Stories of Childhood

ountains, rising into peaks, which were always covered with snow, and from which a number of torrents descended in constant cataracts. One of these fell westward, over the face of

nd by populous cities. But the clouds were drawn so constantly to the snowy hills, and rested so softly in the circular hollow, that, in time of drought and heat, when all the country round was burnt up, there was still rain in the little va

cked the fruit; and killed the hedgehogs, lest they should suck the cows; they poisoned the crickets for eating the crumbs in the kitchen; and smothered the cicadas, which used to sing all summer in the lime-trees. They worked their servants without any wages, till they would not work any more, and then quarrelled with them, and turned them out of doors without paying them. It would have been very odd, if, with such a farm, and such a system of farming, they hadn't got very rich; and v

rse, agree particularly well with his brothers, or, rather, they did not agree with him. He was usually appointed to the honorable office of turnspit, when there was anything to roast, which was not often; for, to do the brothers justice, they were hardly les

t to pieces with the hail; the corn was all killed by a black blight; only in the Treasure Valley, as usual, all was safe. As it had rain when there was rain nowhere else, so it had sun when there was sun nowhere else. Everybody came to buy corn at

. Gluck sat down quite close to the fire, for it was raining very hard, and the kitchen walls were by no means dry or comfortable looking. He turned and turned, and the roast got nice and brown. "What a pity," thought Gluck, "m

house-door, yet heavy and dull, as though the knock

k; "nobody else would venture to

nding, the knocker seemed to be in a hurry, and not to be in the least afraid of the co

mustaches curled twice round like a corkscrew on each side of his mouth, and his hair, of a curious mixed pepper-and-salt color, descended far over his shoulders. He was about four feet six in height, and wore a conical pointed cap of nearly the same altitude, decorated with a black feather some three feet long. His doublet was prolonged behind into so

he old gentleman, having performed another and a more energetic concerto on the knocker, turned round to look after his fly-away cl

an, "that's not the way to answe

like a beaten puppy's tail, dripping like an umbrella; and from the ends of his musta

id Gluck, "I'm very sor

" said the o

brothers would beat me to death, sir, if I t

there's your great fire there blazing, crackling, and dancing on the wal

ght tongues up the chimney, as if it were licking its chops at the savory smell of the leg of mutton, his heart melted within him that it should be burning away for nothing. "He does look very wet," said little

ittle gentleman. "Never mind yo

said Gluck. "I can't let you stay till

leman, "I'm very sorry to he

done, sir," replied Gluc

elf down on the hob, with the top of his cap accommodated up

d not dry there, but went on drip, drip, dripping among the cinders, and the fire fizzed and sputtered, a

he water spreading in long quicksilver-like streams over th

u," said the

cap,

you," said the old gen

luck, hesitatingly; "but-really,

o the mutton then," rep

was such a strange mixture of coolness and humility. He tur

id the old gentleman, at length.

e, sir," s

"I've had nothing to eat yesterday, nor to-day.

ted Gluck's heart. "They promised me one slice to-day, s

oy," said the ol

lice out of the mutton, there came a tremendous rap at the door. The old gentleman jumped off the hob, as if it had suddenly become

his umbrella in Gluck's face. "Ay! what for, indeed, you little vagabond?" said Hans, a

aid Schwartz, when

is cap off, and was standing in the middle of the

ching up a rolling-pin, and turn

d, brother," said Gl

get in?" roa

d Gluck, deprecatingly

shed with a shock that shook the water out of it all over the room. What was very odd, the rolling-pin no sooner touched the cap,

" demanded Schwart

business?"

an very modestly, "and I saw your fire through the

said Schwartz. "We've quite enough water in o

n, sir; look at my gray hairs." They hung

e are enough of them t

r; couldn't you spare me a

ose we've nothing to do with our bread but t

feather?" said Hans, sn

," said the o

" said S

gentl

ing round and round, till he fell into the corner on the top of it. Then Schwartz was very angry, and ran at the old gentleman to turn him out; but he also had hard

n one side (for it could not stand upright without going through the ceiling), gave an additional twist to his corkscrew mustaches, and replied with perfect coolness: "Gentlemen, I wish you a ve

ld gentleman had shut the house-door behind him with a great bang; and past the window, at the same instant, drove a wreath of ragged cloud, tha

artz. "Dish the mutton, sir. If ever I catch you at su

e slice, brother, y

ravy. It'll be long before I promise you such a thing again. Leave the ro

e as much mutton as they could, locked the rest in the

all the shutters, and double bar the door, before they went to bed. They usually slept in the same room. As the clock struck twe

ed Schwartz, start

id the littl

through a hole in the shutter, they could see, in the midst of it, an enormous foam globe, spinning round, and bobbing up and down like a cork, o

"I'm afraid your beds are dampish; perhaps you had better

but rushed into Gluck's room, wet

table," the old gentleman called a

id Schwartz, shuddering. An

and cattle, and left, in their stead, a waste of red sand and gray mud. The two brothers crept, shivering and horror-struck, into the kitchen. The water had gutted the whole first floor: corn