Uncle Titus and His Visit to the Country

antly. No one would pay any attention to him, he was sent from one person to another, and even his mother only bade him sit quietly at his own little table until she was at

ssages among the sofas and chairs which, having been put out there during

c, but she sent him down at once, for she was busy with the clothes for the wash. "There,

he. "I have not time to guess your riddle

the little boy, "my first

you break out into charades too, what will become of us? I have not a mome

ran

, and even Miss Hanenwinkel is too

ttle man? out with it,"

"you can eat but not drink

s next?" said his broth

rest, Jule; the who

kel sent you to me to guess for her, I will send one to her by you. N

hort your la

me a nun

y with mean

e an el, a

ill I meet

Wili and Lili in the school room, patiently trying to get them to finish their examples; but they were both so absen

le, Mis

is not the proper time to

but Hunne had Jule to back him, so he wa

told m

ckly," said the govern

the riddle very s

ick at repartee, and she never hesitated for an answer. She seated

ot hours that

my second

gaily t

nuts their c

e work-he a

he nut-shells

as he made such a fine charade on my name, I do not wish to be behind-hand with him. Now, after

wins had drawn their chairs nearer and nearer, and laid their two heads together over some very important plans-so very important and engrossing that Miss Hanenwinkel soon closed the book, with the remark that if the arithmetic were only some foolish nonsensical trick or other, there might be some chance of their being

Julius taking ou

charade, composed by Miss Hane

ed when Rolf called ou

had composed on her name, for she was rather shy about the little

To be sure, it was understood that the governess should look after them a little. But when she saw the children go into the wash-house, she took it for granted t

ed in the ark at the time of the Flood. It occurred to Lili that she should like to try what it was like, to live in an ark, and even to take a voyage in one, and of course Wili, as usual, agreed with her enthusiastically. Lili's plans were all made; she had thought out all

ir parts in the play. Schnurri came growling at their call, but Philomele purred and rubbed

le, you are a great deal ni

rri was very good about it; followed the rule most punctiliously, and treated Philomele with great consideration. When they ate their dinner from the same dish, he ate slowly, because with her smaller mouth she could not take in as much at a time as he did. But it was quite different with the cat. One moment she seemed as friendly as possible with Schnurri, and rubbed up against him and was playful and k

the water flowed freely; and when they wanted to fill the tubs, they placed a long wooden spout under the log, and let the water run through. That was simple enough. Now Lili thought that if she could arrange t

farm caused him to be consulted on every occasion. It must be confessed that Trine was rather jealous of Battiste's influence, because though she had not been very long in Mr. Birkenfeld's service herself, she had an aunt who had lived in the family many years; indeed until she grew too old to work. When this aunt had to give up, Trine had succeede

Battiste, for they had more hope of getting what they wanted from her, as she took new ideas more readily than the man, who did not like to be put out of his usual ways. But u

re Lili found him, and she planted herself before him with her hands be

"where is the spout that is used t

e stood there, as if he were waiting to hear the question again; for he alw

mma send you

me of my

know where t

little water from the spring

mblingly, "now a little water, and now a little fire, a

i, and went straight to the kitch

give me the water-spout. Battiste won't let u

be allowed, I'm sure. But you must wait till the old bear i

oming from the barn; he went past

one end into the log, and the other into a small tub. Then she explained to Lili that when they had enough water, they could push the spout aw

ed in the cat and the dog. Noah and his wife sat side by side, and rejoiced over their safety and over the delightful voyage they should make on the rising waters of the flood, as the stream from the spout flowed merrily in

an the level of the ground outside. The water rose

get out again, and it

ge of the tub, and said, "If it get

n getting dee

almost to upset it. The water was now so deep that the children could not get out without

ch. Now the true character of the two animals showed itself. The cat would not go out of the tub into the water, and would not stay quietly in it, either, but fought like a mad creature. But when the faithful dog found that, in spite of all the screa

rible cries. The wash-house stood quite near the hedge, but she could not see anything except the logs that carried the wate

are drowning over there!

windows, but the screams p

reatest alarm. "I hear a terrible cry; but who says

shaping bean-poles for the kitchen garden. The dog rushed at Battiste, ba

ri to the wash-house. By this time the whole family had assembled there-the mother, the governess, Julius, Paula, Rolf, Hunne, and last of

said, and pulled the ark and its occupants towards dry land

mother wisely took each by the hand, and led them to the seat under the apple-tree, to recover themselves. Julius foll

ouse, to pull out the stopper from the waste pipe so that the flood could su

been fairly caught in the wrong, but she secretly got her claws ready to scratch when her chance came-just like Philomele. When the little party under the apple-tree were somewhat tranquillized again, the cat came purri

ll my supper to-n

ey both understood now the re

ed party, and at last accosted Jule, who wa

what will the 'dre

r, and next they will pull the house down about our ears, I dare say

p quick, and get out of the

d be seized with their great id

ule, won't you?" asked th

, just as Battiste had gone to save the patriarchs of the flood wi

was frightful! Everything is qui

"it is only the little ones. They are always crying out

all over. How will my husband stand it? No; this settles

e was sitting at his table, with his ears stopped with cotton wool, and he did not hear his wife come

She pulled the wool from his ears, and announced that she should go directly after the church-se

er; all he wanted was quiet. Aunt Ninette, thin

the passage-way. "Are we really goi

ed Mrs. Ehrenreich, "we

she had watched so closely, and yet from which she was so entirely separated. Her future seemed swallowed up in those stifling cotton shirts that were her fate in dull Karlsruhe. As she sat on the side of her little bed, that night, sadly cast