"What are you inventing, Mäzli?" said the mother. "You probably don't
know yourself what it means."

"Oh, yes, I know," Mäzli assured her. "I asked her if the boys were
still locked up because Kurt said that."

Kurt laughed out loud: "Oh, you naughty child to talk so wild! Because I
say that those two ought to be locked up, Mäzli runs over and immediately
asks their mother that question."

Mrs. Maxa now understood clearly where her visitor had heard about her
boy's behaviour of yesterday.

"Mäzli," she said admonishingly, "have you forgotten that you are not to
ask questions of grown-up people who come to see me?"

"But why shouldn't I ask what the locked-up children are doing?" Mäzli
declared, feigning great pity in her voice.

"Now the foxy little thing wants to incline mother to be comforted by
pretending to pity them," Kurt declared.

Suddenly a terrific shout of joy sounded from all voices at once as they
all called: "Uncle Phipp! Uncle Phipp!" In a moment they had disappeared
through the door.

Kurt jumped out through the window, which was not dangerous for him and
was the shortest way to the street. The mother also ran outside to greet
Uncle Phipp who was her only brother. He lived on his estate in Sils