Box variable does not display its content

Question

I'd like to use box variables and cannot deal with this example:

\newsavebox{\abox}              % declared a variable of a box type
\sbox{\abox}{The block content} % abox := \hbox{The block content};
\abox

The output result is '9'... What's wrong?

The only where I succeeded is making a box variable with a 'picture':

\newsavebox{\abox}
\sbox{\abox}{\circle{30}}
\begin{picture}(50,50)
\multiput(10,30)(10,5){3}{\copy\abox} % or \usebox{\abox}
\end{picture}