Pixy's Holiday Journey

armstadt, who were such great friends and inseparable companions that the other pupils named them "the three-leav

air and bright, black eyes which looked out upon the

wn complexion, was of reflective manner

blue eyes, fair complexion, and cheeks li

of battle with a bleeding nose, Franz with a bruise upon his forehead, and Paul with a fiery-red cheek, caused by slaps from the hand of the foe. From that hour the three united for life o

vacant. This was delightful news and when school was out they hurried there, drove nails in the board walls, and hung up their spears which were made of pine wood, and, like the shields hanging beside th

recians and the Trojans as recorded in Homer's Iliad, which their class was reading in s

Odysseus,"

chilles," re

fter due reflection,

ellow that fought us a

. "Let us call all of

ith warmth and they solemnly sh

wish no better amusement than to break in and carry off the weapons. To prevent such a catastrophe, it was decided that the moment school was out, one of them must run

an warrior, he pushed back the bolt, the door flew open, and out rushed a hog, squealing with delight at regaining his liberty. Without delay it made for the open gateway, ran between the feet of the advancing Fritz, upset him, causing him to measure his length with that of the hog's back, then after a few turns about the yard, upset the pursuing Achilles-Franz and ran to the top of a heap of sodden straw, where it shook off Odysseus-Fritz

with no help but that of Fritz, for he scorned to ask the grinning Trojans to join in the chase, nor would it have been of any use to ask, for they preferred to remain at the gate and watch the race, which they enjoyed to

pig and Fritz the other, while Paul took charge of the tail, to pull or push as the necessities of the ca

r they would have had trouble getting their captive through the gateway into the barnyard. As it was, the coast was clear, an

de of an apple tree to discuss the situation. Since their armory was demeaned into a pig-pen, it was

d door with a strong catch, but no lock and key or even a bolt. Being near the dwelling it was secure, as

o the walls and carried their helmets and beloved weapons one by one and put them in that pla

next morning was announced by the l

as Hector on the walls of Troy when i

t instead of being strong enough to carry the

t helpless to defend themselves; their tormentors following, for t

resumed when they saw the anger of the three friends. The muscular and energetic Fritz rushed to the blackboard to rub out the offending c

eak for sobbing, the enemy had the welcome chance to give an account of the tilt between the "three-leaved clover" and t

took such a sudden and violent spell of coughing that he was compelled to put his handkerchief to his mouth and go outside the door. Every boy in the roo

urn, "and write in place of it, 'Do unto others as you would have them do

t hand that there would be but little more time for the Trojans to trouble them.

p of boys. "We will take our luncheon and will fish in t

id another group, "and will gather f

n river to visit an aunt of Fritz. Every day their schoolmates heard from some one of the three, or perhaps from all, of the pleasures expected from their first journey, and their visit t

in they were much together and all their talk was upon the visit to Frankfort, a

. From these readings the three considered the city highly dangerous and they resolved to go well prepared for any attack that mi

owed them an old hunting-knife thick with rust, which he had concealed under his jacket, and which was to be placed in the armory unt

describe their surprise and dismay when that evening they went to put the hunting-knife in its proper place, they found the armory plundered, and everything gone! The enemy had come in an unguarded moment and carried everything away. But where? That was the question

ead which he had dropped in his flight. A piece bitten out of it showed that the thief had lost a front tooth, and he had the man whom he suspecte

?" enquired the logical Franz. "Do you think the Trojans will b

me a bet

't kno

s to watch the faces of the suspects when we go to school

do about it, they left the rifle

ed by their schoolmates who with laughter and jeers pointed to the top of the climbing pole; and oh, misery! there hung the helmet of Achilles, its plume waving in the morning air. Speech

, in the tone and manner of the professor in that line of instruction.

one of the Grecians could climb to the top and it was a delight to see them redden with sham

am the coward they think me," and soon his legs and arms were in motion. The laughter and jeering of the

ng," cried Franz

d you will see him coming down in

or the helmet, but it was farther off than he thought. His strength had given out, and he slid rap

a linden tree in the school yard and bidden to look up. There amid the branches lay the three lances and the bows and arrows. The tumult of laughter and

cap on the point of the

he Trojans looked at

p is it?"

f these boys got it from the place I keep it and

which of the

, s

and ask Professor Moot

of physical culture stood among them, "how many

y; two of them have not yet c

alms of your hands," said the principal,

imbed the pole, "and because you were a coward and would not answer when I asked, you

hands. He would have asked for a postponement had not the serene face of the principal warned him that it would no

ere, and go up the linden tre

these things?" wa

om the summer house wh

l their

as wit

Otto Eidman an

o more helmets," explaine

the others?" asked t

able in the

m after school and when released you will take the things back and put

Trojans filed in, followed by

lves to either Trojans or Grecians gathered in the yard under the window of the lecture-room to see the vanquished ones come out with the weapons when the hour of ar

trokes. The hour of arrest was over, but the Trojans did not come. T

they are coming," whispered o

ng from shame and anger at having to carry the things back. Cross will hide his e

? The hour was out when

quickly and the stern face of the principal

e here! Why are you boys loiterin

dened, but n

speak; what are

ed-we th

wit

to take back

what of

taying to

to go out the back way some time ago and take the weapons to their plac

of the yard, glad to be away from the piercing gaze of the principal, feeling that he coul

to their happiness they had a safe place to keep them, for the father of Franz, who was keeper of the forest, gave them a r