“I suppose you have some music running in your head. Sing out and you can’t help enjoying it,” said the mother, starting up a song Vinzi knew well.
At first he hesitated, but soon the well-known melody carried him along. His clear, sure voice joining hers, they finished the song before they reached Mrs. Troll’s cottage. Stefeli suddenly leaped forward from behind a tree, from which hidden spot she had watched the two children who were both sitting in front of the house with a book. It had not escaped Stefeli that Alida did not look much at her book and was constantly turning her head from side to side to see what might be going on. Stefeli was dreadfully anxious to run over to Alida and start a friendship with her. But suddenly the governess, who was not crooked at all, but on the contrary very stiff and straight, came out of the house. This intimidated Stefeli so much she hid further and further behind the tree in order not to be discovered. Stefeli told her mother and brother of these things and was glad to have them by her side when passing the house, because the governess was still sitting there. When closer, all four children eagerly examined each other, for they were very much interested.
“They are the same ones we saw yesterday,” Alida said with half-raised voice. “I think I’ll go over and make their acquaintance.”
“Indeed you won’t Alida! We don’t even know who they are,” quickly replied the governess.
Despite the fact that the words had been spoken under her breath, those who were passing had been able to hear them.
“She doesn’t want Alida to talk with us, did you hear it, mother?” said Stefeli when they had gone a little further.
“Yes, I did,” the mother replied. “It is lucky that you didn’t run over to them. You must never do it, Stefeli; do you hear?”
“Yes, but then we’ll never meet and Alida wanted to so much,” Stefeli said rebelliously.
“You see, Stefeli, the governess probably has charge of the children’s education and is responsible for what they do and with whom they play. They might hear and learn from others all kinds of things that they shouldn’t do,” the mother explained. “Maybe Alida is a little like you, Stefeli, and likes to stick her little nose into every opening and look through every hole in a hedge. That is probably why the governess has to watch her and choose her friends very carefully.”
This made Stefeli more eager than ever to meet Alida and be her friend.