t came about either from her longing, or because she had a cork
in her body. The ninth time the Ball stayed away and did not come back
again; and the boy looked and looked, but she was gone.

"I know very well where she is!" sighed the Top. "She is in the
Swallow's nest, and has married the Swallow!"

The more the Top thought of this, the more he longed for the Ball. Just
because he could not get her, he fell more in love with her. That she
had taken some one else, that was another thing. So the Top danced
around and hummed, but always thought of the Ball, which grew more and
more lovely in his fancy. Thus many years went by,--and now it was
an old love.

And the Top was no longer young. But one day he was gilt all over; never
had he looked so handsome; he was now a golden Top, and sprang till he
hummed again. Yes, that was something! But all at once he sprang too
high, and--he was gone!

They looked and looked, even in the cellar, but he was not to be found.

Where was he?

He had jumped into the dust-box, where all kinds of things were lying:
cabbage stalks, sweepings, and gravel that had fallen down from
the roof.

"Here's a nice place to lie in! The gilding will soon leave me here. And
what a rabble I've come amongst!"

And then he looked askance at a long cabbage stalk that was much too
near him, and at a curious round thing like an old apple; but it was not
an apple--it was an old Ball, which had lain for years in the
roof-gutter and was soaked through with water.

"Thank goodness, here comes one of us, with whom one can talk!" said the
little Ball, and looked at the gilt Top. "I am really morocco, sewn by a
girl's hands, and have a cork inside me; but no one would think it to
look at me. I was very near marrying a swallow, but I fell into the
gutter on the roof, and have laid there full five years, and am quite
soaked through. That's a long time, you may believe me, for a
young girl."

But the Top said nothing. He thought of his old love; and the more he
heard, the clearer it became to him that this was she. Then came the
servant-girl, and wanted to empty the dust-box. "Aha, there's a gilt
top!" she cried. And so the Top was brought again to notice and honor,
but nothing was heard of the Ball. And the Top spoke no more of his old
love: for that dies away when the beloved has lain for five years in a
gutter and got soaked through; yes, one does not know her again when one
meets her in the dust-box.