When it became very still, Kurt turned around.

“Come along!  Where are you all?” he called back.

“We are coming,” several voices answered from some children immediately behind him.  It was Max, Hans and Simi, and then Stoffi and Rudi behind them, but they were all.  Kurt halted.

“Where is the whole troup?” asked Kurt.  “Let us wait till they catch up.  We must all stay together up there.”

But none followed.  All the answer Kurt got to his question was the screaching of an owl.

“Oh, they’ve gone, they were afraid,” said Max.  “They were there, though, when we came into the woods.”

“The cowards!” Clevi cried indignantly,

“To be afraid of trees!  That certainly is funny.”

“Well, we aren’t afraid anyway; otherwise we shouldn’t be here any more.  Call to those who are gone,” Max called back.

“Come on now, come!” Kurt commanded.  “There are eight of us left to sing, so we must all sing very loud.”

On they went speedily till they could see the end of the woods.  One of the gray towers was peering between the trees.  They had at last reached their goal.

“Here we stop!” said Kurt, “but we must not go outside the woods.  The Wildenstein ghost might otherwise step up to us, if he walks around the terrace.  Here we go!”

Kurt began and all the others vigorously joined him: 

   Come out, you ghost of Wildenstein! 
     For we are not afraid,
   We’ve come here in the bright moonshine
     To sing the song we’ve made
   Come out, come out, and leave your den;
     You’ll never scare the folks again.

Everything was quiet roundabout, only the night wind was soughing in the old pine-trees.  Between them there was a clear view of the terrace, which the moon was now flooding with light; the space before the castle lay peaceful and deserted.

“We must sing again,” said Kurt.  “He didn’t hear us.  If he doesn’t give us an answer this time we’ll tell him what we know.  Then we’ll sing fearfully loud: 

   Hurrah!  We have a certain sign,
   There is no ghost in Wildenstein.

   “Then we’ll start again.”

Clevi, who was gifted with a far-carrying voice, began: 

   “Come out, you ghost of Wildenstein!”

And the boys with voices of thunder chimed in: 

   “For we are not afraid.”

“Just look!  Who is coming there?  Who can it be?” said Kurt, staring at the terrace.

An incredibly tall figure, which could not possibly be human, was wandering across the terrace with slow steps.  It could not be a tree either, for it slowly moved over towards the woods.  Did he really see straight, or was it the moonlight which was throwing a flitting shadow.

That moment Max, who was very big, turned about and fled.  The four others followed headlong, leaving only Lux and Clevi beside Kurt.