The merchant's son had a private tutorwho taught him his lessons and who took walks with him， too． Peerwas also to have an education， so hewent to publicschool with a great number of other boys．They played to－ gether， andthat was much more fun than going along with a tutor．Peer would not have changed places with him．
He was a lucky Peer， but Godfather was also a luckypeer，although his name was not Peer． He won a pnize in the lottery， of twohundred dollars，on a ticket he shared with elevenothers． He immediately bought some better clothes， and he looked very well in them．
Luck never comes alone； it always has company， and soit did this time．Godfather gave upthe garbage wagon and joined the theater．
"What's that！" said Grandmother．"Is he going into the theater？ As what？"
As a machinist． That was an advancement． He be-came quite another person； and heenjoyed the plays very much， although he always sawthem from the top or from the side． Most wonderful wasthe ballet， but that gavehim the hardest work， and there was always danger of fire． Theydanced both in heaven and on earth． That was somethingfor little Peer to see； and one evening when there wasto be a dress rehearsal of a new ballet， inwhicheveryone was dressed and made up as on the open－ ingnight when people pay to see all the magnificence， hehad permission to bring Peer with him and put him in a place where he could seethe whole show．
It was a Biblical ballet—Samson． The Philistinesdanced about him， and he tumbledthe whole house downover them and himself； but therewere both fire engines and firemen on hand in case of any accident．
Peer had never seen a stage play， not to mention aballet．He put on his Sunday clothes and went with God－ father to the theater．It was just like agreat deying loft，with many curtains and screens， big openings in the floor， lamps，and lights． There were so many tricky nooksand corners everywhere， from which people appeared， just as in a great church with its gallery pews． Peer was seat－ed down where the floorslanted steeply and was told to stay there until it was all finished and he wassent for．Hehad three sandwiches in his pocket， so that he need notstarve．
Soon it grew lighter and lighter； then up in front， just as if straight out of the earth， therecame a number ofmusicians with both flutes and violins．In the seats next toPeer sat people dressed in street clothes；but there also appeared knights with gold helmets， beautiful maidens ingauze and flowers， evenangels all in white， with wings on their backs．They seated themselves upstairs and downstairs， on the floor and in the balcony seats，towatch what was going on．They were all members of theballet， but Peer did not know that． He thought they be－longed in the fairytales his grandmother had told him about． There thenappeared a woman， and she was themost beautiful of all， with a gold helmet and spear； she seemed tobe above all the others， and sat between an an－gel and a troll． Ah，how much there was to see！ And yet the ballet bad noteven begun．
Suddenly everything became quiet．A man dressed in blackmoved a little fairy wand over all the musicians， andthen they began to play； the music made a whistlingsound through the theater， and the whole wall in frontbe- gan to rise．One looked into a flower garden， where the sun shone and all the people danced and leaped． Such a wonderful sight Peer had never imagined． There weresoldiers marching， and there waswar， and there was a banquet，and there were the mighty Samson and his lover．
But she was as wicked as she was beautiful； shebetrayed him． The Philistines plucked his eyes out； he was forced togrind in the mill and to be mocked and insulted inthe great house； it fell， andthere burst forth wonderful flames of redand green fire．
Peer could have sat there his whole life long and looked on， even if the sandwiches were all eaten—andthey were all eaten．
Now here was something to tell about， when he gothome．It was impossible to get him to go to bed．Hestood on one leg and laid the other on the table—thatwas what Samson's lover and all the other ladies had done． He madea treadmill out of Grandmother's chair and upset twochairsand a pillow over himself to show how the banquet hall had come down．He showed this—yes，andhe even presented it with the music that belonged to it；there was no talking in the ballet． He sanghigh and low，[with words andwithout words，] and it was quite incoherent． It was likeawhole opera． The most noticeable thing of all， meanwhile，was his beautiful， bell－clear voice，but no one spoke ofthat．
Peer previously had wanted to be a grocer's boy， tobein charge of prunes and powdered sugar． Now hefoundthere was something much more wonderful， and thatwas toget into the Samson story and dance in the ballet． A great many poor children had taken that road， said the grand－mother， and had become fine and honored people； yetno little girl of her family would ever be permitted to do so；but a boy—well， hestood more firmly． Peer had not seen a single one ofthe little girls fall down before the whole house fell，and then they all fell together， he said．
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