r on
the wall, or knocked it against the door-frame when he turned around
quickly. The squirrels and Guinea-pigs were whining around him, as if
they wanted to accompany him, and he actually gave them an invitation
to do so, as he stood upon the threshold, for they were nice little
creatures; but they rushed quickly back into the house on their
nutshells, and he could hear them squeaking from a distance.

It was a remote quarter of the city into which the old woman had led
him, and he had difficulty in finding his way out of the narrow alleys;
besides, he was in the midst of a crowd who seemed to have discovered a
dwarf in the vicinity, for all around him he heard shouts of: "Hey!
look at the ugly dwarf! Where does the dwarf come from? Why, what a
long nose he has! and look at the way his head sticks into his
shoulders, and his ugly brown hands!" At any other time, Jacob would
willingly have joined them, as it was one of the delights of his life
to see giants or dwarfs, or any rare and strange sights; but now he
felt obliged to hurry back to his mother.

He was rather uneasy in his mind when he arrived at the market. His
mother still sat there, and had quite a quantity of fruit in the
basket; so that he could not have slept very long after all. But still
he noticed, before reaching her, that she was very sad, as she did not
call on the passers to buy, but supported her head in her hand; and
when he came nearer he thought her much paler than usual. He hesitated
as to what he should do, but finally mustered up courage to slip up
behind her, laid his hand confidingly on her arm and said: "Mother,
what is the matter? Are you angry with me?"

His mother turned around, but on perceiving him sprang back with a cry
of horror.

"What do you want with me, ugly dwarf?" cried she. "Be off with you! I
will not stand such tricks!"

"But, mother, what is the matter with you?" asked Jacob, in a
frightened way. "You are certainly not well; why do you chase your son
away from you?"

"I have already told you to go your way," replied Hannah, angrily. "You
will get no money from me by your jugglery, you hateful monster!"

"Surely, God has taken away her understanding!"
said the child, sorrowfully, to himself. "What means shall I take to
get her home? Dear mother, only be reasonable now; just look at me once
closely; I am really your son, your Jacob."

"This joke is being carried too far," cried Hannah to her neighbor.
"Only look a