So Tuk ran across quickly, and helped her, but when he came back
into the room it was quite dark, and there was not a word said about a
light, so he was obliged to go to bed on his little truckle
bedstead, and there he lay and thought of his geography lesson, and of
Zealand, and of all the master had told him. He ought really to have
read it over again, but he could not for want of light. So he put
the geography book under his pillow, for he had heard that this was
a great help towards learning a lesson, but not always to be
depended upon. He still lay thinking and thinking, when all at once it
seemed as if some one kissed him on his eyes and mouth. He slept and
yet he did not sleep; and it appeared as if the old washerwoman looked
at him with kind eyes and said, "It would be a great pity if you did
not know your lesson to-morrow morning; you helped me, and now I
will help you, and Providence will always keep those who help
themselves;" and at the same time the book under Tuk's pillow began to
move about. "Cluck, cluck, cluck," cried a hen as she crept towards
him. "I am a hen from Kjoge," and then she told him how many
inhabitants the town contained, and about a battle that had been
fought there, which really was not worth speaking of.

"Crack, crack," down fell something. It was a wooden bird, the
parrot which is used as a target as Prastoe. He said there were as
many inhabitants in that town as he had nails in his body. He was very
proud, and said, "Thorwalsden lived close to me, and here I am now,
quite comfortable."

But now little Tuk was no longer in bed; all in a moment he
found himself on horseback. Gallop, gallop, away he went, seated in
front of a richly-attired knight, with a waving plume, who held him on
the saddle, and so they rode through the wood by the old town of
Wordingburg, which was very large and busy. The king's castle was
surrounded by lofty towers, and radiant light streamed from all the
windows. Within there were songs and dancing; King Waldemar and the
young gayly-dressed ladies of the court were dancing together. Morning
dawned, and as the sun rose, the whole city and the king's castle sank
suddenly down together. One tower after another fell, till at last
only one remained standing on the hill where the castle had formerly
been.

The town now appeared small and poor, and the school-boys read
in their books, which they carried under their arms, that it contained
two thousand inhabitants