Lykkens galocher (DANSK) - The goloshes of fortune (ENGELSK)

Det var i København, på Østergade i et af husene, ikke langt fra Kongens Nytorv, at der var stort selskab, for det må man have imellem, så er det gjort og så kan man blive inviteret igen. Den ene halvdel af selskabet sad allerede ved spillebordene, og den anden halvdel ventede på hvad der ville komme ud af fruens: "Ja, nu skulle vi se til at finde på noget!" Så vidt var man og samtalen gik, som den kunne. Blandt andet faldt også talen på Middelalderen, Enkelte anså denne for langt bedre end vor tid, ja justitsråd Knap forsvarede så ivrig denne mening, at fruen straks holdt med ham, og begge ivrede da mod Ørsteds ord i almanakken om gamle og nye tider, hvori vor tidsalder i det væsentlige sættes øverst. Justitsråden anså kong Hans' tid for den dejligste og allerlykkeligste.

Under al den snak for og imod, der ikke blev afbrudt uden et øjeblik ved avisen der kom, men i den stod der ikke noget der var værd at læse, vil vi gå ud i det forreste værelse, hvor overtøj, stokke, paraplyer og galocher havde plads. Her sad to piger, en ung og en gammel; man skulle tro, at de var kommet for at følge deres herskab, en eller anden gammel frøken eller enkefrue, men så man lidt nøjere på dem, så begreb man snart, at de ikke var almindelige tjenestepiger, dertil var deres hænder for fine, deres holdning og hele bevægelse for kongelig, for det var den, og klæderne havde også et ganske eget dristigt snit. Det var to feer, den yngste var vel ikke Lykken selv, men en af hendes kammerjomfruers kammerpiger, der bringer de mindre Lykkens gaver omkring, den ældre så så inderlig alvorlig ud, det var Sorgen, hun går altid selv i egen høje person sine ærinder, så ved hun, at de bliver vel udført.

De fortalte hinanden, hvor de denne dag havde været; hun, som var kammerjomfruens kammerpige hos Lykken, havde endnu kun besørget nogle ubetydelige ærinder, hun havde, sagde hun, frelst en ny hat fra regnskyl, skaffet en ærlig mand en hilsen af et fornemt nul og sådant noget, men hvad hun endnu havde tilbage var noget ganske ualmindeligt.

"Jeg må da fortælle," sagde hun, "at det er min fødselsdag i dag, og til ære for denne er mig betroet et par galocher, som jeg skal bringe menneskeheden. Disse galocher har den egenskab, at enhver, som får dem på, øjeblikkelig er på det sted eller i den tid, hvor han helst vil være, ethvert ønske med hensyn til tid eller sted bliver straks opfyldt, og mennesket således endelig engang lykkelig hernede!"

"Jo, det kan du tro!" sagde Sorgen, "han bliver såre ulykkelig og velsigner det øjeblik, han igen er fri for galocherne!"

"Hvor vil du hen!" sagde den anden, "nu stiller jeg dem her ved døren, én tager fejl og bliver den lykkelige!"

Se det var den samtale.

II. Hvorledes det gik justitsråden.

Det var sildigt; justitsråd Knap, fordybet i kong Hans' tid, ville hjem og nu var det ham styret så, at han, i stedet for sine galocher, fik Lykkens på og trådte ud på Østergade; men han var ved galochernes tryllekraft trådt tilbage i kong Hans' tid, og derfor satte han foden lige ud i dynd og mudder på gaden, eftersom der i de tider endnu ikke fandtes brolægning.

"Det er jo forfærdeligt, hvor sølet her er!" sagde justitsråden. "Hele fortovet er væk og alle lygterne slukkede!"

Månen var endnu ikke kommet højt nok op, luften desuden temmelig tyk, så alt rundt om flød hen i mørke. På det nærmeste hjørne hang imidlertid en lanterne foran et madonnabillede, men den lysning var så godt som ingen, han bemærkede den først, idet han stod lige derunder og hans øjne faldt på det malede billede med moderen og barnet.

"Det er nok," tænkte han, "et kunstkabinet, hvor de har glemt at tage skiltet ind!"

Et par mennesker, i tidsalderens dragt, gik ham forbi.

"Hvordan var det de så ud! de kom nok fra maskerade!"

Med ét lød trommer og piber, stærke blus lyste; justitsråden standsede og så nu et forunderligt tog komme forbi. Allerforrest gik en hel trop trommeslagere, som ret artigt behandlede deres instrument, dem fulgte drabanter med buer og armbøsser. Den fornemste i toget var en gejstlig mand. Forbavset spurgte justitsråden, hvad dette havde at betyde og hvem denne mand var.

"Det er Sjællands biskop!" svarede man.

"Herregud, hvad går der af bispen?" sukkede justitsråden og rystede med hovedet, bispen kunne det dog umuligt være. Grundende herover og uden at se til højre eller venstre gik justitsråden gennem Østergade og over Højbroplads. Broen til Slotspladsen var ikke at finde, han skimtede en sid åbred og stødte endelig her på to karle, der lå med en båd.

"Vil herren sættes over på Holmen?" spurgte de.

"Over på Holmen?" sagde justitsråden, der jo ikke vidste i hvilken tidsalder han vandrede, "jeg vil ud på Christianshavn i Lille Torvegade!"

Karlene så på ham.

"Sig mig bare, hvor broen er!" sagde han. "Det er skændigt, her ingen lygter er tændt, og så er det et søle, som om man gik i en mose!"

Jo længere han talte med bådsmændene, des uforståeligere blev de ham.

"Jeg forstår ikke jeres bornholmsk!" sagde han til sidst vredt, og vendte dem ryggen. Broen kunne han ikke finde; rækværk var der heller ikke! "Det er en skandale, som her ser ud!" sagde han. Aldrig havde han fundet sin tidsalder elendigere, end denne aften. "Jeg tror, jeg vil tage en droske!" tænkte han, men hvor var droskerne? Ingen var at se. "Jeg får gå tilbage til Kongens Nytorv, der holder vel vogne, ellers kommer jeg nok aldrig ud på Christianshavn!"

Nu gik han da til Østergade og var næsten igennem den, idet Månen kom frem.

"Herregud, hvad er det for et stillads de har stillet op!" sagde han, ved at se Østerport, som på den tid havde plads for enden af Østergade.

Endelig fandt han dog en låge, og gennem denne kom han ud på vort Nytorv, men det var en stor enggrund; enkelte buske struttede frem og tværs over engen gik en bred kanal eller strøm. Nogle usle træboder for de hollandske skippere, efter hvilke stedet havde navnet Hallandsås, lå på den modsatte bred.

"Enten ser jeg fata morgana, som man kalder det, eller jeg er fuld!" jamrede justitsråden. "Hvad er dog dette! hvad er dog dette?"

Han vendte om igen i den fast tro, at han var syg; idet han kom ind i gaden, så han lidt nøjere på husene, de fleste var bindingsværk og mange havde kun stråtag.

"Nej, jeg er slet ikke vel!" sukkede han, "og jeg drak dog kun ét glas punch! men jeg kan ikke tåle det! og det var også inderligt galt, at give os punch og varm laks! det skal jeg også sige agentinden! Skulle jeg gå tilbage igen og lade dem vide, hvorledes jeg har det! men det er så flovt! og mon de er oppe endnu!"

Han søgte efter gården, men den var ikke til at finde.

"Det er dog forfærdeligt! jeg kan ikke kende Østergade igen! ikke én butik er der! gamle, elendige rønner ser jeg, som om jeg var i Roskilde eller Ringsted! Ak jeg er syg! det kan ikke hjælpe at genere sig! Men hvor i verden er dog agentens gård? Den er ikke sig selv mere! men derinde er dog folk oppe; ak! jeg er ganske vist syg!"

Nu stødte han på en halvåben dør, hvor lyset faldt ud gennem sprækken. Det var et af den tids herbergsteder, en art ølhus. Stuen havde udseende af de holstenske diler; en del godtfolk, bestående af skippere, københavnske borgere og et par lærde sad her i dyb diskurs ved deres krus og gav kun liden agt på ham som trådte ind.

"Om forladelse," sagde justitsråden til værtinden, som kom hen imod ham, "jeg har fået så inderlig ondt! vil De ikke skaffe mig en droske ud til Christianshavn!"

Konen så på ham og rystede med hovedet; derpå tiltalte hun ham i det tyske sprog. Justitsråden antog, at hun ikke kunne den danske tunge og fremførte derfor sit ønske i tysk; dette tilligemed hans dragt bestyrkede konen i, at han var en udlænding; at han befandt sig ilde, begreb hun snart og gav ham derfor et krus vand, rigtignok noget brak, det var hentet ude fra brønden.

Justitsråden støttede sit hoved på sin hånd, trak vejret dybt og grundede over alt det sælsomme omkring sig.

"Er det 'Dagen' for i aften," spurgte han for at sige noget, idet han så konen flytte et stort papir.

Hun forstod ikke, hvad han mente, men rakte ham bladet, det var et træsnit, der viste et luftsyn, set udi den stad Køln.

"Det er meget gammelt!" sagde justitsråden og blev ganske oprømt ved at træffe på sådant et gammelt stykke. "Hvor er De dog kommet over det sjældne blad? Det er meget interessant, skønt det hele er en fabel! man forklarer slige luftsyn ved at det er nordlys, man har set; rimeligvis fremkommer de ved elektriciteten!"

De som sad nærmest og hørte hans tale, så forundrede på ham og en af dem rejste sig, tog ærbødigt hatten af og sagde med den alvorligste mine: "I er vist en meget lærd mand, monsieur!"

"Oh, nej!" svarede justitsråden, "jeg kan tale med om et og andet, som man jo skal kunne det!"

"Modestia er en skønne dyd!" sagde manden, "i øvrigt må jeg sige til eders tale, mihi secus videtur, dog suspenderer jeg gerne her mit Judicium!"

"Tør jeg ikke spørge, hvem jeg har den fornøjelse at tale med?" spurgte justitsråden.

"Jeg er baccalaureus udi den hellige skrift!" svarede manden.

Dette svar var justitsråden nok, titlen svarede her til dragten; det er vist, tænkte han, en gammel landsbyskolemester, en aparte fyr, som man endnu kan træffe dem oppe i Jylland.

"Her er vel ikke locus docendi," begyndte manden, "dog beder jeg, I vil bemøje eder med at tale! I har en stor læsning vist i de gamle!"

"Oh, ja såmænd!" svarede justitsråden, "jeg læser gerne gamle nyttige skrifter, men jeg kan også godt lide de nyere, kun ikke 'Hverdagshistorierne,' dem har vi nok af i virkeligheden!"

"Hverdagshistorier?" spurgte vor baccalaureus.

"Ja, jeg mener disse nye romaner man har."

"Oh," smilede manden, "der er dog et stort snilde i dem og de læses ved hoffet; kongen ynder særdeles romanen om hr. Iffven og hr. Gaudian, der handler om kong Artus og hans kæmper ved det runde bord, han har skæmtet derover med sine høje herrer!"*

* Holberg fortæller i sin Danmarks Riges Historie, at kong Hans en dag, da han havde læst i romanen om kong Artus, skæmtede med den bekendte Otto Rud, som han holdt meget af: "Hr. Iffvent og hr. Gaudian som jeg finder udi denne bog, har været mærkelige riddere, sådanne riddere finder man nu om stunder ikke mere!" Hvortil Otto Rud svarede, "hvis der var sådanne kæmper, som kong Artus, skulle der vel også findes mange riddere, som hr. Iffvent og hr. Gaudian!"

"Ja, den har jeg ikke læst endnu!" sagde justitsråden, "det må være en ganske ny en, Heiberg har ladet udkomme!"

"Nej," svarede manden, "den er ikke udkommet ved Heiberg, men ved Godfred von Gehmen!"

"Så det er forfatteren!" sagde justitsråden, "det er et meget gammelt navn! det er jo den første bogtrykker, der har været i Danmark?"

"Ja, det er vor første bogtrykker!" sagde manden. Således gik det ganske godt; nu talte en af de gode borgermænd om den særdeles pestilens, der havde regeret for et par år siden, og mente den i 1484, justitsråden antog, at det var kolera talen var om, og så gik diskursen ret godt. Fribytterkrigen 1490 lå så nær, at den måtte berøres, de engelske fribyttere havde taget skibene på Reden, sagde de; og justitsråden, der ret havde levet ind i begivenheden 1801, stemte fortræffeligt i med mod engelskmanden. Den øvrige tale derimod gik ikke så vel, hvert øjeblik blev det gensidig bedemandsstil; den gode baccalaureus var alt for uvidende, og justitsrådens simpleste ytringer klang ham igen for dristige og for fantastiske. De så på hinanden, og blev det alt for galt, så talte baccalaureus latin, idet han så troede bedre at blive forstået, men det hjalp dog ikke.

"Hvorledes er det med Dem!" spurgte værtinden, og trak justitsråden i ærmet; nu kom hans besindelse tilbage, for imedens han talte havde han rent glemt alt hvad der var gået forud.

"Herregud, hvor er jeg!" sagde han og svimlede ved at betænke det.

"Klaret vil vi drikke! Mjød og bremerøl," råbte en af gæsterne, "og I skal drikke med!"

To piger kom ind, den ene havde to kulører i huen. De skænkede og nejede; justitsråden løb det iskoldt ned af ryggen.

"Hvad er dog dette! hvad er dog dette!" sagde han, men han måtte drikke med dem; de tog ganske artigt fat på den gode mand, han var meget fortvivlet, og da en af dem sagde, at han var drukken, tvivlede han aldeles ikke på mandens ord, bed dem bare om at skaffe sig en droske, og så troede de, han talte moskovitisk.

Aldrig havde han været i så råt og simpelt selskab; man skulle tro, landet var gået tilbage i hedendømmet, mente han, "det er det skrækkeligste øjeblik i mit liv!" men i det samme fik han den tanke, at han ville bukke sig ned under bordet, krybe hen til døren og så se til at slippe ud, men idet han var ved udgangen, mærkede de andre, hvad han havde for, de greb ham ved benene, og da, til hans gode lykke, gik galocherne af og - med disse, hele trylleriet.

Justitsråden så ganske tydeligt foran sig en klar lygte brænde, og bag denne lå en stor gård; han kendte den og nabogårdene, det var på Østergade, således som vi alle kender den, han lå med benene hen imod en port, og lige overfor sad vægteren og sov.

"Du min skaber, har jeg ligget her på gaden og drømt!" sagde han. "Ja, det er Østergade! hvor velsignet lys og broget! Det er dog skrækkeligt, hvor det glas punch må have virket på mig!"

To minutter efter sad han i en droske, som kørte til Christianshavn med ham; han tænkte på den angst og nød, han havde overstået, og priste af hjertet den lykkelige virkelighed, vor tid, der med alle sine mangler dog var langt bedre, end den han nylig havde været i, og se det var fornuftigt af justitsråden!

III. Vægterens eventyr.

"Der ligger såmænd et par galocher!" sagde vægteren. "Det er vistnok løjtnantens, som bor deroppe. De ligger lige ved porten!"

Gerne havde den ærlige mand ringet på og afleveret dem, thi der var lys endnu, men han ville ikke vække de andre folk i huset og derfor lod han være.

"Det må være ganske lunt, at have et sådant par tingester på!" sagde han. "De er så linde i læderet!" De sluttede om hans fødder. "Hvor det dog er løjerligt i verden! nu kunne han gå i sin gode seng, men se, om han gør det! op og ned af gulvet trisser han! det er et lykkeligt menneske! han har hverken mutter eller rollingerne! hver aften er han i selskab, gid at jeg var ham, ja så var jeg en lykkelig mand!"

Idet han sagde sit ønske, virkede galocherne, han havde taget på, vægteren gik over i løjtnantens hele person og tænkning. Der stod han oppe i værelset og holdt mellem fingrene et lille rosenrødt papir, hvorpå var et digt, et digt af hr. løjtnanten selv; for hvem har ikke engang i sit liv været stemt til at digte, og nedskriver man da tanken, så har man verset. Her stod skrevet:

"Gid jeg var rig!"

"Gid jeg var rig!" det bad jeg mangen gang,
da jeg endnu var knap en alen lang.
Gid jeg var rig! så blev jeg officer,
fik mig en sabel, uniform og fjer.
Den tid dog kom, at jeg blev officer,
Men ingensinde var jeg rig, desværre!
Mig hjalp Vorherre!

Livsglad og ung, jeg sad en aftenstund,
en syvårs pige kyssede min mund,
thi jeg var rig på sagn og eventyr,
i penge derimod en fattig fyr,
men barnet brød sig kun om eventyr,
da var jeg rig, men ej på guld desværre,
det ved Vorherre!

"Gid jeg var rig!" er end min bøn til Gud,
nu er den syvårs pige vokset ud,
hun er så smuk, så klog, så ejegod.
Hvis hun mit hjertes eventyr forstod,
hvis hun, som før - jeg mener, var mig god,
dog jer er fattig, derfor tavs desværre,
så vil Vorherre!

Gid jeg var rig på trøst og rolighed,
da kom min sorg ej på papiret ned!
Du, som jeg elsker, hvis du mig forstår,
læs dette, som et digt fra ungdoms år!
Det er dog bedst, hvis du det ej forstår,
jeg fattig er, min fremtid mørk desværre,
dig signe vil Vorherre!

Ja, sådanne vers skriver man, når man er forelsket, men en besindig mand lader dem ikke trykke. Løjtnant, kærlighed og trang, det er en trekant eller lige så godt, det er halvparten af Lykkens sønderbrudte terning. Dette følte løjtnanten også, og derfor lagde han hovedet mod vindueskarmen og sukkede ganske dybt:

"Den fattige vægter ude på gaden er langt lykkeligere end jeg! han kender ikke hvad jeg kalder savn! han har et hjem, en kone og børn, der græder ved hans sorg, glæder sig ved hans glæde! oh jeg var lykkeligere, end jeg er, kunne jeg gå lige lukt over i ham, for han er lykkeligere end jeg!"

I samme øjeblik var vægteren igen vægter, thi det var ved Lykkens galocher han var blevet løjtnanten, men som vi så, følte han sig da endnu langt mindre tilfreds og ville dog helst være hvad han egentlig var. Altså vægteren var igen vægter.

"Det var en fæl drøm!" sagde han, "men løjerlig nok var den. Jeg syntes, at jeg var løjtnant deroppe og det var slet ingen fornøjelse. Jeg savnede mutter og rollingerne, som er færdige ved at kysse mig øjnene ud!"

Han sad igen og nikkede, drømmen ville ham ikke ret ud af tankerne, galocherne havde han endnu på fødderne. Et stjerneskud spillede lige hen ad himlen.

"Der gik den!" sagde han, "der er nok alligevel! jeg havde nok lyst til at se de tingester lidt nærmere, især Månen, for den bliver da ikke borte mellem hænderne. Når vi dør, sagde studenten, som min kone vasker groft for, flyver vi fra den ene til den anden. Det er en løgn, men artigt nok kunne det være. Gid jeg måtte gøre et lille hop derop, så kunne kroppen gerne blive her på trappen!"

Se, der er nu visse ting i verden, man må være meget forsigtig med at udtale, men endnu mere forsigtig bør man især være, dersom man har Lykkens galocher på fødderne. Hør bare, hvorledes det gik vægteren.

Hvad os mennesker angår, da kender vi jo næsten alle hurtigheden ved damp, vi har prøvet den enten på jernbaner eller med skibet hen over havet; dog denne flugt er ligesom dovendyrets vandring eller sneglens march mod den hurtighed, lyset tager; det flyver nitten millioner gange hurtigere end den bedste væddeløber, og dog er elektriciteten endnu hurtigere. Døden er et elektrisk stød, vi får i hjertet; på elektricitetens vinger flyver den frigjorte sjæl. Otte minutter og nogle sekunder er sollyset om en rejse af over tyve millioner mile; med elektricitetens hurtigpost behøver sjælen færre minutter, for at gøre samme flugt. Rummet mellem kloderne er for den ej større, end det i en og samme by er for os mellem vore venners huse, selv om disse ligger temmeligt nær ved hinanden, imidlertid koster dette elektriske hjertestød os legemets brug hernede, dersom vi ikke, ligesom vægteren her, har Lykkens galocher på.

I nogle sekunder var vægteren faret de 52,000 mil til månen, der, som man ved, er skabt af et stof, langt lettere end vor jord, og er hvad vi vil kalde blød, som nysfalden sne. Han befandt sig på et af de utallige mange ringbjerge, som vi kender af Dr. Mädlers store kort over Månen; for det kender du da? indvendigt gik ringbjerget lige stejlt ned i en kedel, en hel dansk mil; dernede lå en by, der havde et udseende som æggehvide i et glas vand, lige så blød og lige sådan med tårne og kupler og sejlformede altaner, gennemsigtige og svajende i den tynde luft; vor jord svævede, som en stor ildrød kugle over hans hoved.

Der var så mange skabninger, og alle vistnok hvad vi vil kalde mennesker, men de så ganske anderledes ud, end vi; de havde også et sprog, men ingen kan jo forlange, at vægterens sjæl skulle forstå det, alligevel kunne den det.

Vægterens sjæl forstod meget godt månebeboernes sprog. De disputerede om vor jord og betvivlede, at den kunne være beboet, luften måtte der være for tyk til at nogen fornuftig måneskabning kunne leve i den. De anså alene Månen for at have levende væsener, den var den egentlige klode, hvor de gamle klodefolk boede.

Men vi søger ned igen til Østergade og ser der, hvorledes vægterens legeme har det.

Livløst sad det på trappen, morgenstjernen var faldet det ud af hånden og øjnene så op imod Månen efter den ærlige sjæl, som gik om deroppe.

"Hvad er klokken vægter?" spurgte en forbigående. Men hvem der ikke svarede var vægteren; så knipsede han ham ganske sagte på næsen, og der gik balancen; kroppen lå så lang den var, mennesket var jo dødt. Der kom en stor forskrækkelse over ham der knipsede; vægteren var død og død blev han; det blev meldt og det blev omtalt, og i morgenstunden bar man kroppen ud på hospitalet.

Det kunne nu blive en ganske artig spas for sjælen, dersom den kom tilbage og efter al sandsynlighed søgte kroppen på Østergade, men ingen fandt; rimeligvis ville den vel først løbe op på politikammeret, senere hen på adressekontoret, at den derfra kunne efterlyses mellem bortkomne sager, og til sidst ud på hospitalet; dog vi kan trøste os med, at sjælen er snildest, når den er på sin egen hånd, legemet gør den kun dum.

Som sagt, vægterens krop kom på hospitalet, blev der bragt ind på renselsesstuen, og det første man her gjorde var naturligvis at tage galocherne af, og da måtte sjælen tilbage; den tog straks retning lige efter legemet, og med ét kom der liv i manden. Han forsikrede, at det havde været den skrækkeligste nat i hans liv; ikke for to mark ville han have sådanne fornemmelser igen, men nu var jo det overstået.

Samme dag blev han udskrevet igen, men galocherne blev på hospitalet.

IV. Et hovedmoment. Et deklamationsnummer.
En højst usædvanlig rejse.

Enhver københavner ved nu, hvorledes indgangen til Frederiks Hospital i København ser ud, men da rimeligvis også nogle ikke-københavnere læse denne historie, må vi give en kort beskrivelse.

Hospitalet er skilt fra gaden ved et temmeligt højt gitter, i hvilket de tykke jernstænger står så vidt fra hinanden, at der fortælles, at meget tynde kandidater skulle have klemt sig igennem og således gjort deres små visitter ude. Den del af legemet, der faldt vanskeligst at praktisere ud, blev hovedet; her, som tit i verden, var altså de små hoveder de lykkeligste. Dette vil være nok, som indledning.

En af de unge volontører, om hvem man kun i legemlig henseende kunne sige, at han havde et tykt hoved, havde just vagt denne aften; det var en skyllende regn; dog uagtet begge disse hindringer måtte han ud, kun et kvarter, det var ikke noget, syntes han, der var værd at betro til portneren, når man kunne smutte mellem jernstængerne. Der lå de galocher, vægteren havde glemt; mindst tænkte han på, at de var Lykkens, de kunne være meget gode i dette vejr, han tog dem på, nu var det, om han kunne klemme sig igennem, aldrig før havde han forsøgt det. Der stod han nu.

"Gud give jeg havde hovedet udenfor!" sagde han, og straks, skønt det var meget tykt og stort, gled det let og lykkeligt igennem, det måtte galocherne forstå; men nu skulle da kroppen ud med, her stod han.

"Uh, jeg er for tyk!" sagde han, "hovedet havde jeg tænkt, var det værste! jeg kommer ikke igennem."

Nu ville han rask tage hovedet tilbage, men det gik ikke. Halsen kunne han bekvemt bevæge, men det var også alt. Den første følelse var, at han blev vred, den anden, at humøret sank lige ned under nul. Lykkens galocher havde bragt ham i den skrækkeligste stilling, og ulykkeligvis faldt det ham ikke ind, at ønske sig fri, nej, han handlede og kom så ikke af stedet. Regnen skyllede ned, ikke et menneske var at se på gaden. Portklokken kunne han ikke nå, hvorledes skulle han dog slippe løs. Han forudså, at her kunne han komme til at stå til morgenstunden, så måtte man da sende bud efter en smed, for at jernstængerne kunne files over, men det gik ikke så gesvindt, hele den blå drengeskole lige overfor ville komme på benene, hele Nyboder arrivere, for se ham stå i gabestokken, der ville blive tilløb, ganske anderledes, end til kæmpeagaven i fjor. "Hu! Blodet stiger mig til hovedet, så jeg må blive gal! - ja jeg bliver gal! oh gid jeg var vel løs igen, så gik det vel over!"

Se, det skulle han have sagt noget før, øjeblikkelig, som tanken var udtalt, havde han hovedet frit, og styrtede nu ind, ganske forstyrret over den skræk, Lykkens galocher havde bragt ham i.

Hermed må vi slet ikke tro, at det hele var forbi, nej - det bliver værre endnu.

Natten gik og den følgende dag med, der kom ingen bud efter galocherne.

Om aftnen skulle gives en forestilling på det lille teater i Kannikestræde. Huset var propfuldt; mellem deklamationsnumrene blev givet et nyt digt. Vi skal høre det. Titlen var:

Mosters briller.

Min bedstemoders klogskab er bekendt,
var man i "gammel tid," blev hun vist brændt.
Hun ved alt hvad der sker, ja meget mer',
hun lige ind i næste årgang ser,
ja ind i "fyrretyve," det er noget,
men hun vil aldrig rigtig ud med sproget.
Hvad mon vel i det næste år vil ske?
Hvad mærkeligt? Ja, jeg gad gerne se
min egen skæbne, kunstens, land og riges,
men bedstemoder vil, sligt skal ej siges.
Jeg plaged' hende da, og det gik godt,
først var hun tavs, så skændte hun så småt,
det var for mig en præken opad vægge,
jeg er jo hendes egen kæledægge!

"For denne ene gang din lyst jeg stiller,"
begyndte hun og gav mig sine briller,
"nu går du hen et sted, hvor selv du vil,
"et sted, hvor mange godtfolk strømmer til,
"hvor bedst du overser dem, du dig stiller,
"og ser på mængden gennem mine briller,
"straks vil de alle, tro du mig på ordet,
"se ud, som et spil kort, lagt op på bordet;
"af disse kan du spå, hvad der skal ske!"

Jeg sagde tak og løb af sted og ville se,
men, tænkte jeg, hvor mon de fleste kommer?
På Langelinie? Der man bli'r forkølet.
På Østergade? Bah! der er så sølet!
Men i teatret? det var ganske dejligt,
den aftenunderholdning falder just belejligt -
- her er jeg da! mig selv jeg forestiller;
tillader De, jeg bruger mosters briller,
alene for at se - gå dog ej bort!
At se, om De ser ud, som et spil kort,
af hvilket jeg kan spå, hvad tiden skænker.
- Jeg Deres tavshed som et ja mig tænker;
til tak skal De da blive med indviet.
Her er vi alle sammen på partiet.
Jeg spår for Dem, for mig, for land og rige,
nu vil vi se, hvad kortene kan sige.
(Og så satte han brillerne på.)
Jo, det er rigtigt! nej, nu må jeg le!
Oh, gid De kunne komme op at se!
Hvor her er grumme mange herreblade,
og hjerter damer, her er hele rade.
Det sorte der, ja det er klør og spar.
- Nu snart et rigtigt overblik jeg har.
Spardame ser jeg der med megen vægt
har sine tanker vendt til ruder knægt.
Oh, denne skuen gør mig halv beruset!
Der ligger mange penge her til huset,
og fremmede fra verdens anden side.
Men det var ikke det vi ville vide.
Om stænderne? Lad se! - ja hen i Tiden – –!
Men derom er det man skal læse siden;
hvis nu jeg sladrer, skader jeg jo bladet,
jeg vil ej tage bort det bedste ben af fadet.
Teatret da? - Hver nyhed? Smagen? Tonen?
Nej, jeg vil stå mig godt med direktionen.
Min egen fremtid? Ja, De ved, ens eget,
det ligger os på hjertet grumme meget!
Jeg ser! - Jeg kan ej sige, hvad jeg ser,
men De vil høre det, så snart det sker.
Hvem er vel lykkeligst af os herinde?
Den lykkeligste? Let jeg den skal finde!
Det er jo, - nej, det kan så let genere,
Ja muligvis vil det bedrøve flere!
Hvem lever længst? Den dame der, den herre?
Nej, sige sligt, er endnu meget værre!
Skal jeg da spå om? - Nej? - Om? Nej - Om? Nej!
Om -? Ja til sidst så ved jeg selv det ej;
jeg er genert, så let man en kan krænke:
Nu, jeg vil se da, hvad De tror og tænke'
jeg ved min hele spådomskraft skal skænke.
De tror? Nej, hvad behager? Rundt omkring
De tror, det ende vil med ingenting,
De ved for vist De får kun klang og kling.
Så tier jeg, højstærede forening,
jeg skylder Dem at have Deres mening!

Digtet blev ypperligt fremsagt og deklamatoren gjorde stor lykke. Mellem tilskuerne var volontøren fra hospitalet, der syntes at have forglemt sit eventyr natten forud, galocherne havde han på, thi de var ikke blevet afhentet, og da der var sølet på gaden, kunne de jo gøre ham god tjeneste.

Digtet syntes han godt om.

Ideen beskæftigede ham meget, han gad nok have sådanne briller, måske, når man rigtigt brugte dem, kunne man se folk lige ind i hjerterne, det var egentligt interessantere, mente han, end at se, hvad der skulle ske næste år, for det fik man nok at vide, men derimod det andet aldrig. "Jeg kan tænke mig nu hele den række af herrer og damer der på første bænk, - kunne man se dem lige ind i brystet, ja, der måtte da være en åbning, en slags butik; nå, hvor mine øjne skulle gå i butikker! hos den dame der ville jeg vist finde en stor modehandel! hos hende der er butikken tom, dog kan den trænge til at rengøres; men der ville også være solide butikker! ak ja!" sukkede han, "jeg ved en, i den er alting solidt, men der er allerede en bodsvend, det er det eneste dårlige i hele butikken! Fra en og anden ville det råbe: 'Vær så god og træd indenfor!' Ja, gid jeg kunne træde indenfor, som en net lille tanke gå gennem hjerterne!"

Se, det var nok for galocherne, hele volontøren svandt sammen og en højst usædvanlig rejse begyndte midt igennem hjerterne på den forreste række tilskuere. Det første hjerte, han kom igennem, var en dames; men øjeblikkelig troede han at være på det ortopædiske institut, som man kalder det hus, hvor doktoren tager menneskeknuder bort og får folk til at blive ranke, der var han i det værelse, hvor gipsafstøbningerne af de forvoksede lemmer hænger på væggen; dog her var forskellen denne, at ude på instituttet tages de, i det patienten kommer ind, men her i hjertet var de taget og opbevaret, i det de gode personer var gået ud. Det var afstøbninger af veninder, deres legemlige og åndelige fejl, som her opbevaredes.

Hurtigt var han i et andet kvindeligt hjerte, men dette syntes ham en stor hellig kirke. Uskyldighedens hvide due flagrede over højaltret; hvor gerne var han ikke sunket på knæ, men fort måtte han ind i det næste hjerte, men endnu hørte han orgeltonerne, og selv, syntes han, at være blevet et nyt og bedre menneske, følte sig ikke uværdig til at betræde den næste helligdom, der viste et fattigt tagkammer, med en syg moder; men gennem det åbne vindue strålede Guds varme sol, dejlige roser nikkede fra den lille trækasse på taget, og to himmelblå fugle sang om barnlig glæde, medens den syge moder nedbad velsignelse over datteren.

Nu krøb han på hænder og fødder gennem en overfyldt slagterbod, det var kød og kun kød han stødte på, det var hjertet i en rig, respektabel mand, hvis navn vist må findes i vejviseren.

Nu var hen i hans gemalindes hjerte, det var et gammelt forfaldet dueslag; mandens portræt blev brugt som vejrhane, denne stod i forbindelse med dørene, og således gik disse op og i, så snart som manden drejede sig.

Derpå kom han i et spejlkabinet, som det vi har på slottet Rosenborg, men spejlene forstørrede i en utrolig grad. Midt på gulvet sad, som en Dalai-Lama, personens ubetydelige jeg, forbavset ved at se sin egen storhed.

Herefter troede han sig i et snævert nålehus, fuldt af spidse nåle, det er bestemt "hjertet af en gammel ugift jomfru!" måtte han tænke, men det var ikke tilfældet, det var en ganske ung militær med flere ordener, just, som man sagde, en mand med ånd og hjerte.

Ganske fortumlet kom den syndige volontør ud af det sidste hjerte i rækken, han formåede ikke at ordne sine tanker, men mente, at det var hans alt for stærke fantasi, der var løbet af med ham.

"Herregud," sukkede han, "jeg har bestemt ansats til at blive gal! her er også utilgiveligt hedt herinde! Blodet stiger mig til hovedet!" og nu erindrede han sig den store begivenhed aftnen forud, hvorledes hans hoved havde siddet fast mellem jernstængerne ved hospitalet. "Der har jeg bestemt fået det!" mente han. "Jeg må tage den ting i tide. Et russisk bad kunne være godt. Gid jeg allerede lå på den øverste hylde!"

Og så lå han på den øverste hylde i dampbadet, men han lå med alle klæderne, med støvler og galocher på; de hede vanddråber fra loftet dryppede ham i ansigtet.

"Hu!" skreg han og fór ned for at få et styrtebad. Den opvartende karl gav også et højt skrig ved at se det påklædte menneske derinde.

Volontøren havde imidlertid så megen fatning, at han hviskede til ham: "Det er et væddemål!" men det første han gjorde, da han kom på sit eget værelse, var at få et stort spansk flueplaster i nakken og et ned af ryggen, for at galskaben kunne trække ud.

Næste morgen havde han da en blodig ryg, det var det han vandt ved Lykkens galocher.

V. Kopistens forvandling.

Vægteren, som vi vistnok ikke har glemt, huskede imidlertid på galocherne, som han havde fundet og bragt med ud på hospitalet; han afhentede dem, men da hverken løjtnanten eller nogen anden i gaden ville kendes ved dem, blev de afleveret på politikammeret.

"Det ser ud, som det var mine egne galocher!" sagde en af de herrer kopister, idet han betragtede hittegodset og stillede dem om ved siden af sine. "Der må mere, end et skomagerøje, til at skille dem fra hverandre!"

"Hr. kopist!" sagde en betjent, som trådte ind med nogle papirer.

Kopisten vendte sig om, talte med manden, men da det var forbi og han så på galocherne, var han i stor vildrede med, om det var dem til venstre, eller dem til højre, som tilhørte ham. "Det må være dem, som er våde!" tænkte han; men det var just fejl tænkt, thi det var Lykkens, men hvorfor skulle ikke også politiet kunne fejle! han tog dem på, fik nogle papirer i lommen, andre under armen, hjemme, skulle de gennemlæses og afskrives; men nu var det just søndag formiddag og vejret godt, en tur til Frederiksberg, tænkte han, kunne jeg have godt af! og så gik han derud.

Ingen kunne være et mere stille og flittigt menneske, end denne unge mand, vi under ham ret denne lille spadseretur, den ville vistnok være såre velgørende for ham oven på den megen sidden; i begyndelsen gik han kun, uden at tænke på nogen ting, derfor havde galocherne ikke lejlighed til at vise deres tryllekraft.

I alleen mødte han en bekendt, en ung digter, der fortalte ham, at han dagen efter ville begynde sin sommerrejse.

"Nå, skal De nu af sted igen!" sagde kopisten. "De er da også et lykkeligt, frit menneske. De kan flyve hvorhen De vil, vi andre har en lænke om benet!"

"Men den sidder fast til brødtræet!" svarede digteren. "De behøver ikke at sørge for den dag i morgen, og bliver De gammel, så får De pension!"

"De har det dog bedst!" sagde kopisten, "at sidde og digte, det er jo en fornøjelse! hele verden siger Dem behageligheder, og så er De Deres egen herre! jo, De skulle prøve, at sidde i retten med de trivielle sager!"

Digteren rystede med hovedet, kopisten rystede også med hovedet, hver beholdt sin mening og så skiltes de ad.

"Det er et eget folkefærd, de poeter!" sagde kopisten, "jeg gad nok prøve på at gå ind i sådan en natur, selv blive en poet, jeg er vis på, at jeg ikke skulle skrive sådanne klynkevers, som de andre! – – Det er ret en forårsdag for en digter! Luften er så usædvanlig klar, skyerne så smukke, og der er en duft ved det grønne! ja, i mange år har jeg ikke følt det, som i dette øjeblik."

Vi mærker allerede, at han er blevet digter; iøjnefaldende var det vel ikke, thi det er en tåbelig forestilling, at tænke sig en digter anderledes end andre mennesker, der kan mellem disse være langt mere poetiske naturer, end mangen stor erkendt digter er det; forskellen bliver kun, at digteren har en bedre åndelig hukommelse, han kan holde på ideen og følelsen til den klart og tydeligt er gået over i ordet, det kan de andre ikke. Men at gå over fra en hverdags natur til en begavet er altid en overgang, og den havde kopisten nu gjort.

"Den dejlige duft!" sagde han, "hvor minder den mig ikke om violerne hos tante Lone! Ja, det var da jeg var en lille dreng! Herregud, det har jeg i mange tider ikke tænkt på! den gode gamle pige! hun boede der omme bag Børsen. Altid havde hun en kvist eller et par grønne skud i vand, vinteren måtte være så streng den ville. Violerne duftede, mens jeg lagde de opvarmede kobberskillinger på den frosne rude og gjorde kighuller. Det var et artigt perspektiv. Udenfor i kanalen lå skibene indefrosne, forladt af hele mandskabet, en skrigende krage var da hele besætningen; men når så foråret luftede, så blev der travlt; under sang og hurraråb savede man isen itu, skibene blev tjæret og taklet, så fór de til fremmede lande; jeg er blevet her, og må altid blive, altid sidde på politikammeret og se de andre tage pas til at rejse udenlands, det er min lod! Oh, ja!" sukkede han dybt, men standsede i det samme pludselig. "Herregud, hvad går der dog af mig! sådan har jeg aldrig før tænkt eller følt! Det må være forårsluften! det er både ængsteligt og behageligt!" han greb i lommen til sine papirer. "Disse giver mig andet at tænke på!" sagde han og lod øjnene glide hen over det første blad. "Fru Sigbrith, original tragedie i fem akter," læste han, "hvad er det! og det er jo min egen hånd. Har jeg skrevet den tragedie? Intrigen på Volden eller store bededag, vaudeville. - Men hvor har jeg fået den? Man må have puttet mig det i lommen, her er et brev?" ja, det var fra teaterdirektionen, stykkerne var forkastet og brevet selv var slet ikke høfligt stilet. "Hm! hm!" sagde kopisten, og satte sig ned på en bænk; hans tanke var så levende, hans hjerte så blødt; uvilkårligt greb han en af de nærmeste blomster, det var en simpel lille gåseurt; hvad botanikeren først gennem mange forelæsninger siger os, forkyndte den i et minut; den fortalte myten om sin fødsel, den fortalte om sollysets magt, der udspændte de fine blade og tvang dem til at dufte, da tænkte han på livets kampe, der ligedan vækker følelserne i vort bryst. Luft og lys var blomstens bejlere, men lyset var den begunstigede, efter lyset bøjede den sig, forsvandt dette, da rullede den sine blade sammen og sov ind under luftens omarmelse. "Det er lyset, der smykker mig!" sagde blomsten; "men luften lader dig ånde!" hviskede digterstemmen.

Tæt ved stod en dreng og slog med sin stok i en mudret grøft, vanddråberne stænkede op imellem de grønne grene, og kopisten tænkte på de millioner usynlige dyr, der i dråberne blev kastede i en højde, der efter deres størrelse var for dem, som det ville være for os at hvirvles højt over skyerne. Idet kopisten tænkte herpå og på hele den forandring, der var foregået med ham, smilede han: "Jeg sover og drømmer! mærkværdigt er det alligevel, hvor man dog kan drømme naturligt og selv vide, at det kun er en drøm. Gid jeg i morgen kunne huske det, når jeg vågner; nu synes jeg at være ganske usædvanlig oplagt! jeg har et klart blik over alting, føler mig så opvakt, men jeg er vis på, at når jeg i morgen husker noget af det, så er det vrøvl, det har jeg prøvet før! Det går med alt det kloge og prægtige, man hører og siger i drømme, som med de underjordiskes guld: Idet man får det, er det rigt og herligt, men set ved dagen, kun sten og visne blade: Ak," sukkede han ganske vemodig og så på de syngende fugle, der nok så fornøjede hoppede fra gren til gren. "De har det meget bedre end jeg! flyve, det er en dejlig kunst, lykkelig den, som er født med den! ja skulle jeg gå over i noget, så skulle det være sådan en lille lærke!"

I det samme slog kjoleskøder og ærmer sammen i vinger, klæderne blev fjer og galocherne kløer; han mærkede det meget godt og lo indvortes: "Så, nu kan jeg da se, jeg drømmer! men så naragtigt har jeg aldrig gjort det før;" og han fløj op i de grønne grene og sang, men der var ikke poesi i sangen, thi digternaturen var borte; galocherne kunne, som enhver der gør noget til gavns, kun gøre én ting af gangen, han ville være digter, det blev han, nu ville han være en lille fugl, men ved at blive denne, ophørte den forrige ejendommelighed.

"Det er artigt nok," sagde han, "om dagen sidder jeg på politikammeret mellem de solideste afhandlinger, om natten kan jeg drømme at flyve som lærke i Frederiksberg Have, der kunne sgu skrives en hel folkekomedie derom!"

Nu fløj han ned i græsset, drejede hovedet om til alle sider og slog med næbbet på de smidige græsstrå, der i forhold til hans nærværende størrelse syntes store, som Nordafrikas palmegrene.

Det var kun et øjeblik og det blev kulsort nat omkring ham; en, som han syntes, uhyre genstand, blev kastet hen over ham, det var en stor kasket, som en dreng fra Nyboder kastede over fuglen, en hånd kom ind og greb kopisten om ryg og vinger, så han peb; i første forskrækkelse råbte han højt: "Din uforskammede hvalp! Jeg er kopist i politikamret!" men det lød for drengen som et pipipi! han slog fuglen på næbbet og vandrede af sted.

I alleen mødte han to skoledrenge af den dannede klasse, det vil sige, som mennesker betragtet, som ånder var de i skolens nederste; de købte fuglen for otte skilling, og således kom kopisten til København, hjem til en familie i Gothersgade.

"Det er godt, jeg drømmer!" sagde kopisten, "ellers blev jeg sgu vred! først var jeg poet, nu en lærke! ja det var da poetnaturen, der fik mig over i det lille dyr! Det er dog en ynkelig ting, især når man falder i hænderne på nogle drenge. Jeg gad nok vide, hvorledes dette løber af!"

Drengene førte ham ind i en meget elegant stue; en tyk leende frue tog imod dem, men hun var slet ikke fornøjet med, at den simple markfugl, som hun kaldte lærken, kom med ind, dog for i dag ville hun lade det gå, og de måtte sætte den i det tomme bur, som stod ved vinduet! "det kan måske fornøje Poppedreng!" tilføjede hun og lo hen til en stor grøn papegøje, der gyngede fornemt i sin ring i det prægtige messingbur. "Det er Poppedrengs fødselsdag!" sagde hun dumnaiv, "derfor vil den lille markfugl gratulere!"

Poppedreng svarede ikke et eneste ord, men gyngede fornemt frem og tilbage, derimod begyndte en smuk kanariefugl, der sidste sommer var bragt hertil fra sit varme, duftende fædreland, højt at synge.

"Skrålhans!" sagde fruen og kastede et hvidt lommetørklæde over buret.

"Pipi!" sukkede den, "det var et skrækkeligt snevejr!" og med dette suk tav den.

Kopisten, eller, som fruen sagde, markfuglen, kom i et lille bur tæt op til kanariefuglen, ikke langt fra papegøjen. Den eneste menneskelige tirade, Poppedreng kunne frempludre, og som tit faldt ret komisk, var den: "Nej, lad os nu være mennesker!" Alt det øvrige den skreg, var lige så uforståeligt, som kanariefuglens kvidren, kun ikke for kopisten, der nu selv var en fugl; han forstod inderligt godt kammeraterne.

"Jeg fløj under den grønne palme og det blomstrende mandeltræ!" sang kanariefuglen, "jeg fløj med mine brødre og søstre hen over de prægtige blomster og over den glasklare sø, hvor planterne nikkede på bunden. Jeg så også mange dejlige papegøjer, der fortalte de morsomste historier, så lange og så mange!"

"Det var vilde fugle;" svarede papegøjen, "de havde ingen dannelse. Nej, lad os nu være mennesker! - Hvorfor ler du ikke? Når fruen og alle de fremmede kan le deraf, så kan du også. Det er en stor mangel, ikke at kunne goutere det morsomme. Nej, lad os nu være mennesker!"

"Oh husker du de smukke piger, som dansede under det udspændte telt ved de blomstrende træer? Husker du de søde frugter og den kølende saft i de vildt voksende urter?"

"Oh ja!" sagde papegøjen, "men her har jeg det langt bedre! jeg har god mad og en intim behandling; jeg ved, jeg er et godt hoved, og mere forlanger jeg ikke. Lad os nu være mennesker! Du er en digtersjæl, som de kalder det, jeg har grundige kundskaber og vittighed, du har dette geni, men ingen besindighed, går op i disse høje naturtoner, og derfor dækker de dig til. Det byder de ikke mig, nej, for jeg har kostet dem noget mere! jeg imponerer med næbbet og kan slå en 'vits! vits! vits!' nej lad os nu være mennesker!"

"Oh mit varme, blomstrende fædreneland!" sang kanariefuglen, "jeg vil synge om dine mørkegrønne træer, om dine stille havbugter, hvor grenene kysser den klare vandflade, synge om alle mine glimrende brødres og søstres jubel, hvor 'ørknens plantekilder'¹ gror!"

¹ Kaktus.

"Lad dog bare være med de klynketoner," sagde papegøjen. "Sig noget, man kan le af! Latter er tegn på det højeste åndelige standpunkt. Se om en hund eller hest kan le! nej, græde kan den, men le, det er alene givet menneskene. Ho, ho, ho!" lo Poppedreng og tilføjede sin vits: "Lad os nu være mennesker."

"Du lille grå danske fugl," sagde kanariefuglen, "du er også blevet fange! der er vist koldt i dine skove, men der er dog frihed, flyv ud! De har glemt at lukke for dig; det øverste vindue står åbent. Flyv, flyv!"

Og det gjorde kopisten, vips var han ude af buret; i det samme knagede den halvåbne dør ind til det næste værelse, og smidig, med grønne, skinnende øjne, sneg huskatten sig ind og gjorde jagt på ham. Kanariefuglen flagrede i buret, papegøjen slog med vingerne og råbte: "Lad os nu være mennesker!" Kopisten følte den dødeligste skræk og fløj af sted igennem vinduet, over huse og gader; til sidst måtte han hvile sig lidt.

Genboens hus havde noget hjemligt; et vindue stod åbent, han fløj derind, det var hans eget værelse; han satte sig på bordet.

"Lad os nu være mennesker!" sagde han uden selv at tænke på hvad han sagde, det var efter papegøjen, og i samme øjeblik var han kopisten, men han sad på bordet.

"Gudbevares!" sagde han, "hvor er jeg kommet her op og således faldet i søvn! det var også en urolig drøm jeg havde. Noget dumt tøj var den hele historie!"

VI. Det bedste galocherne bragte.

Dagen efter, i den tidlige morgenstund, da kopisten endnu lå i sengen, bankede det på hans dør, det var naboen i samme etage, en student, der læste til at blive præst; han trådte ind.

"Lån mig dine galocher," sagde han, "der er så vådt i haven, men solen skinner dejligt, jeg ville nok ryge en pibe dernede."

Galocherne fik han på og var snart nede i haven, der ejede et blomme- og et pæretræ. Selv en så lille have, som denne var, gælder inde i København for en stor herlighed.

Studenten gik op og ned i gangen; klokken var kun seks; ude fra gaden klang et posthorn.

"Oh, rejse! rejse!" udbrød han, "det er dog det lykkeligste i verden! det er mine ønskers højeste mål! da ville denne uro, jeg føler, stilles. Men langt bort skulle det være! jeg ville se det herlige Schweiz, rejse i Italien og -"

Ja, godt var det at galocherne virkede lige straks, ellers var han kommet omkring alt for meget både for sig selv og os andre. Han rejste. Han var midt inde i Schweiz, men med otte andre pakket ind i det inderste af en diligence; ondt i hovedet havde han, træt i nakken følte han sig, og blodet var sunket ham ned i benene, der ophovnede og klemtes af støvlerne. Han svævede mellem en blundende og en vågen tilstand. I sin lomme til højre havde han kreditivet, i sin lomme til venstre passet og i en lille skindpung på brystet nogle fastsyede louisdorer; hver drøm forkyndte, at en eller anden af disse kostbarheder var tabt, og derfor fór han feberagtig op, og den første bevægelse, hånden gjorde, var en trekant fra højre til venstre og op mod brystet, for at føle, om han havde dem eller ej. Paraplyer, stokke og hatte gyngede i nettet ovenover, og forhindrede så temmeligt udsigten, der var højst imponerende, han skottede til den, medens hjertet sang, hvad i det mindste én digter, vi kender, har sunget i Schweiz, men ikke til dato ladet trykke:

Ja, her er så smukt, som hjertet vil,
jeg øjner Montblanc, min kære.
Gid bare pengene vil slå til,
ak, så var her godt at være!

Stor, alvorlig og mørk var den hele natur rundt om. Granskovene syntes lyngtoppe på de høje klipper, hvis top skjultes i skytågen; nu begyndte det at sne; den kolde vind blæste.

"Uh!" sukkede han, "gid vi var på den anden side af alperne, så var det sommer og så havde jeg hævet penge på mit kreditiv; den angst, jeg er i for disse, gør at jeg ikke nyder Schweiz, oh, gid jeg var på den anden side!"

Og så var han på den anden side; dybt inde i italien var han, mellem Florens og Rom. Søen Tracymenes lå i aftenbelysning, som et flammende guld, mellem de mørkeblå bjerge; her, hvor Hannibal slog Flaminius, holdt nu vinrankerne hinanden fredeligt i de grønne fingre; yndige halvnøgne børn vogtede en flok kulsorte svin under en gruppe duftende laurbærtræer ved vejen. Kunne vi ret give dette maleri, alle ville juble: "Dejlige Italien!" men det sagde slet ikke teologen eller en eneste af hans rejsefæller inde i veturinens vogn.

I tusindvis fløj giftige fluer og myg ind til dem, forgæves piskede de omkring sig med en myrtegren, fluerne stak alligevel; ikke et menneske var der i vognen, uden at jo hans ansigt var opsvulmet og blodigt af bid. De stakkels heste så ud som ådsler, fluerne sad i store kager på dem, og kun øjeblikkelig hjalp det, at kusken steg ned og skrabede dyrene af. Nu sank solen, en kort, men isnende kulde gik igennem hele naturen, det var slet ikke behageligt; men rundt om fik bjerge og skyer den dejligste grønne farve, så klar, så skinnende - ja gå selv hen at se, det er bedre end at læse beskrivelsen! det var mageløst! det fandt de rejsende også, men - maven var tom, legemet træt, al hjertets længsel drejede sig efter et natkvarter; men hvorledes ville dette blive? Man så langt inderligere efter dette, end efter den skønne natur.

Vejen gik gennem en olivenskov, det var som kørte han i hjemmet mellem knudrede pile, her lå det ensomme værtshus. En halv snes tiggende krøblinger havde lejret sig udenfor, den raskeste af dem så ud som "hungerens ældste søn, der havde nået sin myndighedsalder"¹, de andre var enten blinde, havde visne ben og krøb på hænderne, eller indsvundne arme med fingerløse hænder. Det var ret elendigheden trukket frem af pjalterne. "Eccellenza, miserabili!" sukkede de og strakte de syge lemmer frem. Værtinden selv med bare fødder, uredt hår og kun iført en smudsig bluse, tog imod gæsterne. Dørene var bundet sammen med sejlgarn; gulvet i værelserne frembød en halv oprodet brolægning med mursten; flagermus fløj hen under loftet, og stanken herinde – –

¹ Snarleyyow.

"Ja, vil hun dække nede i stalden!" sagde en af de rejsende, "dernede ved man dog hvad det er man indånder!"

Vinduerne blev åbnet, for at der kunne komme lidt frisk luft, men hurtigere end denne kom de visne arme ind og den evige klynken: miserabili, Eccellenza! På væggene stod mange inskriptioner, halvdelen var imod bella Italia.

Maden blev bragt frem; der var en suppe af vand, krydret med peber og harsk olie, og så nok engang den samme olie på salaten; fordærvede æg og stegte hanekamme var pragtretterne; selv vinen havde afsmag, det var en sand mikstur.

Til natten blev kufferterne stillet op for døren; en af de rejsende havde vagt, medens de andre sov; teologen var den vagthavende; oh hvor kvalmt var der ikke herinde! Heden trykkede, myggene surrede og stak, miserabili udenfor klynkede i søvne.

"Ja, rejse er godt nok!" sukkede studenten, "havde man bare intet legeme! kunne dette hvile og ånden derimod flyve. Hvor jeg kommer, er der et savn, der trykker hjertet; noget bedre, end det øjeblikkelige, er det jeg vil have; ja noget bedre, det bedste, men hvor og hvad er det! jeg ved i grunden nok, hvad jeg vil, jeg vil til et lykkeligt mål, det lykkeligste af alle!"

Og idet ordet var udtalt, var han i hjemmet; de lange hvide gardiner hang ned for vinduet og midt på gulvet stod den sorte ligkiste, i den lå han i sin stille dødssøvn, hans ønske var opfyldt, legemet hvilede, ånden rejste. Pris ingen lykkelig, før han er i sin grav, var Solons ord, her fornyedes bekræftelsen.

Ethvert lig er udødelighedens sfinks; heller ikke sfinksen her i den sorte kiste besvarede for os, hvad den levende to dage forud havde nedskrevet:

Du stærke død, din tavshed vækker gru;
dit spor er jo kun kirkegårdens grave.
Skal tankens jakobsstige gå itu?
Står jeg kun op, som græs i Dødens have?

Vor største liden tit ej verden ser!
Du, som var ene, lige til det sidste,
i verden meget trykker hjertet mer',
end jorden, som de kaster på din kiste!

To skikkelser bevægede sig i værelset; vi kender dem begge: Det var Sorgens fe og Lykkens udsendte; de bøjede sig over den døde.

"Ser du," sagde Sorgen, "hvad lykke bragte vel dine galocher menneskeheden?"

"De bragte i det mindste ham, som sover her, et varigt gode!" svarede Glæden.

"Oh nej!" sagde Sorgen; "selv gik han bort, han blev ikke kaldet! hans åndelige kraft her var ikke stærk nok til at hæve de skatte hist, som han efter sin bestemmelse må hæve! Jeg vil vise ham en velgerning!"

Og hun tog galocherne af hans fødder; da var dødssøvnen endt, den genoplevede rejste sig. Sorgen forsvandt, men også galocherne; hun har vist betragtet dem som sin ejendom.

A Beginning

In a house in Copenhagen, not far from the king's new market, a very large party had assembled, the host and his family expecting, no doubt, to receive invitations in return. One half of the company were already seated at the card-tables, the other half seemed to be waiting the result of their hostess's question, "Well, how shall we amuse ourselves?"

Conversation followed, which, after a while, began to prove very entertaining. Among other subjects, it turned upon the events of the middle ages, which some persons maintained were more full of interest than our own times. Counsellor Knapp defended this opinion so warmly that the lady of the house immediately went over to his side, and both exclaimed against Oersted's Essays on Ancient and Modern Times, in which the preference is given to our own. The counsellor considered the times of the Danish king, Hans, as the noblest and happiest.

The conversation on this topic was only interrupted for a moment by the arrival of a newspaper, which did not, however, contain much worth reading, and while it is still going on we will pay a visit to the ante-room, in which cloaks, sticks, and goloshes were carefully placed. Here sat two maidens, one young, and the other old, as if they had come and were waiting to accompany their mistresses home; but on looking at them more closely, it could easily be seen that they were no common servants. Their shapes were too graceful, their complexions too delicate, and the cut of their dresses much too elegant. They were two fairies. The younger was not Fortune herself, but the chambermaid of one of Fortune's attendants, who carries about her more trifling gifts. The elder one, who was named Care, looked rather gloomy; she always goes about to perform her own business in person; for then she knows it is properly done. They were telling each other where they had been during the day. The messenger of Fortune had only transacted a few unimportant matters; for instance, she had preserved a new bonnet from a shower of rain, and obtained for an honest man a bow from a titled nobody, and so on; but she had something extraordinary to relate, after all.

"I must tell you," said she, "that to-day is my birthday; and in honor of it I have been intrusted with a pair of goloshes, to introduce amongst mankind. These goloshes have the property of making every one who puts them on imagine himself in any place he wishes, or that he exists at any period. Every wish is fulfilled at the moment it is expressed, so that for once mankind have the chance of being happy."

"No," replied Care; "you may depend upon it that whoever puts on those goloshes will be very unhappy, and bless the moment in which he can get rid of them."

"What are you thinking of?" replied the other. "Now see; I will place them by the door; some one will take them instead of his own, and he will be the happy man."

This was the end of their conversation.

What Happened To The Counsellor

IT was late when Counsellor Knapp, lost in thought about the times of King Hans, desired to return home; and fate so ordered it that he put on the goloshes of Fortune instead of his own, and walked out into the East Street. Through the magic power of the goloshes, he was at once carried back three hundred years, to the times of King Hans, for which he had been longing when he put them on. Therefore he immediately set his foot into the mud and mire of the street, which in those days possessed no pavement.

"Why, this is horrible; how dreadfully dirty it is!" said the counsellor; "and the whole pavement has vanished, and the lamps are all out."

The moon had not yet risen high enough to penetrate the thick foggy air, and all the objects around him were confused together in the darkness. At the nearest corner, a lamp hung before a picture of the Madonna; but the light it gave was almost useless, for he only perceived it when he came quite close and his eyes fell on the painted figures of the Mother and Child.

"That is most likely a museum of art," thought he, "and they have forgotten to take down the sign."

Two men, in the dress of olden times, passed by him.

"What odd figures!" thought he; "they must be returning from some masquerade."

Suddenly he heard the sound of a drum and fifes, and then a blazing light from torches shone upon him. The counsellor stared with astonishment as he beheld a most strange procession pass before him. First came a whole troop of drummers, beating their drums very cleverly; they were followed by life-guards, with longbows and crossbows. The principal person in the procession was a clerical-looking gentleman. The astonished counsellor asked what it all meant, and who the gentleman might be.

"That is the bishop of Zealand."

"Good gracious!" he exclaimed; "what in the world has happened to the bishop? what can he be thinking about?" Then he shook his head and said, "It cannot possibly be the bishop himself."

While musing on this strange affair, and without looking to the right or left, he walked on through East Street and over Highbridge Place. The bridge, which he supposed led to Palace Square, was nowhere to be found; but instead, he saw a bank and some shallow water, and two people, who sat in a boat.

"Does the gentleman wish to be ferried over the Holm?" asked one.

"To the Holm!" exclaimed the counsellor, not knowing in what age he was now existing; "I want to go to Christian's Haven, in Little Turf Street." The men stared at him. "Pray tell me where the bridge is!" said he. "It is shameful that the lamps are not lighted here, and it is as muddy as if one were walking in a marsh." But the more he talked with the boatmen the less they could understand each other.

"I don't understand your outlandish talk," he cried at last, angrily turning his back upon them. He could not, however, find the bridge nor any railings.

"What a scandalous condition this place is in," said he; never, certainly, had he found his own times so miserable as on this evening. "I think it will be better for me to take a coach; but where are they?" There was not one to be seen! "I shall be obliged to go back to the king's new market," said he, "where there are plenty of carriages standing, or I shall never reach Christian's Haven." Then he went towards East Street, and had nearly passed through it, when the moon burst forth from a cloud.

"Dear me, what have they been erecting here?" he cried, as he caught sight of the East gate, which in olden times used to stand at the end of East Street. However, he found an opening through which he passed, and came out upon where he expected to find the new market. Nothing was to be seen but an open meadow, surrounded by a few bushes, through which ran a broad canal or stream. A few miserable-looking wooden booths, for the accommodation of Dutch watermen, stood on the opposite shore.

"Either I behold a fata morgana, or I must be tipsy," groaned the counsellor. "What can it be? What is the matter with me?" He turned back in the full conviction that he must be ill. In walking through the street this time, he examined the houses more closely; he found that most of them were built of lath and plaster, and many had only a thatched roof.

"I am certainly all wrong," said he, with a sigh; "and yet I only drank one glass of punch. But I cannot bear even that, and it was very foolish to give us punch and hot salmon; I shall speak about it to our hostess, the agent's lady. Suppose I were to go back now and say how ill I feel, I fear it would look so ridiculous, and it is not very likely that I should find any one up." Then he looked for the house, but it was not in existence.

"This is really frightful; I cannot even recognize East Street. Not a shop to be seen; nothing but old, wretched, tumble-down houses, just as if I were at Roeskilde or Ringstedt. Oh, I really must be ill! It is no use to stand upon ceremony. But where in the world is the agent's house. There is a house, but it is not his; and people still up in it, I can hear. Oh dear! I certainly am very queer." As he reached the half-open door, he saw a light and went in. It was a tavern of the olden times, and seemed a kind of beershop. The room had the appearance of a Dutch interior. A number of people, consisting of seamen, Copenhagen citizens, and a few scholars, sat in deep conversation over their mugs, and took very little notice of the new comer.

"Pardon me," said the counsellor, addressing the landlady, "I do not feel quite well, and I should be much obliged if you will send for a fly to take me to Christian's Haven." The woman stared at him and shook her head. Then she spoke to him in German. The counsellor supposed from this that she did not understand Danish; he therefore repeated his request in German. This, as well as his singular dress, convinced the woman that he was a foreigner. She soon understood, however, that he did not find himself quite well, and therefore brought him a mug of water. It had something of the taste of seawater, certainly, although it had been drawn from the well outside. Then the counsellor leaned his head on his hand, drew a deep breath, and pondered over all the strange things that had happened to him.

"Is that to-day's number of the Day?" he asked, quite mechanically, as he saw the woman putting by a large piece of paper. She did not understand what he meant, but she handed him the sheet; it was a woodcut, representing a meteor, which had appeared in the town of Cologne.

"That is very old," said the counsellor, becoming quite cheerful at the sight of this antique drawing. "Where did you get this singular sheet? It is very interesting, although the whole affair is a fable. Meteors are easily explained in these days; they are northern lights, which are often seen, and are no doubt caused by electricity."

Those who sat near him, and heard what he said, looked at him in great astonishment, and one of them rose, took off his hat respectfully, and said in a very serious manner, "You must certainly be a very learned man, monsieur."

"Oh no," replied the counsellor; "I can only discourse on topics which every one should understand."

"Modestia is a beautiful virtue," said the man. "Moreover, I must add to your speech mihi secus videtur; yet in this case I would suspend my judicium."

"May I ask to whom I have the pleasure of speaking?"

"I am a Bachelor of Divinity," said the man. This answer satisfied the counsellor. The title agreed with the dress.

"This is surely," thought he, "an old village schoolmaster, a perfect original, such as one meets with sometimes even in Jutland."

"This is not certainly a locus docendi," began the man; "still I must beg you to continue the conversation. You must be well read in ancient lore."

"Oh yes," replied the counsellor; "I am very fond of reading useful old books, and modern ones as well, with the exception of every-day stories, of which we really have more than enough."

"Every-day stories?" asked the bachelor.

"Yes, I mean the new novels that we have at the present day."

"Oh," replied the man, with a smile; "and yet they are very witty, and are much read at Court. The king likes especially the romance of Messeurs Iffven and Gaudian, which describes King Arthur and his knights of the round table. He has joked about it with the gentlemen of his Court."

"Well, I have certainly not read that," replied the counsellor. "I suppose it is quite new, and published by Heiberg."

"No," answered the man, "it is not by Heiberg; Godfred von Gehman brought it out."

"Oh, is he the publisher? That is a very old name," said the counsellor; "was it not the name of the first publisher in Denmark?"

"Yes; and he is our first printer and publisher now," replied the scholar.

So far all had passed off very well; but now one of the citizens began to speak of a terrible pestilence which had been raging a few years before, meaning the plague of 1484. The counsellor thought he referred to the cholera, and they could discuss this without finding out the mistake. The war in 1490 was spoken of as quite recent. The English pirates had taken some ships in the Channel in 1801, and the counsellor, supposing they referred to these, agreed with them in finding fault with the English. The rest of the talk, however, was not so agreeable; every moment one contradicted the other. The good bachelor appeared very ignorant, for the simplest remark of the counsellor seemed to him either too bold or too fantastic. They stared at each other, and when it became worse the bachelor spoke in Latin, in the hope of being better understood; but it was all useless.

"How are you now?" asked the landlady, pulling the counsellor's sleeve.

Then his recollection returned to him. In the course of conversation he had forgotten all that had happened previously.

"Goodness me! where am I?" said he. It bewildered him as he thought of it.

"We will have some claret, or mead, or Bremen beer," said one of the guests; "will you drink with us?"

Two maids came in. One of them had a cap on her head of two colors. They poured out the wine, bowed their heads, and withdrew.

The counsellor felt a cold shiver run all over him. "What is this? what does it mean?" said he; but he was obliged to drink with them, for they overpowered the good man with their politeness. He became at last desperate; and when one of them said he was tipsy, he did not doubt the man's word in the least– only begged them to get a droschky; and then they thought he was speaking the Muscovite language. Never before had he been in such rough and vulgar company. "One might believe that the country was going back to heathenism," he observed. "This is the most terrible moment of my life."

Just then it came into his mind that he would stoop under the table, and so creep to the door. He tried it; but before he reached the entry, the rest discovered what he was about, and seized him by the feet, when, luckily for him, off came the goloshes, and with them vanished the whole enchantment. The counsellor now saw quite plainly a lamp, and a large building behind it; everything looked familiar and beautiful. He was in East Street, as it now appears; he lay with his legs turned towards a porch, and just by him sat the watchman asleep.

"Is it possible that I have been lying here in the street dreaming?" said he. "Yes, this is East Street; how beautifully bright and gay it looks! It is quite shocking that one glass of punch should have upset me like this."

Two minutes afterwards he sat in a droschky, which was to drive him to Christian's Haven. He thought of all the terror and anxiety which he had undergone, and felt thankful from his heart for the reality and comfort of modern times, which, with all their errors, were far better than those in which he so lately found himself.

The Watchman's Adventures

"Well, I declare, there lies a pair of goloshes," said the watchman. "No doubt, they belong to the lieutenant who lives up stairs. They are lying just by his door." Gladly would the honest man have rung, and given them in, for a light was still burning, but he did not wish to disturb the other people in the house; so he let them lie. "These things must keep the feet very warm," said he; "they are of such nice soft leather." Then he tried them on, and they fitted his feet exactly. "Now," said he, "how droll things are in this world! There's that man can lie down in his warm bed, but he does not do so. There he goes pacing up and down the room. He ought to be a happy man. He has neither wife nor children, and he goes out into company every evening. Oh, I wish I were he; then I should be a happy man."

As he uttered this wish, the goloshes which he had put on took effect, and the watchman at once became the lieutenant. There he stood in his room, holding a little piece of pink paper between his fingers, on which was a poem,– a poem written by the lieutenant himself. Who has not had, for once in his life, a moment of poetic inspiration? and at such a moment, if the thoughts are written down, they flow in poetry. The following verses were written on the pink paper:–

Oh Were I Rich!

"Oh were I rich! How oft, in youth's bright hour,
When youthful pleasures banish every care,
I longed for riches but to gain a power,
The sword and plume and uniform to wear!
The riches and the honor came for me;
Yet still my greatest wealth was poverty:
Ah, help and pity me!

Once in my youthful hours, when gay and free,
A maiden loved me; and her gentle kiss,
Rich in its tender love and purity,
Taught me, alas! too much of earthly bliss.
Dear child! She only thought of youthful glee;
She loved no wealth, but fairy tales and me.
Thou knowest: ah, pity me!

Oh were I rich! again is all my prayer:
That child is now a woman, fair and free,
As good and beautiful as angels are.
Oh, were I rich in lovers' poetry,
To tell my fairy tale, love's richest lore!
But no; I must be silent– I am poor.
Ah, wilt thou pity me?

Oh were I rich in truth and peace below,
I need not then my poverty bewail.
To thee I dedicate these lines of woe;
Wilt thou not understand the mournful tale?
A leaf on which my sorrows I relate–
Dark story of a darker night of fate.
Ah, bless and pity me!"

"Well, yes; people write poems when they are in love, but a wise man will not print them. A lieutenant in love, and poor. This is a triangle, or more properly speaking, the half of the broken die of fortune." The lieutenant felt this very keenly, and therefore leaned his head against the window-frame, and sighed deeply. "The poor watchman in the street," said he, "is far happier than I am. He knows not what I call poverty. He has a home, a wife and children, who weep at his sorrow and rejoice at his joy. Oh, how much happier I should be could I change my being and position with him, and pass through life with his humble expectations and hopes! Yes, he is indeed happier than I am."

At this moment the watchman again became a watchman; for having, through the goloshes of Fortune, passed into the existence of the lieutenant, and found himself less contented than he expected, he had preferred his former condition, and wished himself again a watchman. "That was an ugly dream," said he, "but droll enough. It seemed to me as if I were the lieutenant up yonder, but there was no happiness for me. I missed my wife and the little ones, who are always ready to smother me with kisses." He sat down again and nodded, but he could not get the dream out of his thoughts, and he still had the goloshes on his feet. A falling star gleamed across the sky. "There goes one!" cried he. "However, there are quite enough left; I should very much like to examine these a little nearer, especially the moon, for that could not slip away under one's hands. The student, for whom my wife washes, says that when we die we shall fly from one star to another. If that were true, it would be very delightful, but I don't believe it. I wish I could make a little spring up there now; I would willingly let my body lie here on the steps."

There are certain things in the world which should be uttered very cautiously; doubly so when the speaker has on his feet the goloshes of Fortune. Now we shall hear what happened to the watchman.

Nearly every one is acquainted with the great power of steam; we have proved it by the rapidity with which we can travel, both on a railroad or in a steamship across the sea. But this speed is like the movements of the sloth, or the crawling march of the snail, when compared to the swiftness with which light travels; light flies nineteen million times faster than the fleetest race-horse, and electricity is more rapid still. Death is an electric shock which we receive in our hearts, and on the wings of electricity the liberated soul flies away swiftly, the light from the sun travels to our earth ninety-five millions of miles in eight minutes and a few seconds; but on the wings of electricity, the mind requires only a second to accomplish the same distance. The space between the heavenly bodies is, to thought, no farther than the distance which we may have to walk from one friend's house to another in the same town; yet this electric shock obliges us to use our bodies here below, unless, like the watchman, we have on the goloshes of Fortune.

In a very few seconds the watchman had travelled more than two hundred thousand miles to the moon, which is formed of a lighter material than our earth, and may be said to be as soft as new fallen snow. He found himself on one of the circular range of mountains which we see represented in Dr. Madler's large map of the moon. The interior had the appearance of a large hollow, bowl-shaped, with a depth about half a mile from the brim. Within this hollow stood a large town; we may form some idea of its appearance by pouring the white of an egg into a glass of water. The materials of which it was built seemed just as soft, and pictured forth cloudy turrets and sail-like terraces, quite transparent, and floating in the thin air. Our earth hung over his head like a great dark red ball. Presently he discovered a number of beings, which might certainly be called men, but were very different to ourselves. A more fantastical imagination than Herschel's must have discovered these. Had they been placed in groups, and painted, it might have been said, "What beautiful foliage!" They had also a language of their own. No one could have expected the soul of the watchman to understand it, and yet he did understand it, for our souls have much greater capabilities then we are inclined to believe. Do we not, in our dreams, show a wonderful dramatic talent? each of our acquaintance appears to us then in his own character, and with his own voice; no man could thus imitate them in his waking hours. How clearly, too, we are reminded of persons whom we have not seen for many years; they start up suddenly to the mind's eye with all their peculiarities as living realities. In fact, this memory of the soul is a fearful thing; every sin, every sinful thought it can bring back, and we may well ask how we are to give account of "every idle word" that may have been whispered in the heart or uttered with the lips. The spirit of the watchman therefore understood very well the language of the inhabitants of the moon. They were disputing about our earth, and doubted whether it could be inhabited. The atmosphere, they asserted, must be too dense for any inhabitants of the moon to exist there. They maintained that the moon alone was inhabited, and was really the heavenly body in which the old world people lived. They likewise talked politics.

But now we will descend to East Street, and see what happened to the watchman's body. He sat lifeless on the steps. His staff had fallen out of his hand, and his eyes stared at the moon, about which his honest soul was wandering.

"What is it o'clock, watchman?" inquired a passenger. But there was no answer from the watchman.

The man then pulled his nose gently, which caused him to lose his balance. The body fell forward, and lay at full length on the ground as one dead.

All his comrades were very much frightened, for he seemed quite dead; still they allowed him to remain after they had given notice of what had happened; and at dawn the body was carried to the hospital. We might imagine it to be no jesting matter if the soul of the man should chance to return to him, for most probably it would seek for the body in East Street without being able to find it. We might fancy the soul inquiring of the police, or at the address office, or among the missing parcels, and then at length finding it at the hospital. But we may comfort ourselves by the certainty that the soul, when acting upon its own impulses, is wiser than we are; it is the body that makes it stupid.

As we have said, the watchman's body had been taken to the hospital, and here it was placed in a room to be washed. Naturally, the first thing done here was to take off the goloshes, upon which the soul was instantly obliged to return, and it took the direct road to the body at once, and in a few seconds the man's life returned to him. He declared, when he quite recovered himself, that this had been the most dreadful night he had ever passed; not for a hundred pounds would he go through such feelings again. However, it was all over now.

The same day he was allowed to leave, but the goloshes remained at the hospital.

The Eventful Moment – A Most Unusual Journey

Every inhabitant of Copenhagen knows what the entrance to Frederick's Hospital is like; but as most probably a few of those who read this little tale may not reside in Copenhagen, we will give a short description of it.

The hospital is separated from the street by an iron railing, in which the bars stand so wide apart that, it is said, some very slim patients have squeezed through, and gone to pay little visits in the town. The most difficult part of the body to get through was the head; and in this case, as it often happens in the world, the small heads were the most fortunate. This will serve as sufficient introduction to our tale. One of the young volunteers, of whom, physically speaking, it might be said that he had a great head, was on guard that evening at the hospital. The rain was pouring down, yet, in spite of these two obstacles, he wanted to go out just for a quarter of an hour; it was not worth while, he thought, to make a confidant of the porter, as he could easily slip through the iron railings. There lay the goloshes, which the watchman had forgotten. It never occurred to him that these could be goloshes of Fortune. They would be very serviceable to him in this rainy weather, so he drew them on. Now came the question whether he could squeeze through the palings; he certainly had never tried, so he stood looking at them. "I wish to goodness my head was through," said he, and instantly, though it was so thick and large, it slipped through quite easily. The goloshes answered that purpose very well, but his body had to follow, and this was impossible. "I am too fat," he said; "I thought my head would be the worst, but I cannot get my body through, that is certain." Then he tried to pull his head back again, but without success; he could move his neck about easily enough, and that was all. His first feeling was one of anger, and then his spirits sank below zero. The goloshes of Fortune had placed him in this terrible position, and unfortunately it never occurred to him to wish himself free. No, instead of wishing he kept twisting about, yet did not stir from the spot. The rain poured, and not a creature could be seen in the street. The porter's bell he was unable to reach, and however was he to get loose! He foresaw that he should have to stay there till morning, and then they must send for a smith to file away the iron bars, and that would be a work of time. All the charity children would just be going to school: and all the sailors who inhabited that quarter of the town would be there to see him standing in the pillory. What a crowd there would be. "Ha," he cried, "the blood is rushing to my head, and I shall go mad. I believe I am crazy already; oh, I wish I were free, then all these sensations would pass off." This is just what he ought to have said at first. The moment he had expressed the thought his head was free. He started back, quite bewildered with the fright which the goloshes of Fortune had caused him. But we must not suppose it was all over; no, indeed, there was worse to come yet. The night passed, and the whole of the following day; but no one sent for the goloshes. In the evening a declamatory performance was to take place at the amateur theatre in a distant street. The house was crowded; among the audience was the young volunteer from the hospital, who seemed to have quite forgotten his adventures of the previous evening. He had on the goloshes; they had not been sent for, and as the streets were still very dirty, they were of great service to him. A new poem, entitled "My Aunt's Spectacles," was being recited. It described these spectacles as possessing a wonderful power; if any one put them on in a large assembly the people appeared like cards, and the future events of ensuing years could be easily foretold by them. The idea struck him that he should very much like to have such a pair of spectacles; for, if used rightly, they would perhaps enable him to see into the hearts of people, which he thought would be more interesting than to know what was going to happen next year; for future events would be sure to show themselves, but the hearts of people never. "I can fancy what I should see in the whole row of ladies and gentlemen on the first seat, if I could only look into their hearts; that lady, I imagine, keeps a store for things of all descriptions; how my eyes would wander about in that collection; with many ladies I should no doubt find a large millinery establishment. There is another that is perhaps empty, and would be all the better for cleaning out. There may be some well stored with good articles. Ah, yes," he sighed, "I know one, in which everything is solid, but a servant is there already, and that is the only thing against it. I dare say from many I should hear the words, 'Please to walk in.' I only wish I could slip into the hearts like a little tiny thought." This was the word of command for the goloshes. The volunteer shrunk up together, and commenced a most unusual journey through the hearts of the spectators in the first row. The first heart he entered was that of a lady, but he thought he must have got into one of the rooms of an orthopedic institution where plaster casts of deformed limbs were hanging on the walls, with this difference, that the casts in the institution are formed when the patient enters, but here they were formed and preserved after the good people had left. These were casts of the bodily and mental deformities of the lady's female friends carefully preserved. Quickly he passed into another heart, which had the appearance of a spacious, holy church, with the white dove of innocence fluttering over the altar. Gladly would he have fallen on his knees in such a sacred place; but he was carried on to another heart, still, however, listening to the tones of the organ, and feeling himself that he had become another and a better man. The next heart was also a sanctuary, which he felt almost unworthy to enter; it represented a mean garret, in which lay a sick mother; but the warm sunshine streamed through the window, lovely roses bloomed in a little flowerbox on the roof, two blue birds sang of childlike joys, and the sick mother prayed for a blessing on her daughter. Next he crept on his hands and knees through an overfilled butcher's shop; there was meat, nothing but meat, wherever he stepped; this was the heart of a rich, respectable man, whose name is doubtless in the directory. Then he entered the heart of this man's wife; it was an old, tumble-down pigeon-house; the husband's portrait served as a weather-cock; it was connected with all the doors, which opened and shut just as the husband's decision turned. The next heart was a complete cabinet of mirrors, such as can be seen in the Castle of Rosenberg. But these mirrors magnified in an astonishing degree; in the middle of the floor sat, like the Grand Lama, the insignificant I of the owner, astonished at the contemplation of his own features. At his next visit he fancied he must have got into a narrow needlecase, full of sharp needles: "Oh," thought he, "this must be the heart of an old maid;" but such was not the fact; it belonged to a young officer, who wore several orders, and was said to be a man of intellect and heart.

The poor volunteer came out of the last heart in the row quite bewildered. He could not collect his thoughts, and imagined his foolish fancies had carried him away. "Good gracious!" he sighed, "I must have a tendency to softening of the brain, and here it is so exceedingly hot that the blood is rushing to my head." And then suddenly recurred to him the strange event of the evening before, when his head had been fixed between the iron railings in front of the hospital. "That is the cause of it all!" he exclaimed, "I must do something in time. A Russian bath would be a very good thing to begin with. I wish I were lying on one of the highest shelves." Sure enough, there he lay on an upper shelf of a vapor bath, still in his evening costume, with his boots and goloshes on, and the hot drops from the ceiling falling on his face. "Ho!" he cried, jumping down and rushing towards the plunging bath. The attendant stopped him with a loud cry, when he saw a man with all his clothes on. The volunteer had, however, presence of mind enough to whisper, "It is for a wager;" but the first thing he did, when he reached his own room, was to put a large blister on his neck, and another on his back, that his crazy fit might be cured. The next morning his back was very sore, which was all he gained by the goloshes of Fortune.

The Clerk's Transformation

The watchman, whom we of course have not forgotten, thought, after a while, of the goloshes which he had found and taken to the hospital; so he went and fetched them. But neither the lieutenant nor any one in the street could recognize them as their own, so he gave them up to the police. "They look exactly like my own goloshes," said one of the clerks, examining the unknown articles, as they stood by the side of his own. "It would require even more than the eye of a shoemaker to know one pair from the other."

"Master clerk," said a servant who entered with some papers. The clerk turned and spoke to the man; but when he had done with him, he turned to look at the goloshes again, and now he was in greater doubt than ever as to whether the pair on the right or on the left belonged to him. "Those that are wet must be mine," thought he; but he thought wrong, it was just the reverse. The goloshes of Fortune were the wet pair; and, besides, why should not a clerk in a police office be wrong sometimes? So he drew them on, thrust his papers into his pocket, placed a few manuscripts under his arm, which he had to take with him, and to make abstracts from at home. Then, as it was Sunday morning and the weather very fine, he said to himself, "A walk to Fredericksburg will do me good:" so away he went.

There could not be a quieter or more steady young man than this clerk. We will not grudge him this little walk, it was just the thing to do him good after sitting so much. He went on at first like a mere automaton, without thought or wish; therefore the goloshes had no opportunity to display their magic power. In the avenue he met with an acquaintance, one of our young poets, who told him that he intended to start on the following day on a summer excursion. "Are you really going away so soon?" asked the clerk. "What a free, happy man you are. You can roam about where you will, while such as we are tied by the foot."

"But it is fastened to the bread-tree," replied the poet. "You need have no anxiety for the morrow; and when you are old there is a pension for you."

"Ah, yes; but you have the best of it," said the clerk; "it must be so delightful to sit and write poetry. The whole world makes itself agreeable to you, and then you are your own master. You should try how you would like to listen to all the trivial things in a court of justice." The poet shook his head, so also did the clerk; each retained his own opinion, and so they parted. "They are strange people, these poets," thought the clerk. "I should like to try what it is to have a poetic taste, and to become a poet myself. I am sure I should not write such mournful verses as they do. This is a splendid spring day for a poet, the air is so remarkably clear, the clouds are so beautiful, and the green grass has such a sweet smell. For many years I have not felt as I do at this moment."

We perceive, by these remarks, that he had already become a poet. By most poets what he had said would be considered common-place, or as the Germans call it, "insipid." It is a foolish fancy to look upon poets as different to other men. There are many who are more the poets of nature than those who are professed poets. The difference is this, the poet's intellectual memory is better; he seizes upon an idea or a sentiment, until he can embody it, clearly and plainly in words, which the others cannot do. But the transition from a character of every-day life to one of a more gifted nature is a great transition; and so the clerk became aware of the change after a time. "What a delightful perfume," said he; "it reminds me of the violets at Aunt Lora's. Ah, that was when I was a little boy. Dear me, how long it seems since I thought of those days! She was a good old maiden lady! she lived yonder, behind the Exchange. She always had a sprig or a few blossoms in water, let the winter be ever so severe. I could smell the violets, even while I was placing warm penny pieces against the frozen panes to make peep-holes, and a pretty view it was on which I peeped. Out in the river lay the ships, icebound, and forsaken by their crews; a screaming crow represented the only living creature on board. But when the breezes of spring came, everything started into life. Amidst shouting and cheers the ships were tarred and rigged, and then they sailed to foreign lands."

"I remain here, and always shall remain, sitting at my post at the police office, and letting others take passports to distant lands. Yes, this is my fate," and he sighed deeply. Suddenly he paused. "Good gracious, what has come over me? I never felt before as I do now; it must be the air of spring. It is overpowering, and yet it is delightful."

He felt in his pockets for some of his papers. "These will give me something else to think of," said he. Casting his eyes on the first page of one, he read, "'Mistress Sigbirth; an original Tragedy, in Five Acts.' What is this?– in my own handwriting, too! Have I written this tragedy?" He read again, "'The Intrigue on the Promenade; or, the Fast-Day. A Vaudeville.' However did I get all this? Some one must have put them into my pocket. And here is a letter!" It was from the manager of a theatre; the pieces were rejected, not at all in polite terms.

"Hem, hem!" said he, sitting down on a bench; his thoughts were very elastic, and his heart softened strangely. Involuntarily he seized one of the nearest flowers; it was a little, simple daisy. "All that botanists can say in many lectures was explained in a moment by this little flower. It spoke of the glory of its birth; it told of the strength of the sunlight, which had caused its delicate leaves to expand, and given to it such sweet perfume. The struggles of life which arouse sensations in the bosom have their type in the tiny flowers. Air and light are the lovers of the flowers, but light is the favored one; towards light it turns, and only when light vanishes does it fold its leaves together, and sleep in the embraces of the air."

"It is light that adorns me," said the flower.

"But the air gives you the breath of life," whispered the poet.

Just by him stood a boy, splashing with his stick in a marshy ditch. The water-drops spurted up among the green twigs, and the clerk thought of the millions of animalculae which were thrown into the air with every drop of water, at a height which must be the same to them as it would be to us if we were hurled beyond the clouds. As the clerk thought of all these things, and became conscious of the great change in his own feelings, he smiled, and said to himself, "I must be asleep and dreaming; and yet, if so, how wonderful for a dream to be so natural and real, and to know at the same time too that it is but a dream. I hope I shall be able to remember it all when I wake tomorrow. My sensations seem most unaccountable. I have a clear perception of everything as if I were wide awake. I am quite sure if I recollect all this tomorrow, it will appear utterly ridiculous and absurd. I have had this happen to me before. It is with the clever or wonderful things we say or hear in dreams, as with the gold which comes from under the earth, it is rich and beautiful when we possess it, but when seen in a true light it is but as stones and withered leaves."

"Ah!" he sighed mournfully, as he gazed at the birds singing merrily, or hopping from branch to branch, "they are much better off than I. Flying is a glorious power. Happy is he who is born with wings. Yes, if I could change myself into anything I would be a little lark." At the same moment his coat-tails and sleeves grew together and formed wings, his clothes changed to feathers, and his goloshes to claws. He felt what was taking place, and laughed to himself. "Well, now it is evident I must be dreaming; but I never had such a wild dream as this." And then he flew up into the green boughs and sang, but there was no poetry in the song, for his poetic nature had left him. The goloshes, like all persons who wish to do a thing thoroughly, could only attend to one thing at a time. He wished to be a poet, and he became one. Then he wanted to be a little bird, and in this change he lost the characteristics of the former one. "Well," thought he, "this is charming; by day I sit in a police-office, amongst the dryest law papers, and at night I can dream that I am a lark, flying about in the gardens of Fredericksburg. Really a complete comedy could be written about it." Then he flew down into the grass, turned his head about in every direction, and tapped his beak on the bending blades of grass, which, in proportion to his size, seemed to him as long as the palm-leaves in northern Africa.

In another moment all was darkness around him. It seemed as if something immense had been thrown over him. A sailor boy had flung his large cap over the bird, and a hand came underneath and caught the clerk by the back and wings so roughly, that he squeaked, and then cried out in his alarm, "You impudent rascal, I am a clerk in the police-office!" but it only sounded to the boy like "tweet, tweet;" so he tapped the bird on the beak, and walked away with him. In the avenue he met two school-boys, who appeared to belong to a better class of society, but whose inferior abilities kept them in the lowest class at school. These boys bought the bird for eightpence, and so the clerk returned to Copenhagen. "It is well for me that I am dreaming," he thought; "otherwise I should become really angry. First I was a poet, and now I am a lark. It must have been the poetic nature that changed me into this little creature. It is a miserable story indeed, especially now I have fallen into the hands of boys. I wonder what will be the end of it." The boys carried him into a very elegant room, where a stout, pleasant-looking lady received them, but she was not at all gratified to find that they had brought a lark– a common field-bird as she called it. However, she allowed them for one day to place the bird in an empty cage that hung near the window. "It will please Polly perhaps," she said, laughing at a large gray parrot, who was swinging himself proudly on a ring in a handsome brass cage. "It is Polly's birthday," she added in a simpering tone, "and the little field-bird has come to offer his congratulations."

Polly did not answer a single word, he continued to swing proudly to and fro; but a beautiful canary, who had been brought from his own warm, fragrant fatherland, the summer previous, began to sing as loud as he could.

"You screamer!" said the lady, throwing a white handkerchief over the cage.

"Tweet, tweet," sighed he, "what a dreadful snowstorm!" and then he became silent.

The clerk, or as the lady called him the field-bird, was placed in a little cage close to the canary, and not far from the parrot. The only human speech which Polly could utter, and which she sometimes chattered forth most comically, was "Now let us be men." All besides was a scream, quite as unintelligible as the warbling of the canary-bird, excepting to the clerk, who being now a bird, could understand his comrades very well.

"I flew beneath green palm-trees, and amidst the blooming almond-trees," sang the canary. "I flew with my brothers and sisters over beautiful flowers, and across the clear, bright sea, which reflected the waving foliage in its glittering depths; and I have seen many gay parrots, who could relate long and delightful stories."

"They were wild birds," answered the parrot, "and totally uneducated. Now let us be men. Why do you not laugh? If the lady and her visitors can laugh at this, surely you can. It is a great failing not to be able to appreciate what is amusing. Now let us be men."

"Do you remember," said the canary, "the pretty maidens who used to dance in the tents that were spread out beneath the sweet blossoms? Do you remember the delicious fruit and the cooling juice from the wild herbs?"

"Oh, yes," said the parrot; "but here I am much better off. I am well fed, and treated politely. I know that I have a clever head; and what more do I want? Let us be men now. You have a soul for poetry. I have deep knowledge and wit. You have genius, but no discretion. You raise your naturally high notes so much, that you get covered over. They never serve me so. Oh, no; I cost them something more than you. I keep them in order with my beak, and fling my wit about me. Now let us be men."

"O my warm, blooming fatherland," sang the canary bird, "I will sing of thy dark-green trees and thy quiet streams, where the bending branches kiss the clear, smooth water. I will sing of the joy of my brothers and sisters, as their shining plumage flits among the dark leaves of the plants which grow wild by the springs."

"Do leave off those dismal strains," said the parrot; "sing something to make us laugh; laughter is the sign of the highest order of intellect. Can a dog or a horse laugh? No, they can cry; but to man alone is the power of laughter given. Ha! ha! ha!" laughed Polly, and repeated his witty saying, "Now let us be men."

"You little gray Danish bird," said the canary, "you also have become a prisoner. It is certainly cold in your forests, but still there is liberty there. Fly out! they have forgotten to close the cage, and the window is open at the top. Fly, fly!"

Instinctively, the clerk obeyed, and left the cage; at the same moment the half-opened door leading into the next room creaked on its hinges, and, stealthily, with green fiery eyes, the cat crept in and chased the lark round the room. The canary-bird fluttered in his cage, and the parrot flapped his wings and cried, "Let us be men;" the poor clerk, in the most deadly terror, flew through the window, over the houses, and through the streets, till at length he was obliged to seek a resting-place. A house opposite to him had a look of home. A window stood open; he flew in, and perched upon the table. It was his own room. "Let us be men now," said he, involuntarily imitating the parrot; and at the same moment he became a clerk again, only that he was sitting on the table. "Heaven preserve us!" said he; "How did I get up here and fall asleep in this way? It was an uneasy dream too that I had. The whole affair appears most absurd."

The Best Thing The Goloshes Did

Early on the following morning, while the clerk was still in bed, his neighbor, a young divinity student, who lodged on the same storey, knocked at his door, and then walked in. "Lend me your goloshes," said he; "it is so wet in the garden, but the sun is shining brightly. I should like to go out there and smoke my pipe." He put on the goloshes, and was soon in the garden, which contained only one plum-tree and one apple-tree; yet, in a town, even a small garden like this is a great advantage.

The student wandered up and down the path; it was just six o'clock, and he could hear the sound of the post-horn in the street. "Oh, to travel, to travel!" cried he; "there is no greater happiness in the world: it is the height of my ambition. This restless feeling would be stilled, if I could take a journey far away from this country. I should like to see beautiful Switzerland, to travel through Italy, and,"– It was well for him that the goloshes acted immediately, otherwise he might have been carried too far for himself as well as for us. In a moment he found himself in Switzerland, closely packed with eight others in the diligence. His head ached, his back was stiff, and the blood had ceased to circulate, so that his feet were swelled and pinched by his boots. He wavered in a condition between sleeping and waking. In his right-hand pocket he had a letter of credit; in his left-hand pocket was his passport; and a few louis d'ors were sewn into a little leather bag which he carried in his breast-pocket. Whenever he dozed, he dreamed that he had lost one or another of these possessions; then he would awake with a start, and the first movements of his hand formed a triangle from his right-hand pocket to his breast, and from his breast to his left-hand pocket, to feel whether they were all safe. Umbrellas, sticks, and hats swung in the net before him, and almost obstructed the prospect, which was really very imposing; and as he glanced at it, his memory recalled the words of one poet at least, who has sung of Switzerland, and whose poems have not yet been printed:–

"How lovely to my wondering eyes
Mont Blanc's fair summits gently rise;
'Tis sweet to breathe the mountain air,–
If you have gold enough to spare."

Grand, dark, and gloomy appeared the landscape around him. The pine-forests looked like little groups of moss on high rocks, whose summits were lost in clouds of mist. Presently it began to snow, and the wind blew keen and cold. "Ah," he sighed, "if I were only on the other side of the Alps now, it would be summer, and I should be able to get money on my letter of credit. The anxiety I feel on this matter prevents me from enjoying myself in Switzerland. Oh, I wish I was on the other side of the Alps."

And there, in a moment, he found himself, far away in the midst of Italy, between Florence and Rome, where the lake Thrasymene glittered in the evening sunlight like a sheet of molten gold between the dark blue mountains. There, where Hannibal defeated Flaminius, the grape vines clung to each other with the friendly grasp of their green tendril fingers; while, by the wayside, lovely half-naked children were watching a herd of coal-black swine under the blossoms of fragrant laurel. Could we rightly describe this picturesque scene, our readers would exclaim, "Delightful Italy!"

But neither the student nor either of his travelling companions felt the least inclination to think of it in this way. Poisonous flies and gnats flew into the coach by thousands. In vain they drove them away with a myrtle branch, the flies stung them notwithstanding. There was not a man in the coach whose face was not swollen and disfigured with the stings. The poor horses looked wretched; the flies settled on their backs in swarms, and they were only relieved when the coachmen got down and drove the creatures off.

As the sun set, an icy coldness filled all nature, not however of long duration. It produced the feeling which we experience when we enter a vault at a funeral, on a summer's day; while the hills and the clouds put on that singular green hue which we often notice in old paintings, and look upon as unnatural until we have ourselves seen nature's coloring in the south. It was a glorious spectacle; but the stomachs of the travellers were empty, their bodies exhausted with fatigue, and all the longings of their heart turned towards a resting-place for the night; but where to find one they knew not. All the eyes were too eagerly seeking for this resting-place, to notice the beauties of nature.

The road passed through a grove of olive-trees; it reminded the student of the willow-trees at home. Here stood a lonely inn, and close by it a number of crippled beggars had placed themselves; the brightest among them looked, to quote the words of Marryat, "like the eldest son of Famine who had just come of age." The others were either blind, or had withered legs, which obliged them to creep about on their hands and knees, or they had shrivelled arms and hands without fingers. It was indeed poverty arrayed in rags. "Eccellenza, miserabili!" they exclaimed, stretching forth their diseased limbs. The hostess received the travellers with bare feet, untidy hair, and a dirty blouse. The doors were fastened together with string; the floors of the rooms were of brick, broken in many places; bats flew about under the roof; and as to the odor within–

"Let us have supper laid in the stable," said one of the travellers; "then we shall know what we are breathing."

The windows were opened to let in a little fresh air, but quicker than air came in the withered arms and the continual whining sounds, "Miserabili, eccellenza." On the walls were inscriptions, half of them against "la bella Italia."

The supper made its appearance at last. It consisted of watery soup, seasoned with pepper and rancid oil. This last delicacy played a principal part in the salad. Musty eggs and roasted cocks'-combs were the best dishes on the table; even the wine had a strange taste, it was certainly a mixture. At night, all the boxes were placed against the doors, and one of the travellers watched while the others slept. The student's turn came to watch. How close the air felt in that room; the heat overpowered him. The gnats were buzzing about and stinging, while the miserabili, outside, moaned in their dreams.

"Travelling would be all very well," said the student of divinity to himself, "if we had no bodies, or if the body could rest while the soul if flying. Wherever I go I feel a want which oppresses my heart, for something better presents itself at the moment; yes, something better, which shall be the best of all; but where is that to be found? In fact, I know in my heart very well what I want. I wish to attain the greatest of all happiness."

No sooner were the words spoken than he was at home. Long white curtains shaded the windows of his room, and in the middle of the floor stood a black coffin, in which he now lay in the still sleep of death; his wish was fulfilled, his body was at rest, and his spirit travelling.

"Esteem no man happy until he is in his grave," were the words of Solon. Here was a strong fresh proof of their truth. Every corpse is a sphinx of immortality. The sphinx in this sarcophagus might unveil its own mystery in the words which the living had himself written two days before–

"Stern death, thy chilling silence waketh dread;
Yet in thy darkest hour there may be light.
Earth's garden reaper! from the grave's cold bed
The soul on Jacob's ladder takes her flight.

Man's greatest sorrows often are a part
Of hidden griefs, concealed from human eyes,
Which press far heavier on the lonely heart
Than now the earth that on his coffin lies."

Two figures were moving about the room; we know them both. One was the fairy named Care, the other the messenger of Fortune. They bent over the dead.

"Look!" said Care; "what happiness have your goloshes brought to mankind?"

"They have at least brought lasting happiness to him who slumbers here," she said.

"Not so," said Care, "he went away of himself, he was not summoned. His mental powers were not strong enough to discern the treasures which he had been destined to discover. I will do him a favor now." And she drew the goloshes from his feet.

The sleep of death was ended, and the recovered man raised himself. Care vanished, and with her the goloshes; doubtless she looked upon them as her own property.

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Andersens eventyr

Sammenligne indeværende historie på to sprog

Lykkens galocher

The goloshes of fortune