ain what happened. Please be happy and
everything will come out all right."

"Do you think so?" Loneli asked, pleasantly surprised. Her eyes were
clear again, for she always believed whatever Kurt said to her. Now he
rushed over to the noisy crowd of children, who seemed to have been
waiting for him. Kurt was always glad to have such numerous friends, for
he usually needed a large following for the execution of his schemes.
To-day he had two large undertakings in his head, and he needed to
persuade his comrades to join him. He was explaining with such violent
gestures and eager words that they entirely neglected the first strokes
of the tower bell. At the last and eighth stroke the little crowd
dispersed as suddenly as a flock of frightened birds. Then they rushed
into the school house. Kurt was home to-day ahead of everybody, too. He
approached his mother with a large sheet of paper.

"Look, mother, Mr. Trius got a song. Yesterday evening he threatened
two more of my friends with the stick, but they were luckily able to save
themselves. It seems as if he had at least four eyes and ears which can
see and hear whatever is going on. I finished the song. Can I read it
to you?"

"I wish you had no friends that Mr. Trius has occasion to frighten with
a stick," said the mother. "I hope that it won't ever happen to you."

"Oh, he often threatens innocent people," Kurt replied. "Listen to a
true description of him."

A SONG ABOUT MR. TRIUS, THE BOY BEATER.

Old Trius lives in our town,
A haughty man is he,
And every one that he can catch
He beats right heartily.

Old Trius wears a yellow coat,
It's very long and thick,
But all the children run away
At sight of his big stick.

Old Trius of the pointed hat
He wanders all around,
And if he beats nobody, why
There's no one to be found.

Old Trius thinks: To spank a boy
Is really very kind,
And all he cannot hit in front
At least he hits behind.

Old Trius makes a pretty face
With every blow he gives.
He'll beat us all for many years,
I'm thinking, if he lives.

The mother could not help smiling a little bit during the perusal, but
now she said seriously: "This song must under no condition fall into Mr.
Trius' hands. He might not look at it as a joke, and you must not offend
him. I advise you, Kurt, not to challenge Mr. Trius in any way, for he
might reply to you in some unexpected fashion. He has h