At that moment more water came into the gutter, so that it overflowed, and the Bit of Bottle was carried away.
"So he is disposed of," observed the Darning-needle. "I remain here. I am too fine. But that's my pride, and my pride is honorable." And proudly she sat there, and had many great thoughts. "I could almost believe I had been born of a sunbeam, I'm so fine! It really appears as if the sunbeams were always seeking for me under the water. Ah! I'm so fine that my mother cannot find me. If I had my old eye, which broke off, I think I should cry; but, no, I should not do that; it's not genteel to cry."
One day a couple of street boys lay grubbing in the gutter, where they sometimes found old nails, farthings, and similar treasures. It was dirty work, but they took great delight in it.
"Oh!" cried one, who had pricked himself with the Darning-needle, "there's a fellow for you!"
"I'm not a fellow; I'm a young lady!" said the Darning-needle.
But nobody listened to her. The sealing-wax had come off, and she had turned black; but black makes one look slender, and she thought herself finer even than before.
"Here comes an eggshell sailing along!" said the boys; and they stuck the Darning-needle fast in the eggshell.
"White walls, and black myself! that looks well," remarked the Darning-needle. "Now one can see me. I only hope [page 248] I shall not be seasick!" But she was not seasick at all. "It is good against seasickness, if one has a steel stomach, and does not forget that one is a little more than an ordinary person! Now my seasickness is over. The finer one is, the more one can bear."
"Crack!" went the eggshell, for a wagon went over her.
"Good Heavens, how it crushes one!" said the Darning-needle. "I'm getting seasick now—I'm quite sick."