Short Stories
Indeed, so devoted was the rich Miller to little Hans, that be
would never go by his garden without leaning over the wall and
plucking a large nosegay, or a handful of sweet herbs, or filling
his pockets with plums and cherries if it was the fruit season.
“‘Real friends should have everything in common,’ the Miller
used to say, and little Hans nodded and smiled, and felt very
proud of having a friend with such noble ideas.
“Sometimes, indeed, the neighbours thought it strange that
the rich Miller never gave little Hans anything in return, though
he had a hundred sacks of flour stored away in his mill, and six
milch cows, and a large flock of woolly sheep; but Hans never
troubled his head about these things, and nothing gave him
greater pleasure than to listen to all the wonderful things the
Miller used to say about the unselfishness of true friendship.
“So little Hans worked away in his garden. During the
spring, the summer, and the autumn he was very happy, but
when the winter came, and he had no fruit or flowers to bring to
the market, he suffered a good deal from cold and hunger, and
often had to go to bed without any supper but a few dried pears
or some hard nuts. In the winter, also, he was extremely lonely,
as the Miller never came to see him then.
“‘There is no good in my going to see little Hans as long as
the snow lasts,’ the Miller used to say to his wife, ‘for when peo-
ple are in trouble they should be left alone, and not be bothered
by visitors. That at least is my idea about friendship, and I am
sure I am right. So I shall wait till the spring comes, and then I
shall pay him a visit, and he will be able to give me a large bas-
ket of primroses and that will make him so happy.’
“‘You are certainly very thoughtful about others,’ answered
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