comes back to my mind strangely clear. We had played long enough in our
chamber, and we found it too hot in the loft under the roof, where we had
climbed on to the beams, which were great, so we went down into the
garden. Herdegen had quitted us in haste after noon, and we found none
but Kunz, who was shaping arrows for his cross-bow. But he ere long
threw away his knife and came to be with us, and as he was well-disposed
to Ann as being my friend, he did his best to make himself pleasing, or
at least noteworthy in her sight. He stood on his head and then climbed
to the top of the tallest fruit-tree and flung down pears, but they smote
her head so that she cried out; then he turned a wheel on his hands and
feet, and a little more and his shoe would hit her in the face; and when
he marked that he was but troubling us, he went away sorrowful, but only
to hide behind a bush, and as we went past, to rush out on a sudden and
put us in fear by wild shouting.

My eldest brother well-nigh affrighted us more when he presently joined
us, for his hair was all unkempt and his looks wild. He was now of an
age when men-children deem maids to be weak and unfit for true sport, but
nevertheless strive their utmost to be marked and chosen by them. Hence
Ursula's good graces, which she had shown right openly, had for a long
while greatly pleased him, but by this time he was weary of her and began
to conceive that good little Ann, with her nightingale's voice, was more
to his liking.

After hastily greeting us, he forthwith made us privy to an evil matter.
One of his fellowship, Laurence Abenberger, the son of an apothecary, who
was diligent in school, and of a wondrous pious spirit, gave up all his
spare time to all manner of magic arts, and albeit he was but seventeen
years of age, he had already cast nativities for many folks and for us
maids, and had told us of divers ill-omens for the future. This