“He thought to himself that all that was very nice, but he knew, too, that he was not much of a shoemaker, and this bothered him not a little. Anyhow, he made himself comfortable and waited to see what was going to happen.
“One day a head officer of the kingdom chanced to pass that way. He saw the house and rubbed his eyes. He was so astonished that he went and told another officer, and this officer told another, and finally all the officers in the kingdom knew about it. Now, if you’ve ever noticed, those who hold government offices have less to do and more time to do it in than any other day laborers. So they went about and caucussed among themselves, and examined into the books, and found that no taxes had ever been gathered from the owner of such a house. There was great commotion among them. One of them, more meddlesome than the rest, took a big book under his arm and went to Smat’s house to make inquiries. The first question he asked was the last.
“Says he, ‘How long have you been living in this precinct?’
“Says Smat, ‘Ever since the house was built and a little while before.’
“The officer looked at the house and saw that it was a very old one, and then he tucked his big book under his arm and went off home. At last the king—the same King Stuff whose name you’ve heard me mention—heard about the new house that was old, and of the shoemaker who didn’t know how to make shoes. So he concluded to look into the matter. He summoned his high and mighty men, and when they had gathered together they went into a back room of the palace and shut the door, and had a long talk together. All this took time; and while the king and his high and mighty men were confabbing together, other things were happening, as you shall presently see.
“It seems that in that kingdom there was a beautiful girl who went wandering about the country. If she had any kinsfolk, nobody knew anything about it, and, indeed, nobody cared. She had lost one of her shoes, and she went about from place to place hunting for it. Some pitied her, and some laughed at her, which is the way of the world, as you’ll find out; but nobody tried to help her. Some said that one shoe was better than no shoe, and others said that a new shoe would do just as well as an old shoe.”
“That’s where they made a big mistake,” said Mrs. Meadows. “I’ve tried it, and I ought to know. A new shoe is bound to hurt you a little at first, I don’t care how well it fits.”
“Well, I’m only telling you what they said,” replied little Mr. Thimblefinger. “From all I can hear, new shoes hurt the ladies a great deal worse than they do the men. But that’s natural, for their toes and their heels are a good deal tenderer than those of the men folks. Anyhow, this beautiful girl had lost one of her shoes, and, rather than buy another one or a new pair, she went hunting it everywhere. One day she came by Smat’s house. He, sitting by one of the windows, and wishing that he could see his father and brother, paid no attention to the passers-by. But this beautiful girl saw him at the window and spoke to him.
“HAVE YOU SEEN ANYTHING OF A STRAY SHOE?”