and will probably punish Loneli
again."

"No, indeed, she must not do that," Kurt said eagerly. "The teacher said
himself that he hated to put Loneli there, as she was a good and obedient
child, but that he had to keep his word. He had announced that he was
tired of the constant chattering going on in the school. To stop it he
had threatened to put the first child on the shame-bench that was caught.
So poor Loneli had to sit there all by herself and she cried so terribly
that we all felt sorry. But of course, mother, a person doesn't talk
alone, and Loneli should not have been obliged to stay there alone. The
teacher had just asked: 'Who is talking over there? I can hear some
whispering. Who is it?' Loneli answered 'I' in a low voice, so she had
to be punished. One of her neighbors should have said 'I,' too, of
course; it was perfectly evident that there was another one."

"Loneli might have asked somebody a question which was not answered," his
mother suggested.

"Mea will know all about it, for she followed Loneli after school. Now
more still, mother," Kurt continued. "Two boys from my class were beaten
this morning by Mr. Trius. Early this morning they had climbed over the
castle hedge to inspect the apples on the other side of the hedge. But
Mr. Trius was already about and stood suddenly before them with his
heavy stick. In a jiffy they had a real Trius-beating, for the hedge is
high and firm and one can't get across it quickly. Now for my fourth
piece of news. Farmer Max who lives behind the castle has told everybody
that when his father came back late yesterday night from the cattle-fair
in the valley, he saw a large coach, which was right behind his own,
drive into the castle-garden. He was quite certain that it went there,
but nobody seems to know who was in it. So you are really listening at
last, mother! I noticed that you have been absentminded till now.
Farmer Max told us something else about his father that you wouldn't like
me to repeat, I know."

"You would not say so if it were not wrong; you had better not repeat it,
Kurt," said the mother.

"No, indeed, it is not bad, but very strange. I can tell you though,
because I don't believe it myself. Max told that his father said there
was something wrong about the coach and that he went far out of its way.
The coachman looked as if he only had half a head, and his coat-collar
was rolled up terribly high in order to hide what was below. He was
wildly bea