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Page 13
In the meantime, Fred was peering into the twilight, and along the road,
awaiting the coming of the culprit. At last, he saw some one coming
along the sidewalk; but it could hardly be Emma, for it was too wide, it
took up the whole width of the path. He ran forward, and found that it
was Elsli, who was toiling along, her brother Rudi hanging to her skirts
on one side, and Heili on the other, while in her arms she was carrying
Hans, a solid child of two years. The poor patient girl was quite
weighed down under the burden of her three brothers.
"Oh, put that big boy down on his own feet!" cried Fred, who was shocked
at the sight of such needless labor, "you are not fit to carry such a
load."
"I can't put him down; he begins to scream as soon as I do, and he gets
so naughty," said Elsli, as she walked painfully along.
"Are you going to our house?" asked Fred, following her.
"Yes, I am going to fetch something; I have brought a bag to put it
into," and Elsli lifted her arm a little and showed a large bag hanging
from it.
"You can't carry anything more; do put that fat child down; he will
break you in two," said Fred indignantly.
By this time they had reached the house.
"Now I shall have to put you down a minute, Hanli," said Elsli wearily,
"for my arm aches so that I cannot bear it any longer." With these words
she put the child upon his feet; but he forthwith set up a shriek that
brought all the women out of the house with a bound; Mrs. Stein and her
sister and Kathri were on the spot in an instant.
"I should like to give you something to scream for!" cried the maid,
suiting a significant gesture to her words with the open palm of her
hand, as she turned away into the house again. Elsli snatched up the
child hastily, and tried to quiet him.
"Mamma, do tell that big cry-baby to stand on his own legs. He'll kill
Elsli at this rate; he is far too much for her to lift." Fred spoke in
great excitement.
This made the child cry louder than ever, and he clung to his slender
sister with such increased force, that she staggered a little and seemed
about to fall.
"You really ought to put him down, my child," said the mother; "he would
soon get used to it. Come here!" and she tried to take the child from
Elsli's arms. It was harder than she expected; for the little fellow
clung tight with arms and legs, and kicked with his feet and pounded
with his fists, and when at last Mrs. Stein succeeded in detaching him
and placing him on the ground, he flung himself upon his sister's
skirts, and screamed so lustily that she took him up again, saying
resignedly:--
"It's of no use; he's a very naughty little boy; and begins to call to
me to carry him as soon as I get home from school."
"Such a big boy as Hans ought to be able to go alone by this time, and
then there is the baby besides; how do you manage to do it all, Elsli?"
"Oh, Hans is in a dreadful way if I take the baby; he screams and kicks
as hard as he can, and then his mother hears him, and she comes running
in, and says that she can't have such a noise, and I mustn't let the
children scream so. So I have to put the baby into the cradle to quiet
Hans, and then I rock the cradle with my foot to quiet the baby."
"Come into the house, Elsli," said the doctor's wife; "you look very
tired. Hans, if you will get down and come into the house yourself, you
shall have a piece of bread and an apple. Come."
"If you won't come," said her sister, "you can stay here, while Rudi and
Heili come with me and get bread and apples. They can walk, without
hanging on to Elsli's skirts and tearing her to pieces. Come, boys!"
The two boys did not need urging, but followed their kind friend into
the house. And even obstinate little Hans understood what bread and
apple meant; when his sister put him down on his feet, he made no
resistance, but, taking her hand, stumped along into the house without a
word. Fred followed them, switching a willow wand, as if to suggest the
most efficient method of teaching Hans to walk by himself. When they
reached the dining-room, the boys opened their eyes wide to see the big
loaf from which Mrs. Stein cut each a slice, and they were not slow in
setting their teeth into the rosy apples, of which each had one for his
own. Elsli too had an apple and a slice of bread.
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