On the Night of the Seventh Moon

At first they were overawed but when they saw that it was just like an ordinary room Dagobert and Liesel forgot about the ghost. Fritz, I noticed, kept looking over his shoulder and didn’`t like to move too far from my side. He was the sensitive one.

I took them to the windows and pointed out the various landmarks, giving them their English names. This was always a good Way of getting them to learn and I really was becoming quite pleased with their progress. Fritz was by far the best, which pleased me because I thought it would give him the confidence he needed. Liesel was quite a fair mimic and although she couldn’'t always remember words her pronunciation was good. Dagobert lagged a little but there again I decided that would do him no harm; he really was a little braggart.

When I was alone with Fritz and we were in the school room I said to him: “Fritz, there’s nothing to be afraid of in the turret-room.”

A puzzled frown appeared between his eyes. He said: “A lady jumped out of the window.”

“That’s just a story.”

“You mean it never happened?”

“It might have done but we can’t be sure.”

He shook his head.

“A lady did jump,” he said. He looked at me as though wondering whether he could trust me.

“Yes, Fritz,” I said tenderly.

“I think it was my mother.”

“No, Fritz. If it did happen, it happened long ago. It couldn’'t possibly have been your mother.”

“She died,” he said.

“Unfortunately some people do die young : .. but never mind, you have Frau Graben, you have your father and now you have me.”

I felt very moved because he gripped my hand rather tightly and nodded. I was touched to think that already I meant something to him.

There’s nothing to be afraid of,” I said.

“It’s only a story, you know. It may well not be true and if it is, it happened years and years ago.”

I had an idea that although he was comforted by my presence he didn’`t really believe that.

FOUR

Dagobert’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

“There’s going-to be a stag hunt,” he told me.

“We’re to go. It’s exciting. Bang. Bang.”

“You’re to go to hunt stag?

This is a special one. My father will be there. “

I turned to Fritz.

“Are you going?”

Fritz didn’`t answer and Dagobert shouted: “Of course he’s going.

Liesel isn’t. She’s too little. “

Liesel set up a wail.

“She can go in my place,” said Fritz.

“She can’t,” cried Dagobert.

“Because you’re frightened, that doesn’`t make her old enough.”

“I’m-not frightened,” said Fritz.

“You are!”

Tmnot! “

“You are, you are, you are, you are!” Dagobert was dancing round Fritz like some irritating dervish. Fritz hit out at him.

“Please stop,” I said.

“It is most impolite to fight in front of your English teacher.”

Dagobert paused and said: “Would it be impolite to fight behind your back. Miss?”

“You are being a little impertinent, Dagobert,” I said, ‘which is equally impolite. Now stop being foolish. Where is this stag hunt to be held? “

“In the forest where the stags are.”

“In the Klocksburg forest.”

“No, in the ducal forest.”

“Do you mean to say that you boys are going to join the hunt?”

Dagobert tittered, and Fritz said: “It’s a different sort of hunt, Miss. They are all together, lots of them, and they come in and they’re shot dead and . “Bang, bang, bang!” said Dagobert.

I could see that I could not get from them what I wanted to hear so I went along to Frau Graben.

She was seated in an armchair holding a basin in her hand; she smiled at me when I entered. On the table beside her was a piece of spiced cake such as I had discovered she loved and which she kept in a tin in the cupboard in this room, with various other food to take out at odd moments. She rarely sat down to a meal, I had discovered, but was nibbling tit bits throughout the day.

She set down the basin as I entered and I couldn’'t help seeing what was in it. Not the soup I had expected but two spiders. She saw my astonishment and gave her fat comfort able laugh.

“I like to put them in together and see what they do,” she said.

“They’re scouting round at the moment. Don’t know what to make of it.

There they are in this strange white world. They’ll fight, I shouldn’`t wonder. One will kill the other. “

“But why I said.

“I like to see what they’ll do. You put them together, you see how they take it. Spiders are interesting. The way they weave their webs beautiful things, webs. One day I saw a fight between a great bumblebee and a big spider.” Her eyes gleamed with excitement.

“The bee was caught in the web and you should have seen that spider get to work; he wrapped up the bee in his sticky thread but the bee was too strong and the web wouldn’`t hold him. He tore himself away and flew off clutching the spider. I often wonder what happened to them. It’s like people. You put them down somewhere with some one else and you see what happens. But I’m being a silly old woman. I’m afraid I’m often that. Now you’re a nice kind young lady and you’re going to say I’m not, but you don’t know me, dear, do you? And you are a bit surprised at my spiders, aren’t you? Never mind.” She smiled comfortably.

“You see, dear Miss Trant, I’m so interested in everybody ... yes, everybody even the spiders.”

I said: “The boys say they are going stag-hunting, is that true?”

“It’s a form of hunt. You’ll see, because you’re to go with them.”

I go to a hunt . It’s not chasing the stag. You’ll see what it is. The count wants the boys to go. It’s tomorrow. It’s the shooting festival. It’s a pity the Prince won’t be home for it. He always enjoyed the Schiitzenfest. “

“What shall I be expected to do?”

“Nothing. You’ll just be there to look after the boys. You’ll love the procession. It’s pretty. We’re very fond of these occasions here.”

“So it isn’t chasing after the stag?”

“There’s no chasing. Those boys will tell their tales.”

She was smiling her simple happy smile, which was meant to assure me that everything was well.

The next morning we set out for the shooting festival. I could get little sense out of the boys. Dagobert was too excited and kept running around shouting bang and killing, I supposed, imaginary stags.

Fritz was silent, a little apprehensive.

As we were not coming home for food Frau Graben had told us we must stop at one of the inns in the town where we were to leave our horses.

Here the very pretty innkeeper’s daughter served us with a sort of cider ale, a long cool drink, and what was called a Schinkenbrot, which was several slices of boiled bacon on thickish brown bread and butter.

As we were eating crowds began to fill the Oberer Stadtplatz; wagons decorated with flowers trundled in from the surrounding country and in them sat the girls in their black skirts and yellow satin aprons. The men walked beside the wagons, dressed in various colourful costumes, reds, blues, blacks and yellows, calling to the girls as they walked.

Some were on horseback; there were fiddlers to provide music, and some were singing.

Dagobert said that we were to go to the Schiltzenhaus without delay because we must be there before the procession came in. There was a special place which his father had said was to be kept for us.

Dagobert led the way and we came to a building near the town hall. As we entered a man in uniform approached us; he evidently knew the boys because he led us to seats near a platform, where we sat down.

We could hear the sounds of the band and singing as the procession was coming nearer. Dagobert kept looking at me to see how impressed I was.