THE UNWISHED-FOR HAPPENS Esther, the able mistress of the kitchen, was standing in the garden picking green peas, which hung in clusters from the vines.

They had ripened quickly in the sunny June weather.
"Come down here, Cornelli!" she called.

"Just see how many peas there are! Why do you steal about so quietly nowadays, and why don't you run the way you used to ?" "I am not allowed to do anything any more," replied Cornelli, approaching her.

"Mina is beginning to tell me that I even must not jump, for it might tangle my hair.

I wish I had not a single hair left; then I could at least run and jump about." "No, no, child; that would look too dreadful.