THE ROUND TOWERTHE ROUND TOWER
Just before they reached the tower, Anna surprised Greta by saying, "This Tower isover a hundred feet high, but you won't have to climb a single step to reach the top."
"But how do we get to the top?"
"You'll see in just a minute, Greta."
"Come, Chouse," called Greta, as the girls reached the door of the Round Tower. The dog had started down the street ahead of them. He seemed to be looking for something, but he ran back quickly when his little mistress called.
Once inside the tower, the children started up a sloping walk that went up and up and up. At the same time it went round and round and round, like a corkscrew. Every little while Chouse dashed on ahead and then came running back, barking joyously.
"This is the funniest tower I have ever seen," said Greta. "Does this walk go to the very top?"
"Yes," answered Anna. "They say that a long time ago, when Peter the Great, theCzar of Russia, visited Denmark he rode up here on horseback, and at another time the Empress Catherine drove her coach and four up to the very top of the Round Tower."
THE MARBLE CHURCH, AS SEEN FROM THE TOP OF THE ROUND TOWERTHE MARBLE CHURCH, AS SEEN FROM THE TOP OF THE ROUND TOWER
Greta stopped a moment to look at the winding, sloping walk. "I guess one reallycoulddrive a coach up here. It seems to be wide enough."
From the platform on the top of the tower, the girls could look out over the city and the harbor. Wherever they looked, they saw towers and spires—on the Parliament Building, on the Stock Exchange, on the castles, on the churches. Some of them were gilded and they gleamed brightly in the sunshine. Some of them were shiny green, like the dome of the Marble Church.
"What is that building whose tower has a crown at the top?" asked Greta.
"That is Christiansborg Castle, where the Parliament meets," explained Anna. "Would you like to visit it?"
"Yes. Let's go there next, if it isn't too far away," said Greta.
As they walked to Christiansborg, Anna told Greta a funny story about the Round Tower.
"Once upon a time a Norwegian was visiting Copenhagen. The people he visited were eager to show him all the wonderful and beautiful things in the city. The Norwegians are very proud of their own country, you know, and they like to boast about it. When they came to the Round Tower, the Danish people said, 'I'm sure you haven't anything like the Round Tower in Norway.' The Norwegian looked at it a minute and then answered, 'No, but if we had, it would be bigger and rounder.'"
Greta laughed. "But itcouldn'tbe rounder, could it, Anna?"
"No, of course not. If a thing is round, it's round; you can't make it more or less round."
When they came to the entrance of Christiansborg, the guard told them that dogs were not allowed inside the castle.
"What will we do with him, Greta?" asked Anna.
"He will have to wait here at the door for us," said Greta. Turning to the dog she spoke to him very sternly, "Chouse, you must be a good dog and stay right here until Anna and I come out."
Chouse barked twice, as if to say, "All right," and then he lay down on the floor beside the guard.
"There has been a castle on this spot for eight hundred years," said Anna, as they walked through the long hall.
"But this castle looks quite new."
"Oh, there have been three or four castles here. When one burned down, they built another one. This one is about forty years old. It was really built as a home for the King, but he has never lived here. He likes Amalienborg better."
"I think I would, too," said Greta. "These rooms are so large and the ceilings are so high that it wouldn't seem like a home at all."
CHRISTIANSBORG CASTLECHRISTIANSBORG CASTLE
In one part of the castle there were two large halls, where the Parliament meets. One hall was for the House of Commons and the other was for the Upper House. Parliament did not meet during the summer, so Greta and Anna were allowed to visit both these stately halls. Greta thought they had seen everything in Christiansborg, when Anna suddenly announced, "We're going downstairs now, Greta. The most interestingpart of Christiansborg is under the ground."
They went down a narrow stairway and carefully made their way through a dark, underground passage. Soon they came to a scattered heap of stones that marked the outlines of an old, old castle.
"This is the very first castle that was built here," explained Anna. "It was built by Bishop Absalon in 1167, when Copenhagen was just a little fishing village. Here is the old well that has been used for hundreds of years," she said as they walked on farther, "and here is a part of the Blue Tower where Princess Leonora Christina was kept a prisoner for many years."
"Oh, how could they keep anyone in such a terrible dungeon?" asked Greta, who shivered at the thought of spending even an hour in this gloomy place. "Let's go upstairs, Anna."
"All right," agreed Anna. "I wonder howChouse and the guard have been getting along."
THE MARKET PLACE IN COPENHAGENTHE MARKET PLACE IN COPENHAGEN
The guard looked extremely worried when the girls appeared. Chouse was nowhere in sight.
"I turned my back for just a minute," he said, "but when I turned around again your little dog was gone. He must have run outside,for you can see that he isn't here in the entrance hall."
Greta was so upset that she couldn't say a word.
"Come on, Greta. We shall have to go and hunt for him," said the practical Anna. "You go in one direction and I'll go in the other, and we'll meet here at Christiansborg in one hour."
There wasn't anything for Greta to do but to start looking. There was no use in telling Anna that she didn't know one street from another. There was no use in saying that she didn't have the faintest idea of where to look. Anna had already started in the other direction and Greta heard her calling, every now and then, "Here, Chouse. Come, Chouse."
So Greta started off bravely by herself. Christiansborg was built on a small island, so she crossed the Marble Bridge to the mainland and began walking slowly along thestreet by the side of the water. The shore was lined with fishing boats and on the sidewalk there were hundreds of little stands where the women were selling fresh fish which they took right out of the boats. Now and then Greta stopped to ask one of themif she had seen a little black and white dog. Not a one of them had seen him.
FRESH FISH FOR SALEFRESH FISH FOR SALE
WEIGHING A LOAD OF FISHWEIGHING A LOAD OF FISH
Greta decided that Chouse had not come along this street, so she walked back to the bridge and started down another street. Soon she came into a large open square filled with fruit and vegetable stands. The housewives of Copenhagen came here every morning during the summer to get the finest of fresh foods. Greta went from one stand to another, asking if they had seen her dog. Surelysomeonehad seen him. Finally she came to the very last stand, where a pretty girl was selling flowers. By this time tears had filled Greta's eyes and there wassuch a lump in her throat that she could hardly speak.
"Why, yes," said the pretty girl. "I did see a little black and white dog not very long ago, but I don't know which way he went from here."
Greta smiled happily at this news. At last she was on the right trail. She left the market and took one of the narrow, winding streets that led through the main business district. Every little while she called, "Here, Chouse. Come, Chouse." But no little dog came in answer to her call. Maybe she had taken the wrong street after all.
Half blinded with tears she started across one of the large open squares. When part way across she saw Chouse trotting down the street ahead of her. Greta started to run and almost bumped into a bicycle. She was not used to city streets, crowded with bicycles and automobiles. By the time she hadcrossed the square, Chouse had disappeared.
FISHING BOATS CROWD THE CANALSFISHING BOATS CROWD THE CANALS
Greta was tired and hungry, but she didn't stop to think about that. She was very much afraid that she couldn't find her way back to Christiansborg, but she didn't dare to think about that. Chouse was somewhere on the street in front of her, and she must find him. So the little girl kept on walking. The streethad many curves, like all the older streets in Copenhagen. In some places the sidewalk was so narrow that Greta had to step out in the street to pass the people who stood looking in the shop windows.
SAILBOATS IN THE HEART OF COPENHAGENSAILBOATS IN THE HEART OF COPENHAGEN
Suddenly a terrible fear came over Greta. What if sheneverfound Chouse? But she simplymustfind him—and keep him. She knew now just how dear he was to her. As she walked along, the tears which filled her eyes spilled over on her cheeks. She had never been in this part of the city before, and now she was lost just as completely as Chouse was. Oh, if only she could find him, nothing else would matter. In some way she would get back to Christiansborg and Anna. In some way she would persuade her father not to send Chouse away. She looked at her watch. Goodness, she had already been walking an hour and a half! Anna would be worried about her. But Greta felt that shemust keep on looking for her dog. She knew now that she was on the right street, at least.
Suddenly Greta came into a large open square that seemed familiar. She stopped a minute to look around. Maybe she wasn't really lost, after all. What was that large building over to the left? Then the tears stopped and her face broke into a happy smile. Why, it was the railroad station, where she had first come into Copenhagen. She lost all her fears about being lost, but a great wave of homesickness came over the little girl. Without quite knowing why, she crossed the busy square and went into the station.
She would sit down in the station and rest a little bit before going on with her search. Just as she found a seat on one of the long benches a familiar little black and white figure caught her eye. Tired as she was, Greta ran down the long station. Everyone turnedto watch the excited little girl who was running so desperately. At last she reached him, and it really was her beloved Chouse.
A BUSY SQUARE IN COPENHAGENA BUSY SQUARE IN COPENHAGEN
He jumped up at her and barked joyously. "Oh, Chouse,whydid you run away?" Greta took him in her arms and hugged him close. Then all of a sudden she understood why he had gone away. Right in front of her wasthe gate to the very train that she would take back home. Chouse was homesick, too. That was why he had come straight to the railroad station.
"Everything is all right, Chouse. We will be going home soon," said Greta, as a single happy tear fell on his black and white fur.
That evening at dinner the two girls told all about their adventures.
"How did you finally get back to Christiansborg, Greta?" asked her aunt.
"I asked a policeman to show me the way, and he was kind enough to go all the way back there with me. I don't think I could ever have found it by myself."
"Oh, Greta, I almost forgot," said her aunt. "Here is a letter that came for you today."
It was a letter from Hans, and Greta opened it eagerly.
"Dear Greta:
I have some very good news for you. Father has decided that you may keepChouse after all. He found that it was the rabbits, and not Chouse, who had been killing the chickens. Every time we saw Chouse running after chickens he was really trying to get the rabbits.
We all miss you, Greta, and I think the kittens miss you as much as we do. They are getting so fat that you won't know them unless you come home pretty soon. Give Chouse three pats for me.
Your loving brother,
Hans."
Greta showed the letter to Anna, saying, "I think it's time for me to go home, Anna. The kittens need me, and you can see that Chouse is very homesick."
"I'm afraid that Chouse isn't the only one who is homesick," teased Tante Elsie. "But we do understand, Greta. We want you to stay as long as you can, but if you should beat home with your pets, then you do what you think is best."
GRETA AND ANNAGRETA AND ANNA
"Thank you, Tante Elsie. You have all been so wonderful to me and you have given me such a very good time. I shall never forget it."
Greta decided that she would go home the next day, so her uncle sent a telegram to her father. Anna helped her to pack, while Chouse stood by and watched.
"Of course it is really Chouse who is homesick, Anna," insisted Greta. "I could stay away all summer."
"Certainly you could," agreed Anna. "But I expect the kittens really do need you to look after them."
When Anna and Tante Elsie put Greta on the train the next day she was very brave. She had never before been on the train by herself, but she was not going to let anyone know that she was just a wee bit frightened. After all, Chouse was with her, and this time he would not get away from her. He seemed just as happy as she was to be going back home.
Greta kissed Anna and Tante Elsie goodbye. "This has been such a lovely summer,"she said. "I hope Anna can come to visit me again next summer."
"And we want you to come back to Copenhagen next year," said Anna.
Greta waved to them until she could no longer see their handkerchiefs waving to her in answer. Then she leaned back in her seat, with Chouse on her lap.
"Chouse, thishasbeen the grandest summer we have ever had," said Greta, giving her pet a loving hug. Then she took a withered rosebud from her purse and looked at it dreamily. "And I know that I am the happiest girl in all Denmark."
RIGHT ENDPAPER
Transcriber's NotePunctuation and formatting markup have been normalized.Missing page numbers are attributed to blank or unnumbered pages in the original text.Some illustrations have been moved near their mention in the text.Apparent printer's errors have been retained, unless stated below.Page136, "It's" changed to "Its". (Its real name is Frederick's Church, because it was built by King Frederick the Fifth.")
Punctuation and formatting markup have been normalized.
Missing page numbers are attributed to blank or unnumbered pages in the original text.
Some illustrations have been moved near their mention in the text.
Apparent printer's errors have been retained, unless stated below.
Page136, "It's" changed to "Its". (Its real name is Frederick's Church, because it was built by King Frederick the Fifth.")