“I am glad that they have come back with whole shins,” said Professor Roth as he embraced his son tenderly, and shook hands with Fritz and Franz.

“But we might not, if Pixy had not been there to defend us,” said Fritz.  “He saved us from an attack by street boys, and he earned five hundred marks, and found an English cousin of father’s and Aunt Steiner’s,” and then followed the whole story.

The Trojans had come back with the sprays of laurel, but were so interested in the narrative that they paused to listen, and the Director made a sign to them to throw the branches away, and they knew better than to disobey orders.

“I am going on home now,” said Franz.  As Paul’s father intended halting at the school building, Paul and Fritz walked on with Franz to the forest-house.

“Oh, boys!” cried Fritz when they neared the garden belonging to the forest-house, “there are our spears sticking in the corn-rows, and on them are kitchen aprons and other old rags, and there are our helmets on the top of the poles.  Who did it?”

“Katharine, our old cook, is the one who did it,” laughed the forest-keeper.  “She was so angry at the birds for picking out her sweet corn that she made scare-crows to frighten them away, and she found nothing which served her purpose so well as did your spears and helmets.”

“Made scare-crows of our weapons!” said Fritz.  “It is certainly a shame!”

“No,” said Paul, “it makes no difference.  We found that they would be of no use to us on our travels or at Frankfort.”

Franz embraced his father, then ran in the house, where he was joyously welcomed, as were Paul and Fritz when they hurried on to their homes.

Two days after, Mr. Heil returned and brought with him the satchel and also the bird cage in which was a fine singer, for he had visited the bird store and paid the difference between its cost and that of the mute one which Fritz had bought.  The grater and tin trumpet were also appreciated by the recipients and the next morning Fritz was awakened from a sound sleep by a blast from the trumpet in the hands of his little brother.

The three went cheerfully to school that day, and their visit to Frankfort long remained a well-spring of pleasure.

***End of the project gutenberg EBOOK Pixy’s holiday journey***

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