o thought of being harmed or of harming anyone. The roads
of our beloved Fatherland are not infested with bandits and footpads,
and you can go with contented minds and with no fear of danger upon your
travels. Now it is time to part; good-night, boys. Go home to a good
supper and a good sleep. Come, Franz."

The next day came the selecting of things that were to go in the
knapsacks and each boy had collected enough of what they considered
really needed to fill them to overflowing.

"What is this?" asked the mother of Franz, who was about to help him
with his knapsack, as they were to take an early start the next morning.

"It is my checker-board. We can play in the evenings before we go to
bed."

"Oh, you cannot take it! see, it would take up half the room in the
knapsack. You will be so tired in the evenings that you will be ready to
drop asleep before you take off your shoes. Where are your stockings?"

"Why, they will go in the satchel, mother; I don't have to carry them."

"Yes, you must take one pair. Your feet will be dusty from your long
walk, and you must have a fresh pair for the second day. Where is your
rain-coat?"

"Rain-coat? Why, I never thought of it."

"A checker-board would not keep the rain from wetting you should there
come up a sudden shower. You must have it in, no matter what you leave
at home."

"Paul and Fritz did not say they would take their rain-coats in their
knapsacks."

"Perhaps not, but their mothers did, and mothers know best. What is in
this box?"

"My writing paper; you gave it to me at Christmas."

"A hundred sheets! Do you expect to write a hundred letters while you
are in Frankfort? If so, you will not see much of the city. You must
take in your knapsack only what you will really need upon your journey,
and with only that you will find it heavy enough."

The mother put the knapsack in care of Franz when ready for the journey,
and he took it to his room; then hurried to the home of Fritz to see how
the packing was progressing there, and found that the good mother of the
boy had given the same wise advice in regard to the packing of the
knapsack. Then the two went to the home of Paul and found that the same
plan had ruled out the useless things that Paul had intended should
journey to Frankfort in his knapsack.

At six o'clock the next morning Franz and Paul had bidden their home
people an affectionate farewell and were on their way to meet Fritz,
when they saw him co