That was a marvellous flute! Its sound was as thrilling as the whistle of a
steam engine; in fact it was much stronger, for it sounded and was heard in
the yard, in the garden, in the wood, and many miles round in the country;
at the same time a storm rose and roared; “Everything in the right place.”
And with this the baron, as if carried by the wind, flew out of the hall
straight into the shepherd’s cottage, and the shepherd flew-not into the hall,
thither he could not come-but into the servants’ hall, among the smart
footmen who were striding about in silk stockings; these haughty menials
looked horror-struck that such a person ventured to sit at table with them.
But in the hall the baron’s daughter flew to the place of honour at the end of
the table-she was worthy to sit there; the pastor’s son had the seat next to
her; the two sat there as if they were a bridal pair. An old Count, belonging
to one of the oldest families of the country, remained untouched in his place
of honour; the flute was just, and it is one’s duty to be so. The sharp-
tongued cavalier who had caused the flute to be played, and who was the
child of his parents, flew headlong into the fowl-house, but not he alone.
The flute was heard at the distance of a mile, and strange events took
place. A rich banker’s family, who were driving in a coach and four, were
blown out of it, and could not even find room behind it with their footmen.
Two rich farmers who had in our days shot up higher than their own corn-
fields, were flung into the ditch; it was a dangerous flute. Fortunately it
burst at the first sound, and that was a good thing, for then it was put back
into its owner’s pocket-”its right place.”
The next day, nobody spoke a word about what had taken place; thus
originated the phrase, “to pocket the flute.” Everything was again in its
usual order, except that the two old pictures of the peddlar and the goose-
girl were hanging in the banqueting-hall. There they were on the wall as if
blown up there; and as a real expert said that they were painted by a
master’s hand, they remained there and were restored. “Everything in the
right place,” and to this it will come. Eternity is long, much longer indeed
than this story.
