The Red Shoes
Lauri Anne Jacobs
The Red Shoes is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson published in 1845. A peasant girl named Karen is adopted by a rich old lady after her mother dies. Before her mother dies, Karen has a homemade, rough-looking pair of red shoes. After she is adopted, she gets the old lady to buy her a new pair of red shoes fit for a princess. She is so enamored by the red shoes that she wears them to church even though the old lady tells her it is improper.
The following Sunday, she wears them anyway and meets a mysterious old soldier. He says, “Oh, what beautiful shoes for dancing; never come off when you dance, and he taps each of the shoes with his hand.”
Her adoptive mother becomes ill and dies. She does not go to the funeral and dances instead. An angel appears and condemns her to dance even after she dies as a warning to vain children everywhere. The shoes will not stop dancing, and she cannot take them off. She is so tired and runs into an executioner in the woods and has him chop off her feet. The shoes continue to dance, and he gives her wooden feet and crutches. Alone in her room, she prays to God for mercy. The angel appears and turns her room into a church and gives her the mercy she prayed for, and her soul flies to heaven.
There is quite a lesson to be learned from that children’s fairy tale. How many times have our vanities and pleasure led us into trouble? The shoes represent vanity, pride, and worldly desires. Her suffering leads to humility and true repentance, allowing for forgiveness. This story contrasts inner and outer beauty with the superficial allure of the red shoes versus the true beauty of a humble and kind heart.
The one thing I have heard my Mama say a million times is, “Pretty is as Pretty does.” If your heart is ugly, the outward beauty will eventually become ugly. We get so caught up with superficial things we forget what is important.
With Christmas coming up this week, it is a time to reflect on what is really important. In Hebrew, vanity means emptiness, futility, meaninglessness, or a fleeting vapor. Earthly achievements and possessions do not provide ultimate fulfillment. Physical beauty, life itself, and worldly glory are only temporary. Proverbs 31:30 says, “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
Concentrate on inner beauty and having the heart of God. Show kindness and mercy by helping those in need not just at Christmas, but year-round.
