IN THE PASTURE
ONE Monday morning, so early that the sun was just reddening the tops
of the mountains, Stefeli rushed into Vinzi's room.
"Wake up, Vinzi; wake up quick!" she called to him. "The man has taken
the cows to the pond and father says as soon as we have had breakfast
we must take them to the pasture so the man can go back to work. We'll
take our lunch with us because it's too far to come home. Won't that be
real fun? Come now, hurry!"
By this time Vinzi was awake, but looked at his sister with his large
dark eyes as though still half dreaming.
"Oh, I dreamed something so beautiful," he said. "Mother and I were
in Sitten. You know I was there last summer with her. We went into a
church and everything was just as it looked then. An organ was playing
music that was more beautiful than I can tell you."
"Hurry up, Vinzi, and come along! We cannot talk about organs now,"
urged Stefeli. "Father is already sitting at the table and mother has
carried in the coffee. You know if father gets cross because we do not
come, it will not be any fun. Make haste!" and she ran off.
Vinzi knew the truth of Stefeli's words so he sprang out of bed and
dressed hastily. Swallowing his coffee and milk that stood at his
place, he stuck his bread into his pocket before the other three had
half finished their breakfast.
The father watched the boy, thinking, "He can hurry when going about
his business. Perhaps he will turn out all right."
The mother had packed the midday lunch for the children in a little
basket and hung it over Vinzi's shoulder. Stefeli skipped along, a
little switch that Vinzi had carefully cut for her in her hand. She
used this to urge the browsing cows along, but never did she strike
them. Once outside, Vinzi discovered he had left his whip in the barn
and had to fetch it. Every herd-boy had a switch, but only to crack it
now and then so that it echoed in loud booms from the mountains. Vinzi
found no pleasure in his whip, so he was careless where he put it. Now
he searched one corner after another, and while he hunted his father
began to frown. Then Stefeli darted up with it in her hand, for she
remembered where her brother had put it last.
Now the two set off, and the father called after them, "Look out,
Vinzi, that none of the cows gets across the stream," and the mother
followed with her warning, "Take care not to go too near the stream
where the rapids are!"
"Now we must keep our eyes open so the cows stay in our own pasture,
and we must see that Schwarzeli does not do too much frisking, for if
she does not graze, she will get thin," said Stefeli.
Vinzi followed Stefeli and looked on as she carefully placed the little
basket in the deepest shade. Then they both sat on the ground which had
been thoroughly dried by both sun and wind. The fresh morning breeze
rustled through the branches and blew over the meadow far and wide
until its soughing died in the distance. Suddenly Stefeli jumped up and
darted off like an arrow.
"Schwarzeli! Schwarzeli!" the child kept calling as she pursued the
shiny black heifer which was running toward the stream, tail in the
air. "Schwarzeli, wait for me!" but the high-spirited creature only
leaped higher and was now quite close to the stream. "If she jumps
in, she will drown," thought Stefeli in fright, for they had come to
the dangerous place her mother had meant in her warning. "Schwarzeli!
Schwarzeli!"
[Illustration]
Suddenly the fugitive stood still and calmly awaited the arrival of her
mistress.
"You wicked Schwarzeli, to frighten me so!" Stefeli exclaimed, grasping
hold of the rope around Schwarzeli's neck. "Just wait! If you go on
like this, I will bring you no more salt that you lick as though it
were so much sugar!"
Schwarzeli rubbed her neck on Stefeli's shoulder as much as to reply,
"I did not mean to be bad; it was so jolly to caper over the pasture."
Half way back to the place set aside for grazing, Vinzi met them
and asked in great surprise, "Why did you run away all of a sudden,
Stefeli? I heard some lovely music two or three times, and when
I turned to ask if you heard it too, I saw you coming back with
Schwarzeli. Oh, it is such a pity you did not hear it. I cannot
describe it. It sounded like a great choir of deep, strong voices
floating over the meadow, growing always softer, you know, like the
sound of waters far away. It was so beautiful! Come, Stefeli, we will
sit down there again, and perhaps we can still hear it."
"Now go along, Schwarzeli, and be good," said Stefeli as she let go the
rope and followed her brother.
However, she had scarcely settled down alongside him when she sprang
up again, and this time Vinzi with her, for the brown cow had wandered
over to the boundary fence and, was pushing hard against the palings,
to get through. The two children ran to bring the animal back, and soon
the cow was wandering prudently about the proper field.
Stefeli discovered a spot that was especially inviting, where fragrant
little wild pinks nodded happily. "Come along, Vinzi, we will rest
here. I am sure there will be no more wonderful music under the tree."
The children gazed contentedly on the sunlit landscape and after a
period of quiet enjoyment Stefeli said, "I would love to be a cowherd
all my life; wouldn't you, Vinzi?"
"No, I would not," replied Vinzi.
"Why not?" inquired Stefeli. "Surely no place is more lovely than this."
"Yes, that is true," Vinzi admitted. "But I would not like to look
after cows all my life."
"What do you like to do best? I have not seen you do it," said Stefeli,
astonished to think she did not know.
"Most of all, I love to hear the bells peal and hear them resound
through the branches of the trees and down from the mountain heights.
Do you hear the soft notes around us—do you hear?" and his eyes grew
larger and brighter as he listened.
Stefeli pricked up her ears. "That is only the gnats buzzing," she said
in a disgusted tone.
But Vinzi continued: "And when I hear such beautiful sounds I would
like to remember them and to sing them or imitate them in some other
way. I am always wondering how I can do it."
"But that is no profession," Stefeli interrupted.
"Well, that is what I am afraid of, too," said Vinzi in a discouraged
manner, "but I have to keep on thinking about it. I have cut a lot of
pipes and have tried to see what I could imitate on them. I have five
altogether. Out of one I could get deep tones, out of another high
ones, and the others have middle notes. I have been thinking how I can
blow on two or three at the same time so they will all sound at once,
like the church bells, you know."
"You might be a piper," Stefeli suggested suddenly, greatly elated at
her inspiration. "That would be a fine profession, wouldn't it?"
"I don't know," replied Vinzi, rather uncertain, "but even if I could
be, father would not let me. He found my pipes in the barn one day and
threw them all away, saying I must think about more useful things than
collecting pipes and working on stuff that amounts to nothing."
"You must not be so sad about it, Vinzi," she said consolingly. "I am
sure father means you must not have the pipes in the barn or stable,
but out here in the pasture you certainly may have them. I will watch
the cows and call you when anything is the matter. You can cut new
pipes, all of which we will lay in a hole under the tree, and you will
take them out only when we are here. I will help you blow them. I'll
blow on the high pipe and you on the low, and in that way they will
sound together like the bells."
Apparently this plan did not console him as she thought it would for he
kept gazing on the ground and said no more.
"Now we will talk about something else," she continued resolutely,
for she did not like his sad expression, but before they could start
talking again, she sprang from the ground and darted away, calling,
"Vinzi, Vinzi!"
Vinzi too ran at topmost speed toward the end of the pasture where a
wooden footbridge led across the stream. A party of strangers was about
to cross when a little dog belonging to them suddenly dashed into the
midst of the cows, barking violently. The frightened animals ran in
all directions, and Schwarzeli, tail raised high, galloped hither and
thither. This excited the dog to further onslaughts. Stefeli ran after
her cows to quiet them while Vinzi struck out at the dog with his whip
so that it suddenly turned tail and ran howling after the disappearing
party. This had proved such a hot piece of work that the children
sought the shade of the big tree and threw themselves down on the
ground to get their breath.
Sitting up, Vinzi said, "I wish the dog had been on the other side,
where the path leads up to the pasture. I saw a fiery red flower there,
and it looked tremendously big, even from where I was—bigger than any
I ever saw. If it were not so far, I'd go and fetch it, but it is too
hot."
"Oh, I'll go," said Stefeli with assurance. "If it is so beautiful, it
can't be too far for me."
Vinzi was going to offer to fetch the flower if Stefeli wished it so
much, but the little girl had sped off so far, he knew he could not
overtake her. So he kept his seat, and now that the midday bell in the
village began to ring, he quickly forgot everything else, so intently
did he listen to the sound.
"There is your flower," were the words that suddenly roused him, and
Stefeli laid a bright red scarf before her brother. He was so deeply
buried in his thoughts that he had not noticed the flight of time, and
was astonished at her quick return. He gazed thoughtfully at what he
had supposed was a red flower. Where had he seen that scarf before?
"Oh, now I know!" he suddenly exclaimed. "I saw it hanging on the chair
in which the strange little girl was sitting at Mrs. Troll's house. It
must belong to her."
Now Stefeli also recalled having seen something scarlet there, and as
there had been children in the party that had crossed the bridge, they
were probably the same children they saw yesterday.
Vinzi began to consider what was to be done with the scarf. He knew
that whatever was found must be returned to the owner at once;
therefore the best thing would be for him to run over to Mrs. Troll's
house with it. But Stefeli declared it was everybody's dinner hour, and
there was plenty of time to do it before evening.
As soon as dinner was mentioned, Vinzi suddenly sensed an immense
hunger, so he set right to work gathering all the twigs under the tree
and built a little fire. While it was dying down, Stefeli turned the
grassy place into an attractive dinner table, laying out two large
slices of bread spread with golden butter and two snow white eggs which
their mother had boiled and which now only needed peeling. Then she
carried the basket near the fire and put some clean round potatoes into
the glowing coals. They were soon smoking and sizzling so invitingly
the children waited impatiently for the moment when they could rake
them from the bed of dying ashes. When they had cooled a little they
bit deeper and deeper into the snowy whiteness, though they thought the
hard-baked crust really the best of all.
The cows had been so busy grazing that now they were ready to rest a
bit. Even Schwarzeli had settled down peacefully, though she tossed her
little black head from time to time, showing she could not be trusted
altogether.
The children cleaned up their place under the tree, for paper and
eggshells did not belong on the fine green carpet of their living-room.
And then they sat quietly and contentedly gazing over the pasture,
enjoying the peace that was round about them.
"Now I might carry back the scarf we found," said Vinzi after a while.
"The cows are sure to be quiet until I get back."
"Yes," agreed Stefeli. "The big ones will rest for a while and if
Schwarzeli starts to run to the stream, I'll entice her back. I have
kept all the salt mother gave us for the eggs. You did not ask for any,
and Schwarzeli loves it."
Taking the scarf which Stefeli had folded, Vinzi ran off, but it took a
good quarter of an hour for him to reach Mrs. Troll's house. The front
door stood open and all was quiet inside.
Hearing chopping in the garden, he thought Mrs. Troll might be there,
but suddenly quite different sounds attracted him so powerfully that he
mounted the stairs. Through a half open door he caught the notes of a
melody. Stepping up, he laid his ear on the door to hear better, but in
his longing, he pressed quite hard and the door flew wide open.
Instantly the small musician who sat on a high stool before the
instrument swung around and looked at him. Seeing he was quite shocked,
she jumped down from the stool and ran up to him. "Oh, did you find my
scarf and bring it back to me?" she asked as she caught sight of the
scarlet cloth in his hand. "That is lucky for me! Miss Landrat gave me
a good scolding for losing it and said that, as punishment, I must go
over the same path I traveled with papa and the other gentlemen this
morning and find it. Now you have brought it I do not have to go, so I
will give you a reward. What would you like best?"
Vinzi gazed in surprise at the wonderful child who could produce such
entrancing music and now speak to him as though they had been friends
for a long time. He hesitated, but at last replied timidly, "Can I wish
for anything I choose?"
"Yes," replied his new acquaintance decidedly, "but ask for something I
can give you, not such a thing as a ship or a horse."
"No, I don't mean anything like that," said Vinzi. "I only wish to hear
the music again."
"The music? Do you mean what I was playing when you came? That really
is no present. What is your name?" the little girl asked, suddenly
interrupting her own line of thought.
When Vinzi mentioned his name, she replied, "And mine is Alida Thornau.
Practising gets so tedious that I play one of my little pieces between
exercises. Do you have to practise too?"
"What do you mean by practise?"
"Oh, don't you know? Then you are lucky!" she exclaimed. "You see,
practising is sitting still on a round stool and everlastingly running
your fingers up and down on the piano. That is called playing the
scale, and repeating it over and over is called finger practise."
[Illustration: "OH, DID YOU FIND MY SCARF AND BRING IT BACK TO ME?" SHE
ASKED.]
"Why do you have to practise?" asked Vinzi in wonder.
"Because one has to obey," answered Alida, "and Miss Landrat ordered
me to practise from two to three o'clock every day. I have no lessons
here like I do in Hamburg, but every time papa comes down here, I have
to promise again to obey my governess. You see papa is up at the baths
with mama because she is sick."
"How did you learn to play that pretty piece?" asked Vinzi who had
listened to all this with intense interest.
"Oh, that is easily done when one has to practise so much. All one has
to do is to play the notes that are written there," she explained.
"Then you are fortunate to be able to do so much practising," said
Vinzi, and he gazed at the piano with such longing that Alida suddenly
remembered the reward he had asked.
"Now I will play for you," she said.
Vinzi stared at her flying fingers in amazement and Alida saw in the
mirror above the piano how he followed her playing. That pleased her
and she repeated the Spring Song but stopped suddenly in the middle of
it, whirled around on the stool and asked, "Would you like to learn to
play the piano?"
Vinzi's eyes sparkled, but only for a moment; the next, he gazed at the
floor and said sadly, "That I can never do."
"Why, yes, you can very easily," returned Alida with conviction. "I can
teach you. You will soon learn all I know, and you can practise with
me. That will be much more fun than for me to sit alone. Then you can
play little pieces like this one that pleases you so much."
Vinzi's eyes grew larger and larger with astonishment and longing.
Unbelievable happiness was suddenly before him; he need only say yes.
He could not grasp it.
"If it pleases you, say yes quickly, that you really wish it," said
Alida a little impatiently. "Then you must come here every day at two
o'clock, like today, because then Miss Landrat takes a walk with Hugo
and I have to practise until three o'clock or sometimes even later,
until they return. So we will be quite alone and I will teach you
everything."
In a voice that trembled, he said, "There is nothing I would like
better."
"Then everything is all settled!" declared Alida with satisfaction.
"Come tomorrow—or would you like to start today?"
Much as he would have liked it, Vinzi did not dare that, for Stefeli
had been left alone long enough. But he would return the next day, and
gladly, if it might be so. Still he could not quite believe his great
good fortune, but because Alida was so sure, his doubt was conquered
and he ran off in great excitement. What would Stefeli think of the
plan? This was his chief thought as he ran.
When he reached the pasture, he saw the cows resting as he had left
them, though Schwarzeli was wandering back and forth quietly.
"It took you a long time," Stefeli said. "What did she say?"
Seating himself on the grass beside Stefeli, Vinzi related all that had
happened, explaining that he had not promised definitely to go each
day for the hour's practise because he must first learn what she would
say about being left alone. Stefeli considered for a moment, then said
eagerly, "You can do it very easily, Vinzi, and it will bring you great
joy; I know that quite well."
"I know it too," agreed Vinzi, his eyes aglow. "Do you think anything
might happen to the cows during that time? They are still quiet today."
"There is nothing to worry about," his sister assured him. "All the
time you were away, they lay quiet and looked around, and Schwarzeli
took a little walk. That is the way it always is in the afternoon."
Vinzi himself knew this was true, but was glad of Stefeli's assurance.
There was now so much to talk over concerning the coming days and
their consequences that they sat engrossed in conversation until horns
sounded from here, there, everywhere. This was the signal for the
herders that milking time had arrived and the cattle should be driven
home.
Vinzi leaped up from the ground in great surprise that evening had come
so quickly and Stefeli took the basket on her arm and went to fetch the
wandering Schwarzeli. Her brother whistled his cows together and then
the two children gleefully marched off behind their small herd to the
stable where their father awaited them.