To start with, the boy intended to climb a sand-hill and see how the land behind it looked.  But when he had walked a couple of paces, he stubbed the toe of his wooden shoe against something hard.  He stooped down, and saw that a small copper coin lay on the sand, and was so worn with verdigris that it was almost transparent.  It was so poor that he didn’t even bother to pick it up, but only kicked it out of the way.

But when he straightened himself up once more he was perfectly astounded, for two paces away from him stood a high, dark wall with a big, turreted gate.

The moment before, when the boy bent down, the sea lay there—­shimmering and smooth, while now it was hidden by a long wall with towers and battlements.  Directly in front of him, where before there had been only a few sea-weed banks, the big gate of the wall opened.

The boy probably understood that it was a spectre-play of some sort; but this was nothing to be afraid of, thought he.  It wasn’t any dangerous trolls, or any other evil—­such as he always dreaded to encounter at night.  Both the wall and the gate were so beautifully constructed that he only desired to see what there might be back of them.  “I must find out what this can be,” thought he, and went in through the gate.

In the deep archway there were guards, dressed in brocaded and purred suits, with long-handled spears beside them, who sat and threw dice.  They thought only of the game, and took no notice of the boy who hurried past them quickly.

Just within the gate he found an open space, paved with large, even stone blocks.  All around this were high and magnificent buildings; and between these opened long, narrow streets.  On the square—­facing the gate—­it fairly swarmed with human beings.  The men wore long, fur-trimmed capes over satin suits; plume-bedecked hats sat obliquely on their heads; on their chests hung superb chains.  They were all so regally gotten up that the whole lot of them might have been kings.

The women went about in high head-dresses and long robes with tight-fitting sleeves.  They, too, were beautifully dressed, but their splendour was not to be compared with that of the men.

This was exactly like the old story-book which mother took from the chest—­only once—­and showed to him.  The boy simply couldn’t believe his eyes.

But that which was even more wonderful to look upon than either the men or the women, was the city itself.  Every house was built in such a way that a gable faced the street.  And the gables were so highly ornamented, that one could believe they wished to compete with each other as to which one could show the most beautiful decorations.