BILLY AND HANS 



The friendship between the two was 

 very interesting, for while Billy gen- 

 erally preferred being with me to 

 remaining on his window-bench with 

 Hans, he had intervals when he 

 insisted on being with Hans, while the 

 latter seemed to care for nothing but 

 Billy, and would not willingly remain 

 away from him as long as Billy lived. 

 When the summer came again, being 

 unable to leave them with servants or 

 the housekeeper, I put them in their 

 cage once more, and took them back 

 to Laufenburg for my vacation. Hans 

 still retained his impatience at the 

 confinement even of my large cham- 

 ber, and with a curious diligence 

 watched the door for a crack to 

 escape by, though in all other respects 

 he seemed happy and at home, and 

 perfectly familiar ; and though always 

 in this period of his life shy with 



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