6i
something came into my mind that I had almost
forgotten.
The following week the Fair opened, and every
afternoon Floris was given five cents for the merry-
go-round. 6 Your uncle's growing generous/ said
the daily woman. He even went himself one day
to have a look at the stalls along the Old Gracht.
The sky looked so bright over the trees that he smiled
and said to his neighbour, Wouters, who was stand-
ing there, too, looking at his youngest on one of the
horses: * Yes, let them have a good time while
they're young.' All through the Fair week he was
so good-tempered that once or twice Frans went out
before nine o'clock to have a look round.
It was noticed that during that month of August
Floris gave no cause for complaint. He came home
punctually and he obeyed promptly ; they thought
it was due to the companionship of Steven Wouters,
with whom he went out to play every afternoon.
There were other boys, too, and they got up to
pranks, but if it got too bad he listened to Steven,
who acted as his protector against the stronger boys.
Often they went off by themselves, for Steven was
interested in other things besides playing at robbers
and throwing stones. That summer with him he
discovered the Forest.
Hitherto he had been no farther than just beyond
the Deer Park with Uncle Frans, on a Sunday or
in the evening, to listen to the band. But that was