"
"That is delightful. We shall find a big table spread under my favorite
apple-tree. That is a surprise worth having. Come then let us all go into
the garden."
He drew his wife's arm in his, and they walked out to the garden, the
whole swarm following, Wili and Lili capering about in most noisy delight
that their father should suppose that he knew what the "surprise" was
already.
As they passed out into the garden they passed under the great triumphal
arch, with red lanterns hung on each side, lighting up the large tablet,
on which was an inscription in big letters.
"Oh, oh, how splendid!" cried the father, now really surprised, "a
beautiful arch and a poem of welcome. I must read them aloud:"
"Here we stand in welcome
Beside the garden door,
How glad we are that you're at home!
We feared you'd come no more,
So long you've stayed--but now to-day
Forgot is all our pain.
The whole world now is glad and gay,
Papa is here again!"
"That is fine--Rolf must have been the author of that, was he not?" and
Wili and Lili jumped about more than ever, crying out,
"Yes, yes, Rolf wrote it, but we planned it all out and he made the
verses, and Jule put up the poles and then we fetched the fir twigs.
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