DINNER AT VOSBORG CASTLE
"The carriage should be here any minute now." Greta ran to the window
again to look down the road.
"The carriage!" said Anna in surprise. "Are we going to Vosborg in a
_carriage_, Greta?"
"Yes. Mr. Christianson is sending his carriage for us. He doesn't like
automobiles, so he still keeps the old coach that has belonged to the
castle for a hundred years."
"There it is now, Greta," said Hans, who was just as eager to visit the
castle as Greta and Anna were.
Soon they were all on their way to Vosborg. Although it stood on a hill,
you could hardly see the castle itself, because of the trees all around
it. After a short ride they reached the castle's outer wall and drove
through the wide entrance, with its high tower that formed an archway.
There was a long stretch of level ground inside the wall, before one
came to the stone bridge over the moat. The moat was a wide, deep ditch
filled with water, which ran all the way around the castle. In the olden
days it was an important protection, for enemies could not cross it and
thus could not reach the castle buildings. Inside the moat there was a
rampart, or a high ridge of earth, which was also a protection to the
castle. Then there was still another wall before one finally reached the
castle itself.
"There has been a castle on this spot for hundreds of years," Greta's
mother told the children as they rode along in the old coach. "This
building is only four hundred years old, so you see that it is rather
new! The castle that stood here before was destroyed in 1532."
[Illustration: MR. CHRISTIANSON'S COACH]
"Mother, tell Anna about the Englishman who built the tower of Vosborg
Castle," urged Hans.
"All right, Hans," said his mother. "A long, long time ago, when the
first castle was being built, the owner decided that he wanted a tower
on his castle that would be finer than that of any other castle in
Denmark. He hunted the country over, but he couldn't find anyone who
could build such a grand tower. Finally he heard of a man in England who
could do this. So he sent for this man and told him to build a tower on
Vosborg that would be the finest in the land. The Englishman solemnly
promised that he would do so.
"It took him three full years to build the tower, for he was determined
to make it the finest in all Denmark. And it was. When it was done he
went to the owner of Vosborg and asked if he were satisfied. The owner
was well pleased, and he paid the builder a large sum of money. Long
before this, however, he had decided that he would test the builder and
the honesty of his work. So after the Englishman had left the castle and
was walking down the road, a servant from Vosborg came running after
him, shouting, 'The tower is leaning.'
"This was to be the test of his work. If he turned around to look at the
tower, the owner of the castle would know that the builder was not sure
of his own work. If there were even the smallest doubt in his mind, he
would be certain to look around at once. But the English builder was
very sure that his work was well done. Not once did he look back. Not
for a minute did he pause in his journey. But as he walked on, he said
to the servant from Vosborg, 'The tower does not lean. Tell your master
that I have done my work well; he did not spend his money in vain. He
has the finest tower in all Denmark. But also tell him that one day
Vosborg will be destroyed by a man in a blue coat.'
"The servant told his master. Fear and astonishment ran through the
castle like a flame. Who was the mysterious man in the blue coat who
would one day destroy the castle? No one knew. No one could even guess.
The owner of Vosborg was well liked by all the people. Surely no one
would do him harm. The years went by and the castle remained unharmed.
Gradually everyone forgot about the prophecy of the English builder. The
man in the blue coat was no longer feared.
"Then one year there was a dreadful storm on the ocean. Never before had
the people seen such an angry sea. The waves dashed and pounded against
the shore as they had never done before. The water rose like a wall and
spread over the land for many miles. No one had ever seen a storm like
this one. The water pounded against the outer wall of Vosborg. It
crumbled and fell. Within a few hours the ocean had rushed in and
washed away the rampart around the castle. There was then just one wall
left as a protection against the angry sea. It wasn't enough. On the
second day of the storm the waves became even more fierce and violent.
Finally, that wall crumbled and the whole castle of Vosborg was knocked
down by the force of the waves.
[Illustration: THE ENTRANCE TO THE INNER COURTYARD]
"Thus the prophecy, told many years before, had at last come true. The
English builder had spoken truly. Vosborg was, as he had predicted,
destroyed by a man in a blue coat--the ocean."
"But I thought the ocean was several miles away," said Anna in surprise.
"It is now, Anna, but in those days it was very near. Every few hundred
years the shore line changes, due to the rising or falling of the land.
So Vosborg is now a mile or more from the ocean."
By this time they had reached the courtyard of the castle. The paving
stones that covered the ground had long ago been worn to a smooth,
polished roundness. On three sides of the courtyard there were low,
white buildings. One of these contained the servants' quarters and the
kitchens. Another contained the huge library of the castle. The third
was made up of the stables. On the fourth side of the courtyard stood
the imposing, four-story building that made up the main part of the
castle. In the center of the courtyard there was a lovely, round pool.
"Oh, Greta, it's beautiful," said the delighted Anna, as she looked all
around her.
Dinner was served in the Knights' Hall, a long, stately room on the
second floor. Tall candles lighted the banquet table and threw
flickering shadows in the far corners of the room and against the high
ceiling. The walls were covered with brilliant paintings of the knights
and ladies who had lived at Vosborg in olden days. Now and then, as the
candlelight caught the gleam of a bright red waistcoat or the silken
beauty of a lady's satin gown, Greta turned suddenly to look at the
portraits. Once she thought that one of the great ladies of long ago was
smiling at her. But when she looked again, the lovely face showed only
the calm, quiet beauty of a painting. Had she really smiled? Greta
could not be sure.
After dinner Mr. Christianson showed them the room that King Frederick
had used when he visited Vosborg Castle many years ago.
"This room used to be the chapel," explained Mr. Christianson, "but it
had to be changed for a very amusing reason. The owner of the castle
used to put his turkeys to roost in the chapel and even left them there
on Sunday. When the minister began to preach, all the turkeys babbled in
answer. Of course the whole church service was upset and the minister
couldn't go on. He refused to preach at Vosborg any more. When the king
heard what had happened, he said that there would be no more chapel
services at this castle. So the chapel was changed into a bedroom. Many
years later a tiny chapel was built outside the castle wall. It is a
lovely, quiet place of worship. The inside walls are lined with moss,
and the outer walls are covered with thatch. It is really a little
temple in the woods."
[Illustration: THE CHAPEL IN THE WOODS]
"Could we see it, Mr. Christianson?" asked Anna, as they were going back
to the drawing-room.
"I'm afraid it's too dark out there now. But I should be delighted to
show it to you if you care to come again, during the daytime."
"Oh, I'd love to. Thank you so--Oh, what's that noise?" Anna looked at
Greta, whose face had turned white. She, too, had heard a most unusual
sound.
"I didn't hear any noise," said Mr. Christianson.
"It sounded like heavy wooden wheels," said Greta, who looked quite
scared.
"It couldn't be that, Greta," said Hans. "No one has come into the
courtyard."
"But I heard them _inside_ the castle," insisted Greta.
"Oh, of course. I had forgotten." Then Mr. Christianson explained. "A
long time ago, when this castle was first built, the entrance to the
courtyard was in the center of this building, instead of at the side, as
it is now. In fact, this drawing-room was built where the entrance used
to be. Up to the very day of his death, the old coachman never approved
of this change. So every evening, about this time, he drives his coach
and four over the old road and through the old entrance. He has to come
right through this room and that is why you always hear him."
The two girls looked at Mr. Christianson in wonder.
"You mean his _ghost_ drives through here every evening?" asked Greta.
"Yes, Greta."
"But I didn't think there were any _real_ ghosts," said Anna.
"I don't know, my dear. No one has ever _seen_ him, but you yourself
heard the rumble of the wooden wheels of the coach just now."
"I certainly heard _something_," admitted Anna.
"What else could it be?" asked Hans, who was delighted to hear Anna
admit even this much.
On the way home from Vosborg, Anna was very quiet. Finally she just had
to ask, "Tante Agnes, do _you_ think that was the old coach that we
heard tonight?"
Her aunt smiled. "I don't know, Anna. I think you had better go to
Vosborg again in the daytime. Then you can find out for yourself whether
or not it has any ghosts."