The children had an uncle, a woodcutter, who lived some fifteen miles from Haldenbrunn, at Fluorn. They had seen him only once, and that was at their parents' funeral, when he had walked behind the magistrate, who had led the children by the hand. After that time the children often dreamt about their uncle at Fluorn. They were often told that this uncle was like their father, which made them still more anxious to see him; for although they still believed at times that their father and mother would some day suddenly reappear--it could not be that they had gone away forever--still, as the years rolled on, they gradually became reconciled to giving up this hope, especially after they had over and over again put berries on the graves, and had long been able to read the two names on the same black cross. They also almost entirely forgot about the uncle in Fluorn, for during many years they had heard nothing of him. But one day the children were called into their guardian's house, and there sat a tall, heavy man with a brown face. "Come here, children," said this man, as the children entered. "Don't you know me?" He had a dry, harsh voice. The children looked at him with wondering eyes. Perhaps some remembrance of their father's voice awoke within them. The man continued: "I am your father's brother. Come here, Lisbeth, and you too, Damie." "My name's not Lisbeth--my name's Amrei," said the girl; and she began to cry. She did not offer her hand to her uncle. A feeling of estrangement made her tremble, when her own uncle thus called her by a wrong name; she very likely felt that there could be no real affection for her in anybody who did not know her name. "If you are my uncle, why don't you know my name?" asked Amrei. "You are a stupid child! Go and offer him your hand immediately!" commanded Farmer Rodel. And then he said to the stranger, half in a whisper: "She's a strange child. Black Marianne, who, you know, is a peculiar sort of person, has put all sorts of odd notions into her head." Amrei looked around in astonishment, and gave her hand to her uncle, trembling. Damie, who had done so already, now said: "Uncle, have you brought us anything?" "I haven't much to bring. I bring myself, and you're to go with me. Do you know, Amrei, that it's not at all right for you not to like your uncle. You'd better come here and sit down beside me--nearer still. You see, your brother Damie is much more sensible. He looks more like our family, but you belong to us too." A maid now came in with some man's clothing, which she laid on the table. "These are your brother's clothes," said Farmer Rodel to the stranger; and the latter went on to say to Amrei: "As you see, these are your father's clothes. We shall take them with us, and you shall go too--first to Fluorn, and then across the brook."