MAINZ AND A BEGGAR
"Come quickly, Fritz. Now, we can slip away!" said Mitzi.
They were in the market place of Mainz. Their father was sitting at a
booth under a striped umbrella. He was selling a few toys, and he looked
more cheerful than usual.
Mitzi led her brother down the street.
"Quickly, come! We shall stand here before this big church," she said.
They had stopped in front of a beautiful old cathedral. Near by stood
the statue of a man holding a sheet of paper in his hands.
"That is the statue of Gutenberg (G[=oo]´t[)e]n-b[)e]rk), the inventor
of printing," said Mitzi.
Fritz could not help thinking, just then, of all the great men who have
come out of Germany. There was this Gutenberg, born here in Mainz. There
was Professor Einstein ([=I]n´st[=i]n), the famous scientist, born in
Ulm. There was--
[Illustration: MAINZ]
"Fritz! Fritz!" His sister was stamping her foot and screaming until she
was almost purple in the face. "Will you listen?" she cried. "What are
you thinking of? Come now! Stop dreaming and play your violin!"
[Illustration: THE GENERAL]
Fritz had to laugh at her stern round face and her sharp command.
He saluted and said, "Yes, yes, General! I obey."
Then he took up his violin and began to play. Several people stopped to
listen. They smiled but passed on. Mitzi stood on one foot and then on
the other. Frank lay at her feet, wondering why they did not go on to
explore this strange new city. Fritz played and Mitz stood, and only a
few people seemed to notice them. Among these was a gentleman who put
his hand into his pocket.
"Catch!" he said to Mitzi, as he threw her a coin.
After some time, Fritz grew tired and Mitzi discouraged.
"Let us go and buy sausage with this coin," said Mitzi.
She was not altogether pleased with the way things had worked out. But,
anyway, she wanted to surprise her father with the small bit they had
been able to make.
They turned to leave, when all at once they heard a whining sound behind
them. They looked around. Sitting upon the church steps was a beggar. He
wore ragged clothes and was a very old man. He held out his hand to Mitz
and Fritz.
He said, "I am a beggar and I am hungry. Will you give me your coin?"
He looked miserable. Mitzi felt sorry for him. But still she thought of
her father's pleasure if she should return home with sausages.
She thought how she would say to her father, "It was Fritz's music that
did it."
[Illustration: CATHEDRAL AT MAINZ]
But Fritz was tugging at her sleeve.
"Give it to him," said the boy. "See! He is very old."
Mitzi put her hand into the pocket of her little apron and pulled out
the precious coin. She looked at it lovingly, then she threw it to the
old man.
"Come along, Fritz," she said.
The children turned away and left a happy beggar behind.