leave the council-house, and then they’ll have to cross the meadow. And then we'll see what we shall see,’ I sez. Like that, I sez. Bitter-like, yer know. ‘We'll see,’ I sez, ‘what we shall see.’ So I waited, and at twelve o'clock out they came, dozens of them, and began to cross the meadow. ‘And now,‘ sez I to myself, ‘look out for larks.’ But what happened? Why, when they came to the pole, the priest stood in front of it, and the sacristan rang the bell, and they all fell down on their knees. But they were saying their prayers, not doing obeisance to the hat. That’s what they were doing. Artful—that’s what they are!"
And Friesshardt kicked the foot of the pole viciously with his iron boot.
“It’s my belief,” said Leuthold (Leuthold is the thin soldier you see in the picture)—“it’s my firm belief that they are laughing at us. There! Listen to that!"
