Loading database kills my code

[eluser]Unknown[/eluser]
Hey there!
I started using CI a few days ago, so i'm not totally used to it.
Anyway...i'm having some problems with the database. (MySQL) It works fine when i'm not using CI, but when i try to use it, the thing just doesn't work.
I tried to build the DB code in a Controller and then in a Model, and none worked.
This code only outputs the first string, but not the second one.

Code:

class SomeClass extends Controller {

    function SomeClass(){
        parent::Controller();
        
    }
    function index(){
        echo "first";
        $this->load->database();
        echo "second";
    }
}

Second example, using SomeClass again:

Code:

function index(){
        $this->load->model('somemodel');
    }

now, SomeModel:

Code:

class SomeModel extends Model{
    function SomeModel(){
        parent::Model();
        echo "This is from the model.";
        $this->load->database();
        echo "This is from the model too, but it doesn't work.";
    }
}

Same thing happens. It outputs the first string, but not the second.

Code:

class SomeModel extends Model{
    function SomeModel(){
        parent::Model();
        echo "This is from the model.";
        $this->db->query('SELECT name, title FROM my_table');
    }
}

This outputs the string, and gives an error:

A PHP Error was encountered
Severity: Notice
Message: Undefined property: SomeModel::$db
Filename: models/somemodel.php
Line Number: 6

Fatal error: Call to a member function query() on a non-object in C:\Arquivos de programas\EasyPHP 2.0b1\www\ign\system\application\models\somemodel.php on line 6

I even tried to do something like this:
$db = $this->load->database();

but didn't work.

How can i solve this?