slanting smokestacks; others were long and narrow, andso constructed that they could glide through the water like fishes.
Now what city might this be? That, the boy could figure out because hesaw all the battleships. All his life he had loved ships, although hehad had nothing to do with any, except the galleys which he had sailedin the road ditches. He knew very well that this city--where so manybattleships lay--couldn't be any place but Karlskrona.
The boy's grandfather had been an old marine; and as long as he hadlived, he had talked of Karlskrona every day; of the great warship dock,and of all the other things to be seen in that city. The boy feltperfectly at home, and he was glad that he should see all this of whichhe had heard so much.
But he only had a glimpse of the towers and fortifications which barredthe entrance to the harbour, and the many buildings, and theshipyard--before Akka came down on one of the flat church-towers.
This was a pretty safe place for those who wanted to get away from afox, and the boy began to wonder if he couldn't venture to crawl inunder the goosey-gander's wing for this one night. Yes, that he mightsafely do. It would do him good to get a little sleep. He should try tosee a little more of the dock and the ships after it had grown light.
The boy himself thought it was strange that he could keep still and waituntil the next morning to see the ships. He certainly had not slept fiveminutes before he slipped out from under the wing and slid down thelightning-rod and the waterspout all the way down to the ground.
Soon he stood on a big square which spread itself in front of thechurch. It was covered with round stones, and was just as difficult forhim to travel over, as it is for big people to walk on a tufted meadow.Those who are accustomed to live in the open--or way out in thecountry--always feel uneasy when they come into a city, where the housesstand straight and forbidding, and the streets are open, so thateveryone can see who goes there. And it happened in the same way withthe boy. When he stood on the big Karlskrona square, and looked at theGerman church, and town hall, and the cathedral from which he had justdescended, he couldn't do anything but wish that he was back on thetower again with the geese.
It was a lucky thing that the square was entirely deserted. There wasn'ta human being about--unless he counted a statue that stood on a highpedestal. The boy gazed long at the statue, which represented a big,brawny man in a three-cornered hat, long waistcoat, knee-breeches andcoarse shoes, and wondered what kind of a one he was. He held a longstick in his hand, and he looked as if he would know how to make use ofit, too--for he had an awfully severe countenance, with a big, hookednose and an ugly mouth.
"What is that long-lipped thing doing here?" said the boy at last. Hehad never felt so small and insignificant as he did that night. He triedto jolly himself up a bit by saying something audacious. Then he thoughtno more about the statue, but betook himself to a wide street which leddown to the sea.
But the boy hadn't gone far before he heard that someone was followinghim. Someone was walking behind him, who stamped on the stone pavementwith heavy footsteps, and pounded on the ground with a hard stick. Itsounded as if the bronze man up in the square had gone out for apromenade.
The boy listened after the steps, while he ran down the street, and hebecame more and more convinced that it was the bronze man. The groundtrembled, and the houses shook. It couldn't be anyone but he, who walkedso heavily, and the boy grew panic-stricken when he thought of what hehad just said to him. He did not dare to turn his head to find out if itreally was he.
"Perhaps he is only out walking for recreation," thought the boy."Surely he can't be offended with me for the words I spoke. They werenot at all badly meant."
Instead of going straight on, and trying to get down to the dock, theboy turned into a side street which led east. First and foremost, hewanted to get away from the one who tramped after him.
But the next instant he heard that the bronze man had switched off tothe same street; and then the boy was so scared that he didn't know whathe would do with himself. And how hard it was to find any hiding placesin a city where all the gates were closed! Then he saw on his right anold frame church, which lay a short distance away from the street in thecentre of a large grove. Not an instant did he pause to consider, butrushed on toward the church. "If I can only get there, then I'll surelybe shielded from all harm," thought he.
As he ran forward, he suddenly caught sight of a man who stood on agravel path and beckoned to him. "There is certainly someone who willhelp me!" thought the boy; he became intensely happy, and hurried off inthat direction. He was actually so frightened that the heart of himfairly thumped in his breast.
But when he came up to the man who stood on the edge of the gravel path,upon a low pedestal, he was absolutely thunderstruck. "Surely, it can'thave been that one who beckoned to me!" thought he; for he saw that theentire man was made of wood.
He stood there and stared at him. He was a thick-set man on short legs,with a broad, ruddy countenance, shiny, black hair and full black beard.On his head he wore a wooden hat; on his body, a brown wooden coat;around his waist, a black wooden belt; on his legs he had wide woodenknee-breeches and wooden stockings; and on his feet black wooden shoes.He was newly painted and newly varnished, so that he glistened and shonein the moonlight. This undoubtedly had a good deal to do with giving himsuch a good-natured appearance, that the boy at once placed confidencein him.
In his left hand he held a wooden slate, and there the boy read:
_Most humbly I beg you, Though voice I may lack:Come drop a penny, do; But lift my hat!_
Oh ho! the man was only a poor-box. The boy felt that he had been done.He had expected that this should be something really remarkable. And nowhe remembered that grandpa had also spoken of the wooden man, and saidthat all the children in Karlskrona were so fond of him. And that musthave been true, for he, too, found it hard to part with the wooden man.He had something so old-timy about him, that one could well take him tobe many hundred years old; and at the same time, he looked so strong andbold, and animated--just as one might imagine that folks looked in oldentimes.
The boy had so much fun looking at the wooden man, that he entirelyforgot the one from whom he was fleeing. But now he heard him. He turnedfrom the street and came into the churchyard. He followed him here too!Where should the boy go?
Just then he saw the wooden man bend down to him and stretch forth hisbig, broad hand. It was impossible to believe anything but good of him;and with one jump, the boy stood in his hand. The wooden man lifted himto his hat--and stuck him under it.
The boy was just hidden, and the wooden man had just gotten his arm inits right place again, when the bronze man stopped in front of him andbanged the stick on the ground, so that the wooden man shook on hispedestal. Thereupon the bronze man said in a strong and resonant voice:"Who might this one be?"
The wooden man's arm went up, so that it creaked in the old woodwork,and he touched his hat brim as he replied: "Rosenbom, by Your Majesty'sleave. Once upon a time boatswain on the man-of-war, _Dristigheten_;after completed service, sexton at the Admiral's church--and, lately,carved in wood and exhibited in the churchyard as a poor-box."
The boy gave a start when he heard that the wooden man said "YourMajesty." For now, when he thought about it, he knew that the statue onthe square represented the one who had founded the city. It was probablyno less an one than Charles the Eleventh himself, whom he hadencountered.
"He gives a good account of himself," said the bronze man. "Can he alsotell me if he has seen a little brat who runs around in the cityto-night? He's an impudent rascal, if I get hold of him, I'll teach himmanners!" With that, he again pounded on the ground with his stick, andlooked fearfully angry.
"By Your Majesty's leave, I have seen him," said the wooden man; and theboy was so scared that he commenced to shake where he sat under the hatand looked at the bronze man through a crack in the wood. But he calmeddown when the wooden man continued: "Your Majesty is on the wrong track.That youngster certainly intended
to run into the shipyard, and concealhimself there."
"Does he say so, Rosenbom? Well then, don't stand still on the pedestalany longer but come with me and help me find him. Four eyes are betterthan two, Rosenbom."
But the wooden man answered in a doleful voice: "I would most humbly begto be permitted to stay where I am. I look well and sleek because of thepaint, but I'm old and mouldy, and cannot stand moving about."
The bronze man was not one of those who liked to be contradicted. "Whatsort of notions are these? Come along, Rosenbom!" Then he raised hisstick and gave the other one a resounding whack on the shoulder. "DoesRosenbom not see that he holds together?"
With that they broke off and walked forward on the streets ofKarlskrona--large and mighty--until they came to a high gate, which ledto the shipyard. Just
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