Apparently this plan did not console him as she thought it would for he kept gazing on the ground and said no more.
"Now we will talk about something else," she continued resolutely, for she did not like his sad expression, but before they could start talking again, she sprang from the ground and darted away, calling, "Vinzi, Vinzi!"
Vinzi too ran at topmost speed toward the end of the pasture where a wooden footbridge led across the stream. A party of strangers was about to cross when a little dog belonging to them suddenly dashed into the midst of the cows, barking violently. The frightened animals ran in all directions, and Schwarzeli, tail raised high, galloped hither and thither. This excited the dog to further onslaughts. Stefeli ran after her cows to quiet them while Vinzi struck out at the dog with his whip so that it suddenly turned tail and ran howling after the disappearing party. This had proved such a hot piece of work that the children sought the shade of the big tree and threw themselves down on the ground to get their breath.
Sitting up, Vinzi said, "I wish the dog had been on the other side, where the path leads up to the pasture. I saw a fiery red flower there, and it looked tremendously big, even from where I was—bigger than any I ever saw. If it were not so far, I'd go and fetch it, but it is too hot."
"Oh, I'll go," said Stefeli with assurance. "If it is so beautiful, it can't be too far for me."
Vinzi was going to offer to fetch the flower if Stefeli wished it so much, but the little girl had sped off so far, he knew he could not overtake her. So he kept his seat, and now that the midday bell in the village began to ring, he quickly forgot everything else, so intently did he listen to the sound.
"There is your flower," were the words that suddenly roused him, and Stefeli laid a bright red scarf before her brother. He was so deeply buried in his thoughts that he had not noticed the flight of time, and was astonished at her quick return. He gazed thoughtfully at what he had supposed was a red flower. Where had he seen that scarf before?
"Oh, now I know!" he suddenly exclaimed. "I saw it hanging on the chair in which the strange little girl was sitting at Mrs. Troll's house. It must belong to her."
Now Stefeli also recalled having seen something scarlet there, and as there had been children in the party that had crossed the bridge, they were probably the same children they saw yesterday.
Vinzi began to consider what was to be done with the scarf. He knew that whatever was found must be returned to the owner at once; therefore the best thing would be for him to run over to Mrs. Troll's house with it. But Stefeli declared it was everybody's dinner hour, and there was plenty of time to do it before evening.