ONE OF THE SMALL SUMMER HOMES
Albert showed Harold the vegetables, fruit, and flowers which he was growing on his farm. “In the fall,” he said, “I’ll take my best specimens to the fair in the city. I’m sure to get a prize for some of them.”
Each day after Albert had hoed his garden, he and Harold went to play with the other boys who also lived on little farms. One day they went to the lake to swim and to ride on the rafts. The boys had made the rafts of logs. Between the two logs at each end of the rafts they had fastened a board for seats. Albert rowed the raft on which he and Harold rode while they rested from their swimming. Harold only laughed and swam away again when Albert tipped the raft and threw him into the water.
THE BOYS WITH THEIR RAFTS
One morning the boys went to the city again. They walked through the streets toward the quay—the place where the boats land. Harold noticed that all the buildings were of white stone. He knew that Sweden, like Norway, was a land of many forests. Why then were there so few wooden houses? He asked Albert. His cousin told him, “The first city was built of wood, but fires came and destroyed the homes. People kept building of wood for many years, but again and again fires destroyed the homes. Wood is not Sweden’s only building material. Under the soil around Stockholm is a fine building stone called granite. So the buildings you see in this new city are of granite.”
The boys stopped along the street to visit a flower market. It was bright with many colors. For in that city so far north many flowers grow. In the market place were pinks, violets, sweet peas, roses, asters, dahlias, and long-stemmed gladioli.
About noon the boys got on a boat at the quay to go to the King’s palace. The palace of the King stands in an old part of the city. It is on one of the islands where the old wall stood so long ago. Near the King’s palace are a few streets of old buildings with sharp gabled roofs. That part of Stockholm is called “the city between bridges.” Day and night boats pass under the bridges and move along the water in front of the palace.
The boys reached the palace about noon. Albert wanted Harold to see the changing of the King’s guards. As they neared the palace, they heard sounds of band music. In the courtyard beside the palace, they saw a line of guards dressed in uniform such as guards of the palace have worn for hundreds of years. Then the line of marching men came into sight. The band in uniform marched first, then the guards who were to take the place of those guards now at the palace. They crossed the bridge and entered the courtyard. The guards drilled for a few minutes at the command of the officer. The band played more music. Then the commander told the new guards what their duties were and the old guards marched away, leaving them to protect the king and his property.