The Complete Fairy Tales & Other Stories
By Hans Christian Andersen - online book

Oxford Complete Illustrated Edition all his stories written between 1835 and 1872.

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	182	THE METAL PIG
	faint and ill, and he crept into a corner between the wall and the marble monument, and went to sleep. Towards evening he was awakened by a tug at his sleeve ; he started up, and the same citizen stood before him. ' Are you ill ? Where do you live ? Have you been here all day ? ' were three of the many questions the old man asked of him. He answered, and the old man took him into his little house close by, in a back street. They came into a glover's
	workshop, where a woman sat sewing busily. A little white Spitz dog, so closely shaven that his pink skin could be seen, frisked about on the table and gambolled before the boy. 'Innocent souls soon make acquaintance,' said the woman. And she caressed the boy and the dog. The good people gave the child food and drink, and said he should be permitted to stay the night with them ; and next day Father Guiseppe would speak to his mother. A little simple bed was assigned to him, but for him who had often slept on the hard stones it was a royal couch; and he slept sweetly,