"Now," said the teacher, when Käthchen was at last seated in her place, "now let us see whether you have done your task well."
Käthchen pulled out her books from the dark depths of her huge satchel; but, alas! the light of day revealed upon them many a stain from the berries which had been put into the bag. The child's dismay and her companions' amusement were infinite. Even the schoolmaster could not refrain from smiling as he looked at her terrified little face. "Never mind," he said, "you have suffered enough. Let us see how they look inside." He opened the copy-book, and was evidently pleased with the neat copy. But the sums were in dire confusion.
"Käthchen," cried Herr Leonhardt, "if a horse has four legs, how many legs have two horses?"
"Six!" was the confident answer.
"Käthchen, how many are twice two?"
"Eight!"
Herr Leonhardt cast to heaven that resigned glance peculiar only to such patient martyrs. "Käthchen, how many fingers, not counting the thumb, are there on your left hand?"
Käthchen counted with her right hand the fingers of her left, and triumphantly declared, "Four."
"And how many on your right hand?"
Again the same process was repeated with the right hand, and the same answer ensued.