oth in
sunshine and moonshine. And when he looked across at the wall where
the mortar had fallen out, he could sit and find out there the
strangest figures imaginable; exactly as the street had appeared
before, with steps, projecting windows, and pointed gables; he could
see soldiers with halberds, and spouts where the water ran, like
dragons and serpents. _That_ was a house to look at; and there lived
an old man, who wore plush breeches; and he had a coat with large
brass buttons, and a wig that one could see was a real wig. Every
morning there came an old fellow to him who put his rooms in order,
and went on errands; otherwise, the old man in the plush breeches was
quite alone in the old house. Now and then he came to the window and
looked out, and the little boy nodded to him, and the old man nodded
again, and so they became acquaintances, and then they were friends,
although they had never spoken to each other,--but that made no
difference. The little boy heard his parents say, "The old man
opposite is very well off, but he is so very, very lonely!"

The Sunday following, the little boy took something, and wrapped it up
in a piece of paper, went down stairs, and stood in the doorway; and
when the man who went on errands came past, he said to him--

"I say, master! will you give this to the old man over the way from
me? I have two pewter soldiers--this is one of them, and he shall have
it, for I know he is so very, very lonely."

And the old errand man looked quite pleased, nodded, and took the
pewter soldier over to the old house. Afterwards there came a message;
it was to ask if the little boy himself had not a wish to come over
and pay a visit; and so he got permission of his parents, and then
went over to the old house.

And the brass balls on the iron railings shone much brighter than
ever; one would have thought they were polished on account of the
visit; and it was as if the carved-out trumpeters--for there were
trumpeters, who stood in tulips, carved out on the door--blew with all
their might, their cheeks appeared so much rounder than before. Yes,
they blew--"Trateratra! the little boy comes trateratra!"--and then
the door opened.

The whole passage was hung with portraits of knights in armor, and
ladies in silken gowns; and the armor rattled, and the silken gowns
rustled! And then there was a flight of stairs which went a good way
upwards, and a little way downwards, and then one came on a balcony
wh