Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/343

Rh Here followed song after song, both gay and sober; they sang the praises of youth, beauty, and love, of the happiness of a bachelor's life; but at last the youths and maidens began to sing the joys of married life, when two hearts love each other like two turtle-doves, when they live in harmony like two grains of corn in one ear. They were, however, constantly interrupted by the mocking voice of the spokesman. When they sang of marriage, harmony, and concord, he announced a solo by himself, saying that he would sing them a brandnew song.

"Then crow, to show what you know," cried the company.

The spokesman took his stand in the middle of the room and began in a mocking tone, which was as natural to him at a wedding as the serious one was at a pilgrimage:

"Both the song and the singer are not worth a broken penny!" cried the girls, and immediately began to sing so as to spoil the pleasure of the young men who wanted to hear the rest of the song. With constant singing and joking the bouquets and wreaths were finished; then the girls arose, joined hands, and, dancing around the table, sang: