, and then threw in his own line. Then it was
as if the fish seemed to recognize in him the owner of the pond. Whole
schools of carp and pike drew near and swarmed about his line. The
oldest and largest crowded the small fry aside; every moment he landed
a fish, and each time he cast his line twenty or thirty darted at the
hook with open mouths. Before two hours had passed, the ground around
him was covered with fish; then he laid down his line and went over to
where his brothers sat, to see how they were getting along. Schalk had
one poor little carp and two paltry shiners; while Wolf had caught
three barbels and two little gudgeons, and both looked sadly down into
the water, for they had seen from their place the vast number that Cuno
had caught.

When Cuno approached his brother Wolf, the latter sprang up in a rage,
tore off his line, broke his rod into small pieces and flung them into
the pond. "I wish I had a thousand hooks to throw in there, instead of
one, and that a fish, was wriggling on every one of them," cried he;
"but this could never have occurred in a natural way, it is sorcery and
witchcraft, or how should you, stupid Cuno, catch more fish in one hour
than I could take in a year?"

"Yes, that's so," echoed Schalk. "I remember now that he learned how to
fish from that vile witch, Frau Feldheimerin; and we were fools to fish
with him; he will be a wizard himself one of these days."

"You wicked fellows!" returned Cuno, sadly. "I have had time enough
this morning to get an insight into your avarice, your shamelessness,
and your insolence. Go now, and never return here; and believe it would
be better for your souls if you were half as pious and good as she whom
you have called a witch."

"No, she is not a genuine witch," sneered Schalk. "Such wives can
prophesy; but Frau Feldheimerin is about as much of a prophetess as a
goose is a swan. Didn't she tell our father that one would be able to
buy a good part of his heritage for a hirsch-gulden? And yet at his
death everything within sight of the towers of Zollern belonged to him.
Frau Feldheimerin is nothing more than a silly old hag, and you the
stupid Cuno."

Thus saying, Schalk ran off as fast as he could, for he feared the
strong arm of his brother Cuno; and Wolf followed him, shouting back
all the cursed he had learned from his father.

Grieved to the soul, Cuno returned home; for he now saw plainly that
his brothers would never be reconciled to him