anditisaboutoneofthesecollarsthatwearenowtohearastory. Itwassoold，thatitbegantothinkofmarriage；
andithappenedthatitcametobewashedincompanywithagarter. “Nay”saidthecollar. “Ineverdidseeanythingsoslenderandsofine，sosoftandsoneat.MayInotaskyourname” “ThatIshallnottellyou”saidthegarter. “Wheredoyoulive”askedthecollar. Butthegarterwassobashful，somodest，andthoughtitwasastrangequestiontoanswer. “Youarecertainlyagirdle，”saidthecollar；
“thatistosayaninsidegirdle.Iseewellthatyouarebothforuseandornament，mydearyounglady.” “Iwillthankyounottospeaktome，”saidthegarter. “IthinkIhavenotgiventheleastoccasionforit.” “YesWhenoneisashandsomeasyou，”saidthecollar， “thatisoccasionenough.” “Dontcomesonearme，Ibegofyou”saidthegarter. “Youlooksomuchlikethosemen-folks.” “Iamalsoafinegentleman，”saidthecollar. “Ihaveabootjackandahair-comb.” Butthatwasnottrue，foritwashismasterwhohadthembutheboasted. “Dontcomesonearme，”saidthegarter “Iamnotaccustomedtoit.” “Prude”exclaimedthecollar；
andthenitwastakenoutofthewashing-tub.Itwasstarched，hungoverthebackofachairinthesunshine，andwasthenlaidontheironing-blanket；
thencamethewarmbox-iron. “Dearlady”saidthecollar. “Dearwidow-ladyIfeelquitehot.Iamquitechanged.Ibegintounfoldmyself.Youwillburnaholeinme.OhIofferyoumyhand.” “Rag”saidthebox-iron；
andwentproudlyoverthecollarforshefanciedshewasasteam-engine，thatwouldgoontherailroadanddrawthewaggons.“Rag”saidthebox-iron. thecollarwasalittlejaggedattheedge，andsocamethelongscissorstocutoffthejaggedpart. “Oh”saidthecollar. “Youarecertainlythefirstoperadancer.HowwellyoucanstretchyourlegsoutItisthemostgracefulperanceIhaveeverseen.Noonecanimitateyou.” “Iknowit，”saidthescissors. “Youdeservetobeabaroness，”saidthecollar. “AllthatIhaveisafinegentleman，aboot-jack，andahair-comb.IfIonlyhadthebarony” “Doyouseekmyhand”saidthescissors；
forshewasangry；
andwithoutmoreado，sheCUTHIM，andthenhewascondemned. “Ishallnowbeobligedtoaskthehair-comb.Itissurprisinghowwellyoupreserveyourteeth，Miss，”saidthecollar. “Haveyouneverthoughtofbeingbetrothed” “Yes，ofcourseyoumaybesureofthat，”saidthehair-comb. “IAMbetrothedtotheboot-jack” “Betrothed”exclaimedthecollar.Nowtherewasnoothertocourt，andsohedespisedit. Alongtimepassedaway，thenthecollarcameintotheragchestatthepapermill；
therewasalargecompanyofrags，thefinebythemselves，andthecoarsebythemselves，justasitshouldbe.Theyallhadmuchtosay，butthecollarthemost；
forhewasarealboaster. “Ihavehadsuchanimmensenumberofsweethearts”saidthecollar. “IcouldnotbeinpeaceItistrue，Iwasalwaysafinestarched-upgentlemanIhadbothaboot-jackandahair-comb，whichIneverusedYoushouldhaveseenmethen，youshouldhaveseenmewhenIlaydownIshallneverforgetMYFIRSTLOVEshewasagirdle，sofine，sosoft，andsocharming，shethrewherselfintoatubofwaterysakeTherewasalsoawidow，whobecameglowinghot，butIleftherstandingtillshegotblackagain；
therewasalsothefirstoperadancer，shegavemethatcutwhichInowgowith，shewassoferociousMyownhair-combwasinlovewithme，shelostallherteethfromtheheart-ache；
yes，Ihavelivedtoseemuchofthatsortofthing；
butIamextremelysorryforthegarterImeanthegirdlethatwentintothewater-tub.Ihavemuchonmyconscience，Iwanttobecomewhitepaper” Anditbecameso，alltheragswereturnedintowhitepaper；
butthecollarcametobejustthisverypieceofwhitepaperweheresee，andonwhichthestoryisprinted；
andthatwasbecauseitboastedsoterriblyafterwardsofwhathadneverhappenedtoit.Itwouldbewellforustobeware，thatwemaynotactinasimilarmanner，forwecanneverknowifwemaynot，inthecourseoftime，alsocomeintotheragchest，andbemadeintowhitepaper，andthenhaveourwholelifeshistoryprintedonit，eventhemostsecret，andbeobligedtorunaboutandtellitourselves，justlikethiscollar. 从前有一位漂亮的绅士；
他所有的动产只是一个脱靴器和一把梳子。但他有一个世界上最好的衬衫领子。
我们现在所要听到的就是关于这个领子的故事。
衬衫领子的年纪已经很大，足够考虑结婚的问题。事又凑巧，他和袜带在一块儿混在水里洗。
“我的天”衬衫领子说，“我从来没有看到过这么苗条和细嫩、这么迷人和温柔的人儿。请问你尊姓大名” “这个我可不能告诉你”袜带说。
“你府上在什么地方”衬衫领子问。
不过袜带是非常害羞的。要回答这样一个问题，她觉得非常困难。
“我想你是一根腰带吧”衬衫领子说“一种内衣的腰带亲爱的小姐，我可以看出，你既有用，又可以做装饰品” “你不应该跟我讲话”袜带说。“我想，我没有给你任何理由这样做” “咳，一个长得像你这样美丽的人儿，”衬衫领子说，“