It was a long, hard Winter. The snow lay so deep and immovable on the meadows and trees, that Sami often asked with anxiety in his heart, if it would ever entirely disappear, so that the meadows would be green again, and the flowers become alive. It was already April, and the cold white covering of snow still lay all around. Then a warm wind from the South blew all one night into the valley, and when on the next day a very warm rain fell, the obstinate snow melted into great brooks. Then came the sun and dried up all the brooks, and everywhere the new young grass sprang up over the meadows. The four boys came across the big street of the village and turned into the meadow. They were pulling along the cart, on which lay the cooking utensils which the farmer’s wife had just purchased at the annual fair in the village. The boys had followed their mother’s command to go slowly and carefully, so that nothing would be broken, for they knew very well that their mother set great store by these things, and it was worth while to follow her instructions. Now that they had come safely over the rough street and had turned into the meadow road, two pulling, two pushing, they wanted to rest a little while. They stopped under the first large pear-tree, stretched themselves out on the ground and looked up into the blue sky. In the pear-tree above, the birds were singing merrily together, and suddenly one piped up in the midst of the others, always the same note, exactly as if he had a special call to give. “There he is,” cried Sami, springing up from the ground with delight. Then he listened again, and again sounded the staccato call, clear and sharp above the singing of all the other birds. “Do you hear it? Do you hear it?” cried Sami in his delight. “Now he is calling again: ‘Trust! Trust! Trust! Trust!’ And then they all sing together: ‘Only trust the dear Lord!’” “You are just talking nonsense!” exclaimed Stöffi to the happy Sami. “The bird is more knowing than you are. That is the rain bird; I know him well. He notices the rain-wind and is calling: ‘Shower! Shower! Shower!’ Then we know it is going to rain.” But Sami would not give up what was so dear to him and kept saying to himself: “But he is singing: ‘Trust! Trust! Trust! Trust!’” “Keep quiet!” continued Stöffi sharply to him. “You are nothing but a little tramp, who can’t do anything and doesn’t know anything and twists everything he hears.” Then the blood rose to Sami’s cheeks and the tears came into his eyes and, more courageously than usual towards Stöffi, he cried: “I don’t do that, but you have done it many times!” Then Stöffi sprang up and seized hold of Sami to throw him down; but in his anger Sami turned quite differently from usual, so that Stöffi had to call the others to help him.