When the
boy awoke, at last, from his long sleep, his fatigue had quite
disappeared; and he came running down the stairs as fresh as possible.
The landlady made a sign for him to come into the kitchen, and placed a
big bowl of coffee before him, with a nice yellow corn-cake, saying,--
"You can have this every morning, if you will, and something much better
at dinner and supper time; for then there is cooking for the guests, and
there is always something left over. You can do errands for me in return
for it; and you can make this your home, and have your bedroom to
yourself, and not be obliged to go wandering about in the world. Now it
lies with you to decide."
To this Rico replied, simply,--
"Yes, I will;" for he could say that in the language in which the
landlady spoke.
Now she conducted him through the whole house, through the
out-buildings, the stable, into the vegetable-garden and the hen-house;
and she explained the situation of all the places to him, and told him
where he must turn to go to the grocer and to the shoemaker, and to all
the important trades-people in fact. Rico listened attentively; and, to
test his understanding, the landlady sent him at once to three or four
places, to fetch a variety of things, such as oil, soap, thread, and a
boot that had been mended; for she noticed that the boy could say single
words perfectly well.
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