the children
could not practise, and for awhile were obliged to run wild, and it
would have been hard to imagine that the bright little German girl and
the pretty boy, busy making houses and grottos and arbours out of
stones and earth and leaves, at the rear of their lodgings, were the
infant prodigies of the concert stage. But even then, while he could
not use the harpsichord, little Wolfgang was composing, and when tired
of out-of-door sports would sit down, with his sister beside him and
work on a symphony for the orchestra, and it was thus that his earliest
symphonies were composed, which were all marked by real artistic form
and feeling. The chief advantage of these compositions, however, was
that Wolfgang kept in practise, and was able to announce that at his
next concerts all the instrumental numbers would be his own compositions,
which, of course, made a great impression on his audiences.

Again they were invited to Court, but this time Leopold Mozart felt
obliged to have six sonatas of Wolfgang's for harpsichord and violin,
printed and dedicated to the Queen, so the visit was not the financial
benefit to the Mozarts that the first one had been, and from that time
the concert tour brought in less great returns than those of the
previous months, for both Nannerl and Wolfgang were seriously sick. But
they recovered and journeyed on to Holland, where Wolfgang was called
to play before the Prince of Orange, and commanded to write six sonatas
for the princess, also to write a variation for the harpsichord on the
melody which is sung, played and whistled by everybody in Holland and
is the real Dutch national hymn.

The little composer was also called upon for various other pieces of
musical work and in no way disappointed his critics or his audiences.
Again the trio journeyed on, stopping wherever the father felt that his
son's fame might be increased by a concert.

To Paris they went again, then through France to Switzerland, and
finally journeyed homeward, reaching Salzburg in November of 1766, and
it was a matter of great interest to their friends to find the children
who had left home three years ago, still happy, hearty boy and girl,
despite all their new worldly experience.

Old and young came to bid them welcome, to hear the story of their
adventures, and to see the numerous and costly presents, about which
they had heard so much. They found pretty Nannerl prettier than ever,
and Wolfgang, notwithstanding