him go faster, all of which pleased the count
so much that he called out several times: "You will make a brave lad!"

But when they came to the foot of the mountain, and the count's horse
began to trot, the boy lost his courage, and begged, at first very
quietly, that his father would ride slower; but as the count spurred on
his horse, and the strong wind nearly took poor Cuno's breath away, the
boy began to cry, became more and more impatient, and finally howled at
the top of his lungs.

"Know already! stupid stuff!" began his father. "The young one howls on
his first ride; be still, or----"

But in the moment he was about to stop the boy's cries by a curse, his
horse reared, and the bridle of his son's horse slipped from his hand.
He gave his attention to quieting his horse, and when he had mastered
it and looked around for his child, he saw the other horse running up
the mountain without its little rider.

Stern and unfeeling as was the Count of Zollern, this sight struck him
to the heart. He believed his son had been dashed to the ground and
killed. He pulled his beard and groaned; but nowhere could he find a
trace of the boy. He had just began to think that the frightened horse
had thrown him into the ditch that ran along the road, full of water,
when he heard a child's voice call his name, and as he quickly turned,
there sat an old woman under a tree, not far from the road, rocking the
child on her knees.

"How do you come by that boy, old witch?" shouted the count angrily.
"Bring him to me at once."

"Not so fast, not so fast, your Honor!" laughed the ugly old woman, "or
you too might meet with an accident on your proud horse. How did I come
by the boy, did you ask? Well, his horse ran by and he was hanging down
by one little foot, with his hair touching the ground, when I caught
him in my apron."

"Know already!" cried the Count of Zollern, ill-humoredly. "Bring him
here now; I can not very well dismount, my horse is wild and might kick
him."

"Give me a hirsch-gulden, then," pleaded the woman humbly.

"Stupid stuff!" cried the count, and flung some copper coins to her
under the tree.

"Oh, no! Come, I could make good use of a hirsch-gulden," continued the
old woman.

"What, a hirsch-gulden! You are not worth that much yourself!" said the
count angrily. "Quick with that child, or I will set the dogs on you!"

"So, I am not worth a hirsch-gulden, eh?" replied the old woman with a
mocking laugh. "W