Mr. and Mrs. Birkenfeld had gone to church, and with them Paula and Miss
Hanenwinkel. In the sitting-room, Jule and Hunne were harmoniously
discussing over a big dish of hazel-nuts, in how many different ways they
could make the nutcracker crack a nut. The twins, since the lesson they
had had in the wash-house, had returned contented to the mimic ark, with
its wooden men and women, and they were now playing with it on the
school-room table, which they had all to themselves to-day. Rolf had early
betaken himself to the garden, and had settled down in a sequestered
summer-house, where he could think over all sorts of things, without fear
of being disturbed.

After the flood had subsided (a flood this time without water), and when
the dove had returned with the olive-branch, and quiet was restored in the
land, new schemes began to work in Lili's busy little head.

"What do you say, Wili, to coming down-stairs to look at Rolf's new bow;
he left it in the passage-way last evening."

Wili was all agog at the idea, and they both scampered down-stairs. Lili
knew the corner where Rolf had placed the bow, and there too was the
quiver, with its two feathered arrows.

"Just see how jolly this is;" said Lili, "you pull this string back, and
put the arrow here, and then let the string fly, and off goes the arrow
like anything. I saw just how Rolf did it; and suppose we try to see how
it works!"

"But we must not shoot with it; don't you remember that papa said so,
Lili?"