there was once a little girl, very nice and very pretty, but so poor that she had to go barefooted all summer. and in winter she had to wear thick wooden shoes that chafed her ankles until they were red, oh, as red as could be.

in the middle of the village lived "old mother shoemaker." she took some old scraps of red cloth and did her best to make them into a little pair of shoes. they were a bit clumsy, but well meant, for she intended to give them to the little girl. karen was the little girl's name.

the first time karen wore her new red shoes was on the very day when her mother was buried. of course, they were not right for mourning, but they were all she had, so she put them on and walked barelegged after the plain wicker coffin.

just then a large old carriage came by, with a large old lady inside it. she looked at the little girl and took pity upon her. and she went to the parson and said: "give the little girl to me, and i shall take good care of her."

karen was sure that this happened because she wore red shoes, but the old lady said the shoes were hideous, and ordered them burned. karen was given proper new clothes. she was taught to read, and she was taught to sew. people said she was pretty, but her mirror told her, "you are more than pretty. you are beautiful."

it happened that the queen came traveling through the country with her little daughter, who was a princess. karen went with all the people who flocked to see them at the castle. the little princess, all dressed in white, came to the window to let them admire her. she didn't wear a train, and she didn't wear a gold crown, but she did wear a pair of splendid red morocco shoes. of course, they were much nicer than the ones "old mother shoemaker" had put together for little karen, but there's nothing in the world like a pair of red shoes!

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