Pelle the Conqueror, Vol. 2

tering into town with his manure-cart, in order to fetch a load of dung. And this trifling circumstance deci

adiant world unfolded itself. As to what he should make of himself when he was really out in the world

half a mile distant, lay the town. There was a cheerful glitter about it; from its hundreds of fireplaces the smoke of midday fires curled upward into the blue sky, and the red roofs laughed roguis

ere! And was it polite to go on eating until one was quite full, or should one lay down one's spoon when one had only half

town-his town-and some were going farther, far over the sea, to America, or even farther still, to serve the King there; one could see that by their equipment and the frozen look on their faces. Others were merely going into the town to make a hole in their wages, and to celebrate May-day. These came along the road in whole parties, humming or whistling, with empty ha

did not look as though she heard him. "Yes-now you must take it on you to look out for yourself; you must think about it, and not throw yourself away. The town is quite a good place for those who go right ahead and think of their own advantage, but it thinks nothing of who gets trodden underfoot. So don't be too trust

ttle children; there were maidens as pretty as yellow-haired Marie, and young laborers who had the strength of the whole world in their loins and muscles. And this current of life was setting hither to fill up the gaps left by the swarms t

rtmanteau and a silk neckerchief, and the inside pockets of his open coat were stuffed full of papers. At

Pelle, "so you

and set his portmanteau dow

. So the old people must see how they can get along without a son; I've done eve

o get help formerly. There is no future for young people at home." He had heard hi

es had it their own way; nothing but a rather twisted expression came over them. He stood there a minute, looking at his boots, his thumb groping o

and the bride," shouted Pelle merrily

he very spot where he was born; an army of people who had chosen the excitement of the unknown. Those little brick houses which lay scattered over the green, or stood drawn up in two straight rows where the high-road ran into the town-those were the cottages of the peasant folk who had renounced the outdoor life, and dressed themselves in t

m, and he would land, and go to the gold-diggings. Over there the girls went mother-naked, with nothing but some blue tattoo-work to hide their shame; but Pelle had his girl sitting at home, true to him, waitin

ad, but he

he false,

hey are gone,

s no mor

m any further, for in the song they perished during the voyage, and the poor young man spent the rest of his days on the sea-shore, gazing, through the shadow of insanity, upon every rising sail. She and Lasse arrived safely-

er seen. On the driver's seat was an old peasant, who was bobbing about as though he would every moment fall in pieces, like all the rest of his equipment. Pelle did not at first feel sure whether it was the cart itself or the two bags of bones between th

er all?" said old Klaus, point

bursting heart, and before he was aware of it he had deliver

t a shilling in his pocket, he's got to go to town and leave it there. And what do you think conies back out the town? Just manure and nothing else! What else have I ever in my life been able to pick up there? And now I'm sixty-five. But what's the good of talking? No more than if a man was to stick his tail out and blow against a gale. It comes over them just like the May-gripes takes the young

eded in making a beginning, and already he

, you'll go to shoemaker Jeppe Kofod as apprentice; I am going straight to his place to fetch manure, and I know he's looking f

tary life indoors in order to get on at all; he was strong and well-made. What he would be-well, that certainly lay in the hands of fortune; but he felt very strongly that it ought to be something active, something that needed courage and energy. And in any case he was quite sure as to what he did not want to be. But as they jolted through the town

, and yet everything they've got they've stolen from us others. Or what do you suppose-can you see

s of people, if that made any difference; and all his blind confidence wavered at the question: where did all their food come from? For here he was once more at home in his needy, familiar world, where no amount of smoke will enable one to buy a pair of so

ace, was walking down the middle of the street, eating a great wheaten roll which he held with both hands; his ears were full of scabs and his hands swollen with the cold. Farm laborers went by, carrying red bundles in their hands, their overcoats flapping against their calves; they would stop suddenly at

anged their things very n

o a side street, "those are the publicans. They are looking this way so longingly, but the procession don't come as far as them. But you wait till this evening, and then take a tu

ould not venture into anything where, perhaps without knowing it, he would be an associate of people who would tear the rags off his old comrades' backs. All the courage had gone out of him, a