"Pay good attention, Johannes. Perhaps you too can learn something," said Windekind.
Johannes understood very well what the little crickets answered. But it was not in the least like that which the teacher of his school taught. First came geography. They knew nothing of the parts of the world. They were only obliged to learn twenty-six dunes and two ponds. No one could know anything about what lay beyond, said the teacher, and whatever might be told about it was nothing but idle fancy.
Then botany had its turn. They were all very clever at that, and there were many prizes distributed: selected grass blades of various lengths—tender and juicy. But the zoology astonished Johannes the most. There were springing, flying, and creeping creatures. The crickets could spring and fly, and therefore stood at the head. Then followed the frogs. The birds were mentioned, with every token of aversion, as most harmful and dangerous. Finally, human beings were discussed. They were great, useless, dangerous creatures that stood very low, since they could neither fly nor spring; but luckily they were very scarce. A wee little cricket who had never yet seen a human being got three hits with a wisp because he numbered human beings, by mistake, among the harmless animals.
Johannes had never heard anything like this before.
Suddenly, the teacher called out: "Silence. The springing exercise!" Instantly all the little crickets stopped studying their lessons and began to play leap-frog. They played with skill and zeal, and the fat teacher took the lead.
It was such a merry sight that Johannes clapped his hands with joy.
At the sound, the entire school rushed off in a twinkling to the dunes; and the little grass plot was as still as death.
"See what you have done, Johannes!" cried Windekind. "You must not be so rude—one can very well see that you were born among human beings."
"I am sorry. I will try my best to behave. But it was so funny!"
"It is going to be funnier still," said Windekind. They cut across the grass plot and ascended the dunes on the other side.