“It is time to eat,” said Russli. “They always whistle that way when we are to gather together for lunch. Come on.”
Russli was already bounding away.
“Look at my pipe! Look, I have a pipe!” he called loudly to his brothers, who were already eating. As soon as Russli saw this, he looked about till he found the lunch-bag, which lay like a lost object on the ground. Quickly pulling out his share he gave Vinzi the food meant for him. “Take it!” he said, “this is yours. The others have already taken theirs.”
Vinzi did this and settled himself beside Russli. But he could not help thinking what Stefeli would say to them if she saw how they only looked after themselves, as if they had had a fight.
Jos had finished in the meantime and called from his seat to Russli, “Give me the pipe, I want to try it.”
“Come and get it,” said Russli in a curt way.
Vinzi had already risen to bring it to Jos, when the latter quickly jumped up, asserting that if he wanted it, it was for him to fetch it. Faz had joined them, too, now.
“Show it to me,” he cried, but Jos, who was already holding it to his lips, pushed Faz away. Now the music began. All Jos knew was that the fingers had to be placed on the different holes to produce various sounds. He succeeded in that but they had a terribly harsh, disconnected tone.
“Give it to me, you don’t know how,” cried Faz, grabbing the pipe.
But under his fingers the pipe shrilled and yelled more hideously still.