The clock struck six. She set the pan of milk in the oven, and went into the next room to wake and dress the three children. Anton and Hans lay together in attitudes of mutual amity which certainly never existed out of their sleeping hours. Lena was curled up, her knees under her chin, only a straight, standing-up pigtail of hair showing above the bolster. “Get up,” cried the Child, speaking in a voice of immense authority, pulling off the bedclothes and giving the boys sundry pokes and digs. “I’ve been calling you this last half-hour. It’s late, and I’ll tell on you if you don’t get dressed this minute.” Anton awoke sufficiently to turn over and kick Hans on a tender part, whereupon Hans pulled Lena’s pigtail until she shrieked for her mother. “Oh, do be quiet,” whispered the Child. “Oh, do get up and dress. You know what will happen. There—I’ll help you.” But the warning came too late. The Frau got out of bed, walked in a determined fashion into the kitchen, returning with a bundle of twigs in her hand fastened together with a strong cord. One by one she laid the children across her knee and severely beat them, expending a final burst of energy on the Child-Who-Was-Tired, then returned to bed, with a comfortable sense of her maternal duties in good working order for the day. Very subdued, the three allowed themselves to be dressed and washed by the Child, who even laced the boys’ boots, having found through experience that if left to themselves they hopped about for at least five minutes to find a comfortable ledge for their foot, and then spat on their hands and broke the bootlaces. While she gave them their breakfast they became uproarious, and the baby would not cease crying. When she filled the tin kettle with milk, tied on the rubber teat, and, first moistening it herself, tried with little coaxing words to make him drink, he threw the bottle on to the floor and trembled all over. “Eye teeth!” shouted Hans, hitting Anton over the head with his empty cup; “he’s getting the evil-eye teeth, I should say.” “Smarty!” retorted Lena, poking out her tongue at him, and then, when he promptly did the same, crying at the top of her voice, “Mother, Hans is making faces at me!” “That’s right,” said Hans; “go on howling, and when you’re in bed to-night I’ll wait till you’re asleep, and then I’ll creep over and take a little tiny piece of your arm and twist and twist it until—” He leant over the table making the most horrible faces at Lena, not noticing that Anton was standing behind his chair until the little boy bent over and spat on his brother’s shaven head. “Oh, weh! oh, weh!” The Child-Who-Was-Tired pushed and pulled them apart, muffled them into their coats, and drove them out of the house. “Hurry, hurry! the second bell’s rung,” she urged, knowing perfectly well she was telling a story, and rather exulting in the fact. She washed up the breakfast things, then went down to the cellar to look out the potatoes and beetroot.