spread and invented about my boys. But I wonder still more that some
people should believe such things."

Mrs. Maxa was very much astonished that her visitor should have already
heard what had taken place the night before, as she knew that her sons
would not speak of it of their own free will.

"As long as you know about it already, I shall tell you what happened,"
she said. "You have apparently been misinformed. It had nothing to do
whatever with a meanness on Loneli's part. Mäzli, please join the other
children and stay there till I come," the mother interrupted herself,
turning to the little girl, whose eyes had been expectantly glued on the
visitor's face in the hope of hearing if the two boys were still locked
up.

Mäzli walked away slowly, still hoping that she would hear the news
before she reached the door. But Mäzli was doomed to be disappointed, as
no word was spoken. Then Mrs. Maxa related the incident of the evening
before as it occurred.

"That is nothing at all," said the district attorney's wife in answer.
"Those are only childish jokes. All children hold out their feet
sometimes to trip each other. Such things should not be reckoned as
faults big enough to scold children for."

"I do not agree with you," said Mrs. Maxa. "Such kinds of jokes are
very much akin to roughness, and from small cruelties larger ones soon
result. Loneli has really suffered harm from this action, and I think
that joking ceases under such circumstances."