Forward now!" The little crowd set out full of spirits and eagerness for the adventure, for Kurt had clearly shown them that there could be no ghost.

To go up there and sing loudly to a non-existent ghost was capital fun.
Furthermore, they looked forward to boasting of their daring deed afterwards.

Faster and faster they climbed, so that only half of the usual time was taken in reaching their destination.

It was dark at first, but the moon suddenly came out from behind the clouds, cheerfully lighting up the fields.
Having reached the rear of the castle hill, they hurried up the incline and into the pinewoods, where the trees stood extremely close together.
This made it very dark, despite the fact that the wood was small.

Soon clouds covered the moon, and the little band became stiller and stiller.
Here and there one of the children sneaked off and did not reappear.
Three of the girls, after mysteriously whispering together, were gone, too, and with them several more stole away, for there was a strange rustling in the bushes.