aming loudly. In exultation the young man snatched
the gun from his shoulder, crying: "Here's my chance to get rid of the
shot forthwith!" and took aim. Both barrels went off with a roar, and
the birds flew away uninjured. The hunter gazed after them in
astonishment and said:

"This time I thought I couldn't have helped hitting something. Well,
from now on I shall certainly restrain myself." With that he continued
his way through the oak grove to the house.

When he entered the door he saw, sitting at dinner in a high and
spacious hall which took up the entire centre of the house, the Justice,
his daughter, his farm-hands and maids, and in a resonant, euphonious
voice he gave them a friendly greeting. The Justice scrutinized him with
care, the daughter with astonishment; as for the men and maids, they
did not look at him at all, but went on eating without paying any
attention to him. The Hunter approached the master of the estate and
inquired about the distance to the nearest city and the way to get
there. At first the Justice did not understand his strange-sounding
language, but the daughter, without once turning her eyes from the
handsome Hunter, helped her father to get the meaning, whereupon he gave
the correct information. Only after three repetitions was the Hunter, on
his part, able to understand the reply; but he finally succeeded in
making out that the city was not to be reached in less than two long
hours, and then only by a path which was difficult to find.

The midday heat, combined with the sight of the tidy meal before him and
his own hunger, prompted the Hunter to ask the question whether for love
or money he could have something to eat and drink and shelter till the
cool of evening.

"For money, no!" replied the Justice, "but for love the gentleman may
have dinner and supper and a place to rest as long as he wants it." He
had a tin plate, as clear and bright as a mirror, a knife, a fork and a
spoon, just as bright as the plate, laid upon the table, and pressed his
guest to sit down. The latter fell upon the well-cooked ham, the big
beans, the eggs and sausages, which constituted the meal, with all the
appetite of youth, and discovered that the food of the country, which
was everywhere decried as Boeotian, was, on the contrary, not at all
bad.

Very little talking was done by the hosts, for peasants do not like to
speak while they are eating. Howsoever, the Hunter, on inquiry, managed
to find out fr