to playing at
soldiers. The new game absorbed him so much that he could think of
nothing else. The neighbours also began to talk of soldiers, and at last
the children came to know that there was a war going on in Germany, and
that certain States speaking the same language were fighting with one
another. This was very sad, but the children thought it very exciting
and delightful.

One night Rudel said to Lisbeth, 'We must get up early to-morrow and go
and storm the hill. I am going to play at having a siege. I heard
grandfather say to-morrow is to be a holiday.'

Lisbeth joyfully agreed, and they went to bed full of plans for the
siege.

In the middle of the night, as it seemed to Rudel, he woke and heard a
loud noise in the living-room below. Two men were talking in loud, angry
tones, and a woman was sobbing. Presently the crying ceased, and the two
men seemed to leave the room. Rudel sprang up and looked out of his tiny
window--yes! there were his grandfather and another man going towards
the forest. But after taking a few steps they paused, spoke together
for a little while, and then turned in the opposite direction.

'They are going to our hill,' thought Rudel, as he went back to bed.
Hours afterward, as it seemed to him, a light flashed into his eyes, and
he awoke again. His grandmother was standing over him with a candle. She
was crying, and as she wept she bent down and kissed Rudel, which
frightened him very much.

'Oh, Rudel,' said Grandmother, sobbing, 'will you always be a good boy?
Promise me you will.'

Rudel promised, and, after kissing him again, Grandmother went away.
Rudel wondered if she was going to see Lisbeth, and make her also
promise to be a good girl. Rudel fully meant to keep his promise, but he
was a forgetful little boy, and he broke it the very next day.

'Children,' said Grandfather, just as he and Grandmother were setting
off on business, 'you are not to go to the hill to-day, nor anywhere
near it--keep to the orchard and garden.'

And, without even stopping to make them promise, he went away, while
Rudel stamped his foot in a rage, and Lisbeth began to cry.

'If Grandfather thinks,' said Rudel, after they had been wandering about
for some time, 'that I am never to be a man, and do as I like--oh,
Lisbeth, we didn't promise Grandfather--if we had promised it would be
wrong to go; but we didn't! Let us go to the hill--no one will see us.'

Lisbeth stood out against her brother for