The Shoes of Fortune, part 4 · page 21 2101He gave the noisy bird a knock on his beak, and walked on.102He was soon met by two schoolboys of the upper class--that is to say as individuals, for with regard to learning they were in the lowest class in the school; and they bought the stupid bird.103So the copying-clerk came to Copenhagen as guest, or rather as prisoner in a family living in Gother Street.104“'Tis well that I'm dreaming,” said the clerk, “or I really should get angry.105First I was a poet; now sold for a few pence as a lark; no doubt it was that accursed poetical nature which has metamorphosed me into such a poor harmless little creature.106It is really pitiable, particularly when one gets into the hands of a little blackguard, perfect in all sorts of cruelty to animals: all I should like to know is, how the story will end.”107The two schoolboys, the proprietors now of the transformed clerk, carried him into an elegant room.108A stout stately dame received them with a smile; but she expressed much dissatisfaction that a common field-bird, as she called the lark, should appear in such high society.109For to-day, however, she would allow it; and they must shut him in the empty cage that was standing in the window.110“Perhaps he will amuse my good Polly,” added the lady, looking with a benignant smile at a large green parrot that swung himself backwards and forwards most comfortably in his ring, inside a magnificent brass-wired cage.111“To-day is Polly's birthday,” said she with stupid simplicity: “and the little brown field-bird must wish him joy.”112Mr. Polly uttered not a syllable in reply, but swung to and fro with dignified condescension; while a pretty canary, as yellow as gold, that had lately been brought from his sunny fragrant home, began to sing aloud.113“Noisy creature!114Will you be quiet!” screamed the lady of the house, covering the cage with an embroidered white pocket handkerchief.1 2← previousThe Shoes of Fortune, part 3next →The Shoes of Fortune, part 5↑ back to Andersen's Fairy TalesThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg1597/8/page/2/