like King
Waldemar's towers and be richly decked with statues like those of
Thorwaldsen at Praestoe.

"Understand me well; your good name shall be borne round the world, like
the ship that was to sail from Korsoer, and at Roskilde you shall speak
and give counsel wisely and well, little Tuk, like King Hroar; and when
at last you shall lie in your peaceful grave you shall sleep as
quietly--"

"As if I lay sleeping in Soroe," said Tuk, and he woke. It was a bright
morning, and he could not remember his dream, but it was not necessary
that he should. One has no need to know what one will live to see.

And now he sprang quickly out of bed and sought his book, that had lain
under his pillow. He read his lesson and found that he knew the towns
perfectly well.

And the old washerwoman put her head in at the door and said, with a
friendly nod: "Thank you, my good child, for yesterday's help. May the
Lord fulfill your brightest and most beautiful dreams! I know he will."

Little Tuk had forgotten what he had dreamed, but it did not matter.
There was One above who knew it all.

[Illustration]

THE UGLY DUCKLING

IT was so beautiful in the country. It was the summer time. The wheat
fields were golden, the oats were green, and the hay stood in great
stacks in the green meadows. The stork paraded about among them on his
long red legs, chattering away in Egyptian, the language he had learned
from his lady mother.

All around the meadows and cornfields grew thick woods, and in the midst
of the forest was a deep lake. Yes, it was beautiful, it was delightful
in the country.

In a sunny spot stood a pleasant old farmhouse circled all about with
deep canals; and from the walls down to the water's edge grew great
burdocks, so high that under the tallest of them a little child might
stand upright. The spot was as wild as if it had been in the very
center of the thick wood.

In this snug retreat sat a duck upon her nest, watching for her young
brood to hatch; but the pleasure she had felt at first was almost gone;
she had begun to think it a wearisome task, for the little ones were so
long coming out of their shells, and she seldom had visitors. The other
ducks liked much better to swim about in the canals than to climb the
slippery banks and sit under the burdock leaves to have a gossip with
her. It was a long time to stay so much by herself.

At length, however, one shell cracked, and soon another, and from