, turned his head gracefully on every
side, and with his bill pecked the pliant blades of grass, which, in
comparison to his present size, seemed as majestic as the palm-branches
of northern Africa.

Unfortunately the pleasure lasted but a moment. Presently black night
overshadowed our enthusiast, who had so entirely missed his part of
copying-clerk at a police-office; some vast object seemed to be thrown
over him. It was a large oil-skin cap, which a sailor-boy of the quay
had thrown over the struggling bird; a coarse hand sought its way
carefully in under the broad rim, and seized the clerk over the back
and wings. In the first moment of fear, he called, indeed, as loud as
he could--"You impudent little blackguard! I am a copying-clerk at
the police-office; and you know you cannot insult any belonging to the
constabulary force without a chastisement. Besides, you good-for-nothing
rascal, it is strictly forbidden to catch birds in the royal gardens of
Fredericksburg; but your blue uniform betrays where you come from."
This fine tirade sounded, however, to the ungodly sailor-boy like a mere
"Pippi-pi." He gave the noisy bird a knock on his beak, and walked on.

He was soon met by two schoolboys of the upper class--that is to say as
individuals, for with regard to learning they were in the lowest class
in the school; and they bought the stupid bird. So the copying-clerk
came to Copenhagen as guest, or rather as prisoner in a family living in
Gother Street.

"'Tis well that I'm dreaming," said the clerk, "or I really should get
angry. First I was a poet; now sold for a few pence as a lark; no doubt
it was that accursed poetical nature which has metamorphosed me
into such a poor harmless little creature. It is really pitiable,
particularly when one gets into the hands of a little blackguard,
perfect in all sorts of cruelty to animals: all I should like to know
is, how the story will end."

The two schoolboys, the proprietors now of the transformed clerk,
carried him into an elegant room. A stout stately dame received them
with a smile; but she expressed much dissatisfaction that a common
field-bird, as she called the lark, should appear in such high society.
For to-day, however, she would allow it; and they must shut him in the
empty cage that was standing in the window. "Perhaps he will amuse my
good Polly," added the lady, looking with a benignant smile at a large
green parrot that swung himself backwards and forward