"We will go home to the beech grove. You can stay there with us, for you have nobody else in the world now but your cousin Gotti."
At these words, Wiseli felt herself stiff with fear. Go to the beech grove, and live with them there,—was that her fate? She had always had the greatest fear of the wife of her cousin Gotti, and always stood a long time before the door, when she was sent there with a message, before she could summon courage to enter. The eldest son, Cheppi,—that rough fellow,—lived there, and Hannes and Rudi; and they threw stones at all the children. Was that to be her home?
Fear caused the child to turn pale and immovable.
"You must not be frightened, my child," said her cousin Gotti, in a kindly tone. "There are more people in our house than there are here, but it is all the more lively for that."
Wiseli put her things silently together in a shawl, and tied the two corners together crosswise; then she tied her scarf about her head, and stood ready.
"So," said her cousin, "now we will go," and turned towards the door; but Wiseli sobbed out suddenly,—
"Then I must leave my mother all alone."
With these words she ran to her mother, and clasped her in her arms again.
Her cousin Gotti stood rather disconcerted, and looked on. He did not know how to explain how things were with her mother, if she did not understand without words; for he was not strong in the matter of expressing himself: he had never given himself the trouble to try. At last, he said,—
"Now come, come along. A little child like you must be obedient. Come; and, after this, no crying. That does not mend matters one bit."