Churi grumbled:  “Another time you leave me alone, or—­” With this he shook his fist at Erick and then ran away, for he hoped to catch Kaetheli before she should reach her goal.  When the latter had rested a little she came running back again, for she indeed had felt Erick’s chivalrous service and she was very grateful to him.  She therefore could not see him standing so alone, but ran up to him and said cheeringly:  “Come and play with us, you must not always stand so alone, that is lonesome.”

“No,” said Erick, “I cannot play with you.  I do not want to shout so terribly.”

“You need not scream, that does not belong to the game.  Come along!” Saying this, Kaetheli took Erick’s hand firmly in hers and pulled him along.

Erick played with the rest, and now he had begun he played with all his might.  They had stopped the game of “Catch” and were playing a circle game.  The children had formed a large circle and held each other’s hands.  In the middle of the circle stood the excluded child.  This child had to strike someone’s hand at random and then there was a race around the circle to see who would first get in the open space inside.  This game was played with the greatest zeal; but suddenly Erick pulled his hands away from his neighbors’ and ran away, so that great confusion arose.

“We will not let him play any more,” cried Churi, much angered.

“Indeed we will,” maintained Kaetheli firmly, “perhaps a wasp has stung him, or perhaps they play the same game where he used to live.  When he returns he can take my hand.  Now we will go on.”

So it was done, and soon after they were playing again with great glee, and Erick was forgotten.

Not far from their playground stood a blind man with a barrel-organ playing his melodies.  When Erick had heard the first notes, he had freed himself and had run away.  Now he stood at a little distance from the organ grinder and listened with strained attention to all the melodies.  When the man left, the boy went quietly toward the cottage, and when Marianne saw him come, she said to herself:  “I had hoped that the children would make him merry again, and now it seems to me that he is sadder than he was before.”

From that time on Kaetheli looked every evening, when the games began, to see whether Erick was standing near the hedge, and when she saw him there she ran to get him.  Erick now played every day with the children and when he was in the spirit of the game, he looked quite happy.  But almost every evening the same thing occurred as on the first.  In the midst of the game Erick stopped, ran away and did not return.  Once a number of wandering journeymen had passed by; they had sung loud and joyously their wander-songs, one after the other.  Away was Erick, and one could see him far away, quietly following the singing men.  Once trumpet blasts sounded across the meadow to the playing children—­for one of Middle Lot was with the players in the army and was practising his marches—­at once Erick ran away in the direction of the sounds.  Another time a boy with a harmonica had approached the playing children; it was Erick’s turn just then to seek the hiders, but threatenings and pleadings were of no avail, he did not seek any more.  He placed himself in front of the boy and listened to him; there he remained standing and did not stir.