Year: 1869

you out vi pity, yod VIII IeCciNc poO
wages and bad treatment; for they will als
ways say that 1t is good enough for a
goose tender


That won't be 90 bad for you have told
me hundreds of stories where goosetend-
er has become queen, Amrri replied.
That was in the old times. But who
can tell3 You belong indeed to the old
world--it often appears to me as if your
were not a child; and who knows. you
old fashioned soul, wonders will perhaps
happen to you.


The hint that she was not even yet on
the lowest round of the ladder Of life, but
that there were positions still lower, starts
led Amrei at last. She did not require
anything else FER herself, but from this
time on she would not permit Dami to
herd the geese with her. He was to be-
come q man-and it would injure him If
any one could reproach him with having
tended geese. But with all her zeal she
could not make this plain TO him, and he
became angry with her; for it is always
the case-just at the point where under
standing ceases. obstinancy begins
Weakness always imagines itself as being
treated with injustice.


Dami in the meantime obtained occu-
patton. He was made use of by his guar
dian, the farmer Of Rodel, to frighten of
the birds; his duty was to sound rattle
In the orchard Of the farmer, in order to
drive the sparrows away from his cherry
trees and lettuce beds; but he soon gave
up his occupation, which at first he con>
sidered as play.


II was pleasant but laborous duty
which Amrei had undertaken; and il was
often Difficult: for her, as she did not know
how TO keep the flock together. Yes.
they could scarcely be distinguished from
each other, and what Marann once told
her was not out Of the way: Animals
that live in herds are always STUPID


And think that geese are stupid, be-
cause they are able to do so many things;
they can swim, run and fly; but they really
are at home neither on the ground nor in
the water, nor in the air and that makes
them stupid


Il maintain it,, Marann said, that you
are a little old witch


But the witchery of Amrei's dreams was
curiously transfused by the bright haes of
reality. In all of her meditations and
dreams she Knitted away without drops
ping stich; and as in the corner by the
wild pear tree the supplying nightshade
and refreshing strawberry grow close to-
gether, almost appearing to spring from
The same root, IS clear perception and
dreamy revery grew side by side in the
heart of the child,


The alder meadow was not one of those
retired spots where the quiet fairy world
loves to reveal itself. Through the mid
die OF the meadow a road led to Endrin>
gen, and not far from it was the red bound
ary fence. hung with th. cscutcheons Of
two lords whose lands met there. Coun-
try teams of all descriptions drove by on
this road, and men, women, and young
girls passed to and fro with their hoes,
sythes and sickles The fofesters of the
two estates also went by frequently, and
the glitter of their guns was visible from
a great distance. Amrei WIS often greet
ed by the fOresters as she sat by the way,
and Was often asked whether this one or
that one had passed by; but she never had
any information to give,-perhaps indeed
che rUtcEaltd 1t, from the aversion the
country people, and especially village
children, have for foresters, who always
appear to them rs armed enemies of man>
kind, roaming about seeking whom they
may aevour.


The lsborer who broke stones In the
road scarcely ever spoke word to Am.
rel; he went Slowly from heap to heap,
and his hammering was as in6essent as
the tapping of the woodpecker in the for
est, and blended with the shriIl chirpings
Of the grasshoppers in the ncighboriug
meadows.


Away from all human affairs, Amrei
was often borne into the realms of dreams
Freely he. mind scared up and foaied
away into unbounded space. As the
larks sing and rejoice in the air and do
not care Where ths lines of estates ends
but fly away over the boundaries of whole
districts, SO this child knew nothing ofthe
limits which confined the narrow realities
of life. Familiar things became objects of
wonder to her, and what was wonderful
appeared as an ever day occurrence
Hank how the cuckoo calls. That is a
living echo of the forest that calls and
answers itself; and now the bird is sitting
aboye you in the pear tree, but you dare
not look at it, or it will fly away. How
loudly it calls. how it sounds, how far il is
heard. the little bird has voice more
powerful than a mans Perch youself on
a ree,-imitate him, and you will not be
heard as far as this bird, which is not Us
large as your fist. Be still; perhaps it is
an enchanted prince who will commence
to speak. Yes give me the riddle,-let
me only think over 1t, and will quickly
find the answer and then set you free, and
we will go off to the golden castle, taking
Black Marann and Dami with us. and
Dami will marry your sister, the princes;
and we will cause Black Maranns John
to be sought for through the whole world
and he who finds him shall have whole
Kingdom. All! why then is this all true;
and why have l thought OF all this, if it is
truei


While Amrei's thoughts were thus car
ried away beyond all limit, the geese also
felt themselves at liberty aud enjoyed
themselves in the neighboring clover field
Awaking from her dreams, Amrei would
then drive them back with much difficult
ty and when the marauders had returned