was visible in the manners of one of the children; he seemed restless
and uncomfortable, as if something preyed upon his mind. At last he
was induced to unburden himself to the others, when it was discovered
that he couldn't forget the poems in "Märchen-Frau." This was the
grievance.

"It seems as if I did it on purpose," groaned he in self-indignation.
"The nearer the time comes, and the more I try to forget, the clearer
I remember them everyone. You know my pet is Bluebeard; well, I
thought I would forget that altogether, every word: and then when my
turn came to be Märchen-Frau I would take it for my piece. And now, of
all the rest, this is just the one that runs in my head. It is quite
as if I did it on purpose."

Involuntarily the company--who appeared to have forgotten it as little
as he--struck up in a merry tune--

"Blaubart war ein reicher Mann," etc.[A]

"Oh, don't!" groaned the victim. "That's just how it goes in my head
all along, especially the verse--

"Stark war seines Körpers Ban,
Feurig waren seine Blicke,
Aber ach!--ein Missgeschicke!--
Aber ach! sein Bart war blau."[B]

"On Sunday, when the preacher gave out the text, I was looking at him,
and it came so strongly into my head that I nearly said it out
loud--'But ah! his beard was blue!' To-day the schoolmaster asked me a