The following morning Paula awoke earlier than ever before; a loud
singing had awakened her out of sleep.

"That is surely the goat-boy so soon," she said, springing out of bed
and running to the window.

Quite right. With fresh, red cheeks there stood Moni below, and he had
just brought the old goat and the little kid out of the goat shed. Now
he swung his rod in the air, the goats leaped and sprang around him,
and then he went along with the whole flock. Suddenly Moni raised his
voice again and sang until the mountains echoed:

"Up yonder in the fir trees
Sing the birds in a choir,
And after the rain comes,
Comes the son like a fire."


"To-day he must sing his whole song for me once," said Paula, for Moni
had now disappeared and she could no longer understand the words of his
distant song.

[Illustration: "_Moni climbed with his goats for an hour longer_."]

In the sky the rosy morning clouds were disappearing and a cool mountain
breeze rustled around Moni's ears, as he climbed up. This he thought
just right. He yodeled with satisfaction from the first ledge so
lustily down into the valley that many of the sleepers in the Bath House
below opened their eyes in amazement, then closed them again at once,
for they recognized the sound and knew that they could have an hour