when she heard his footsteps in the court-yard, she could no longer
restrain her impatience, but hastened to the window and exclaimed:

"Where were your silly thoughts wandering, when you left the house
without calling Gottlieb. I must say that you conduct yourself friendly
towards _my_ relations, and I do think it is equally astonishing that
you have come home without him. I sent him to look for you a long time
ago. What! can I believe my eyes! Where is the game that I was to have
for dinner?"

"Dear Ulrique Eugenie, can you not wait until I have changed my clothes?
I have travelled so far through the woods, that I can scarcely breathe,
I am so weary."

"Where is the game?"

"Whew!" ejaculated her husband, "I can stand these clothes no longer."
Thus saying, he hastened into the house, and proceeded to his apartment.

But this respite was of short duration. Mistress Ulrica Eugenie was
familiar with the road to the chamber, and her rage reached its highest
point, when she heard that the game which was intended for her dinner,
had been stolen while her husband, overcome by his arduous exertions,
had fallen asleep.

"O, if I only knew who did this, yes, if I only knew, I would have the
rascal put in the stocks. But you, you dormouse, yes you, you call
yourself a man! you! Don't you wish to borrow my petticoat! To sleep
when engaged in the noble art of hunting! To complain of fatigue! Fie
upon such men! But can you not discover the thief?"

"No, my dear, I assure you. I cannot, how could I know what happened
while I was sleeping?"

"That is the reason why you never knew anything in your life," replied
the exasperated woman. "But see there comes Gottlieb with a partridge in
his hand. He is a pattern. _He_ never allows _his_ game to be stolen,"
and Mistress Ulrica composed her features, and assumed an expression of
motherly benevolence, while she descended the stairs to receive her
nephew.

"Thank you, good Gottlieb," said she meeting him at the door, "thank
you, your uncle has been unfortunate this morning; but come with me to
the dairy, and you shall have the cream of an entire pan of milk."

"The milk also, if you please, aunty, I feel myself able to devour every
thing, pan and all."

"Well, satisfy yourself. By and by we will go to my bleachery and you
may select a piece of linen.--Do you understand?"

"Not a word. It is all a mystery. But I do know that there is not a
nephew on the entire Scandinavian peni