the wall and plucking a large nosegay, or a handful of sweet herbs, or
filling his pockets with plums and cherries if it was the fruit season.

"'Real friends should have everything in common,' the Miller used to
say, and little Hans nodded and smiled, and felt very proud of having a
friend with such noble ideas.

"Sometimes, indeed, the neighbours thought it strange that the rich
Miller never gave little Hans anything in return, though he had a
hundred sacks of flour stored away in his mill, and six milch cows, and
a large flock of woolly sheep; but Hans never troubled his head about
these things, and nothing gave him greater pleasure than to listen to
all the wonderful things the Miller used to say about the unselfishness
of true friendship.

"So little Hans worked away in his garden. During the spring, the
summer, and the autumn he was very happy, but when the winter came, and
he had no fruit or flowers to bring to the market, he suffered a good
deal from cold and hunger, and often had to go to bed without any supper
but a few dried pears or some hard nuts. In the winter, also, he was
extremely lonely, as the Miller never came to see him then.

"'There is no good in my going to see little Hans as long as the snow
lasts,' the Miller used to say to his wife, 'for when people are in
trouble they should be left alone and not be bothered by visitors. That
at least is my idea about friendship, and I am sure I am right. So I
shall wait till the spring comes, and then I shall pay him a visit, and
he will be able to give me a large basket of primroses, and that will
make him so happy.'

"'You are certainly very thoughtful about others,' answered the Wife,
as she sat in her comfortable armchair by the big pinewood fire;
'very thoughtful indeed. It is quite a treat to hear you talk about
friendship. I am sure the clergyman himself could not say such beautiful
things as you do, though he does live in a three-storied house, and wear
a gold ring on his little finger.'

"'But could we not ask little Hans up here?' said the Miller's youngest
son. 'If poor Hans is in trouble I will give him half my porridge, and
show him my white rabbits.'

"'What a silly boy you are!' cried the Miller; 'I really don't know what
is the use of sending you to school. You seem not to learn anything.
Why, if little Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire, and our good
supper, and our great cask of red wine, he might get envious, and envy
is a mo