at he turned head over heels again and again
for joy, a funny proceeding for a would-be husband.

"Do you know _how_ to get engaged," he said to the fairy.

"Why no, not exactly, but I have heard it is very simple," said she.
"Mother Holle (here she made a deep curtsy), Mother Holle knows all
about it."

Kaethe looked out of the corner of her eyes at her lover, and wished he
would behave with more dignity. Now he was cramming his mouth with
sweeties.

"Aren't you going to give me _any_?" she said.

"O my stars!" he said again, surprised; it had never struck him. Imps
are usually egoists; that is to say they think _first_ of themselves.
There are exceptions, but this is the rule.

He went rapidly from stall to stall and returned with his arms full of
parcels done up in pink paper which he presented to Kaethchen with a low
bow. She accepted them with much delight and they fell to munching
chocolate together; it was a real bond of union, and they were not the
first sweethearts who discovered it.

They reached the end of the street and suddenly found themselves alone
once more on the slopes of the Altenhainer Thal or Valley.

Green Ears sat down by Kaethchen, and squeezed himself up closely to her.

"Give me your pretty little hand," he said. "_Do_ you know which is the
right finger?"

"O yes!" Kaethchen knew that quite well, though I have heard that it is a
disputed point in Germany.

She stuck out her little hard-worked fingers, and he put the gold ring
on the third finger of the left hand. It fitted exactly and with a cry
of joy Kaethchen put the other on his long brown finger.

Then both the children laughed and clapped their hands, and danced
merrily about. "Now we are engaged," they cried, "really engaged to be
married!"

They made such a noise that the squirrels were cross and threw sticks at
them for disturbing their early-morning sleep.

Then, goodness knows why--let us call it reaction--Kaethe began to cry
again, great, big drops.

Green Ears was much puzzled.

"You _are_ clever, now I can't do that," he said. "You must stay with
me always, and live with me in the woods, and be my own little
sweetheart."

"O no," said Kaethe, "I should never be allowed to do that; I must go to
school every day, and then I have my exercises to do, and to help mother
with the housework; the baby to mind; and--O I am always so busy."

"I will come and help you," said Green Ears.

"But you _can't_, you are not