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LITTLE TUK |
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knew, and every now and then he gave a glance at the geography-book that lay open before him ; by to-morrow morning he was to know all the towns in Zealand by heart, and to know everything about them that one can well know.
Now his mother came home, for she had been out, and took little Gustava in her arms. Tuk ran to the window, and read so that he almost read his eyes out, for it became darker and darker ; but his mother had no money to buy candles.
■ There goes the old washerwoman out of the lane yonder,' said his mother, as she looked out of the window. ' The poor woman can hardly drag herself along, and now she has to carry the pail of water from the well. Be a good boy, Tuk, and run across, and help the old woman. Won't you ? '
And Tuk ran across quickly, and helped her ; but when he came back into the room it had become quite dark. There was no talk of a candle, and now he had to go to bed, and his bed was an old settle. There he lay, and thought of his geography lesson, and of Zealand, and of all the master had said. He ought certainly to have read it again, but he could not do that. So he put the geography-book under his pillow, because he had heard that this is a very good way to learn one's lesson ; but one cannot depend upon it. There he lay, and thought and thought; and all at once he fancied some one kissed him upon his eyes and mouth. He slept, and yet he did not sleep ; it was just as if the old washerwoman were looking at him with her kind eyes, and saying,
' It would be a great pity if you did not know your lesson to-morrow. You have helped me, therefore now I will help you ; and Providence will help us both.'
All at once the book began to crawl, crawl about under Tuk's pillow.
' Kikeliki! Put ! put ! ' It was a Hen that came crawling up, and she came from Kjoge. * I'm a Kjoge hen !' she said.
And then she told him how many inhabitants were in the town, and about the battle that had been fought there, though that was really hardly worth mentioning.
'' Kribli, kribli, plumps !' Something fell down : it was a wooden bird, the Parrot from the shooting match at Prsestoe. He said that there were just as many inhabitants |
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