Maezli: A Story of the Swiss ValleysSpyri, Johanna
General
Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys
Spyri, Johanna
Switzerland -- Juvenile fiction
I don't remember the rest, but it is quite long. But he wants to make a
song about Salo now, because he is so awfully nice. He said it as soon
as Salo went away today. We all like him, and Bruno said that if he made
a stupid song he would tear it up."
"Is everybody here called Salo and Bruno?" the gentleman burst out
angrily.
"No, nobody except Bruno, you know; he is my big brother," Mäzli
explained. "Salo only came yesterday and went away again to-day. But he
did not want to go and we wanted to keep him. But he was not allowed to.
If his sister is well again, she has to go away, too. But we don't know
her yet. Her name is Leonore."
"Who sent you here?" the gentleman ejaculated harshly. But Mäzli only
looked at him in astonishment.
"Nobody has sent me. Nobody knows where I am, not even Apollonie," Mäzli
began to explain. "I only ran away because Apollonie had to tell Mr.
Trius so many things and I wanted to see the mignonette. I am visiting
Apollonie because mama has to nurse Leonore, who is ill and can't come
down. Because I don't obey Kathy very well and she has to cook, I spend
the days with Apollonie. Oh, here he comes!" Mäzli interrupted herself
suddenly, for she was frightened. Coming close to her new acquaintance,
as if to seek his protection, she whispered confidentially. "Oh, won't
you help me, please, if he tries to hurt me?"
Mr. Trius was rushing towards them, holding out his stick in front like
an emblem of his profession. The gentleman only made a light gesture
with his hand, and Mr. Trius disappeared as he had come.
"Won't he hurt me if I come down to the door where he stands?" Mäzli
asked. She retreated slightly from her protector, whom she had held
tightly in her fear of the stick.
"No," he replied curtly, but his voice did not sound as severe as before,
a fact which Mäzli noticed immediately. She was very grateful to him for
chasing Mr. Trius away and she now felt desirous of doing him a service
in return.
"Do you always have to sit alone here all the time? Does no one come to
see you?" she asked, full of sympathy.
"No."
"Oh, then I must come to you another time and I'll keep you company,"
Mäzli said consolingly. "Does the bad baron never come down to you
here?" she asked anxiously.
"Where is he?" came a second question.
"Don't you know that?" Mäzli said in great surprise. "He is up there
where the windows are open." With this Mäzli looked up, and walking close
to the chair, whispered cautiously, "A sick baron lies up there.
Apollonie says that he is not bad, but I know that one has to be afraid
of him. Are you afraid of him?"
"No."
"Then I won't be afraid of him either," Mäzli remarked, quite reassured.
The gentleman who had chased away Mr. Trius so easily and was not afraid
of the bad baron gave her all the confidence in the world. Under his
protection she could face every danger.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account