I stand on the roadside, facing a much more well-frequented inn than myself. The windows are brightly lit, and music and merriment pour from inside. The noise gets louder as the night goes on, and the people who stay there live in riot and revel.

I do not deny that I look shabby on the outside, but my rooms are clean and comfortable, and I enjoy the company of the quiet people who come here to stay.

The Shabby Inn in The Golden Bird, Grimms. Painting by Carl Spitzweg.