Карлик-ніс

           Motherdear,"hesaidtohimself,"inthehappydayswhenyouwerewonttoparadehimproudlybeforetheneighbours’eyes,heborelittleresemblancetothethinghehasnowbecome."

           Poorfellow,hiseyesweresmallandsetlikeapig’s,hisnosewasenormousundreachedbeyondhischin,hisneckhaddisappearedaltogether,andhisheadhadsunkdownbetweenhisshoulders,sothatitwaspainfultoattempttomoveiteithertotherightorleft.Hewasnotallerthanhehadbeensevenyearsbefore,buthisbackandhischestwerebowedoutinsuchamannerthattheyresembledawell-hulledsacksupportedupontwoweaklittlelegs.Hisarms,however,hadgrownsolong"thattheyhungdownalmosttohisfeet,andhiscoarsebrownhandswerethesizeofthoseofafull-grownman,withuglyspider-likefingers.Thehandsome,livelylittleJacobhadbeenchangedintoanuglyandrepulsive-lookingdwarf.

           Hethoughtoncemoreofthemorningonwhichtheoldwitchhadfingeredhismother’sgoodsandwhenhehadtwittedherwithherlargenoseandhugehands.Everythinghehadfoundfaultwithinhersheheldgivenhimnow,withtheexceptionofthethinneck,forhehadnoneckatall.

           "Surelyyouhaveadmiredyourselfsufficiently,"saidthebarberlaughingly."NeverinmydreamshaveIseensuchacomicalfellowasyou,andIhaveaproposaltomaketoyou.ItistrueIhaveagreatmanycustomers,butnotquiteasIhadatonetimeformyrival,BarberLather,hascomeacrossagiantandhasengagedhimtostandathisdoorandinvitethepeopletoenter.