"I'll soon show you whether they are. But now, Bailiff, will you give me your Hanchen?"
"Damnation!" cried the Bailiff. "I thought at first it was only a joke. But now I do believe you're in earnest."
"I was joking about the farm and your laying yourself on the shelf, Bailiff," said Friedrich, "for your Fritz must of course have the farm. But I am in earnest about Hanchen, and I shall easily get a farm."
"You boaster!" said the Bailiff; "there now, that's one of your sayings, which, as I said, will 'tice no dog away from a stove."
"I will show you if they can or not," said Friedrich.
"You braggart!" said the Bailiff, getting up; "I shall go home, and you can go and catch your Frenchman by yourself."
"I have got him," said Friedrich.
"You sack of lies!" again cried the Bailiff.
"Bailiff," said Friedrich; "if the Frenchman stands before you in three minutes, and so my sayings entice a dog away from an oven, will you give me your Hanchen?" And he held his hand out to him.--"Shake hands upon it."
"There's my hand," cried the Bailiff; "just to show you that you are nothing but a boasting braggart."