en I called out:

"I am going to move away from town."

Then I planted myself firmly at the door, and told every single one that
came in. Before the first recess was over, the whole school and all the
teachers knew that we were to move to Christiania.

I was so glad, I didn't know what to do. The first few days I just went
around telling it down on the wharves and everywhere.

All at once everything seemed so tedious in town. I didn't care any
longer about what my friends were talking of; all I wanted was to talk
about Christiania. When I was alone I sang to myself: "We shall travel,
travel, travel," mostly to the tune of

"_Ja, vi elsker dette landet,_"

for that has such a swing to it.

I must say that now, for the first time, I understood how Lawyer Cold
felt. He is a fat young man from Christiania who has settled in our
town, but is in despair because he has to live here. He comes up to
Father's office and sits and talks by the hour, complaining, until he
puts Father in a bad humor, too. It is Karl Johan Street that he misses
so frightfully, he says. And to think that now I was going to Karl Johan
Street and should see all the cadets and all the fun! I could understand
Lawyer Cold's feelings perfectly now. Oh, oh, how delightful it will be!

I began at once to go around to say good-bye, although we were not to
leave for three or four months. I went to all the cottages and huts
round about. One day I went by Ellef Kulaas' house up on the hill. He
was standing outside of his door. He is tall, and his whole body seems
to be warped, and he never looks at people, but off anywhere else.

"Good-bye, Ellef, I am going away," said I.

Ellef didn't answer; he only turned his quid in his mouth.

"We are going to Christiania," I went on.

"Yes, I was there once," said Ellef. "It's a dangerous Sodom."

"But aren't there plenty of splendid things to see, Ellef?"

"Oh, yes--I wanted most to see that big mountain Gausta. They told me
I'd have to take a horse and wagon to get there; but I went to see the
old dean that used to be here,--he lived high up--and when I looked out
of his skylight I saw everything, Gausta and the churches and the whole
kit and boodle. I saved a lot of money that way. I went up there twice
and looked through the skylight, and so I saw the whole show,--for
nothing too. I suppose hardly anybody sees it any better."

Humph! As if I'd be satisfied like Ellef Kulaas with seeing things
throug