rats came rushing
after him. He came to Bingen, where he hoped to be safe within its
walls. Somehow or other, the rats made their way inside.

"There was now only one hope of safety. The bishop fled to a tower
standing in the middle of the Rhine. But it was of no use! The rats
swam the river and made their way up the sides of the tower. Their
sharp teeth gnawed holes through the doors and windows. They entered
in and came to the room where the bishop was hiding."

"Wicked fellow! They killed and ate him as he deserved, didn't
they?" asked Bertha.

"There wasn't much left of him in a few minutes. But the tower still
stands, and you can see it if you ever go to Bingen, although it is a
crumbling old pile now."

"Rats' Tower is a good name for it. But I would rather hear about
enchanted princesses and brave knights than wicked old bishops. Tell
me another story, Hans."

"Oh, I can't. Listen! I hear some one coming. Who can it be?"

Hans jumped up and ran to the door, just in time to meet his Uncle
Fritz, who lived in Strasburg.

The children loved him dearly. He was a young man about twenty-one
years old. He came home to this little village in the Black Forest
only about once a year. He had so much to tell and was so kind and
cheerful, every one was glad to see him.

"Uncle Fritz! Uncle Fritz! We are so glad you've come," exclaimed
Bertha, putting her arms around his neck. "And we are going to have
something that you like for dinner."

"I can guess what it is. Sauerkraut and boiled pork. There is no
other sauerkraut in Germany as good as that your mother makes, I do
believe. I'm hungry enough to eat the whole dishful and not leave
any for you children. Now what do you say to my coming? Don't you
wish I had stayed in Strasburg?"

"Oh, no, no, Uncle Fritz. We would rather see you than anybody
else," cried Hans. "And here comes mother. She will be just as glad
as we are."

That evening, after Hans had shown his uncle around the village, and
he had called on his old friends, he settled himself in the
chimney-corner with the children about him.

"Talk to us about Strasburg, Uncle Fritz," begged Gretchen.

"Please tell us about the storks," said Bertha. "Are there great
numbers of the birds in the city, and do they build their nests on
the chimneys?"

"Yes, you can see plenty of storks flying overhead if you will come
back with me," said Uncle Fritz, laughingly. "They seem to kno