You can sleep in the hay up yonder," he jerked his thumb toward
the hut, "and I'll give you a bite to eat, and the goats will
help themselves, I've no manner of doubt."

"We can drink goat's milk," said Leneli timidly, "and you may
have all we don't take."

"We'll have to milk them first," said Seppi, "and we've never
done it before. Mother always does the milking."

"I know how," said Leneli proudly. "Don't you remember, Fritz
taught me the day Nanni swallowed my lunch?"

"I'll lend you a milk-pail," said the herdsman. "The cows were
all milked some time ago."

He went back to the but and soon reappeared with two pails, and
as Leneli struggled with one goat he milked another, while Seppi
fed both creatures with tufts of grass to keep them quiet. It was
the first good grass the goats had seen since morning, and
apparently they were determined to eat the pasture clean.

The herdsman looked at them anxiously and scratched his head
again. "They certainly have healthy appetites," he said woefully;
"they don't calculate to leave anything behind 'em but stones and
gravel!"

The milking took some time and after it was done, the old man
placed the sad and tired children on the bench beside his door,
and while they ate the food he gave them and watched the moon