"schoolmaster." "See the kite?" "Tell us a story!" "hurry up." "Faster!" "Thank you." "don't be late." "Matilda was the wicked mermaid - the princess of the frozen sea." " Remember that?" " Yes." "don't we?" "Yes!" "she will be the..." " Queen of China!" "Did anybody remember to bring a dress for the queen of China?" "You said you would!" "All right." "ladies and gentlemen." "then we'll have a king." "It's very simple." "We just take the crown and put it over on the side." "we'll just..." "Ah..." "No peeping." "There we are." "Long live the king!" "Long live the king!" "That's not a king." "It's only a queen with a moustache." "a lot of kings are only a queen with a moustache." "don't we?" " Yes! and about a little boy who only believed what he saw." "That's you!" "two swindlers came to see the king to sell him what they said was a magic suit of clothes." "Let me see it." "But there wasn't any suit of clothes." "The swindlers held up their hands like this this is a magic suit. it is absolutely invisible." "I see. indeed." "I see it perfectly." "It's beautiful." "the line!" "it's altogether" "The most remarkable suit of clothes that I have ever seen the cape is ermine" "The hose are blue and the doublet is a lovely shade of green!" "A lovely shade of green!" "Somebody send for the queen!" "The queen came and she was told how all the wise people could see the..." " Magic suit!" " That's right." "Oh!" "Isn't it grand?" "Isn't it rich?" "Look at the charm of every stitch!" "it's altogether" "The most remarkable suit of clothes that I have ever seen the cape is ermine" "The hose are blue and the doublet is a lovely shade of green!" " A lovely shade of green!" " "Summon the court to convene!" "the ministers and ambassadors came." "they agreed with the..." " King and queen." " The king issued a proclamation." "it's altogether" "The most remarkable suit of clothes a tailor ever made" "Now quickly put it altogether with gloves of leather and hat and feather" "It's altogether the thing to wear at Saturday's parade" " Saturday's parade!" " Leading the royal brigade!" "everybody had heard about the king's new clothes that he would wear at the parade. and finally the king." "Everybody cheered "Hurray" because nobody wanted to appear a fool." "Nobody that is except one little boy and didn't know what he was supposed to see." "Look at the king!" "Look at the king!" "the altogether" "He's altogether as naked as the day that he was born the altogether" "It's altogether the very least the king has ever worn call an intermission" "His majesty is wide open to ridicule and scorn the altogether" "He's altogether as naked as the day that he was born" "And it's altogether too chilly a morn!" "Peter." "We're going to hear another story." "the schoolmaster went to the Burgomaster and the... don't worry so much on a beautiful day like this." "the council." "Look!" "Burgomaster." "Burgomaster." "The books - on the dirty ground!" "Here." "The History of Denmark used to tie the string of a dirty kite!" "The history of any country can always stand a little fresh air." "Did you hear about the history book that took a vacation and came back a much better history?" "You see?" "That's the stuff he fills the children's heads with!" "Look at this." "Arithmetic." "A two met a four one day. and all the other numbers came to their wedding." " It's impossible!" " There are different ways of learning." "and children belong in school." " Tend to your shoes." "I'll tend to my school!" " To be sure." "and...?" "There's a story of a piece of chalk and a blackboard." "The piece of chalk had written so many things on the blackboard that it believed it knew all about everything." "The blackboard was angry. and she was the one who really knew it all. the schoolmaster broke the piece of chalk and tossed it out of the window." "It fell beside a pencil that the piece of chalk had always admired." "A pencil to a piece of chalk is something very special." " And what do you suppose happened?" " What happened?" "What is this?" "Have we all lost our senses?" "Are you going listen to him with the children?" "What is this?" "Hans." "pick up your schoolbooks and go back to school." "Hurry now." "Follow the schoolmaster." "Not another word from anyone." "gentlemen." "Peter." "turn around." "I've got to talk to you." "Did you ever hear the story of the old woman right on the table?" "why do you keep on making trouble for us?" "Trouble?" "There's no trouble that a good story can't get us out of - like the one just now about the piece of chalk and the blackboard." "I didn't know what I was going to say until after I'd said it." "I'd like to know how the story ends myself." "Please stay in the shop." "Don't tell the children stories all the time." "Peter." "You want to really worry about something?" "Here's something." "I took you out of the orphanage and promised them I'd make you into a good cobbler." "Two whole years." "Look at that shoe - glue all smeared and nails in crooked." "and still the nails go in crooked." "are you?" "Aha!" "A new worry appears in the sky." "Peter." "Let's go home." "Two and two are four" "Four and four are eight" "Eight and eight are sixteen" "Sixteen and sixteen are thirty-two" "Two and two are four" "Four and four are eight" "Eight and eight are sixteen" "Sixteen and sixteen are thirty-two..." "An inchworm." "The first one of the year!" "Four and four are eight" "Eight and eight are sixteen" "Sixteen and sixteen are thirty-two..." "Inchworm" "Inchworm" "Measuring the marigolds" "You and your arithmetic" "You'll probably go far" "Inchworm" "Inchworm" "Measuring the marigolds" "Seems to me" "You stop and see" "How beautiful they are" "Two and two are four" "Four and four are eight" "Eight and eight are sixteen" "Sixteen and sixteen are thirty-two" "schoolmaster." "Hans." " Let me explain..." " Out of my way!" "and that is exactly what I want." "Either Hans Christian Andersen leaves this town or I do." "a little story now and then - not during school hours." "it is all the time." "he gives them excuses." "The snow queen took me to see the king of the mountain!" "That is true." "I asked my Gerda what time it was." "She said the minute hand and the hour hand were not speaking to each other." "They were both in love with the second hand." "and no one could tell the time until then." " I like that." " Like it?" "not for Hans to fill their heads with foolishness." "But Hans's stories are good." "The children learn from them." " They are not foolish stories." " I would like to know now." "I would like to pack up tonight." "you'll be looking for a new cobbler or a new teacher." "Gentlemen..." "It is decided." "The cobbler must leave." " But..." " Quiet!" "but I see it has to be done." "Perhaps it's all for the best." "Tell Hans to wait in the shop for me." "gentlemen." "Peter." " Was it nice by the river?" " Just perfect." "Did we have any customers today?" "Not one." "It just gets slower and slower." "Don't you think we should go to a larger city where shoes wear out faster?" "sir." "I like business to be a little slow." "There's time enough for everything here." "Hans." "No shoes wear out." "No one ever leaves." "have they?" "but why should they?" "I never think about Copenhagen - do you?" "Do I?" "What do you suppose Copenhagen is really like?" "now that you mention it." "I used to think about Copenhagen a lot." "I used to make up the most wonderful stories about going there." "I used to think about Copenhagen a lot when I was your age." "My husband says the shoes hurt." "Mrs Burda." "I sometimes think that shoes have a life of their own. and the ones that hurt don't like whoever's wearing them." "just fix the shoes." "I've got my own life to worry about." "he drives the whole house crazy." "tell me." "What kind of stories did you make up about Copenhagen?" "Oh..." "I used to dream about having the finest cobbler shop in Copenhagen." "I wasn't just an ordinary cobbler." "I only saw people by appointment. no shoes." "Do you know that peop...?" "Where are you going?" "Don't you want to hear the rest of it?" "Hans." " My bag?" " Go to Copenhagen now." "Right now." "Peter?" "That was a story I was telling." "Didn't you understand that? beautiful houses three storeys high." "Don't you want to see it for yourself?" "It's not so far from here - your bag's packed." "All you have to do is walk out of that door." "Quick!" "Before you change your mind." "this afternoon?" "anyway?" "You forgot about Copenhagen all these years." "You may forget about it again until you're too old to go." "some day I'm really going to Copenhagen." " That's the one thing I'm sure of." " Who knows?" "Has anyone from this village gone to Copenhagen before?" "Of course not." "you'll be the first." "What a to-do there'll be tomorrow." "They'll talk of nothing else for days." "Hans has gone to Copenhagen!" "Hans has gone to Copenhagen." "Yes!" "gone to Copenhagen with little shoes pointing the way out of town!" "everything!" "Hans." "Aren't you excited?" "Peter?" "Why not?" "It's only a few days away." "but you've been to Copenhagen." "Peter." "what's to stop me?" "I am getting excited!" "Hans!" "If anyone had told me this morning that I'd decide to go to Copenhagen..." "Peter." "just like I made it up in a story." "Peter." "and take care of yourself." "I'll only be gone a few days." " Tell the children goodbye for me." " I will." "Peter" " Copenhagen!" "Peter." "Hello." "my goodness." "My feet hurt." "I cannot understand why these shoes hurt me so." "I made them myself." "You're lucky." "You don't have to wear shoes." "I can never understand why people use that expression "A dog's life"." "Every dog I ever knew seemed to have a very nice life indeed." "and maybe it's just as good you don't. do you know what would happen?" "and yet how pleasant this is!" "and there's no sound except the wag of your tail." "too." "my friend." "Even me." "Myself included." "if you were to ask me do you know something?" "I couldn't tell you." "what I said." "I find myself on the road to Copenhagen." "my friend?" "I'm a little bit frightened." "Copenhagen is a very big place." "huh?" "People are nice." "my friend - people." "what can happen? How do you do?" "I'm Hans Christian Andersen." "I'm Hans Christian Andersen"." "I'm Hans Christian Andersen" "I've many a tale to tell" "I'd say I tell them rather well" "I'll mend your shoes and I'll fix your boots when I have a moment free" "When I'm not otherwise occupied" "As a purple duck or a mountain side or a quarter after three that's me!" "I'm Hans Christian Andersen and this is an April day" "It's full of the magic I need to speed me on my way" "My pocketbook has an empty look I limp on a lumpy shoe" "So I turn into a flying fish" "Or a millionaire with a rocking chair and a dumpling in my stew" "I'm Hans Christian Andersen that's who!" "Hans!" "Hans!" "Peter!" "what are you doing here?" "What's this?" "You've got the whole shop on wheels." "I got to thinking maybe you wouldn't come back for a while." "so I thought maybe you'd need the shop." "sometimes I think you put ideas into my head that aren't even there." "Hans." "I'm not at all sure I shouldn't send you back right now." "Hans..." " Still as long as you've come this far..." "I sail up the Skagerrak" "And sail down the Kattegatt" "Through the harbour and up to the quay" "And there she stands" "Waiting for me" "With a welcome so warm and so gay wonderful Copenhagen" "Friendly old girl of a town" "'Neath her tavern light" "On this merry night" "Let us clink and drink one down wonderful Copenhagen" "Salty old queen of the sea" "Once I sailed away" "But I'm home today" "Singing Copenhagen wonderful Copenhagen for me!" "There she is!" "wonderful Copenhagen" "Friendly old girl of a town" "'Neath her tavern light" "On this merry night" "Let us clink and drink one down wonderful Copenhagen" "Salty old queen of the sea" "Once I sailed away" "But I'm home today" "Singing Copenhagen wonderful Copenhagen for me!" "Copenhagen Weekly Gazette!" "Get your Copenhagen Weekly Gazette!" "Get your Copenhagen Weekly Gazette!" "Get your Copenhagen Weekly Gazette!" "Matches!" "Matches!" "Matches!" "Please buy my matches" "Matches!" "Matches!" "Bric-a-brac!" "Bric-a-brac!" "Nice red roses" "Nice red roses" "Pots and pans!" "Pots and pans!" "Chimney sweep!" "Sweep your chimney!" "Bass!" "Bass!" "Buy a bass!" "Nice fresh clams!" "Fish!" "Fresh fish!" " Buy rhubarb!" "Rhubarb!" "Buy rhubarb!" " Sausages!" "Sausages!" "Sausages!" "Sausages!" "Sausages!" "Sausages!" "Pretty flowers!" "butter and eggs here!" "butter and eggs here!" " Buy your bread from Bertha!" "please?" " Five skillings." " Thank you." "why don't we set up shop here?" "what are we waiting for?" "the pride of the cobbler's trade" "Permit me to show you a great discovery I've made a squeak-iddy-squawk all day if you listen close to the squeak and squawk" "You can plainly hear it say" "Let Hans Christian Andersen fix me right away!" "In Hans Christian Andersen your feet have a loyal friend your toes would recommend" "I work all night if a shoe's too tight to see where the pinch comes from" "I raise my hammer and shut one eye and I sometimes hit on the reason why" "And I sometimes hit my thumb." "Oh!" " What's your name?" " I'm Hans Christian Andersen!" " You're under arrest." " Under arrest?" "Disrespect for the King's statue." "Get that boy!" "Peter!" "Run!" "Otto?" "Then do as I say - now!" "be sensible." "don't do it." "Stand here and argue." "I'll get a cobbler while you go and teach them the ballet." "Why is it a matter of life and death to have a cobbler right now?" "Because you have a ballerina who is so pig-headed that I must make an example of her in front of the entire company." "That's awful perfume." "I know where..." " Go away!" "She won't get away with this." "I know her far better than you do." "the ballet is only half finished." "Otto!" "sir." " What's that?" "sir." "Where?" " You'll have to use a little influence." " Influence?" "sir." "I know where one is sitting right now!" " Hello." " Hello." " Hello!" " Hello!" "Are you all alone in there?" "yes." " Are you scared?" " Hmm?" " Are you scared?" " Scared?" "No." "Nobody's ever really alone." "Did you know that?" "I'm expecting company right now." "Would you like me to introduce you?" "Are you sure?" "Absolutely sure?" "Don't go away." " There." " Oh!" "Thumbelina." "Now you say hello to her." "Hello." "She's very unhappy." "Thumbelina?" "Are you unhappy because you're so little?" "is it?" "Here." "Come on." "Though you're no bigger than my thumb than my thumb don't be glum come" "Thumbelina tiny little thing" "Thumbelina sing what's the difference if you're very small?" "you're nine feet tall!" "Thumbie?" "Would you like a playmate?" "You would?" "Here." "There." "Say how do you do." "Want a kiss?" "here we go." "tiny little thing" "Thumbelina sing what's the difference if you're very small?" "you're nine feet tall!" "Open up." " Hans!" " Peter!" " What are you doing here?" " You're a cobbler?" " Yes." " Hurry." "You are in the custody of the Royal Danish Ballet." "Come along!" " What am I in the custody of?" " Shh!" "You're out - that's the main thing." "Hans?" " No." " Where's your coat?" " Here." " Where are we going?" "Who is that man?" " What are you doing?" "Come along!" "Hans." "We've got our first job!" "Straight!" "Straight!" "Straight!" "Keep the line straight!" "Up!" "Up!" "Good." " This is the most..." " Shh!" "Dress rehearsal." "All right." "We'll do it all over again." "the lifts have to be higher." "The ballerina's performance I won't begin to discuss." "That would take till tomorrow morning." "We'll do it again." "darling." "remember?" "Stop!" "Everything stop." "Is the cobbler here yet?" "cobbler." "Come on." "Hurry up!" "this lady will explain to you what she wants you to do." "but she's no ordinary dancer." "She's something special." "she is the only one who cannot follow my steps without special shoes that exist only in her mind." "perhaps." "We cannot understand so great a ballerina" "We must only bow to her every wish." "my dear!" "I think." "everybody." "You've seen the ballet when I make a jeté?" "You know - when I jump. as though I were standing on nothing but air. in spite of that unkind man." "I would so love to show him it is not impossible." "isn't it?" "Could you do it?" "Yes." "I can do it." "I'll find something." "Something soft and silent." "I'm sure I can do it." " You could really seem to stand on air." " You have it!" "I can see you have the idea perfectly." "I shall be so grateful to you." "can you do it now - quickly?" "It would be such a service." "I would be forever grateful." "Thank you." "my slippers!" "You have to go out this way." "Hans!" "you were a long time!" "Have we got a job?" " What are you holding?" " Slippers." "Slippers?" "I never saw slippers like that before." "Who wears a thing like that?" " The loveliest lady I've ever seen." " Why does she wear these?" "she floats." "your heart skips a beat and then melts." "She smiled and stood close to me." "She even touched me." "Where's the barrow?" " I promised these to her quickly." " Right over here." "I hid it here in the theatre storeroom." "Peter." "This afternoon." "she'll have them." "I wish she had asked me something really impossible." "Doro..." "Are you hungry?" "Do you love me?" "I love you." "Come." "Sit down." "Let me feed you." "Here." "A sip of this to put you in a better temper." "look." "I asked Helga to make this especially for you today." "was I cruel today?" "my friend." "You were indeed." "I was almost in tears." "don't be sorry." "my angel?" "but afterwards..." "That's what makes it so good afterwards." "Isn't it good now?" "It's wonderful." "Why do I forget that the minute you start to dance?" "Then I see only my mortal enemy - the ballerina - in front of me." "just as it is mine. and want to kill you for some of the things you say?" "You really want to kill me?" "Of course I do." "Isn't that as it should be?" "wouldn't you?" "and I do love you so." "you will see." " Sorry about the shoes?" " There was nothing wrong with them." "I just did that to torment you." "you did?" "darling?" "my dear." "huh?" "But you were being terrible." "You deserved it." "You let everyone sit around while you took your petty revenge?" "You forget what you said in front of the entire company about my dancing?" "I don't." "I remember every word of it." "you were?" "I can say it again because we're going back to the rehearsal." "You danced the waltz like an elephant in a snowdrift!" "What did you say?" "I said you danced the waltz like an elephant in a snowdrift!" "like an elephant who fell down and was trying to get up!" "Can you hear me?" "Is that loud enough?" "How dare you!" "I slave to make each step you give me just right." "I make your foolish little dance steps acceptable to an audience." "You don't slave hard enough." "Move in time to the music once in a while!" "you are heartless." "Completely heartless." "You love to say cruel things to me!" "You would like to see me grovel at your feet!" " You'd see those steps clearer that way!" " How can I stand it?" "How do I bear it?" "Come - you can cry harder than that." "I've heard you cry much harder." "is for thinking up those shoes." "everybody!" "Let's see what you can think up for this afternoon's rehearsal." "You've fixed the shoes?" "Good." " Do you see what he's doing to her?" " Of course." "Never interfere between a husband and wife." "It's the best rule I ever heard of." "You mean she's married to him?" "please." "No one is allowed in the theatre during rehearsal." "That's another very good rule." "my boy?" "How could you do it?" "How could a girl like you marry a man like that?" "How can I help you?" "Dance!" "Dance!" "Dance!" "Dance!" "Dance!" "Help me!" "Help me!" "Help me!" "Help me!" "Cobbler?" "Cobbler!" "Thank you for the shoes." "You left before I had a chance to thank you." "They were wonderful." "I really floated on air." "Thank you." "Thank you." "Don't tell me what to do!" "They'll work tomorrow." "They'll work till they get it right." "I'll see them drop in their tracks." "And you have my coat ready for me when I'm ready to leave!" "Home!" "What funny people they are over there." "then they scream and beat each other." "Kind of crazy." "Hans?" " Writing." " A letter?" "To the children?" " Say something for me to them." " It's not to the children." "Hans?" "The ballerina." "Peter." "Hans?" "I heard him talk to her." "I saw him slap her face." "they're married." "I know that." "Hans." "It was different." "you're a child." "You don't understand." "I saw him make her cry with my own eyes." "they..." " Don't bother me." "I must finish this tonight." ""The Little Mermaid." "A story for Mademoiselle Doro." "the little mermaid began to understand." "She had sought love from the wrong man." "Come in." "but he insisted on seeing you immediately." "doorman?" "Who's this little boy?" "This is addressed to Mademoiselle Doro." "He was in the theatre trying to take it." "and it is addressed to her." "Why were you trying to take it?" " I wasn't trying to steal it." "It's mine." " Then why is it addressed to my wife?" "what is all this?" " It's mine!" "Please give it to me." "It's mine!" "who wrote this?" "I did." "You did?" "Suppose you tell me why you happened to write this story to my wife?" "It's nothing to do with you or her." "that's all." "and he made up this one." "Now would you mind telling me just who he is?" "so you might just as well stop lying." "Who is he?" "A friend of mine." "What's his name?" "Hans..." "Christian Andersen." "The cobbler." "it's the cobbler." "The cobbler who fixed my shoes so beautifully yesterday." "He's written me a story for a ballet." " I don't believe it!" " Tell the cobbler I am delighted to have it." "What was his name" " Hans?" "I will read it carefully." " The Little Mermaid" " Stop it." "It is all very innocent and quite touching." "I haven't said good morning yet." "darling." "Where have you been?" "I've lost it." "I can't find it any place." "Peter?" "you disappear." "I'll have to write it all over again." " You don't have to write it again." " Don't stand there." "Start looking." " You don't have to write it over again." " What?" "She's got it." "What did you say?" "Hans." "Right now." "She has?" "But how?" "How did she get it?" "I was reading it and it blew out of my hands." "You took it?" "Peter." "Go on." "and..." "That's how she got it." "A wind took it to her." "Peter." "An omen." "She's reading it now." "don't." "Peter." "I've got to talk to her." "I can help her." "That chair and this sofa." "Let's get 'em on the wagon." "What's going on here?" "What are you doing?" "The ballet's moving out." "Moving out?" "Excuse me." " Is it true the ballet's moving out?" " That's right." "Their yearly tour." "Where to?" "How long will they be gone?" "There's the school bell." "Off to school." "Hurry up." "Off with you now." "Tomorrow's another day and another story." "children." "Hurry." "What's the matter?" "Are you unhappy?" "Would you like me to tell you a special story?" "Come on up here." "Come on." "I'm not going to hurt you." "Go up a little faster." "let me see..." "There once was an ugly duckling" "With feathers all stubby and brown" "Ptt!" "Get out of town!" "Ptt!" "Get out!" "Ptt!" "Ptt!" "Get out!" "Ptt!" "Ptt!" "Get out of town!" "And he went with a quack and a waddle and a quack" "In a flurry of eiderdown" "Shall I tell you the rest of the story?" "All right." "That poor little ugly duckling" "Went wandering far and near they said to his face ptt!" "Get out of here" "Ptt!" "Get out!" "Ptt!" "Ptt!" "Get out!" "Ptt!" "Ptt!" "Get out of here!" "And he went with a quack and a waddle and a quack" "And a very unhappy tear" "he hid himself away afraid of what others might say in his lonely clump of weed" "Till a flock of swans spied him there and very soon agreed" "You're a very fine swan indeed!" "A swan?" "go on." "you're a swan." "Look at yourself in the lake." "You'll see." "I am a swan!" "Whee!" "I'm not such an ugly duckling" "No feathers all stubby and brown" "Tsk!" "The best in town!" "Tsk!" "The best!" "Tsk!" "Tsk!" "The best!" "Tsk!" "Tsk!" "The best in town!" "not a waddle or a quack" "But a glide and a whistle and a snowy white back" "And a head so noble and high" "Say who's an ugly duckling?" "Not I!" "Not I!" "it shouldn't make any difference if they won't play with you. but they make fun of me because I was sick and the doctor shaved my head." "but look at what happened to the ugly duckling." "you'll look in the mirror - much sooner than you think - and you'll be just like the ugly duckling." "I promise." "Hans?" " Very sure." "You'd better run off to school." "You're late now." "Hans." " Goodbye." "are my shoes ready?" "please." "ma'am." "They're practically new." "How beautiful!" "What kind of shoes are they?" "Ballet slippers." "I made them myself." "Every inch of them." "How lovely they are!" "ma'am." "They might soil." "You understand." "Who wears such lovely things?" "A lady who dances." "Her feet twinkle like little stars." "the slippers won't even be noticed - she's so beautiful herself." "Thank you." "Thank you." "Please come again." "Her arms were warm as they welcomed me" "Her eyes were fire-bright" "And then I knew that my path must be" "Through the ever haunted night" "For anywhere I wander" "Anywhere I roam" "Till I'm in the arms of my darling again" "My heart will find no home" "Anywhere I wander" "Anywhere I roam" "Anywhere I wander" "Anywhere I roam" "sir." " I'm pleased to know you." " How do you do?" "have you?" "I'm the father of the ugly duckling." "you're Lars' father." "I see." "That little story helped him over a bad time." "I'm very grateful to you." "I found you had a lot more of these stories." "The children are full of them these days." "Do you ever write any of them?" "I've a little surprise for you." "Come." "Give me a small sheet of paper." "Oh!" "Oh!" "Thank you very much." "too." "sir?" "You wouldn't mind?" "Of course not." "Say anything you want to. like a real writer?" "Certainly! and pay you for them." "I can hardly believe it!" " When will this be in the paper?" " Tomorrow." "It'll say "Hans Christian Andersen" all day tomorrow." "All day?" "sir." " Goodbye." "All day?" "sir." " Thank you." ""The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen."" "I'm Hans Christian Andersen" "That fortune has smiled upon tomorrow I'm a swan as gold as a tale can be but I blush a bit for I realise while I'm reading it" "That it's also reading me" "By Hans Christian Andersen"!" "I am a swan!" "I write myself a note each day and I place it in my hat the hat blows high but that's not the end of that" "For round and round the world it goes It lands here right behind myself" "I pick it up and I read the note which is merely to remind myself" "I'm Hans Christian Andersen" "Andersen..." "Peter!" "I'm Hans Christian Andersen" "I bring you a fable rare" ""How I'd love a chair" "And then and there came a sweet young chair" "All dressed in a bridal gown" "He said to her in a voice so true but I would like to sit down" "I'm Hans Christian Andersen" "Andersen's in town!" ""The Ugly Duckling by..." "Hans the Cobbler"!" "You're looking at a writer." "A real writer." ""Hans Christian Andersen" all day!" " Was that what the newspaper wanted?" " Yes." "They've printed one of your stories!" "And the way it happened is like a story in itself." "Wait till you hear. you can say a writer." "You are working for a real writer!" ""The Ugly Duckling by Hans the Cobbler."" "I can hardly believe it!" "Peter..." "Can you imagine..." "Can you imagine the schoolmaster's face?" "a newspaper arrives from Copenhagen." "and suddenly..." "He can't believe his eyes!" ""Hans Christian Andersen?" he says." "Hans the cobbler?" "A story by Hans Christian Andersen?" "Hmm." "Fine story." Have a bite." " There's something on your hand." " That must be from the printing machine." "Peter..." "Look." "Peter." "She's back!" "she's back!" "What a day!" "Everything is happening at once!" "we promised some shoes for today." "I'll do it later." "I couldn't possibly sit still." "She's back!" "I've got to walk!" "She's back!" "Never before and never again" "Never before and never again" "No two people have ever been so in love" "Been so in love" "Been so in love - it's incredible" "No two people have ever been so in love As my lovey dove and I the positive peak We are the most unusual couple on earth juned such a June" "Spooned such a spoon" "What he means is that no two people have ever been so in tune" "As my macaroon and I" "And when we kiss it's historical darling." "No two people have ever been so in love" "Been so in love" "It's impossible." "No two people have ever been so in love" "As my lovey dove and I the very extreme" "The sort of a dream you couldn't imagine at all" "No two people have ever been so in love as my lovey dove and I" "No two people have ever been so in love been so in love" "No two people have ever been so in love" "As you and Mrs Hans Christian Andersen!" "Mrs Andersen." "Mr Andersen." "Mrs Andersen." "Mr Andersen." "Mr Andersen?" "Mr Andersen?" "Mr Andersen?" "Mr Andersen?" "Mr Andersen!" "How sweet of you to be here the very moment we return." "How did you know we were going to do your ballet?" "Never mind." "Your real reward will come tomorrow night when I dance it for you." "won't you?" "Perhaps you will have words for me by tomorrow night?" "Louise." "What would they say back in the village?" "You and me getting ready to go to the opera house in Copenhagen." "To see my ballet!" "Would they believe it?" "Never." "they'd say." ""How can the children believe them?" "But even I wouldn't dare make up a story like this - and it happens to be true." "Is it all right if I don't go with you?" "What?" " I said is it all right if I don't go with you?" " No!" "It's not all right if you don't go with me." "What's the matter with you anyway?" "Something's wrong with you." "Come inside." "Peter?" "Come on." "Out with it." "all day." "Peter." "Tell me now." "Hans." "I don't know how to say it." "Never mind." "Just say it." "but you wouldn't listen." "and I thought you'd forget about it." " They?" " I don't like people who laugh at you." "It hurts me when people laugh at you." "I wanted to kill them." "Peter?" "Her and him." "You don't understand them." "What don't I understand? not clocks and flowers and stars." "Hans!" " So that's it." "I thought so." "Is she laughing at me when she does my ballet?" "Was she laughing at me when she kissed me?" " She kissed you?" " Yes." "did you?" "Peter." "You never lied to me before." "You don't have to come with me tonight." "Maybe you'd better see if you can find work with somebody else." "and I think we'd better part company altogether because because I don't think we like each other any more." "I beg your pardon." "No one's allowed in before the performance." "I am Hans Christian Andersen." "good evening." "Don't you read the posters outside your own theatre?" "around - that's it." "That's it." "Stay together." "Around..." "Good." "That's much better." "Keep it up." "That's it." "Now go around." "Come around this way." "Who are you?" "Get out of here at once." "Don't deliver shoes before a performance!" "Leave them with the doorman." " Try the arabesque again." " The name is Andersen." " Hans Christian Andersen." " Andersen?" "The ballet writer!" "I'd like to deliver these shoes to Mademoiselle Doro." "Be a good fellow and get out now." "sir." "Go out front and watch your ballet." " I'll give her the shoes myself." " No!" "Don't you touch them." "You can't give them to her now." "No one sees her before an opening." "Can you show us where you want the shell?" "I can't be everywhere at once." "Just move it on stage." "Will you please escort Mr Andersen to the stage door?" "Quietly but firmly." "But I have these..." "I'd like to leave alone." "Not you again!" "Don't you understand this is no time to bother anybody?" "Mademoiselle Doro would not agree with you." "Why am I plagued with authors on opening nights?" "Why?" "we begin!" "take your places!" "Open that door!" "Let me out of here!" "I can see it." "I don't have to see her with my eyes." "I can see it all." "Come in!" "Céline." "Céline." "And how good it feels to be back in my own room." "It seems years." "and what a wonderful success last night!" "I can hardly ever remember the audience being so excited." "It was the new ballet." "They were enchanted with it." "And it is enchanting." "I love to dance it." "What a curious fellow he is." "madame?" "the cobbler." "You know?" "I wonder if he was even there." "Do you suppose he was there and was too shy..." " Good heavens!" " I thought you were fast asleep." " The cobbler's locked in the prop room!" " What are you talking about?" "just before the performance." "I had to." "He insisted on giving you some shoes five minutes before the ballet began." "He never saw the ballet?" "You kept him locked up?" "I tell you." " You big fool!" "I had other things to think about just then!" "Céline." "Go to the theatre and bring him back here." "That poor dear man!" "you'd better stay under there." "Try popping your head out and see what you get." "I promise you!" "Hans." "I shall call you Hans." "What a dreadful thing to have happened!" "Are you all right?" "It's just like him to have done such a thing." "Come." "Sit down." "thank you. and you will see it then." " But I did see the ballet." " You did?" " Yes." " How?" "but I could hear the music." "I knew the story the music was telling." "I didn't have to see you dance with my eyes. and how I love to dance it." "I don't know quite why." "It's very strange." "I felt something sad and tender." " I don't know why." " I know why." "You do?" "Tell me." " I think it was your answer." " My answer?" "and... you answered me with yours." "tell me something." "How did you come to write that story for me?" "How else could I tell you how I felt?" "That I knew how miserable you were with him?" "Miserable?" "With my husband?" "but I saw the way he treated you." "I saw him slap you." "I heard you cry." "Hans... my darling." "It's here!" "angel." "My apologies for last night." "not you." "Did you tell him what a great success it was?" "For a great lady of the ballet." "but I had to have it for you." "The best part's on the other side." "Turn it over and read it. even a fool like me can speak of love." "my darling?" "Read it for me." "Niels." "Later." "You're not shy suddenly?" "Never mind." "You can do anything you wish." "She danced like an angel." "I could cover you with kisses." "Niels." "I'm sure." "but no harm has been done." "my dear." "You were laughing about it yourself." "Don't tell me I didn't hear you laughing - I did." "Even under the covers." "Doro?" "it doesn't matter why you wrote the story for me." "whatever the reason. but I shall remember what you told me every time I dance it." "do be quiet." "don't we?" "We'd like you to write more for us." " Have you any other stories we can use?" " No." "That one was just an accident." "I don't think I'll be writing any more." "I guess it's all right to deliver these now." "Some shoes from the cobbler." "Hans." "Hans." "Doro... my darling?" "Peter!" "Peter!" "Peter!" "Peter!" "Peter." "Do you mind if I walk along beside you?" "I don't see how I can help it." "and there's only one road." "Are you going back to the village?" "too." "Peter?" "I'm never telling another story - not even to myself." "Peter." "Especially to myself." "stick to your last." "it's me." "I won't." "I won't." "Why do you keep on saying that?" "Why?" "Because you're Hans Christian Andersen." "That's why!" "Peter!" "You'll tell stories." "You'll write stories." "You'll even sing stories." "Over and over and over again." "I'm not such an ugly duckling" "No feathers all stubby and brown in so many words" "Tsk!" "The best in town!" "Tsk!" "The best!" "Tsk!" "Tsk!" "The best!" "Remember your trip to Copenhagen?" "Tell us about it!" "wonderful Copenhagen" "Friendly old girl of a town" "'Neath her tavern light let us clink and drink one down wonderful Copenhagen... the king!" "the altogether" "He's altogether as naked as the day that he was born the altogether" "It's altogether the very least the king has ever worn call an intermission... huh?" "Thumbelina!" "Though you're no bigger than my thumb" " Than my thumb" " Than my thumb don't be glum" " Don't be glum come along tiny little thing" "Thumbelina sing what's the difference if you're very small?" "you're nine feet tall!"