'myniecesaid;infact,shesaidmanythingsthatwereverymaliciousbutveryamusing,butiwon'tmentionthem,foramanmustbegood-natured,andnotacarpingcritic.butyouwilleasilyperceivethatwhenamanonceknowstherightsofthejourneytoamack,asiknowthem,it'squitenaturalthatonthenewyear'snightoneshouldlookouttoseethewildchasegoby.ifinthenewyearimisscertainpersonswhousedtobethere,iamsuretonoticeotherswhoarenewarrivals;butthisyeariomittedtakingmylookattheguests,ibowledawayontheboulders,rolledbackthroughmillionsofyears,andsawthestonesbreakloosehighupinthenorth,sawthemdriftingaboutonicebergs,longbeforenoah'sarkwasconstructed,sawthemsinkdowntothebottomofthesea,andre-appearwithasand-bank,withthatonethatpeeredforthfromthefloodandsaid,'thisshallbezealand!'isawthembecomethedwelling-placeofbirdsthatareunknowntous,andthenbecometheseatofwildchiefsofwhomweknownothing,untilwiththeiraxestheycuttheirrunicsignsintoafewofthesestones,whichthencameintothecalendaroftime.butasforme,ihadgonequitebeyondalllapseoftime,andhadbecomeacipherandanothing.thenthreeorfourbeautifulfallingstarscamedown,whichclearedtheair,andgavemythoughtsanotherdirection.youknowwhatafallingstaris,doyounot?thelearnedmenarenotatallclearaboutit.ihavemyownideasaboutshootingstars,asthecommonpeopleinmanypartscallthem,andmyideaisthis:howoftenaresilentthanksgivingsofferedupforonewhohasdoneagoodandnobleaction!thethanksareoftenspeechless,buttheyarenotlostforallthat.ithinkthesethanksarecaughtup,andthesunbeamsbringthesilent,hiddenthankfulnessovertheheadofthebenefactor;andifitbeawholepeoplethathasbeenexpressingitsgratitudethroughalonglapseoftime,thethankfulnessappearsasanosegayofflowers,andatlengthfallsintheformofashootingstaroverthegoodman'sgrave.iamalwaysverymuchpleasedwheniseeashootingstar,especiallyinthenewyear'snight,andthenfindoutforwhomthegiftofgratitudewasintended.latelyagleamingstarfellinthesouthwest,asatributeofthanksgivingtomany-many!'forwhomwasthatstarintended?'thoughti.itfell,nodoubt,onthehillbythebayofplensberg,wherethedanebrogwavesoverthegravesofschleppegrell,lasloes,andtheircomrades.onestaralsofellinthemidstoftheland,felluponsoro,afloweronthegraveofholberg,thethanksoftheyearfromagreatmany-thanksforhischarmingplays!

"itisagreatandpleasantthoughttoknowthatashootingstarfallsuponourgraves.onminecertainlynonewillfall-nosunbeambringsthankstome,forherethereisnothingworthyofthanks.ishallnotgetthepatentlacquer,"saidole,"formyfateonearthisonlygrease,afterall."

secondvisit

itwasnewyear'sday,andiwentuponthetower.olespokeofthetoaststhatweredrunkonthetransitionfromtheoldyearintothenew-fromonegraveintotheother,ashesaid.andhetoldmeastoryabouttheglasses,andthisstoryhadaverydeepmeaning.itwasthis:

"whenonthenewyear'snighttheclockstrikestwelve,thepeopleatthetableriseupwithfullglassesintheirhands,anddraintheseglasses,anddrinksuccesstothenewyear.theybegintheyearwiththeglassintheirhands;thatisagoodbeginningfordrunkards.theybeginthenewyearbygoingtobed,andthat'sagoodbeginningfordrones.sleepissuretoplayagreatpartinthenewyear,andtheglasslikewise.doyouknowwhatdwellsintheglass?"