youmustgoonce;isingthereonwednesday,andifyouhavetimeonthatday,iwillsendyouaticket;myfatherknowswhereyourmasterlives."howkindthiswasofher!andonwednesday,aboutnoon,knudreceivedasealedpacketwithnoaddress,buttheticketwasinside;andintheeveningknudwent,forthefirsttimeinhislife,toatheatre.andwhatdidhesee?hesawjoanna,andhowbeautifulandcharmingshelooked!hecertainlysawherbeingmarriedtoastranger,butthatwasallintheplay,andonlyapretence;knudwellknewthat.shecouldneverhavetheheart,hethought,tosendhimatickettogoandseeit,ifithadbeenreal.sohelookedon,andwhenallthepeopleapplaudedandclappedtheirhands,heshouted"hurrah."hecouldseethateventhekingsmiledatjoanna,andseemeddelightedwithhersinging.howsmallknudfelt;butthenhelovedhersodearly,andthoughtshelovedhim,andthemanmustspeakthefirstword,asthegingerbreadmaidenhadthought.ah,howmuchtherewasforhiminthatchildishstory.assoonassundayarrived,hewentagain,andfeltasifhewereabouttoenteronholyground.joannawasalonetowelcomehim,nothingcouldbemorefortunate.

"iamsogladyouarecome,"shesaid.iwasthinkingofsendingmyfatherforyou,butihadapresentimentthatyouwouldbeherethisevening.thefactis,iwantedtotellyouthatiamgoingtofrance.ishallstartonfriday.itisnecessaryformetogothere,ifiwishtobecomeafirst-rateperformer."

poorknud!itseemedtohimasifthewholeroomwaswhirlingroundwithhim.hiscouragefailed,andhefeltasifhisheartwouldburst.hekeptdownthetears,butitwaseasytoseehowsorrowfulhewas.

"youhonest,faithfulsoul,"sheexclaimed;andthewordsloosenedknud'stongue,andhetoldherhowtrulyhehadlovedher,andthatshemustbehiswife;andashesaidthis,hesawjoannachangecolor,andturnpale.shelethishandfall,andsaid,earnestlyandmournfully,"knud,donotmakeyourselfandmeunhappy.iwillalwaysbeagoodsistertoyou,oneinwhomyoucantrust;buticanneverbeanythingmore."andshedrewherwhitehandoverhisburningforehead,andsaid,"godgivesstrengthtobearagreatdeal,ifweonlystriveourselvestoendure."

atthismomentherstepmothercameintotheroom,andjoannasaidquickly,"knudissounhappy,becauseiamgoingaway;"anditappearedasiftheyhadonlybeentalkingofherjourney."come,beaman"sheadded,placingherhandonhisshoulder;"youarestillachild,andyoumustbegoodandreasonable,asyouwerewhenwewerebothchildren,andplayedtogetherunderthewillow-tree."

knudlistened,buthefeltasiftheworldhadslidoutofitscourse.histhoughtswerelikealoosethreadflutteringtoandfrointhewind.hestayed,althoughhecouldnottellwhethershehadaskedhimtodoso.butshewaskindandgentletohim;shepouredouthistea,andsangtohim;butthesonghadnottheoldtoneinit,althoughitwaswonderfullybeautiful,andmadehisheartfeelreadytoburst.andthenherosetogo.hedidnotofferhishand,butsheseizedit,andsaid-

"willyounotshakehandswithyoursisteratparting,myoldplayfellow?"andshesmiledthroughthetearsthatwererollingdownhercheeks.againsherepeatedtheword"brother,"whichwasagreatconsolationcertainly;andthustheyparted.

shesailedtofrance,andknudwanderedaboutthemuddystreetsofcopenhagen.theotherjourneymenintheshopaskedhimwhyhelookedsogloomy,andwantedhimtogoandamusehimselfwiththem,ashewasstillayoungman.sohewentwiththemtoadancing-room.hesawmanyhandsomegirlsthere,butnonelikejoanna;andhere,wherehethoughttoforgether,shewasmorelife-likebeforehismindthanever."godgivesusstrengthtobearmuch,ifwetrytodoourbest,"shehadsaid;andashethoughtofthis,adevoutfeelingcameintohismind,andhefoldedhishands.then,astheviolinsplayedandthegirlsdancedroundtheroom,hestarted;foritseemedtohimasifhewereinaplacewhereheoughtnottohavebroughtjoanna,forshewasherewithhiminhisheart;andsohewentoutatonce.ashewentthroughthestreetsataquickpace,hepassedthehousewheresheusedtolive;itwasalldark,empty,andlonely.buttheworldwentonitscourse,andknudwasobligedtogoontoo.

wintercame;thewaterwasfrozen,andeverythingseemedburiedinacoldgrave.butwhenspringreturned,andthefirststeamerpreparedtosail,knudwasseizedwithalongingtowanderforthintotheworld,butnottofrance.sohepackedhisknapsack,andtravelledthroughgermany,goingfromtowntotown,butfindingneitherrestorpeace.itwasnottillhearrivedatthegloriousoldtownofnurembergthathegainedthemasteryoverhimself,andrestedhiswearyfeet;andhereheremained.

nurembergisawonderfuloldcity,andlooksasifithadbeencutoutofanoldpicture-book.thestreetsseemtohavearrangedthemselvesaccordingtotheirownfancy,andasifthehousesobjectedtostandinrowsorrankandfile.gables,withlittletowers,ornamentedcolumns,andstatues,canbeseeneventothecitygate;andfromthesingular-shapedroofs,waterspouts,formedlikedragons,orlongleandogs,extendfaracrosstothemiddleofthestreet.here,inthemarket-place,stoodknud,withhisknapsackonhisback,closetooneoftheoldfountainswhicharesobeautifullyadornedwithfigures,scripturalandhistorical,andwhichspringupbetweenthesparklingjetsofwater.aprettyservant-maidwasjustfillingherpails,andshegaveknudarefreshingdraught;shehadahandfulofroses,andshegavehimone,whichappearedtohimlikeagoodomenforthefuture.fromaneighboringchurchcamethesoundsofmusic,andthefamiliartonesremindedhimoftheorganathomeatkjoge;sohepassedintothegreatcathedral.thesunshinestreamedthroughthepaintedglasswindows,andbetweentwoloftyslenderpillars.histhoughtsbecameprayerful,andcalmpeacerestedonhissoul.henextsoughtandfoundagoodmasterinnuremberg,withwhomhestayedandlearntthegermanlanguage.

theoldmoatroundthetownhadbeenconvertedintoanumberoflittlekitchengardens;butthehighwalls,withtheirheavy-lookingtowers,arestillstanding.insidethesewallstheropemakertwistedhisropesalongawalkbuiltlikeagallery,andinthecracksandcrevicesofthewallselderbushesgrowandstretchtheirgreenboughsoverthesmallhouseswhichstandbelow.inoneofthesehouseslivedthemasterforwhomknudworked;andoverthelittlegarretwindowwherehesat,theelder-treewaveditsbranches.herehedweltthroughonesummerandwinter,butwhenspringcameagain,hecouldendureitnolonger.theelderwasinblossom,anditsfragrancewassohomelike,thathefanciedhimselfbackagaininthegardensofkjoge.soknudlefthismaster,andwenttoworkforanotherwholivedfartherinthetown,wherenoeldergrew.hisworkshopwasquiteclosetooneoftheoldstonebridges,neartoawater-mill,roundwhichtheroaringstreamrushedandfoamedalways,yetrestrainedbytheneighboringhouses,whoseold,decayedbalconieshungover,andseemedreadytofallintothewater.heregrewnoelder;herewasnotevenaflower-pot,withitslittlegreenplant;butjustoppositetheworkshopstoodagreatwillow-tree,whichseemedtoholdfasttothehouseforfearofbeingcarriedawaybythewater.itstretcheditsbranchesoverthestreamjustasthoseofthewillow-treeinthegardenatkjogehadspreadovertheriver.yes,hehadindeedgonefromelder-mothertowillow-father.therewasasomethingaboutthetreehere,especiallyinthemoonlightnights,thatwentdirecttohisheart;yetitwasnotinrealitythemoonlight,buttheoldtreeitself.however,hecouldnotendureit:andwhy?