining sword


Dance you shall,said he, dance in your red shoes till you
are pale and cold, till your skin shrivels up and you are a skeleton
Dance you shall, from door to door, and where
proud and wicked children live you shall knock
so that they may hear you
and fear you! Dance you shall, dance


Mercy! cried Karen. But she did not hear what the
angel answered, for the shoes carried her
through the gate into the fields, along highways
and byways, and unceasingly she had to dance


One morning she danced past a door that she knew well
they were singing a psalm inside, and a coffin was
being carried out covered with flowers
Then she knew that she was forsaken
by every one and damned by the angel of God



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To Be Continued