Cornelli

child as if she had been her own and missed her daily visits terribly. She also knew that there was something the matter with Cornelli and that this was the reason why she did not come.

ld could be and how he would enjoy her as a da

ortable for her polite and friendly housemate. After his daily walks and after he had done his school work conscientiously

talk about Cornelli, for she never tired of that subject. She assured Dino that she had never known a more bright or amusing little girl. Dino always as

her eyes. I should love her to come again, though," he added, for he was cu

over to the Director's residence. She looked up at the kitchen windows and saw a light there, as well as in the room that overlooked the garden. On entering the kitchen Martha saw Esther a

these words moved three platters and a bottle over to the new arrival. "Just take it. There i

eady eaten supper. It is very nice of you to inv

the Emperor of Russia himself. I am sure you are not yet quite as mighty as t

uldn't. Why shouldn't you eat supper twice, if it is good?" Martha did not dare to refuse Esther's offer

a; what is it?" asked Esther curious

er time," Martha answered. "Cornelli, who used to come to me every day has not been to see me all week. I thought that the ladies

idea how changed the child is in all her ways. One hardly knows her any more. Three or four times a morning she used to come r

she won't even look at anything. All the berries are dried up by now and spoiled, and the fine cherries, too. The yellow plums, also, are lying under the tree by the dozen. They are

er young boarder. She never could give him any fruit and she knew how he would enjoy some. But as long

Lord that everything will come right in the end. Of course, it is hard for the child to get used to a

the child still in her room or has she gone out, Esther, do you know? I wan

tealing quietly down the hall. When she saw Martha a ray of s

m coming to see me, Cornelli? The time has passed so slowly witho

," said Corne

nd every day, the way yo

come," Corn

li?" Martha aske

re. I don't like him an

lli s

d that she would come again. It was awfully dull for him to be alone all day without a playmate. Martha was quite sure that it had no

rtha said finally, "why

so n

uite happily Martha said good-bye, making Cornelli repeat her promise that

e accustomed time. Martha was standing by her carnation pots

e said, offering her hand as greeting. "He has just

g the door had stepped out. "Why have you not come for so long?"

first day of their acquaintance. Martha went out, because she knew that the children wo

is growing more cunnin

it when it bound

it again or not. Nothin

ed in a most un

ws that one cares a great deal and that one is full of bitter thoughts, just becaus

ino's knowledge in the matter t

o the stable to drink my milk. What a wonderful garden you have! I never saw such fruit. A whole tree full of plums and all the berries on the bushes! And then the two fine horses that are kep

ver can say a word to anybody. And if one is made so that everybody hates and despises one, and if no one in the whole world can help one and everything gets worse a

and what she had said. But he remembered that she had no mother and so he could understand her te

o mother, but you must not think that therefore you are all alone and nobody wants to help you. I'll be your friend and I'll

an't tell anyone," Cornel

more and I'll help you. I can s

and and gently pulled

an't," she s

ng to your forehead and your eyes; you can hardly see." Dino pushed the hair

, and then you'll make

xclaimed d

usand times better that way than with these thick

ffort to push her hair back again. "Only you won't say it, because you w

you crying?" said Din

mean and I am sure you

, for one o

n cannot go to sleep for a long, long while. I have to think and think all the time. I know that it will get worse and worse and that I won't be able to

"Just tell me for once and all what you mean. Please do it, for I might be able to help you and give you some a

still h

n everything is still more changed and nobody

handshake. "You can see that I really mean it, for what one has promised that way,

bviously a great comfort to her to have a

must promise not to tell anyone in the whol

ng his hand again f

a cross face all the time, for I cannot be jolly any more and can never laugh again. So the bumps keep on growing and in the end they will be just like regular horns. Then everyone will hate me, for nobody else has horns. I

n her great trouble. Dino had listened, full of aston

u do it? It would be so much better if you would think of funny things and would tr

face, for I know that everybody thinks how horrid I look. I never can be happy any more, because I have to think all the time about that terrible thing on my head, and that it is getting worse. A

ng about it all the time and so you believe in it more and more. Get it out of your head, then it will be sure to get better," said Dino, who could not qui

ine kind of story-abo

elli

step-brother who was a wash boiler-you see, you have laughed again! That

ion?" Cornelli ask

r forehead, because you are listening well. Didn't I guess what you have to do? I'll go on now. You

it the way chairs begin to go to pieces when the

begin to go to pieces like chairs, when the glue is off an

appened?" Cornel

ing else. She was tired of cooking greasy food and of all the time being full of soot at the bottom; she wanted to be something better. The wash boiler had similar tho

sher women, and the copper pan from the cook. So they were both asked what they wanted to become. The copper pan wanted to become an ice box; she wanted to sparkle outside with f

le fire anywhere. But nobody ever brought any burning spark near her. She suffered the bitterest hunger besides, because she had been used to quite different nourishment from fat morsels roasting in her in

gold-rimmed plates. The tea kettle felt flattered and said to himself: 'Oh, now I can be anybody's equal.' But one of the ladies said: 'I can smell tar soap and I think it comes from this tea kettle. I wond

hat the smell of tar soap would stick to him in his new shape. He felt very cramped and uncomfortable in the society he was in, and was possessed with the t

ce box. All the ice that comes out of it tastes of onion soup.' The copper pan had always cooked this soup better than any other. 'Lulu, throw it out to the old iron heap,' said

end badly. She lamented: 'Oh, if only I had not joined the revolution! If I had only

hed him down to the heap of rubbish in the yard. It was the same rubbish heap where his step-sister had been thrown, and in his fall he broke his own and his step-sister's last bones. Then he exclaimed in bitter pain: 'Oh, if only I had not j

If only they had not

aid sympat

to forget your curious bump affair. You have no more wrinkles on your forehead and y

d pushed the hanging curtains out of her eyes. She had been anxious not to miss a word, and the hair

er, taking a little mirror from the wall a

e same moment she had pulled her hair back again over h

to help you. I shall do it every day, but you must promise to come regularly. I am sure you'll fo

ring her forehead with more hair. However, she took Dino's hand as a promise to come a

o enjoy themselves best. From time to time she heard their happy laughter; it thrilled her with joy, and she never wanted to interrupt it. She had seen how Cornelli behaved when listening to one of Dino's stories; the little girl was as eager as if she were experiencing it all herself. In her burning zeal she would fling back her hair, he

elli on account of this daily intercourse with the charming boy, whose clear brow was

fter the child, could always see the fearful looking hair that so strangely disfigured the little girl's pretty face. Then she would sigh dee

und that Saturday evening had come again, fo

old plums. Cornelli picked them up; they were really splendid, but they had given

ed Dino. "Are they from your garden? When the sun shines on them in the morni

tree. Do you want to e

t you must eat som

ry whether they are good. If you do not like the

and splendid as these golden plums!" cried Dino

here are none left on the tree and they are the last that were lying on the grass. But very soon we'll have th

st reddish plum before he ate it. "It is easy enough for you, Cornelli. You can stay right here under the pear tree

oing away," said C

her that this happy com

our good friend Martha. She is better than anybody I know exce

glowed at him from under her hair and she seemed to be accusing him of some bitter wrong. She now turn

because it has only just begun. I have planned with Martha to-day that I shall come again

re before her and what was going to happ

e sure to forget all about me a hundred times," she

time together and enjoy the four remaining days that I can stay here. Let us look forward, also, to the time when I shall come again. Just think how much

fun would be over. The morning really came fast enough when she had to take leave of him in Martha's cottage. After Dino had driven

the cousin said: "You have not said a single word to-day, Cornelli. You seem to get wor

i hoarsely, and left the r

had shut the door behind her. "What have we accomplished with our best efforts? We have tried hard enough for her father's sake. How terrible it will be for him to live alone with

told her how terrible she looked, the disfiguring hair fringes always seemed to get worse. I should like to know what one could do to break h

n himself, when he comes back, shall decide what to do with her. But I know that o