he garden at home.

"If you put on your old suit and your thick boots, I think you may go.
Keep with the other boys and promise me not to get lost!"

"Oh, I say, won't it be fine fun! I'll run off and tell the other
fellows. Hurrah!" and Helmut ran off into the street. Soon four heads
were to be seen close together making plans for the next day.

"We'll start quite early at six o'clock," they said, "and take our
second breakfast with us." (In Germany eleven o'clock lunch is called
_second_ breakfast.) However it was seven o'clock a.m. before the boys
had had their first breakfast, and met outside the house.

How mother and father laughed to see the little fellows, all dressed in
the most warlike costumes like miniature soldiers, armed with guns and
swords.

Mother was a little anxious and hoped they would come to no harm; but
she liked her boy to be independent, and knew how happy children are if
left to play their pretence games alone. She watched the four set off at
a swinging march down the street. Soon they had recruits, for it was a
holiday, and there were plenty of boys about.

Helmut was commanding officer; the boys shouldered their guns, or
presented arms as he directed. They passed the pond and followed the
stream through the woods, until they came to the Dragon's Gorge, where
the rocks rise up suddenly high and imposing looking. Here they could
only proceed in single file. Helmut headed the band feeling as
courageous as in his dreams; his head swam with elation. Huge walls
towered above them; the rocks dropped water on their heads. As yet they
had seen or heard nothing of the dragon. Yet as they held their breath
to listen, they could hear something roaring under their feet.

"Don't you tell me that that is only water," said Helmut, "A little
brook can't make such a row as that--that's the dragon."

The other boys laughed, they were sceptical as to the dragon, and were
only pretending, whereas Helmut was in earnest.

"I'm hungry," said one boy, "supposing we find a dry place and have our
lunch!"

They came to where the path wound out again into the open air, and sat
down on some stones, which could hardly be described as dry. Here they
ate bread and sausage, oranges and bananas.

"Give me the orange peel, you fellows. Mother hates us to throw it
about; it makes the place so untidy." So saying Helmut pushed his orange
peel right into a crevice of the rock and covered it with old leaves.
But the oth