You are like a girl.----Nevertheless, as you wish. It will be a very interesting task for me.----One question, Moritz?

MORITZ.

Hm?

MELCHIOR.

Did you ever see a girl?

MORITZ.

Yes!

MELCHIOR.

All of her?

MORITZ.

Certainly!

MELCHIOR.

So have I!----Then we won't need any ill.u.s.trations.

MORITZ.

During the Schutzenfest in Leilich's anatomical museum! If it had leaked out I should have been hunted out of school.----Beautiful as the light of day, and----oh, so true to nature!

MELCHIOR.

I was at Frankfurt with Mamma last summer----Are you going already, Moritz?

MORITZ.

I must work.----Good-night.

MELCHIOR.

'Till we meet again.

SCENE THIRD.

_Thea, Wendla and Martha come along the street arm in arm._

MARTHA.

How the water gets into one's shoes!

WENDLA.

How the wind blows against one's cheeks!

THEA.

How one's heart thumps!

WENDLA.

Let's go out there to the bridge. Ilse says the stream is full of bushes and trees. The boys have built a raft. Melchi Gabor was almost drowned yesterday.

THEA.

Oh, he can swim!

MARTHA.

I should think so, child!

WENDLA.

If he hadn't been able to swim he would have been drowned!

THEA.

Your hair is coming down, Martha, your hair is coming down.

MARTHA.

Pooh!----Let it come down! It bothers me day and night. I may not wear short hair like you; I may not wear my hair down my back like Wendla; I may not wear bangs, and I must always do my hair up at home----all on account of my aunt!

WENDLA.

I'll bring the scissors with me to-morrow to devotions. While you are saying, "Blessed are they who do not stray," I will clip it off.

MARTHA.

For heaven's sake, Wendla! Papa would beat me black and blue, and Mamma would lock me up in the coal hole for three nights.

WENDLA.

What does he beat you with, Martha?

MARTHA.

It often seems to me as if they would miss something if they didn't have an ill-conditioned brat like me.