"Yes, that is true," Vinzi admitted. "But I would not like to look after cows all my life."
"What do you like to do best? I have not seen you do it," said Stefeli, astonished to think she did not know.
"Most of all, I love to hear the bells peal and hear them resound through the branches of the trees and down from the mountain heights. Do you hear the soft notes around us—do you hear?" and his eyes grew larger and brighter as he listened.
Stefeli pricked up her ears. "That is only the gnats buzzing," she said in a disgusted tone.
But Vinzi continued: "And when I hear such beautiful sounds I would like to remember them and to sing them or imitate them in some other way. I am always wondering how I can do it."
"But that is no profession," Stefeli interrupted.
"Well, that is what I am afraid of, too," said Vinzi in a discouraged manner, "but I have to keep on thinking about it. I have cut a lot of pipes and have tried to see what I could imitate on them. I have five altogether. Out of one I could get deep tones, out of another high ones, and the others have middle notes. I have been thinking how I can blow on two or three at the same time so they will all sound at once, like the church bells, you know."
"You might be a piper," Stefeli suggested suddenly, greatly elated at her inspiration. "That would be a fine profession, wouldn't it?"
"I don't know," replied Vinzi, rather uncertain, "but even if I could be, father would not let me. He found my pipes in the barn one day and threw them all away, saying I must think about more useful things than collecting pipes and working on stuff that amounts to nothing."
"You must not be so sad about it, Vinzi," she said consolingly. "I am sure father means you must not have the pipes in the barn or stable, but out here in the pasture you certainly may have them. I will watch the cows and call you when anything is the matter. You can cut new pipes, all of which we will lay in a hole under the tree, and you will take them out only when we are here. I will help you blow them. I'll blow on the high pipe and you on the low, and in that way they will sound together like the bells."