On a polished wooden table, in a cozy living room, stood a lovely little Shepherdess made of the finest china. She had a golden crook, tiny pink shoes, and a sweet smile. Right beside her stood a brave Chimney Sweep, also made of china. He carried a little ladder and his face was a bit smudged with soot, which the Shepherdess thought was very charming. They loved each other very much.

Nearby was an old Chinaman, also made of china. He was quite grand and could nod his head. He thought of himself as the Shepherdess's grandfather, though he wasn't really. Now, in a dark cupboard across the room lived a scary wooden figure with goat legs and a long beard. Some called him the General-Adjutant-Major-War-Commander-Sergeant, but he was really just a grumpy old carving.

The Old Chinaman had decided that the Shepherdess should marry this wooden fellow. "He has a whole cupboard full of silver!" the Old Chinaman would nod, very seriously.
But the Shepherdess shivered. "I don't want to marry him!" she told the Chimney Sweep. "I want to be with you!"

"Then we must run away," said the Chimney Sweep bravely. "Out into the wide world!"
The Shepherdess was a little scared, but she trusted him. So, that night, when everyone in the house was asleep, they decided to escape.

"How will we get down?" whispered the Shepherdess, looking at the long drop from the table to the floor.
"Don't worry," said the Chimney Sweep. He helped her climb carefully down the carved leg of the table. It was like a mountain for them!

Once on the floor, they tiptoed towards the big, dark stove. "We have to go through the chimney pipe," said the Chimney Sweep. "That's the way to the roof, and then the world!"
The Shepherdess hesitated. It looked very dark and sooty inside. But the Chimney Sweep took her hand. "I'll be with you," he promised.

So, into the stovepipe they went. It was dark, and soot got all over the Shepherdess's pretty dress, but the Chimney Sweep helped her. Up, up, up they climbed with his little ladder, through the long, dark chimney.

At last, they reached the top! They crawled out onto the roof. Oh! The world was so big! Stars twinkled like a thousand diamonds in the dark sky. Below them, the city spread out with tiny lights.
The Shepherdess looked around. It was beautiful, but also a little frightening. "Oh, Chimney Sweep," she whispered, her voice trembling, "the world is too big. I miss our little table. I'm scared. Can we go back?"

The Chimney Sweep looked at her. He had dreamed of the wide world, but he loved the Shepherdess more than anything. "Of course," he said gently. "If you're not happy, then I'm not happy. We'll go back."

So, very carefully, they climbed all the way back down the sooty chimney, through the dark stove, and tiptoed back to their table. They were very tired and very sooty.

But when they got back to their spot, they saw something surprising. The Old Chinaman was lying on the floor! He had fallen off the table and broken into three pieces!
The family who owned the china figures found him the next morning. "Oh dear!" they said, and they carefully glued the Old Chinaman back together. He looked almost as good as new, but there was one important difference: he couldn't nod his head anymore. His neck was stuck fast.

So, when the scary wooden figure from the cupboard asked for the Shepherdess again, the Old Chinaman just sat still. He couldn't nod yes, even if he wanted to!
And so, the little Shepherdess and the brave Chimney Sweep stayed together on their table. They were a bit sooty, but very happy. They knew that even if the wide world was very big, their love for each other, right there on their little table, was the biggest and best adventure of all.

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