they managed them quite cleverly. To Trudel and Lottchen they seemed
to suggest Robinson Crusoe and all sorts of fine adventures.

One day when mother was reading a book which absorbed her attention, and
so was safe not to interfere with them, they thought, the children stole
down to the pond. Hermann and Fritz were waiting for them. It was a
pre-conceived plan. "Come along and get in," they shouted to the girls.

"I daren't," said Lottchen. "Mother would be so cross; she has forbidden
us to go near the water."

"You are surely not going to spoil the fun," said Trudel. "Come along;
I'm going to get in first. I can swim, you know!"

"But not in mud and water-weeds," said Lottchen wisely.

The boys began to laugh at them.

"Why, you're funky, I do believe; the pond isn't really deep anywhere,"
they said.

So with beating hearts the children got into the boats, Trudel with
Fritz, and Hermann, who was the eldest of the party, with Lottchen. It
was splendid, quite a real adventure.

"Sit still in the middle of the boat," said Fritz; "I think we had
better keep near the bank."

"It's going down on my side; O dear, what shall I do?" said Trudel. "I
don't like it! I want to get out."

"You're a bit too heavy and upset the balance," said Fritz. "Very well,
then, get out!"

Trudel tried to do so; but the boat was very wobbly. It was not so easy;
her foot slipped, and in she stepped with one foot into the deep mud.
She grasped convulsively hold of a willow bush that grew on the bank.

Meanwhile Hermann, seeing the predicament they were in, jumped out of
his boat, leaving poor Lottchen quite alone. She began to scream with
all her might and main, and she could make a fine noise when she chose.

Mother heard the cries though she was some way off and flew to the pond.

The maids who were bleaching the linen in the meadow, came running to
the rescue as well, as fast as their legs could carry them.

Lotty was soon helped out of the boat. Trudel had rescued herself with
Hermann's assistance, and she looked very red and ashamed of herself.
She said she did not wish for any more Robinson Crusoe adventures of
that sort. Mother naturally gave the children a good talking to; but she
thought they had been punished enough this time for their disobedience,
by the fright they had had.

PART II

THE TREE MAN

There was a tree in the garden that was ideal to climb, and mother
allowed the children to do so, for she had been