three qualities are not there. Do you understand that, Ritz? You will
have to make three sentences at home, all alike; but do not forget the
different qualities. Have you understood me?"

"Yes, teacher," answered Ritz in deepest dejection, for he already saw
himself sitting alone in the evening thinking and thinking and gnawing
on his slate pencil, while Sally and Edi could pursue their merry
entertainments.

Now the end of school was announced. In a short time the door was
opened, and the boys and girls hastened out toward the open place before
the schoolhouse, where suddenly all were crowded together like a huge
ball, from the midst of which came a tremendous noise and confused
shoutings. Something out of the common must have happened.

"In the house of old Marianne"--"a tremendously rich lady"--"a piano,
four men could not get it in, the door is too narrow"--"a small
boy"--"before we went to school"--It was so confused, nothing could
really be understood. Then a voice shouted: "All come along! Perhaps
they are not through with it, come, all of you to the Middle Lot!" And
suddenly the whole ball separated, and almost the whole crowd ran in the
same direction.

Only two boys remained on the playground and looked at each other, quite
perplexed. The one was stout little Ritz, who long since had forgotten
his great trouble and had listened intently to the exciting, although
incomprehensible story. The other was his brother Edi, a slender, tall
fellow with a high forehead and serious grey eyes beneath. He was hardly
two years older than his brother; but for his not quite nine years, he
was tall, and appeared much older than the seven-year-old Ritz.