But Lippo broke into a loud wail. Pulling his mother back, he cried,
"Don't go! Please don't! We must finish it. We have to finish it. Come
back, mother, come back."

She tried to loosen the grip of the boy's firm little fingers on her
dress and to calm him, but she did not succeed, and he kept on crying
louder and louder: "Come back! You said one must not leave anything half
done. We didn't finish the song and we must do it."

Kurt now began to cry out, too: "Let go your pincher-claws--we'll get to
school late."

Mea's voice joined them with loud exclamation against Lippo, who was
trying hard to pull his mother back, groaning loudly all the time.

Uncle Philip entered at this moment.

"What on earth is going on here?" he cried loudly into the confusion.

Everybody began to explain.

Lippo let go his grip at last and, approaching his uncle, solicited his
help. Kurt's voice, however, was the loudest and he got the lead in
telling about Lippo's obstinacy.

"Lippo is right," the uncle decided. "One must finish what one has
begun. This is a splendid principle and ought to be followed. Lippo has
inherited this from his god-father and so he shall also have his help.
Come Lippo, we'll sit down and finish the song to the last word."