as if from up above, so he went up and into her
bedroom. There Maezli was sitting in the middle of a heap of clothes, her
head thrust far into a wardrobe. Apparently she was still pulling out
more things.

"You certainly are doing something wonderful," said Lippo, glancing with
his big eyes at the clothes on the floor.

"I am doing the right thing," said Maezli now in the most decided tone.
"Kurt has said that we must send the poor people some clothes, so we must
take them all out and lay together everything we don't need any more.
Mama will be glad when she has no more to do about it and they can be
sent away to-morrow. Now get your things, too, and we'll put them all in
a heap."

The matter, however, seemed still rather doubtful to Lippo. Standing
thoughtfully before all the little skirts and jackets, he felt that this
would not be quite after his mother's wish.

"When we want to do something with our clothes, we always have to ask
mother," he began again.

But Maezli did not answer and only pulled out a bunch of woolen stockings
and a heavy winter cloak, spreading everything on the floor.

"No, I won't do it," said Lippo again, after scrutinizing the unusual
performance.

"You don't want to do it because you are afraid it will be too much
work," Maezli asserted with a face quite red with zeal. "I'll help you
when I am done here."

"I won't do it anyhow," Lippo repeated resolutely; "I won't because we
are not allowed to."

Maezli found no time to persuade him further, as she began to hunt for her
heavy winter shoes, which were still in the wardrobe. But before she had
brought them forth to the light, the door opened and the mother was
looking full of horror at the devastation.

"But children, what a horrible disorder!" she cried out, "and on Sunday
morning, too. What has made you do it? What is this wild dry-goods shop
on the floor?"

"Now, you see, Maezli," said Lippo, not without showing great satisfaction
at having so clearly proved that he had been in the right. Maezli tried
with all her might to prove to her mother that her intention had solely
been to save her the work necessary to get the things together.

But the mother now explained decidedly to the little girl that she never
needed to undertake such actions in the future as she could not possibly
judge which clothes she still needed and which could be given away.
Maezli was also told that such help on her part only resulted in double
work for