r--who was to devote himself to
new inventions. In one of his ambitious attempts he fell, and broke
his neck; but he had a splendid funeral, with a procession, and flags,
and music. He was noticed in the newspapers, and three funeral
orations were pronounced over him, the one longer than the others; and
much delighted he would have been with them if he had heard them, for
he was fond of being talked about. A monument was erected over his
grave. It was not very grand, but a monument is always something.

He now was dead, as well as the three other brothers; but the
fifth--he who was fond of reasoning or arguing--out-lived them all;
and that was quite right, for he had thus the last word. And he
thought it a matter of great importance to have the last word. It was
he who, folks said, "had a good head." At length his last hour also
struck. He died, and he arrived at the gate of the kingdom of heaven.
Spirits always come there two and two, and along with him stood there
another soul, which wanted also to get in, and this was no other than
the old Mother Margrethe, from the house on the embankment.

"It must surely be for the sake of contrast that I and yon paltry soul
should come here at the same moment," said the reasoner. "Why, who are
you, old one? Do you also expect to enter here?" he asked.

And the old woman courtesied as well as she could. She thought it was
St. Peter himself who spoke.

"I am a miserable old creature without any family. My name is
Margrethe."

"Well, now, what have you done and effected down yonder?"

"I have effected scarcely anything in yonder world--nothing that can
tell in my favour here. It will be a pure act of mercy if I am
permitted to enter this gate."

"How did you leave yon world?" he asked, merely for something to say.
He was tired of standing waiting there.

"Oh! how I left it I really do not know. I had been very poorly, often
quite ill, for some years past, and I was not able latterly to leave
my bed, and go out into the cold and frost. It was a very severe
winter; but I was getting through it. For a couple of days there was a
dead calm; but it was bitterly cold, as your honour may remember. The
ice had remained so long on the ground, that the sea was frozen over
as far as the eye could reach. The townspeople flocked in crowds to
the ice. I could hear it all as I lay in my poor room. The same scene
continued till late in the evening--till the moon rose. From my bed I
could s