Rasmus was quite content to look after sheep , as his father had done before him , but Niels had a fancy to be a hunter , and was not happy till he got hold of a gun and learned to shoot . It was only an old muzzle-loading flint-lock after all , but Niels thought it a great prize , and went about shooting at everything he could see . So much did he practice that in the long run he became a wonderful shot , and was heard of even where he had never been seen . Some people said there was very little in him beyond this , but that was an idea they found reason to change in the course of time . The parents of Rasmus and Niels were good Catholics , and when they were getting old the mother took it into her head that she would like to go to Rome and see the Pope . The others did n't see much use in this , but she had her way in the end : they sold all the sheep , shut up the house , and set out for Rome on foot . Niels took his gun with him . ` What do you want with that ? ' said Rasmus ; ` we have plenty to carry without it . ' But Niels could not be happy without his gun , and took it all the same . It was in the hottest part of summer that they began their journey , so hot that they could not travel at all in the middle of the day , and they were afraid to do it by night lest they might lose their way or fall into the hands of robbers . One day , a little before sunset , they came to an inn which lay at the edge of a forest . ` We had better stay here for the night , ' said Rasmus . ` What an idea ! ' said Niels , who was growing impatient at the slow progress they were making . ` We ca n't travel by day for the heat , and we remain where we are all night . It will be long enough before we get to Rome if we go on at this rate . ' Rasmus was unwilling to go on , but the two old people sided with Niels , who said , ` The nights are n't dark , and the moon will soon be up . We can ask at the inn here , and find out which way we ought to take . ' So they held on for some time , but at last they came to a small opening in the forest , and here they found that the road split in two .
There was no sign-post to direct them , and the people in the inn had not told them which XXXXX the two roads to take .
at before beyond for in into of that to with