The cock, however, seemed to have for the present no use for the quiet attributed to him by Dörr, but continued to use his voice just as strenuously as before. And meanwhile he puffed out his silver white throat as proudly as if he wanted to show the hens that his flying up into the pear tree was a well-considered "coup" or else a mere whim.
But Dörr said: "Oh Lord, what a cock. He thinks he is something wonderful. And yet his courage doesn't amount to much."
And so saying he went back to his flower stand.
[CHAPTER III]
The whole incident had also been observed by Frau Dörr, who was cutting asparagus, but she paid very; little attention, because such things happened nearly every other day. So she kept on with her work, and only gave up the search, when even the sharpest scrutiny of the beds failed to reveal any more white heads. Only then did she hang the basket on her arm, putting the knife in it, and driving a couple of strayed chickens before her, while she walked slowly along the middle path of the garden and then into the yard and up to the flower stand, where Dörr had resumed his work for the market.
"Well, Susy," he greeted his better half, "here you are. Did you see? Bollmann's dog was here again. Listen, he had better say his prayers and then I will try him out over the fire; there must be a little fat on him and Sultan can have the scraps.... And listen, Susy, dog's fat...." And he appeared to become absorbed in a favorite method of treating gout which he had been considering for some time. But at this moment he caught sight of the asparagus basket on his wife's arm, and interrupted himself. "Come, show it to me," he said. "Did you have good luck?"
"So so," said Frau Dörr, holding out the scarcely half-filled basket, whose contents he passed through his fingers, shaking his head. For most of the stalks were thin and there were many broken ones among them.
"Now, Susy, listen. You certainly have no eye for asparagus."
"Yes I have, too. But I can't work magic."
"Oh well, we will not quarrel, Susy; that will not make it any more than it is. But it looks like starvation."