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LUCKY PEER
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IN the most fashionable street in the city stood a fineold house£» the wall around it had bits of glass worked intoit£¬ so that when the sun or the moon shone it looked as if itwere covered with diamonds£®That was a sign of wealth£¬ and there was great wealth inside£® It was said that the mer£­chant was a man rich enough to put two barrels of gold intohis best parlor and could even put a barrel of gold pieces£¬as a savings bank against the future£¬ outside the door of theroom where his little son was born£®

When the baby arrived in the rich house£¬ there was great joy from the cellar up to the garret£»and up there£¬ there was still greater joy an hour or two later£® The ware£­houseman and his wife lived in the garret£¬ and there£¬ too£¬at the same time£¬ a little son arrived£¬given by our Lord£¬brought by the stork£¬ and exhibited by the mother£®And there£¬ too£¬ was a barrel outside the door£¬quite accidental£­ly£» but it was not a barrel of gold—it was a barrel of sweepings£®

The rich merchant was a very kind£¬fine man£®His wife£¬ delicate and always dressed in clothes of high quali£­ty£¬was pious and£¬ besides£¬was kind and good to the poor£®Everybody rejoiced with these two people on now having a little son who would grow up and be rich and hap£­py£¬ like his father£® When the little boy was baptized he was called Felix£¬ which in Latin means"lucky£¬" and thishe was£¬ and his parents were even more so£®

The warehouseman£¬ a fellow who was really good to the core£¬ and his wife£¬ an honest and industrious woman£¬were well liked by all who knew them£® How lucky they were to have their little boy£» he was called Peer£®

The boy on the first floor and the boy in the garret each received the same amount of kisses from his parentsand just as much sunshine from our Lord£» but still theywere placed a little differently—one downstairs£¬ and oneup£®Peer sat the highest£¬way up in the garret£¬ and he had his own mother for a nurse£»little Felix had a strangerfor his nurse£¬ but she was good and honest—that was written in her service book£® The rich child had a prettybaby carriage£¬ which was pushed about by his elegantly dressed nurse£» the child from the garret was carried in thearms of his own nither£¬both when she was in her Sunday clothes and when she had her everyday things on£¬ and hewas just as happy£®

Both children soon began to observe things£» they were growing£¬ and both could show with their hands how tall they were£¬ and say single words in their mother tongue£®They were equally handsome£¬ petted£¬and equallyfond of sweets£® As they grew up£¬ they both got an equalamount of pleasure out of the merchant's horses and car£­riages£®Felix was allowed to sit by the coachman£¬ alongwith his nurse£¬ and look at the horses£» he would fancyhimself driving£®Peer was allowed to sit at the garret win£­dow and look down into the yard when the master and mistress went out to drive£»and when they had left£¬ hewould place two chairs£¬one in front of the other£¬ up there in the room£¬ and so he would drive himself£» he wasthe real coachman—that was a little more than fancying himself to be the coachman£®

They got along splendidly£¬ these two£» yet it was notuntil they were two years old that they spoke to each oth£­er£®Felix was always elegantly dressed in silk and velvet£¬with bare knees£¬ after the English style£®"The poor childwill freezer£¡"said the family in the garret£®Peer had trousers that came down to his ankles£¬ but one day his clothes were torn right across his knees£¬ so that he got asmuch of a draft and was just as much undressed as the merchant's delicate little boy£®Felix came along with hismother and was about to go out through the gate when Peer came along with his and wanted to go in£®

"Give little Peer your hand£¬"said the merchant'swife£®"You two should talk to each other£®"

And one said£¬"Peer£¡"and the other said£¬"Felix£¡"Yes£¬ and that was all they said at that time£®

The rich lady coddled her boy£¬but there was one who coddled Peer just as much£¬ and that was his grandmother£®

She was weak£­sighted£¬ and yet she saw much more in little Peer than his father or mother could see£» yes£¬ more thanany person could£®

"The sweet child£¬"she said£¬"is surely going to get on in the world£®He was born with a gold apple in his hand£» I can see it even with my poor sight£®Why£¬ there is the shining apple£¡" And she kissed the child's little hand£®His parents could see nothing£¬and neither could Peer£»but as he grew to have more understanding£¬ he liked to believe it£®

"That is such a story£¬ such a fairy tale£¬ that Grand- mother tells£¡"said the parents£®

Yes£¬ Grandmother could tell stories£¬ and Peer wasnever tired of hearing always the same ones£®She taught him a psalm and the Lord's Prayer as well£¬ and he could say it£¬ not as gabble but as words that meant something£»

she explained every single sentence in it to him£® He gave particular thought to what Grandmother said about the words£¬"Give us this day our daily bread"£» he was to un-derstand that it was necessary for one to get wheat bread£¬for another to get black bread£» one must have a great housewhen he had many people in his employ£» another£¬ in small circumstances£¬ could live quite as happily in a little roomin the garret£®"So each person has what he calls 'daily bread£®'"

Peer£¬ of course£¬ had his good daily bread—and the most delightful days£¬ too£¬ but they were not to last forever£®The sad years of war began£» the young men were to goaway£¬ and the older men as well£® Peer's father was amongthose who were called in£» and soon afterward it was heard that he had been one of the first to fall in battle against thesuperior enemy£®

There was bitter grief in the little room in the garret£®The mother cried£» the grandmother and little Peer cried£»

and every time one of the neighbors came up to see them£¬ they talked about"Papa£¬ and then they cried all together£®

The widow£¬ meanwinle£¬ was given permission to stay in hergarret flat£¬rent-free£¬during the first year£¬and afterward she was to pay only a small rent£® The grandmother stayed with the mother£¬ who supported herself by washing forseveral"single£¬ elegant gentlemen£¬"as she called them£®Peer had neither sorrow nor want£® He had plenty of food and drink£¬ and Grandmother told him stories£¬ such strangeand wonderful ones about the wide world £¬that he asked her£¬one day£¬ if the two of them might not go to foreign lands some Sunday and return home as prince and princess£¬ wearing gold crowns£®

"I am too old for that£¬"said Grandmother£¬"and youmust first learn a good many things and become big and strong£» but you must always be a good and affectionate child—as you are now£®"

Peer rode around the room on hobbyhorses£» he had two such horses£® But the mer- chant's son had a real live horse£» it was so small that it might well have been called a baby horse£¬ which£¬ in fact£¬ Peer called it£¬ and it never could become any bigger£®Fe£­ lix rode it in the yard£» yes£¬ and he even rode it outside the gate£¬when his father and a riding master from the king's stable were with him£®For the first half£­hour£¬ Peer had not liked his horses and hadn't ridden them£¬ for they were not real£» and then he had asked his mother why he could not have a real horse like little Felix had£¬ and his mother had said£¬"Felix lives down onthe first floor£¬ close by the stables£¬ but you live high upunder the roof£® One cannot have horses up in the garret ex£­cept like those you have£® You should ride on them£®"

And so now Peer rode—first to the chest of drawers£¬the great mountain with its many treasures£»both Peter'sSunday clothes and his mother's were there£¬ and there were the shining silver dollars that she laid aside for rent£»then he rode to the stove£¬which he called the black bear£»it slept all summer long£¬but when winter came it had to be useful£¬ to warm the room and cook the meals£®

Peer had a godfather who usually came there every Sunday during the winter and got a good warm meal£®

Things had gone wrong for him£¬ said the mother and the grandmother£® He had begun as a coachman£®He had been drinking and had fallen asleep at his post£¬ and that neither a soldier nor a coachman should do£® He then had become acabman and driven a cab£¬ or sometimes a carriage£¬ and of£­ten for very elegant people£®But now he drove a garbage wagon and went from door to door£¬ swinging his rattle£¬ "snurre£­rurre£­ud£¡"and from all the houses came the ser£­ vantgirls and housewives with their buckets full£¬ and turned these into the wagon£»rubbish and junk£¬ ashes and sweep£­ings£¬ were all thrown in£®

One day Peer came down from the garret after his mother had gone to town£® He stood at the open gate£¬ andthere outside was Godfather with his wagon£®"Would you like to take a drive£¿" he asked£® Yes£¬ Peer was willing to indeed£¬but only as far as the corner£® His eyes shone as he sat on the seat with Codfather and was allowed to hold the whip£®Peer drove with real live horses£¬drove right to the corner£® Then his mother came along£» she looked rather du£­ bious£¬ for it was not very nice to see her own little son rid-ing on a garbage wagon£®She told him to get down at once£®

Still£¬she thanked Godfather£»but at home she forbade Peer to drive with him again£®

One day he again went down to the gate£® There was no Codfather there to tempt him with a drive£¬ but therewere other temptations£® Three or four small street urchinswere down in the gutter£¬poking about to see what they could find that had been lost or had hidden itself there£®Frequently they had found a button or a copper coin£¬but frequently£¬ too£¬ they had cut themselves on a broken bot£­ tle£¬ or pricked themselves with a pin£¬ which just now was the case£®Peer simply had to join them£¬ and when he got down among the gutter stones he found a silver coin£®

Another day he was again down digging with the other boys£» they only got dirty fingers £» he found a gold ring£¬ andthen£¬with sparkling eyes£¬ showed off his lucky find£»whereupon the others threw dirt at him and called himLucky Peer£®They wouldn't permit him to be with them any more when they poked in the gutter£®

Back of the merchant's yard there was some low ground that was to be filled up for building lots£»graveland ashes were carted and dumped out there£¬great heaps of it£® Godfather helped deliver it in his wagon£¬ but Peerwas not allowed to drive with him£® The street urchins dug in the heaps£¬ dug with a stick and with their bare hands£»they always found one thing or another that seemed worth Picking up£®

Then little Peer came along£® They saw him and cried£¬"Get away from here£¬Lucky Peer£¡"And when£¬ despite this£¬ he came closer£¬ they threw lumps of dirt athim£® One of these struck against his wooden shoe and crumbled to pieces£® Something shining rolled out£¬ and Peer picked it up£» it was a little heart made of amber£® Heran home with it£® The other boys did not notice that even when they threw dirt at him he was a child of luck£®

The silver coin he had found was put away in his savings bank£® The ring and the amber heart were shown to the merchant's wife downstairs£¬ because the mother want-ed to know if they were lost articles that should be returned to the police£®

How the eyes of the merchant's wife shone on see£­ing the ring£¡ It was her own engagement ring£¬ one that she bad lost three years before£¡ That's how long it hadlain in the gutter£® Peer was well rewarded£¬ and the money rattled in his little box£® The amber heart was a cheap thing£¬ the lady said£»Peer might just as well keep that£®

At night the amber heart lay on the bureau£¬and the grandmother lay in bed£®

"My£¬ what is it that burns so£¡" she said£®"It looksas if a small candle is lighted there£®"She got up to see£¬and it was the little heart of amber—yes£¬Grandmother£¬ with her weak sight£¬frequently saw more than anyone else could see£®She had her own thoughts about it£®The next morning she took a narrow£¬strong ribbon£¬drew it through the opening at the top of the heart£¬ and put it around her little grandson's neck£®

"You must never take it off£¬ except to put a new ribbon into it£¬ and you must not show it to the other boys£¬ either£¬ for then they would take it from you£¬ andyou would get a stomachache£¡"That was the only painful sickness little Peer had known so far£® There was a strange power£¬ too£¬ in that heart£® Grandmother showed him that when she rubbed it with her hand£¬ and a little straw wasput next to it£¬ the straw seemed to be alive and was drawn to the heart of amber and would not let go£®

 

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The merchant's son had a private tutor who taught him his lessons and who took walks with him£¬ too£® Peerwas also to have an education£¬ so he went to publicschool with a great number of other boys£® They played to£­ gether£¬ and that was much more fun than going along with a tutor£® Peer would not have changed places with him£®

He was a lucky Peer£¬ but Godfather was also a lucky peer£¬although his name was not Peer£® He won a pnize in the lottery£¬ of two hundred dollars£¬on a ticket he shared with eleven others£® He immediately bought some better clothes£¬ and he looked very well in them£®

Luck never comes alone£» it always has company£¬ and soit did this time£®Godfather gave up the garbage wagon and joined the theater£®

"What's that£¡" said Grandmother£®"Is he going into the theater£¿ As what£¿"

As a machinist£® That was an advancement£® He be-came quite another person£» and he enjoyed the plays very much£¬ although he always saw them from the top or from the side£® Most wonderful was the ballet£¬ but that gavehim the hardest work£¬ and there was always danger of fire£® They danced both in heaven and on earth£® That was something for little Peer to see£» and one evening when there was to be a dress rehearsal of a new ballet£¬ inwhich everyone was dressed and made up as on the open£­ ing night when people pay to see all the magnificence£¬ he had permission to bring Peer with him and put him in a place where he could see the whole show£®

It was a Biblical ballet—Samson£® The Philistinesdanced about him£¬ and he tumbled the whole house downover them and himself£» but there were both fire engines and firemen on hand in case of any accident£®

Peer had never seen a stage play£¬ not to mention a ballet£®He put on his Sunday clothes and went with God£­ father to the theater£®It was just like a great deying loft£¬with many curtains and screens£¬ big openings in the floor£¬ lamps£¬and lights£® There were so many tricky nooks and corners everywhere£¬ from which people appeared£¬ just as in a great church with its gallery pews£® Peer was seat£­ed down where the floor slanted steeply and was told to stay there until it was all finished and he was sent for£®Hehad three sandwiches in his pocket£¬ so that he need notstarve£®

Soon it grew lighter and lighter£» then up in front£¬ just as if straight out of the earth£¬ there came a number ofmusicians with both flutes and violins£® In the seats next toPeer sat people dressed in street clothes£»but there also appeared knights with gold helmets£¬ beautiful maidens ingauze and flowers£¬ even angels all in white£¬ with wings on their backs£®They seated themselves upstairs and downstairs£¬ on the floor and in the balcony seats£¬ towatch what was going on£®They were all members of the ballet£¬ but Peer did not know that£® He thought they be£­longed in the fairy tales his grandmother had told him about£® There then appeared a woman£¬ and she was themost beautiful of all£¬ with a gold helmet and spear£» she seemed to be above all the others£¬ and sat between an an£­gel and a troll£® Ah£¬ how much there was to see£¡ And yet the ballet bad not even begun£®

Suddenly everything became quiet£®A man dressed in black moved a little fairy wand over all the musicians£¬ and then they began to play£» the music made a whistling sound through the theater£¬ and the whole wall in front be- gan to rise£®One looked into a flower garden£¬ where the sun shone and all the people danced and leaped£® Such a wonderful sight Peer had never imagined£® There weresoldiers marching£¬ and there was war£¬ and there was a banquet£¬ and there were the mighty Samson and his lover£®

But she was as wicked as she was beautiful£» she betrayed him£® The Philistines plucked his eyes out£» he was forced togrind in the mill and to be mocked and insulted in the great house£» it fell£¬ and there burst forth wonderful flames of redand green fire£®

Peer could have sat there his whole life long and looked on£¬ even if the sandwiches were all eaten—and they were all eaten£®

Now here was something to tell about£¬ when he gothome£®It was impossible to get him to go to bed£®He stood on one leg and laid the other on the table—that was what Samson's lover and all the other ladies had done£® He madea treadmill out of Grandmother's chair and upset two chairsand a pillow over himself to show how the banquet hall had come down£®He showed this—yes£¬and he even presented it with the music that belonged to it£»there was no talking in the ballet£® He sang high and low£¬[with words andwithout words£¬] and it was quite incoherent£® It was like awhole opera£® The most noticeable thing of all£¬ meanwhile£¬was his beautiful£¬ bell£­clear voice£¬ but no one spoke ofthat£®

Peer previously had wanted to be a grocer's boy£¬ tobe in charge of prunes and powdered sugar£® Now he foundthere was something much more wonderful£¬ and that was toget into the Samson story and dance in the ballet£® A great many poor children had taken that road£¬ said the grand£­mother£¬ and had become fine and honored people£» yet no little girl of her family would ever be permitted to do so£»but a boy—well£¬ he stood more firmly£® Peer had not seen a single one of the little girls fall down before the whole house fell£¬ and then they all fell together£¬ he said£®

 

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 Peer wanted to£¬and felt he must£¬be a ballet dancer£®

"He gives me no rest£¡"said his mother£®

At last£¬ his grandmother promised to take him to theballet master£¬ who was a fine gentleman and had his ownhouse£¬ like the merchant£® Would Peer ever be that rich£¿Nothing is impossible for our Lord£®Peer had been born with a gold apple£» luck had been laid in his hands—per£­haps it was also in his legs£®

Peer went to the ballet master and knew him at once£»it was Samson himself£®His eyes had not suffered atall at the hands of the Philistines£® That was only acting inthe play£¬ he was told£® And Samson looked kindly and pleasantly at him£¬ and told him to stand up straight£¬ lookright at him£¬ and show him his ankle£®Peer showed his whole foot and leg£¬ too£®

"So be got a place in the ballet£¬"said Grandmother£®

This was easily arranged with the ballet master£»

but before that£¬ his mother and grandmother had spo£­ ken with several understanding people—first with the merchant's wife£¬ who thought it a good career for ahandsome£¬ bonest boy like Peer£¬ but without any fu£­ ture£® Then they had spoken with Miss Frandsen£» she knew all about the ballet£¬ and at one time£¬ in Grand-mother's younger days£¬ she had been the most beauti£­ful danseuse at the theater£» she had danced goddesses and princesses£¬ had been cheered and applauded wher£­ever she had gone£» but then she had grown older—weall do—and so no longer had she been given principal parts£» she'd had to dance behind the younger ones£»and when finally her dancing days had come to an end£¬ she had become a wardrobe woman and dressed the others as goddesses and princesses£®

"So it goes£¡"said Miss Frandsen£®"The theater road is a delightful one to travel£¬ but it is full of thorns£®Jealousy grows there£¡Jealousy£¡"

That was a word Peer did not understand at all£»but he came to understand it in time£®

"No force or power can keep him from the bal£­ let£¬"said his mother£®

"A pious Christian child£¬that he is£¬"said Grandmother£®

"And well brought up£¬"said Miss Frandsen£®

"Well formed and moral£¡ That I was in my heyday£®"

And so Peer went to the dancing school and got some summer clothes and thin£­soled dancing shoes to make himself lighter£®All the older girl dancers kissed him and said that he was a boy good enough to eat£®

He had to stand up£¬ stick his legs out£¬ and hold on to a post so as not to fall£¬ while he leaned to kick£¬ firstwith his right leg£¬ then with his left£® It was not nearly sodifficult for him as it was for most of the others£¬ The bal£­let master patted him and said that he would soon be in the ballet£» he was to play the child of a king who was carried on shields and wore a gold crown£® This was prac£­ticed at the dancing school and rehearsed at the theater itself£®

The mother and grandmother had to see little Peer in all his glory£¬ and when they saw this£¬ they both cried£¬ al£­though it was such a happy occasion£® Peer£¬ in all his pomp and glory£¬ did not see them at all£» but he did see the mer£­chant's family£¬ who sat in the loge nearest the stage£®LittleFelix was with them£¬[in his best clothes£®]He wore but£­ toned gloves£¬just like a grown£­up gentleman£¬ and although he could see perfectly well£¬he looked through an opera glass the whole evening£¬ just like a grown£­up gentleman£®

He looked at Peer£¬ and Peer looked at him£» Peer was a king's child with a crown of gold£® This evening brought thetwo children into closer relationship with one another£®

A few days later£¬when they met each other at home in the yard£¬Felix went up to Peer and told him he had seen him when he was a prince£® He knew very well that he was not a prince any longer£¬ but then he had worn a prince's clothes and a gold crown£®"I shall wear them again on Sunday£¬"said Peer£®

Felix did not see him Sunday£¬ but he thought about it the whole evening£®He would have liked very much to have been in Peer's place£» he had not heard Miss Frandsen'swarning that the road of the theater was a thorny one and that jealousy grew along it£» nor did Peer know this yet£¬ buthe would very soon learn it£®

His young companions£¬the dancing children£¬were not all so good as they ought to be£¬ although they often played angels and had wings on them£® There was a little girl£¬ Malle Knallerup£¬who always—when she was dressedas a page£¬ and Peer was a page—stepped maliciously on the side of his foot£¬ so as to dirty his stockings£® Therewas a wicked boy who always was sticking pins in his back£» and one day he ate Peer's sandwiches—by mis£­take£» but that was impossible£¬ for Peer had meat balls onhis sandwiches£¬ and the other boy had only bread withoutbutter£» he could not have made a mistake£®

It would be impossible to recite all the annoyances that Peer endured in two years£¬and the worst was yet to come£®

There was a ballet per£­ formed called The Vampire£®

In it the smallest dancing children were dressed as bats£¬ wore gray£¬knitted tights that fitted snugly to their bodies£»

black gauze wings were stretched from their shoulders£®

They were to run on tiptoe£¬ as if they were light enough to fly£¬ and then they wete to whirl around on the floor£®

Peer could do this especially well£»but his trousers and jacket£¬all of one piece£¬were old and worn and could not stand the strain£®So just as he whirled around before the eyes of all the people£¬ there was a rip right down his back£¬ straight from his neck down to where the legs are fastenedin£¬ and all of his short£¬ white shirt could be seen£® Allthe people laughed£®Peer felt it and£¬knew what had hap£­ pened£» he whirled and whirled£¬ but it grew worse andworse£®People laughed louder and louder£»the other vam£­ pires laughed with them£¬and whirled into him£¬and all the more dreadfully when the people clapped and shouted£¬ "Bravo£¡"

"That is for the ripped vampire£¡"said the dancing chil£­dren£®And from then on they always called him Rippy£®

Peer cried£® Miss Frandsen comforted him£®"It is only jealousy£¬"she said£» and now Peer knew what jealousywas£®

Besides the dancing school£¬ they had a regular school at the theater where the cinldren were taught arithmetic and writing£¬history and geography—yes£¬ and they even had a teacher in religion£¬ for it is not enough to know how to dance£»there is something more important in the world than wearing out dancing shoes£® Here£¬ too£¬ Peer was quick£¬ the very quickest of all£¬ and got plenty of good marks£»but hisfellow students still called him Rippy£® They were only teas£­ ing him£»but at last he could not stand it any longer£¬and he swung and hit one of the boys£¬ so that he was black and blue under the left eye and had to have grease paint on it in the evening when he appeared in the ballet£®Peer got a scolding from the dancing master£¬and a worse one from the sweeping woman£¬ for it was her son he had"given asweeping£®"

 

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 A good many thoughts went through little Peer's head£® And one Sunday£¬ when he was dressed in his bestclothes£¬ he went out without saying a word about it to hismother or his grandmother£¬ not even to Miss Frandsen£¬ who always gave him good advice£» he went straight to the or£­chestra conductor£» he thought this man was the most impor£­ tant one there was outside the ballet£® Cheerfully he stepped in and said£¬"I am at the dancing school£¬ but there is so much jealousy there£¬and so I would rather be a player or a singer£¬ if you would help me£¬ please£®"

"Have you a voice£¿"asked the conductor£¬ and looked quite pleasantly at him£®"Seems to me I know you£® Where have I seen you before£¿ Wasn't it you who was ripped down the back£¿" And now he laughed£® But Peer grew red£»he was surely no longer Lucky Peer£¬ as his grandmother had called him£®He looked down at his feet and wished he were far away£®

"Sing me a song£¡"said the conductor£®"Come now£¬cheer up£¬ my boy£¡"And he tapped him under the chin£¬and Peer looked up into his kind eyes and sang a song£¬ "Mercy for Me£¬"which he had heard at the theater£¬in the opera Robert le Diable£®

"That is a difficult song£¬but you did it pretty well£¬"

said the conductor£®"You have an excellent voice—as long as it doesn't rip in the back£¡"And he laughed and calledhis wife£® She also had to hear Peer sing£¬ and she nodded her head and said something in a foreign tongue£®Just at that moment the singing master of the theater came in£»itwas really to him Peer should have gone if he wanted to be a singer£» now the singing master came to him£¬quite acci£­ dentally£¬ as it were£» he also heard him sing"Mercy for Me£¬" but he did not laugh£¬ and he did not look so kindlyat him as the conductor and his wife£» still it was decided that Peer should have singing lessons£®

"Now he is on the right track£¬"said Miss Frandsen£®

"One gets much farther with a voice than with legs£® If I had had a voice£¬ I would have been a great songstress andwould perhaps have been a baroness by now£®"

"Or a bookbinder's wife£¬" said Mother£®"Had you become rich£¬ you surely would have taken the book£­ binder£®"

We do not understand that hint£¬ but Miss Frandsendid£®

Peer had to sing for her and sing for the merchant's family£¬ when they heard of his new career£® He was calledin one evening wnen they had company downstairs£¬ ana hesang several songs£¬ among them"Mercy for Me£®"All the company clapped their hands£¬and Felix did£¬too£»he had heard him sing before£» in the stable Peer had sung the en£­tire ballet of Samson£¬ and that was the most delightful of all£®

"One cannot sing a ballet£¬"said the lady£®

"Yes£¬ Peer can£¬"said Felix£¬ and so they asked him to do it£® He sang£¬ and he talked£» he drummed and hehummed£»it was child's play£¬but fragments of well£­known melodies came forth which really illustrated what the ballet was about£® All the company found it very entertaining£»they laughed and praised it£¬ one louder than another£®

The merchant's wife gave Peer a huge piece of cake and a silver dollar£®

How lucky the boy felt£¬ until he discovered a gen£­tleman who stood somewhat in the background£¬ and wholooked sternly at him£® There was something harsh and se£­ vere in the man's black eyes£» he did not laugh£»he didnot speak a single friendly word£» this gentleman was the singing master from the theater£®

Next forenoon£¬ Peer went to him£¬ and he stoodthere quite as severe£­looking as before£®

"What was the matter with you yesterday£¡"he said£®

"Could you not understand that they were making a fool of you£¿Never do that again£¬and don't you go running about and singing at doors£¬ either inside or outside£® Nowyou can go£®I won't give you any singing lesson today£®"

When Peer left£¬he was dreadfully downcast£» he had fallen out of the master's good graces£® On the contrary£¬the master was really more satisfied with him than ever before£® In all the absurdity which he had seen him per£­ form£¬ there was really some meaning£¬ something quite unusual£® The boy had an ear for music£¬ and a voice asclear as a bell and of great compass£» if it continued likethat£¬ then the little fellow's fortune was made£®

Now began the singing lessons£®Peer was industrious and Peer was clever£® How much there was to learn£¬ howmuch to know£¡ The mother toiled and slaved to make an honest living£¬ so that her son might be well dressed and neat and not look too shabby among the people to whom he now was invited£® He was always singing and jubilant£»

they had no need at all of a canary bird£¬ the mother said£®Every Sunday he had to sing a psalm with his grandmoth£­ er£® It was delightful to hear his fresh voice lift itself upwith hers£®"It is much more beautiful than to hear him sing wildly£¡"That's what she called his singing when£¬ like a little bird£¬ his voice jubilantly gave forth with tonesthat seemed to come of themselves and make such music as they pleased£® What tones there were in his little throat£¬ what wonderful sounds in his little breast£¡ In£­ deed£¬ he could imitate a whole orchestra£® There wereboth flute and bassoon in his voice£¬ and there were violinand bugle£® He sang as the birds sing£» but man's voice is much more charming£¬ even a little man's£¬ when he cansing like Peer£®

But in the winter£¬ just as he was to go to the pastor to be prepared for confirmation£¬ he caught cold£» the littlebird in his breast said£¬ pip£¡ The voice was ripped like thevampire's back£­piece£®

"It is no great misfortune£¬after all£¬"thought Moth£­ er and Grandmother£®"Now he doesn't go singing£¬ tra£­la£¬ so he can think more seriously about his religion£®"

His voice was changing£¬ the singing master said£®Peer must not sing at all now£® How long would it be£¿ Ayear£¬ perhaps two£» perhaps the voice would never comeagain£®That was a great grief£®

"Think only of your confirmation now£¬"said Mother and Grandmother£®"Practice your music£¬"said the singing master£¬"but keep your mouth shut£®"

He thought of his religion£¬and he studied his mu£­ sic£»it sang and resounded within him£® He wrote entire melodies down in notes£¬ songs without words£® Finally he wrote the words£¬ too£®

"You ale a poet£¬too£¬little Peer£¬"said the mer£­ chant's wife£¬ to whom he carried his text and music£®Themerchant received a piece of music dedicated to him£¬ a piece without words£®Felix got one£¬ too£» and£¬yes£¬ MissFrandsen also did£¬and that went into her scrapbook£¬in which were verses and music by two who were once young lieutenants but now were old majors on half pay£» the book had been given by"a friend£¬"who had bound it himself£®

And Peer was confirmed at Easter£®Felix presented him with a silver watch£® It was the first watch Peer had owned£» he felt that this made him a man£¬ for now he didnot have to ask others what time it was£®Felix came up to the garret£¬ congratulated him£¬ and handed him thewatch£» he himself was not to be confirmed until the au£­ tumn£® They took each other by the hand£¬these two chil- dren of the house£¬both the same age£¬born the same day and in the same house£®And Felix ate a piece of the cake that had been baked in the garret for the occasion of the confirmation£®

"It is a happy day with solemn thoughts£¬"saidGrandmother£®

"Yes£¬very solemn£¡"said Mother£®"If only Father had lived to see Peer today£¡"

The following Sunday all three of them went to Com£­munion£® When they came home from church they found a message from the singing master£¬ asking Peer to come tosee him£» and Peer went£® Some good news awaited him£¬and yet it was serious£¬ too£® While he must give up singingfor a year£¬ and his voice must lie fallow like a field£¬ as apeasant might say£¬during that time he was to further hiseducation£¬not in the capital£¬ where every evening he wouldbe running to the theater£¬ from which he could not keepaway£¬ but he was to go one hundred and twenty miles fromhome£¬ to board with a schoolmaster who boarded a coupleof other young men£® There he was to learn language andscience£¬ which someday would be useful to him£¬ The charge for a year's coirse was three hundred dollars£¬ andthat was paid by a"benefactor who does not wish hisname to be known£®"

"It is the merchant£¬"said Mother and Grandmother£®

The day of departure came£®A good many tears were shed£¬ and kisses and blessings given£» and then Peer rodethe hundred and twenty miles on the railway£¬ out into thewide world£® It was Whitsuntide£® The sun shone£¬ and thewoods were fresh and green£» the train went rushing through them£»new fields and villages were continually coming into view£» country manors peeped out£» the cattle stood in the pastures£® Now they passed a station£¬ then another£¬and market town after market town£®At each stopping place there was a crowd of people£¬ welcoming or saying good£­by£» there was noisy talking£¬ outside and inthe carriages£®Where Peer sat there was a lot of entertain£­ ment and chattering by a widow dressed in black£® She talked about his grave£¬ his coffin£¬and his corpse—mean£­ ing her child's£® It had been such a poor little thing thatthere could have been no happiness for it had it lived£® It had been a great relief for her and the little lamb when it had fallen asleep£®

"I spared no expense on flowers on that occasion£¡"

she said£»"and you must remember that it died at a veryexpensive time£¬ when the flowers had to be cut from pot£­ted plants£¡ Every Sunday I went to my grave and laid a wreath on it with great white silk bows£» the silk bows were immediately stolen by some little girls and used for dancing bows£» they were so tempting£¡One Sunday I wentthere£¬ and I knew that my grave was on the left of themain path£¬ but when I got there£¬ there was my grave onthe right£®'How is this£¿' says I to the gravedigger£®'Isn't my grave on the left£¿'

"'No£¬it isn't any longer£¡'the gravedigger an£­ swered£®'Madam's grave lies there all right£¬but the mound has been moved over to the right£» that placebelongs to another man's grave£®'

"'But I want my corpse in my grave£¬'says I£¬'andI have a perfect right to say so£®Shall I go and decorate a false mound£¬ when my corpse lies without any sign on theother side£¿Indeed I won't£¡'

"'Then Madam must talk to the dean£®'

"He is such a good man£¬ that dean£¡ He gave me per£­ mission to have my corpse on the right£®It would cost five dollars£® I gave that with a kiss of my hand and walked back to my old grave£®'Can I now be very sure that it is my own coffin and my corpse that is moved£¿'

"'That Madam can£¡' And so I gave each of the men a coin for the moving£® But now£¬ since it had cost so much£¬I thought I should spend something to make it beautiful£¬ and so I ordered a monument with an inscription£® But—

will you believe it—when I got it£¬ there was a gilded but£­ terfly painted at the top£®'Why£¬ that means Frivolity£¬'

said I£®'I won't have that on my glave£®'

"'It is not Frivolity£¬ Madam£» it is Immortality£®'

"' I never heard that£¬' said I£®Now£¬ have any of youhere in the carriage ever heard of a butterfly as a sign for anything but Frivolity£¿ I kept quiet£® I don't like long con£­versations£® I composed myself£¬ and put the monument away in my pantry£®There it stood till my lodger came home£®He is a student and haa so many£¬ many books£® He assured methat it really stood for Immortality£¬and so the monument was placed on the grave£®"

And during all the chatter£¬ Peer arrived at the station of the town where he was to live£¬ and become just as wiseas the student£¬ and have just as many books£®

 

¢õ

 

 Herr Gabriel£¬ the honorable man of learning withwhom Peer was to live as a boarding scholar£¬ was at therailway station£¬ to call for him£® Herr Cabriel was a man asthin as a skeleton£¬ with great£¬ shiny eyes that stuck out sovery far that one was almost afraid that when he sneezed they would pop out of his head entirely£®He was accompa£­ nied by three of his own little boys£» one of them stumbledover his own legs£¬ and the other two stepped all over Peer's feet in their eagerness to get a close view of him£®Two larger boys were with them£¬ the older about fourteenyears£¬ fair£­skinned£¬ freckled£¬ and full of pimples£®

"Young Madsen£¬ who will be a student in aboutthree years£¬if he studies£¡ Primus£¬ son of a dean£®"Thatwas the younger£¬ who looked like a head of wheat£®"Bothare boarders£¬ studying with me£¬"said Herr Gabriel£®"Oursmall stuff£¬" he called his own boys£®

"Trine£¬bring the newcomer's trunk on your wheel- barrow£® The table is set for you at home£®"

"Stuffed turkey£¡" said the other two young gentle£­men boarders£®

"Stuffed turkey£¡" said the"small stuff"£» and againone of them fell over his own legs£®

"Caesar£¬look after your feet£¡"exclaimed Herr Gabriel£®

And they walked into town and then out of it£® Therestood a great half-tumbled£­down timber house£¬ with a jas£­mine£­covered summerhouse£¬facing the road£® Here MadamGabriel waited with more"small stuff£¬"two little girls£®

"The new pupil£¬" said Herr Gabriel£®

"A most hearty welcome£¡" said Madam Gabriel£¬ ayouthful£¬ well£­fed woman£¬ red and white£¬ with spit curlsand a lot of pomade on her hair£®

"Good heavens£¬how grown£­up you are£¡"she said toPeer£®"Why£¬ you are a fully developed gentleman al- ready£® I thought that you were like Primus or young Mad-sen£®Angel Gabriel£¬ it's a good thing the inner door isnailed£® You know what I think£®"

"Nonsense£¡"said Herr Gabriel£® And they stepped into the room£® There was a novel on the table£¬lying open£¬and a sandwich on it£®One might have thought that it had been placed there as a bookmark—it lay across theopen page£®

"Now I must be the housewife£¡"And with all five ofher children£¬ and the two boarders£¬ she showed Peer through the kitchen£¬ and the hallway£¬and into a littleroom£¬ the windows of which looked out on the garden£»that was to be his study and bedroom£»it was next to Madam Gabriel's room£¬ where she slept with all the fivechildren£» the connecting door£¬ for decency's sake£¬ and toprevent gossip"which spares nobody£¬"had been nailed up by Herr Gabriel that very day£¬at Madam's express re£­ quest£®

"Here you can live just as if you were at your par£­ ents'£® We have a theater£¬ too£¬ in the town£®The pharma- cist is the director of a private company£¬and we have trav£­ eling players But now you are going to have your turkey£®"

And so she showed Peer into the dining room£¬ where the wash was drying on a line£®

"That doesn't do any harm£¬" she said£®"It is only cleanliness£¬ and that you are surely accustomed to£®"

So Peer sat down to eat the roast turkey£¬ while thechildren of the house£¬ but not the two boarders£¬ who hadwithdrawn£¬gave a dramatic show for the entertainment of themselves and the stranger£® There had lately been a trav£­eling company of actors in town£¬which had played Schiller's The Robbers£® The two oldest boys had been im£­ mensely taken with it£® And they now performed the whole play at home—all the parts£¬ notwithstanding that they re-membered only these words£º"Dreams come from the stom£­ ach£®"But they were spoken by all the characters in differ£­ ent tones of voice£®There stood Amelia£¬with heavenly eyes and a dreamy look£®"Dreams come from the stomach£¡"she said£¬ and covered her face with both her hands£® Carl Moorcame forward with a heroic stride and manly voice£¬ "Dreams come from the stomach£¬" and at that the wholeflock of children£¬ boys and girls£¬rushed in£» they were allrobbers£¬and murdered one another£¬ crying out£¬"Dreams come from the stomach£®"

That was Schiller's The Robbers£® This performance and stuffed turkey were Peer's first introduction into HerrGabriel's house£® He then went to his little chamber£¬ wherethrough the window£¬ into which the sun shone warmly£¬ he could see the garden£®He sat down and looked out£®Herr Gabriel was walking there£¬ absorbed in reading a book£® Hecame closer and looked in£» his eyes seemed fixed upon Peer£¬who bowed respectfully£®Herr Gabriel opened his mouth as wide as he would£¬ stuck out his tongue£¬ and letit wag from one side to the other right in the face of theastonished Peer£¬who could not understand why he wastreated in such a manner£®Whereupon Herr Gabriel left£¬but then turned back to the window and again stuck histongue out of his mouth£®

Why did he do that£¿He was not thinking of Peer£¬or that the panes of glass were transparent from the out£­side£»he saw only the reflection of himself in them£¬andhe wanted to look at his tongue£¬as he had a stomach-ache£¬but Peer did not know all this£®

Early in the evening Herr Gabriel went into hisroom£¬and Peer sat in his£®Much later in the evening heheard quarreling£­female quarreling£­in Madam Gabriel'sbedroom£®

"I am going up to Gabriel and tell him what rascalsyou are£¡"

£Û"We will also go to Gabriel and tell him whatMadam is£¡"£Ý "I shall have a fit£¡"she cried£®

"Who wants to see a woman in a fit£¡Four shillings£¡"

Then Madam's voice sank deeper£¬but was distinct£­ly heard£®"What will the young man in there think of ourhouse when he hears all this vulgarity£¡"At that the quar-rel subsided£¬but then again rose louder and louder£®

"Period£¡Finis£¬"cried Madam£®"Go and make thepunch£»it's better to agree than to quarrel£¡"

And then it was still£®The door opened£¬and thegirls left£¬and then Madam knocked on the door to Peer'sroom£®

"Young man£¬now you have some idea of what it isto be a housewife£®You should thank heaven that youdon't have to bother with girls£®I want to have peace£¬soI give them punch£®I would gladly give you a glass-onesleeps so well after it-but no one dares go through thehallway door after ten o'clock£»my Gabriel will not permitit£®But you shall have some punch£¬nevertheless£®There isa big hole in the door£¬stopped up with putty£»I will pushthe putty out and put a funnel through the hole£»you holdyour waterglass under it£¬and I shall pour you some punch£®Keep it a secret£¬even from my Gabriel£®You must notworry him with household affairs£®"

And so Peer got his punch£¬and there was peace inMadam Gabriel's room£¬ peace and quiet in the wholehouse£®Peer went to bed£¬thought of his mother and grand-mother£¬said his evening prayer£¬and fell asleep£®What onedreams the first night one sleeps in a strange house hasspecial significance£¬Grandmother had said£®Peer dreamedthat he took the amber heart£¬which he still constantlywore£¬laid it in a flowerpot£¬and it grew into a great tree£¬up through the ceiling and the roof£»it bore thousands ofhearts of silver and gold£¬so heavy that the flowerpotbroke£¬and it was no longer an amber heart-it had be-come mold£¬earth to earth-gone£¬gone forever£¡Then Peerawoke£»he still had the amber heart£¬and it was warm£¬warm against his own warm heart£®

 

¢ö

 

 Early in the morning the first study hours began atHerr Gabriel's£®They studied French£®At lunch the onlyones present were the boarders£¬the children£¬and Madam£®She drank her second cup of coffee here£»her first she al-ways took in bed£®"It is so healthy when one is liable tospasms£®She asked Peer what he had studied that day£®

"French£¬"he answered£®

"It is an expensive language£¡"She said£®"It is thelanguage of diplomats and one used by distinguished peo£­ple£®I did not study it in my childhood£¬but when one ismarried to a learned man one gains from his knowledge£¬asone gains from his mother's milk£®Thus£¬I have all thenecessary words£®I am quite sure I would know how to ex£­press myself in whatever company I happened to be£®"

Madam had acquireed a foreign name by her marriagewith a learned man£®She had been baptized Mette after arich aunt£¬whose heir she was to have been£®She had gotthe name£¬but not the inheritance£®Herr Gabriel rebaptizedMette as Meta£¬the Latin word for measure£®At the time ofher wedding£¬all her clothes£¬woolen and linen£¬weremarked with the letters M£®G£®£¬Meta Gabriel£»but youngMadsen£¬who was a witty boy£¬interpreted the letters M£®G£®to be a mark meaning"most good£¬"and he added abig guestion mark in ink£¬on the tablecloths£¬the towels£¬and the sheets£®

"Don't you like Madam£¿asked Peer£¬when youngMadsen made him privately acquainted with this joke£®"She is so kind£¬and Herr Gabriel is so learned£®"

"She is a bag of lies£¡"said young Madsen£»"andHerr Gabriel is a scoundrel£®If I were only a corporal£¬and he a recruit£¬oh£¬how I would discipline him£¡"And abloodthirsty expression came to young Madsen's face£»hislips grew narrower than usual£¬and his whole face seemedone great freckle£®

There were terrible words to hear£¬and they gavePeer a shock£»yet young Madsen had the clearest right tothink that way£®It was a cruel thing on the part of parentsand teachers that a fellow had to waste his best time£¬de£­lightful youth£¬on learning grammar£¬names£¬and dates£¬which nobody cares anything about£¬instead of enjoyinghis liberty relaxing£¬and wandering about with a gun overhis shoulder like a good hunter£®"No£¬one has to be shutin and sit on a bench and look sleepily at a book£»HerrGabriel wants that£®And then one is called lazy and getsthe mark'passable'£»yes£¬one's parents get letters aboutit£»that's why Herr Gabriel is a scoundrel£®"

"He gives lickings£¬too£¬"added little Primus£¬whoagreed with young Madsen£®This was not very pleasant forPeer to hear£®But Peer got no lickings£»he was too grown£­up£¬as Madam had said£®He was not called lazy£¬either£¬for that he was not£®He had his lessons alone£®He wassoon well ahead of Madsen and Primus£®

"He has ability£¡"said Herr Gabriel£®

"And one can see that he has been to dancingschool£¡"said Madam£®

"We must have him in our dramatic club£¬"saidthe pharmacist£¬who lived more for the town's privatetheater than for his pharmacy£®Malicious people appliedto him the old stale joke that he must have been bittenby a mad actor£¬for he was completely insane about thetheater£®

"The young student was born for a lover£¬"said thepharmacist£®"In a couple of years he could be Romeo£»andI believe that if he were well made up£¬and we put a littlemustache on him£¬he could very well appear this winter£®"

The pharmacist's daughter-"great dramatic talent£¬"said the father£»"true beauty£¬"said the mother£­was to beJuliet£»Madam Gabriel had to be the nurse£¬and the phar-macist£¬who was both director and stage manager£¬wouldtake the role of the apothecary£¬which was small but ofgreat importance£®Everything depended on Herr Gabriel'spermission for Peer to play Romeo£®This had to be workedthrough Madam Gabriel£»one had to know how to win herover-and this the pharmacist knew£®

"You were born to be the nurse£¬"he said£¬andthought that he was flattering her exceedingly£®"That is ac£­tually the most important part in the play£¬"he continued£®"It is the comedy role£»without it£¬the play would be toosad to sit through£®No one but you£¬Madam Gabriel£¬hasthe quickness and life that should sparkle here£®"

All very trne£¬she agreed£¬but her husband wouldsurely never permit the young student to contribute whatev-er time would be required to play the part of Romeo£®Shepromised£¬however£¬to"pump"him£¬as she called it£®Thepharmacist immediately began to study his part£¬and espe£­cially to think about his make-up£®He wanted to look al£­most like a skeleton£¬a poor£¬miserable fellow£¬and yet aclever man-a rather difficult problem£®But Madam Gabrielhad a much harder one in"pumping "her husband to givehis permission£®He could not£¬he said£¬answer for it toPeer's guardians£¬who paid for his schooling and board£¬ifhe permitted the young man to play in tragedy£®We cannotconceal the fact£¬however£¬that Peer had the greatest desireto do it£®"But it won't work£¬"he said£®

"It's working£¬"said Madam£»"only let me keep onpumping£®"She would have given him punch£¬but HerrGabriel did not like to drink it£®Married people are oftendifferent£»this is said without any offense to Madam£®

"One glass and no more£¬"she thought£®"It elevatesthe mind and makes one happy£¬and that's what we oughtto be-it is our Lord's with us£®"

Peer was to be Romeo£»that was pumped through byMadam£®The rehearsals were held at the pharmacist's£®They had chocolate and"genii"-that is to say£¬smallbiscuits£®These were sold at the bakery£¬twelve for a pen£­ny£¬and they were so exceedingly small£¬and there wereso many£¬that it was considered witty to call them genii£®

"It is an easy matter to make fun£¬"said HerrGabriel£¬although he himself often gave nicknames to onething and another£®He called the pharmacist's house"Noah's ark£¬with its clean and unclean beasts"£¬andthat was only because of the affection which was shown bythat family toward their pet animals£®The young lady hadher own cat£¬Graciosa£¬which was pretty and soft£­skinned£»it would lie in the window£¬in her lap£¬on hersewing work£¬or run over the table spread for dinner£®Thewife had a poultry yard£¬a duck yard£¬a parrot£¬and ca£­nary birds-and Polly could outcry them all together£®Twodogs£¬Flick and Flock£¬walked about in the living room£»they were by no means perfume bottles£¬and they lay onthe sofa and on the family bed£®

The rehearsal began£¬and it was only interrupted amoment by the dogs slobbering over Madam Gabriel's newgown£¬but that was out of pure friendship and it did notspot it£®The cat also caused a slight disturbance£»it in£­sisted on giving its paw to Juliet and sitting on her headand wagging its tail£®Juliet's tender speeches were divid£­ed equally between cat and Romeo£®Every word that Peerhad to say was exactly what he wished to say to the phar£­macist's daughter£®How lovely and charming she was£¬achild of nature£¬who£¬as Madam Gabriel expressed it£¬was perfect for the role£®Peer began to fall in love withher£®

There surely was instinct or something even higherin the cat£®It perched on Peer's shoulders as if to sym-bolize the sympathy between Romeo and Juliet£®With eachsuccessive rehearsal Peer's fervor became stronger£¬moreapparent£»the cat became more confidential£¬the parrotand the canary birds noisier£»Flick and Flock ran in andout£®

The evening of the performance came£¬and Peer wasa perfect Romeo£»he kissed Juliet right on her mouth£®

"Perfectly natural£¡"said Madam Gabriel£®

"Disgraceful£¡"said the Councilor£¬Herr Svendsen£¬the richest citizen and fattest man in the town£®The perspi£­ration poured from him£»it was warm in the house£¬andwarm within him as well£®Peer found no favor in his eyes£®"Such a puppy£¡"he said£»"a puppy so long that one couldbreak him in half and make two puppies of him£®"

Great applause-and one enemy£¡That was havinggood luck£®Yes£¬Peer was a Lucky Peer£®Tired and over£­come by the exertions of the evening and the flatteryshown him£¬he went home to his little room£®It was pastmidnight£»Madam Gabriel knocked on the wall£®

"Romeo£¡I have some punch for you£¡"

And the funnel was put through the hole in thedoor£¬and Peer Romeo held his glass under£®

"Good night£¬Madam Gabriel£®"

But Peer could not sleep£®Everything he had said£¬and particularly what Juliet had said£¬buzzed through hishead£¬and when he finally fell asleep he dreamed of awedding-a wedding with Miss Frandsen£¡What strangethings one can dream£¡

 

¢÷

 

"Now get that play£­acting out of your head£¬"saidHerr Gabriel the next morning£¬"and let's get busy withsome science£®

Peer had come near to thinking like young Madsen£¬that a fellow was wasting his delightful youth£¬being shutin and sitting with a book in his hand£®But when he satwith his book£¬there shone from it so many noble andgood thoughts that Peer found himself quite absorbed init£®He learned of the world's great men and theirachievements£»so many had been the children of poorpeople£ºThemistocles£¬the hero£¬son of a potter£»Shake£­speare£¬a poor weaver's boy£¬who as a young man heldhorses outside the door of the theater£¬where later he wasthe mightiest man in poetic art of all countries and alltime£®He learned of the singing contest at Wartburg£¬where the poets competed to see who would produce themost beautiful poem-a contest like the old trial of theGrecian poets at the great public feasts£®Herr Gabrieltalked of these with especial delight£®Sophocles in his oldage had written one of his hest tragedies and won theaward over all the others£®In this honor and fortune hisheart broke with joy£®Oh£¬how blessed to die in the midstof one's joy of victory£¡What could be more fortunate£¡Thoughts and dreams filled our little friend£¬but he hadno one to whom he could tell them£®They would not beunderstood by young Madsen or by Primus-nor by Madam Gabriel£¬either she was either in a very good hu-mor£¬or was the sorrwing mother£¬in which case she wasdissolved in tears£®

Her two little girls looked with astonishment at her£®Neither they nor Peer could discover why she was so over£­whelmed with sorrow and grief£®

"The poor children£¡"she said£®"A mother is al£­ways thinking of their future£®The boys can take care ofthemselves£®Caesar fslls£¬but he gets up again£»the twoolder ones splash in the water tub£»they ought to be inthe navy£¬and would surely marry well£®But my two littlegirls£¡What will their future be£¿They will reach the agewhen the heart feels£¬and then I am sure that whoevereach of them falls in love with will not be at all afterGabriel's liking£»he will choose someone they'll despise£¬and that will make them so unhappy£®As a mother£¬Ihave to think about these things£¬and that is my sorrowand grief£®You poor children£¡You will be so unhappy£¡"She wept£®

The little girls looked at her£®Peer looked at her andfelt rather sad£»he could think of nothing to say£¬so hereturned to his little room£¬sat down at the old piano£¬andtones and fantasies came forth as they streamed throughhis heart£®

In the early morning he went to his studies with aclear mind and performed his duties£¬for someone waspaying for his schooling£®He was a conscientious£¬right£­minded fellow£®In his diary he recorded each day what hehad read and studied£¬and how late he had sat up playingthe piano-always mutely£¬so that he wouldn't awakenMadam Gabriel£®It never said in his diary£¬except onSunday£¬the day of rest£¬"Thought of Juliet£¬""Was atthe pharmacist's£¬""Wrote a letter to Mother and Grand£­mother£®"Peer was still Romeo and a good son£®

"Very industriously£¡"said Herr Gabriel£®"Followthat example£¬young Madsen£¡Or you'll fail£¡"

"Scoundrel£¡"said young Madsen to himself£®

Primus£¬the Dean's son£¬suffered from sleepingsickness£®"It is a disease£¬"said the Dean's wife£»he wasnot to be treated with severity£®

The deanery was only eight miles away£»wealth andcomfort were there£®

"That man will die a bishop£¬"said Madam Gabriel£®"He has good connections at the court£¬and the Deanessis a lady of noble birth£®She knows all about heraldry-that means coats of arms£®

It was Whitsuntide£®A year had passed since Peercame to Herr Gabriel's house£®He had gained muchknowledge£¬but his voice had not come back£»would itever come£¿

The Gabriel household was invited to the Dean's toa great dinner and a dall later in the evening£®A goodmany guests came from the town and from the manorhouses about£®The pharmacist's family was invited£»Romeo would see his Juliet£¬perhaps dance the first dancewith her£®

The deanery was a well£­kept place£¬whitewashed£¬and without any manure heaps in the yard£¬£Ûand it had a dovecot painted green£¬around which twined an ivy vine£®£ÝThe Deaness was tall£¬corpulent woman£»"Athene£¬Glaucopis£¬"Herr Gabriel called her£»"the blue£­eyed£¬"not"the ox£­eyed£¬"as Juno was called£¬thought Peer£®Therewas a certain distinguished kindness about her£¬and aneffort to have an invalid look£»she probably had sleepingsickness just like Primus£®She was in a light-blue silkdress and wore great curls£»the one on the right side wasfastened with a large medallion portrait of her great-grand-mother£¬a general's wife£¬and the one on the left with anequally large bunch of grapes made of white porcelain£®

The Dean had a ruddy£¬plump face£¬with shiningwhite teeth£¬well suited to biting into a roast fillet£®Hisconversation always consisted of anecdotes£®He could con£­verse with everybody£¬but no one ever succeeded in carry£­ing on a conversation with him£®

The Councilor£¬too£¬was there£¬and among the strangers from the manors was Felix£¬the merchant's son£»he had been confirmed and was now a most elegant younggentleman£¬both in clothes and manners£»he was a mil£­lionaire£¬they said£®Madam Gabriel did not have courageenough to speak to him£®

Peer was overjoyed at seeing Felix£¬who came tohim in a very genial manner and said that he had broughtgreetings from his parents£¬who read all the letters Peerwrote home to his mother and grandmother£®

The dancing £®The pharmacist's daughter was to dance the first dance with the Councilor£»that was apromise she had made at home to her mother and to theCouncilor£®The second dance had been promised to Peer£»but Felix came and took her with a good£­natured nod£®

"Permit me to have this one dance£»the young ladywill give her permission only if you say so£®

Peer kept a polite face£»he said nothing£¬and Felixdanced with the pharmacist's daughter£¬the most beautifulgirl at the ball£®He also danced the next dance with her£®

"You will grant me the supper dance£¿"asked Peer£¬with a pale face£®

"Yes£¬the supper dance£¬"she answered with her mostcharming smile£®

"You surely will not take my partner from me£¿"saidFelix£¬who stood close by£®"That's not being very friend£­ly£®We two old friends from town£¡You say that you are soglad to see me£®Then you must allow me the pleasure oftaking the lady to supper£¡"And he put his arm aroundPeer and laid his forehead jestingly against him£®"Granted£¬isn't it£¿Granted£¡"

"No£¡"said Peer£¬his eyes sparkling with anger£®

Felix gaily raised his arms and set his elbows akimbo£¬as if he were trying to look like a frog ready to leap£®"Youare Perfectly right£¬young man£¡I would say the same if thesupper dance were promised me£¬sir£¡"He drew back witha graceful bow to the young lady£®

But shortly after£¬when Peer stood in a corner and ad-justed his necktie£¬Felix returned£¬put his arm around hisneck£¬and£¬with the most coaxing look£¬said£¬"Be big-hearted£¡My mother and your mother and old grandmotherwill all say that is just like you£®I am leaving tomorrow£¬and I will be terribly bored if I do not take the young ladyto supper£®My own friend£¬my only friend£¡"

Peer£¬as his only friend£¬could not resist that£»hepersonally led Felix to the young beauty£®

It was bright morning of the next day when the guestsdrove away from the Dean's£®The Gabriel household was inone carriage£¬and the whole family went to sleep£¬exceptPeer and Madam£®

She talked about the young merchant£¬the nich man'sson£¬who was really Peer's friend£»she had heard him say£¬"Skaal£¬my friend£¡To Mother and Grandmother£¡"Therewas something so"uninhibited£¬gallant in him£¬"she said£»"one saw at once that he is the son of rich people£¬or acount's child£®That£¬the rest of us can't acquire£®Onemust bow to that£¡"

Peer said nothing£®He was depressed all day£®Atnight£¬when bedtime had come and he lay in bed£¬sleepwas chased away£¬and he said to himself£¬"One has tobow£»one has to please£¡"That's what he had done£»hehad obeyed the r


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