ay with him at his own home, and his aunt did not
encourage him to play with other children. She liked a quiet house,
she said, and she supposed that everybody else did.

Hans made no more noise than a mouse. He stayed a great deal in the
stable with the cows. The cows and he were good friends. One of them,
the oldest of all, had given milk for him when he was a baby, and he
never forgot to carry her a handful of salt at milking-time.

He often thought that he would rather have bought a cow with the
gold-piece than a silver chain; but he did not tell anybody, for fear
of being laughed at.

Once he asked his aunt to let him play with the silver chain; but she
held up her hands in amazement at the thought of such a thing. So the
chain lay in the dark chest, as I have said, for a long time--nearly a
year.

Then there was a great festival in the town, and the aunt took the
chain from its wrappings and fastened it about Hans's neck with a
ribbon.

She and Hans had on their best clothes, and all the village was
prepared for a holiday.

Flags were flying, fiddlers were playing gay tunes on their fiddles,
and the drummer boy kept time on his drum and made a great noise.

In the middle of the village square was a merry-go-round, which Hans
and the other children liked best of all.

"If you are good, you shall ride," said Hans's aunt, as she hurried
him on to the place where the strong men of the village were lifting
great stones to show their strength. Then the swift runners ran races,
and the skilful marksmen shot at targets.

_The Saint Bernard Dog_

Oh! Hans was tired before he saw half the sights; and he wished that
his aunt would remember about the merry-go-round. He did not like to
worry her, though, so he sat down on a doorstep to rest, while she
talked to her friends in the crowd.

By-and-by a man with a covered basket came and sat down beside him. He
put the basket down on the step, and Hans heard a queer little
grumbling sound inside. "Oh yes," said the man, "you want to get out."

"Row, row!" said the thing in the basket.

When the man saw how surprised Hans looked, he lifted the lid of the
basket and let him peep in. What do you think was in the basket? The
dearest baby puppy that Hans had ever seen.

"There," said the man, shutting down the lid, "there is the finest
Saint Bernard dog in Switzerland. Do you know anybody who might want
to buy him?"

"Are you going to sell him?" asked Hans.

"Ye