ming, knapsack upon his shoulder and leading his dog
by a new green cord tied to the collar.

"Oh, Fritz!" they exclaimed in a breath, "surely you are not going to
take Pixy on the journey to Frankfort?"

"Surely I am! He wants to go, and I am going to take him."

"Does your father and mother know it?"

"No, certainly not, or Pixy would be at home this minute."

"But you had no right to take him without telling them," said the
thoughtful Paul.

"Pixy is mine and I have a right to take him, but I wish them to know
that I have him, so I have written a postal telling them, and will drop
it in the village letter box. That will make it all right."

"But your Aunt Fanny. Will she like to have him?" asked Franz,
doubtfully.

"Oh, she loves Pixy, and will be glad to see him. When she comes to
visit us in the summers, she always takes Pixy with her when she walks
to the village or calls to see the neighbors. Yes, indeed; she will be
very, very glad to have him there."

"He will have to eat on his way to Frankfort," remarked Paul.

"Yes, but mother put up a great deal more than I can eat in this one
day, and I will share with Pixy."

"And I," and "I, too," said the others, for in their hearts they were
glad to have his company; "but are you going to lead him all the way
with that rope?"

"No, indeed; he doesn't need it, and I will take it off, and put it in
my knapsack as soon as we are past the village. I only brought it to put
on him when we are in the streets of Frankfort to keep him from getting
frightened and running away."

The rope was taken off and put in the knapsack, and then Fritz made
another proposition.

"Let us take off our shoes and stick our stockings in them, swing them
from our knapsacks, and go barefoot."

"All right!" agreed the others, and soon they were rejoicing in the
luxury of bare feet, but not long, for Paul struck his toe against a
stone, then getting a briar in his foot, sank down upon a green bank and
took it in his hand.

"I see the briar," exclaimed Fritz, "and can take it out."

"Oh, no, it will hurt," objected Paul, with tears in his eyes, but his
tears changed to smiles when he saw the briar in the hand of Fritz.

This was a warning and they put on their stockings and shoes, and then
concluded to eat some more breakfast.

"What have you to eat?" asked Fritz, as Franz took his package from his
knapsack.

"I have brown bread; mother made it for me because I love it, and