“Their parents will be rejoiced to see them,” she said to herself as she watched them out of sight, “for no doubt they have felt somewhat anxious about them, for they are young to be allowed to take a journey.  How helpless are our children!  A young chicken will search for food while part of its shell is clinging to it, and the young of animals are upon their feet and helping themselves in a few weeks; but not so our children.  They must be under the tender care of father and mother until past childhood, and it is best so, for it binds parents and children in the ties of family life and love.  May the dear boys reach home safely and find all well.”

The triplets had in the meantime nearly reached the main road to which they had been carefully directed by Mrs. Hartman, her husband having gone to his duties in the forest hours before.  They were singing one of their school songs, when it occurred to Paul that something had been omitted.

“Oh, boys,” he said, “we have forgotten to thank the lady for her goodness to us.  She dried and brushed our clothes and gave us a good breakfast, and tried to restore our hats to good shape after they had been soaked with rain, and we came away and never thanked her!”

This was indeed an oversight which boys so well-bred felt must be rectified, and they turned their faces again toward the cottage.  But they had not gone far when the forest-keeper, who had heard them singing, joined them; and they told him their trouble.

“Oh, I will make that all right!” he said.  “You need not go back.  I will tell her all that you wished to say.”

“Tell her that we are very much obliged to her for her kindness to us,” said Fritz, “and tell her our breakfast was first-class and we enjoyed it.”

“And tell her,” said Paul, “that she made our clothes dry and clean and it is not her fault that our hats could not be straightened to look like they did before it rained.”

“Nor,” added Franz, “was it her fault that they are stained by the color coming out of the bands and running into the straw.  Please tell her we are obliged, just the same.”

“I will tell her all,” replied Hartman, making a laudable effort to keep from smiling, “and now good-bye, and a safe journey home.”

The boys touched their hats, and turned their faces again toward the road, when Paul halted and looked back.  “There now!” he said, “we forgot to thank the forest-keeper for his goodness to us, and we would have had to sleep in our wet clothes and had no good beds or breakfast, had it not been for him.  Let us run back and thank him.”

It seemed that Mr. Hartman had a presentiment that the triplets would have something more to say, for he had halted and was looking after them.

“We forgot to thank you for your goodness to us,” they exclaimed when within speaking distance; “and we ran back to tell you.”

“That is all right,” he answered heartily.  “We were glad to entertain you, and hope that you will come to see us again.”