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two　together　on　the　large　dew…drops　with　which　the　leaves　and　the　high　grass　were　sprinkled。　Sometimes　the　dew…drops　would　roll　away；　and　then　they　fell　down　between　the　stems　of　the　long　grass；　and　caused　a　great　deal　of　laughing　and　noise　among　the　other　little　people。　It　was　quite　charming　to　watch　them　at　play。　Then　they　sang　songs；　and　John　remembered　that　he　had　learnt　those　pretty　songs　when　he　was　a　little　boy。　Large　speckled　spiders；　with　silver　crowns　on　their　heads；　were　employed　to　spin　suspension　bridges　and　palaces　from　one　hedge　to　another；　and　when　the　tiny　drops　fell　upon　them；　they　glittered　in　the　moonlight　like　shining　glass。

This　continued　till　sunrise。　Then　the　little　elves　crept　into　the
flower…buds；　and　the　wind　seized　the　bridges　and　palaces；　and
fluttered　them　in　the　air　like　cobwebs。

As　John　left　the　wood；　a　strong　man's　voice　called　after　him；
〃Hallo；　comrade；　where　are　you　travelling？〃
〃Into　the　wide　world；〃　he　replied；　〃I　am　only　a　poor　lad；　I　have
neither　father　nor　mother；　but　God　will　help　me。〃
〃I　am　going　into　the　wide　world　also；〃　replied　the　stranger；
〃shall　we　keep　each　other　company？〃
〃With　all　my　heart；〃　he　said；　and　so　they　went　on　together。　Soon
they　began　to　like　each　other　very　much；　for　they　were　both　good；
but　John　found　out　that　the　stranger　was　much　more　clever　than
himself。　He　had　travelled　all　over　the　world；　and　could　describe
almost　everything。　The　sun　was　high　in　the　heavens　when　they　seated
themselves　under　a　large　tree　to　eat　their　breakfast；　and　at　the
same　moment　an　old　woman　came　towards　them。　She　was　very　old　and　almost　bent　double。　She　leaned　upon　a　stick　and　carried　on　her　back　a　bundle　of　firewood；　which　she　had　collected　in　the　forest；　her　apron　was　tied　round　it；　and　John　saw　three　great　stems　of　fern　and　some　willow　twigs　peeping　out。　just　as　she　came　close　up　to　them；　her　foot　slipped　and　she　fell　to　the　ground　screaming　loudly；　poor　old
woman；　she　had　broken　her　leg！　John　proposed　directly　that　they　should　carry　the　old　woman　home　to　her　cottage；　but　the　stranger　opened　his　knapsack　and　took　out　a　box；　in　which　he　said　he　had　a　salve　that　would　quickly　make　her　leg　well　and　strong　again；　so　that　she　would　be　able　to　walk　home　herself；　as　if　her　leg　had　never　been　broken。　And　all　that　he　would　ask　in　return　was　the　three　fern　stems　which　she　carried　in　her　apron。

〃That　is　rather　too　high　a　price；〃　said　the　old　woman；　nodding　her
head　quite　strangely。　She　did　not　seem　at　all　inclined　to　part　with
the　fern　stems。　However；　it　was　not　very　agreeable　to　lie　there　with　a
broken　leg；　so　she　gave　them　to　him；　and　such　was　the　power　of　the
ointment；　that　no　sooner　had　he　rubbed　her　leg　with　it　than　the　old
mother　rose　up　and　walked　even　better　than　she　had　done　before。　But
then　this　wonderful　ointment　could　not　be　bought　at　a　chemist's。

〃What　can　you　want　with　those　three　fern　rods？〃　asked　John　of
his　fellow…traveller。

〃Oh；　they　will　make　capital　brooms；〃　said　he；　〃and　I　like　them
because　I　have　strange　whims　sometimes。〃　Then　they　walked　on
together　for　a　long　distance。

〃How　dark　the　sky　is　becoming；〃　said　John；　〃and　look　at　those
thick；　heavy　clouds。〃

〃Those　are　not　clouds；〃　replied　his　fellow…traveller；　〃they　are
mountains…　large　lofty　mountains…　on　the　tops　of　which　we　should　be
above　the　clouds；　in　the　pure；　free　air。　Believe　me；　it　is
delightful　to　ascend　so　high；　tomorrow　we　shall　be　there。〃　But　the
mountains　were　not　so　near　as　they　appeared；　they　had　to　travel　a
whole　day　before　they　reached　them；　and　pass　through　black　forests　and　piles　of　rock　as　large　as　a　town。　The　journey　had　been　so　fatiguing　that　John　and　his　fellow…traveller　stopped　to　rest　at　a　roadside　inn；　so　that　they　might　gain　strength　for　their　journey　on　the　morrow。

In　the　large　public　room　of　the　inn　a　great　many　persons　were
assembled　to　see　a　comedy　performed　by　dolls。　The　showman　had　just　erected　his　little　theatre；　and　the　people　were　sitting　round　the　room　to　witness　the　performance。　Right　in　front；　in　the　very　best　place；　sat　a　stout　butcher；　with　a　great　bull…dog　by　his　side　who　seemed　very　much　inclined　to　bite。　He　sat　staring　with　all　his　eyes；　and　so　indeed　did　every　one　else　in　the　room。　And　then　the　play　began。　It　was　a　pretty　piece；　with　a　king　and　a　queen　in　it；　who　sat　on　a　beautiful　throne；　and　had　gold　crowns　on　their　heads。　The　trains　to　their　dresses　were　very　long；　according　to　the　fashion；　while　the
prettiest　of　wooden　dolls；　with　glass　eyes　and　large　mustaches；
stood　at　the　doors；　and　opened　and　shut　them；　that　the　fresh　air　might
come　into　the　room。　It　was　a　very　pleasant　play；　not　at　all
mournful；　but　just　as　the　queen　stood　up　and　walked　across　the
stage；　the　great　bull…dog；　who　should　have　been　held　back　by　his
master；　made　a　spring　forward；　and　caught　the　queen　in　the　teeth　by
the　slender　wrist；　so　that　it　snapped　in　two。　This　was　a　very　dreadful
disaster。　The　poor　man；　who　was　exhibiting　the　dolls；　was　much
annoyed；　and　quite　sad　about　his　queen；　she　was　the　prettiest　doll
he　had；　and　the　bull…dog　had　broken　her　head　and　shoulders　off。　But
after　all　the　people　were　gone　away；　the　stranger；　who　came　with　John；　said　that　he　could　soon　set　her　to　rights。　And　then　he　brought　out　his　box　and　rubbed　the　doll　with　some　of　the　salve　with　which　he　had　cured　the　old　woman　when　she　broke　her　leg。　As　soon　as　this　was　done　the　doll's　back　became　quite　right　again；　her　head　and　shoulders　were　fixed　on；　and　she　could　even　move　her　limbs　herself：　there　was　now　no　occasion　to　pull　the　wires；　for　the　doll　acted　just　like　a　living　creature；　excepting　that　she　could　not　speak。　The　man　to　whom　the　show　belonged　was　quite　delighted　at　having　a　doll　who　could　dance　of　herself　without　being　pulled　by　the　wires；　none　of　the　other　dolls　could　do　this。

During　the　night；　when　all　the　people　at　the　inn　were　gone　to　bed；
some　one　was　heard　to　sigh　so　deeply　and　painfully；　and　the　sighing
continued　for　so　long　a　time；　that　every　one　got　up　to　see　what
could　be　the　matter。　The　showman　went　at　once　to　his　little　theatre
and　found　that　it　proceeded　from　the　dolls；　who　all　lay　on　the　floor
sighing　piteously；　and　staring　with　their　glass　eyes；　they　all
wanted　to　be　rubbed　with　the　ointment；　so　that；　like　the　queen；　they
might　be　able　to　move　of　themselves。　The　queen　threw　herself　on　her
knees；　took　off　her　beautiful　crown；　and；　holding　it　in　her　hand；
cried；　〃Take　this　from　me；　but　do　rub　my　husband　and　his　courtiers。〃
The　poor　man　who　owned　the　theatre　could　scarcely　refrain　from
weeping；　he　was　so　sorry　that　he　could　not　help　them。　Then　he
immediately　spoke　to　John's　comrade；　and　promised　him　all　the　money　he　might　receive　at　the　next　evening's　performance；　if　he　would　only　rub　the　ointment　on　four　or　five　of　his　dolls。　But　the
fellow…traveller　said　he　did　not　require　anything　in　return；　excepting
the　sword　which　the　showman　wore　by　his　side。　As　soon　as　he　received　the　sword　he　anointed　six　of　the　dolls　with　the　ointment；　and　they　were　able　immediately　to　dance　so　gracefully　that　all　the　living　girls　in　the　room　could　not　help　joining　in　the　dance。　The　coachman　danced　with　the　cook；　and　the　waiters　with　the　chambermaids；　and　all　the　strangers　joined；　even　the　tongs　and　the　fire…shovel　made　an
attempt；　but　they　fell　down　after　the　first　jump。　So　after　all　it
was　a　very　merry　night。　The　next　morning　John　and　his　companion　left　the　inn　to　continue　their　journey　through　the　great　pine…forests　and
over　the　high　mountains。　They　arrived　at　last　at　such　a　great　height
that　towns　and　villages　lay　beneath　them；　and　the　church　steeples
looked　like　little　specks　between　the　green　trees。　They　could　see
for　miles　round；　far　away　to　places　they　had　never　visited；　and　John
saw　more　of　the　beautiful　world　than　he　had　ever　known　before。　The　sun　shone　brightly　in　the　blue　firmament　above；　and　through　the　clear
mountain　air　came　the　sound　of　the　huntsman's　horn；　and　the　soft；
sweet　notes　brought　tears　into　his　eyes；　and　he　could　not　help
exclaiming；　〃How　good　and　loving　God　is　to　give　us　all　this　beauty　and　loveliness　in　the　world　to　make　us　happy！〃

His　fellow…traveller　stood　by　with　folded　hands；　gazing　on　the
dark　wood　and　the　towns　bathed　in　the　warm　sunshine。　At　this　moment　there　sounded　over　their　heads　sweet　music。　They　looked　up；　and　discovered　a　large　white　swan　hovering　in　the　air；　and　singing　as　never　bird　sang　before。　But　the　song　soon　became　weaker　and　weaker；　the　bird's　head　drooped；　and　he　sunk　slowly　down；　and　lay　dead　at　their　feet。

〃It　is　a　beautiful　bird；〃　said　the　traveller；　〃and　these　large
white　wings　are　worth　a　great　deal　of　money。　I　will　take　them　with　me。
You　see　now　that　a　sword　will　be　very　useful。〃

So　he　cut　off　the　wings　of　the　dead　swan　with　one　blow；　and
carried　them　away　with　him。

They　now　continued　their　journey　over　the　mountains　for　many
miles；　till　they　at　length　reached　a　large　city；　containing　hundreds
of　towers；　that　shone　in　the　sunshine　like　silver。　In　the　midst　of　the
city　stood　a　splendid　marble　palace；　roofed　with　pure　red　gold；　in
which　dwelt　the　king。　John　and　his　companion　would　not　go　into　the
town　immediately；　so　they　stopped　at　an　inn　outside　the　town；　to
change　their　clot