Greta backed down the steps slowly and carefully. This time she would
not let go of the rope at all. She laid her purse on the step above
while she picked up the tiny handkerchief and put it in her pocket. In a
short time she had reached the top of the stairs, where Anna was waiting
for her. Greta showed her the dainty little handkerchief, with its wide
border of lace.
"Look, Greta. It has an 'I' embroidered in one corner."
"I wonder whose it is, Anna."
As the girls walked out on the platform on top of the dome, they almost
ran into two beautifully dressed ladies. Greta made her prettiest
curtsy.
"Perhaps this handkerchief is yours," she said, holding it out to them.
"Why, yes, it is," said the taller of the two ladies. "Thank you very
much, my dear." She and her companion then started down the narrow
stairway.
"I'm sure I have seen that lady before, but I can't remember where,"
said Anna, when they had gone. "Come over here, Greta. I want to show
you the King's palace."
Just a block away from the Marble Church was Amalienborg, the palace of
the King. The palace consisted of four beautiful buildings, built around
a large open square. Day and night, a tall guard in uniform marched
slowly back and forth in front of the palace. King Christian is probably
the best loved king in all Europe, and no one would ever want to harm
him. Nevertheless, the guard is always there.
[Illustration: AMALIENBORG PALACE]
"That is the famous Round Tower over there," explained Anna. "Some day
we will climb up in it. The building with all the dragons on the roof is
the Stock Exchange." Anna went on to point out other interesting
buildings. Greta was most interested in the harbor and the hundreds of
boats, which seemed to be everywhere in the city. Little arms of the sea
come right into the heart of Copenhagen, so there really are boats and
bridges wherever one looks.
[Illustration: THE KING'S GUARD]
Finally the girls started home. After a long bus ride, they walked the
few remaining blocks to Anna's home.
"Anna, why does that building have so many little porches? Do they all
belong to one house?" Greta pointed to a long brick building that had
fully a hundred porches.
[Illustration: "BIRD CAGE" PORCHES]
"That's a new apartment building, Greta. More than a hundred families
live there, and each family has its own little sun porch. Notice how
each porch is built up solid on one side, but the other side and the top
are open. In that way, every porch gets lots of sunshine, but the
neighbors can't possibly see in it."
"They look more like bird cages than porches," said Greta.
"Oh, Greta," exclaimed Anna suddenly. "I believe that was the Princess."
"Who, Anna?"
"Why, the lady whose handkerchief you found. Let's hurry home and ask
Mother. I'm sure she will know."
Greta told Anna's mother about the finding of the handkerchief, and Anna
described the two ladies.
"Do you suppose it could have been Princess Ingrid, Mother?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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