Come back, mother, come back." She tried to loosen the grip of the boy's firm little fingers on her dress and to calm him, but she did not succeed, and he kept on crying louder and louder: "Come back! You said one must not leave anything half done.

We didn't finish the song and we must do it." Kurt now began to cry out, too: "Let go your pincher-claws--we'll get to school late." Mea's voice joined them with loud exclamation against Lippo, who was trying hard to pull his mother back, groaning loudly all the time.
Uncle Philip entered at this moment.
"What on earth is going on here ?" he cried loudly into the confusion.
Everybody began to explain.
Lippo let go his grip at last and, approaching his uncle, solicited his help.

Kurt's voice, however, was the loudest and he got the lead in telling about Lippo's obstinacy.
"Lippo is right," the uncle decided.

"One must finish what one has begun.

This is a splendid principle and ought to be followed.