Presently they passed the first very steep bit of the hill, and came to an even stretch of ground, and the driver said, "Now, musician, let us have a jolly song to cheer the way."
Full of satisfaction, and much elated at his high position on his throne under the blue heaven, the boy took his instrument and began to sing in his strong, clear tones,—
"Little lambkins, come down."
Now it happened that there were three students seated up on the top of the post-wagon: they were off on a vacation trip, and very merry.
So when Rico carolled forth Stineli's song in his gayest manner, they all burst out laughing and shouted, "Stop, singer, stop, and begin over again; we want to sing with you."
Rico obeyed, and the jolly students joined in with all their might,—
"And the lambkins, and the lambkins,"—
and laughed so extravagantly all the time that they drowned the sound of Rico's fiddle completely. And then one of them would take up the words and sing alone,—
"And if they forgot it,
It hurt not a bit."
And then the others joined in, and sang as loudly as possible,—