ion of it, and chased
one another away. At length two remained as conquerors of the nest.
There laughed they and kissed under the spring-blue heaven, rocked by
the south wind. Those that were chased away consoled themselves by
fluttering down upon the yard-dog's provision-trough, and plucking out
of it, whilst the proud Alfiero, sitting outside his kennel,
contemplated them in dignified repose.

The starlings struck up their quaver, and sent forth their melodious
whistling, whilst they congregated together on the edge of the roof.

The grapes shook from themselves the rain-drops in the wind, and the
little stellaria, which is so dear to the singing birds, raised again
its head to the sun, and was saluted by the jubilant song of the lark.

The geese waddled, gabbling over the grassy fields, biting the young
green herbage. In this way, a change was revealed, which had taken place
in the company. The bully, the white gander, had by accident become
lame, and had with this lost his power and his respect. The grey gander
had now an opportunity of exhibiting a beautiful character, a noble
disposition; but no! The grey gander showed nothing of that; but as the
white gander had done to him, did he now in return; stretching out his
neck against him, and keeping him at a distance with cries and blows;
and the geese-madams troubled themselves not about it, and the white
gander must now think himself well off to see his rival ruling the
assembly, whilst he himself crept behind, hapless and forsaken. Susanna,
who saw this, lost now all regard for the grey gander, without having
any higher respect for the white one. She found the one no better than
the other.

Just now Susanna returned from a visit to a peasant's cottage, where
some time ago she had helped the wife to set up a piece of weaving, and
now had been assisting her in taking it down, and her countenance beamed
with pleasure at the scene which she had witnessed there. The cow had
calved there that same morning, and the milk ran in foaming and abundant
streams, to the unspeakable joy of four small pale boys, who now were
divided in their joy over this, and their admiration of the little,
lively, black-and-white spotted calf; which admiration, however, in the
mind of the youngest, was mixed with fear. The web, also, had turned out
beyond expectation: Susanna helped the housewife to cut out the piece of
cloth in the most advantageous manner, and her cheerful words and
cordia