Gritli's Children

by Johanna Spyri

  CHAPTER III.

  IN THE VILLAGE AND IN THE SCHOOL.

  The village of Buchberg consisted of several scattered farms, and ofgroups of houses and cottages that peeped out from among thriving fruittrees. Only a few houses stood near the church; the school-house, thesexton's house, the substantial old-fashioned dwelling of the mayor ofthe little community, and two or three peasants' cottages. Dr. Stein'shouse stood quite by itself at a little distance from the others, on aslight elevation, quite surrounded by trees. The biggest buildings inall Buchberg stood on the principal street of the town; these were thefine house and the enormous factory of Mr. Bickel, who had built themboth.

  Between the street and the dwelling lay a sunny flower-garden; not atree nor a shrub was planted in it, lest the grandeur of the mansionshould be concealed in the least from public view. Here lived thewealthy manufacturer, with his wife and their only son. The familyoccupied only the lower floor; upstairs the six great splendid roomswere always closed and their shining green blinds always drawn down. Noone ever entered there except Mrs. Bickel, who now and then came up toair and to dust and to admire them. Her little boy was allowed to gowith her sometimes; but he had to leave his shoes at the door; and hestood just inside, half awe-struck in the gloom; staring at the unusedchairs and the stiff furniture. Mr. Bickel was a very important personin the village, for in his factory he employed a great many persons,both young and old; he was very clever at finding out what people weregood for, and knew just how much they could work, and what they could dobest, and how much they were worth to him. It was said that whenever achild was born in Buchberg, Mr. Bickel began at once to calculate howmany years would pass before it would be old enough to be put upon hispay-roll. And almost all the children knew that their future destinywould surely bring them under Mr. Bickel's management, and they learnedearly to stand respectfully aside when he came along the street, withhis thick gold-headed cane, and his shining watch chain with the bunchof seals, that shook and glittered and jingled majestically from afar.

  From this fine house every morning came young Feklitus, Mr. Bickel'sson, and through the sunny garden and up the street he went on his wayto school. Over his back was slung a leather satchel, wondrouslyembroidered with the big initials "F.B.," surrounded with a garland ofbeautiful roses; a Christmas gift from his mother.

  "Feklitus" was only a nickname, and this is the way it originated. Hisgrandfather was a tailor by trade; a person of very small stature andobscure position; altogether a very humble personage to be the father ofa great man, such as his son afterwards became, and, because he was sodiminutive in every way, he went, in the neighborhood, by the nicknameof "Tailorkin." His only son was christened Felix, and as the commonnickname of Felix is Fekli, the boy became universally known as"Tailorkin-Fekli." This was very displeasing to Felix, who early in lifedetermined to make something of himself, and who soon began to rise andgrow rich. The Buchbergers, however, were not disposed to drop the namewhich amused them, merely because it vexed the owner; so even now,although when they met the great man they always addressed him with duerespect as Mr. Bickel, yet behind his back he was still Tailorkin-Fekli.He suspected this underhand familiarity, and was not a little disturbedby it.

  When, after he had become a great man, and had built himself a splendidnew house, he had a son born to him, he determined to find a name forthe child which could not be tampered with as his own had been; and hedelayed the baptism as long as possible, while searching for one to suithis purpose. It so happened that about this time he was called upon inhis capacity as School-Inspector to be present at the yearlyexaminations at the school-house; and he heard the teacher explain tothe children the meaning of the name Fortunatus. No sooner did thisname reach Mr. Bickel's ear, than he was struck with its appropriatenessto his son. Was not the boy destined to be the fortunate heir to hisfather's wealth and position? He went home full of satisfaction andannounced to his wife that the long-sought name was found, and the childmight be taken to church for baptism. So Fortunatus he was christened;and Mr. Bickel felt sure now that the hated nickname would be droppedand soon forgotten.

  Not so; for as soon as the boy went to school, his playmates decidedthat Fortunatus was far too long and pretentious a name for common use;so they peremptorily shortened it to "Tus"; then, adding it to thefather's appellation, it became "Tailorkin-Fekli-Tus." The first word ofthis lengthy and awkward combination was soon dropped off, and theother two were combined into one word and became Feklitus. With thisthe critics were satisfied, and long usage fixed the name so completelyon the boy that at last very few recalled the fine name Fortunatus, andalmost every one supposed that he had been christened Feklitus.

  Oscar Stein and Feklitus Bickel both sat at the head of the sixth classin the village school. This odd arrangement came about in this way.When, six years before, both entered the school together, Oscar seatedhimself at once at the head of the bench; for he was a boy born to lead,and never thought of being second anywhere. But Feklitus came and stoodin front of him, saying "That is my place"; for his father had told himthat the first place was no more than his right. Oscar would not yield,and the case came before the teacher, who, finding that Oscar was thesenior by two days, decided in his favor. Feklitus, however, was not tobe put down so; he would not sit below Oscar, so he took the first placeon the next bench, and, as the class was so large a one as to occupyboth benches, the teacher allowed the affair to be settled so, and so ithad continued ever since. And thus both boys were first.

  Oscar was well pleased with this arrangement, because it brought nexthim a boy whom he much preferred to Feklitus; Fani, the son of Heiri,the day-laborer. Fani was a lively and courageous fellow, who was alwaysready to join Oscar in any undertaking he might have in view, no matterhow bold it might be. Oscar even thought Fani far better looking thanthe broad-shouldered Feklitus; who, in his fine cloth suit with the highcollar that made his short neck look as if it was no neck at all, wasboxed up so stiff and tight that he could hardly move; while Fani wasslender and nimble as a lizard, and, though he wore all summer longnothing more than a shirt and linen trousers, yet he looked so slightand so graceful that no one noticed how sparely he was clad. When withboth hands he tossed his long dark brown locks back from his forehead,and looked about with great shining expectant eyes, then instantly somenew plan of comradeship darted into Oscar's busy brain; some new play inwhich Fani would be of use, either in the role of Artist, or NobleBandit, or Tragedy-King. Oscar was always planning the establishment ofsomething grand; a Club, or Association, or Band of Fellowship of somekind; and he needed for carrying out his numerous and complicatedprojects, a skilful, intelligent, and enthusiastic assistant like Fani.

  Feklitus, on the other hand, was nothing but a hindrance to theseschemes, because he would go into a thing only if he was allowed to takethe principal part in it, and he always behaved as if he had devised theplan himself as much as Oscar. Still, it was necessary to take him in,and ensure his favor; as otherwise he would take his whole party intoopposition, and ensure the failure of the enterprise. For the class wasdivided into two nearly equal parties, and indeed this party-spirit hadspread so far that the whole school, even down to the primary class, wasdivided into two camps, the Oscarians and the Feklitusians. Oscar had onhis side all the independent fellows, all the sons of well-to-dopeasants, all the sons of mechanics who were to follow in their fathers'footsteps, and all those whose future vocation was decided on, from thecoachman to the teacher.

  All the other boys were followers of Feklitus; for he had a terriblephrase, which he used with great effect, when he wished to press theminto his ranks; it was, "Just you wait till you come into our factory!"It was curious to see how this would work like a charm with the waveringboys; for the very indefiniteness of what would happen when they came tothe factory, lent a mysterious force to this dark threat. But no threat,no promise, no hint had the slightest effect upon Fani. He was to enterthe factory the coming Easter, at the close of the school-year; and thishe k
new very well; but he adhered firmly to Oscar's side, and whenFeklitus would angrily call out to him, "Just you wait," he would turnon his heel, and answer laughing, "Oh yes! I'll wait! I'm not in theleast hurry"; an answer which did not lessen Feklitus' anger, and whichmade him long for the time when the boy should be "in the factory,"when he promised himself that things should not go too easily for him.

  Still, in spite of all these little jealousies, the two partiesgenerally worked peaceably together; for it was important for Oscar tobe on the right side of Feklitus, as his plans required large numbersfor their successful execution. Just now they were on a most cordialfooting. Oscar had started the idea of a grand Musical Festival. Everyone in the school who wished might take part, and after all necessarypreparations they were to have a grand celebration. The assistance ofFeklitus had been secured by giving him a prominent place in thearrangements for the great occasion. The embroidered banner, which wasto be a salient feature, was sure to be ready, since Oscar's aunt hadundertaken it, which was quite a different thing from being dependenton Emma. Fani was to be the bearer. To-day the motto must be selectedfor it, and at the close of school several of the boys were stationed atthe door, to summon the others, as they came out, to a meeting for thedecision of this important matter. On a knoll in a field near by, theboys assembled; and then Oscar announced that he had found a prettycouplet, suitable to the occasion, which he proposed as a motto for thebanner, and he read in a loud voice:--

  "Music the truest pleasure gives, So sing we merrily."

  But Feklitus did not approve. He said that he had often been present onoccasions of this kind and had seen many prettier mottoes than this. Hecould recall one which he thought ought to be chosen.

  "Our Fatherland shall ever live; May freedom never die!"

  Oscar said that this motto would do very well for some patrioticoccasion, but was not exactly the thing for a musical festival. Feklituswould not yield, and called on his followers to stand by him and hismotto. Then followed loud discussion on both sides, which soon grew intoan uproar. The Oscarians and Feklitusians screamed so loud that not oneword could be distinguished from another. Presently Oscar seizedFeklitus by the arm, and drew him aside out of the mob.

  "Don't you see, you mar-plot, that this hubbub is all your fault? andthat you are very provoking? What do you gain by it? Nothing. What doyou lose? Everything. But to show you that I am not like you, I proposeto you to put the two couplets together, and use both. Luckily theyrhyme. See how this will do:--

  "Music the truest pleasure gives; So sing we merrily-- 'Our Fatherland shall ever live, And Freedom never die.'"

  Feklitus was pacified; which was fortunate, for nothing would haveinduced him to give up his verse, whose great merit in his eyes was justthat it was _his_; he had remembered it, repeated it, proposed it; so itwas naturally better than any other could be. The meeting was informedof the compromise, applauded it, and immediately adjourned, dispersingin all directions, and making the quiet summer evening resound withtheir merry shouts. Oscar alone went his way with an air of deepdepression, and with anger in his heart. Fani had again disappeareddirectly after school, as he had often done before, and had not waitedfor the meeting, though he knew how much Oscar cared to have him there.Fani certainly took everything too lightly, Oscar thought; it was hisonly great fault; he went too easily from one thing to another; andOscar knew too who aided him in this changeableness, and had indeed justthe same failing herself; and that was his own sister Emma. Indeed, thegirl was the worse of the two, for she was continually proposing newschemes, and urging Fani to help her carry them out. Oscar knew allthis, and was very much vexed with Fani for yielding so easily to Emma'spersuasions. And to think of his disappearing so this afternoon, when hehad relied on his support at the meeting! It was too provoking!

  As Oscar drew near home, he came suddenly upon his brother Fred, who waskneeling down in the vegetable garden and digging in the earth withboth hands, as if seeking a hidden treasure.

  "Where is Emma?" asked Oscar; adding hurriedly, "Oh, don't touch me withthose hands!"

  "Well, I should scarcely mistake you for a grub, and that's what I wantto 'touch' with these hands," said Fred, rather scornfully. "As to Emma,I don't know where she is; but one thing I do know, and that is that oneof you two has carried off all the paper again, so that when a fellowwants to do his exercises he may whistle for it! I know that much."

  "I haven't used any," said Oscar; "but Emma is getting up some newscheme; I am sure of that, and I suppose she has taken the paper. Idon't know what will happen if somebody doesn't put a stop to hercarrying-on!"

  With which negative kind of a prophecy, Oscar went into the house.