id that their behavior was shameful, there was quite a revulsion of
sentiment, and many who had gone to the cottage by the lake in order to
do honor to its inmates, now began to think of what tricks they might
play Hansei and his haughty wife. There were many ways of annoying
them, such as cutting off the cows' tails, nailing up the doors,
breaking the windows--they were quite ingenious in inventing all sorts
of mean tricks, but the presence of the justice acted as an
uncomfortable restraint. So the crowd returned to the inn and amused
themselves by inveighing against the he-nurse and his stupid wife. By
degrees, however, another change in feeling took place. There are many
who rejoice in another's misfortunes, and they chuckled over the
landlord's disappointment. The feast, and the great earnings he had
expected, had both been failures, for the better portion of the company
soon drove off, leaving him enough roast meats and cakes on hand to
last a week. Out in the kitchen, the hostess was weeping with anger and
vexation, which she would gladly have vented upon her husband. There
was lively talking on all sides, and they found it a great joke to make
sport of the innkeeper, and to advise him to add the day's loss to the
price of the house.

"I shan't sell at all," said the host. "Such people shan't enter my
house again."

When Walpurga awoke, early on Monday morning, Hansei was nowhere to be
seen. The week's work had begun. Before daylight, he had taken his
scythe and gone out to his mountain meadow, where he was now mowing the
dewy grass. He worked with such joy, such pleasure and calmness, that
it seemed as if an invisible power were guiding his hand. When the
breakfast was ready and Walpurga had searched for her husband
everywhere, and thinking that he might have gone fishing, had called
out for him back of the house and down by the lake, she went out into
the garden again and looked up into the cherry-tree. Perhaps he was up
there, although this constant plucking of cherries would be too much of
a good thing. At the same moment, she looked toward the hill, and saw
Hansei coming home, his scythe glittering in the sun. Walpurga beckoned
to him. He quickened his pace and told her how much he had already
done. "Ah!" said he, stretching his limbs while he seated himself at
the breakfast-table, "it does one good to work before breakfast, and
then come home and find wife and child and mother, with something warm
and good