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336 SHEPHERDESS AND CHIMNEY-SWEEPER
table as he was pursuing them, and now he lay broken into three pieces; his back had come off all in one piece, and his head had rolled into a corner. The Billygoat-legs-Lieutenant - and - Major- General -War-Commander-Sergeant stood where he had always stood, considering.
" That is terrible ! ' said the little Shepherdess. ' The old grandfather has fallen to pieces, and it is our fault. I shall never survive it! ' And then she wrung her little hands.
' He can be mended! he can be mended ! ' said the Chimney-Sweeper. ' Don't be so violent. If they glue his back together and give him a good rivet in his neck he will be as good as new, and may say many a disagreeable thing to us yet.'
' Do you think so ? ' cried she.
So they climbed back upon the table where they used to stand.
1 You see, we have come back to this,' said the Chimney-Sweeper : ' we might have saved ourselves all the trouble we have had.'
' If the old grandfather were only riveted!' said the Shepherdess. ' I wonder if that is dear ? '
And he was really riveted. The family had his back cemented, and a great rivet was passed through his neck : he was as good as new, only he could no longer nod.
' It seems you have become proud since you fell to pieces,' said the Billygoat-legs-Lieutenant-and-Major-General-War-Commander-Sergeant. ' I don't think you have any reason to give yourself such airs. Am I to have her, or am I not ? '
And the Chimney-Sweeper and the little Shepherdess looked at the old Chinaman most piteously, for they were afraid he might nod. But he could not do that, and it was irksome to him to tell a stranger that he always had a rivet in his neck. And so the porcelain people remained together, and they blessed Grandfather's rivet, and loved one another until they broke. |
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