“What can you want with those three fern rods?” asked Jean of his
fellow-traveller.
“Oh, they will make capital brooms,” said he; “and I like them because I
have strange whims sometimes.” Then they walked on together for a long
distance.
“How dark the sky is becoming,” said Jean; “and look at those thick,
heavy clouds.”
“Those are not clouds,” replied his fellow-traveller; “they are mountains-
large lofty mountains-on the tops of which we should be above the clouds,
in the pure, free air. Believe me, it is delightful to ascend so high, tomorrow
we shall be there.” But the mountains were not so near as they appeared;
they had to travel a whole day before they reached them, and pass through
black forests and piles of rock as large as a town. The journey had been so
fatiguing that Jean and his fellow-traveller stopped to rest at a roadside inn,
so that they might gain strength for their journey on the morrow. In the large
public room of the inn a great many persons were assembled to see a
comedy performed by dolls. The showman had just erected his little theatre,
and the people were sitting round the room to witness the performance.
Right in front, in the very best place, sat a stout butcher, with a great bull-
dog by his side who seemed very much inclined to bite. He sat staring with
all his eyes, and so indeed did every one else in the room. And then the play
began. It was a pretty piece, with a king and a queen in it, who sat on a
beautiful throne, and had gold crowns on their heads. The trains to their
dresses were very long, according to the fashion; while the prettiest of
wooden dolls, with glass eyes and large mustaches, stood at the doors, and
opened and shut them, that the fresh air might come into the room. It was a
very pleasant play, not at all mournful; but just as the queen stood up and
walked across the stage, the great bull-dog, who should have been held back
by his master, made a spring forward, and caught the queen in the teeth by
the slender wrist, so that it snapped in two. This was a very dreadful
disaster. The poor man, who was exhibiting the dolls, was much annoyed,
and quite sad about his queen; she was the prettiest doll he had, and the
