for them; from children they become all at once
grown-up-persons; it was as if their infant souls were now to fly all
at once into persons with more understanding. The sun was shining
gloriously; the children that had been confirmed went out of the town;
and from the wood was borne towards them the sounds of the unknown bell
with wonderful distinctness. They all immediately felt a wish to go
thither; all except three. One of them had to go home to try on a
ball-dress; for it was just the dress and the ball which had caused her
to be confirmed this time, for otherwise she would not have come;
the other was a poor boy, who had borrowed his coat and boots to be
confirmed in from the innkeeper's son, and he was to give them back by
a certain hour; the third said that he never went to a strange place
if his parents were not with him--that he had always been a good boy
hitherto, and would still be so now that he was confirmed, and that one
ought not to laugh at him for it: the others, however, did make fun of
him, after all.

There were three, therefore, that did not go; the others hastened on.
The sun shone, the birds sang, and the children sang too, and each held
the other by the hand; for as yet they had none of them any high office,
and were all of equal rank in the eye of God.

But two of the youngest soon grew tired, and both returned to town; two
little girls sat down, and twined garlands, so they did not go either;
and when the others reached the willow-tree, where the confectioner was,
they said, "Now we are there! In reality the bell does not exist; it is
only a fancy that people have taken into their heads!"

At the same moment the bell sounded deep in the wood, so clear and
solemnly that five or six determined to penetrate somewhat further. It
was so thick, and the foliage so dense, that it was quite fatiguing
to proceed. Woodroof and anemonies grew almost too high; blooming
convolvuluses and blackberry-bushes hung in long garlands from tree to
tree, where the nightingale sang and the sunbeams were playing: it was
very beautiful, but it was no place for girls to go; their clothes would
get so torn. Large blocks of stone lay there, overgrown with moss of
every color; the fresh spring bubbled forth, and made a strange gurgling
sound.

"That surely cannot be the bell," said one of the children, lying down
and listening. "This must be looked to." So he remained, and let the
others go on without him.

They afterw