AT the rich merchant's there was a children's party；rich people's children and grand people's children were there．The merchant was a learned¹ man：he had once gone through the college examination，for his honest father had kept him to this，his father who had at first only been a cattle dealer；but always an honest and industrious² man．The trade had brought money，and the merchant had man－aged to increase the store．Clever he was，and he had also a heart，but there was less said of his heart than of his money．At the merchant's，grand people went in and out—people of blood，as it is called，and people of intellect，and people who had both of these，and people who had neither．Now there was a children's party there，and children's prattle，and children speak frankly³ from the heart．Among the rest there was a beautiful little girl，and the little one was terribly proud．However，the servants had taught her that，not her parents，who were far too sensible⁴ people．Her father was a groom⁵ of the bed－chamber，and that is a very grand office，and she knew it．

“I am a child of the bed-chamber，”she said．

Now she might just as well have been a child of the cellar，for nobody can help his birth；and then she told the other children that she was“well born”，and said that no one who was not well born could get on far in the world：it was of no use to read and be industrious；if one was not well born one could not achieve anything．

“And those whose names end with‘sen’，”said she，“they cannot be anything at all．One must put one's arms akimbo，and keep them at a great distance，these‘sen’！”

And she stuck out her pretty little arms，and made the elbows quite pointed，to show how it was to be done and her little arms were very pretty．She was sweet．

But the little daughter of the merchant became very angry at this speech，for her father's name was Madsen，and she knew that the name ended in‘sen’and therefore she said，as proudly as ever she could，

“But my papa can buy a hundred dollars’worth of bon－bons，and throw them to the children！Can your papa do that？”

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1 learned
adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。 In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

2 industrious
adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的
参考例句：
If the tiller is industrious,the farmland is productive.人勤地不懒。 She was an industrious and willing worker.她是个勤劳肯干的员工。

3 frankly
adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说
参考例句：
To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。 Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

4 sensible
adj.可察觉的，意识到的，实用的；n.可感知物
参考例句：
Are you sensible of the dangers of your position? 你觉察到你处境中的危险了吗？ He was sensible enough to mind his own business.他颇有见识，不去管闲事。

5 groom
vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁
参考例句：
His father was a groom.他父亲曾是个马夫。 George was already being groomed for the top job.为承担这份高级工作，乔治已在接受专门的培训。