rise; for, with the call came the remembrance of the three sentences
which he had to write: three whole sentences and nine different
qualities, and he had forgotten everything, and now all the time had
gone and he had to go to bed.

"Where are you, Ritz?" It sounded into his hiding-place. "Come, crawl
out. I know you are in there and will be covered with feathers from head
to foot."

The aunt stood before the henhouse, and Sally and Kaetheli beside her
full of expectation, for they had sought Ritz for a long time in vain.
But Auntie had experience in such things. Ritz actually came crawling
out of the henhouse and stood now in a lamentable condition before his
aunt.

"How you do look! You ought to have been in bed an hour ago, you haven't
a drop of blood in your cheeks," the aunt exclaimed. "What is the matter
with you, Ritz?"

"Where is Mamma?" asked Ritz in his fright.

"She is upstairs; come, she will put you to bed at once when I have got
you finally together. Come, Sally, and you, Kaetheli, go home now."

With these words she took Ritz by the hand, and drew him up the stone
steps into the house, and wanted to bring him up the stairs to the
bedroom. Then everything was over and no rescue from going to bed at
once. Now Ritz stopped his aunt and groaned: "I must--I must--I have to
write three sentences for punishment."