A nonsense story for amusement showing the strange adventures of three homely articles.
A dish of beans was cooking on the stove. The old woman had made a fire and it was burning brightly, and the beans were getting hotter and hotter. The pot was full to the top, and soon one bean jumped out and fell on the floor near a straw. The fire crackled and sputtered and a live coal popped out and fell down near the bean and the straw.
“Where did you come from?” they asked the live coal.
“I came out of the fire,” said the coal; “if I had not popped out just when I did I should have been burned to ashes by this time.”
“You see,” said the straw, “the old woman put a lot of us under the fire, and the rest are gone by this time. I am glad I fell on the floor. Come, let us travel in the world and see what we can see.”
So the bean, the coal, and the straw started out into the world. The straw was slender and could take long steps, but the coal and the bean were short and were soon out of breath.
“Let us stop by this brook and rest awhile,” said the coal. “I am really hotter than I should be—see how I am glowing!” They all agreed and sat down by the brook for the coal to cool off a little.
They decided to cross the brook to see what was on the other side. There was no bridge, and they could not find any log which they could use. They thought for a long time. At last the bean said:
“I must be moving, for if I stay here much longer I shall sprout and take root, and then I can never get away.” So the bean got up and rolled over a few times just to harden its skin.
The coal was almost asleep, but the straw blew in its face which started out a red color in its cheeks, so that it woke up at once. Then the straw said: