He was good-looking,and could whistle like a bird,and sing both new and old songs.He was in favour at allthe big farms,particularly at Klaus Hansen's,who was thesecond richest farmer in the district.
His daughter Elsie was like the loveliest flower,andshe was always laughing;there were people who were soill-natured as to say that she only laughed to show her pret-ty teeth.
She was ready to laugh,and always in the humour toplay pranks.
They fell in love with each other,but neither ofthem said it in so many words.
So he went about and became heavy-hearted;he hadmore of his father's than his mother's disposition.Thehumour only came when Elsie came,then they bothlaughed,joked,and played tricks,but although therewas good opportunity,he said never a word of his love."What is the use!"was his thought."Her parents lookfor riches for her,and that I have not got;it were wisestto go away from here!"But he could not go away from thefarm;it was as if Elsie had bound him with a thread:hewas like a trained bird for her,he sang and whistled forher pleasure and after her will.
Johanna,the shoemaker's daughter,was servant onthe farm there,engaged in menial work;she drove themilk-cart out to the field,where she,with the othergirls,milked the cows;she had even to drive the manurewhen that was wanted.She never went up to the bigroom,and so did not see much of Rasmus or Elsie,butshe heard that they were as good as engaged.
"Rasmus comes into prosperity,"said she,"I can-not grudge him that!"And her eyes became wet,althoughthere was nothing to cry for.
It was market day in town.Klaus Hansen drove intoit and Rasmus was with him;he sat by the side of Elsieboth going and coming.He was overwhelmed with love,but said never a word about it.
"He might say something to me about the thing!"thought the girl,and she was right."If he will not speak,then I will give him a fright!"
And soon people were saying on the farm that therichest farmer in the neighbourhood had made love toElsie,and so he had,but no one knew what answer shehad given him.
Thoughts buzzed about in Rasmus's head.
One evening Elsie put a gold ring on her finger andasked Rasmus what it meant.
"Engagement,"said he.
"And witn whom,do you think?"asked she.
"With the rich farmer,"said he.
"You have hit it!"said she,nodded,and slippedaway.
But he also slipped away,came home to his mother'shouse like a madman,and packed his knapsack.Outinto the wide world would he go;his mother wept,but itwas of no use.He cut himself a stick from the old wil-low,he whistled as if he were in a good humour,he wasgoing out to see the grandeur of the world.
"It is a great trial for me!"said the mother."Butfor you it is,no doubt,the beat thing to go away,andso I must just submit to it.Hold to yourself and ourLord,and so I will get you home glad and contentedagain!"
He went by the new high road,and there he sawJohanna driving a load of manure.She had not noticedhim,and he did not want her to see him,so he sat him-self behind the hedge,and hid there—and Johannadrove past.
Out into the world he went,and no one knew
where;his mother thought he would come home againbefore the year was finished:"He has now somethingnew to see and to think about,but he will get back intothe old folds again,which cannot be ironed out with anypressing-iron.He has a little too much of his father'sdisposition.I would rather he had mine,the poor child!but he will come home,he cannot give the old houseand me the slip."
The mother would wait a year and a day;Elsiewaited only a month,then she went secretly to the wisewoman Stine,who could"doctor",read fortunes in
cards and coffee,and knew more than her Lord's
Prayer.She knew also where Rasmas was.She couldread that in the coffee-grounds.He was in a foreigntown,but she could not read the name of it.There werein that town soldiers and girls.He thought either of tak- ing a musket or one of the girls.