here from one place and another in order to drive them up on the mountain, where the big herd was. Then the two would remain up there as shepherd-boys until Autumn, and they were so delighted

every room and corner, from top to bottom, so there was no end to it the whole day long. The sun had already gone down behind the fir trees when the woman once more wiped off the windows, one after

narrow stairs to the attic chamber, put on a clean apron, and placed herself in the doorway in order to receive her strange

with the little bench in front of the door, the green fields around with the flowers and brooks, or the golden evening sunshine on the ro

Rita, since everything here was so different from anything she had ever seen in

und the room against the wall, and

open door into another chamber, where two beds stood. This led into a little garret room and a wooden staircase on the other side went down again into the living-room. This made a wonderful c

one beside her, and their mother had said good-night to the children after thei

e are on t

eadows, with cool breezes blowing up in the evergreen woods, and the deep

s taken with their papa and mamma. But Rita was more inclined to discover lovely spots than to rest, and while Ella was sitting on the soft moss under the fir-trees or on the green meadow

with their papa, and often had to lie do

e must go in right away to her papa, for she had a great deal to say to him. In a twinkling she was in the house, had jumped up on her papa's knee and was telling him a multitude of plans,-how they could climb to the fir-trees high up on the rocks and see far around, o

nee again. To-day she had a new prop

just a little minute," she begge

er request and lis

g in front of the cottage, over there, and he opens his eyes wide and keeps looking ove

ding over there in the same spot for an hour, gazing at the neighbor's house opposite, f

of him, and put her hands behind her, just as her papa did

ee that you keep looking

," repli

t seem quite sati

boy, too, and did you want to s

lied Sepp

ted to see," said Rita then, in order to e

is you

ppl

ld are

't k

erself beside Seppli, and looked at him over her shoulder. He

seven years old, for I was six years old on my birthday; that I know very well, be

id not know that he had been seven years old some time a

all day long, Se

about it a long ti

e there are

nly she saw a bush with flaming red roses somewhere in the w

go there quickly!" and Rita had already seized Seppli's h

pointed with his fin

forest?" said Rita expectantly, pul

li deliberately and without hurrying his st

the path through the dark woods before her, and behin

she cried, and pulled

little girl stayed away so long, for the visit granted must have come to an end by this time. Just as h

hopper!" called her papa. "Come here!

e knows where there are such beautiful red fl

ng to walk with mamma now, and your little friend can get the flowers an

e out together again, father and mother, Fr?ulein Hohlweg, Ella and R

ould see nothing more of the company; then he turned