FANNrS MISFORTUNE. 201 



smoking his pipe. He slowly turned his head, 

 but made no effort to rise and open the door. 

 I dismounted and entering the house, said, 

 " Good afternoon." The landlord replied, 

 '^Goede namiddag." ''Can I have my horse 

 fed ? " I asked. Whereupon he called out, 

 " Hannes ! Draag zorg of het paard dezer 

 heer." 



The boy came forth from another room, and 

 led Fanny to the stable as I followed. 



'' Now," said I, after I had taken off the 

 saddle and bridle, a proceeding rather above 

 his comprehension, " give her four quarts of 

 oats." " Wy hebben geen haver," replied the 

 boy, shaking his head solemnly, by which I 

 understood that there were no oats. 



'' What do you feed your own horses on, 

 then?" I asked, as I surveyed two melancholy 

 looking skeletons staggering about the barn- 

 yard. 



"Wy geven onzen paarden hooi," he an- 

 swered. 



Looking in the crib, I saw some Hacken- 

 sack bulrushes, and I told the boy that my 

 mare would not eat such stuff. 



" Laat haar blyven voor een week Zy will 

 honger genoeg hebben om it te eeten," said he. 



