youthief!"shehadneverstolenherneighbor'sgoods;butasalittlegirlshehadcausedeggsandyoungbirdstobetakenfromthetrees,andshethoughtofthatnow.

fromwhereshelayshecouldseethesand-dunes.bytheseashorelivedfishermen;butshecouldnotgetsofar,shewassoill.thegreatwhitesea-mewsflewoverherhead,andscreamedasthecrowsanddawsscreamedathomeinthegardenofthemanorhouse.thebirdsflewquiteclosetoher,andatlastitseemedtoherasiftheybecameblackascrows,andthenallwasnightbeforehereyes.

whensheopenedhereyesagain,shewasbeingliftedandcarried.agreatstrongmanhadtakenherupinhisarms,andshewaslookingstraightintohisbeardedface.hehadascaroveroneeye,whichseemedtodividetheeyebrowintotwoparts.weakasshewas,hecarriedhertotheship,wherehegotaratingforitfromthecaptain.

thenextdaytheshipsailedaway.madamegrubbehadnotbeenputashore,soshesailedawaywithit.butshewillreturn,willshenot?yes,butwhere,andwhen?

theclerkcouldtellaboutthistoo,anditwasnotastorywhichhepatchedtogetherhimself.hehadthewholestrangehistoryoutofanoldauthenticbook,whichweourselvescantakeoutandread.thedanishhistorian,ludwigholberg,whohaswrittensomanyusefulbooksandmerrycomedies,fromwhichwecangetsuchagoodideaofhistimesandtheirpeople,tellsinhislettersofmariegrubbe,whereandhowhemether.itiswellworthhearing;butforallthat,wedon'tatallforgetpoultrymeg,whoissittingcheerfulandcomfortableinthecharmingfowl-house.

theshipsailedawaywithmariegrubbe.that'swhereweleftoff.

longyearswentby.

theplaguewasragingatcopenhagen;itwasintheyearqueenofdenmarkwentawaytohergermanhome,thekingquittedthecapital,andeverybodywhocoulddosohurriedaway.thestudents,eventhosewhohadboardandlodginggratis,leftthecity.oneofthesestudents,thelastwhohadremainedinthefreecollege,atlastwentawaytoo.itwastwoo'clockinthemorning.hewascarryinghisknapsack,whichwasbetterstackedwithbooksandwritingsthanwithclothes.adampmisthungoverthetown;notapersonwastobeseeninthestreets;thestreet-doorsaroundweremarkedwithcrosses,asasignthattheplaguewaswithin,orthatalltheinmatesweredead.agreatwagonrattledpasthim;thecoachmanbrandishedhiswhip,andthehorsesflewbyatagallop.thewagonwasfilledwithcorpses.theyoungstudentkepthishandbeforehisface,andsmeltatsomestrongspiritsthathehadwithhimonaspongeinalittlebrassscent-case.outofasmalltaverninoneofthestreetsthereweresoundsofsingingandofunhallowedlaughter,frompeoplewhodrankthenightthroughtoforgetthattheplaguewasattheirdoors,andthattheymightbeputintothewagonastheothershadbeen.thestudentturnedhisstepstowardsthecanalatthecastlebridge,whereacoupleofsmallshipswerelying;oneofthesewasweighinganchor,togetawayfromtheplague-strickencity.

"ifgodsparesourlivesandgrantsusafairwind,wearegoingtogronmud,nearfalster,"saidthecaptain;andheaskedthenameofthestudentwhowishedtogowithhim.

"ludwigholberg,"answeredthestudent;andthenamesoundedlikeanyother.butnowtheresoundsinitoneoftheproudestnamesofdenmark;thenitwasthenameofayoung,unknownstudent.

theshipglidedpastthecastle.itwasnotyetbrightdaywhenitwasintheopensea.alightwindfilledthesails,andtheyoungstudentsatdownwithhisfaceturnedtowardsthefreshwind,andwenttosleep,whichwasnotexactlythemostprudentthinghecouldhavedone.

alreadyonthethirddaytheshiplaybytheislandoffalster.

"doyouknowanyoneherewithwhomicouldlodgecheaply?"