THE SHADOW.

IN the warm countries the sun burns exceedingly, and the people there grow as brown as mahogany; yes, in the very warmest countries they get turned into negroes. This time, however, it was the warm countries only whither a learned man had come from colder lands. He thought that he could run about here just as he did at home; but he pretty soon changed his opinion. He, as well as all sensible people, were obliged to stay at home: shutters and doors were closed the whole day; it looked as if the whole house were asleep, or as if all the persons were gone out. The narrow street

with the high houses, in which he lived, was, however, built so that the sun fell upon it from morn till evening: it was quite unbearable! The learned man from the cold countries was a young man, a wise man: it seemed to him as though he were in a glowing oven. This affected his health: he grew quite thin; even his shadow shrunk together and became much smaller than when at home. The sun caused even that to grow debilitated, and it only revived in the evening when the sun was set. It was quite a pleasure to witness this: as soon as a candle was brought into the room, the shadow stretched itself along the wall, even up to the very ceiling, so long did it make itself: it was obliged to stretch itself, in order to recover its strength. The learned man went out on the balcony to stretch himself; and as soon as the stars shewed themselves in the beautiful clear heaven, he felt as if he lived

anew. On the balconies in the streets-and in warm countries every window has a balcony-people now appeared; for fresh air is a thing one must breathe, even though one be accustomed to grow the colour of mahogany. It grew so lively above and below : below, in the open street, tailors and shoemakers-by which, be it known, every body is meant-took their seats; there chairs and tables were brought, candles burned, yes, more than a thousand candles; and one person talked, another sang, and the people walked about; carriages drove, mules trotted, "kling-clingeling"-they have many bells on their harness; and then too the dead were interred with chanting, the boys in the street let off devils, and the church bells rang. It was verily very lively below in the street. And in the one house exactly opposite that where the foreign learned man dwelt it was quite still; and yet somebody

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lived there, for flowers stood on the balcony. They bloomed so beautifully in the heat of the sun, and that they could not do unless they were watered; and so there must be somebody to water them-there must be people there. Towards evening, too, the door was half-opened; but then it was dark, at least in the room in front: farther off, from the interior, one could hear music. The foreign learned man thought it extremely beautiful; but it is, to be sure, very possible also that he only fancied it so, for he found everything excellent in the warm countries, if only there had been no sun. The landlord of the foreigner said he did not know who had taken the house opposite; one never saw any person there; and as to the music, to him it seemed exceedingly tiresome. "It is just as if some one were sitting there practising a piece which he could not manage after all; always, always the

same piece! I shall manage it yet,' he no doubt thinks; but he won't master it, let him play as long as he will."

Once during the night the foreigner woke up. The wind raised the curtain before the window-he slept with the balcony door open-and it seemed to him as though a wonderful brightness proceeded from the balcony of the house opposite; all the flowers appeared like flowers of fire of the most lovely colours, and amidst the flowers stood a beautiful slender maiden; it was as though she were all radiance. It quite dazzled his eyes; but then he had but just started up, and was so suddenly woke out of his first sleep. With one spring he was out of bed; quite stealthily he crept towards the curtain; but the maiden was gone, the brilliancy was gone, the flowers shone no more, though they stood there just as beautiful as ever. The door was ajar, and from within sounded