He went rapidly from stall to stall and returned with his arms full of parcels done up in pink paper which he presented to Käthchen with a low bow. She accepted them with much delight and they fell to munching chocolate together; it was a real bond of union, and they were not the first sweethearts who discovered it.
They reached the end of the street and suddenly found themselves alone once more on the slopes of the Altenhainer Thal or Valley.
Green Ears sat down by Käthchen, and squeezed himself up closely to her.
"Give me your pretty little hand," he said. "Do you know which is the right finger?"
"O yes!" Käthchen knew that quite well, though I have heard that it is a disputed point in Germany.
She stuck out her little hard-worked fingers, and he put the gold ring on the third finger of the left hand. It fitted exactly and with a cry of joy Käthchen put the other on his long brown finger.
Then both the children laughed and clapped their hands, and danced merrily about. "Now we are engaged," they cried, "really engaged to be married!"
They made such a noise that the squirrels were cross and threw sticks at them for disturbing their early-morning sleep.
Then, goodness knows why—let us call it reaction—Käthe began to cry again, great, big drops.
Green Ears was much puzzled.