And it felt very hard to take the first step. Then yet once again Venik took Krista by the hand, held it firmly, and said, “Krista, if thou art lost to me in the world, I shall come here to seek thee—remember the way.”
And both felt heavily oppressed, as though some one was taking their heart out of their breast piece by piece.
The first step was so hard to make that they scarcely managed to take the second. Then their steps soon became lighter, and when village, river, hill-side, and wood were lost to view, they were already as light as two birds. Youth alone easily adapts itself to all, and quickly forgets both weal and woe.
CHAPTER III
THAT day they tramped many a long mile, and passed many a village. As yet hunger had not importuned them, and they had tramped along easily enough, but when hunger began to hint its presence, they had to reflect how to rid themselves of that unwelcome guest. So far they had marched through villages only for the fun of the thing, and had not wished to post themselves by the door and explain by their music that they were in want of food. But when reality was more powerful than their weak thought, they were fain to discuss what decided step should now be taken. It was already afternoon when they reached a new village, and their feet began to ache. They sat themselves down near the village under some willow-trees, and Venik said, “Now we must try our fortune, and now we must arrange what we are going to play and sing.” And they began to compose and arrange. At this very time a large group of children wended their way to the village school. Hearing young musicians, a youth and a girl, who might well have been going to school with them, they paused to listen; and as the musicians and their listeners were both equally juvenile, they quickly came to understand one another. The young public paid what it could, and Venik promised to accompany them with his music to school.
And he accompanied them. Krista paced beside him, and Venik played all he could think of to made them dance and laugh and whistle. After him trotted the youthful group of scholars, and a procession so gay debouched into the village that the like of it the villagers had never seen before. To school advanced so cheery a procession of children that even the school had never
