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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43832 ***
+
+[Transcriber's Note: Bold text is surrounded by =equal signs= and
+italic text is surrounded by _underscores_.]
+
+
+
+Our Little German Cousin
+
+
+
+
+THE
+
+Little Cousin Series
+
+(TRADE MARK)
+
+    Each volume illustrated with six or more full-page plates in
+    tint. Cloth, 12mo, with decorative cover,
+    per volume, 60 cents
+
+LIST OF TITLES
+
+BY MARY HAZELTON WADE
+
+(unless otherwise indicated)
+
+    =Our Little African Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Alaskan Cousin=
+        By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet
+
+    =Our Little Arabian Cousin=
+        By Blanche McManus
+
+    =Our Little Armenian Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Brazilian Cousin=
+        By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet
+
+    =Our Little Brown Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Canadian Cousin=
+        By Elizabeth R. Macdonald
+
+    =Our Little Chinese Cousin=
+        By Isaac Taylor Headland
+
+    =Our Little Cuban Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Dutch Cousin=
+        By Blanche McManus
+
+    =Our Little English Cousin=
+        By Blanche McManus
+
+    =Our Little Eskimo Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little French Cousin=
+        By Blanche McManus
+
+    =Our Little German Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Hawaiian Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Hindu Cousin=
+        By Blanche McManus
+
+    =Our Little Indian Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Irish Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Italian Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Japanese Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Jewish Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Korean Cousin=
+        By H. Lee M. Pike
+
+    =Our Little Mexican Cousin=
+        By Edward C. Butler
+
+    =Our Little Norwegian Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Panama Cousin=
+        By H. Lee M. Pike
+
+    =Our Little Philippine Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Porto Rican Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Russian Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Scotch Cousin=
+        By Blanche McManus
+
+    =Our Little Siamese Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Spanish Cousin=
+        By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet
+
+    =Our Little Swedish Cousin=
+        By Claire M. Coburn
+
+    =Our Little Swiss Cousin=
+
+
+    (_In Preparation_)
+
+    =Our Little Australian Cousin=
+
+
+    L. C. PAGE & COMPANY
+    New England Building,    Boston, Mass.
+
+[Illustration: BERTHA.]
+
+
+
+
+Our Little German Cousin
+
+    By
+    Mary Hazelton Wade
+
+    _Illustrated, by_
+    L. J. Bridgman
+
+[Illustration]
+
+    Boston
+    L. C. Page & Company
+    _PUBLISHERS_
+
+
+
+
+    _Copyright, 1904_
+    BY L. C. PAGE & COMPANY
+    (INCORPORATED)
+
+
+    _All rights reserved_
+
+
+    THE LITTLE COUSIN SERIES
+    (_Trade Mark_)
+
+
+    Published June, 1904
+    Fifth Impression, October, 1907
+
+
+    Colonial Press
+    Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co.
+    Boston, Mass., U. S. A.
+
+
+
+
+Preface
+
+
+WHEN the word Germany comes to our minds, we think at once of ruined
+castles, fairies, music, and soldiers. Why is it?
+
+First, as to the castles. Here and there along the banks of the River
+Rhine, as well as elsewhere throughout the country, the traveller is
+constantly finding himself near some massive stone ruin. It seems ever
+ready to tell stories of long ago,--of brave knights who defended its
+walls, of beautiful princesses saved from harm, of sturdy boys and
+sweet-faced girls who once played in its gardens. For Germany is the
+home of an ancient and brave people, who have often been called upon to
+face powerful enemies.
+
+Next, as to the fairies. It seems as though the dark forests of
+Germany, the quiet valleys, and the banks of the beautiful rivers,
+were the natural homes of the fairy-folk, the gnomes and the elves, the
+water-sprites and the sylphs. Our German cousins listen with wonder and
+delight to the legends of fearful giants and enchanted castles, and
+many of the stories they know so well have been translated into other
+languages for their cousins of distant lands, who are as fond of them
+as the blue-eyed children of Germany.
+
+As to the music, it seems as though every boy and girl in the whole
+country drew in the spirit of song with the air they breathe. They sing
+with a love of what they are singing, they play as though the tune were
+a part of their very selves. Some of the finest musicians have been
+Germans, and their gifts to the world have been bountiful.
+
+As for soldiers, we know that every man in Germany must stand ready to
+defend his country. He must serve his time in drilling and training
+for war. He is a necessary part of that Fatherland he loves so dearly.
+
+Our fair-haired German cousins are busy workers and hard students.
+They must learn quite early in life that they have duties as well as
+pleasures, and the duties cannot be set aside or forgotten. But they
+love games and holidays as dearly as the children of our own land.
+
+
+
+
+Contents
+
+
+    CHAPTER                         PAGE
+       I. CHRISTMAS                    1
+      II. TOY-MAKING                  10
+     III. THE WICKED BISHOP           23
+      IV. THE COFFEE-PARTY            40
+       V. THE BEAUTIFUL CASTLE        48
+      VI. THE GREAT FREDERICK         60
+     VII. THE BRAVE PRINCESS          71
+    VIII. WHAT THE WAVES BRING        83
+      IX. THE MAGIC SWORD             94
+
+
+
+
+List of Illustrations
+
+
+                                        PAGE
+    BERTHA                     _Frontispiece_
+    BERTHA'S FATHER AND MOTHER            11
+    THE RATS' TOWER                       28
+    COURTYARD OF HEIDELBERG CASTLE        52
+    STATUE OF FREDERICK THE GREAT         63
+    BERTHA'S HOME                         83
+
+
+
+
+Our Little German Cousin
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+CHRISTMAS
+
+
+"DON'T look! There, now it's done!" cried Bertha.
+
+It was two nights before Christmas. Bertha was in the big living-room
+with her mother and older sister. Each sat as close as possible to the
+candle-light, and was busily working on something in her lap.
+
+But, strange to say, they did not face each other. They were sitting
+back to back.
+
+"What an unsociable way to work," we think. "Is that the way Germans
+spend the evenings together?"
+
+No, indeed. But Christmas was near at hand, and the air was brimful of
+secrets.
+
+Bertha would not let her mother discover what she was working for her,
+for all the world. And the little girl's mother was preparing surprises
+for each of the children. All together, the greatest fun of the year
+was getting ready for Christmas.
+
+"Mother, you will make some of those lovely cakes this year, won't
+you?" asked Bertha's sister Gretchen.
+
+"Certainly, my child. It would not be Christmas without them. Early
+to-morrow morning, you and Bertha must shell and chop the nuts. I will
+use the freshest eggs and will beat the dough as long as my arms will
+let me."
+
+"Did you always know how to make those cakes, mamma?" asked Bertha.
+
+"My good mother taught me when I was about your age, my dear. You may
+watch me to-morrow, and perhaps you will learn how to make them. It is
+never too early to begin to learn to cook."
+
+"When the city girls get through school, they go away from home and
+study housekeeping don't they?" asked Gretchen.
+
+"Yes, and many girls who don't live in cities. But I hardly think you
+will ever be sent away. We are busy people here in our little village,
+and you will have to be contented with learning what your mother can
+teach you.
+
+"I shall be satisfied with that, I know. But listen! I can hear father
+and Hans coming."
+
+"Then put up your work, children, and set the supper-table."
+
+The girls jumped up and hurriedly put the presents away. It did not
+take long to set the supper-table, for the meals in this little home
+were very simple, and supper was the simplest of all. A large plate of
+black bread and a pitcher of sour milk were brought by the mother, and
+the family gathered around the table.
+
+The bread wasn't really black, of course. It was dark brown and very
+coarse. It was made of rye meal. Bertha and Gretchen had never seen any
+white bread in their lives, for they had never yet been far away from
+their own little village. Neither had their brother Hans.
+
+They were happy, healthy children. They all had blue eyes, rosy cheeks,
+and fair hair, like their father and mother.
+
+"You don't know what I've got for you, Hans," said Bertha, laughing and
+showing a sweet little dimple in her chin.
+
+Hans bent down and kissed her. He never could resist that dimple, and
+Bertha was his favourite sister.
+
+"I don't know what it is, but I do know that it must be something
+nice," said her brother.
+
+When the supper-table had been cleared, the mother and girls took
+out their sewing again, while Hans worked at some wood-carving. The
+father took an old violin from its case and began to play some of the
+beautiful airs of Germany.
+
+When he came to the "Watch on the Rhine," the mother's work dropped
+from her hands as she and the children joined in the song that stirs
+every German heart.
+
+"Oh, dear! it seems as though Christmas Eve never would come," sighed
+Bertha, as she settled herself for sleep beside her sister.
+
+It was quite a cold night, but they were cosy and warm. Why shouldn't
+they be? They were covered with a down feather bed. Their mother had
+the same kind of cover on her own bed, and so had Hans.
+
+But Christmas Eve did come at last, although it seemed so far off to
+Bertha the night before. Hans and his father brought in the bough of a
+yew-tree, and it was set up in the living-room.
+
+The decorating came next. Tiny candles were fastened on all the twigs.
+Sweetmeats and nuts were hung from the branches.
+
+"How beautiful! How beautiful!" exclaimed the children when it was all
+trimmed, and they walked around it with admiring eyes.
+
+None of the presents were placed on the tree, for that is not the
+fashion in Germany. Each little gift had been tied up in paper and
+marked with the name of the one for whom it was intended.
+
+When everything was ready, there was a moment of quiet while the
+candles were being lighted. Then Bertha's father began to give out the
+presents, and there was a great deal of laughing and joking as the
+bundles were opened.
+
+There was a new red skirt for Bertha. Her mother had made it, for she
+knew the child was fond of pretty dresses. Besides this, she had a pair
+of warm woollen mittens which Gretchen had knit for her. Hans had made
+and carved a doll's cradle for each of the girls.
+
+Everybody was happy and contented. They sang songs and cracked nuts and
+ate the Christmas cakes to their hearts' content.
+
+"I think I like the ones shaped like gnomes the best," said Hans. "They
+have such comical little faces. Do you know, every time I go out in the
+forest, it seems as though I might meet a party of gnomes hunting for
+gold."
+
+"I like the animal cakes best," said Bertha. "The deer are such
+graceful creatures, and I like to bite off the horns and legs, one at a
+time."
+
+"A long time ago," said their father, "they used to celebrate Christmas
+a little different from the way we now do. The presents were all
+carried to a man in the village who dressed himself in a white robe,
+and a big wig made of flax. He covered his face with a mask, and then
+went from house to house. The grown people received him with great
+honours. He called for the children and gave them the presents their
+parents had brought to him.
+
+"But these presents were all given according to the way the children
+had behaved during the year. If they had been good and tried hard,
+they had the gifts they deserved. But if they had been naughty and
+disobedient, it was not a happy time for them."
+
+"I don't believe the children were very fond of him," cried Hans. "They
+must have been too much afraid of him."
+
+"That is true," said his father. "But now, let us play some games.
+Christmas comes but once a year, and you have all been good children."
+
+The room soon rang with the shouts of Hans and his sisters. They played
+"Blind Man's Buff" and other games. Their father took part in all of
+them as though he were a boy again. The good mother looked on with
+pleasant smiles.
+
+Bedtime came only too soon. But just before the children said good
+night, the father took Hans one side and talked seriously yet lovingly
+with him. He told the boy of the faults he must still fight against. He
+spoke also of the improvement he had made during the year.
+
+At the same time the mother gave words of kind advice to her little
+daughters. She told them to keep up good courage; to be busy and
+patient in the year to come.
+
+"My dear little girls," she whispered, as she kissed them, "I love
+to see you happy in your play. But the good Lord who cares for us
+has given us all some work to do in this world. Be faithful in doing
+yours."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+TOY-MAKING
+
+
+"WAKE up, Bertha. Come, Gretchen. You will have to hurry, for it is
+quite late," called their mother. It was one morning about a week after
+Christmas.
+
+[Illustration: BERTHA'S FATHER AND MOTHER.]
+
+"Oh dear, I am so sleepy, and my bed is nice and warm," thought Bertha.
+
+But she jumped up and rubbed her eyes and began to dress, without
+waiting to be called a second time. Her mother was kind and loving, but
+she had taught her children to obey without a question.
+
+Both little girls had long, thick hair. It must be combed and brushed
+and braided with great care. Each one helped the other. They were soon
+dressed, and ran down-stairs.
+
+As soon as the breakfast was over and the room made tidy, every one in
+the family sat down to work. Bertha's father was a toy-maker. He had
+made wooden images of Santa Claus all his life. His wife and children
+helped him.
+
+When Bertha was only five years old, she began to carve the legs of
+these Santa Claus dolls. It was a queer sight to see the little girl's
+chubby fingers at their work. Now that she was nine years old, she
+still carved legs for Santa Claus in her spare moments.
+
+Gretchen always made arms, while Hans worked on a still different part
+of the bodies. The father and mother carved the heads and finished the
+little images that afterward gave such delight to children in other
+lands.
+
+Bertha lives in the Black Forest. That name makes you think at once of
+a dark and gloomy place. The woods on the hills are dark, to be sure,
+but the valleys nestling between are bright and cheerful when the sun
+shines down and pours its light upon them.
+
+Bertha's village is in just such a valley. The church stands on the
+slope above the little homes. It seems to say, "Look upward, my
+children, to the blue heavens, and do not fear, even when the mists
+fill the valley and the storm is raging over your heads."
+
+All the people in the village seem happy and contented. They work hard,
+and their pay is small, but there are no beggars among them.
+
+Toys are made in almost every house. Every one in a family works on the
+same kind of toy, just as it is in Bertha's home.
+
+The people think: "It would be foolish to spend one's time in learning
+new things. The longer a person works at making one kind of toy, the
+faster he can make them, and he can earn more money."
+
+One of Bertha's neighbours makes nothing but Noah's Arks. Another
+makes toy tables, and still another dolls' chairs.
+
+Bertha often visits a little friend who helps her father make
+cuckoo-clocks. Did you ever see one of these curious clocks? As each
+hour comes around, a little bird comes outside the case. Then it flaps
+its wings and sings "cuckoo" in a soft, sweet voice as many times as
+there are strokes to the hour. It is great fun to watch for the little
+bird and hear its soft notes.
+
+Perhaps you wonder what makes the bird come out at just the right time.
+It is done by certain machinery inside the clock. But, however it is,
+old people as well as children seem to enjoy the cuckoo-clocks of
+Germany.
+
+"Some day, when you are older, you shall go to the fair at Easter
+time," Bertha's father has promised her.
+
+"Is that at Leipsic, where our Santa Claus images go?" asked his little
+daughter.
+
+"Yes, my dear, and toys from many other parts of our country. There
+you will see music-boxes and dolls' pianos and carts and trumpets and
+engines and ships. These all come from the mining-towns.
+
+"But I know what my little Bertha would care for most. She would best
+like to see the beautiful wax dolls that come from Sonneberg."
+
+"Yes, indeed," cried Bertha. "The dear, lovely dollies with yellow
+hair like mine. I would love every one of them. I wish I could go to
+Sonneberg just to see the dolls."
+
+"I wonder what makes the wax stick on," said Gretchen, who came into
+the room while her father and Bertha were talking.
+
+"After the heads have been moulded into shape, they are dipped into
+pans of boiling wax," her father told her. "The cheap dolls are dipped
+only once, but the expensive ones have several baths before they are
+finished. The more wax that is put on, the handsomer the dolls are.
+
+"Then comes the painting. One girl does nothing but paint the lips.
+Another one does the cheeks. Still another, the eyebrows. Even then
+Miss Dolly looks like a bald-headed baby till her wig is fastened in
+its place."
+
+"I like the yellow hair best," said Bertha. "But it isn't real, is it,
+papa?"
+
+"I suppose you mean to ask, 'Did it ever grow on people's heads?' my
+dear. No. It is the wool of a kind of goat. But the black hair is real
+hair. Most dolls, however, wear light wigs. People usually prefer them."
+
+"Do little girls in Sonneberg help make the dolls, just as Bertha and I
+help you on the Santa Claus images?" asked Gretchen.
+
+"Certainly. They fill the bodies with sawdust, and do other easy
+things. But they go to school, too, just as you and Bertha do. Lessons
+must not be slighted."
+
+"If I had to help make dolls, just as I do these images," said Gretchen
+to her sister as their father went out and left the children together,
+"I don't believe I'd care for the handsomest one in the whole toy fair.
+I'd be sick of the very sight of them."
+
+"Look at the time, Bertha. See, we must stop our work and start for
+school," exclaimed Gretchen.
+
+It was only seven o'clock in the morning, but school would begin in
+half an hour. These little German girls had to study longer and harder
+than their American cousins. They spent at least an hour a day more in
+their schoolrooms.
+
+As they trudged along the road, they passed a little stream which came
+trickling down the hillside.
+
+"I wonder if there is any story about that brook," said Bertha.
+"There's a story about almost everything in our dear old country, I'm
+sure."
+
+"You have heard father tell about the stream flowing down the side of
+the Kandel, haven't you?" asked Gretchen.
+
+"Yes, I think so. But I don't remember it very well. What is the story,
+Gretchen?"
+
+"You know the Kandel is one of the highest peaks in the Black Forest.
+You've seen it, Bertha."
+
+"Yes, of course, but tell the story, Gretchen."
+
+"Well, then, once upon a time there was a poor little boy who had no
+father or mother. He had to tend cattle on the side of the Kandel. At
+that time there was a deep lake at the summit of the mountain. But the
+lake had no outlet.
+
+"The people who lived in the valley below often said, 'Dear me! how
+glad we should be if we could only have plenty of fresh water. But no
+stream flows near us. If we could only bring some of the water down
+from the lake!'
+
+"They were afraid, however, to make a channel out of the lake. The
+water might rush down with such force as to destroy their village. They
+feared to disturb it.
+
+"Now, it came to pass that the Evil One had it in his heart to destroy
+these people. He thought he could do it very easily if the rocky wall
+on the side of the lake could be broken down. There was only one way in
+which this could be done. An innocent boy must be found and got to do
+it.
+
+"It was a long time before such an one could be found. But at last
+the Evil One came across an orphan boy who tended cattle on the
+mountainside. The poor little fellow was on his way home. He was
+feeling very sad, for he was thinking of his ragged clothes and his
+scant food.
+
+"'Ah ha!' cried the Evil One to himself, 'here is the very boy.'
+
+"He changed himself at once so he had the form and dress of a hunter,
+and stepped up to the lad with a pleasant smile.
+
+"'Poor little fellow! What is the matter? And what can I do for you?'
+he said, in his most winning manner.
+
+"The boy thought he had found a friend, and told his story.
+
+"'Do not grieve any longer. There is plenty of gold and silver in these
+very mountains. I will show you how to become rich,' said the Evil One.
+'Meet me here early to-morrow morning and bring a good strong team with
+you. I will help you get the gold.'
+
+"The boy went home with a glad heart. You may be sure he did not
+oversleep the next morning. Before it was light, he had harnessed
+four oxen belonging to his master, and started for the summit of the
+mountain.
+
+"The hunter, who was waiting for him, had already fastened a metal ring
+around the wall that held in the waters of the lake.
+
+"'Fasten the oxen to that ring,' commanded the hunter, 'and the rock
+will split open.'
+
+"Somehow or other, the boy did not feel pleased at what he was told to
+do. Yet he obeyed, and started the oxen. But as he did so, he cried,
+'Do this in the name of God!'
+
+"At that very instant the sky grew black as night, the thunder rolled
+and the lightning flashed. And not only this, for at the same time the
+mountain shook and rumbled as though a mighty force were tearing it
+apart."
+
+"What became of the poor boy?" asked Bertha.
+
+"He fell senseless to the ground, while the oxen in their fright rushed
+headlong down the mountainside. But you needn't get excited, Bertha, no
+harm was done. The boy was saved as well as the village, because he
+had pulled in the name of God.
+
+"The rock did not split entirely. It broke apart just enough to let out
+a tiny stream of water, which began to flow down the mountainside.
+
+"When the boy came to his senses, the sky was clear and beautiful once
+more. The sun was shining brightly, and the hunter was nowhere to be
+seen. But the stream of water was running down the mountainside.
+
+"A few minutes afterward, the boy's master came hurrying up the slope.
+He was frightened by the dreadful sounds he had heard. But when he saw
+the waterfall, he was filled with delight.
+
+"'Every one in the village will rejoice,' he exclaimed, 'for now we
+shall never want for water.'
+
+"Then the little boy took courage and told the story of his meeting the
+hunter and what he had done.
+
+"'It is well you did it in the name of the Lord,' cried his master. 'If
+you had not, our village would have been destroyed, and every one of us
+would have been drowned.'"
+
+"See! the children are going into the schoolhouse, Gretchen. We must
+not be late. Let's run," said Bertha.
+
+The two little girls stopped talking, and hurried so fast that they
+entered the schoolhouse and were sitting in their seats in good order
+before the schoolmaster struck his bell.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+THE WICKED BISHOP
+
+
+"THE Rhine is the loveliest river in the world. I know it must be,"
+said Bertha.
+
+"Of course it is," answered her brother. "I've seen it, and I ought to
+know. And father thinks so, too. He says it is not only beautiful, but
+it is also bound into the whole history of our country. Think of the
+battles that have been fought on its shores, and the great generals who
+have crossed it!"
+
+"Yes, and the castles, Hans! Think of the legends father and mother
+have told us about the beautiful princesses who have lived in the
+castles, and the brave knights who have fought for them! I shall be
+perfectly happy if I can ever sail down the Rhine and see the noted
+places on its shores."
+
+"The schoolmaster has taught you all about the war with France, hasn't
+he, Bertha?"
+
+"Of course. And it really seemed at one time as if France would make us
+Germans agree to have the Rhine divide the two countries. Just as if
+we would be willing to let the French own one shore of our beautiful
+river. I should say not!"
+
+Bertha's cheeks grew rosier than usual at the thought of such a thing.
+She talked faster than German children usually do, for they are rather
+slow in their speech.
+
+"We do not own all of the river, little sister, as it is. The baby
+Rhine sleeps in an icy cradle in the mountains of Switzerland. Then it
+makes its way through our country, but before it reaches the sea it
+flows through the low lands of Holland."
+
+"I know all that, Hans. But we own the best of the Rhine, anyway. I am
+perfectly satisfied."
+
+"I wish I knew all the legends about the river. There are enough of
+them to fill many books. Did you ever hear about the Rats' Tower
+opposite the town of Bingen, Bertha?"
+
+"What a funny name for a tower! No. Is there a story about it, Hans?"
+
+"Yes, one of the boys was telling it to me yesterday while we were
+getting wood in the forest. It is a good story, although my friend said
+he wasn't sure it is true."
+
+"What is the story?"
+
+"It is about a very wicked bishop who was a miser. It happened one time
+that the harvests were poor and grain was scarce. The cruel bishop
+bought all the grain he could get and locked it up. He intended to sell
+it for a high price, and in this way to become very rich.
+
+"As the days went by, the food became scarcer and scarcer. The people
+began to sicken and die of hunger. They had but one thought: they must
+get something to eat for their children and themselves.
+
+"They knew of the stores of grain held by the bishop. They went to him
+and begged for some of it, but he paid no attention to their prayers.
+Then they demanded that he open the doors of the storehouse and let
+them have the grain. It was of no use.
+
+"At last, they gathered together, and said:
+
+"'We will break down the door if you do not give it to us.'
+
+"'Come to-morrow,' answered the bishop. 'Bring your friends with you.
+You shall have all the grain you desire.'
+
+"The morrow came. Crowds gathered in front of the granary. The bishop
+unlocked the door, saying:
+
+"'Go inside and help yourselves freely.'
+
+"The people rushed in. Then what do you think the cruel bishop did? He
+ordered his servants to lock the door and set the place on fire!
+
+"The air was soon filled with the screams of the burning people. But
+the bishop only laughed and danced. He said to his servants:
+
+"'Do you hear the rats squeaking inside the granary?'
+
+"The next day came. There were only ashes in place of the great
+storehouse. There seemed to be no life about the town, for the people
+were all dead.
+
+"Suddenly there was a great scurrying, as a tremendous swarm of rats
+came rushing out of the ashes. On they came, more and more of them.
+They filled the streets, and even made their way into the palace.
+
+"The wicked bishop was filled with fear. He fled from the place and
+hurried away over the fields. But the swarm of rats came rushing after
+him. He came to Bingen, where he hoped to be safe within its walls.
+Somehow or other, the rats made their way inside.
+
+[Illustration: THE RATS' TOWER.]
+
+"There was now only one hope of safety. The bishop fled to a tower
+standing in the middle of the Rhine. But it was of no use! The rats
+swam the river and made their way up the sides of the tower. Their
+sharp teeth gnawed holes through the doors and windows. They entered in
+and came to the room where the bishop was hiding."
+
+"Wicked fellow! They killed and ate him as he deserved, didn't they?"
+asked Bertha.
+
+"There wasn't much left of him in a few minutes. But the tower still
+stands, and you can see it if you ever go to Bingen, although it is a
+crumbling old pile now."
+
+"Rats' Tower is a good name for it. But I would rather hear about
+enchanted princesses and brave knights than wicked old bishops. Tell me
+another story, Hans."
+
+"Oh, I can't. Listen! I hear some one coming. Who can it be?"
+
+Hans jumped up and ran to the door, just in time to meet his Uncle
+Fritz, who lived in Strasburg.
+
+The children loved him dearly. He was a young man about twenty-one
+years old. He came home to this little village in the Black Forest only
+about once a year. He had so much to tell and was so kind and cheerful,
+every one was glad to see him.
+
+"Uncle Fritz! Uncle Fritz! We are so glad you've come," exclaimed
+Bertha, putting her arms around his neck. "And we are going to have
+something that you like for dinner."
+
+"I can guess what it is. Sauerkraut and boiled pork. There is no other
+sauerkraut in Germany as good as that your mother makes, I do believe.
+I'm hungry enough to eat the whole dishful and not leave any for you
+children. Now what do you say to my coming? Don't you wish I had
+stayed in Strasburg?"
+
+"Oh, no, no, Uncle Fritz. We would rather see you than anybody else,"
+cried Hans. "And here comes mother. She will be just as glad as we are."
+
+That evening, after Hans had shown his uncle around the village, and he
+had called on his old friends, he settled himself in the chimney-corner
+with the children about him.
+
+"Talk to us about Strasburg, Uncle Fritz," begged Gretchen.
+
+"Please tell us about the storks," said Bertha. "Are there great
+numbers of the birds in the city, and do they build their nests on the
+chimneys?"
+
+"Yes, you can see plenty of storks flying overhead if you will come
+back with me," said Uncle Fritz, laughingly. "They seem to know the
+people love them. If a stork makes his home about any one's house, it
+is a sign of good fortune to the people who live there.
+
+"'It will surely come,' they say to themselves, 'and the storks will
+bring it.' Do you wonder the people like the birds so much?"
+
+"I read a story about a mother stork," said Bertha, thoughtfully. "She
+had a family of baby birds. They were not big enough to leave their
+nest, when a fire broke out in the chimney where it was built. Poor
+mother bird! She could have saved herself. But she would not leave
+her babies. So she stayed with them and they were all burned to death
+together."
+
+"I know the story. That happened right in Strasburg," said her uncle.
+
+"Please tell us about the beautiful cathedral with its tall tower,"
+said Hans. "Sometime, uncle, I am going to Strasburg, if I have to
+walk there, and then I shall want to spend a whole day in front of the
+wonderful clock."
+
+"You'd better have a lunch with you, Hans, and then you will not get
+hungry. But really, my dear little nephew, I hope the time will soon
+come when you can pay me a long visit. As for the clock, you will have
+to stay in front of it all night as well as all day, if you are to see
+all it can show you."
+
+"I know about cuckoo-clocks, of course," said Gretchen, "but the little
+bird is the only figure that comes out on those. There are ever so many
+different figures on the Strasburg clock, aren't there, Uncle Fritz?"
+
+"A great, great many. Angels strike the hours. A different god or
+goddess appears for each day in the week. Then, at noon and at
+midnight, Jesus and his twelve apostles come out through a door and
+march about on a platform.
+
+"You can imagine what the size of the clock must be when I tell you
+that the figures are as large as people. When the procession of the
+apostles appears, a gilded cock on the top of the tower flaps its
+wings and crows.
+
+"I cannot begin to tell you all about it. It is as good as a play, and,
+as I told Hans, he would have to stay many hours near it to see all the
+sights."
+
+"I should think a strong man would be needed to wind it up," said his
+nephew.
+
+"The best part of it is that it does not need to be wound every day,"
+replied Uncle Fritz. "They say it will run for years without being
+touched. Of course, travellers are coming to Strasburg all the time.
+They wish to see the clock, but they also come to see the cathedral
+itself. It is a very grand building, and, as you know, the spire is the
+tallest one in all Europe.
+
+"Then there is so much beautiful carving! And there are such fine
+statues. Oh, children, you must certainly come to Strasburg before
+long and see the cathedral of which all Germany is so proud."
+
+"Strasburg was for a time the home of our greatest poet," said Bertha.
+"I want to go there to see where he lived."
+
+The child was very fond of poetry, even though she was a little country
+girl. Her father had a book containing some of Goethe's ballads, and
+she loved to lie under the trees in the pleasant summer-time and repeat
+some of these poems.
+
+"They are just like music," she would say to herself.
+
+"A marble slab has been set up in the old Fish Market to mark the spot
+where Goethe lived," said Uncle Fritz. "They say he loved the grand
+cathedral of the city, and it helped him to become a great writer when
+he was a young student there. I suppose its beauty awakened his own
+beautiful thoughts."
+
+The children became quiet as they thought of their country and the men
+who had made her so strong and great,--the poets, and the musicians,
+and the brave soldiers who had defended her from her enemies.
+
+Uncle Fritz was the first one to speak.
+
+"I will tell you a story of Strasburg," he said. "It is about something
+that happened there a long time ago. You know, the city isn't on the
+Rhine itself, but it is on a little stream flowing into the greater
+river.
+
+"Well, once upon a time the people of Zurich, in Switzerland, asked the
+people of Strasburg to join with them in a bond of friendship. Each
+should help the other in times of danger. The people of Strasburg did
+not think much of the idea. They said among themselves: 'What good can
+the little town of Zurich do us? And, besides, it is too far away.' So
+they sent back word that they did not care to make such a bond. They
+were scarcely polite in their message, either.
+
+"When they heard the reply, the men of Zurich were quite angry. They
+were almost ready to fight. But the youngest one of their councillors
+said:
+
+"'We will force them to eat their own words. Indeed, they shall be made
+to give us a different answer. And it will come soon, too, if you will
+only leave the matter with me.'
+
+"'Do as you please,' said the other councillors. They went back to
+their own houses, while the young man hurried home, rushed out into the
+kitchen and picked out the largest kettle there.
+
+"'Wife, cook as much oatmeal as this pot will hold,' he commanded.
+
+"The woman wondered what in the world her husband could be thinking of.
+But she lost no time in guessing. She ordered her servants to make a
+big fire, while she herself stirred and cooked the great kettleful of
+oatmeal.
+
+"In the meanwhile, her husband hurried down to the pier, and got his
+swiftest boat ready for a trip down the river. Then he gathered the
+best rowers in the town.
+
+"'Come with me,' he said to two of them, when everything had been made
+ready for a trip. They hastened home with him, as he commanded.
+
+"'Is the oatmeal ready?' he cried, rushing breathless into the kitchen.
+
+"His wife had just finished her work. The men lifted the kettle from
+the fire and ran with it to the waiting boat. It was placed in the
+stern and the oarsmen sprang to their places.
+
+"'Pull, men! Pull with all the strength you have, and we will go to
+Strasburg in time to show those stupid people that, if it should be
+necessary, we live near enough to them to give them a hot supper.'
+
+"How the men worked! They rowed as they had never rowed before.
+
+"They passed one village after another. Still they moved onward without
+stopping, till they found themselves at the pier of Strasburg.
+
+"The councillor jumped out of the boat, telling two of his men
+to follow with the great pot of oatmeal. He led the way to the
+council-house, where he burst in with his strange present.
+
+"'I bring you a warm answer to your cold words,' he told the surprised
+councillors. He spoke truly, for the pot was still steaming. How amused
+they all were!
+
+"'What a clever fellow he is,' they said among themselves. 'Surely we
+will agree to make the bond with Zurich, if it holds many men like him.'
+
+"The bond was quickly signed and then, with laughter and good-will, the
+councillors gathered around the kettle with spoons and ate every bit of
+the oatmeal.
+
+"'It is excellent,' they all cried. And indeed it was still hot enough
+to burn the mouths of those who were not careful."
+
+"Good! Good!" cried the children, and they laughed heartily, even
+though it was a joke against their own people.
+
+Their father and mother had also listened to the story and enjoyed it
+as much as the children.
+
+"Another story, please, dear Uncle Fritz," they begged.
+
+But their father pointed to the clock. "Too late, too late, my dears,"
+he said. "If you sit up any longer, your mother will have to call you
+more than once in the morning. So, away to your beds, every one of
+you."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+THE COFFEE-PARTY
+
+
+"HOW would you like to be a wood-cutter, Hans?"
+
+"I think it would be great sport. I like to hear the thud of the axe as
+it comes down on the trunk. Then it is always an exciting time as the
+tree begins to bend and fall to the ground. Somehow, it seems like a
+person. I can't help pitying it, either."
+
+Hans had come over to the next village on an errand for his father. A
+big sawmill had been built on the side of the stream, and all the men
+in the place were kept busy cutting down trees in the Black Forest, or
+working in the sawmill.
+
+After the logs had been cut the right length, they were bound into
+rafts, and floated down the little stream to the Rhine.
+
+"The rafts themselves seem alive," said Hans to his friend. "You men
+know just how to bind the logs together with those willow bands, so
+they twist and turn about like living creatures as they move down the
+stream."
+
+"I have travelled on a raft all the way from here to Cologne," answered
+the wood-cutter. "The one who steers must be skilful, for he needs to
+be very careful. You know the rafts grow larger all the time, don't
+you, Hans?"
+
+"Oh, yes. As the river becomes wider, the smaller ones are bound
+together. But is it true that the men sometimes take their families
+along with them?"
+
+"Certainly. They set up tents, or little huts, on the rafts, so their
+wives and children can have a comfortable place to eat and sleep. Then,
+too, if it rains, they can be sheltered from the storm."
+
+"I'd like to go with you sometime. You pass close to Strasburg, and I
+could stop and visit Uncle Fritz. Wouldn't it be fun!"
+
+"Hans! Hans!" called a girl's voice just then.
+
+"I don't see her, but I know that's Bertha. She came over to the
+village with me this afternoon. One of her friends has a coffee-party
+and she invited us to it. So, good-bye."
+
+"Good-bye, my lad. Come and see me again. Perhaps I can manage sometime
+to take you with me on a trip down the river."
+
+"Thank you ever so much."
+
+Hans hurried away, and was soon entering the house of a little friend
+who was celebrating her birthday with a coffee-party.
+
+There were several other children there. They were all dressed in their
+best clothes and looked very neat and nice. The boys wore long trousers
+and straight jackets. They looked like little old men. The girls had
+bright-coloured skirts and their white waists were fresh and stiff.
+
+Their shoes were coarse and heavy, and made a good deal of noise as the
+children played the different games. But they were all so plump and
+rosy, it was good to look at them.
+
+"They are a pretty sight," said one of the neighbours, as she poured
+out the coffee.
+
+"They deserve to have a good time," said another woman with a kind,
+motherly face. "They will soon grow up, and then they will have to work
+hard to get a living."
+
+The coffee and cakes were a great treat to these village children. They
+did not get such a feast every day in the year. Their mothers made
+cakes only for festivals and holidays, and coffee was seldom seen on
+their tables oftener than once a week.
+
+In the great cities and fine castles, where the rich people of Germany
+had their homes, they could eat sweet dainties and drink coffee as
+often as they liked. But in the villages of the Black Forest, it was
+quite different.
+
+"Good night, good night," said Hans and Bertha, as they left their
+friends and trudged off on a path through the woods. It was the
+shortest way home, and they knew their mother must be looking for them
+by this time.
+
+It was just sunset, but the children could not see the beautiful
+colours of the evening sky, after they had gone a short distance into
+the thick woods.
+
+"Do you suppose there are any bears around?" whispered Bertha.
+
+The trees looked very black. It seemed to the little girl as though she
+kept seeing the shadow of some big animal hiding behind them.
+
+"No, indeed," answered Hans, quite scornfully. "Too many people go
+along this path for bears to be willing to stay around here. You would
+have to go farther up into the forest to find them. But look quickly,
+Bertha. Do you see that rabbit jumping along? Isn't he a big fellow?"
+
+"See! Hans, he has noticed us. There he goes as fast as his legs can
+carry him."
+
+By this time, the children had reached the top of a hill. The trees
+grew very thick and close. On one side a torrent came rushing down over
+the rocks and stones. It seemed to say:
+
+"I cannot stop for any one. But come with me, come with me, and I will
+take you to the beautiful Rhine. I will show you the way to pretty
+bridges, and great stone castles, and rare old cities. Oh, this is a
+wonderful world, and you children of the Black Forest have a great deal
+to see yet."
+
+"I love to listen to running water," said Bertha. "It always has a
+story to tell us."
+
+"Do you see that light over there, away off in the distance?" asked
+Hans. "It comes from a charcoal-pit. I can hear the voices of the men
+at their work."
+
+"I shouldn't like to stay out in the dark woods all the time and make
+charcoal," answered his sister. "I should get lonesome and long for the
+sunlight."
+
+"It isn't very easy work, either," said Hans. "After the trees have
+been cut down, the pits have to be made with the greatest care, and the
+wood must be burned just so slowly to change it into charcoal. I once
+spent a day in the forest with some charcoal-burners. They told such
+good stories that night came before I had thought of it."
+
+"I can see the village ahead of us," said Bertha, joyfully.
+
+A few minutes afterward, the children were running up the stone steps
+of their own home.
+
+"We had such a good time," Hans told his mother, while Bertha went
+to Gretchen and gave her some cakes she had brought her from the
+coffee-party.
+
+"I'm so sorry you couldn't go," she told her sister.
+
+"Perhaps I can next time," answered Gretchen. "But, of course, we could
+not all leave mother when she had so much work to do. So I just kept
+busy and tried to forget all about it."
+
+"You dear, good Gretchen! I'm going to try to be as patient and helpful
+as you are," said Bertha, kissing her sister.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+THE BEAUTIFUL CASTLE
+
+
+"FATHER'S coming, father's coming," cried Bertha, as she ran down the
+steps and out into the street.
+
+Her father had been away for two days, and Hans had gone with him. They
+had been to Heidelberg. Bertha and Gretchen had never yet visited that
+city, although it was not more than twenty miles away.
+
+"Oh, dear, I don't know where to begin," Hans told the girls that
+evening.
+
+"Of course, I liked to watch the students better than anything else.
+The town seems full of them. They all study in the university, of
+course, but they are on the streets a good deal. They seem to have a
+fine time of it. Every one carries a small cane with a button on the
+end of it. They wear their little caps down over their foreheads on one
+side."
+
+"What colour do they have for their caps, Hans?" asked Gretchen.
+
+"All colours, I believe. Some are red, some blue, some yellow, some
+green. Oh, I can't tell you how many different kinds there are. But
+they were bright and pretty, and made the streets look as though it
+must be a festival day."
+
+"I have heard that the students fight a good many duels. Is that so,
+Hans?"
+
+"If you should see them, you would certainly think so. Many of the
+fellows are real handsome, but their faces are scarred more often than
+not.
+
+"'The more scars I can show, the braver people will think I am.' That
+is what the students seem to think. They get up duels with each other
+on the smallest excuse. When they fight, they always try to strike the
+face. Father says their duelling is good practice. It really helps to
+make them brave. If I were a student, I should want to fight duels,
+too."
+
+Bertha shuddered. Duelling was quite the fashion in German
+universities, but the little girl was very tender-hearted. She could
+not bear to think of her brother having his face cut up by the sword of
+any one in the world.
+
+"What do you think, girls?" Hans went on. "Father had to go to the
+part of the town nearest the castle. He said he should be busy for
+several hours, and I could do what I liked. So I climbed up the hill to
+the castle, and wandered all around it. I saw a number of English and
+American people there. I suppose they had come to Heidelberg on purpose
+to see those buildings.
+
+"'Isn't it beautiful!' I heard them exclaim again and again. And I saw
+a boy about my own age writing things about it in a note-book. He
+told his mother he was going to say it was the most beautiful ruin in
+Germany. He was an American boy, but he spoke our language. I suppose
+he was just learning it, for he made ever so many mistakes. I could
+hardly tell what he was trying to say."
+
+"What did his mother answer?" asked Bertha.
+
+"She nodded her head, and then pointed out some of the finest carvings
+and statues. But she and her son moved away from me before long, and
+then I found myself near some children of our country. They must
+have been rich, for they were dressed quite grandly. Their governess
+was with them. She told them to notice how many different kinds of
+buildings there were, some of them richly carved, and some quite plain.
+'You will find here palaces, towers, and fortresses, all together,' she
+said. 'For, in the old days, it was not only a grand home, but it was
+also a strong fortress.'"
+
+[Illustration: COURTYARD OF HEIDELBERG CASTLE.]
+
+"You know father told us it was not built all at once," said Gretchen.
+"Different parts were added during four hundred years."
+
+"Yes, and he said it had been stormed by the enemy, and burned and
+plundered," added Bertha. "It has been in the hands of those horrid
+Frenchmen several different times. Did you see the blown-up tower,
+Hans?"
+
+"Of course I did. Half of it, you know, fell into the moat during one
+of the sieges, but linden-trees have grown about it, and it makes a
+shady nook in which to rest one's self."
+
+"You did not go inside of the castle, did you, Hans?" asked Gretchen.
+
+"No. It looked so big and gloomy, I stayed outside in the pretty
+gardens. I climbed over some of the moss-grown stairs, though, and I
+kept discovering something I hadn't seen before. Here and there were
+old fountains and marble statues, all gray with age."
+
+"They say that under the castle are great, dark dungeons," said Bertha,
+shivering at the thought.
+
+"What would a castle be without dungeons?" replied her brother. "Of
+course there are dungeons. And there are also hidden, underground
+passages through which the people inside could escape in times of war
+and siege."
+
+"Oh, Hans! did you see the Heidelberg Tun?" asked Gretchen.
+
+Now, the Heidelberg Tun is the largest wine-cask in the whole world.
+People say that it holds forty-nine thousand gallons. Just think of it!
+But it has not been filled for more than a hundred years.
+
+"No, I didn't see it," replied Hans. "It is down in the cellar, and I
+didn't want to go there without father. I heard some of the visitors
+telling about the marks of the Frenchmen's hatchets on its sides. One
+of the times they captured the castle, they tried to break open the
+tun. They thought it was full of wine. But they did not succeed in
+hacking through its tough sides."
+
+"Good! Good!" cried his sisters. They had little love for France and
+her people.
+
+That evening, after Hans had finished telling the girls about his
+visit, their father told them the legend of Count Frederick, a brave
+and daring man who once lived in Heidelberg Castle.
+
+Count Frederick was so brave and successful that he was called
+"Frederick the Victorious."
+
+Once upon a time he was attacked by the knights and bishops of the
+Rhine, who had banded together against him. When he found what great
+numbers of soldiers were attacking his castle, Count Frederick was not
+frightened in the least. He armed his men with sharp daggers, and
+marched boldly out against his foes.
+
+They attacked the horses first of all. The daggers made short work, and
+the knights were soon brought to the ground. Their armour was so heavy
+that it was an easy matter then to make them prisoners and take them
+into the castle.
+
+But Frederick treated them most kindly. He ordered a great banquet to
+be prepared, and invited his prisoners to gather around the board,
+where all sorts of good things were served.
+
+One thing only was lacking. There was no bread. The guests thought it
+was because the servants had forgotten it, and one of them dared to
+ask for a piece. Count Frederick at once turned toward his steward and
+ordered the bread to be brought. Now his master had privately talked
+with the steward and had told him what words to use at this time.
+
+"I am very sorry," said the steward, "but there is no bread."
+
+"You must bake some at once," ordered his master.
+
+"But we have no flour," was the answer.
+
+"You must grind some, then," was the command.
+
+"We cannot do so, for we have no grain."
+
+"Then see that some is threshed immediately."
+
+"That is impossible, for the harvests have been burned down," replied
+the steward.
+
+"You can at least sow grain, that we may have new harvests as soon as
+possible."
+
+"We cannot even do that, for our enemies have burned down all the
+buildings where the grain was stored for seed-time."
+
+Frederick now turned to his visitors, and told them they must eat their
+meat without bread. But that was not all. He told them they must give
+him enough money to build new houses and barns to take the places of
+those they had destroyed, and also to buy new seed for grain.
+
+"It is wrong," he said, sternly, "to carry on war against those who
+are helpless, and to take away their seeds and tools from the poor
+peasants."
+
+It was a sensible speech. It made the knights ashamed of the way they
+had been carrying on war in the country, and they left the castle wiser
+and better men.
+
+All this happened long, long ago, before Germany could be called
+one country, for the different parts of the land were ruled over by
+different people and in different ways.
+
+This same Count Frederick, their father told them, had great love for
+the poor. When he was still quite young, he made a vow. He said, "I
+will never marry a woman of noble family."
+
+Not long after this, he fell in love with a princess. But he could not
+ask her to marry him on account of the vow he had made.
+
+He was so unhappy that he went into the army. He did not wish to live,
+and hoped he would soon meet death.
+
+But the fair princess loved Frederick as deeply as he loved her, and as
+soon as she learned of the vow he had made, she made up her mind what
+to do.
+
+She put on the dress of a poor singing-girl, and left her grand home.
+She followed Frederick from place to place. They met face to face one
+beautiful evening. Then it was that the princess told her lover she had
+given up her rank and title for his sake.
+
+How joyful she made him as he listened to her story! You may be sure
+they were soon married, and the young couple went to live in Heidelberg
+Castle, where they were as happy and as merry as the day is long.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+THE GREAT FREDERICK
+
+
+"I DECLARE, Hans, I should think you would get tired of playing war,"
+said Bertha. She was sitting under the trees rocking her doll. She was
+playing it was a baby.
+
+Hans had just come home after an afternoon of sport with his boy
+friends. But all they had done, Bertha declared, was to play war and
+soldiers. She had watched them from her own yard.
+
+"Tired of it! What a silly idea, Bertha. It won't be many years before
+I shall be a real soldier. Just picture me then! I shall have a
+uniform, and march to music. I don't know where I may go, either. Who
+knows to what part of the world the emperor will send his soldiers at
+that time?"
+
+"I know where you would like to go in our own country," said Bertha.
+
+"To Berlin, of course. What a grand city it must be! Father has been
+there. Our schoolmaster was there while he served his time as a
+soldier. At this very moment, it almost seems as though I could hear
+the jingling of the officers' swords as they move along the streets.
+The regiments are drilled every day, and I don't know how often the
+soldiers have sham battles."
+
+Hans jumped up from his seat under the tree and began to march up and
+down as though he were a soldier already.
+
+"Attention, battalion! Forward, march!" Bertha called after him. But
+she was laughing as she spoke. She could not help it, Hans looked so
+serious. At the same time she couldn't help envying her brother a
+little, and wishing she were a boy, too. It must be so grand to be
+a soldier and be ready to fight for the emperor who ruled over her
+country.
+
+[Illustration: STATUE OF FREDERICK THE GREAT.]
+
+"The schoolmaster told us boys yesterday about the grand palace at
+Berlin. The emperor lives in it when he is in the city," said Hans,
+wheeling around suddenly and stopping in front of Bertha.
+
+"I think you must have caught my thoughts," said the little girl, "for
+the emperor was in my mind when you began to speak."
+
+"Well, never mind that. Do you wish to hear about the palace?"
+
+"Of course I do, Hans."
+
+"The schoolmaster says it has six hundred rooms. Just think of it!
+And one of them, called the White Room, is furnished so grandly that
+2,400,000 marks were spent on it. You can't imagine it, Bertha, of
+course. I can't, either."
+
+A German mark is worth about twenty-four cents of American money, so
+the furnishing of the room Hans spoke of must have cost about $600,000.
+It was a large sum, and it is no wonder the boy said he could hardly
+imagine so much money.
+
+"There are hundreds of halls in the palace," Hans went on. "Some
+of their walls are painted and others are hung with elegant silk
+draperies. The floors are polished so they shine like mirrors. Then
+the pictures and the armour, Bertha! It almost seemed as though I were
+there while the schoolmaster was describing them."
+
+"I never expect to see such lovely things," said his sober little
+sister. "But perhaps I shall go to Berlin some day, Hans. Then I can
+see the statue of Frederick the Great, at any rate."
+
+"It stands opposite the palace," said her brother, "and cost more than
+any other bronze statue in the world."
+
+"How did you learn that, Hans?"
+
+"The schoolmaster told us so. He said, too, that it ought to stir the
+blood of every true German to look at it. There the great Frederick
+sits on horseback, wearing the robe in which he was crowned, and
+looking out from under his cocked hat with his bright, sharp eyes. That
+statue alone is enough to make the soldiers who march past it ready to
+give their lives for their country."
+
+"He lived when the different kingdoms were separated from each other,
+and there was no one ruler over all of them. I know that," said Bertha.
+
+"Yes, he was the King of Prussia. And he fought the Seven Years' War
+with France and came out victorious. Hardly any one thought he could
+succeed, for there was so much against him. But he was brave and
+determined. Those two things were worth everything else."
+
+"That wasn't the only war he won, either, Hans."
+
+"No, but it must have been the greatest. Did you know, Bertha, that he
+was unhappy when he was young? His father was so strict that he tried
+to run away from Germany with two of his friends. The king found out
+what they meant to do. One of the friends was put to death, and the
+other managed to escape."
+
+"What did his father do to Frederick?" Bertha's eyes were full of pity
+for a prince who was so unhappy as to wish to run away.
+
+"The king ordered his son to be put to death. But I suppose he was
+angry at the time, for he changed his mind before the sentence was
+carried out, and forgave him."
+
+"I wonder how kings and emperors live," said Bertha, slowly. It seemed
+as though everything must be different with them from what it was with
+other people.
+
+"I'll tell you about Frederick, if you wish to listen."
+
+"Of course I do, Hans."
+
+"In the first place, he didn't care anything about fine clothes, even
+if he was a king and was born in the grand palace at Berlin. His coat
+was often very shabby.
+
+"In the next place, he slept only about four hours out of the whole
+twenty-four for a good many years. He got up at three o'clock on summer
+mornings, and in the winter-time he was always dressed by five, at the
+very latest.
+
+"While his hair-dresser was at work, he opened his most important
+letters. After that, he attended to other business affairs of the
+country. These things were done before eating or drinking. But when
+they had been attended to, the king went into his writing-room and
+drank a number of glasses of cold water. As he wrote, he sipped coffee
+and ate a little fruit from time to time.
+
+"He loved music very dearly, and sometimes rested from his work and
+played on his flute.
+
+"Dinner was the only regular meal of the day. It was served at twelve
+o'clock, and lasted three or four hours. There was a bill of fare, and
+the names of the cooks were given as well as the dishes they prepared."
+
+"Did the king ever let them know whether he was pleased or not with
+their cooking?" asked Bertha.
+
+"Yes. He marked the dishes he liked best with a cross. He enjoyed his
+dinner, and generally had a number of friends to eat with him. There
+was much joking, and there were many clever speeches.
+
+"When the meal was over, the king played on his flute a short time, and
+then attended to more business."
+
+"Did he work till bedtime, Hans?"
+
+"Oh, no. In the evening there was a concert or lecture, or something
+like that. But, all the same, the king was a hardworking man, even in
+times of peace."
+
+"He loved his people dearly, father once told me," said Bertha. "He
+said he understood his subjects and they understood him."
+
+"Yes, and that reminds me of a story the schoolmaster told. King
+Frederick was once riding through the street when he saw a crowd of
+people gathered together. He said to his groom, 'Go and see what is the
+matter.' The man came back and told the king that the people were all
+looking at a caricature of Frederick himself. A caricature, you know,
+is a comical portrait.
+
+"Perhaps you think the king was angry when he heard this. Not at all.
+He said, 'Go and hang the picture lower down, so they will not have to
+stretch their necks to see it.'
+
+"The crowd heard the words. 'Hurrah for the king!' they cried. At the
+same time, they began to tear the picture into pieces."
+
+"Frederick the Great could appreciate a joke," said Bertha. "I should
+think the people must have loved him."
+
+"He had some fine buildings put up in his lifetime," Hans went on. "A
+new palace was built in Berlin, besides another one the king called
+'Sans Souci.' Those are French words meaning, 'Without a Care.' He
+called the place by that name because he said he was free-hearted and
+untroubled while he stayed there.
+
+"I've told you these things because you are a girl. But I'll tell you
+what I like to think of best of all. It's the stories of the wars in
+which he fought and in which he showed such wonderful courage. So,
+hurrah for Frederick the Great, King of Prussia!"
+
+Hans made a salute as though he stood in the presence of the great
+king. Then he started for the wood-pile, where he was soon sawing logs
+with as much energy as if he were fighting against the enemies of his
+country.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+THE BRAVE PRINCESS
+
+
+"LISTEN, children! That must be the song of a nightingale. How sweet it
+is!"
+
+It was a lovely Sunday afternoon. Every one in the family had been to
+church in the morning, and come home to a good dinner of bean soup and
+potato salad. Then the father had said:
+
+"Let us take a long walk over the fields and through the woods. The
+world is beautiful to-day. We can enjoy it best by leaving the house
+behind us."
+
+Some of the neighbours joined the merry party. The men smoked their
+pipes, while the women chatted together and the children frolicked
+about them and picked wild flowers.
+
+How many sweet smells there were in the fields! How gaily the birds
+sang! The air seemed full of peace and joy.
+
+They all wandered on till they came to a cascade flowing down over some
+high rocks. Trees grew close to the waterfall, and bent over it as
+though to hide it from curious eyes. It was a pretty spot.
+
+"Let us sit down at the foot of this cascade," said Bertha's father.
+"It is a pleasant place to rest."
+
+Every one liked the plan. Bertha nestled close to her father's side.
+
+"Tell us a story. Please do," she said.
+
+"Ask neighbour Abel. He knows many a legend of just such places as
+this. He has lived in the Hartz Mountains, and they are filled with
+fairy stories."
+
+The rest of the party heard what was said.
+
+"Neighbour Abel! A story, a story," they cried.
+
+Of course the kind-hearted German could not refuse such a general
+request. Besides, he liked to tell stories. Taking his long pipe out of
+his mouth, he laid it down on the ground beside him. Then he cleared
+his throat and began to speak.
+
+"Look above you, friends. Do you see that mark on the rocky platform
+overhead? I noticed it as soon as I got here. It made me think of a
+wild spot in the Hartz Mountains where there is just such a mark. The
+people call it 'The Horse's Hoof-print.' I will tell you how they
+explain its coming there.
+
+"Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess. Her name was
+Brunhilda, and she lived in Bohemia. She lived a gay and happy life,
+like most young princesses, till one day a handsome prince arrived at
+her father's palace. He was the son of the king of the Hartz country.
+
+"Of course, you can all guess what happened. The prince fell in love
+with the princess, and she returned his love. The day was set for the
+wedding, and the young prince went home to prepare for the great event.
+
+"But he had been gone only a short time when a powerful giant arrived
+at Brunhilda's home. He came from the far north. His name was Bodo.
+
+"He asked for the princess in marriage, but her heart had already been
+given away. She did not care for the giant, even though he gave her the
+most elegant presents,--a beautiful white horse, jewels set in gold,
+and chains of amber.
+
+"'I dare not refuse the giant,' said Brunhilda's father. 'He is very
+powerful, and we must not make him angry. You must marry him, my
+daughter, in three days.'
+
+"The poor maiden wept bitterly. It seemed as though her heart would
+break. But she was a clever girl, and she soon dried her tears and
+began to think of some plan by which she might yet be free. She began
+to smile upon the giant and treat him with great kindness.
+
+"'I should like to try the beautiful horse you brought me,' she said
+to him. He was much pleased. The horse was brought to the door. The
+princess mounted him and rode for a time up and down in front of the
+palace.
+
+"The very next day was that set apart for the wedding. The castle was
+filled with guests who feasted and made merry. The giant entered into
+everything with a will. He laughed till the floors and walls shook.
+Little did he think what was taking place. For the princess slipped out
+of the castle when no one was watching, hurried into the stable, and
+leaped upon the back of her swift white horse.
+
+"'Lower the drawbridge instantly,' she called to the guard. She passed
+over it, and away she flew like the wind.
+
+"You were too late, too late, O giant, when you discovered that
+Brunhilda was missing.
+
+"He flew out of the castle, and on the back of his own fiery black
+horse he dashed after the runaway princess.
+
+"On they went! On, on, without stopping. Over the plains, up and down
+the hillsides, through the villages. The sun set and darkness fell upon
+the world, but there was never a moment's rest for the maiden on the
+white horse or the giant lover on his black steed.
+
+"Sometimes in the darkness sparks were struck off from the horses'
+hoofs as they passed over rough and rocky places. These sparks always
+showed the princess ahead and slowly increasing the distance between
+herself and her pursuer.
+
+"When the morning light first appeared, the maiden could see the summit
+of the Brocken ahead of her. It was the home of her lover. Her heart
+leaped within her. If she could only reach it she would be safe.
+
+"But alas! her horse suddenly stood still. He would not move. He had
+reached the edge of a precipice. There it lay, separating the princess
+from love and safety.
+
+"The brave girl had not a moment to lose. The giant was fast drawing
+near. She wheeled her horse around; then, striking his sides a sharp
+blow with her whip, she urged him to leap across the precipice.
+
+"The spring must be strong and sure. It was a matter of life and death.
+The chasm was deep. If the horse should fail to strike the other side
+securely, it meant a horrible end to beast and rider.
+
+"But he did not fail. The feet of the brave steed came firmly down upon
+the rocky platform. So heavily did they fall that the imprint of a hoof
+was left upon the rock.
+
+"The princess was now safe. It would be an easy matter for her to
+reach her lover's side.
+
+"As for the giant, he tried to follow Brunhilda across the chasm. But
+he was too heavy and his horse failed to reach the mark. The two sank
+together to the bottom of the precipice."
+
+Every one thanked the story-teller, and begged him to tell more of the
+Hartz Mountains, where he had spent his boyhood days. The children were
+delighted when he spoke of the gnomes, in whom he believed when he was
+a child.
+
+"Every time I went out in the dark woods," he said, "I was on the
+lookout for these funny little fairies of the underground world. I
+wanted to see them, but at the same time I was afraid I should meet
+them.
+
+"I remember one time that my mother sent me on an errand through the
+woods at twilight. I was in the thickest part of the woods, when I
+heard a sound that sent a shiver down my back.
+
+"'It is a witch, or some other dreadful being,' I said to myself.
+'Nothing else could make a sound like that.' My teeth chattered. My
+legs shook so, I could hardly move. Somehow or other, I managed to keep
+on. It seemed as though hours passed before I saw the lights of the
+village. Yet I suppose it was not more than fifteen minutes.
+
+"When I was once more safe inside my own home, I told my father and
+mother about my fright.
+
+"'It was no witch, my child,' said my father. 'The sound you describe
+was probably the cry of a wildcat. I thank Heaven that you are safe. A
+wildcat is not a very pleasant creature to meet in a lonely place.'
+
+"After that, I was never sent away from the village after dark.
+
+"My boy friends and I often came across badgers and deer, and sometimes
+foxes made their way into the village in search of poultry, but I never
+came nearer to meeting a wildcat than the time of which I have just
+told you."
+
+"What work did you do out of school hours?" asked Hans. The boy was
+thinking of the toys he had to carve.
+
+"My mother raised canary-birds, and I used to help her a great deal.
+Nearly every woman in the village was busy at the same work. What
+concerts we did have in those days! Mother tended every young bird she
+raised with the greatest care. Would it become a good singer and bring
+a fair price? We waited anxiously for the first notes, and then watched
+to see how the voices gained in strength and sweetness.
+
+"It was a pleasant life, and I was very happy among the birds in our
+little village. Would you like to hear a song I used to sing at that
+time? It is all about the birds and bees and flowers."
+
+"Do sing it for us," cried every one.
+
+Herr Abel had a good voice and they listened with pleasure to his song.
+This is the first stanza:
+
+    "I have been on the mountain
+     That the song-birds love best.
+     They were sitting, were flitting,
+     They were building their nest.
+     They were sitting, were flitting,
+     They were building their nest."
+
+[Illustration: BERTHA'S HOME.]
+
+After he had finished, he told about the mines in which some of his
+friends worked. It was a hard life, with no bright sunlight to cheer
+the men in those deep, dark caverns underground.
+
+"Of course you all know that the deepest mine in the world is in the
+Hartz Mountains."
+
+His friends nodded their heads, while Hans whispered to Bertha, "I
+should like to go down in that mine just for the sake of saying I have
+been as far into the earth as any living person."
+
+"The sun is setting, and there is a chill in the air," said Bertha's
+father. "Let us go home."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+WHAT THE WAVES BRING
+
+
+BERTHA'S mother had just come in from a hard morning's work in the
+fields. She had been helping her husband weed the garden.
+
+She spent a great deal of time outdoors in the summer-time, as many
+German peasant women do. They do a large share of the work in ploughing
+the grain-fields and harvesting the crops. They are much stronger than
+their American cousins.
+
+"Supper is all ready and waiting for you," said Bertha.
+
+The little girl had prepared a dish of sweet fruit soup which her
+mother had taught her to make.
+
+"It is very good," said her father when he had tasted it. "My little
+Bertha is getting to be quite a housekeeper."
+
+"Indeed, it is very good," said her mother. "You learned your lesson
+well, my child."
+
+Bertha was quite abashed by so much praise. She looked down upon her
+plate and did not lift her eyes again till Gretchen began to tell of a
+new amber bracelet which had just been given to one of the neighbours.
+
+"It is beautiful," said Gretchen, quite excitedly. "The beads are such
+a clear, lovely yellow. They look so pretty on Frau Braun's neck, I
+don't wonder she is greatly pleased with her present."
+
+"Who sent it to her?" asked her mother.
+
+"Her brother in Cologne. He is doing well at his trade, and so
+he bought this necklace at a fair and sent it to his sister as a
+remembrance. He wrote her a letter all about the sights in Cologne, and
+asked Frau Braun to come and visit him and his wife.
+
+"He promised her in the letter that if she would come, he would take
+her to see the grand Cologne cathedral. He said thousands of strangers
+visit it every year, because every one knows it is one of the most
+beautiful buildings in all Europe.
+
+"Then he said she should also see the Church of Saint Ursula, where the
+bones of the eleven thousand maidens can still be seen in their glass
+cases."
+
+"Do you know the story of St. Ursula, Gretchen?" asked her father.
+
+"Yes, indeed, sir. Ursula was the daughter of an English king. She was
+about to be married, but she said that before the wedding she would go
+to Rome on a pilgrimage.
+
+"Eleven thousand young girls went with the princess. On her way home
+she was married, but when the wedding party had got as far as Cologne,
+they were attacked by the savage Huns. Every one was killed,--Ursula,
+her husband, and the eleven thousand maidens. The church was afterward
+built in her memory. Ursula was made a saint by the Pope, and the bones
+of the young girls were preserved in glass cases in the church."
+
+"Did Frau Braun tell of anything else her brother wrote?" asked her
+mother.
+
+"He spoke of the bridge of boats across the river, and said she would
+enjoy watching it open and shut to let the steamers and big rafts pass
+through. And he told of the Cologne water that is sold in so many of
+the shops. It is hard to tell which makes the town most famous, the
+great cathedral or the Cologne water."
+
+"Father, how was the bridge of boats made?" asked Bertha.
+
+"The boats were moored in a line across the river. Planks were then
+laid across the tops and fastened upon them. Vessels cannot pass under
+a bridge of this kind, so it has to be opened from time to time. They
+say it is always interesting to see this done."
+
+"Yes, Frau Braun said she would rather see the bridge of boats than
+anything else in the city. She has already begun to plan how she can
+save up enough money to make the trip."
+
+"I will go over there to-morrow to see he new necklace," said Bertha.
+"But what is amber, father?"
+
+"If you should go to the northern part of Germany, Bertha, you would
+see great numbers of men, women, and children, busy on the shores of
+the ocean. The work is greatest in the rough days of autumn, when a
+strong wind is blowing from the northeast.
+
+"Then the men dress themselves as though they were going out into a
+storm. They arm themselves with nets and plunge into the waves, which
+are bringing treasure to the shore. It is the beautiful amber we admire
+so much.
+
+"The women and children are waiting on the sands, and as the men bring
+in their nets, the contents are given into their hands. They separate
+the precious lumps of amber from the weeds to which they are clinging."
+
+Their father stopped to fill his pipe, and the children thought he had
+come to the end of the story.
+
+"But you haven't told us yet what amber is," said Bertha.
+
+"Be patient, my little one, and you shall hear," replied her father,
+patting her head. "As yet, I have not half told the story. But I will
+answer your question at once.
+
+"A long time ago, longer than you can imagine, Bertha, forests were
+growing along the shores of the Baltic Sea. There was a great deal of
+gum in the trees of these forests. It oozed out of the trees in the
+same manner as gum from the spruce-tree and resin from the pine.
+
+"Storms arose, and beds of sand and clay drifted over the forests. They
+were buried away for thousands of years, it may be. But the motion of
+the sea washes up pieces of the gum, which is of light weight.
+
+"The gum has become changed while buried in the earth such a long, long
+time. Wise men use the word 'fossilized' when they speak of what has
+happened to it. The now beautiful, changed gum is called amber.
+
+"There are different ways of getting it. I told you how it comes
+drifting in on the waves when the winds are high and the water is
+rough. But on the pleasant summer days, when the sea is smooth and
+calm, the men go out a little way from the shore in boats. They float
+about, looking earnestly over the sides of the boats to the bottom of
+the sea.
+
+"All at once, they see something. Down go their long hooks through the
+water. A moment afterward, they begin to tow a tangle of stones and
+seaweed to the shore. As soon as they land, they begin to sort out the
+great mass. Perhaps they will rejoice in finding large pieces of amber
+in the collection.
+
+"There is still another way of getting amber. I know Hans will be most
+interested in what I am going to say now. It has more of danger in it,
+and boys like to hear anything in the way of adventure."
+
+Hans looked up and smiled. His father knew him well. He was a daring
+lad. He was always longing for the time when he should grow up and be a
+soldier, and possibly take part in some war.
+
+"Children," their father went on, "you have all heard of divers and of
+their dangerous work under the sea. Gretchen was telling me the other
+day about her geography lesson, and of the pearl-divers along the
+shores of India. I did not tell her then that some men spend their
+lives diving for amber on the shores of our own country.
+
+"They wear rubber suits and helmets and air-chests of sheet iron."
+
+"How can they see where they are going?" asked Bertha.
+
+"There are glass openings in their helmets, and they can look through
+these. They go out in boats. The crew generally consists of six men.
+Two of them are divers, and four men have charge of the air-pumps.
+These pumps force fresh air down through tubes fastened to the helmet
+of each diver. Besides these men there is an overseer who has charge of
+everything.
+
+"Sometimes the divers stay for hours on the bed of the sea, and work
+away at the amber tangles."
+
+"But suppose anything happens to the air-tubes and the men fail to get
+as much air as they need?" said Hans. "Is there any way of letting
+those in the boat know they are in trouble? And, besides that, how do
+the others know when it is time to raise the divers with their precious
+loads?"
+
+"There is a safety-rope reaching from the boat to the men. When they
+pull this rope it is a sign that they wish to be drawn up. But I have
+told you as much about amber now as you will be able to remember."
+
+"Are you very tired, father dear?" said Bertha, in her most coaxing
+tone.
+
+"Why should I be tired? What do you wish to ask me? Come, speak out
+plainly, little one."
+
+"You tell such lovely fairy-tales, papa, I was just wishing for one.
+See! The moon is just rising above the tree-tops. It is the very time
+for stories of the wonderful beings."
+
+Her father smiled. "It shall be as you wish, Bertha. It is hard to
+refuse you when you look at me that way. Come, children, let us sit in
+the doorway. Goodwife, put down your work and join us while I tell the
+story of Siegfried, the old hero of Germany."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+THE MAGIC SWORD
+
+
+FAR away in the long ago there lived a mighty king with his goodwife
+and his brave son, Siegfried. Their home was at Xanten, where the river
+Rhine flows lazily along.
+
+The young prince was carefully taught. But when his education was
+nearly finished, his father said:
+
+"Siegfried, there is a mighty smith named Mimer. It will be well for
+you to learn all you can of him in regard to the making of arms."
+
+So Siegfried went to work at the trade of a smith. It was not long
+before he excelled his teacher. This pleased Mimer, who spent many
+spare hours with his pupil, telling him stories of the olden times.
+
+After awhile, he took Siegfried into his confidence. He said:
+
+"There is a powerful knight in Burgundy who has challenged every smith
+of my country to make a weapon strong enough to pierce his coat of mail.
+
+"I long to try," Mimer went on, "but I am now old and have not strength
+enough to use the heavy hammer."
+
+At these words Siegfried jumped up in great excitement.
+
+"I will make the sword, dear master," he cried. "Be of good cheer. It
+shall be strong enough to cut the knight's armour in two."
+
+Early the next morning, Siegfried began his work. For seven days and
+seven nights the constant ringing of his hammer could be heard. At
+the end of that time Siegfried came to his master with a sword of the
+finest steel in his right hand.
+
+Mimer looked it all over. He then held it in a stream of running water
+in which he had thrown a fine thread. The water carried the thread
+against the edge of the sword, where it was cut in two.
+
+"It is without a fault," cried Mimer with delight.
+
+"I can do better than that," answered Siegfried, and he took the sword
+and broke it into pieces.
+
+Again he set to work. For seven more days and seven more nights he was
+busy at his forge. At the end of that time he brought a polished sword
+to his master.
+
+Mimer looked it over with the greatest care and made ready to test it.
+
+He threw the fleeces of twelve sheep into the stream. The current
+carried them on its bosom to Siegfried's sword. Instantly, each piece
+was divided as it met the blade. Mimer shouted aloud in his joy.
+
+"Balmung" (for that was the name Siegfried gave the sword) "is the
+finest weapon man ever made," he cried.
+
+Siegfried was now prepared to meet the proud knight of Burgundy.
+
+The very first thrust of the sword, Balmung, did the work. The head and
+shoulders of the giant were severed from the rest of the body. They
+rolled down the hillside and fell into the Rhine, where they can be
+seen even now, when the water is clear. At least, so runs the story.
+The trunk remained on the hilltop and was turned to stone.
+
+Soon after this Mimer found that Siegfried longed to see the world
+and make himself famous. So he bound the sword Balmung to the young
+prince's side, and told him to seek a certain person, who would give
+him a fine war-horse.
+
+Siegfried went to this man, from whom he obtained a matchless steed.
+In fact it had descended from the great god Odin's magic horse.
+Siegfried, you can see, must have lived in a time when men believed in
+gods and other wonderful beings.
+
+He was now all ready for his adventures, but before starting out, Mimer
+told him of a great treasure of gold guarded by a fearful serpent. This
+treasure was spread out over a plain called the Glittering Heath. No
+man had yet been able to take it, because of its terrible guardian.
+
+Siegfried was not in the least frightened by the stories he heard of
+the monster. He started out on his dangerous errand with a heart full
+of courage.
+
+At last, he drew near the plain. He could see it on the other side of
+the Rhine, from the hilltop where he was standing. With no one to help
+him, not even taking his magic horse with him, he hurried down the
+hillside and sprang into a boat on the shore.
+
+An old man had charge of the boat, and as he rowed Siegfried across,
+he gave him good advice. This old man, as it happened, was the god
+Odin, who loved Siegfried and wished to see him succeed.
+
+"Dig a deep trench along the path the serpent has worn on his way
+to the river when in search of water," said the old boatman. "Hide
+yourself in the trench, and, as the serpent passes along, you must
+thrust your sword deep into his body."
+
+It was good advice. Siegfried did as Odin directed him. He went to work
+on the trench at once. It was soon finished, and then the young prince,
+sword in hand, was lying in watch for the dread monster.
+
+He did not have long to wait. He soon heard the sound of rolling
+stones. Then came a loud hiss, and immediately afterward he felt the
+serpent's fiery breath on his cheek.
+
+And now the serpent rolled over into the ditch, and Siegfried was
+covered by the folds of his huge body. He did not fear or falter. He
+thrust Balmung, his wonderful sword, deep into the monster's body. The
+blood poured forth in such torrents that the ditch began to fill fast.
+
+It was a time of great danger for Siegfried. He would have been drowned
+if the serpent in his death-agony had not rolled over on one side and
+given him a chance to free himself.
+
+In a moment more he was standing, safe and sound, by the side of the
+ditch. His bath in the serpent's blood had given him a great blessing.
+Hereafter it would be impossible for any one to wound him except in one
+tiny place on his shoulder. A leaf had fallen on this spot, and the
+blood had not touched it.
+
+"What did Siegfried do with the golden treasure?" asked Hans, when his
+father had reached this point in the story.
+
+"He had not sought it for himself, but for Mimer's sake. All he cared
+for was the power of killing the serpent."
+
+As soon as this was done, Mimer drew near and showed himself ungrateful
+and untrue. He was so afraid Siegfried would claim some of the treasure
+that he secretly drew Balmung from out the serpent's body, and made
+ready to thrust it into Siegfried.
+
+But at that very moment his foot slipped in the monster's blood, and he
+fell upon the sword and was instantly killed.
+
+Siegfried was filled with horror when he saw what had happened. He
+sprang upon his horse's back and fled as fast as possible from the
+dreadful scene.
+
+"What happened to Siegfried after that? Did he have any more
+adventures?" asked Bertha.
+
+"Yes, indeed. There were enough to fill a book. But there is one in
+particular you girls would like to hear. It is about a beautiful
+princess whom he freed from a spell which had been cast upon her."
+
+"What was her name, papa?" asked Gretchen.
+
+"Brunhild, the Queen of Isenland. She had been stung by the thorn of
+sleep."
+
+Odin, the great god, had said, "Brunhild shall not awake till some
+hero is brave enough to fight his way through the flames which shall
+constantly surround the palace. He must then go to the side of the
+sleeping maiden and break the charm by a kiss upon her forehead."
+
+When Siegfried, in his wanderings, heard the story of Brunhild, he
+said, "I will make my way through the flames and will myself rescue the
+fair princess."
+
+He leaped upon the back of his magic steed, and together they fought
+their way through the fire that surrounded the palace of the sleeping
+beauty. He reached the gates in safety. There was no sign of life about
+the place. Every one was wrapped in a deep sleep.
+
+Siegfried made his way to the room of the enchanted princess. Ah! there
+she lay, still and beautiful, with no knowledge of what was going on
+around her.
+
+The young knight knelt by her side. Leaning over her, he pressed a kiss
+upon her forehead. She moved slightly; then, opening her blue eyes, she
+smiled sweetly upon her deliverer.
+
+At the same moment every one else in the palace woke up and went on
+with whatever had been interrupted when sleep overcame them.
+
+Siegfried remained for six months with the fair Brunhild and her court.
+Every day was given up to music and feasting, games and songs. Time
+passed like a beautiful dream. No one knows how long the young knight
+might have enjoyed this happy life if Odin had not sent two birds,
+Thought and Memory, to remind him there were other things for him yet
+to do.
+
+He did not stop to bid Brunhild farewell, but leaped upon his horse's
+back and rode away in search of new adventures.
+
+"Dear me, children," exclaimed their father, looking at the clock, "it
+is long past the time you should be in your soft, warm beds."
+
+"Papa, do you know what day to-morrow is?" whispered Bertha, as she
+kissed him good night.
+
+"My darling child's birthday. It is ten years to-morrow since your eyes
+first looked upon the sunlight. They have been ten happy years to us
+all, though our lives are full of work. What do you say to that, my
+little one?"
+
+"Very happy, papa dear. You and mother are so kind! I ought to be good
+as well as happy."
+
+"She is a faithful child," said her mother, after Bertha had left the
+room. "That is why I have a little surprise ready for to-morrow. I have
+baked a large birthday cake and shall ask her little friends to share
+it with her.
+
+"Her aunt has finished the new dress I bought for her, and I have made
+two white aprons, besides. She will be a happy child when she sees her
+presents."
+
+The mother closed her eyes and made a silent prayer to the All-Father
+that Bertha's life should be as joyful as her tenth birthday gave
+promise of being.
+
+
+THE END.
+
+
+
+
+THE LITTLE COUSIN SERIES
+
+
+The most delightful and interesting accounts possible of child life in
+other lands, filled with quaint sayings, doings, and adventures.
+
+Each one vol., 12mo, decorative cover, cloth, with six or more
+full-page illustrations in color.
+
+    Price per volume    0.60
+
+_By MARY HAZELTON WADE (unless otherwise indicated)_
+
+    =Our Little African Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Alaskan Cousin=
+        By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet
+
+    =Our Little Arabian Cousin=
+        By Blanche McManus
+
+    =Our Little Armenian Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Brown Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Canadian Cousin=
+        By Elizabeth R. Macdonald
+
+    =Our Little Chinese Cousin=
+        By Isaac Taylor Headland
+
+    =Our Little Cuban Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Dutch Cousin=
+        By Blanche McManus
+
+    =Our Little English Cousin=
+        By Blanche McManus
+
+    =Our Little Eskimo Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little French Cousin=
+        By Blanche McManus
+
+    =Our Little German Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Hawaiian Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Hindu Cousin=
+        By Blanche McManus
+
+    =Our Little Indian Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Irish Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Italian Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Japanese Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Jewish Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Korean Cousin=
+        By H. Lee M. Pike
+
+    =Our Little Mexican Cousin=
+        By Edward C. Butler
+
+    =Our Little Norwegian Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Panama Cousin=
+        By H. Lee M. Pike
+
+    =Our Little Philippine Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Porto Rican Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Russian Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Scotch Cousin=
+        By Blanche McManus
+
+    =Our Little Siamese Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Spanish Cousin=
+        By Mary F. Nixon-Roulet
+
+    =Our Little Swedish Cousin=
+        By Claire M. Coburn
+
+    =Our Little Swiss Cousin=
+
+    =Our Little Turkish Cousin=
+
+
+
+
+THE GOLDENROD LIBRARY
+
+
+The Goldenrod Library contains stories which appeal alike both to
+children and to their parents and guardians.
+
+Each volume is well illustrated from drawings by competent artists,
+which, together with their handsomely decorated uniform binding,
+showing the goldenrod, usually considered the emblem of America, is a
+feature of their manufacture.
+
+    Each one volume, small 12mo, illustrated    0.35
+
+
+LIST OF TITLES
+
+    =Aunt Nabby's Children.= By Frances Hodges White.
+    =Child's Dream of a Star, The.= By Charles Dickens.
+    =Flight of Rosy Dawn, The.= By Pauline Bradford Mackie.
+    =Findelkind.= By Ouida.
+    =Fairy of the Rhone, The.= By A. Comyns Carr.
+    =Gatty and I.= By Frances E. Crompton.
+    =Helena's Wonderworld.= By Frances Hodges White.
+    =Jerry's Reward.= By Evelyn Snead Barnett.
+    =La Belle Nivernaise.= By Alphonse Daudet.
+    =Little King Davie.= By Nellie Hellis.
+    =Little Peterkin Vandike.= By Charles Stuart Pratt.
+    =Little Professor, The.= By Ida Horton Cash.
+    =Peggy's Trial.= By Mary Knight Potter.
+    =Prince Yellowtop.= By Kate Whiting Patch.
+    =Provence Rose, A.= By Ouida.
+    =Seventh Daughter, A.= By Grace Wickham Curran.
+    =Sleeping Beauty, The.= By Martha Baker Dunn.
+    =Small, Small Child, A.= By E. Livingston Prescott.
+    =Susanne.= By Frances J. Delano.
+    =Water People, The.= By Charles Lee Sleight.
+    =Young Archer, The.= By Charles E. Brimblecom.
+
+
+
+
+COSY CORNER SERIES
+
+
+    It is the intention of the publishers that this
+    series shall contain only the very highest and purest
+    literature,--stories that shall not only appeal to the
+    children themselves, but be appreciated by all those
+    who feel with them in their joys and sorrows.
+
+    The numerous illustrations in each book are by
+    well-known artists, and each volume has a separate
+    attractive cover design.
+
+    Each 1 vol., 16mo, cloth    0.50
+
+
+_By ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTON_
+
+
+=The Little Colonel.= (Trade Mark.)
+
+The scene of this story is laid in Kentucky. Its heroine is a small
+girl, who is known as the Little Colonel, on account of her fancied
+resemblance to an old-school Southern gentleman, whose fine estate and
+old family are famous in the region.
+
+
+=The Giant Scissors.=
+
+This is the story of Joyce and of her adventures in France. Joyce is a
+great friend of the Little Colonel, and in later volumes shares with
+her the delightful experiences of the "House Party" and the "Holidays."
+
+
+=Two Little Knights of Kentucky.=
+
+WHO WERE THE LITTLE COLONEL'S NEIGHBORS.
+
+In this volume the Little Colonel returns to us like an old friend, but
+with added grace and charm. She is not, however, the central figure of
+the story, that place being taken by the "two little knights."
+
+
+=Mildred's Inheritance.=
+
+A delightful little story of a lonely English girl who comes to America
+and is befriended by a sympathetic American family who are attracted by
+her beautiful speaking voice. By means of this one gift she is enabled
+to help a school-girl who has temporarily lost the use of her eyes, and
+thus finally her life becomes a busy, happy one.
+
+
+=Cicely and Other Stories for Girls.=
+
+The readers of Mrs. Johnston's charming juveniles will be glad to learn
+of the issue of this volume for young people.
+
+
+=Aunt 'Liza's Hero and Other Stories.=
+
+A collection of six bright little stories, which will appeal to all
+boys and most girls.
+
+
+=Big Brother.=
+
+A story of two boys. The devotion and care of Steven, himself a small
+boy, for his baby brother, is the theme of the simple tale.
+
+
+=Ole Mammy's Torment.=
+
+"Ole Mammy's Torment" has been fitly called "a classic of Southern
+life." It relates the haps and mishaps of a small negro lad, and tells
+how he was led by love and kindness to a knowledge of the right.
+
+
+=The Story of Dago.=
+
+In this story Mrs. Johnston relates the story of Dago, a pet monkey,
+owned jointly by two brothers. Dago tells his own story, and the
+account of his haps and mishaps is both interesting and amusing.
+
+
+=The Quilt That Jack Built.=
+
+A pleasant little story of a boy's labor of love, and how it changed
+the course of his life many years after it was accomplished.
+
+
+=Flip's Islands of Providence.=
+
+A story of a boy's life battle, his early defeat, and his final
+triumph, well worth the reading.
+
+
+_By EDITH ROBINSON_
+
+
+=A Little Puritan's First Christmas.=
+
+A Story of Colonial times in Boston, telling how Christmas was invented
+by Betty Sewall, a typical child of the Puritans, aided by her brother
+Sam.
+
+
+=A Little Daughter of Liberty.=
+
+The author introduces this story as follows:
+
+"One ride is memorable in the early history of the American Revolution,
+the well-known ride of Paul Revere. Equally deserving of commendation
+is another ride,--the ride of Anthony Severn,--which was no less
+historic in its action or memorable in its consequences."
+
+
+=A Loyal Little Maid.=
+
+A delightful and interesting story of Revolutionary days, in which the
+child heroine, Betsey Schuyler, renders important services to George
+Washington.
+
+
+=A Little Puritan Rebel.=
+
+This is an historical tale of a real girl, during the time when the
+gallant Sir Harry Vane was governor of Massachusetts.
+
+
+=A Little Puritan Pioneer.=
+
+The scene of this story is laid in the Puritan settlement at
+Charlestown.
+
+
+=A Little Puritan Bound Girl.=
+
+A story of Boston in Puritan days, which is of great interest to
+youthful readers.
+
+
+=A Little Puritan Cavalier.=
+
+The story of a "Little Puritan Cavalier" who tried with all his boyish
+enthusiasm to emulate the spirit and ideals of the dead Crusaders.
+
+
+=A Puritan Knight Errant.=
+
+The story tells of a young lad in Colonial times who endeavored to
+carry out the high ideals of the knights of olden days.
+
+
+_By OUIDA (Louise de la Ramée)_
+
+
+=A Dog of Flanders:= A CHRISTMAS STORY.
+
+Too well and favorably known to require description.
+
+
+=The Nurnberg Stove.=
+
+This beautiful story has never before been published at a popular price.
+
+
+_By FRANCES MARGARET FOX_
+
+
+=The Little Giant's Neighbours.=
+
+A charming nature story of a "little giant" whose neighbours were the
+creatures of the field and garden.
+
+
+=Farmer Brown and the Birds.=
+
+A little story which teaches children that the birds are man's best
+friends.
+
+
+=Betty of Old Mackinaw.=
+
+A charming story of child-life, appealing especially to the little
+readers who like stories of "real people."
+
+
+=Brother Billy.=
+
+The story of Betty's brother, and some further adventures of Betty
+herself.
+
+
+=Mother Nature's Little Ones.=
+
+Curious little sketches describing the early lifetime, or "childhood,"
+of the little creatures out-of-doors.
+
+
+=How Christmas Came to the Mulvaneys.=
+
+A bright, lifelike little story of a family of poor children, with an
+unlimited capacity for fun and mischief. The wonderful never-to-be
+forgotten Christmas that came to them is the climax of a series of
+exciting incidents.
+
+
+_By MISS MULOCK_
+
+
+=The Little Lame Prince.=
+
+A delightful story of a little boy who has many adventures by means of
+the magic gifts of his fairy godmother.
+
+
+=Adventures of a Brownie.=
+
+The story of a household elf who torments the cook and gardener, but is
+a constant joy and delight to the children who love and trust him.
+
+
+=His Little Mother.=
+
+Miss Mulock's short stories for children are a constant source of
+delight to them, and "His Little Mother," in this new and attractive
+dress, will be welcomed by hosts of youthful readers.
+
+
+=Little Sunshine's Holiday.=
+
+An attractive story of a summer outing. "Little Sunshine" is another
+of those beautiful child-characters for which Miss Mulock is so justly
+famous.
+
+
+_By MARSHALL SAUNDERS_
+
+
+=For His Country.=
+
+A sweet and graceful story of a little boy who loved his country;
+written with that charm which has endeared Miss Saunders to hosts of
+readers.
+
+
+=Nita, the Story of an Irish Setter.=
+
+In this touching little book, Miss Saunders shows how dear to her heart
+are all of God's dumb creatures.
+
+
+=Alpatok, the Story of an Eskimo Dog.=
+
+Alpatok, an Eskimo dog from the far north, was stolen from his master
+and left to starve in a strange city, but was befriended and cared for,
+until he was able to return to his owner. Miss Saunders's story is
+based on truth, and the pictures in the book of "Alpatok" are based on
+a photograph of the real Eskimo dog who had such a strange experience.
+
+
+_By WILL ALLEN DROMGOOLE_
+
+
+=The Farrier's Dog and His Fellow.=
+
+This story, written by the gifted young Southern woman, will appeal to
+all that is best in the natures of the many admirers of her graceful
+and piquant style.
+
+
+=The Fortunes of the Fellow.=
+
+Those who read and enjoyed the pathos and charm of "The Farrier's Dog
+and His Fellow" will welcome the further account of the adventures of
+Baydaw and the Fellow at the home of the kindly smith.
+
+
+=The Best of Friends.=
+
+This continues the experiences of the Farrier's dog and his Fellow,
+written in Miss Dromgoole's well-known charming style.
+
+
+=Down in Dixie.=
+
+A fascinating story for boys and girls, of a family of Alabama children
+who move to Florida and grow up in the South.
+
+
+_By MARIAN W. WILDMAN_
+
+
+=Loyalty Island.=
+
+An account of the adventures of four children and their pet dog on
+an island, and how they cleared their brother from the suspicion of
+dishonesty.
+
+
+=Theodore and Theodora.=
+
+This is a story of the exploits and mishaps of two mischievous twins,
+and continues the adventures of the interesting group of children in
+"Loyalty Island."
+
+
+_By CHARLES G. D. ROBERTS_
+
+
+=The Cruise of the Yacht Dido.=
+
+The story of two boys who turned their yacht into a fishing boat to
+earn money to pay for a college course, and of their adventures while
+exploring in search of hidden treasure.
+
+
+=The Young Acadian.=
+
+The story of a young lad of Acadia who rescued a little English girl
+from the hands of savages.
+
+
+    =The Lord of the Air.=
+        THE STORY OF THE EAGLE
+
+
+    =The King of the Mamozekel.=
+        THE STORY OF THE MOOSE
+
+
+    =The Watchers of the Camp-fire.=
+        THE STORY OF THE PANTHER
+
+
+    =The Haunter of the Pine Gloom.=
+        THE STORY OF THE LYNX
+
+
+    =The Return to the Trails.=
+        THE STORY OF THE BEAR
+
+
+    =The Little People of the Sycamore.=
+        THE STORY OF THE RACCOON
+
+
+_By OTHER AUTHORS_
+
+
+=The Great Scoop.=
+
+_By MOLLY ELLIOT SEAWELL_
+
+A capital tale of newspaper life in a big city, and of a bright,
+enterprising, likable youngster employed thereon.
+
+
+=John Whopper.=
+
+The late Bishop Clark's popular story of the boy who fell through the
+earth and came out in China, with a new introduction by Bishop Potter.
+
+
+=The Dole Twins.=
+
+_By KATE UPSON CLARK_
+
+The adventures of two little people who tried to earn money to buy
+crutches for a lame aunt. An excellent description of child-life about
+1812, which will greatly interest and amuse the children of to-day,
+whose life is widely different.
+
+
+=Larry Hudson's Ambition.=
+
+_By JAMES OTIS_, author of "Toby Tyler," etc.
+
+Larry Hudson is a typical American boy, whose hard work and enterprise
+gain him his ambition,--an education and a start in the world.
+
+
+=The Little Christmas Shoe.=
+
+_By JANE P. SCOTT WOODRUFF_
+
+A touching story of Yule-tide.
+
+
+=Wee Dorothy.=
+
+_By LAURA UPDEGRAFF_
+
+A story of two orphan children, the tender devotion of the eldest,
+a boy, for his sister being its theme and setting. With a bit of
+sadness at the beginning, the story is otherwise bright and sunny, and
+altogether wholesome in every way.
+
+
+=The King of the Golden River:= A LEGEND OF STIRIA.
+
+_By JOHN RUSKIN_
+
+Written fifty years or more ago, and not originally intended for
+publication, this little fairy-tale soon became known and made a place
+for itself.
+
+
+=A Child's Garden of Verses.=
+
+_By R. L. STEVENSON_
+
+Mr. Stevenson's little volume is too well known to need description. It
+will be heartily welcomed in this new and attractive edition.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Transcriber's Note:
+
+Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Our Little German Cousin, by Mary Hazelton Wade
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43832 ***