` Ah ! now he has been promoted ! ' said the Darning-needle . ' I remain here ; I am too fine . But that is my pride , which is a sign of respectability ! ' And she sat there very proudly , thinking lofty thoughts . ' I really believe I must have been born a sunbeam , I am so fine ! It seems to me as if the sunbeams were always looking under the water for me . Ah , I am so fine that my own mother can not find me ! If I had my old eye which broke off , I believe I could weep ; but I ca n't -- it is not fine to weep ! ' One day two street-urchins were playing and wading in the gutter , picking up old nails , pennies , and such things . It was rather dirty work , but it was a great delight to them . ` Oh , oh ! ' cried out one , as he pricked himself with the Darning-needle ; ` he is a fine fellow though ! ' ' I am not a fellow ; I am a young lady ! ' said the Darning-needle ; but no one heard . The sealing-wax had gone , and she had become quite black ; but black makes one look very slim , and so she thought she was even finer than before . ` Here comes an egg-shell sailing along ! ' said the boys , and they stuck the Darning-needle into the egg-shell . ` The walls white and I black -- what a pretty contrast it makes ! '
XXXXX the Darning-needle .
become born broke comes cried gone heard playing said wading