He usually sat in a corner near Magde's spinning
wheel and his father's bed-room door.
When the children returned from their out of doors sports, they would
sit on the floor near Carl's chair, and listen to the many tales of
fairies, nymphs, and sea gods, that he told them in a pleasant but weak
voice, while he as formerly made willow whistles and repaired their
little boats.
The neighbors' children also visited the cottage that they might hear
his last stories, and they all brought with them many little gifts that
their mothers had prepared for poor Carl. At a later period the mothers
came themselves, bringing their own presents, which they carried in
large baskets, for there was not one in the entire neighborhood for whom
Carl had not performed a service, and without a solitary exception they
all loved him.
Then who was to take his place, after he should be taken from his
friends. In fact perfect pilgrimages were made to Carl, who always
received the pilgrims with pleasant words and cheerful smiles.
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