Then my father made his appearance; he had been busy in the
mill since daybreak, and his nightcap was all awry as he said to me--
You Good-for-nothing! There you sit sunning yourself, and stretching
yourself till your bones crack, leaving me to do all the work alone. I
can keep you here no longer. Spring is at hand. Off with you into the
world and earn your own bread!"
"Well," said I, "all right; if I am a Good-for-nothing, I will go
forth into the world and make my fortune." In fact, I was very glad to
have my father speak thus, for I myself had been thinking of starting
on my travels; the yellow-hammer, which all through the autumn and
winter had been chirping sadly at our window, "Farmer, hire me;
farmer, hire me," was, now that the lovely spring weather had set in,
once more piping cheerily from the old tree, "Farmer, nobody wants
your work." So I went into the house and took down from the wall my
fiddle, on which I could play quite skilfully; my father gave me a
few pieces of money to set me on my way; and I sauntered off along
the village street. I was filled with secret joy as I saw all my old
acquaintances and comrades right and left going to their work digging
and ploughing, just as they had done yesterday and the day before,
and so on, whilst I was roaming out into the wide world. I called
out "Good-by!" to the poor people on all sides, but no one took much
notice of me.
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