MONI’s LIFE IN THE THE MOUNTAINS
THE following morning Paula awoke earlier than ever before; a loud singing had awakened her out of sleep.
“That is surely the goat-boy so soon,” she said, springing out of bed and running to the window.
Quite right. With fresh, red cheeks there stood Moni below, and he had just brought the old goat and the little kid out of the goat shed. Now he swung his rod in the air, the goats leaped and sprang around him, and then he went along with the whole flock. Suddenly Moni raised his voice again and sang until the mountains echoed
Sing the birds in a choir,
And after the rain comes,
Comes the sun like a fire.”
“To-day he must sing his whole song for me once,” said Paula, for Moni had now disappeared and she could no longer understand the words of his distant song.
In the sky the rosy morning clouds were disappearing and a cool mountain breeze rustled around Moni’s ears, as he climbed up. This he thought
8
