They were there taught reading, writing, and accounts, to compose
and relate histories, stories, and many elegant kinds of work, so that
many came out of the hills, both men and women, very prudent and knowing
people in consequence of what they were taught there. The biggest, and
those of best capacity, received instruction in natural science and
astronomy, and in poetry and in riddle-making, arts highly esteemed
among the little people. John was very diligent, and soon became a most
clever painter and drawer. He wrought, too, most ingeniously in gold and
silver and stones, and in verse and riddle-making he had no fellow.
John had spent many a happy year here without ever thinking of the upper
world, or of those he had left behind, so pleasantly passed the time--so
many agreeable companions had he.
Of all of them there was none of whom he was so fond as of a fair-haired
girl named Elizabeth Krabbe. She was from his own village, and was the
daughter of Frederick Krabbe, the minister of Rambin. She was but four
years old when she was taken away, and John had often heard tell of her.
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