At the entrance to the house Kurt had a brilliant idea. "Oh, mother," he
called out excitedly over the prospect, "tonight we must have the story
of the Wallerstätten family. It will fit so well because we were able to
see the castle today, with all its gables, embrasures and battlements."

But the mother answered: "I am sorry to say we can't. Uncle is here
today, and as he has to leave early tomorrow morning, I have to talk to
him tonight. You have to go to bed early, otherwise you will be too
tired to get up tomorrow after your long walk."

"Oh, what a shame, what a shame!" Kurt lamented. He was still hoping
that he would find out something in the story about the ghost of
Wildenstein, despite the fact that one could not really believe in him.
Sitting on the tree that afternoon, he had been lost in speculations as
to where the ghost might have appeared.

When the mother went to Mäzli's bed that night to say prayers with her
she found her still very much excited, as usual, by the happenings of the
day. She always found it difficult to quiet the little girl, but to-day
she seemed filled by very vivid impressions. Now that everything was
still, they seemed to come back to her.

Mäzli sat straight up in her bed with shining eyes as soon as her mother
appeared. "Why was the Knippel-soup allowed to spoil Apollonie's Sunday
peace?" she cried out.

"Where have you heard that, Mäzli?" the mother said, quite frightened.
She already saw the moment before her when Mäzli would tell the district
attorney's wife that new appellation. "You must never use that