ou were right, Walpurga!" said he suddenly. The people stared, first
at him and then at each other, and did not know what to make of him.

He stretched his limbs, as if awaking from sleep, and said:

"Many thanks, dear neighbors. If I can ever repay you, in joy or in
sorrow, I'll surely do so. But now, I'll make no change; no, I shant
move a nail in the house till my wife comes back."

"Spoken like a man, good and true," said the Leithof bauer, and greater
praise could befall no one, than to be thus spoken of by the wealthiest
farmer in the neighborhood.

"Would you like to look at my cow?" said Hansei, beckoning to the
Leithof bauer, who now seemed the only one on a level with himself.

The Leithof bauer thanked him, but had no time to stop. Before taking
his leave, he assured Hansei that he would willingly advise him how to
put out his money safely.

His money? Where could it be? Hansei trembled with fear and pressed his
hands to his head--he had lost the roll of money! Where was it? He
plunged his hand into his pocket. The roll was still there! And now
that his hand again clutched it, he was quite affable to those who
still remained, and had a kind word for every one.

At last, the villagers had all left, and Hansei could think of nothing
better to do than to climb up into his cherry-tree--the true friend
that would never desert him, and would give as long as it had aught to
give.

He plucked and ate lots of cherries, while he looked at the telegraph
wire, and thought: It runs into the palace and I could talk to my wife
through it, if I only knew how. He bent forward until he could touch
the wire, and having done so, quickly withdrew his hand, as if
frightened.

Suddenly he heard a voice calling to him:

"Hansei! where are you?

"Here I am."

"Come along!" was the answer. It was the priest who had called to him.

Hansei hurried down from the tree and now received the greatest honor
that had yet been paid him. The priest beckoned to him, and Hansei
approached, hat in hand.

"I wish you joy!" said the priest. "Come along to the inn; the host of
the Chamois has opened a fresh tap."

Hansei looked at himself to see what had come over him. To think of the
priest's inviting him to walk with him, and to drink in his company,
too!

He received the new honor with dignity. While he walked with the
priest, the people whom they met along the road would lift their hats
and he would acknowledge their greetings