ur robes around them, and then, with
a crack of the whip, and a loud huzzah from the young men, the sleigh
glided swiftly away.

About five miles from the town, in the midst of the forest, was a large
inn of the better sort, which had lately become a favorite resort of the
wealthy who went sleighing in the winter. Balls, even, were given there,
and there one got the most delicious mulled wine and Westphalia hams,
and all sorts of ale, "Bremen," "Prysing," "Emser ale," even "Brunswick
Mumme." To this hotel, then, our party were bound.

Merrily rang the bells, swiftly flew the sleigh over the frozen snow,
and as they passed out at the city gates, the whole party broke into a
joyous glee:

"Listen, listen, listen to the merry sleigh bells!
How they jingle, jingle, ever blithe and ever clear,
With a tintinnabulation that so musically wells
As it thrills, and it thrills upon the ear!
Every dancing little note
Seems to gurgle from the throat
Of a bird, that in its happy song so eloquently tells
The joy it is to bound
O'er the cold and frozen ground,
To the ringing and the clinging of the bells!

"Listen, listen, listen to the merry sleigh bells!
How they jingle, jingle, as the horses dash along;
What a story of our gladness their enticing music tells
As it chimes and it rhymes with the song!
Such a rollicking delight
Bubbles out upon the night
As their joy-creating burthen over hill and valley swells.
Every voice must join the tune
As we skim beneath the moon
To the tinkling and the twinkling of the bells!"

The sleigh had now turned out of the high road, and entered the forest.
For some time the way lay plain before them, but at length came a fork,
where two roads met.

"Now, then," exclaimed Max, "which way? Blumenwald, thou hast been to
Ole's before--must I take the right hand or the left?"

"Upon my word, I have forgotten!" exclaimed Walther. "It was a dark
night when I drove out with my cousins; but, it appears to me, upon the
whole, that we took the right hand road."

"Well, we can only try," said Max; "at least, if we don't get to Ole's,
we shall have had a merry sleigh ride."

He shook the