Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/214

208 stand? Put those things away instantly. If you will be such a bad boy, this year, I shall surely complain of you to St. Nicholas, and he'll not give you anything," threatened Grandmother.

"That would be a good thing; they say that St. Nicholas brought a whole wagonload of toys to town, and that he will be very generous this year,—to those who are obedient," said Vorsa, who, standing in the door, heard Grandmother's words.

The next day, as soon as the schoolmaster came, Adelka got her block and sat down with the rest of the children; she gave good heed, and in an hour she came running to Grandmother with great joy, saying she knew all the letters in the first row, and read them, together with the signs that the schoolmaster had made to help her to remember them. Both her mother and her Grandmother were well pleased with her, especially when the next day she still remembered them; and since Grandmother was obliged to hear her recite them so often, she finally learned them herself. "Well, well," said she to herself, "never in my life did I think I could yet learn the a, b, c, and now I have learned it. With children one must again bea child."

One day, John rushed into the room with the words: "Children, children, come see, Grandma has brought down her spinning wheel from the garret."

"What of it?" said the mother, as she saw all, even Barunka, rushing out of the door.

Certainly it was nothing, but she did not consider what pleasures were brought with the spinning wheel. With it came the spinners, and with