But when it snowed, that was the best of all; for they liked
nothing so well as to look up at the white flakes falling fast
and thick, like down frown the breasts of millions of white
birds, and to see how smooth and deep the drift was, and to
listen to the hush upon the paths and roads.

But one day of a sudden the traveler lost the child. He called to
him over and over again, but got no answer. So he went on for a
little while without meeting anything, until at last he came to a
handsome boy. He said to the boy, "What do you here?" And the boy
said, "I am always learning. Come and learn with me."

So he learned with the boy about Jupiter and Juno, and the Greeks
and Romans,--more than I could tell, or he either; for he soon
forgot a great deal of it. But they were not always learning;
they had the merriest games that ever were played.

They rowed upon the river in summer, and skated on the ice in
winter; they were active afoot and active on horseback; at
cricket, and all games of ball; at prisoner's base,
hare-and-hounds, follow-my-leader, and more sports than I can
think of: nobody could beat them. As to friends, they had such
dear friends, and so many of them, that I want the time to reckon
them up. They were all young, like the handsome boy, and were
never to be strange to one another all their lives through.

Still, one day, in the midst of all these pleasures, the traveler
lost the boy, as he had lost the child, and, after calling him in
vain, went on upon his journey. So he went on for a while without
seeing anything, until at last he came to a young man. He said to