nt to the ball and began to dance.

When she wanted to dance to the right, the shoes would dance to the
left, and when she wanted to dance up the room, the shoes danced back
again, down the steps, into the street, and out of the city gate. She
danced, and was forced to dance straight out into the gloomy wood.

Then it was suddenly light up among the trees, and she fancied it must
be the moon, for there was a face; but it was the old soldier with the
red beard; he sate there, nodded his head, and said, "Look, what
beautiful dancing shoes!"

Then she was terrified, and wanted to fling off the red shoes, but
they clung fast; and she pulled down her stockings, but the shoes
seemed to have grown to her feet. And she danced, and must dance, over
fields and meadows, in rain and sunshine, by night and day; but at
night it was the most fearful.

She danced over the churchyard, but the dead did not dance,--they had
something better to do than to dance. She wished to seat herself on a
poor man's grave, where the bitter tansy grew; but for her there was
neither peace nor rest; and when she danced towards the open church
door, she saw an angel standing there. He wore long, white garments;
he had wings which reached from his shoulders to the earth; his
countenance was 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 thy skin shrivels up and thou art a skeleton!
Dance shalt thou from door to door, and where proud, vain children
dwell, thou shalt knock, that they may hear thee and tremble! Dance
shalt thou------!"

"Mercy!" cried Karen. But she did not hear the angel's reply, for the
shoes carried her through 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; a coffin, decked with flowers, was borne forth. Then she knew
that the old lady was dead, and felt 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 carried her over stack and stone; she was torn till she bled;
she danced over the heath till she came to a little house. Here, she
knew, dwelt the executioner; and she tapped with her fingers at the
window, and said, "Come out! come out! I cannot come in, for I am
forced to dance!"

And the executioner said,