I gathered flowers, larger and more
beautiful than any I had ever seen, but they lacked the perfume of
German flowers; only the roses were the same.
Many children did I see, but they had not the rosy cheeks of German
children. And I met the strongest of all beasts on earth and tracked
him to his native lair; and there, in the sacred groves of the
Illini, I worried him sorely, and as David did unto Goliath, so did I
unto him; and sundown come, I slew him. And for three-score days and
ten the smoke of battle scented the balmy air.
The young ladles laughed heartily and said that never before had they
been so delightfully entertained, and they gave me sweets and nice
things to eat, and said they hoped I might stay with them forever and
a day. We exchanged confidences, and they warned me to beware of the
landlord, who had been known to rob people. They advised me to
secrete my money, if perchance I had any. I thanked them kindly,
replying that I had only one dollar in my purse. This was true, but I
did not tell them that I had sewed a large sum in banknotes and some
German silver into my kite's tail when I set out on my journey to the
West.
I complimented these charming girls on their good fortune to be in
the service of so generous a gentleman as their landlord seemed to
be; for I saw that they wore very fine dresses and had many jewels.
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